Small Miracles

Cebu Temple Celestial room-- and it's even more beautiful in reality.

Yesterday I was assigned to the Celestial room.  There is always an attendant there, even when it is not in use.  It’s beautiful, peaceful, quiet—a little piece of heaven.  As I sat alone and prayed and read scriptures, I started to feel a tickle in my throat.  Finally a cough—and another one, and they got worse, until I was coughing every two or three minutes.  In that silent room, they echoed loudly!   When the patrons enter the Celestial room, they sit quietly, praying silently.  It’s very reverent and I was worried that my coughing would disturb someone’s communion with the Lord.  Quietly I prayed for the gift of relief from my coughing when the patrons entered.  Then I stood at my place by the door to welcome the patrons, and didn’t cough.  For thirty minutes, I didn’t cough once.  Then that small miracle was repeated again today.  I am so grateful for Heavenly Father’s love, shown through those small tender mercies.

Reunion with the Barrizo family-- after 48 years!

Greeting Sister Epifania Barrizo after 48 years

Back:Russel, Harold, Ron and M-R,;
Front: Wilma, Mama Epifania, Carol, Joy (missing Jean and Roger)

L to R: Wilma, Mama E., Carol, Joy (JetJet), Chad, Russell

We really enjoyed the Baumgartner children.  Here is Logan, who loved to draw. 

From Ron: We recently had a wonderful experience of having a family come to visit us here at the temple.  I had taught the Barrizo family in the City of Davao 48 years ago.  Back in 1970, the parents and older children were baptized five days after I was transferred from Davao to Manila.  18 of our contacts were baptized that Saturday, so I was disappointed to be transferred.  The last thing I did before leaving Davao was to visit the Barrizo family at their home.  A poor-quality photo of Sister Barrizo and a few of the kids in their house, which I took that day, helped me remember them over the years.  Sister Barrizo still has the same bright smile these many years later.  

So how did we get connected? When members from Davao came to the temple last February, we told them about the various families I had taught in Davao.  These folks took word back to the Barrizos that Mary-Rose and I were serving here at the temple in Cebu.  Jacinta, who lives in new York, had also corresponded with us by email -- she received our email address from a Brother Gray who was writing a history of the early "pioneers" of the church in the southern part of the Philippines.  We happened to sit by Brother and Sister Gray at a 50-year anniversary reunion of the Philippines Mission in Utah last October.  So the Barrizo family made it a point to find us here in Cebu as part of their reunion travels.  They came to the Patron House on Thursday evening.  I had tears rolling down my face as I gave them hugs.  They came up to our apartment and we enjoyed visiting for a couple hours, but they had to catch a boat to another island, Bohol a tourist spot, at 5 in the morning so we could not keep talking all night.  On Saturday, a number of the family attended a session at the temple in the morning, the shift that I coordinate.  It was good to see many of them at the temple.  In keeping with Grandma Jane's example, we fed the family in our apartment, 14 people in total.  It was heart-touching to again hug the mother (grandmother).  My eyes filled with tears, but it was a wonderful experience.  They may come again before we leave next year – it costs money to come.  One lives in England and a couple in the USA, as well as those from Davao.  Seven of the ten siblings were here.  It was so good to see them all!

Dinner with everyone on August 12th.  Russell is taking the picture.

Taaaaxi!

So many taxis!

