Merry Christmas!

To family and friends,

If you have been following our Facebook and/or watching our Blog - you’ll know we have been very busy, since we have gotten here in the Philippines. With everything else we have had an earthquake in South Central Philippines and the super typhoon (worst ever in all of the century) in East & South Central Philippines. Both were major disasters, with thousands of deaths and... even more loss with major damage to properties. We have luckily missed both of these disasters so far, both were on other islands in the Filipino chain of the country, but our responding and attempting to help have occupied a great deal of our work time. The body counts continue to increase on the typhoon nearly every day, there were entire smaller islands wiped clean of both people and all of the structures. Life in these areas is somewhat returning to normal, or what they say is normal, but it will take many years before what we call normal to be restored. It was several weeks before even the public airport in Tacloban could handle any civil (public) traffic and begin to assists with transporting the wounded in bringing them to safer situations and brining in outside health assistance. We (in our Public Affairs office) work individually with NGO’s, local and federal politicians, business leaders, and whomever will help to further the cause of helping, no matter what they religious background, if they are willing. In fact, our Church is helping to rebuild the oldest Catholic (over four hundred years old) Church in the region with giving them supplies and some funds, for reconstruction. In short, life is very, very busy but we are loving it! No time in our schedule - to worry about the (over the top) crazy traffic, or the terrible smog each day, and water pollution or the other 15 million people who live here with us in Manila. May the Lord bless, protect, help and support you in all your righteous endeavors. And may the next few years be good for you, as this coming to the Philippines, has been for us!

With Love on this special Christmas Day!
 

Mike

Learning to add pictures.

This is out MTC training group.

Christmas Happenings

Dearest Family and Friends,
 

Another great week in the Philippines… These people celebrate Christmas in a very big way!  Our Public Affairs office is responsible to develop, print, and distribute an Annual LDS Calendar for “Opinion Leaders” throughout the Country. This year’s theme is the “Family Proclamation” with the text directly from its message and some nice family pictures supporting those messages for each month. We published about a thousand of them and are likewise tasked to ship and give them to all of the Multi-Stake Public Affairs Directors, Other Staff departments within the Area Office, Missionary Training Center, and Temple – as well as give them ourselves to National political and press leaders - here in Manila. This has occupied most of our time for this past week.

 

Plus, to cheer-up the people of Tacloban (the area where the Typhoon hit the hardest), our offices have planned and organized a public concert, with one of the members of the Church of some national notoriety – a young woman - soloist. These free concerts on two evenings each needed concert tickets (5,000) and free food kit tickets (10,000). So in addition to everything else, we have been in the ticket layout, printing, cutting, and counting business in all of our spare time. Lastly for the children of this same hardest-hit area, we have been collecting toys for their Christmas gifts. Many of the Saints here have given very generously - especially those from our Ex-Pat Ward. They are so far from their other family members and somewhat understand a bit what it is like to be away from other family members during this special season. 

Busy as always, we have another senior missionary couple coming this next week to join us in the Public Affairs office. They are from Lehi, Utah and have recently retired - much the same as Mother and I. We understand he was a Federal Government employee nearly all of his work career, so they should understand the many challenges of working with government officers. One of the Salt Lake (Church) audit committee - who were recently here in the Philippines on their annual church audits, was from the same Ward in Utah as this new couple. We are also to understand they were the “life of the church party” at every church event and social. This will well-suit them as they serve here, since we host a lot of events for various opinion leaders from media, government, interfaith, and business. And seem to go from one event to the next each week.

We understand we are about the travel outside Manila with Public Affairs training near the end of the month. We have not gotten to travel much farther then the greater Manila region since we have been here and traveling to see other parts of these beautiful islands is quite exciting. The other couple, Haidi (our Director), and we are going to train Multi-Stake Public Affairs Directors in Cebu, a beautiful city in mid-southern Philippines. Should be fun and challenging at the same time.
 

Other than the Temple Christmas Lighting dinner hosted for nearly a hundred people, calendars, and other Christmas tokens, ongoing Open House Displays, Singing for the Area Office Devotional/Christmas Party, life here is about normal. The pace is fast and there is never a dull moment, and we are beginning to adjust to our life as missionaries for the Church.  

Oh I almost forgot we sang and gave Christmas messages at the Christmas Zone Conference for the younger missionaries this past week as well. It is so nice to look into their bright eyes and see the excitement of their lives as they faithfully serve the Savior, at their own time and expense here in circumstances many of them would not otherwise have seen in all of their lives. No hot water, no air conditioned apartments, no washer/dryer to wash their clothes, no transportation other than jeepneys, tri-cycles, or over-crowded busses, and they do all of this with cheerful hearts and glad attitudes. It’s a miracles in a world so concerned about itself that these wonderful young people are all about everyone else…the message of the Savior, His Birth, His Life, His Message, and Gift to each of us if we but receive it!
 

As we celebrate Christmas the materialness of so many people leads one to wonder if His Birth is understood and the Great gift of His Life given for each of us is understood. May we each remember the “Reason for the Season” is the Savior – Jesus Christ and His love freely given if we but will receive it.
 

May the Lord bless, protect, comfort, cheer, and be with each of you as you enjoy the Christmas Holidays.
 

With Love, Elder and Sister Morello

Quick Update in the Midst of All the Busy-ness

This is the long absence of e-mail update from the Philippines.  We have been busy, but that seems to be the pace of missionary life here in the Public Affairs Office.  A week ago ,we held our Family Values Awards Dinner and the leading fast-food chain, Jollibee, who also does a great deal of family support promotion, was this year’s recipient.  Although very large and becoming worldwide, the business is still family-run.  The founder and his family are very much involved in the daily running of their interest. They attended and received the award.   They also live a very family-oriented lifestyle for themselves.  In addition to the family members and many of their franchise partners, we had opinion leaders from government, interfaith and business who join us in giving the award.  We held this year’s event at a very nice Hotel (Ballroom) nearby called Shangri-La EDSA.  The dinner meal was wonderful and the musical (strings group) who played for the inter and postludes were perfect to set the tone for this very nice evening and sociality and greeting.   The company mascot, a large red bee -  joined us for the actual awarding and many stayed to have their photos taken with the “bee.”   President Neilson, our Area President, spoke on the meaning and importance of families in the earthly and eternal senses. One of the Senators from the national government spoke also, and she talked of how family and family relationships are so important to the culture of this great land.  All in all – we had a wonderful evening.

Last night we held the annual Temple Christmas Lighting Dinner and Grounds Lighting event.  Our host audience was from the same variety of opinion leaders as Family Values.  There were about eighty  or so attendees and again President Neilson spoke about the real gift of the season, found inside the box of the Savior's birth.  Often lost in Santa Claus, Christmas shopping and gifts we may forget that the “Reason for the Season is Jesus Christ, Our Savior.”  It is in his life, atonement and resurrection that all of us have the opportunity of eternal life and salvation.  The meal again was wonderful, and everyone enjoyed musical numbers, speaking, and sociality one with another. The topping was the countdown to the temple grounds lighting. It was perfect.  Most of our guest lingered on the temple grounds enjoying the spirit of the setting and new Christmas lights for some time after the official proceedings were concluded.

