Dear Family & Friends,
The time is so fast and quickly coming – that we are fast reaching only eight months until we both return to the United States and conclude our missionary experience - which means only one third of our overall time left to serve. We have so many tasks and projects requiring our immediate attention to get them either started and/or fully underway and far less time than what we really need to effectively accomplish them. Workers regret might best describe what we are thinking and where we are - right now, but we will do our best and our follow-on couple will see the success. After all we are NOT doing what we are doing for ourselves but to benefit the people and lift / strengthen their spirits. I have to constantly remind myself our real brand is: “I Follow Jesus Christ – what would HE do for the people or help to improve their situation.” 

Now moving on with updates on our current pending projects – Let me first state is that Sister Morello is very passionate whenever an infant or child may be involved in the outcome. One of the projects that she was in hopes of doing, was to develop a loaner bank of infant breathing “home care” devices at one of the local hospitals, but had to reduced and changed this effort into only funding through “fast offering” the providing for one newborn, pre-mature child with an oxygen concentrator and nebulizer. This project will allow this one child to now leave the hospital care (which is very expensive) and go home. By providing these items would allow the family to return back to normal and focus on their day-to-day issues and not just, solely on this infant care. In the final analyze we have now helped one needy and deserving child and each and every child is of value to all of us, including the Lord.
We are ever grateful for the loving support of all of our family, and each of our friends. We sure love everyone, we fully appreciate your continued support and ongoing comments (I read each of them and am often mused by them), and may the Lord bless all of us.

Well its’ been a few weeks without finding time to write a message but many, many things have transpired. We are still very much learning our job and vast responsibilities in working with LDS Charities, but a number of pending projects we have been developing are beginning to come to futurity. 
Since I last wrote we have visited several proposed clean water projects: in Nagcarlan (St. Lucia), in Sagada (Northern Mountainous Area of Luzon) ; have completed the National Mass Measles/Polio Campaign with DOH; started and conducted the launch of the Infant Polio Injectable Vaccination Campaign with DOH in both Paranaque (a Suburb of Manila) and Guimbal (a Neighboring Community to Iloilo City - on Iloilo Island); have conducted several Medical Screening in the Communities of Legaspi & Naga; have visited several Meetinghouses (Chapels) in screening them as future evacuation or operational centers during natural disasters and/or emergencies; have visited our ongoing Benson Personal/Elementary School Gardening Project with one of our Church Service Missionary Couple monitoring this project – so in short we one-the-road and been busy! See several picture files…
Our assignment in LDS Charities continues to mature, many of the new projects and/or initiatives we have started since we have joined this department is now beginning to roll forth and others which had stalled and needed energized, to re-started are now in fully operation. Never any time to look around much, for the telephone keeps ringing and door keeps swinging wide open and we are in full in forward motion. Time goes far faster when you are very, very busy and fully engaged. Our transition between Public Affairs (where we formerly served) to the Humanitarian Department with LDS Charities (our new assignment) is finally becoming our new real home. We love this new work - especially we enjoy seeing the impact and value on the personal lives and futures for so many young people and children as we help them in so many differing ways. Offering a helping hand to lift and improve their lives of others is very rewarding and satisfying. We are so grateful for the loving support of our family, friends and wonderful management of this effort.
We sure love everyone, we fully appreciate your continued support and ongoing comment, and may the Lord bless each of you.

Senior Missionary Conference

Oh yes, we are awesome!

This past Monday Afternoon/Evening we held our FIRST Senior ONLY Missionary Couple Zone Conference at our Mission President's Home. Among those attending were nearly all of the thirty plus senior missionary couples, the Zone Leader Couple, the Mission President & Wife, the Area/70 & Wife, and Both Counselor's in Mission Presidency & Wives. Time was allowed for both several speakers with ending our meeting with personal missionary testimonies. Follow our official meeting we ate together on the patio of their home. Very enjoyable and enriching are the best words to describe our gathering.

Halloween

Kristi and I designed this backdrop for pictures at the Ward Halloween party.  Happy Trick or Treat.  

Btw, Our costumes were P day clothes!

Legazpi

This is a picture of the famous Mayon Volcano.  It has been acting funny.  But for now it is perfectly shaped and beautiful. Bonus is the double rainbow.  We had a great trip to Legazpi.

We did a medical screening and then the missionaries drove us more than two hours to our next screening in Naga.  We didn't see anything cool in Naga.

