Dear Family & Friends,

Another week completed and we are still very excited to be here, in the Philippines – serving in Public Affairs. This week, was the last week of doing things all alone, now that the Pyles’ (the other senior missionary couples) in our Public Affairs offices, have come back from going home (to Utah) with the death of Sister Pyles’ mother. She needed to return home to handle things and assist her family in all of the issues associated with the loss of her mother. One doesn’t really know how much - you’ll miss someone until they are gone or away. Great to have them back, to help and cover the many things we are doing and are a part of our assignment.

This past weekend, some twenty senior missionary couples (more than forty of us) journeyed off to a nearby (about two hours by van) coconut plantation south of Manila (in the provinces.) We took four vans full of people, then travel south - early on Saturday morning to enjoy this exploring experience. During our visit we saw lots of coconut trees with even more coconut products, a beautiful waterfall where we ate lunch, with our feet in the water (see picture) lots of real caribou pulling the people carts, many more rice fields (to and from), a museum (see the pink church), the plantation house (see the other pink house), native dancers, singers, and musicians - and all of the normal Filipino countryside during our travels. The whole experience was wonderful (see attached pictures.) 

On Sunday morning (in the early at 7 am) we had a special “memorial day” ceremony at the American Manila Soldiers Cemetery. In preparation for the whole day’s event our Boy Scouts (along with many other Phillippines Scouts had a Two day - Camporee at the Cemetery complex) Wile camping and doing merit badges our Makati Ward Scouts and the Other Scouts placed flags (7 thousand of pairings of flags – One US & Filipino) on each of the grave stones around the site. Many organizations, including our faith offered wreaths for their fallen comrades-in-arms with both national political and international representative as speakers and prayers. The armed services from the Philippines provided a flag ceremony, with music, and a color guard - to greet and welcome the several hundred guests to the event. The day was wonderful, but a bit on the hot and humid side. (See more pictures)

Afterwards we attended our normal church meetings (our church meetinghouse is somewhat nearby the cemetery) and then enjoyed a nice meal Mother prepared with Sister Doig & the Pyles after which we generally had a restful late afternoon and evening. It was very nice day, one evening of rest before we start another very busy week full of many scheduled activities. 

Time surely goes much faster when you’re busy with many varied events.

One another note we are changing the people living in our Missouri home while we are away. One of the ladies who have been living there is buying and moving up to the Nauvoo, Ill area, after having retired just before she joined us last September. We have selected to have a young, medical resident student couple (one of the President & Sister Lewis kids) with two small (twice) daughters move into our place, for the balance of our mission, or until July 2015. They can do a few more things around the yard and house and help us overset the cost of keeping the place intact while we have been gone. The home apparently is a constant challenge no matter how much you attempt to prepare ahead of time for your leaving. We have kept the utilities, insurance, and taxes all in our name to make returning easier, but this has offered a host of additional issues, only leaving has exposed. One less worry, once they are in place and the transition has fully occurred.

May the Lord bless and grant each and everyone all their righteous desires of their hearts.

With Love the Morellos’

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