In addition to these two events we have attending luncheons with the President of the Philippines, fruits baskets for birthdays of Senators, flowers for other interfaith opinion leaders, invitations to each of these events, and a whole host of activities filling nearly every day full and beyond. 

The work is good and very rewarding.  Our Director has a vision for the work, and she is very hard at work accomplishing the effort of bringing the Church into the public view throughout the country.  She has family both here in Manila and in Cebu (in Southern Philippines) and meets the challenges of a busy career, mother and homemaking without missing a beat.  She’s a very hard act to keep pace with among the many and varied activities we are involved in.

For the American Thanksgiving Day celebration some of the Senior Missionary Couples  gathered last Saturday evening here at the Area Offices for a catered turkey and fixings dinner and fun.  We sang thanksgiving songs, heard words of reminders of the gifts of gratitude, ate, and played board games. We enjoyed one another's company and mutual support.  Something about being so far away from home and our American culture leaves one wanting the support of others from the same background.   There are about twenty Senior Missionary couples in our Mission, and we gather every other Monday night (on most months) for Family Home Evening and birthday celebrations.  On the weeks when we have birthdays to celebrate we each bring a snack to share.  Over the past few months, we have also potlucked dinner, especially for those few who have hours of travel to return home to their area of labor after we have completed our gatherings.         

One of the Couples from the Providences, about an hour and a half away, has been helping to build small homes for families in need.  They have successfully built about fifteen homes during their eighteen-month mission. They have been here from Canada.  Their mission is coming to a close and they leave in a couple of weeks, just before Christmas.

The two other senior couples who were in the Area Public Affairs Office when we arrived have now both returned home to Utah.  One with an emergency situation with a grown son with cancer and the other after their completion of their eighteen months of service. Both of them were wonderful and filling their shoes has been very, very challenging.  Now Sister Morello and I are the only senior couple in the Area Public Affairs Office (with the Director) for a few weeks before another senior couple is coming either yet this month (in December) or in early January.

Well this should serve as a general update. Further details may follow as time permits.  Our love, support, and prayers go out to each and everyone as we collectively celebrate the birth and life of the Savior Jesus Christ in the next few weeks and season.  May the Lord bless each and every one of you.

The Best & Worst of Times

This past week has been both the best and the worst of times…

As most of you already read and know, we in the Central Philippines Region (of Tacloban)experienced a Super Typhoon. The entire area was near to completely destroyed.  Where there were once homes, docks, and buildings (both large and small),  there are now piles of rubble. This destruction came after the tide's wave surge of more than two stories in height (in some area) and after winds of near to 200+ mph. The destruction was not limited to the urban area (like along the seashores) but also in the rural regions. The sugar cane and rice fields were completely destroyed as well, which means an entire growing season has been lost.  These already rather poor people who subsist on rice and fish from the seas off their island face a long road of recovery.  There was much loss of life both among the population generally as well as among some of our church members.

The miracle of the entire event was that the 204 full-time missionaries of the Tacloban Mission of the Church were all saved and are now safely in Manila.  After the variety of unbelievable stories of their recovery and a few days of good food and sleep, nearly all of them have been reassigned to other missions of the twenty missions in other areas in the Philippines.  These other regions (Missions) - although challenged with some destruction from the super typhoon – were far less damaged than the near to total destruction of that of the Tacloban area.  One of the Area Presidency (A General Authority of our Church) was personally involved in much of the rescue efforts as well as were many of the staff members from our Area Office (where Sister Morello & I work.) 

Sister Morello & I were involved in preparing hygiene and food kits (near to 10 thousand in total) for the rescue effort for both missionaries, members, and non-members of our Church in the worst hit areas of damage.  At our location (one of our church buildings here in Manila) we had over 600 people one day and 400 people the next to assist us in this effort.  These people ranged in age from children to the elderly, but each worked hard both days as we prepared these kits.  There was another location where a similar ten-thousand kits were prepared for the rescue effort as well.   They were  long, hard work days - something Sister Morello and I have learned to be a part of our assignment as we serve here. 

What is most enjoyable is that the Filipino people are generally smiling, with very cheerful attitudes plus they are some of the hardest workers you could find anywhere in the world. Starting each of our work days at 7am (on the job) and going until 6pm or sometimes later and then driving home for more than an hour of unbelievably heavy traffic is becoming the normal for us.  

Now, the best of times is that all of the missionaries were safe. Their cheery spirits and the can-do attitude of these eighteen, nineteen, twenty, and twenty-one year olds is most refreshing, especially in a world of so many who can only tell you what can’t be done. If every young man or woman would act and be as wonderful as these young people, this world would be a far better place. As those responsible to document the Church efforts here, we have attended many of the special events of recovery and rescue, as well as those re-organization and re-placement of these wonderful souls. 


Dad in a moment of levity while waiting to take pictures

of the Tacloban missionaries walking to their final mission meeting after receiving new mission assignments

Now the additional work of finding members and assisting the Church Leaders of these areas in rebuilding and recovery is beginning.  This will takes months (maybe years) for sure, but the Church and its members are fully up for accomplishing this overwhelming task.  Our Church is signed up to not only assist its Church members but to help generally everyone in the region.  Read Facebook and MormonNewsroom.com for more details as the days and weeks past.   Much of the cutting news will be released there, but rest assured this news will be fully trustworthy if you go there for your sources.

You can also Look at these two links to better understand the situation of the people of Tacloban. You can see what these people are dealing with and the many challenges these people will be facing  in the near and long term future.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/527527/tulfo-i-saw-people-walking-aimlessly-like-zombies

http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/typhoon-haiyan-photos-before-after/

Love the work, love the people, and love the challenges.  May the Lord watch over each of you as He has so generously blessed us as we have served.  Elder Morello

Typhoon Recovery Update

We have spend 2 days at a stake center helping pack 5,000 hygiene kits for emergency relief down in and around Tacloban.  Dad took charge of the hygiene kits and made 600 few Filippino friends as they chuckled at his jokes and his way of doing things.  He,of course, was very organized.  The supplies were not there in a timely manner.  The members were less stressed than we were.  We had to handle the bags more than once.

I floated between the food packing and the hygiene packing.  I took many pictures and listened to a lot of stories of people's families lost in the typhoon.  It was heartbreaking. Most people have heard from family members now.  A lot of bodies were washed into the sea or torn apart by the wind.

The first of our Tacloban missionaries arrived here last night with harrowing stories of winds, flooding, and collapsed houses.  Some were stuck in their homes for 3 days with only their emergency supplies.  They were finally all contacted by our members from here who went out to find them and bring them to the Manila airport.  A church member happened to be on duty at the airport and after waiting at least 12 hours, the first group was flown out on a C-130 (?).  We met them at the airport.

Our next to the last group has just arrived.  There are 20 of them.  Elder Nielsen greeted them with much love and told them how we would care for them while they are with us.  Some wiped tears from their eyes.  Most have nothing.  Our missionaries and members have donated clothes and shoes.  The church purchased 150 new suitcases.  Sister Nielsen took the sisters shopping.  The church will buy anything new they need.  The distribution center is staying open late (that's a feat).  Dad has them all downstairs now.  They are calling their parents.  It is 3 am in the states and I assured them their parents would not mind being awakened.  

Its heartbreaking and relieved, and happy and sad.