***

Well its’ nearly the middle of October and slightly more than only nine months to enjoy our service as missionaries here in the Philippines – working with LDS Charities. Not that our Public Affairs time wasn’t fun, but we have learned so much new as we have served in this new assignment and things are really beginning to come together. Many of the stalled projects of the past and new one we have inputted are getting up to full stream and our schedules are filling up really fast. As an example, this past weekend we traveled on official business to a small, remote village of Sagada, in the mountains of Luzon. This little village had started a clean water project well over a year ago, but for many reasons the project was put “on hold” and we are just now re-starting it. It will serve over a hundred people who otherwise must walk many challenging roads and kilometers with water buckets and other types of containers to get drinkable (potable) water for their cooking and for other human usages. Having to haul water is a great additional burden to these people – who live only on the edge of existence - they have often in the past have drunken water which was either very impure and may have caused them to have - all sorts of health and other physical disorders and problems. Children are generally small in the Philippines (much smaller than in the US for example), but these children of this village were particularly smaller and have experienced much poorer health than the normal, in part – due to the lack of clean (potable) water for their households. The trip there was over twelve hours by van (we had a driver), over some roads which were near to impassable – through the mountains of this large island – formed by volcanic activity over the centuries. One certainly might say – that this community is “off the main drag – way off the main drag” and extremely isolated from any major population center or area. Several hours by any type of vehicle to see “what one might call – real civilization. Most towns have a SM Superstore (all in one store) nearby in a neighboring community or at least in their town square, but I’m not sure - I even saw a “town square.” We traveled most of the day Friday, starting around 1am, arriving around 11am, checked into what you might call a motel (of sorts), ate dinner, prepared for visited all day on Saturday, and returned late Saturday (really early Sunday morning around am) Long weekend but very enjoyable.
We have planned to travel to Legaspi and Naga in southeast Luzon, this is where the famous, classic and now active volcano is located for some medical screening at some of our meetinghouses. One of our NGO partners (Mabuhay Deseret) is conducting these screening with one of the nearby Hospitals. The hospital provides staffers to look at the people, we provide (MDF) the oversight, and the Church provides funding and a place to gather (our meetinghouse) The Church host the event, provides a cool, comfort place to gather and smiling “Mormon Helping Hands” volunteers to assists. These screening are in very remote areas - where these type medical services would not otherwise be available to these generally very poor and extremely needy people. Any advanced medical treatment is often not sought until much too late, in many of their cases – which results in early loss of life – far too early for many of these people or at least a reduced quality of life – most of their lives. This project is an Area Initiative – which means the Church is underwriting (funding) the travel and housing of our staff - to these remote areas – so the communities can receive help that often is just not available to them - otherwise.
With love for – may the Lord bless each of you.

An exciting start to this week – Monday was a National Holiday and the National Department of Health in hopes of having some mothers and children attend – who would not otherwise be able to attend – staged a “kick-off of the infant injected polio campaign” in Paranaque (a southern Suburb of Manila) who has had a very successful record of getting their children immunized on-time – in the past. We attended this event with both our Service Missionary Couple (the Soleta’s) and the Area Public Affairs Couple (the Pyles’.) The Director of National DOH, the Mayor, Other National Legislative Members, & City Council hosted the event. The Church (LDS Charities) and Other NGO’s (World Health, UNICEP, Rotary International, REACT, etc.) were invited to attend, make remarks of support, and help where possible. Our little stuffed (blue bear/dogs with Mormon Helping Hands vests) toys were given to the children as they were immunized – the toys seems to comfort them when nothing else seems to. Others of the toys were given to all of the children under the age of five - in showing our support - of making the Philippines Polio Free – NOW! The Mayor was wonderful and the DOH Leadership continues to show us their full support and friendship as we help them in their efforts to protect the citizens of the Philippines from avoidable diseases like Measles and Polio. We have won their trust and convenience as we have met every commitment that we have made to them – as we would honor the covenants of gospel – with fullness and completeness. This building relationship with DOH - should help as we attempt to re-instate the Neo-natal Resuscitation Training throughout the Philippines which was stopped a few years ago - because of a whole host of challenges between LDS Charities and DOH in the past, but mainly the root problems was a lack or poor communications as to each’s intentions. We have been invited to attend the provincial version of this same infant polio kick-off in a few weeks in Iloilo (an island south of Luzon / the one Manila is housed on) and we plan on attended that event as well at this point.
In celebration of closing out a very successful month of support (from LDS Charities & Public Affairs) of the National Mass Immunization Measles/Polio Campaign with the National DOH during all of the month of September – throughout all of the Philippines with hundreds of volunteer hours having been provided and given by members of the Church – as Mormon Helping Hands projects – so following the event listed above- we had a very nice, sit down, business lunch. Nearly 10 million children (or about 70% of the goal of 12 million children) all over the country were immunized already in September through the four week - against these preventable diseases. Local management at all levels of the Church in terms of our support has made all the difference in making this campaign better and assisted us in building an improved relationship towards success. Think global but act local!!! Only when people know you really care, does success seem to come…no one really cares if you don’t first. 
Love you all, we appreciate your continued support, and may the Lord bless each of you.

