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.

Devotional celebrating the beginning of missionary work in Siquijor, and the Formation of a Group.

8 March 2014

      At the invitation of President Schmutz, Elder Sommerfeldt and I flew to Dumaguete on Negros Island. We didn't anticipate going there while in the Philippines even though it is part of our mission, as it is quite a distance from Cebu City.

      The purpose of the trip was to travel from Dumaguete to Siquijor, a small island off the southern coast of Negros Island, to hold two special events: a special devotional to celebrate the arrival of missionaries on the island, and the formation of a group thus formally organizing the church on this island.

It was necessary to travel by ferry to Siquijor.

The Siquijor missionaries met us at the dock 

and transported us to our destination at Coco Grove.

This is Elder Lawrence, the AP's - Elder Peck and Elder Mejos, 

and Elder Vu - who recently served as an AP,
and is now privileged to help open up the work in Siquijor.

After checking into our room, (second level),

we prepared to travel to a high place on the island for our devotional. When the Cebu Mission was originally dedicated for missionary work (such dedications are done by a member of the first presidency or an apostle), Siquijor was included in that dedication. 

Cebu Mission has only had missionaries on Siquijor for one transfer. To celebrate the missionaries arrival in this part of the mission, President Schmutz planned the devotional at a place overlooking the island.

Here are the priesthood holders who were in attendance at that devotional.

Here are all the missionaries who were privileged to attend the devotional, 

testimony meeting, and special prayer. What an honor for us to be included.

The following day, we all traveled to church in Siquijor. 

This is the open-air room - rented by the church - for their meetings.

At that meeting, a "group" was formed. Included in that organization was the sustaining of a High Priest Group Leader, an Elders Quorum President and counselor, a Relief Society President and counselor, a Young Men's President, a Young Women's President and a Primary President.

The Siquijor "group" is under the direction of the Dumaguete district which will soon become a stake. As the group grows and strengthens, is will become a branch. "Everywhere the church is organized, the restored priesthood of God will be there."

This was all the members and investigators in attendance at that meeting.

 9 March 2014.

Such a beautiful new beginning!

MLC - Mission Leaders Conference

       On 4 March 2014, President and Sister Schmutz held an MLC. These conferences used to involve only Elders, but President now includes Sister leaders as well. The Schmutz' feed the missionaries well, both physically and spiritually. In fact, one highlight of this conference was a training and question/  answer period in the temple for the Mission Leaders. We were also privileged to be able to attend. 

The missionaries love being in the mission home.

Here we are doing what we do best . . .  serving . . . in an apron . . .

dipping ice-cream . . . or whatever else is needed . . . 

Here is President Schmutz doing what he does best . . .
interacting with his missionaries . . .

They absolutely love him!

Here's Sister Kaafi doing what she does best . . .
seeing what needs to be done and cheerfully doing it.

Here is what many of the Elders do very well . . .
gather around the piano to sing together.

Of course, anytime missionaries gather, they are looking for their mail. 

This is a typical mail day,
with Elder Sommerfeldt hauling in packages after our trip to the Post Office.