NEW BEGINNINGS

Well-I am feeling pretty racked with guilt right now because I have been so lame about writing on my blog.  The only thing I can say is it seems like the Rip Van Winkle effect has followed me to the Philippines--Ha Ha! I woke up and wondered what happened to the last month--errr-last two months now!!!!!   Ahhh-the joys of getting older! At any rate-- I am resolving, ONCE AGAIN, to do better.

One of the things that has spurred me on is actually an event in the U.S.--the birth of my 12th

grandbaby!  Olive Mary Drzayich was welcomed into Nick and Jess' family on June 9th.  She is their fourth child and weighed in at a whopping 5lb 13oz!! Baby, Mom, Dad, and siblings are all doing great! Needless to say--this has been the hardest event for me to miss thus far.  I'm so very thankful for modern technology that allows me to see her in "real time".  "Real time" also takes on a whole new meaning here in the Philippines with a 12-14 hour time difference! I was anxiously awaiting news of Olive's safe arrival--which I got on Monday the 10th!  I almost put the 10th down as her birth date until it dawned on me that she was actually born on the 9th in the U.S.!!! So hard to keep my days straight-ha ha.  Anyway--can't wait to get my hands on this newest addition to our family.   That makes 6 granddaughters and 6 grandsons for me!  Whoot!  Whoot!



In keeping with my title of "New Beginnings," I thought I would post a little bit about baptisms here.  We try to attend all the baptisms that are reasonably close to us.  We have been here long enough now that we actually know some of the people that are getting baptized.  At any rate, it's always a spiritual uplift.  It is tradition here to have the newly baptized person bear their testimony at the end of the baptismal service--and they all do it!!!  My absolute favorite baptism thus far was the one in Piddig.  It is a small branch that meets in the upstairs of a home-- so no font.  The baptism was preformed in the nearby river--so beautiful!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Getting ready to go to the river!  The baptizer, in white, jumped on a motorcycle, the baptizee, in white, got into a tricee with the sister missionaries, we went in a car--it was quite the procession!           

We walked along this wall and down a bamboo ladder to get to the river.

 It was truly beautiful!

WE HAVE A MISSION SONG!

Okay--I have spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out how to get this song on my blog!!!  But I just love it and wanted to share it!  It was written, composed and performed by Rachel Andelin, who served in the Philipines Laoag Mission a few years back. Every missionary gets a copy of the words and it is sung often--at Zone Conferences, Training Meetings, missionary arrivals and departures, etc.  Sister Andelin is obviously very talented--we are so lucky to have her inspirational work as an integral part of our mission culture.  In the chorus you hear (or read) "From Vigan's streets to the coast of Santa Ana".  Our mission area is quite large.  From Laoag, where the Mission Home is, it is about an 8 hour drive to the northernmost point--Santa Ana.  And it is about a 2 hour drive to the farthest South--Vigan.  So about 10 hours to drive from North to South and we have been to both ends!

Philippines Laoag Mission Song (Click on this link to hear song--hopefully!)

I hope you can open and listen to it, but just in case, I am including the words.

Verse 1 We made a sacred promise long before this life As we stood in our big family long ago Our hearts were filled with perfect joy to think about the call We yearned to serve our Master with our all Now is the time Here is the place The Lord has already started quick’ning the pace

Chorus Here we are, preaching at the top of the Philippines Giving all we are to hasten His work Yes we know, He uses the weak, simple foolish things But in the strength of Christ success is sure We will cry repentance and shout Hosanna From Vigan’s streets, to the coast of Santa Ana With an eye single to God’s we have a vision Humbly and prayerfully serving Philippines Laoag Mission

Verse 2 As we serve we struggle with weaknesses and doubts And sometimes it seems we cannot do enough But our Savior, he gives us grace, forgiveness, hope, and peace We come to know what his Atonement means Let’s lose ourselves That is Christ’s way Find the beloved sheep that have strayed Chorus

Napigsa tayo, dagiti aqtutubo Adda ti pammati tayo ken ni Apo H’wag matakot, magtiwala Gawin lahat, at ang Diyos ang bahala Piano Solo

Verse 3 And when we reach that big day our souls are overwhelmed Our brothers and sisters dressed in spotless white Who could have guessed the greatest joy is to see a person change? We know we’ve made a difference that’s eternal No greater work No greater need Than to show Christ-like love by action and deed

Verse 4 Someday we’ll reunite with those souls we came to love And in glory we’ll embrace our dearest friends What sweeter words could then be heard than “Thank you, you saved me!” It makes all of the heartache seem nothing Think of that day Have faith and pray Be a clean instrument in God’s hands today!