Another great week has started again – nice in early and very busy, we had our normal Area Office Devotional at 7:30am (on Monday) followed by us attempting to determine the status of any of the many displaced families as a result of the extended weekend of heavy rains and isolated flooding. Much of the flooding was reserved for Luzon (the largest island – we live on). Most of the Church members, as of this morning have been able to return home, but some few are still displaced and living at our Chapels – because of flooding at their homes or around their neighborhood.. Since there are so many natural disasters here, throughout – in one way or in another part of the Philippines, I marvel that the church members and their leaders are NOT better prepared than in fact - they are? A 72 Hour Emergency Kits, would be a MUST if you think about it for a minute or two, in fact we have one in the trunk of our car, just in case. Every missionary and every church member (should know better) and needs one readily available, because its’ not a case of IF but rather WHEN! Every Month in one place or another - one way or another – disasters regularly occur - for the year plus of us being here – you could almost set your watch by their regularity. One need NOT fear, if one is PREPARED, but if one is NOT PREPARED, than fear will reign. 
A volcano in southern Luzon (our big island) is acting up again; reports are that we might see a major eruption within days or a month. Lava is slowly flowing down the side of the mountain, but it is only affecting the nearby farming in the area and not any major population area, yet. But everyone is carefully watching to warn others should it grow worse or endanger greater life. If it isn’t a flood, or an earthquake, than now it’s a volcano erupting -, regular natural disasters “are a way of life” among these people.
The National Mass Measles Immunization Campaign is progressing very well, our status so far is just short of a majority (at 48%) of the children (of the 13 million) targeted have been immunized in the first two weeks of September for both German Measles, Rubella, & Orally for Polio. Chances are the campaign will bleed over into October before coming to a conclusion or a real ending, but more importantly the target is being met. The highest risk area of Manila, is still the most challenging to cover the children – many of the children needing this shot live in the streets, under bridges, or out in the environment and are very challenging to reach. All in an attempt to look good to the National DOH & WHO people - No barangay (a neighborhood within the city) really want to take full responsibility in their counts for these children or will honestly attempt cover these migrant/street people (or their children.) After all, what we want and what is our real goal is to “Protect the children” from these unwanted and avoidable diseases. Join us and be prayerful that the 90% goal can be reached throughout all of the Philippines, including Greater Manila. 
On Thursday, for the third time - we were fingerprinted for our permanent visas, but this time it was at the National Immigration offices. Rather than with all of the former times - it having been done with ink & pads – this time it was electronically recorded. Hopefully for the last, and final time! We went with about thirty (30) other missionaries, mainly the youthful variety of elders and sisters. We left the Mission Offices are about 12:30 and return home about 5pm – although it is only about 25 kilometer each way, the heavy late morning rains flooding many of the city streets and normal crazy city traffic made the going and the coming more than an hour each way. Oh how we love going to Downtown (old) Manila, we have to go there almost weekly with on event or another and travel to and from is always such a joy.
Love you all, we appreciate your continued support, and may the Lord bless each of you.

This past week started a little slower than our normal, on Monday we stayed at the apartment somewhat later than our normal 7am (or earlier) arrival time at the Area Offices, so that made Monday a much easier overall work day. The young lady we had been working with in Public Affairs for nearly the past nine months, was leaving to pursuit other activities in her life on Monday (was her last day on the job), so for lunch we (all of the old Public affairs Team) gathered and celebrated her wonderful service and give here best wishes for the future. She plans on attending University in Turkey, starting early next year and furthering her education. 
Later on Monday (late afternoon near closing time around 5pm), a Philippines TV personality (who is a member as well) stopped by Public Affairs, for some picture taking with the Area Office Measles Campaign Team which has been promoting and supporting this National Mass Immunization Campaign. His merely willingness to help, is a good sign to the general public – that we embrace, support, and desire that each child to be vaccinated. Now that UNICEP (the major media funder) has completed their paid TV promotion campaign, we are thinking that with a little additional effort - we can get some nice positive TV time and other media exposure, for the Church as one of the other major sponsors and partners of the effort.
On Wednesday morning, bright and early (just before 6am) we left our apartment for the more than one hour trip (across town) to DOH – to greet the long awaited Vaccine Carriers on two 40 foot trucks (full of boxes), having been a very long time in delivery, by being suck in two other foreign ports, on the ship in the harbor, or on the Manila port awaiting unloading, or in Federal Customs – attempting to get our final release for delivery. Trying to give a charitable donation from one National Agency to another National Government Agency just wouldn’t seem to be so much of a challenge but it is! The vaccine carriers having finally arrived at DOH (on the trucks) and so we could label them with LDS Charities stickers, before turning them over to DOH, for their distribution. A team of near to fifty (or more at the end) of “Mormon Helping Hands” volunteers were present to perform this task. As the project oversight team, with one of our Senior Service Missionary Couples’, the Soleta’s, of course, we were there again at DOH Headquarters, in near to Downtown Manila, and had to traverse the more than an hour’s drive each way, again. Our task was to deliver the supplies (the LDS Charities stickers, knives & scissors to open boxes, & tape/dispensers to reseal the boxes) and assure the task was successfully completed before any officially handing over this donation to DOH. After about 3 hours of work, we broke for water and some food (for lunch) and then continued until about 2pm, having labelled 1,100 boxes of 4,400 carriers on more than 60 skits - quite a sight - seeing a parking lot full of skits (20 boxes/4 carriers per box on each skit) of our donated materials (of the measles vaccine carriers) to further the National Measles/Polio Campaign. These boxes came on two 40 foot long trucks, with one (a third) truck still having not arrived with clearance from Manila Port. On Thursday, morning without us the last 150 boxes (4 carriers/per box) were to be labelled by another crew, we were NOT able to join this group, since we had conflicting scheduling with other LDS Charities meetings. Overall the Measles/Polio Campaign is doing very well, about 22% the first week, and 20% the second week of the near to 13 million children targeted to be vaccinated. 
On Thursday we had visitors from another small village, come into the office to assess their consideration for a Clean Water Project. This village is made of very, very poor people who live on lands they do not own, but which landowners in exchange for farming work allow them to be there. This project is very small in terms of funding, but stretches them to meet the smallest of contributions. Later in the day, as a part of the Area Emergency Plan Project, we attended a meeting with the American Chamber of Commerce, on emergency event planning for corporate partners. Informative but not entirely on target for what we need and/or looking for.
We were preparing to co-host the weeks’ events, of a U.S. Humanitarian Department Photo (TV) Crew that have come here - in the Philippines, but because of very, very heavy rains and flooding throughout much of Manila (& elsewhere throughout the Philippines) this event was cancelled. In fact, the Area Offices were closed most of Friday, because of the challenges of getting into the offices with traffic shutdowns. As a result our workday was shortened and we had a long weekend to recovery from everything. 
After reading about our week, it started slow but certainly the week picked up speed and momentum as the week progressed. All I can say is another great week of learning and doing, and hopefully performing better at all of many new tasks in LDS Charities. 
Our other senior couple overseeing wheelchairs was out of the office most of the week with field assignments, and our former roommates of the staff for Perpetual Education Fund have moved to a new location elsewhere in the building, so it was eerie quiet around the office, if we were not hosting or having other guest visiting, there would NOT be any noise at all. Any noise if there is any comes from just the typing of reports, projects, and/or the copying and shredding of documents. Our telephone rings far less here in LDS Charities than it did in Public Affairs, until we build a staff of senior missionary volunteers, most of the efforts here in Luzon are started and completed by us. And we are still very much learning what it is that composed a “good project” for leadership support and approval. 
Love you all, we appreciate your continued support, may the Lord each of us.

