Week 24--December 6-12, 2015
Our Filipino style nativity set arrived this week. This set has a horse, sheep, and carabo for the animals. The wise men are bearing gifts of rice, bananas, and mangoes.
The Thursday before going home each batch of departing missionaries attend a career and employment resource training that is taught by Elder and Sister Peck. The December batch is all smiles!
Elder Heaton, President Bertin, Elder Suldan, and Elder Algar get into the Christmas spirit by helping to sort the huge amount of mail and packages that arrived this week. There were 27 packages at the Post Office and three big boxes from Julie Hess that had 11 smaller boxes in each one.
Elder Algar is having a hard time with the idea that he is going home. He put a sticker on his forehead that reads "Property of the LDS Church." He is going to be greatly missed. He can be asked a question about who is where and he knows right off.
This is a "White Christmas" Philippines' style. We had 19 people baptized in our stake--San Jose Del Monte, on Saturday, Dec. 12. After the baptisms we attended our Stake Christmas Devotional that consisted of Church video clips interspersed with musical numbers. It was a wonderful evening.
Garnalee had a very touching experience this week. The week before transfers happen she is given a list of new positions for the mission. The positions are for zone leaders, district leaders, sister training leaders, trainers, and a new assistant to the President. She sends letters to each of the missionaries confirming their calling, and then letters to the parents are sent to let them know about the opportunity that has come to their missionary. Elder Suldan is the President's selection to replace Elder Algar as an assistant to the President (AP). As she was preparing the letters to the parents, Elder Suldan wandered by and noticed a parent letter she was working on. He said, "You send letters to the parents?" Garnalee answered, "Yes." She then went on to explain that a letter is sent to parents by email. If the parents don't have email, which is the case with some of the parents in the Philippines, then she prints the letter and mails it through pouch mail. She also told him that a the parent letter is placed in the electronic file that is kept on each missionary, and when the missionary goes home he/she is provided a copy of that electronic file on a DVD that he/she would be able to share with his/her parents. Elder Suldan was very excited that his mother would receive a letter letting her know of the opportunity that he has been given to serve as an Assistant to the President. Later that afternoon, Garnalee learned that Elder Suldan has been a member for four years, is the youngest of nine children, and is the only one in his family who is active. His father passed away while he was making preparations to come on his mission. His mother lives on a farm with pigs, chickens, dogs, and raises rice to support herself. Now Garnalee understood why Elder Suldan was so excited to know that his mother would receive a letter about the opportunity that he has been given.
Another long but inspiring week!
This is a "White Christmas" Philippines' style. We had 19 people baptized in our stake--San Jose Del Monte, on Saturday, Dec. 12. After the baptisms we attended our Stake Christmas Devotional that consisted of Church video clips interspersed with musical numbers. It was a wonderful evening.
Garnalee had a very touching experience this week. The week before transfers happen she is given a list of new positions for the mission. The positions are for zone leaders, district leaders, sister training leaders, trainers, and a new assistant to the President. She sends letters to each of the missionaries confirming their calling, and then letters to the parents are sent to let them know about the opportunity that has come to their missionary. Elder Suldan is the President's selection to replace Elder Algar as an assistant to the President (AP). As she was preparing the letters to the parents, Elder Suldan wandered by and noticed a parent letter she was working on. He said, "You send letters to the parents?" Garnalee answered, "Yes." She then went on to explain that a letter is sent to parents by email. If the parents don't have email, which is the case with some of the parents in the Philippines, then she prints the letter and mails it through pouch mail. She also told him that a the parent letter is placed in the electronic file that is kept on each missionary, and when the missionary goes home he/she is provided a copy of that electronic file on a DVD that he/she would be able to share with his/her parents. Elder Suldan was very excited that his mother would receive a letter letting her know of the opportunity that he has been given to serve as an Assistant to the President. Later that afternoon, Garnalee learned that Elder Suldan has been a member for four years, is the youngest of nine children, and is the only one in his family who is active. His father passed away while he was making preparations to come on his mission. His mother lives on a farm with pigs, chickens, dogs, and raises rice to support herself. Now Garnalee understood why Elder Suldan was so excited to know that his mother would receive a letter about the opportunity that he has been given.
Another long but inspiring week!
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