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.