Stickers

Today we joined the Tondo stake in putting stickers on 4400 vaccine carriers. We did it in the parking lot of the Dept of Health (DoH).  Had about 100 volunteers.  Dad was amazing!  Great group to work with. Anyway I had been dreading this project, for a month and it wasn't too bad.

We added stickers to the carriers that said LDS Charities.  It was part of our new 'be more visible' plan.  A great marriage of Public Affairs and humanitarian aid.  We have a film crew coming to the DoH from the US on Friday.  Some people from Salt Lake.  Yeah, it should be fun.

I'll send an update afterwards.

Dear Family & Friends,

We just experienced another interesting and informative week as we continue to learn about our new assignment in LDS Charities. I have been given a specific assignment to develop an Area Disaster Readiness Plan - including a voice communications system for both local and wide area coverage issues. As nearly all of you may know, that was exactly what I did professionally for more than 37 years, before coming to the Philippines and now I am doing this same thing for FREE. One of the other Senior, Service Missionary Couples - who serve with us and is a tremendous source of information and good points of contact and I visited REACT Philippines, Inc. – a non-profit organization of volunteers who offer their personal communications devices in times of emergencies and natural disasters. They have more than 6,000 members countrywide and we (the Church) are researching joining their organizations to compliment and utilize their resources in times of challenge. History in the Philippines is that during these times of disaster, the communications systems are NOT hardened and they are the first things lost and/or disabled. Certainly that was the case during Yolanda and nearly every other major disaster related events since we have been here. During this visit with REACT, we got to better understanding about them and began the process of developing a sharing partnership/relationship which may best serve and better both organizations. 

Another event was we hosted the Mayor of Sagada, a small community in mid-Luzon, where we had started a few years ago a Clean Water Project, but for a whole host of roadblocks and other issues was put on hold. Our intent of visiting together in our offices was to completely outline (all of the details) to the Mayor, of what it would take to “re-start” this project - so that the people of his community could enjoy clean water. He is in his last term as mayor, having served for more than 10 years and really wants this project to be completed – and to become a part of his legacy of service. I believe our meeting was very successful, since the Mayor, called the next day, and said he had re-enforced the agreements from the several landowners, to use their right-a-ways for the piles to distribute the clean water, and that his budget could pay the re-survey amounts needed to re-assess the entire project. After that survey is completed, fully funded, we will see if there is still enough money in the budget to complete our efforts. Helping people the right way is challenging at best!

Lastly we closed out the week by going to the National Department of Health, visiting regarding furtherance of the National Measles/Polio Campaign – which is already underway (for roughly immunize 13M children) since the beginning of September. Our focus was to deliver our committed epinephrine pens, that are need to counteract any negative reactions the children may have from the measles vaccinations, some 6,000 doses. The Under-Secretary over this campaign, kindly welcomed us, received our donations, and granted us picture taking of this event. This trip of less than 30 kilometers each way took us more than five hours complete, or nearly all of the afternoon and part of the evening. Merely saying the highway traffic in Manila is heavy and very unpredictable, is like saying life is always easy. Words just can’t begin to describe the chaos they call traffic, here. If it’s not a motorcycle, or tricycle (motorized or peddle type), or a Jeepney, or a taxi, or a VU, or a bus, or a truck, or another car – something is always in the road causing roadblocks and/or long delays. Traffic lights and signs are only suggestions and generally ignored. Oh how I love driving in the Philippines – NOT! After the traffic on Friday - I just could bear it another day and stayed around the apartment (all day) on Saturday. They have been installing new traffic lights, where they used to be U-turns on the main highway (C-5) into our apartment complex and traffic lights are NOT anything like you would think they should be. Some times of the day the road may be one-way and other times two-way, sometimes forced right or left turns sometimes not, all depending on the law enforcement and mood of the police. Remember in the Philippines it isn’t wrong unless the police choose to enforce it, and are there to do so! 


Love you all, we appreciate your continued support, may the Lord each of us.