Chorus

AND THE DAYS GO BY!

Beautiful morning sky at Marcos Stadium

I have been asked what our days look like--what do we do? As I have mentioned before--we are not required to keep a set schedule and we like to remain open and flexible to the varying opportunities that arise. We have gotten into a bit of a routine but our days seem to vary quite a bit. We are both usually up by 6:00AM, give or take 30 minutes. Neither of us sets an alarm. Sunrise is around 5:30AM. For the past couple of weeks, I have been going for an early walk (before it gets too hot and before the streets are too congested). Sis. Robinson would like to join me but she has had a hip replacement and is probably due for another one when we get back. Even though she never complains, I know it is quite bothersome to her so I usually slip out by myself. I feel very safe when I go and like being out as the city comes to life. I really enjoy walking the neighborhoods as I see things in much more detail than when we are driving. People are out walking their dogs, sweeping the streets in front of their places, opening up the small stores that are attached to many of the homes, and watering the many potted plants that adorn their houses. There is a stadium nearby (Marcos Stadium) and I usually end up walking the track there.

Typical early morning basketball game
at Marcos Stadium

 I often run into the elders at the Stadium as they get in some running time or a pick up basketball game. Since I started writing this, Sister Robinson ventured out with me one morning last week! We didn’t walk too far but it was very nice to have company! We shall see what the future holds!  As light skinned Americans, we are really in the minority here. Fortunately, Filipinos, for the most part, like and respect Americans and missionaries so we are usually held in high regard. Children are especially interested and just stare and stare at us. It is very different to be sure, but a smile and nod or “good morning” are great equalizers and are almost always enthusiastically returned.

After that--it’s get dressed and ready for the day! We are ever so grateful for the small and simple things like hot water in the bathroom and kitchen and adequate water pressure to actually take a shower instead of pouring a bucket of water over us!  Not many have those luxuries here. 

Our landlord's grandson getting a bath in the courtyard!

We thankfully did our research before we came and made sure we had hair dryers and curling irons that run on the different voltage here. It has been pretty smooth sailing as far as that goes. Phones and the internet are a whole different story! A LOT of time has been spent trying to get our phones set up and then trying to understand the local phone service and the “plan” we are on. The Kartchners and our neighbor, Junell Hernando, have been great help on those fronts!

We have been trying to have companion study time each day and have been loving going through the Come Follow Me manual and reading the scriptures together. We have some very inspirational conversations and thoroughly enjoy learning together!  

Some days we go in to the mission office to help with different tasks that are being done. Most of these tasks are connected to Zone Conferences or transfers or Leadership Training. We love being there to interact with the missionaries and office sisters--Sister Cox and Sister Snyder--who are both delightful. Sister Peterson has also asked us to help out with an English program that is offered for the Filipino missionaries. We have spent quite a bit of time setting that up and figuring out how to best track the progress of each missionary. We still don’t have all the information we need but are slowly getting it figured out.

We go to the market or different stores two or three times a week. We usually drive our car but once in a while we take a tricee as the parking everywhere is very limited. Shopping here is always an adventure as you never know if you will find what you need. And if you do find what you’re looking for, it may or may not taste like you think it will. We have four or five places that we frequent the most. One of them is Robinsons Supermarket located in the Robinsons Mall.  As if being American missionaries isn't enough, walking in with someone who has “Robinson” on their name tag is like instant celebrity. Darlene just smiles and says she wishes she could offer everyone a discount--ha ha! It’s great!