One of our younger (34-year-old) temple workers, Kim, is on bed rest with a high-risk pregnancy.  She has been a devoted worker and loves to be with people, but is quite isolated socially now and is feeling nauseous and dizzy much of the time.  We have texted but I felt like I needed to go visit her.  Ron was not excited about driving in Cebu traffic to make a “woman-talk” visit, so I decided to take a taxi.  By myself!  Ron and I are always together when we go out, so this was new and scary.  We’ve had some good cab drivers and some that looked a little sketchy, but we got where we were going okay.  But by myself was a new adventure.  I prayed that I would get a taxi driver who would be safe and who would want a copy of the Book of Mormon.  The guards at the gatehouse will flag a taxi for us when we need one, so soon I was getting in one of the 7,000 taxis that crowd the streets here.  Good first sign—the seatbelts work.  Bad second sign—he doesn’t know how to find the address.  I got in front to show him an app called “Mapsme” that is like googlemaps, not as good, but doesn’t need data.  He was very cooperative and we did find the address easily.  But that’s getting ahead of myself.  We started with small talk, and I asked about his family.  He has two children.  Then he asked me what I thought about the end of the world, because his 9- and 12-year-old children ask him every day, “Is the world going to end tomorrow, Pa?”   I pulled up Matthew 24 on my phone and I read it and gave him some ideas and some of my thoughts.  I told him that he could reassure his kids that the world wouldn’t end too soon—still too many prophecies to be fulfilled.  Then I asked him if he would like the copy of the Book of Mormon that I had brought along.  He told me that he already had one, and pointed out a small card on his dash that was a picture of Jesus and children—it was a copy of the Articles of Faith in Cebuano.  A missionary had given it to him once when they were talking on the street.  And he wanted the Book of Mormon for his wife!  I didn’t know where to start, but I started to tell him about the gospel.  He really got an earful since our ride took more than an hour!  

Vilmar, the driver, carries this picture with him as he drives, because, "Christ loves the children."

I told him about temple marriage, being a forever family, baptism, priesthood authority, Apostasy and the Restoration—including the First Vision, tithing, Word of Wisdom, fasting, Joseph Smith receiving and translating the plates so we have the Book of Mormon.  I said several times, “I’m probably telling you so much that you can’t understand it!  The missionaries could explain it so much better!” But he would say, “It’s okay, sister, I like to hear you talk.”  When we got to Kim’s house, she suggested that I could make an appointment with him to come back and pick me up in 1 ½ hours.  I didn’t know that taxis would do that, but he was happy to get another big trip.  After my good visit with Kim that was waaay too short, the taxi came back and beeped for me.  As we were leaving the housing development where Kim lives, we had to stop at the guard house there for the driver to get his driver ID back.  Our temple guards don’t do that, but it’s quite common here.  There were two women, and the guard asked if they could ride with us, since it wouldn’t be out of our way.  They got in, and we started to chat—and they started to ask about why I was in Cebu, and what we believed.  They both had Mormon friends and both already had copies of the Book of Mormon!  So as they got out, we exchanged phone numbers and we will be getting together sometime!  Then I still had ½ hour or more with my captive audience.  Some of our topics this time were infant baptism, and the Holy Ghost, and personal revelation, and how he is shy to talk English and I am shy to talk Cebuano—but NOT shy in English!   I read and explained Moroni 10:3-5 to him and he really enjoyed it.  He told me that he prays and reads scriptures—and he pointed to the Book of Mormon—every day with his family.  So I was thrilled to meet him and got his name and address.  He was so sweet and sincere and I would love to meet his wife and kids.  We will see what happens!

Brother Guia and his stories

Brother Alfredo Guia

We have been blessed to meet so many good people here.  It’s rewarding to build new friendships, and fascinating to hear their conversion stories, and humbling to know the struggles they endure. 

Brother Fred Guia is a very enthusiastic and friendly 73-year-old brother who works in the temple.  His family lives in a neighboring city, but he stays at the Patron House during the week, since travelling is difficult for him right now.  He has had serious diabetic sores on his feet that has led to partial amputations on both feet.  The sole of his right foot has some deep sores that were being treated by another missionary sister, but when those missionaries got transferred, we volunteered to help with dressing his feet twice a week.  For almost three months, we have been blessed by his faith and humour and friendship, and we have met and adopted all his wonderful family.  We are so impressed by his faith and his dedication to keep working at the temple despite his health problems.  His can-do attitude is inspiring. He has told us fascinating stories of his life, and Ron has typed as Brother Guia talks. Here are some of his stories:

My mother used to wake me up at about 4 in the morning to take the carabao to the meadows.  There were so many mosquitos when we ride on the carabao back.  Sometimes we let it wallow in the mud so that it can protect from the mosquitos.  We do not ride any more because it is muddy.  We only wait until the carabao is full and its stomach is big and then I will go home and eat my breakfast.  After 4:00 in the morning I would take the carabao to eat in the meadow.  Then at about 6 we would plow the field.  Then after that we would rest at noon.  Then we would eat for lunch.  Kamote, dried fish or rice, banana and also sometimes we cook chicken.  During the lunch we rest for a while and then at about 2:00 we would plow again.  We would check that the water is not coming out of the field – check the dikes that the water is not coming out – the grass rots and is a fertilizer for the rice plants.  Then we would plow until 5 o’clock and then we would bring the carabao to the meadows and we would leave it there.  The meadows are in the hills.  After that we would go to sleep in the evening.  And then the same routine.  When I was in the High school I was not able to plow the field because I was going to the school.  We were walking about 6 km one way to the school in Dipolog and 6 km back (barrio Gales). Then I finished high school in 1961. 

Story of one carabao that was part of the family.  My father was 78 when he died.  We called the carabao Tagilon.  He was a very obedient.  He would bring the palay (rice not yet thrashed).  He would take it to the mill (by himself) and then after the rice was milled they put the milled rice on the sledge and he would pull the sledge back home.  (No thieves then). When Tagilon died, my father cried.  The Carabao was very old.  Our neighbor wanted to slaughter it, but my father would not let them.  My father said we could not eat it because he helped us for so long.  We buried it.  My father and mother was a very industrious farmer.  And they were very religious too.  When they had a harvest, every January 1 we would have a thanksgiving for the harvest.  There was a miracle in our life.  We had a field already for harvest.  There were many rats eating rice and the rats did not eat our field.  Our neighbors asked why the rats did not eat our field.  My father said I do not know.  Every January 1 we would have a thanksgiving.  We let our labours come.  We would slaughter 2 pigs, each about 100 kg.  Our workers and neighbours would like pancit and we would make it.  They enjoyed the pancit.  At that time, we only planted one time per year.  Now they plant 2 or three times.  Coming June is planting  season. 

Not Brother Guia, but similar

We feel so blessed to have his example in our life.  
I think the Lord sends extra-strong spirits to the Philippines.  

Mother's Day 2018

Mother's Day was been really enjoyable here in the Philippines.  Everyone we talked to at all during the day wished me a Happy Mother's Day, and every adult woman was wished "Happy Mother's Day" often.  No standing up in the chapel at the end of Sacrament meeting, though.  No public mother-guilt! 

I had been invited to a Mother's Day luncheon held at noon, after the church meetings were done.  I wanted to go to later church meetings so I could talk with more of my family, but I have been playing the piano for Relief Society for the Busay Ward which meets at 9 AM.  So I went to the Busay Ward Relief Society at 11, played piano, and stayed for the potluck Mothers' Day lunch (cooked by the mothers!).  It was delicious, and our chocolate chip cookies were a hit.  Cookies are a real treat, since few families have an oven; electricity is so expensive here and incomes are so low.  The Primary children came and sang-- just as adorable here in the Philippines as Primary kids at home.   Then we attended Apas Ward in the afternoon, where chocolate bars were handed out at the end of the meetings. 

And of course the highlight of my Mothers' Day was being able to talk with all our children and most of the grandkids.  We are so thankful for technology!

Here are the Primary children singing to the mothers at the luncheon.  Aren't they adorable?  Note the uninflated balloons taped to the stage curtains.  Filipinos like to decorate! 

Watermelon at Carbon Market

We always love to see all the melons at the market.   So many red and yellow ones!  One of the blessings of living in paradise-- year-round watermelon!