With Love the Morello’s

Benson Institute Food Production Project

One of the several LDS Charities programs we are attempting to START here in the Philippines is the Benson Institute Food Production Project among Elementary School children and their Families. To improve and round-out their daily nutrition in each of these families. Brother, Sister, Mother, Father & Grandparents too - all involved & having FUN doing it !!! We have called a senior, service missionary couple the Gorrieta's, from Cavite to mentor, oversee and manage this program, as it develops. As a START we have partnered with an existing NGO, IIRR to learn more and see HOW THEY ARE DOING IT? These projects would at first be only around the Greater Manila Area and be either Urban (See pictures) or Rural versions of home gardens. You grow what you will eat, it is nice you can grow food nearly all year long, year round. Using proper, natural fertilizers, with little negative impact on the environment and taking proper care of your growing soil, all makes doing this totally worthwhile. Wish us well as we start! The Morello's

Dear Family & Friends,


Another week has come and gone, now it’s the first of September, the rainy season has fully arrived here in the Philippines and almost daily there are either heavy thunderstorms and/or lots of rain. This year, thus far, there has NOT been any widespread flooding, mainly because the storms only last for a few minutes or hours at the most, but should it rain (like it does intermittently) for any time at all, we should expect there will be some if not a lot of flooding. Virtually there is nowhere for all the water to go, but flood. We park at our apartment unit on the fifth basement level (below the ground), and we have been parking for nearly five months in a never ending water puddle. Since this is the bottom basement, apparently this water is seeping up from below through the concrete slab from below our parking slot and pooling under our car. It is so very nice to daily walk through water puddles to park or leave the apartment. Our ongoing frustration with this situation is that apparently they (the apartment administration people) cannot move us to another spot, although we pass many hundreds of open one’s in going down (to the fifth basement level) to our parking spot or they cannot seem to fix the problem. Day after day we walk through the water puddles to drive into the mess they call Manila traffic to go somewhere or to come to the Area Offices. We are continually reminded “It’s more fun to be in the Philippines.” [That’s the media promotion slogan for travel to the Philippines] 


Now onto some more pleasant notes, we started the National Mass Immunization Campaign for children zero-to-five years old for Measles and Polio. The kick-off, this past Monday morning, was hosted by the National Department of Health, at their headquarters. The President of the country, President Aquino, attended, greeted, spoke, and watched a few selected (brave) children being immunized. Our Area President, Elder Ian Ardern, also attended, greeted with the President, the DOH Directors, & other co-sponsors the large gathering of people, the local/national press, and other visitors from the nearby community at this event. See our FACEBOOK for pictures. While some of the selected first children for this national campaign (13 million is total to be immunized) were being immunized, our Church (through LDS charities – our group – us), as one of the co-sponsors funded the purchase of a small bear/dog like stuffed toys which was given to the children to comfort them after they were each shot. The children loved the toys, which they hugged a lot. This stuffed toy which we had purchased some 20 thousand of, is to be distributed (to the children) at our meetinghouse (Chapels) which we offered for DOH’s use and are going to be used for this event (during this campaign will be going on all of the month of September) This is truly a national project which is going on all around and throughout all the Philippines. Just one of the many projects we oversee and manage as we serve here, LDS Charities. 


Still seeking out other new projects to sponsor, but as I stated before, we have pre-measured, pre-packaged solutions and our solutions don’t always fit the circumstances. Tailoring our projects to our “real life” situations is a skill we are just beginning to understand and/or to learn. Keeping everything on-budget and on-time is another talent we are refining as we service in this new capacity. Our co-senior missionary couple over wheelchairs has being challenged to do far more with much less, and often the ends don’t meet. Only 67% of the year has passed in terms of budget allotments, but in many cases we have spent more than the year’s total amounts. Some of the categories in our budgets our limited by Salt Lake guidelines and often they are NOT just enough. “Doing more with Less” - seems like I’m back in Corporate America, I think I must have heard that nearly every day - I was working at Motorola. No matter the situation we all seem to want to do more and spend less, challenging when you see people doing so much with so very, very little. 


Love the challenges, learning more and more each day, and every day there is something new to do and handle. We love the people of the Philippines; they are so very kind and willing to share and help one another. Good Christian people doing their best in many challenging and poor living situations. May the Lord bless them bless each of you, and may His work continue to Move Forward.


Love Pauli & Mike Morello

Dear Family & Friends,

We are going on near to a month in the Humanitarian Department (of LDS Charities) and we are just beginning to understand all of the complexity of both managing existing and seeking approval of new projects. We were told, early in our service here, that the Church has a whole variety of pre-packages solutions looking for projects to marry up with, but we have found in reality - that was only the simplest of descriptions of a huge magnitude of complexity, of doing these responsibilities. Generally Projects and/or Initiatives are divided into two main considerations. (1) Major Projects or Initiatives that are overseen and begun by Salt Lake (Headquarters); generally these types are larger in scope and represent much large amount of funds. These projects have in the past been divided among the following areas; Benson Institute/Food Production; Dental Care; Emergency/Disaster Relief; Immunization; Neonatal Resuscitation Training; Other Medical Projects; Vision Care; Clean Water; & lastly Wheelchairs. We oversee all of these categories except for Wheelchairs (and because of the complexity and never ending issues of import and distribution - we have one senior missionary couple and an entire team of service missionary couples to overseeing this important, ongoing area). The second division for projects are at the (2) Area Level of Projects/Initiatives. In the past these projects have generally following the same pattern, as the major variety but the newest direction from headquarters (Salt Lake) is the adjust, customize and mold them at the area level (or the country level - in most cases) to follow the same focus and direction as the Federal Government (in our case the President). This allows the Church structure its’ projects and initiatives to compliment and further the same efforts as the government agencies, the NGO community, and others charitable organizations within that country - working hand-in-hand, shoulder-to-shoulder for a common goal. 

