February!!

This guy tried to get in on our companionship study today - he was so fast!

The garbage truck!

A missionary said to me the other day, "Sister Bingham, anywhere is a bed to a Filipino." This guy was taking his lunch break in our driveway of our home. We have seen people sleep - really anywhere.

Elder & Sister Erickson have served so faithfully with us. Elder Erickson has been in charge of the mission travel and vehicles. Sister Erickson has done the mission history and is the office secretary. Plus they have been faithful members of the Victoria Ward. We have enjoyed getting to know them as we have served with them. It's been unforgettable.

MLC - January 31, 2024. What an awesome group of the mission young leaders. We had a good counsel together about what is going good in our mission and where our mission is struggling a bit. We were able to plan for upcoming zone Conferences - next week! It's not only an honor to serve with these fine missionaries - it's even fun

It's always a wonderful opportunity to get out in the dirt and work hard serving. I planted seeds in containers of dirt while Michael shoveled bags of dirt. So we were both very happy at the end of a couple of hours. The best part is serving with our missionaries. We love the gardens at Rise & Rebuild. It does us good to be outside in the sunshine.

Happy Chinese New Year.

We had a great visit with 3 returned missionaries that all served in our mission. Chino Guerrero, Zak Sumiran, Woodbrey Sinamban. We laughed, we cried, we talked about the past and we talked about the future. Can you believe that we actually enjoy hanging out with these guys? Like our best friends are 20ish year old young men.

Goodby Sister Coquia. We will miss her - but are excited for her new adventure as a service missionary in the Manila Mission.

Welcome to our Mission Sister Corpuz! Sister Corpuz will serve with us for a couple of weeks, until her Visa to Peru comes through.

Welcome to our Mission Elder Sila. He's a BIG guy! Elder Sila is from Tonga. We are excited to have him serve with us here in our mission - he better watch his head everywhere he goes, because he is A LOT taller than most Filipinos.

What a good morning - delivering our newly arrived missionaries to their trainers. That's fun stuff.

Tarlac & Santa Ignacia Zone Conference

This is a short clip of our missionaries from the Tarlac & Santa Ignacia Zones at zone conference yesterday. I just love the enthusiasm of Elder Borg! Our missionaries were singing to the cooks that provided lunch for us that day. It was the Garcia Family Catering company - it was especially touching because the Bro. Garcia - the patriarch in the family passed away a couple of weeks ago.

Paniqui & Camiling Zone Conference

Angeles & Mabalacat Zone Conference

Miscellaneous photos from the past week or so. 3 stake conferences in a row!

Sister Bernales & Sister Peter gave each Senior Sister a valentine . So thoughtful of them.

Just remember - any where is a bed to a Filipino.

A couple of photos that Sister Ray took at Zone Conference. Do you like how that dry erase board makes it look like I have antlers? You know how Michael loves antlers!

Your dad was just sitting near this window on a sofa in our living room. (It's really the first time ever that he has just sat down there.) When we heard the loudest bang! It really scared your dad. Now we have a huge hole in our window! Our security guards think it was a golf ball - but there is no golf ball to be found.

Dinner with President & Sister Donato.

A lesson with Brother Jay (they call everyone brother & sister even if they aren't members.). We sang Let us All Press On. The sisters testified of the importance of reading the Book of Mormon and attending church. Because of our opening song it gave me the opportunity to share with Brother Jay the words of our prophet, President Nelson - "the Lord loves effort."

My first ride in a Philippines Jeepnee! We had a great night. What do you think of the safety straps that we have given to all of the missionaries in our mission? I was really glad I had them to wear as we walked the streets in the dark. It is so awesome being out with the missionaries! We love it!

