Cebu City LDS Temple

Cebu has a temple. The only other temple in the Philippines at the present time is in Manilla. Sister Schmutz said that the couples serving on Cebu attend the temple together about every three or four months. We are very excited about that.

Phone Conversation with Sister Schmutz

25 August 2013

We just talked with Sister Schmutz in Cebu City. She is our Mission President’s wife, and she sounds so great. The Cebu Mission recently found out that they have five new mission couples arriving this summer and fall. On July 1^st the Cebu Mission was split and there are now 21 Filipino missions. Before the mission was split there were about 205 missionaries in the Cebu Mission. After the split there were 116, but that number will increase to over 200 by December. There will be 48% sisters and 52% elders. Sister Schmutz commented several times how much the mission needs couple missionaries. 

They are not now sure of our assignment at the end of October. It could still be in Toledo, or Cebu City, or even on Negros island. It doesn’t matter; we are just excited to serve. 

Toledo City - possible apartment

In the middle of June we called Elder and Sister Dover in Toledo City – on the west side of Cebu – where we will probably be living for our mission experience. This is what they told us about our apartment – the good news and the bad news:

            The bad news is that you have no hot-water heater and the showers are cold –

The good news is that the tap water is much warmer because of the climate.

            The good news is that it’s real hot there –

                        The bad news is that there is no air-conditioning.

            The bad news is that you can’t drink the water, or even wash your mouth out with the

water –

The good news is that the water runs out by 2:00 in the afternoon so there isn’t any water to use anyway.

The bad news is that they regularly have brown-out’s so there is not any electricity for several hours –

                        The good news is we don’t have air-conditioning anyway, so we don’t care.

            The bad news is that the mice keep you awake at night while they run in the attic –

The good news is we are lucky to have only mice and not rats because the rats are about the size of cats.  

            The bad news is that many homes have only a hole in the floor for the toilet –

                        The good news is that our apartment will have a regular toilet.

            The bad news is that the roads are terrible and not suitable for cars –

                        The good news is that we get a truck.

You get the idea! 

But even with all of that, the main plus to going to the Philippines is that everyone says the people are lovely – kind and wonderful. That was true of all the Filipino people we met in Italy, so we look forward to working with these great people. 

Pictures of Cebu Philippines

Cebu City, Philippines

Beach on west side of island of Cebu

In May, when we took our trip to Israel and Egypt, we met a couple who are now good friends. Bob and JoLinda Holm. They have served a mission in the Philippines. Not in Cebu, but still in the Philippines. They sent us this card about Cebu. 

This was their comment on the Philippines: the back woods there are pretty back woodsy – you will have lots of stories to tell. One of their friends in the Area Office was checking a missionary application and she called the branch president to ask for help. He reminded her that this young man had never worn shoes or seen himself in the mirror. When the president called back, he said: “The missionary said he weighs as much as five coconuts and is a little taller than his mother.”

We must remember that we will be living in a third world country, and we will probably really appreciate home when we return. However, JoLinda continued: the people are humble and wonderful. You will love them. They have so little but are happy.