The President of the Philippines recently indicated in his “State of the Union” remarks - that he wanted to focus on three key areas, namely (1) educational improvement, (2) agricultural improvement/
vocational opportunities, and (3) the improvement of the environment. As a result we are currently reviewing, carefully looking over and detailed screening - a whole host of potential projects that would suit these same objectives and compliment the country’s focus of funding and their positive support.
As we work through the screening process the thought repeatedly comes to mind – teach them to fish, don’t just give them fish. Real change and improvement in this life takes sincere effort, commitment, and desire – as well as often a lot of time. Our purpose is to do the most with little and magnify our resources by having successful partnerships. 

Not only are we attempting to leverage the goodwill of government but recognize our limited efforts will help only a few and far more can be accomplish as we team. Therefore, in additional to our best personal efforts, Sister Morello and I have been tasked to select, train, and manage a team of service, senior missionary couples (native Filipinos) who will be either specialists in one of the standing initiatives (as listed above) or serve in one of the twenty-one missions as generalists of all LDS Charities projects. This team of volunteers will develop, manage, monitor, oversee, suggest, and close-out projects and built long-term relationships in either their area of expertise or in their home region where they live and thus sustain everyone’s efforts long after ourselves or others who may follow us have served and gone home. Our goal is build a culture of service to our follow Filipinos by the LDS Charities projects selected.
This lofty objective can only be accomplished with the blessing and help of the Lord, after all it is He to whom - we attempt to serve and model our lives. May the Lord bless, protect, and guide each of us - in all of our righteous endeavors and may the focus of our lives be eternal and of the highest time valued nature.

With Love Dad & Mom Morello

Dear Family & Friends,
We had a rather light work week – this last week with having two holidays (one was a local one & one was a national one) these were on Tuesday and another on Thursday, it could NOT had come at a better time, since both Sister Morello and I had been fighting head colds and really needed a break.
One Monday we visited and turned over some 6,500 immunization carriers and 60,000 indelible ink pens (to mark each of the children as immunization is completed) at the weekly morning flag ceremony at the National Department of Heath headquarters. This was both a Public Affairs and LDS Charities event with the leadership of DOH. Our intention on the Measles/Polio Campaign is to build a better relationship with DOH Leadership and Other Local Government Leaders as we work to together to help the children (about 12M in the project countrywide.) These trips - took most of the morning going (about an hour and a half – starting at 5:45am), plus another hour and a half at the ceremonies, and lastly about another hour and a half returning back to our Area offices. Traffic in all of Manila is always very challenging - no matter the day or the hour of the day. Following our return to the office we were introduced to a potential senior service missionary couple (a retiring dentist and his sweet wife) who may oversee our dental care activities for us – here in Manila – with young missionaries or potential young missionaries needing dental care. Just by chance Dr. Jackson of Mabuhay Deseret (one of our NGO partner’s) happened to stop by the office, his organization has a dental clinic he is looking at having the Church expand, and the potential couple and we vanned over to see his facility. This took the better part of the afternoon, going, seeing, and returning – but the couple got a good idea of the responsibilities we are looking at having them oversee and manage. So Monday was made up of being mainly out-of-the-office, than Tuesday (off). We took one of the other senior couples to visit the American Military Cemetery and lunch – they serve as leaders over one of the Self-Reliance Centers and Trainers, which doesn’t give them much time for visit elsewhere in Manila. Since in both of our assignment here, we seem to travel all around, seeing both good and bad neighborhoods, I am reasonably comfortable taking others to see the various Manila sites. On Thursday, bright and early (about 5:30am) Pauli and I were off the Cavite (one of the provinces just south of Greater Manila) on meet, visit, and follow-up on one of our Benson Food Development Projects (at IIRR – a new partner NGO.) We visited out in the very, very rural area where learning about and practicing “personal garden” is a part of the regular elementary school curriculum. All of the 5th and 6th graders are tasked with keeping a personal garden at home and a collective one at school – to provide them fresh vegetables and fruits for their meal tables. This improves both them both good nutrients, better health, much better diets, and possibly some small opportunity for a little personal income. After making a few visits out in these rural areas, in the heat and humidity of the morning - we returned to their (IIRR) main offices, about a two hour drive away, ate lunch and viewed their demonstration garden – which they maintain at their educational complex. This was very educational and instructive, much of the same things we have learned over the years of maintaining personal garden in our own backyard, they teach to assist others and lift their lives. On Friday, after another holiday on Thursday, we had our Weekly Measles Campaign Update Meeting with Public Affairs. During these meetings we touch base with one another, making sure everything is getting completed and to check on any of the pending/outstanding budget expenditures. Watching the “checkbook” is one of the many and important tasks that we have been asked to oversee, as well as see that our Church monies are used for the tasked they were intended. LDS Charities is very diligent in using any of the approved funds wisely and for the intended/approved purposes SOLELY.

May the Lord bless, guide, instruct, and lead each of your righteous and positive actions.

With Love Mike & Pauli Morello,

Michael in his element

Currently your Michael is in his element.  LDS Charities is meeting with a radio salesman for emergency (disaster) communications.  Dad is making sure they get the coverage they want at the time they want it and asking hard questions of the radio rep.  He doesn't take standard answers.

Poor guy doesn't know what hit him!  I can hear all this from my office.

We had a major disaster in the Philippines last October and November. 

Our security guys are a little nervous.