Love to all

MOM

Our Week & Typhoon Haiyan

We moved of this last weekend from unit #2809 to unit #2505 in the same building. This unit is far nicer and far more welcoming to us and begins to make our stay here much more livable. The Bailey’s (one of the other senior couples) serving here had to return home for a family emergency with one of the adult children and his grandson. Their departure was last Friday morning at 4:30am with flights leaving at 7:15am going to Japan, Seattle, WA & lastly onto Salt Lake City, UT. Their flights were uneventful with a warm family greeting upon their arrival. Their son is on the mend from extensive surgery to his colon from cancer, preparing for additional chemo and radiation treatments as soon as his body will allow. Their presence to support their son and help with the raising of the grandson was the key to them returning home early, and it appears things have been going well for them thus far.

And now onto our busy schedule front – After the move, we had to stay around the apartment all day on Monday (although we had been promised morning visits from our Internet and Cable TV providers). In typical Filipino style, they arrived mid-afternoon to move these services from our old place to the new unit. Their removal/re-installation were uneventful and getting things working was rather easy, but following the Internet re-installation the technician left the old modem on our kitchen table, and thinking we might be charged for it, I traveled to Mega Mall (45 minutes for a 8 mile ride by taxi there and 15 minutes coming home). I waited for two-and-a-half hours in line to have a ten minute visit with the Service Center staffer to officially return the hardware. This event after a long day of mainly sitting around was the perfect cap to a totally wasted day in the Philippines. We could not access Internet nor Cable TV most of the day, and when we finally did get their services re-connected I was off to waste the night in traveling, sitting, waiting, returning, and returning the old hardware. At 9:30pm (in the dark) I finally returned home and was totally spent.

On Tuesday we started the printing of envelopes (addressing) and personal delivery of invitations for our Family Value Awards banquet (scheduled for a few weeks out) among our fellow Church Leaders around our complex. It went generally without any challenge, but on Wednesday we again traveled into the office to have the other senior couple, our Director, and Pauli to run off for the day in delivering additional invitations all around Manila plus shopping for dresses for the event for the three ladies, not to return until after 9pm directly to the apartment. I was left at the office all alone, which I have found to be a very lonely place without the activity of the others we work with. The Christmas music our Director had loaded onto her CD player was mostly the only companion I had for the day. I went to the MTC to give away extra items the Bailey’s were giving to missionaries, picked up the mail from the mailroom, and visited with a few others on pending upcoming activities, but generally the best thing I did was to load videos, pictures, and other items from CD’s onto the portable hard drive we use for larger computer files. These items were from the disasters of the Southern Philippines earthquakes of the past few weeks, which were needed to document the relief efforts of our Church members helping others in the region.

On Thursday we repeated this delivering of invitations by the two of us (senior couples) around the region with the help of a driver with a mini-van with various opinion leaders who want to join us for these important happenings. In the late afternoon we met with the awardee on the details and finalizing everything to make this event successful and enjoyable to everyone. It looks like a great night of fun for everyone attending and participating.

If it isn’t a typhoon or an earthquake or some other type of disaster, life in the Philippines might be strangely normal, but the Super Typhoon Haiyan – hitting the Philippines as I write this update - is the third one thus far while we have been here, plus the earthquake might say something about the challenges these people see on a day-to-day basis. Living in a tent-like housing shelter, a typhoon (or super typhoon) is near to the last thing one would want to see and/or experience. The country was far better prepared for this disaster, but the water (tide) surge was near to two-story tall on the coastal islands on the SSE part of the Philippines. The real challenge is all of the debris in the water going in and out because most of the destruction. We saw an eighteen wheeler truck trailer floating – down the middle of the streets - in the tide surge on one of the broadcast shots from the first locations of the typhoon making first landfall. Can you imagine the destruction something like a truck would be to people and/or homes (built rather lightly) coming in and then going back out the sea?? It was reported that many thousands of people were re-located to attempt to protect them from the destruction, damage, and loss of life from this major climatic event.

As I sit at the kitchen table writing this we are still awaiting the arrival of the worst of the storm to the Greater Manila Region in the next few hours and overnight. It has been reported that the storm is dumping tons of rain (more than normal) plus winds up to 200 mph as the worst of things hit. Needless to say we traveled the 8 miles (which takes anywhere between thirty minutes to over an hours) back to our apartment early today to stay out of the heaviest of the rain and possible worst of things today.

The one thing we can say for sure is that life here in the Philippines thus far has been nothing like boring! Challenging, busy, and learning new things every day would much better describe our time here.

I may write more later, but this is far enough for now!

Love to everyone, Elder Morello

Getting settled

This may not be a big deal to most of the world, but today I sharpened a pencil correctly on the unique pencil sharpener in my office.  Hooray for me!

Weekly Update

This week has been especially challenging for the Public Affairs Team in the Philippines. One of the couples (the Bailey’s) had some very bad news from home from their family. Their 36+ years divorced son, with a six year child, had to have emergency surgery for colon cancer. Although they removed the entire colon with all of its complications, it was found that they could not remove all of the cancer by surgery alone. His estimated recovery and the care for his son is thought to be more then he can do by himself, therefore Bailey’s are going home before April of next year, as was planned. With the Dupaix's planning and scheduled to leave at the end of November, where we have had six of us (three senior couples) working in the office, there will be only Mother and me. Oh, we seem sooooo lost at times and overwhelmed. This likely will be the case until another senior couple can be identified, called, training, and arrive here to be some replacement. This bad news was, of course the last thing the Bailey’s wanted, but in light of the situation, their departure will likely be mid-week this upcoming week.

 

On a much cheerier note, Lindsey (our daughter) finally had our sixth grandchild (a little fella) called Ethan Ryan Williams on Thursday morning (here in the Philippine's time). Mother and child are adjusting and doing very well. Their little family has now grown from four to five. Ryan's (our son-in-law) mother was able to be there to help with the two other boys, in light that Mother is here in the Philippines. Now the boy grandchildren outnumber the girls two-to-one. I am sure we all wish their little family the best as everyone adjusts to another voice in the mix. Our thanks and appreciation go out to Lori (Ryan’s mother) for assisting in this wonderful experience back in Peoria, Illinois, where our daughter’s family lives. 

 

Now onto some other updates for us - 

 

This week seemed especially long. As many of you have asked, there were a couple of earthquakes in the Southern Philippines around Cebu and Bohol. These cities are on separate islands than Luzon, where Manila and we are. Many people have been made homeless and are wanting for adequate food, hygiene, and basic supplies. Many churches and other public buildings have been damaged, some of which have stood for centuries. Even some of the modern business structures were damaged beyond allowing people to use or live in them. We have another Church Temple in Cebu, and although the earthquake hit the area, only minor damage was experienced by that structure. As many of you know, our Church has a fast (we don’t eat for 24 hours) each first Sunday of the month and give the value of the money we save on food to the Fast Offering Fund. All of the people of the Philippines have been asked to fast as usual on this upcoming Sunday, but to be more generous than normal in their offerings. Those funds (100% of them) will go the relief efforts in the area - the people of the Philippines helping one another.