First trip to Bohol, March 12, 2018

March 12 is our oldest son's birthday, so we celebrated by going on a daytrip.  We just wish he could have been with us!  Bohol is an island just east of Cebu Island.  Elder Hobbs spent a lot of time and energy arranging this trip, which was a birthday celebration for all of us with February and March birthdays. 

The port where we got on the ferry had security like an airport,
but the carved deer heads puzzled me.  Maybe they are hiding the security cameras?

Comfy ferry seats, very cold aircon, crummy movie, but great company!  

I love living in a religious country.  There was a safety video-- like a plane--
then a "Prayer and Safety" video.
I especially liked this line.  I need that help every day! 

The rain started just as we disembarked from the ferry.  

Bohol is an island just southeast of Cebu. Our ferry ride took about two hours.
We were blessed with calm seas, so nobody got seasick.    

View from the van as we drove.  It was so good to get out in the country.
Cebu is such a crowded city that this was a wonderful contrast.

But even in the jungle there is road construction! 

Carabao, domesticated water buffalo, have traditionally been the "workhorses" of Filipino farms.

They are the national animal of the Philippines.

Carabao, domesticated water buffalo, have traditionally been the "workhorses" of Filipino farms.

Harvesting rice.  Such hard physical work. 

Sister Siguiente  at the Chocolate Hills in the rain. 

 More tourists in the rain.

View from the top of the staircase.  There are about 1500 small hills, designated as a National Geological Monument.  Here's some of the Wikipedia article :"The Chocolate Hills form a rolling terrain of haycock hills – mounds of a generally conical and almost symmetrical shape. Estimated to be from 1,268 to about 1,776 individual mounds, these cone-shaped or dome-shaped hills are actually made of grass-covered limestone. The domes vary in sizes from 30 to 50 metres (98 to 164 ft) high with the largest being 120 metres (390 ft) in height. Bohol's "main attraction", these unique mound-shaped hills are scattered by the hundreds throughout the towns of Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan in Bohol.
During the dry season, the grass-covered hills dry up and turn chocolate brown. This transforms the area into seemingly endless rows of "chocolate kisses"." They were beautiful in the misty rain, but I'd love to visit again on a sunny day. 

Our van driver, Romie. 

The Hobbs and the Alfornons at the Tarsier Preserve. 

Most of these tiny, nocturnal, fist-size monkeys
that we saw were asleep,
but this one posed for us with his eyes open.  

 Look at these missionary triplets all in blue plaid shirts!

The double swinging bridge.   

The swinging bridges again, and Ron in the foreground with a real smile--
very unusual in a picture of him. 

Big Aussie photobomber. I love Elder Siguiente's surprised look!

Big Aussie photobomber.
I love Elder Siguiente's surprised look!

Sister and Elder Siguiente
with their new friend. 

                                                       

Elder and Sister Kidd

My birthday presents from the trip-- a woven tray, and a young coconut that was sliced off for me to drink the coconut water.  After that, we took it back to the little stall and they bored out the young, tender coconut meat, called buko.  Filipinos don't eat the old coconut like we do;
instead the meat from the older coconut will be ground finely, covered with water,
and then squeezed out to make fresh coconut milk. 

An idyllic scene from the road by the swinging bridges.
The fisherman is using the original version of a bamboo rod-- a piece of bamboo! 

Bohoc River floating restaurant.
We had planned on doing a dinner cruise on a riverboat,
but we ran out of time.  Next time... 

We visited a small zoo that had a butterfly enclosure.
Ron takes butterfly pictures like I take flower pictures,
but we will just share one of many.   

Beautiful!

WARNING to those with ophiophobia (snake-phobia).  

You might want to stop reading now.  

There were about seven large pythons at this little zoo, along with a few alligators, some chickens (python food), and a hawk that looked like a miniature bald eagle.
This albino python was full and sluggish, so she didn't mind getting some love. Since we couldn't pick this one up, we got another chance with another python.

It was a memorable day.  I can't wait to go back to Bohol.