Dear Family & Friends,

We had the most wonderful past weekend with having the opportunity to talk to each and every grandchild over Skype. After Kim’s coming home from the hospital with the delivery of Tressia, our newest granddaughter, all of the grandkids were at her home on Saturday evening, even now Julian, our previous Brooklyn NY kid, is in Utah as his parents are looking for new work opportunities and we networked with them. One by one – each family group at a time visited with us, then collectively - they all sang a couple of Primary songs and said goodbye. It’s a long way across the Pacific Ocean, but having Skype somewhat offsets the challenge of the distance. 

Sister Morello and I are a bit under the weather with both having head colds, sneezing and blowing our noses all of the time but with the air quality in Manila being full of sorts of pollutants/stuff, the having a head cold is a somewhat regular, quarterly event. I have been taking both a calcium and multi-vitamin pill each day and generally have NOT had any serious health problems but this occasional head cold and/or a small cough, seem natural to most senior missionaries. No matter, life goes on and we are doing very well overall.

We are beginning to build-out a schedule of visits for September (our first road trip in our new assignment.) Some of the outstanding projects here on Luzon need to be either re-energized or closed out. First we investigate the find out all of the challenges and disconnects both on the ground and in Salt Lake (with HQ) then we visit and dialogue with all of our partners to get things either re-stated and/or closed-out (ended). Every project has a beginning, middle and eventually an end; many of the Church projects seem to have a challenge with ending. 

Lastly our additional focus is to develop a network of senior, service missionaries (volunteers) throughout our entire region - to carry out the LDS Charities efforts and sustain the work- no matter or not - if there are senior full-time missionaries working in the office. This takes time and patience but is so much needed here to sustain and magnify the efforts. Filipinos helping Filipinos, speaking and understanding one another and doing good. A worthy and challenging goal, but this is our real objective.

Still learning more and more each day about our new responsibilities and duties – still a whole lot to learn – in a very short time frame. 

May each of you be blessed and granted your every righteous desire; we love and miss each of you.

With Love,
Mike & Pauli

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Dear Family & Friends,

Our best news of this past week was – in addition to our wonderful new assignment - we added a wonderful new and beautiful soul to our family in the Davis Household. Her name is Tressia, she came on Tuesday night in the U.S. or on Wednesday morning (here in the Philippines.) Her mother (our oldest daughter Kim) was in labor for a very, very long time before delivery, but Mother and child are both doing very well. We had an opportunity to see and talk with them both and they both look wonderful. I think Kim is staying in the hospital a few days to totally recover, may be until last Saturday. Lindsey (our other daughter) has gone to Utah (from Colorado) to be with Kim and her family while Kim recovers, in much the same way of offering help - like what Sister Morello had done in the past, with other grandchildren births. Lindsey is assisting in providing caring for all of the children, helping with meals, and around the house – and in general keeping things afloat while the birthing mother - has a little time to adjust and focus on the new special one.

The adventure continues, now that we are in LDS Charities, all of the experience and training of Public affairs is becoming even more valuable. Most of the guests to the Area Offices are with one or another of our items so in fact we co-host these events now. This week we hosted an Admiral with the Navy over Disaster Responses, the Church had previously given him with our introductory meeting fifty filtered clean water bottles and invited him to come and become more acquainted with our operations and complex. We show guest a video on the Church in the Philippines, tour the several building here on our complex with explanatory dialogue, and feed them. This eating together gives us time to visit build friendships, and have them know us better and for us to better understand their lives. On the average we have two or three important guest to the Area Offices which we tour and the vast majority of them are with either one of the initiatives of LDS Charities or Wheelchairs Projects. Having hosted for our first year of missionary service in Public Affairs - we are very comfort in these settings and now feel we can actively contribute to building these important and critical relationships of trust and friendship. Having friends in government (at all levels), in education (especially with the universities) and in business among the communities we work is most helpful. You never know when a friend may be critically needed. Things just happen and having friends (outside of our Church) is most helpful and needed should you want to effectively reverse the tide of public opinion or decisions which would impede or hamper our efforts.

Specifically, we started the National Measles Campaign by hosting around 80 people (Public affairs Directors, Priesthood Leaders, & Other Members of the Church) last Friday afternoon/evening to training and orient them on the details of the commitment the Church has made to assists in immunizing about 14 million children – throughout all of the Philippines. The Campaign officially starts the first of September (and run all month long.) The greatest concern of coverage is among faraway places and the poorest neighborhoods of Manila. Almost half of all the immunizations are within an hour to an hour and half drive of Downtown Manila. Our Church has offered to allow DOH (National Department of Health) the use the near to 1000 church buildings/meetinghouses around the Philippines to reach-out to every child and everyone. This is a very important project of our work and there are a billion little details to cover, but we are beginning to cover all of the bases.

We are still learning more and more each day about our new responsibilities and duties – still a lot to learn – in a very short time frame.