 

Our Public Affairs Director (the paid full-time person) Haidi – who just returned from Salt Lake for General Conference and Annual Training and who also has family in the South - left last Wednesday to be there to assist and document the relief efforts. Several hundred members of the Church are volunteers, donating their time and talents to help their follow Filipinos in various work projects throughout the area. Our Mormon Helping Hands (our official volunteer effort) is out and about helping as expected in emergencies, as we do everywhere around the World. One of our Apostles, Elder Andersen - who interestingly enough was already scheduled to visit here in the Philippines - is touring the area and monitoring the efforts to help the people there overall. He is scheduled to come north to Manila next week to visit our Area facility. Although neither Sister Morello nor I can really sing very well, we are singing in an ad-hoc choir for his arrival and remarks. This is especially neat, since we will be close enough to really hear and enjoy his messages.

 

We look forward to Haidi (our Director) returning and some normalcy to return to our little family of Public Affairs, but in light of the Bailey’s immediate departure and with the Dupaix's nearing their end of serving, I am afraid the calm, although very busy life of our Team, will never be the same. Thanksgiving Day season (the US version) and early Christmas Time as especially busy here with an Annual Family Values Award Banquet and the lighting of Christmas Lights at our Temple – where VIP’s and the general public come to enjoy the season. The major fast food company here in the Philippines, Jollibee (bigger than McDonald’s here), is very family focused. They are receiving this year’s Family Values Award. The banquet (a very nice dinner and celebration) is mainly organized and hosted by our Public affairs Team. The CEO and other executives of the company are given the normal words of appreciation for their National efforts to build families and highlight the wonderful things that many good families are doing for others in their communities throughout the islands. Jollibee has an annual award they give each year to deserving families for giving of themselves in volunteer efforts for others. This is their third year of giving such an award, where the families are giving food coupons, cash awards, and a nice trophy. Mother and I met with their corporate marketing personnel on Thursday to finalize the details for the banquet and to organize the invitations to VIP’s, other key opinion leaders, and invited guests to this event coming up at the middle of November.

 

(Just a side comment - It is hard to believe that we have been gone for nearly three months! Time truly goes very, very fast when you are so busy!)

 

I’m still very much involved in improving our Ambassador Outreach efforts and focusing on Foreign Visa challenges for our young full-time missionaries, as they are called to serve around the World. We are planning a briefing/seminar for early November, as well to host those involved in granting travel visas to our missionaries to help them better understand what we are really all about, of our mission and focus. And although we request work visas (the only one that is near to what we need) our missionaries will NOT be taking jobs from anyone else while they serve abroad for eighteen to twenty-four months as missionaries, and that their return home thereafter is assured. We make it mandatory each of them return to their homes and regular lives after having served.

 

One of the other senior couples in our Area Office and Senior single Sister are involved in the Perpetual Education Fund effort, where young people are giving funds (short-term loans) to complete their education and find better jobs – and once they are settled in their careers – they give back their loan so others can get an education as well. This fund is especially helpful to our young missionaries, who on their return home, find it near to impossible to find good jobs without a good education and/or training.

 

Yesterday, some (nearly twenty of us) traveled for over two hours by bus to a rafting waterfall in

the nearby mountains for a fun day of socializing. The rafting was provided by two boatmen, one on the front and another on the rear of this long canoe-like boat. We went upstream first, over large and small rapids, barely missing each of the gigantic rocks that had fallen into the river from the cliffs above. After the many smaller canyon river waterfalls – falling down on us along the way - we reached the largest one at the head waters. Some of the couples took a boat into the fall and adjacent small cave – getting completed soaked from head to toe. After which the two boatmen took us (much quicker this time) back downstream to the lodge where we ate lunch and prepared for our journey back home by bus. This whole experience took from 7:30am until near to 6pm. But it was wonderful and loads of fun!

 

 

Spending time with people doing different things for the Lord as volunteers is lots of fun and totally enjoyable. Our fellow senior couple workers, many much older than us, give so much, expect so little, and do so much good!

 

In a future update, I will tell you of the couple (one of the younger ones) who are building homes for members and others who are in need of some type of permanent shelter with volunteered- and Church- provided supplies. They utilize member-help in one of the villages, about an hour outside of Manila. They are yet another couple making a positive difference for good with little personal reward, except in knowing they are helping those who need help. Although there are less than a million members of our Church here, between the Wheelchairs for the Needy, the Mormon Charities, the Mormon Helping Hands, the Perpetual Education Funds, Public Affairs (our love), and all of the other many hours of volunteer service given by members, the Lord through us is making a difference in the lives of so many.

 

May we be worthy of His blessings and serve our fellowmen with selfless service. This is exactly what our Church is really all about. Our Savior's life was one of service to others. May we do the same. I know this is my prayer and the prayer and desire of so many other members of the Church as well.

 

Lastly, Mother and I spoke in Sacrament Meeting today. She spoke on not being easily offended by the imperfect other members of the Church (like ourselves), and I spoke on the Love of God. I think our remarks were okay, many were very nice in showing appreciation. Mother told of the challenge it was when Jared (name withheld) was hit in the nursery over two consecutive weeks - as a two year old and how not wanting to kill someone was so hard. I spoke of the story of two, WW I brothers serving in Europe and their commitment to one another. Our youth speaker with us on the program spoke of Christ-like service as she helped with a weeklong children’s camp and how she learned to love each of the small ones while forgetting herself. Taglish is the language some of us Americans speak, which is a combination of mainly English with some Tagalog. Apparently she spoke Taglish most of the week and they understood. All in all, the program was good and we’ll likely not speak again while we are here, unless it is near the end of our time. Not only did Sister Morello speak (which takes a lot of preparation), but she also taught in Primary some of the children their weekly lesson (which takes even more time in preparation). Busy, busy as ever!

 

Well that's about all for now. Love you all. May the Lord bless, protect, and grant you every righteous wish of your hearts. Until we meet again, the best of everything!

 

Elder Morello

Well, this past week was interesting. We had an holiday on Tuesday (some Islam annual event), so we
had the day free for ourselves. But Sister Morello had been fighting a viral something, so we just chilled around the apartment. As for Sister Mother’s viral something, she’s just too hardy to let any infection keep her down. She’s back to near normal, like the energizer bunny - running at full speed and making me nuts.

As to the other interesting items of the week - We (our group of senior couples) handle large
displays on family history, building open houses, national family week, etc. which need to organized
into large shipping boxes. They are boxed around the country for stake and multi-stake (this is a geographic area like a dioceses) events. We have had years of old displays - some broken,
others just tired and worn out - stored in our limited space downstairs in our building. They were taking up space that our active displays could better be served from. Therefore, this past week Elder Bailey and I took a day and cleaned, inventoried, and arranged the old/worn-out things to be disposed of and generally cleaned the rooms. I came home (wearing my grubbies) all dirty from head to toe, but the result is we can now find everything more easily and are prepared for the influx of Christmas tokens we give to VIP’s, and Other Opinion Leaders during the Christmas Tree Lighting of the Temple Grounds and other events coming up shortly. Apparently Christmas in most of the Philippines is off the chart - very big deal. They have Christmas Lights and other Christmas things stocking the stores already, with Christmas music playing or being performed in the malls.

