A Typical Fast-Moving Week in the Mission Field

Each Sunday, we drive over the mountain to Balamban to church. Since the drive takes a little over an hour, we see many sights as we drive. This week, there was some kind of a celebration going on. 

 These people were gathered to watch a cycle race. 

A little further along the road, we saw a carabao, pulling a sled of sorts. The kids were catching a ride.

Each day as we drive to work, we see interesting sights. Here are a couple for this week:

 A man riding a skateboard, while holding the handlebars of a cycle.

 Carrying rice bags on your cycle  - to deliver somewhere - or maybe it's lunch!

Zone Conferences for  North and South Cebu were combined on Tuesday because President and Sister Schmutz were stranded in Dumaguete on Monday.

The President is implementing a new program called: "contact a member on Saturday," which is a new way to encourage branch or ward members to allow lessons to be taught in their homes to investigators. That way, the investigator instantly has a friend at church on Sundays. The missionaries are not to be fed at these discussions. The purpose is for the missionaries to teach the Restoration, and Plan of Salvation, etc., for the members to testify of the principle being taught, and for a bond to begin to grow between those investigating and someone permanent in the church unit.

 Lunch is a catered affair. Everyone loves to eat and visit,
but the "meat" of the conference is teaching
our tremendous missionary  force to be even better missionaries for Jesus Christ. 

 A card and Snickers bar is given out by President and Sister Schmutz to celebrate birthdays 

of individuals for a two-month period of time. 

 Happy Birthday here is sung: 

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you.

Our mission has a mission song: sung to the tune "Now Let Us Rejoice."

The words are:

On the isles of the sea as was foretold by prophets

The remnant of Israel is gathering in 

In the stakes and the districts, the homes and the Temple

God's children all rejoice as the harvest begins. 

Chorus:

This is Cebu Mission, and we know our purpose. 

Invite unto Christ! It's what we came here for. 

The elect are prepared, and God leads us to find them. 

They gather on Cebu, Negros and Siquijor.

Satan wields flaxen cords in his effort to bid us, 

But we keep commandments and thwart his designs. 

We obey with exactness; we follow the Spirit.

Obedience purifies till each countenance shines. 

Chorus

With the Lord at the helm, we all heeded our Prophet. 

The spirit leads on and his light we now shine. 

Like the trump of an angel we teach from the scriptures. 

With love we venture forth in this work that's divine. 

Chorus

As we prepare for Transfer Week next week, we also prepare to say "goodbye" to Elder Mejos, 

an excellent Filipino missionary (and AP) who is completing his mission.

 Elder Mejos' choice for dinner with the office staff, other assistant - Elder Peck - 

and President and Sister Schmutz was at Marco Polo.
They treat us wonderfully well there.

The theme at Marco Polo this month seems to be Paris, France - as you can see. 

Sister and President Schmutz are such wonderful hosts, and we all love them. 

Dumaguete - on Negros Island

      We have heard so much about Dumaguete. Because of less traffic, the air is cleaner, and the city itself seems a little more prosperous. 

This walkway along the ocean is called the Boulevard.

The Boulevard is a slow-moving park-type area. 

      The Anderson's took us to a home industry for Sister Sommerfeldt to order a scripture cover of woven material that is unique to the islands.

      Then they dropped us off at the Essencia, our accommodations for the evening. We were needing to be at the Dumaguete Airport very early in the morning to catch our flight back to Cebu.

      After hailing a cab, we drove a few short blocks to a McD. As we got orientated to the city, we wandered around for awhile, and then walked back to the hotel.

      By 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, we had checked out of our hotel and was on the way to the airport. When the plane arrived, we expected to see President and Sister Schmutz get off the plane as we got on. However, change of plans. It was raining outside, and we discovered that the plane was VFR - visible flight rating. Each day there is only one flight from Cebu to Dumaguete, and one flight back to Cebu. That flight had been cancelled!

      Elder Sommerfeldt tried to find out our options. There were two: wait until the following day to fly to Cebu, or fly to Manila and then to Cebu. He reserved a seat on that flight to Manila. Since it didn't leave until 2:55, we returned to the Essencia, hoping they had not made up our room yet.

      They had! However, they offered to give us another room - free - to stay in until noon. That gracious option was much appreciated. By checkout time, we were back in the lobby to check out once again. We enjoyed a Chinese food lunch at the hotel before returning to the airport for our flight.