Open Market in downtown Laoag.  This is the
3rd floor where meats and vegetables are sold.
We don't go there much as the smell is -well-pungent!
The second floor is clothing and goods.
We usually just buy fruit there which is on street level.

We make a pretty good team when it comes to mealtime. I love to bake and try new things and Darlene is an excellent cook. We have a nice big place with a table that accommodates 8-10 people and we have enjoyed fixing dinner for the elders and the other senior missionaries and friends. We try to space our dinner's out a bit as we have a tiny oven, limited cooking utensils, and are always having to improvise with the food we have available--plus we're trying to stick to a budget!! But it’s been fun and I think we’ve turned out some decent meals for ourselves and others! We also love to deliver baked goods to the elders and sisters and they very much appreciate it!!! We have so enjoyed our interactions with our neighbor elders!

We had 4 April birthdays so we made a cake,
fixed chicken divan, twice baked potatoes,
and honey lime fruit salad--YUM!!!!

Our birthday dinner guests--Sis. Cox, Sis Snyder,
Elder Kartchner, Sis. Kartchner,  Norma

Our friend Steve Maximo and his son Jaestee (forefront) made dinner for us!
Richard & Kathy Kartchner and Norma (Tagalog  teacher) joined us.

We had the Elders and two ward members for chicken fajitas one night.
Elder Clark, Elder Durbin, GG, Elder Levine, Sis. D., Humphrey, Elder Lorange

We often attend weekly District Meetings with the Kartchners and really enjoy meeting with the young missionaries in their districts and hearing of their progress and challenges. We continue to be so impressed with all of them! Every time we return from one of those meetings we give thanks for these enthusiastic young Elders & Sisters and we also give thanks that we do not have to be out in the heat for 8-9 hours a day walking dusty streets and returning home to a hot apartment! If we spend an hour outside it almost always results in an early bedtime--the heat is just draining-- especially for us old folks. Awwww youth!!! Anyway we are ever so grateful for an air conditioned car AND apartment! Wow!!!

District Meeting in Paoay

When we find ourselves with free time on our hands, we like to jump in the car and explore the surrounding area.  I'll have to include more on that in a future post.  We also watch a movie on Netflix every now and then--like I said, serving a mission as a senior is very different!!  We are always mindful and prayerful that we will be guided and directed in doing the Lord's work in whatever way we can! So far, the missionary lifestyle suits us just fine!

HABITS & COMPANIONS

We were riding in a tricee here and giggling
over the fact that it was one of the smaller ones
(Filipinos are small) and we were pretty packed
in.  Always an adventure!

So I’m still having a hard time getting into the habit/routine of writing in my journal and my blog. I had a crazy notion that when I became a missionary, I would automatically start doing those things--wrong!! As senior missionaries, we are not given guidelines and schedules like the younger missionaries. We are free to set our own schedule and determine how we should best spend our time. I’m grateful for that freedom but also very aware that my natural tendency to be easily distracted and veer off course are as much an issue for me here as back home. Even though I am not encumbered by all the worldly cares of home, I am still bound by previous tendencies and habits.…..sigh! I am desirous to acquire some new study, reading and writing habits but it is a slow process. Meanwhile, I am so grateful to have a companion and doubly grateful that my companion is Darlene Robinson. We have so much in common and have very similar personalities. We are both quite assertive, which may have been an issue when we were younger, but getting older has a wonderful way of tempering things! We are finding that we work well together, we enjoy each other’s company and conversation, we get things done, we have fun, and we really help each other stay on course! That being said, it is also nice that we do not have to be in eye and ear shot of each other 24/7, like the younger missionaries. We each have our own room so we can have moments of privacy and reflection. We are also free to go places and do things individually. Even though it is very nice to have that option, we find that we would much prefer to do things together for the most part. As a little side note...the two office sisters here are actual biological sisters but we often have people comment that we look more like sisters than they do! I take that as a big compliment because I think Sister Robinson is beautiful--inside and out!!

JUMPING RIGHT IN!