I’m still working on the details of an event to invite various Embassy personnel working on our
requests for foreign visas for our young missionaries to our complex to brief them on our Church and
tour our campus. Our plans are for this to occur sometime early in November, if we can arrange the
details and finalize everything. It’s somewhat exciting to reach-out to diplomatic officers to educate
them on our mission and intent of going into the world to share the good news of Christ.

Lastly, the other couples (two other seniors we serve with here in our Public Affairs Office) are just wonderful - they watch out for us, help us, guide us, offer unconditional love and friendship and support us in so many ways. They are just generally “great people.” As each of us do, they have their challenging and joys with family members: some sick with serious illnesses, others dealing with poor life choices, and still others missing the joy of new baby (a grandchild), a big success on a new job, or a work assignment on a family member’s job. But generally they serve without missing a beat and
move the work forward. We have such big shoes to fill as one goes home at the end of November and
the other in the first part of April 2014. Generally I have found that replacement couples do not overlap as we have (one goes home and another comes in a week or two later). Apparently our situation of coming several months before our leaving couple goes home is very unusual, but what's new? Sister Morello and I have always been somewhat unusual in nearly everything we have ever done. Also this might be due to the fact that we are just very slow learners. No matter, we are here, staying for twenty-three months and we will learn to love it with all of its craziness.

This last Saturday, Sister Morello went off to a Women’s (all day) seminar while I stayed home to clean around the apartment and shop across the street for some items. As is nearly always the case, when Sister Morello came home from everything, we had to go again across the street to finish what I had only started. But after finishing up, we ended the day with bowling as couples with three other senior couples from our apartment building. I'm still waiting to break one hundred, so you know how good I am. Sister Morello is still learning the game, having never played before coming to the Philippines. We are certainly the weak members of the group, but we are having fun. Further, as our social group we played Uno cards at the Bailey’s with popcorn, snacks and lots of fun. Socializing as couples has been very nice as we work hard and play hard. This upcoming Saturday, we (about ten couples) are going rafting and waterfall-looking at one of the national points-of-interest. We will take lots of pictures to show, but it seems like a lot of fun and enjoyment for each of us: an all-day event as friends!

Well, that’s all I have for now. I need to start preparing a twenty minute Sacrament Meeting talk that I was assigned yesterday at Church and get prepared for Bazaar (some type of major shopping trip with the ladies) tomorrow. Life is good, may the Lord bless everyone and Lindsey have that baby!

Love Dad Morello,

Earthquake

Many of our dear friends have asked about our safety due to the earthquake that hit near Cebu.  It was a bad one. We are safe and far from the destruction.  But others are affected.  Your thoughts and prayers for them would be great.  

Smells, Climate, Culture & Pace

It’s Sunday evening on October 13^th here in the Philippines, and another exciting week has passed.  After nearly a month and a half here, we are beginning to adjust to the smells, climate, culture and pace.

First the smells – One of our next door neighbors here on the 28^th floor of our apartment/condo complex is Chinese. Apparently it is their custom to prepare garlic rice for breakfast early each day, and the aroma permeates our entire apartment as though you were in the their unit. Waking up to this garlic rice all around you isn’t something I was accustom to in O’Fallon, Missouri, but it is becoming that here.   Rice is served with nearly everything you eat here, whether you are eating at KFC or at other restaurants or just eating with someone else. No matter - there is always a ball of white rice to be eaten. It is often with a serving of chicken gravy as well.  I have now eaten more rice in the month while here than in years in America. 

 

Lastly, on smells - and coordinating with the climate - if it isn’t raining (which it does nearly every day) than it’s hotter and more humid than you can believe.  The rain doesn’t seem to always have somewhere to go, so the streets flood (maybe as much as a foot or more) and the sewers overflow. Everything mixes together.  The smell then becomes this hot, stinky, sewer-like odor, and it all around you and only more rain moves it on.  The best part is that because of all the overcrowding in Manila, no one needs to worry about personal body odor. You could not detect it over this near-to-overwhelming smell of sewer/rain/hot/humid everywhere. 

 

Now to cultures – the Filipino people are just generally happy with smiles all the time.  They laugh at some of the strangest things but are always fun to be generally around.  I just finished a book our Area President shared with me on Culture Shock and living in the Philippines.  It explains how the culture is focused on pleasing rather than results.  No one wants to offend; it is far better to just get along.  If one offends an individual, than you offend their entire family or kin group, so getting along - when there are nearly 15 million people living in this city - is quite an experience.  Even though the highway traffic is just crazy to navigate, it’s like a flowing stream; everyone is generally nice, and it all moves along.  (Only the occasional black SUV with very dark windows who seems to be in some kind of hurry, probably with a paid driver of someone who thinks they are important, disrupts this flow.) Otherwise the traffic just moves along, although very slowly, down the road to your destination.  Streets vary from one lane each way to three lanes, with magically changing third lanes, to five or six lanes each way.  Only when there are dividers in the middle of the road - stopping the other direction from driving towards you without much notice - can you be assured that someone won’t just decide to start another lane towards you down the street.  Traffic light and signs are generally ignored, as it all moves along down the street.  Busses are the masters of the highways during the day and eighteen-wheelers rule at night.  Don’t make them mad though; they will try to run you over if you’re not careful.  Family is everything: the old are taken care of by the middle-aged, and the young are attempting to better themselves with schooling 12 or more hours each day.  The school year is ten months a year, and often some go even during their break in the spring.  Many of the people have mixed Asian heritage. The Philippines have been conquered so many times by outsiders that finding a pure Filipino here in Manila would be near to impossible.  Pure Filipino may exist in the smaller island communities, but not in Manila. 

 

Now the pace – it is crazy fast!  Everyone is going here or there at land-speed records.  People walk in the streets, without regard to their safety, even at night with no light-colored clothing on. Jeepneys and tri-cycles (some motorized and other not) stop and start in the pickup lanes without notice to pick-up and drop-off people for fares, and taxi cabs are everywhere.  Lastly, there are motorcycles everywhere.  If you stop because the traffic has stopped, then the motorcycles dodge in and out around you to make it farther down the street. If you can’t ride or drive then you walk everywhere in a hurry. It is your best choice. 

 

Well, we are loving getting to know this non-western culture. The people are great, the climate is challenging, the smells are strange, and the pace is just crazy... but all in all, we are adjusting.  Hopefully we can touch someone’s heart and change it for the better.

Lastly this past week - since I have been working on an initiative of Foreign Ambassador Reach-out with our Office - on Wednesday, I lunched with the Ambassador from Canada who has been a friend of our Church for some time. I was looking for advice with some of the more challenging diplomats.  His kindness was great and his advice “right on target.”  Getting travel Visas for our young missionaries that serve abroad has - in some cases - been met with refusals.  Our goal is to allow each young missionary to serve where they are called, no matter the country or culture.  Some of these young Filipinos are coming to the US, to some of our northern cities, where they will experience our great winters.  Oh will that be a cultural and climate shock to them, who have never seen nor experienced real cold in all their lives.  No matter, in the near future, I’ll be making visits to some of the more challenging Foreign Embassies, so your faith and prayers on my behalf would be most appreciated.  We continue to host visitors to our Area Offices, Missionary Training Center, and overall complex.  Sister Morello (Pauli) is now writing news articles for our Church Newsroom Website [Mormonnewsroom.org]. This is her real love, and she is totally enjoying writing again. 

