Dear Family and Friends,

It has been a few weeks since I have given any update on our mission.  We are still in the Philippines, but for the first time since we have been here for several months (since August) we travel away from the Greater Manila Area.  On December 27^th with fought on Philippines Airlines from Manila to Cebu (in South-Central Philippines.)  This is a wonderful  island about two hundred miles, due south of Luzon (the island that Manila is located on)  Our flight was about an hour and upon arriving we were greeted by the Resort Van where we were training and extend staying during our four days excursion.  On Friday we conducted (an all-day session) with our Director and the Other Senior Couple extensive training with the nine (9) Multi-Stake Public Affairs Directors. We assisted and generally added viewpoint from our experiences in the U.S.  At dinner we adjoined to the Restaurant on the premise, to enjoy Filipino food and great entertainment, provide by resort dancers and musicians (more on them later.)  The food was interesting but the entertainment was outstanding.  We got to know the Other Multi-Stake Public Affairs Directors as bit and had a late Christmas Gift exchange among, the Directors (mainly ladies.)   The night was wonderful, and ended as we went to the nearby beach, about 300 feet away.  Here for the first time in the Philippines, we saw stars (thousands of them.)  The Moon was out and the sky was clear.  White sand, Moon night, and stars all about – does it get any better than this!  The beach sand was still warm from the nice day and the water was prefect.  On Saturday, we travel by ferry to Bohol, a nearby sister island.  The ferry left dock at 6am, so we started our day’s activities really early.  The ferry was about two hours from Cebu City to port in Tagbilaran (on the western side of Bohol.)  On the docks the resort had arranged a guide/driver for the days visiting.  He was wonderful – very helpful, informative, curious, and spoke very good English.  We spent the day visiting the Chocolate Hills (an historical geological feature) of the Philippines, a hanging bridge, very little monkeys, and lunching on a river boat, returning to the ferry in the early afternoon.  Changed our return ferry trip to an earlier time and arrived home to Cebu City around 6pm and to the Resort around 7pm.  So we enjoyed another nice evening of various types of food and great entertainment, different then the night before, of folk dancers and supporting musicians.   Followed by another beautiful  evening walk on the warm, white, sandy beach to close out another - day two of an wonderful day in paradise.  On Sunday we attended church at the Cebu Temple Site in an adjoining building and picture taking around the Temple grounds.  This was about 45 minutes by taxi both ways in the middle of the afternoon to the Temple.  Then, in the late afternoon of the day - again we went to the beach or one of the three swimming pools at the resort to relax.  Another night of dinner at the restaurant on the complex, plus this night it was guest request singing by a five person musician team.   Danced a little, sang along a little, and loved it all. The grounds of the Resort were well appointed from both the Christmas and coming New Years’ Eve/Day celebrations.  On Monday, before our flight home back to Manila we calmed about the Resort at the beach , pool, restaurant, then sadly off to the Airport, and back to Manila.  We arrived home after a wonderful four days in the restful, peaceful, beautiful, Cebu City.   If leaving and/or servicing outside Manila is anything as wonderful as our visit to Cebu City was then there are two types of missions in the Philippines, one in the missions of Manila (Quezon City, Quezon City North, & Manila) and another everywhere else. Once we had returned to Manila – it was back to the crazy traffic and over crowdedness of any city in the world with 15 to 20 million people. But we love it and have learned to accept it.  May the Lord bless, protect, and assistance each of us as we faithfully service and assists in the building of His Kingdom.   

Elder Morello