Wow--never imagined it would be so difficult to get my blog up and running on a regular basis!   This post is actually a modified report for Pres. Peterson.  Don't give up on me.  I'll get the hang of this yet!

Much of our week was spent trying to get the lay of the land, finding groceries and misc. Items, (still praying for the delivery of our balikbayan box), and working out technological kinks with our computers and phones. Sis. Robinson has been plagued with issues. Unsure weather it is her Android or the Android user :o)--probably a combo of both. My iphone seems to do much better. Ever so grateful to the Kartchners and all they have done and continue to do to help us get acclimated. Also grateful that we came onto the scene a little later so we didn’t have to deal with the same huge learning curve as everybody else. So nice to have people watching out for us and showing us the ropes. Tender mercies for sure!

L-R  Jamison, Adelyn, Kamaile, Landon and Julie
Hernando

We have spent some time getting to know the Hernandos (neighbors) and the landlord (Mila). Such nice people! We are planning a trip with Julie Hernando to see her facility for endangered/rescued children and perhaps offer a little grandmotherly love to those unfortunate little ones.

The sisters piled into our air conditioned car while we were
waiting for the building to be opened.

We attended two district meetings with the Kartchners--one in Poway, which was supposed to be held in Batac, and one at our house with Elders Clark and Durbin, which was supposed to be held at the church--finally gave up on waiting for someone with a key to let us in. Really learning to roll with the punches. We have thoroughly enjoyed attending these district meetings--getting to know the missionaries and hearing how their work is progressing. We pray that we will be able to make some helpful contributions. We continue to be impressed with these young missionaries and their dedication to the work. We also see the results of the love, concern and teaching the new mission president has given them! We are planning to attend a different district
meeting every week with the Kartchners.

Plan B--Hold the District meeting at our apartment when you
can't get into the building!

We wanted to drop into the Institute and introduce ourselves so we ventured out to locate it. No luck!!! Ventured out a second time and thankfully came across a couple of Elders (Levine & Lerange) who jumped in and took us right there. We drove up into the parking lot and that’s when things went south. As I was backing down that steep incline, the cement bump that holds the gate became intimately acquainted with the exhaust pipe that runs down the center of the car and stopped us dead in our tracks. We pulled forward and were able to skirt around it but felt like something was amiss. Brother Thomas to the rescue!! He came right away, took the car to look at it, and found that a joint in the pipe had been dislodged. He fixed it or had someone fix it!  Unfortunately, that is not the only time I have connected with a concrete block or pipe sticking up.  I am getting the hang of driving on these narrow crowded roads but it has come at some cost to the exterior of the car.  Yikes!

Sis. Robinson has been doing some preparation for the dental hygiene presentation at zone conf. We (the Kartchners, office sisters and us), are planning to travel together to zone conference and do a little sightseeing along the way. We have also been involved in helping the Kartchners plan out activities and family home evenings for our Senior District. We are scheduled to hold the first FHE at our place-we are having spaghetti.

On Saturday--Elder Kartchner had another obligation so we helped Sis. Kartchner with her piano lessons at the church. So glad we were there as she had a full house--most with keyboards in tow. Many challenges with getting students to be prepared and show up on time. We were all glad when Elder Kartchner showed up to lend a hand.

Finally-on Sunday we returned to Sinait. Made the trip for two reasons--one-to help out with the choir that will be singing at their branch conference and two- to attend RS and follow up with the RS presidency. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. In spite of not understanding a lot, we were so impressed with the RS teacher and lesson given. Fortunately, everything she put on the board was in English! She was well prepared and followed the pattern of asking questions and engaging the sisters. It was a pretty lively discussion on sharing your testimony as part of ministering. Once again, we were so impressed with the presidency and how things are being run and felt so strongly of the sweet spirit that was present in the Relief Society. We had hoped to return to hear the choir sing at their branch conference, but the Elders have arranged a meeting for us with the RS President of 2nd Ward so we will be attending there next Sunday.

Sinait RS

On our way home from Sinait, we did a little exploring along the coastal road and actually found a couple of spots by the ocean where we could get out, take in the ocean air and revel in the beautiful vistas! Exhilarating! All in all, we felt we had a very productive and enjoyable week!