The story behind this pictures is just pretty much amazing or miraculous! Cassidy is in the white t-shirt. She is 14 & was baptized about a month ago - (we were there and sent a picture.) There is a area requirement that children of a nonmember family that want to be baptized - one of their parents has to attend sacrament meeting at least twice. The missionaries were so sad thinking that they would not be able to get baptized - but the missionaries invited and Father, Gary came! Now Cassidy's dad - Gary is getting baptized! (February 24 - He hasn't had a cup of coffee since Christmas) And to make it even better Sharlyn, a 9 year old sister is also going to be baptized with her father! The Cuenco family. Plus an older sister, age 20 has come to church twice with the family as well. The spirit was so strong. It was heavenly. A few things to notice in the photo - Sharlyn is holding a Friend Magazine about baptism. Notice the older Sister in the chair. Her name is Ofelia Galang - Sister Galang. She lost her hands and feet in an accident when she was young. But that hasn't slowed her down in this life. She served a mission in 1982 - at that time there was only one mission in the country - the Manila mission. She was a beautiful lady - 65 years old. She is grandmother to the little boy - Gavin 9 yrs old standing in front with the Valentine. Look at that handsome dad - Gary. Can't wait for February 24 and for the baptism. Oh boy that was a fun night!

President teaching with Elder Williams & Elder Isuga. It was the perfect night for him to be out on a bike with these 2 Elders.

What do you think of this boy's dance moves? (I know my moves were pretty pathetic...) His name is Gavin. I was with Sister Van Brocklin & Sister Fuentes. We (well pretty much THEY - I am really only there for a testimony backup) taught the restoration. Can you see that I gave Gavin, a 3year old, a picture of the Savior that Matthew painted?

Look who surprised me with flowers tonight!!

We had a Sister Missionary, Sister Leva'a, get in a bike wreck - actually she had 2 wrecks in 2 days. The second time she wrecked she went over the handle bars and it really scared her. She ended up just laying in the road. So an ambulance was called. We met her and her companion at the hospital. After x-rays determined that nothing was broken, Sister Leva'a was able to get up the mission nurse gave her a ride home. That hospital was pretty much like a nightmare! There were so many sick and injured people in the emergency room. It was really very upsetting to me. There was only one doctor working there and she had so many sick people to attend to. But what really got me was - there were stray cats roaming in the halls of the hospital! I have a picture to prove it. Isn't that crazy. I hope you know how blessed you are to live in the United States. I know there are a lot of problems with our country - but believe me - it is the best place on earth and where you definitely want to be if you need to go the hospital.

The baptisms that we attended on Saturday. It was a good day! We went to the Santo Thomas ward. It is the farthest south ward in our entire mission. We had attended a baptism there on Saturday, grandpa B, left his missionary bag in the room. So we had to go back there. But, it turned out to be a blessing because we were able to witness the confirmation of the 5 people that were baptized the day before. There were 3 different couples that were able to get married on February 14 - because that is get married free day here in the Philippines. Because these 3 couples got married on Wednesday, there were able to be baptized on Saturday and then confirmed on Sunday. It was a very special weekend.

I know I have already sent Bougainvillea pictures - but they are so beautiful! I love them and get excited when I see them in the neighborhood.

Your dad was so impressed with the fact that I used this CR (comfort room/bathroom). I did have to hold the door shut with my hand while I used the toilet. Might be one of the worst I've used here in the Philippines.

Our hiking crew! Elder Paberan, Elder Benitez, Elder Miller and Elder Black. The good thing is the guide company was able to find some trekking poles for me to use. I couldn't have done it with out those poles! They found a cane for your dad - but using a cane on a trail doesn't work very well. I should have stuck my trekking poles into the container...

Here is one of our guides today. His name is July. Can you believe that these guides hike up the mountain in flip-flops?! He was soft spoken and a really nice guys. I don't think I have a picture of the other guide named Momo.

Does this guy look a little sweaty? Is my face a little red?

You would think by the number of photos we took that we haven't never been on a hike before!!! But it does give you a little idea of our p-day today!

Our lunch in Ayarat (your dad isn't in the pictures because he had to drive back to the trail head and grab that walking stick... It was an interesting lunch anyway.

View from the top of the south peak of Mt. Arayat

Can you see the peak on the right of the photo?

Elder Miller, Elder Black, Elder Benitez & Elder Paberan. They were great hiking partners today!

 

Who remembers Rob Williams?

View from the hotel room - EDSA Philippines. It’s near Manila. We needed a couple of grandkids to get us in that swimming pool!

Happy Chinese New Year.

Baptism of Robyn with Sister Pondolanan & Sister Jones

The desk next to mine

Look who we ran into in the hotel lobby after the Tabernacle Choir Concert last night. (Sister Scholls was brave enough to snap a photo)

The pest control company just left - they trapped 32 rats in the ceiling space of the mission home. . Can you believe that?