On a personal note, we watched General Conference on recorded CD this weekend – ten hours in all (six on Saturday and then four more today- Sunday). This is a week after it was viewed by most of you.  The remarks were great, and it seems a “more direct and personal approach” is being taken by those speaking in addressing the challenges and ills of our day.  After all, we sustain these people as Prophets, Seers, and Revelators and their messages often serve as a fore-warning of the future, if we but heed them.  The challenge for us is not just hearing but daily living by their comments.  The world is ever more crazy by the day.  The President of the US was coming to the Philippines on a personal visit, but with the craziness of Congress, his visit was cancelled. Then Secretary Carey (Secretary of State) was coming, but a typhoon cancelled his visit.  Now no body is coming, and I think the national leadership here is very disappointed.  What they don’t know likely won’t hurt them!  No matter, life goes on, and things are a mess in the US. 

 

My first pension check (deposit) came this week, but I’m still getting paid on the regular payroll as well (about three more checks). It’s nice to get paid even when you are no longer working, but that’s about to end real soon.  Our expenses and income go much farther here. The Filipino pesos are about “two for one”  (about 42%), and everything is far less expensive than in the US.  We are living within the allowance we set before coming and generally enjoying whatever we want, like eating out at nice restaurants when we want or with friends.  We are enjoying treats if we want them or snacks too. And with all of this, I’m losing some weight!  It is likely about fifteen pounds so far, since all of my clothes fit far less tight and the notches on my belts are much smaller.  Mother has been a little under the weather, with a bad sore throat, but she seems to be on the mend.

There are about fifteen to twenty other senior couples serving as missionaries with us. We weekly interact with them at activities, or at least on Monday Nights at Couples Family Home Evenings. Their friendship has made adjusting far easier than going it alone in this otherwise strange land. The friendship and support of the two other senior couples in Public affairs has been just wonderful. I don’t know how we would have adjusted without them. One of them has a grown son with a six year old son with stage 4 cancer.  Your prayers in his behalf (their name is the Bailey’s) would be most appreciated.  He took treatment about a year ago and they thought they had gotten it all but recently it has come back and even worse.  He’s a single dad now, after a bad divorce, and all he wants to do is raise his son.  May the Lord bless them and their son and grandson. The senior couple we are replacing is now down to just five more weeks her,e and they are beginning to feel it. Apparently after serving here for a year and a half or two years, you seem to miss all the fun and want to stay.  They will be home after stopping off in Hawaii for a visit on their way home just after Thanksgiving.  This weekend was the Canadian Thanksgiving and some of the senior couples serving here are from Canada, so we somewhat celebrated their holiday.  Tuesday is some type of holiday here in the Philippines, so we’ll be off and have a day of rest – finally. 

 

Anyhow, things are generally progressing. We are adjusting as we are loving the people and living the best we know how.  May the Lord bless, protect, and help each of you - as He has us - and I’ll write more in the near future.  Love Dad 

 

 

 

General conference

Today the senior couples went to the mission presidents house and watched general conference from last week.  All the sisters watched the Relief Society meeting together.  The rest hymn was, "I'll go where you want me to go."

It was very moving to be there with people who could be doing whatever they wanted with their money.  Only one would have chosen the Philippines.  And yet we had all gone where He wanted us to go and we're doing what He wants us to do.

We came home and saw a gecko climbing our kitchen wall.  I'll live where you want me to live.

Pauli

I was in a meeting today with a group of Filippinos who seriously want to improve the family.  They spent a long time deciding what makes up successful families.  It was hard not to yell at them to just read the Family Proclamation.  This has been revealed!

Really, really good people.  We did end up passing out home evening manuals and Family Proclamations.  There will be other meetings.  We will suggest topics for workshops.  Maybe .......

Pauli

Family Week #2

Another week has come to an end. Again we are without "hot water" as of Thursday morning. Our flash water heater blew-up while Mother was showering. There was a huge noise (a great boom), than white smoke, and that familiar electric burning smell - coming from under our vanity in the bathroom where it is located, but the breaker in the laundry area nearby - did not throw. In light of the all of the electrical issues - we have seen here, this is of more concern then just not having hot water – at this time. Now it is Saturday – three full days of showering with straight cold water - I showered earlier this morning but Mother wanted to wait (stay in bed and read a good book) on the chance that our building electricians were coming (as we had been told) to look at everything, but of course they have NOT come and it’s going on 4:30pm (in the evening) and no visit. So reluctantly Mother has now showered (4:30 pm) and we are both very disappointed that no progress towards any repairs has occurred, especially since we have been here – waiting for someone to come - nearly all day. Since we see - no progress - only the Lord knows when we will have hot water again. It’s like boys or girls camp but on the twenty-eighth floor of a high-rise apartment complex. One good thing without hot water – it makes for a much quicker shower and more time to get ready with other things - in the morning. No matter – it seems the sooner we get one thing fixed than another breaks, who know what thing or things here - will break next.

Mother and I are going to our ward alone, without one of our other senior couple friends - tomorrow, therefore to review the mess of getting there and getting home – thereafter - from Church, I had one of the other Brother’s ride with me to and from the building - just a few minutes ago, to assure I could make it there and home without getting lost forever in the bows of Manila. The streets are not only very crowded with vehicle traffic, if it were possible they are even busier with "human traffic" which is a far greater concern – not to hit someone. People dart in and out of the street without regards to the heavy vehicle traffic whatsoever. Lastly, no matter the time of day - the way to places - is nearly always altogether different then the returning way because of one-way streets – the lack of regards to traffic signs and/or signals – and the general chaos of Manila traffic.

Now for our week, we finished another Closing Ceremony in a town about two hours from Manila last evening, with many of our partner organizations joining us, namely the International Rotarian. We had speaker, music, dance, etc. just the same as the other closing – that we had attended – last Friday afternoon. Our Church’s Family History Display plus five or six people working on local computers to help people – to start – doing research their own family history – was very, very successful. There were lines when we arrived and hours later when we were leaving - there were still people awaiting our assistance. Driving home in the heavy traffic - in the dark - was even more challenging, (if it were possible) with people just walking into the streets with dark clothes – in poorly lite areas, This driving challenge seems to be the expected –the order of things - as one makes their way home - nearly all of the time. The motorcycles, the jeepneys, the busses, and heavy car/van/truck traffic never seem to lighten no matter the hour of the day. It was Friday evening, of pay week - in the Philippines (which is every other Friday) and the traffic is always worse on those evenings.

The National Family Week Closing Ceremonies were wonderful, the Church put it best foot forward again. We met the Stake President and his family, his wife is pregnant with their third child (a girl) on October 19th, and she is ready. Does that sound familiar to anyone? He is great and one of his former Bishop’s (who served 11 years as Bishop) is now - our Public Affairs, Multi-Stake Director. He is wonderful as well. His job is repairs picture frames and we use him on our displays when thing come back broken from being on the road – in various displays with our Stakes. He had spent nearly all week, off and on - at the Mall of this event, helping, leading, and assisting with all of the details of a successful activity. We attended with the DuPaix (the couple we are replacing) since this area and Stake will be ours after their departure, and it is good for us the meet them.