REFLECTIONS ON APRIL 11TH

 I was preparing for bed on this, the 11th of April, and reflecting on the day--it dawned on me that this is the anniversary of my sweet Prince’s passing. So hard to believe it has been eleven years! I like the word “passed” as opposed to “died” as I know my big guy has passed on to a heavenly realm. A place that is not restricted by time or space or human frailty. A place where love resides and truth is unfettered. I know he is encircled by love and joy that emanates from our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that, just as he was my safe harbor here on earth--he is now my guardian angel on the other side who hovers near me and all those he loved and cared about--which is many. I know his influence was great while he was here on the earth but is even greater and more far reaching from the other side. I know there is a master plan--a great plan of salvation and eternal happiness--and because of that, I know I will see and embrace him again. I am so grateful for that knowledge.

I am also grateful for four amazing sons who honor their father with their own lives--he truly lives on in them in so many wonderful ways! I love them beyond words. The thought often crosses my mind that I am following in my sons’ footsteps as I serve my Savior on this mission. What a blessing and an honor!

I am so thankful that this day passed by with no feelings of sorrow or sadness which is a first for me. I totally attribute that to the fact that I am immersed in the Lord’s work here in the Philippines. I continue to feel God’s loving influence and guiding hand in all the small details of my life as I navigate these very unfamiliar waters. So so grateful for this opportunity and experience--it has already been life-changing! Love you forever, my Prince!

LAOAG!!!!

March 12, 2019

We were so thrilled to finally be on the airplane that would take us to our final destination of Laoag! The flight from Manilla was short--a little over an hour. We were amazed by the huge cloud of polution (we think) that hung ominously over Manilla. We were both surprised by the terrain we were flying over--very interesting. I think we expected it to be basically flat but there were lots of mountainous areas, rivers, bodies of water (in addition to the surrounding ocean) with agricultural areas interspersed throughout. There were really bright orange patches scattered through the agricultural areas. Couldn’t imagine what that almost neon color could be and later found out they were fields of corn being laid out to dry. Have never seen corn that color! We caught glimpses of the ocean as we neared Laoag but were also surprised to find Laoag a little further inland than we had thought.

The Laoag Airport is small but it was beautiful to pull up to--part of it being covered with bright pink Buganvilias! After we retrieved our luggage (it all made it!!) we made our way out to where President and Sister Peterson, and Elder and Sister Kartchner were waiting for us. So wonderful to be greeted by the familiar faces of long time friends.

We were taken to the Mission Home (which is like a little Oasis in the middle of the city) where they were just finishing up with a District Leadership meeting. Got to meet several of the missionaries who seemed genuinely happy to have us there. We were served a delicious lunch (Costa Vida knock off) and then off to see where we would be living. I actually drove our car that was waiting at the Mission Home for us (more on the driving here later! So crazy!) 

We pulled up and were greeted by a pig and a rooster--welcome to the Philippines! 

 We were pretty blown away to find we would be living in such a nice place! Its very simple but spacious and bright with air conditioning and hot and cold running water in the bathroom AND the kitchen thanks to Richard Kartchner! We have young missionaries living next to us and above us. Also a delightful member family in the fourth apartment upstairs. The Kartchners had actually been living in our place and had really fixed it up but found another house in a location they liked better so they gave us their apartment! We feel pretty blessed. Sister Peterson had stocked the apt. with some of the basics AND a box of chocolate covered Mangos. What a wonderful welcome!

Unfortunately, the first couple of nights were a little rough--partly due to major jet lag and partly due to the rooster! Ends up he was tied right outside my bedroom window and thought sunrise was at 3:30am when he started his non-stop crowing. Even though Darlene’s room is on the other side, we were both contemplating rooster murder. Elder Kartchner came to the rescue and convinced the landlord to move the rooster to the other side of the building. Yay!! Turns out the rooster only lasted for another couple of weeks. Rumor has it he ended up on the landlords dinner table! I’m afraid the pig, who is getting quite plump, will have the same destiny.