November 28, 2014 - Friday in the Philippines

Today we celebrate our first week in Laoag and we are meeting some very special people.  I just hope I can express our gratitude properly for the tender mercies and the blessings that have crossed our paths.

We are getting acquainted with the shopping facilities here and we have a senior couple, Elder and Sister Pettingill who gave us some initial tours.  We also met the Richards who have been very helpful in getting us oriented to the city.

Perhaps our biggest hurdle we cleared this week was going out teaching with the sister missionaries last night.  We met two families who were so welcoming to us.  We got to sit with the sisters and in one situation taught about the importance of Scripture reading and in another situation they taught about faith.  In both families, mom and I were able to contribute and bear testimony.  It was our first opportunity to feel like missionaries!

Yesterday was our first district meeting and we sat with Elders and Sisters in a 90 minute training.  These Elders and Sisters were so sharp in the Gospel!  Some were short timers who will be leaving in December and some were just in the beginning weeks of their missions.  They were from all over; Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Philippines, Tonga, Canada, and they were all very engaged in the work of the rescue!  The one lesson I was able to appreciate the most was taught by the district leader, "We are called to the Philippines because the Lord knew we could handle it".  Now that was profound and made a huge impact on me because sometimes we think that what the Lord asks us to do is more than we can handle. That is a tool of the adversary!  But, because He knows us and what we are uniquely qualified to offer, we can do hard things and fulfill our purposes to serve and build and bear testimony!

The Filipino People are very religious and very receptive to prayer and discussions about Jesus.  We saw pictures of the Savior in both homes we visited last night.  We are grateful to be here and we are ever thankful for your prayers!!

Check out the additional pictures this past week that were just posted on previous blogs!

The foundation being dug

The family that will have the house

Here are some pictures of the house foundation and the family receiving the humanitarian aid.  The people are very poor and this is why the Richards family is here to help build housing.  This house will be 16' by 20' with no interior walls.  There is no plumbing or electrical and several families will be living here.  They are very excited to have this new addition.  That is mom in the purple dress.  We were humbled to meet this family.