We also hosted a NGO (Non-Government Organization) who is looking at partnering with our LDS Charities, to build medical centers in the small towns (rural area – called barangays) in the Philippines. About a million Filipino pesos, they are looking at us contributing towards their effort. If the project is right, where we serve the needs, often working opportunities for our members, and the local government is completely involved – then we make see our support. We must do it the Lords’ way – where we built "self-reliance" and the local government (the people - generally) have some real "skin in the game." We’ll see, the next step is the see the details and specifics in a proposal from them.

Every day at the Area Office has its’ own challenges, but we are beginning to adjust to the pace, much better!

On Friday, we had another opportunity to attend a Temple Session with the full-time missionaries (both young men and women from in the MTC) in the morning. Nearly everyone in the session was five foot tall or shorter, I feel like a giant most of the time, with every one much shorter than me and they look like they are all teenagers. The Asians look very young no matter their age, even their senior citizens have dark hair (maybe from a bottle) and have no wrinkles.

Finally, after a break to shop for electrical parts at the shopping mall across the street, our electricians arrived discovered that the problems with our hot water heater is in the receptacle, wiring, and plug and are about attempting to fix it – right now. Maybe we will have heater water tomorrow for Church!

Some of the Senior Couples are gather for Bowling tonight, our apartment complex has four lanes on one of the levels which we can play for free. On Thursday night we went to the movies to see "Gravity" which is very suspenseful, nearly never letting you rest with all of the action, but it was a nice diversion. Once in a while we need some "wholesome recreation" to offset the pace of life here.

Life is good, the water is cold, the people are great and we are adjusting. May the Lord bless, support, protect, and grant each of you your righteous desires. Love you all – Dad Morello

Family Week #1

We just finished another great week in the Philippines...having been very, very busy again in that we just completed our personal (Haidi's Team – our Public Affairs Director – with the six of us – three senior couples) involvement in the Manila Area celebrations of National Family Week. This is a very big deal here with nearly every Stake (or Multi-Stake of the Church) doing something to support their local government in making "families" an important part of their locale. Here in the capital (Manila) this week we had the Opening Tree Planting/Walk/Exercise/Speakers & more (as I think I stated last week) on last Saturday (morning/early afternoon). Then we had an Interfaith Service at one of our building on Sunday afternoon/evening, on Wednesday (all day) we had a Family Conference on the challenges and ways to keep our families strong, and lastly on Friday afternoon we had the Closing Ceremonies in Taguig (one of the waterfront communities) where the Mayor awarded the National Family of the Year. The three finalists (families) were in attendance with a nice dinner, awards, more speakers and wonderful music from the local high schools of the area.

One thing I have really noticed that when it rains in the Philippines is really, really rains. There is nearly always flooding in the streets, which adds to the challenge of driving for everyone and really slows things down nearly to a "parking lot." It took us one hour and a half to get to these ceremonies and two and a half hours to return only about 75% back to our offices (to our apartments - instead) that day. One of the vehicles you never want to challenge in your driving our the busses, they own the roads and go wherever and whenever they want. Stay our of their way (if they are coming) they truly will run you over. While going to Church today (this morning) one of the busses nearly took off the rear of our car, but swerved just at the last minute and missed us. I was driving and it scared me to near death. It would NOT have been a very good way to start the day, on the way to Church, to have been hit by a BIG bus. There almost appears to be angels looking over us to protect us from harm and get us from one place to another, those nice "tender mercies of the Lord" - if you are trying to do the right things and be the best you can.

Lastly, we attended an eighteen year old -birthday party for one of the daughters of a man we work with as a volunteer - on Saturday evening. Apparently, your eighteen year old birthday is a BID DEAL here, especially for young women. It was held at a local country club (party house) with music, a very nice dinner, entertainment, supportive friends/family remarks, dancing, and love all around. This man had just served for the past ten years as the Stake President, now he's our volunteer Public Affairs, Multi-Stake Director. His extended family are a third generation members of our Church and nearly all of the family were there - in supporting and sharing love with one another. It was very, very nice - one of the highlights of our time here.

We are beginning to settle into a routine of life and feeling more and more - at home - every day. I have now, rather then just being driven everywhere, began to drive myself. I'm getting better, but I have much to learn and understand about this experience.

Finally, we met with the Area President on Thursday, he's really our ultimate boss, while we serve here, in the Area Offices...it was very nice getting to know him, he comes from Salt Lake (of course) but practiced law in Idaho as his career before being called to serve (at his own expense) as a Mission President and then Area/Seventy. He's been here in the Philippines for about 28 months and freely admits he is just beginning to understand the people, the culture, and the world of the Philippines. He gave us a good book on the people, called "culture stock - the Philippines" which has been very interesting to read and to absorb.

Well that's about all for now, we love you all, appreciate your support and may the Lord continue to bless, protect, and support each of you in all your righteous endeavors. Mike

Evacuation

The missionaries were evacuated from the southern Philippines.  They are coming up here overnight and staying in the MRC.  Tomorrow they will be reassigned.  Things are violent down there.

 * MRC is missionary recovery center.  Like a sick bay.  Our MTC is as full as it has ever been.

Our First Dinner Party

We're just busy setting up the apt. And learning our jobs.

Last night we hosted dinner for 10 in our little apt. We actually have a table and chairs for 6 . Another mission couple brought down their table and 4 chairs. Every couple brought a dish so it was low stress. One of the couples that live in our building is going home tomorrow so it was a dinner for them.

I found paper and plastic stuff at the grocery store, so cleanup was easy. We still have to heat filtered water on the stove and wash dishes in a plastic bowl then rinse in more filtered heated water. Kind of like camping. People took there own dirty serving bowls home. Pretty easy, home is an elevator ride away.

We had some funny green fresh stuff given to us free at the grocery store and I didn't know what to do with it. I found out it was a veg. And it's peeled and sauted. So I did that, added salt, pepper, butter and tarragon (the only herb in my cupboard). It was really good. Also I made fruit salad. Can't get cool whip here, so I whipped fresh cream and cream cheese with a little sugar. It was good too. We are finding our way around.

Dad is the Interfaith specialist and his spending his work time getting information about the attendees for a meeting we are having next week at our office. We had a mtg this morning with the area legal advisor and the area authority 70 to talk about this group. The area authority works in the office as an HR guy. He's Filipino. It was quite a spirited discussion.

Monday night we went to a movie screening of 10 three minutes clips about eating together as a family. All in Tagalog. 'Nibbles and drinks with press and VIPs. During that time we had a bad storm and some roads closed due to water. afterwards we waited an hour for a taxi and finally had to call the Dupaixs to come and get us. We were not far from our building, but we could not walk for reasons you would understand if you lived here.

I think we're finding our way. We constantly see people that remind us of each of you. Although we are surrounded by wonderful couples just like us, it's hard to be so far away.