      Problem was: it was still raining. The flight had been cancelled. By this time, the airport was stacking up with people needing to get to their destinations. Elder Sommerfeldt stood in line from 1:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. only to find out that we had two options: Travel to Manila on Saturday - if the planes were traveling at that time, or take an all-night ferry back to Cebu.
   
      This time, we took our first Trike ride (boy are they tiny) - with our luggage - from the airport, down to the Boulevard, with the prospect of waiting there for six hours before going to the port area to board the ferry to Cebu. Side note: it was all the Trike could do to take off without tipping over backwards, between luggage and Will's weight. It didn't help that the cycle providing the motor was old, with not much energy.

      Here are some sights from the Boulevard:

A truck carrying sugar cane. We saw at least four of them go by.

A bit of history - I'm sure!

The beach area.

A boys' band in the back of a truck.

      About the time we thought we would go stir-crazy, Anderson's contacted us and said they were on their way into Dumaguete to go to dinner with us. Hurray!

      Actually, we went to the church first, found an empty classroom, and played a game together for a time. The kids love Sister Anderson - they know she has a piece of candy for them. Afterwards,  we enjoyed a leisurely dinner together.

       At the port, we saw this interesting lizard on the wall. He is called a toko lizard.

      Finally we boarded the ferry at 10:30 p.m. Nice - Anderson's had booked us a business class ticket. A couch, and easy chairs - and we were the only ones in the room. Everywhere else were many bunk beds all in a common room. Our private room was especially appreciated because Elder Sommerfeldt did not fit in the bunks inside our room, and he slept on the couch. 

       Sister Sommerfeldt moved a second mattress onto her bunk, wrapped up in the blanket provided and slept.

      About 6:30 a.m. we were docking at Cebu. Ready to get our truck at the airport, return home, shower, and get to work. But, what a great weekend!

I will end this with a laugh. A sign we saw in Dumaguete:

Seeing men relieve themselves against fences are a daily occurrence in the Philippines.

Coco Grove - An Island Resort on Siquijor

      Coco Grove:  What a delightful resort!

White sand beaches, with lovely clear blue water. 

Will snorkeled here and reported it was some of the best he has ever experienced. 

 Unique accommodations . . . 

With light, airy rooms . . .

Bananas growing high  . . .

And low on the trees . . .

 Beautiful Sunsets . . . 

 Even a beach wedding celebration.

Pools sparkling in the last rays of the sun . . . 

 A beach BBQ, complete with good friends - Elder and Sister Anderson.

A fun program, including good music and  fire dancing.

Warm sunshine . . . with good swimming . . . and tanning . . . 

Fine dining in pleasant surroundings . . .

An art studio . . .

Check out this picture carefully, and you may discover a surprise!

Extraordinary wandering paths . . .

Stunning colors and fragrances . . .

Cultural delights . . .

A great massage place . . .

And interesting non-edible plants.

  

      One morning we visited "The" Banyan Tree. Rumor has it that if you touch the Banyan Tree, you will someday return to Siquijor. 

From the root area of the banyan tree, there is a fresh water spring which forms a pool. You sit on the side of the pool and put your feet under the water and fish nibble at the dead skin on your feet - a healthy thing! (I'm told!)

      It is important to always have your camera ready. Along the side of the road, on the way to the banyan tree, we saw this fine looking gentleman.

      By Tuesday at noon, we were needing to leave Coco Grove and travel with the Anderson's back to the ferry to return to Dumaguete.

      Yes, it was camera time again. This cobra had been run over on the road, and of course, Elder Anderson had to check it out.
   

      Down by the port area, there is a place called Squatter's Row. 

Mary, a faithful church member, lives there.

Mary has a tindahan in the front of her very tiny home.

 I had never seen the inside of a small home behind a tindahan. Since Mary bakes unleavened bread for the sacrament each Sunday, Sister Anderson asked if she would mind showing me her clay oven.

This is the oven.

This room is the living room - the entire room.

Here Elder Sommerfeldt and Elder Anderson are going into the kitchen to see the oven. The entire kitchen is about half the size of the living room. You can see the ladder going upstairs to a bedroom area. Mary raised her six children: 5 boys and one girl in this home.

Outside, the neighbor kids gathered around to visit Mary.

The large green fruit on the table is used only for medicinal purposes.

It is called a calabash.

Mary, ever the hospitable hostess, offered us Seregolias.

The skin looked like it should be pealed, but actually this small fruit is eaten like an apple.

Before we left, we had our picture taken with Mary. 

A 63 year-old sweetheart, who speaks English, and loves the Lord.