May each of you be blessed and granted each and every righteous desire; we desire only the best for each of you.
With Love,
Mike & Pauli

New Assignment

Dear Family & Friends,

This past month has been most interesting and I totally apologize for having NOT written sooner about things but as I know most of you have already heard from Sister Morello, we have changed assignments in our missionary efforts. Our new focus for the balance of your service time - here in the Philippines (about a year) will be in LDS Charities (or Humanitarian Department) efforts. We have moved from Public Affairs to Humanitarian (Church LDS Charities) about two weeks ago today. We oversee the following type of work projects and/or efforts: Benson Institute Food Projects (helping people learn to manage personal gardens), Clean Water Projects (helping LGU’s install and develop potable water sources), Immunization Projects (we have a very active and large project here to immunize about 14M children between 6 months to 6 years old - all throughout the Philippines), NRT (Neonatal Recession Training) for new born children, Vision Services Projects, & Emergency Relief Projects (and everyone knows we never have any emergencies and/or disasters here in the Philippines.) We are just beginning anew to learn the procedures, policies, computer tracking programs, and generally learn all the ropes in this new assignment. We have a new great boss; he has served nearly everywhere in the Church and in Church Employment. Currently he is not only over Humanitarian Services, but is over all the Church Welfare issues throughout the country and his church calling is counselor in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) across the compound. There is one additional items which our humanitarian department covers and it is the custom wheelchairs distribution, but because of all of the time and effort that one, single item (ongoing project) takes we have a senior couples and numerous service missionary couples (these are locals members who give about 8 to 10 hours a week of their time in helping) working on that area. In fact they (the other senior couple), our Director (the boss) are on the road out-of-town right now developing a new partnership in Northern Luzon Region. As with them – we will be traveling around all of the Philippines - in this new assignment - to develop partners and oversee any ongoing projects and tasks to asset their progress towards completion. We have two full-time (church employees) which we work with, one in Cebu and another in Davao. Our assignment is to oversee both of their efforts and we have responsibility “first hand” over projects in Luzon (or the region/island – in which we live.)

Overall our new assignment is both very challenging and most rewarding. The results are visible and very tangible. When you look into the eyes and hearts of people you are helping build for themselves a better quality of life, it is very gratifying. The other day at one of the vision screening, where we invite neighbors in an area to come and get us see if the vision services we offer of cataracts treatments or eyeglasses, or more extensive eye surgeries, might help we saw a little children about three, who had been nearly cribbed from birth who we could help, another was a man in his mid-fifths missing his leg below the calf, that we could give him - an artificial leg to restore his mobility and help him better work to provide for his family. He had tears in his eyes of thanks and the Filipino man is not inclined to cry at all. But both of us are most grateful, but what one really asked them is this: “if the Savior were to come today and visit among these people – what and who would He help?” This is truly the Lord work we are about and we are most grateful for this opportunity to but a small part to assist.

This past week and weekend we had a visiting eye doctor from Utah come on his own time and finances to lecture, assist, and generally help with our vision efforts. Our partner in this effort is Mabuhay Deseret, a Utah based NGO, working here in the Philippines for about twenty-five years and elsewhere around the world for about twenty years. Both ourselves, the Harris’ (the doctor and his wife), the Jackson’s (a retired medical doctor and founder of Mabuhay Deseret, former Mission President of about twenty-five years ago here) conducted training and screening both here in Manila and then in Cebu (about an hour flight south) before the Harris’ had to return home and back to normal life at work. We host all visiting medical professionals coming into the country under the Church’s sponsorship, while they are here to help and facilitate their visits/efforts. We visited several hospitals, clinics, screening locations, etc. and helped where ever and in whatever way we could, but we are still learning about our duties – and have a lot to yet understand. The time we spent in Public Affairs has given us a great understanding of the people, their leaders, and culture of the country to utilize while we transition into our time in LDS Charities.

As the weeks and months past I will share addition insights into our assignment and the joy it is bringing to us as we serve. In short we love the work, love the people, and stand ready to learn, serve, and contribute. We appreciate everyone’s prayers, support, and love – being away is both rewarding and full of challenge. But we would NOT change anything thus far. May the Lord continue to bless, protect, guide, and help each of you as you do your part.

With Love

Michael & Pauline Morello

Dear Family & Friends,
This week we continue learning in the vast amount of details of our new assignment and visited one of our partner NGO’s (Mabuhay Deseret) who have three homes for patients (with a guardian) for either corrective eye care or club feet treatments in Manila (for the Luzon Region), in Cebu (for Visayas Region), and in Davao (for Mindanao Region). The patients with their guardians live at these homes while they await and recover from various treatments, sometimes for weeks (but often only days) at the expenses of the foundation. This NGO has existing both here in the Philippines and elsewhere (in selected countries) around the World for about twenty-five years. They service hundreds (maybe thousands) of needy patients in these two medical disciplines each week, at a near to free service for the underprivileged. They offer opportunities for each of the families of the needy (in some way) to either help in maintaining, feeding, cleaning, etc. - while being housed or make small financial contributions of running their overall projects. The medical doctors who perform the surgeries and/or procedures - in these various countries offer their skills and help “free of charge” as a way of giving back and lifting their own peoples. The NGO works on a very, very small overhead and performs these services at near to nothing (at less than 25 US Dollars/per surgery/treatment) So much good for so little overhead and costs. The medical doctor, Doctor Jackson, who founded this organization often thought, was the enterprise really worth all the challenge and hard work, along the road (over these years) but every time he thought about stopping – some miracle would come along that would sustain and support their wonderful efforts. Just one the home for patients in Manila was donated by Nuskin Corporation, of Utah – they had monies one year they needed to give away (as a tax write-off) and the foundation needed a new home so they married one another. See the pictures, the little children as beautiful on the inside and we are helping them to be the same on the outside. In fact, not only are we helping with their appearance but improving the function and usefulness of their lives. Your heart goes out to want to help when you see smiling faces and loving hearts like these children. May the Lord bless these good people of the GNO and may this work continue for decades.
With Love and Support,
The Morello’s