Send us news about nothing at all. MOM

Two Weeks Abroad

Oh, yes we have been here for nearly two weeks … attempting to adjust to the strange world of Manila … the traffic is far worse than I ever thought … the smell of the city is strangely like a sewer (the human waste just runs into the river flowing through the city freely and then onto the harbor) and some type of garlic rice – regularly eaten (nearly every morning by one of our neighbors) … and the people speak neither English nor Tagalog, but some mix of languages – often called Tagalish. Our apartment is one the 28^{th floor of a condo complex (many of these in our area) and was absolutely filthy with many layers of dust everywhere atop things, apparently the senior couple having lived here before had a Filipino maid (who only hit only the high spots) and have been gone for a few months before our arrival, with one of them having a critical medical problem. They had the leave on short notice and have been gone since May. We have washed, and re-washed everything again and again including nearly daily the floors. Several days our hot water hasn’t worked, so cold showers have been the order of the day – I took them when I was much younger but these days – they just don’t fit the bill – very well. The electrical systems here "sort of work and sort of don’t" with lights going ON/OFF without notice. I have had many of them replaced with new ballast, since they are all florescent. Our bed looks like an "old horses’ back" with a deep dip in the middle, but we are hopes of replacing that. Lastly, we have had many challenges getting Internet and Cable TV, both removed during this absence. They say they are coming (that is the technicians from these companies) but work from 8am to 8pm and our building will only let you in between 9am to 5pm, neither will compromise with the other, so it takes days of staying home – just waiting for someone to come (hopefully) We have building security and building engineering (maintenance) both won’t talk to the either as well. And to think this is one of the better places to live here.}

Oh, the joy of living abroad … and we just love it.

Last night we attended a short films contest for "national family week" where they were promoting eating together at night as families, something our Church fully supports at a local theater. This theater was on the six floor of a mega mall, and I mean mega mall. Their shopping is either small, independent shops or these several football field sized, multi-story super shopping complexes. This was at one of the super-sized shopping malls. The finalists all receive cash awards and several of them were very touching.

We have eaten at "SHAKEY’S Pizza", "Wendy’s" and "Johnny Rockets" thus far sort of like home but with an Asian twist.

The cable TV man just left our apartment complex and finally now we have both Internet (installed on Monday) and now Cable TV (just installed) … almost starting to be like home.

Lastly both our Apartment Agent and Real Estate Broker were here and visited us this morning - while we waited for the Cable TV man to arrive for his installation and we might even get some "hot water" and a "new bed" (the mattress - after 14 years of tenant use), so finally we are beginning to adjust to our new environment here but still there are many challenges to face – but we are great! (Just one side note: There are an half dozen middle men involved in renting property in the Philippines and no one really - knows what they do for you)

Love you and may the Lord bless you and your family,

Elder Morello

No Trouble For Us

There is some unrest in the Southern Philippines.  It is forever away from us.  So no worries.

Internet & Cable Hassles

Well it’s Monday morning in Manila, about 8:15am, I have already showered, dressed, and gone to the adjoining commercial/business building to "our engineering department" for required "work permits" for the Globe Internet and Sky Cable installations scheduled (hopefully for some time today), in an attempt to bring some normalcy to our world. Apparent neither of the two other senior missionary couples in our same apartment building had anything like the many challenges we have been facing for either of these services being installed into their apartment units. One step at a time and one hurdle at a time to leap, to get anything finished in the Philippines. I say hopefully this happens today - because the "work permit" first have to be approved (by who I know not) and they are only good for - one day at a time. Plus I have some concerns that the planned technicians scheduled for today - actually do - show up. We just sit here and wait for their arrival, much the same as in the States, but here at least I had something meaningful to do while I waited. They are scheduled for anytime between 8am and 5pm, but with our luck (if they show up – at all) they will come about 4:55pm and take all night completing their installation task.

Yesterday we attended an English speaking Church Unit (a Branch) here in Manila, where we have been - for now - permanently assigned to attend (or for now at least.) The unit is made up of various (mainly Americans) English speaking people from around the world who are working here - in Manila for work. Many are in banking or with an Embassy and are here for several years with those assignments. Sacrament Meeting was being at home, but afterwards Mother and I were asked to cover a Primary Class of 7 to 9 year olds. They were wonderful and delightful to teach, during Sharing Time – Mother stayed with the class, but since I have been tasked to reach out to Foreign Embassies and Ambassadors, I thought it wise for me to attend Priesthood Meeting. I met several people in the Branch who might help me with that assignment over the next several weeks and/or months. The Branch President work at the American Embassy as an Assistant of some nature, who might be my best angle to start.

Last night Elder DuPaix and I returned to the same Church Building for Stake Priesthood which focused on getting more engaged in "missionary work" as families. The Stake President is wonderful and very talented, but some of the others (who were speaking and teaching) were using "guilt" as their motivators and it has been my personal experience that isn’t a very effective method, to get the positive results one really wants. The meeting lasted for nearly two and half hours, often repeating the same themes, but I have been told - the people of the Philippines are known to need repeated challenges to get the results you are looking for….it is never bad to repeat the "key challenges" if you want positive results.

Last week at the office was just crazy, we had tours of the complex nearly every day, with getting snacks for each group. Apparently it is expected for guests to be fed (with food) when they join you for a visit at your home, business, or in our case our Church Complex. I think I already stated this but we tour the Area Offices, then our Philippines MTC and MRC (Medial Recovery Center for missionaries), then the Temple Annex and Temple Grounds (connected via a tunnel under the main road outside our offices.) Once we have Internet - I will send some pictures - so you can better see what I’m talking about. These tours have "PowerPoint" presentations to introduce ourselves – to our various guest - to start and overall last for several hours altogether. The purchasing of "these various snacks" is a BIG thing and often takes the better part of most mornings. We purchase from KFC, Burger King, or Krispy Kreme as well as from the local market about two block down the street. Since I don’t have a Church Credit Card yet, I’ve just been the "bag man" thus far – just carrying the goodies for the others. A lot of busy work, but we have built some beginning relationships with important government and/or political leader types in a positive way - towards the Church and our overall presents here in the Philippines.

Love you all and greatly miss you. I’ll keep you posted on our Internet and other connections to the outside world as they progress and are hopefully finalized.

May the Lord bless, protect, and guide each of our lives – Love Dad.

Later in the day (around 12:30pm) … well no one shown up yet, we have cleaned again, which is nearly a daily activity, follow-up called both Globe (the Internet folks) and Sky (the cable TV folks), assured they are still coming sometime before 8pm tonight and that installation will be complete before they leave. Further, we called our apartment agent (everything in the Philippines has a whole host of middle men involved and don’t really know what they do, except cost more money), but he still hasn’t gotten any word on the critical issues we are having with electrical (our flash water heater blowing breakers) and other poorly wired lamps, appliances, etc., our bed which looks like an old horses’ back, our window blinds, which are a yellowed and terrible bent mess, and our washer/dryer which only sort of work, our shower drain which was installed on the flat of the floor and doesn’t drain, and other requested items … we have been chasing our Singaporean landlord for now, nearly two weeks without any real positive result.

Our apartment engineering department did come up to see some of the electrical problems discussed above, but could only recommend purchasing items I dare not leave the apartment (in case the techs come from Globe or Sky while I’m gone) from the hardware store (across the street) to buy to fix things. All in all I’m just wasting time most of today, waiting on the tech to show-up!

In the meantime I loaded all of our receipts (expenses) into an Excel spreadsheet to check what things are costing and for getting started and it is more than what we have budgeted, so I think we might need to cut back - a bit - to stay on target, in upcoming months.

Love again Dad….

Still later (now it’s about 4pm) and we just finished installing Internet … HAPPY DAY ! All is well ….