Some New Places Where We Went

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School is out for "summer" in April and May in the Philippines. The Church plans youth conferences throughout the country so the young people (12-16) can have some summer activities. This year there were nearly 100 different conferences. Usually three days and two sleeps.

The Area Presidency assigns speakers for each of these conferences. This year we were assigned to four conferences -- two in April and two in May.

The first conference was in Bacolod (ba-KO-lode), a place called Kalibo (kah-LEE-bo). This was right on the ocean beach. We stayed at a "family park," hence all the fancy toys.

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Then the next week it was off to Dumaguete (doo-MAH-get-tay). Sister Roundy did not go here because travel at Church expense had been curtailed. Elder Roundy went alone.

Dumaguete is right on the ocean, too. Elder Roundy and the District President had lunch across the street from the beach.

The third assignment was in May in Davao (da-VOW) -- and Elder Roundy went alone. This conference was held at a mountain resort. There were a lot of nice young Mormon youth there. Here are some Filipino Aaronic Priesthood boys.

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Elder Roundy even got to ride on a ferry boat from one island to another. Although the Philippines is made up of over 7,000 islands, this was the first time he took a ferry (other than the water bus to Corrigedor). The ferry pulled up to the beach. The driver drove the van onto the ferry (along with a dozen or so other vehicles); closed up the gate and sailed away. It took about a half hour to go over and another half hour to come back.

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The last conference was at a place east of Manila called Sierra Madre (another mountain resort). We both rode out there about an hour and a half up into the high hills. This was a lovely place to hold a conference.

There were groups like this one at all of the conferences. The young people really seemed to enjoy being at the conferences.

We were always treated as "royalty." Everyone wanted to have their picture taken with us. And whenever we took pictures, they would hurry over to be included.

We enjoyed the conference assignments. But now "the party's over; it's time to call it a day . . ." We'll be leavin the Philippines and our assignment in a couple of weeks, the first week of June. It has been a great ride.

On Our Way to Sunday School

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We have an assignment from the president of the Quezon City Mission to attend Church meetings each Sunday at a branch. Since about August 2008 we have attending the Biningonan Branch. Our assignment is just to be a resource for them. We are told not to “take over,” nor do we have any ecclesiastical authority. If they ask, we help as we can. This branch is about 16 miles (26 kilometers) southeast of where we live. It takes at least one hour to get there. The roads are all two-way streets, some fairly narrow and always crowded with traffic and people, especially on Sundays because that’s when the street markets are opened. So we thought it would be interesting for you to take the drive with us. We have learned to deal with the traffic fairly well. Many of the intersections are “free-for-all,” meaning there is no stop sign or right-of-way. Whoever goes first has the right-of-way. This scene below is a mild “free-for-all” intersection. Some take 10 minutes to get through.

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But, just as we’ve suspected from the very beginning, we finally found out how come the driving is like it is. They have classes for it.

There are a lot of markets along the streets, especially when you get out of the down-town area. You can probably get whatever you need for Sunday dinner at the street markets. Some vegetables.

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Some nice fruit.

And what would Sunday dinner be without a roasted goat?

Often you see people walking along the road side with bundles on their heads. This man is probably could make you a good deal on bed-mats. Sometimes you see baskets, framed pictures, even furniture being carried.

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Most people walk or ride jeepnies. A family is lucky if they have their own transportation. This appears to be a family out on Sunday morning in their family tricycle. Thousands of these everywhere.

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Cock fights are a big thing here. Young men have their trained cocks, and Sunday is a good day for a fight. Here are three guys with their champion birds off to make some money betting on the outcome. Apparently the one man has his bird on his other side, so you don't see it. Click on the picture to enlarge it for a better view.

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The birds are sharp looking, magnificant cocks, but the loser will likely be the main course of dinner.

On Sundays there are bikers along the roads. It seems to us they have clubs or teams because you often see them in groups like this.

Sundays are a good day for funerals. This particular Sunday we encountered three of them. The entourage fills the streets and traffic must wait. If you get behind one of these parades, you may be a half hour or more just going a few meters.

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Balloon, bands, lots of umbrellas. Often, as in this case, the deceased’s name is on their T-shirts. The casket is usually on top of the hearse or inside.

There is a strong Catholic cultural influence wherever you go. On Palm Sunday there are bus loads of people crowded around carrying palm leaves. [Taken last year.]


On Easter it is even more congested. Notice the line of cars ahead of us, up the street and around the corner. [Taken last year.]

Eventually we arrive at the chapel. Usually the chapel is the most impressive building in the neighborhood.

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Kids are all alike. Here are two little Mormon girls.

The tricycle drivers know the meeting schedule and are there waiting when the members are ready to go home. A trip costs about 7 pesos, about 15 cents, if you go a regular route. If you need to go far, the price will double or triple. A jeepnie costs about the same, but jeepnies usually only go on established routes, so you may not get all the way to where you want to go. For some families, the cost of going to and from church is too much, so only father comes one week; mother the next, maybe with a child or two.

So then we get to take the same trip home, usually takes longer because the streets and markets are busier. But we live in a good neighborhood.


And some places are actually beautiful.


Just had to put this little guy in just so you could smile.

Practicing Medicine Without a License . . .

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Sister Roundy has volunteered at the MTC to give shots to all the new missionaries. She goes there each Saturday for three or four hours. They all line up, and she stabs them with a sharp needle several times. She's really getting good at it. She loves meeting the missionaries. She processes all their applications so it's fun for her to meet the young people and for them to meet her.

However, she has gotten so good at it that she decided she would go right ahead and give a couple of shots to Elder Roundy. She said it it was a personality improvement shot - good for several weeks. (Just click on the picture to enlarge it and check out her personality; she's enjoying every minute of it.)

Didn't hurt a bit, but still . . . "I want my mama!"

The nice nurse gave Elder Roundy a kiss to make it all feel better.

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December 2008, a Month of Adventure

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The national president of the Philippines can declare a holiday at any time. We found out one Monday morning in December that it had been designated by her as a holiday. So we didn't go to work; we went to the Chinese Cemetery. This is a fairly large section where the Chinese have been burying their dead for centuries.

The rich Chinese built large tombs to house their dead. Some buildings were very ostentatious. Gold letters, crystal windows, several stories high. We were told that each year on All Saints (Halloween) their families come to celebrate. They hold parties (the drinking type, we understood) and they stay right in the sepulchre with the "residents." Some family members even live in the building permanently.

When the Japanese invaded the Philippines, the Chinese resisted. This monument commemorates that resistance and memorializes the Chinese who were killed. Our guide told us the Japanese visitors seldom stay long at this monument. (It seems to us that most Filipinos have a low regard for the Japanese, and most are not shy in expressing it.)

This is a typical burial room for a Chinese mother and father. The benches on the side are for visitors (family) when they come. Food is placed in there, and incense and money are burned.

There are blocks and blocks, row after row of burial chambers. The Chinese Association owns the cemetery and charges for its use. Rich people can lease or build their own building, but if the lease is not paid, then the body is removed and put into a crypt along the outer wall. We saw many elegant tombs and any number of them that were decrepit and wasting. Our Filipino guide told us he was born in the cemetery and that to be a guide one had to have that credential. He said there were only three guides. When Elder Roundy asked what would they do when all the legitimate guides passed on, he simply said, "Change the rules."

It appeared that some of the Chinese were Christians.


And some believed in angels.


Wherever you looked, block after block of sepulchres -- some fancy, some not so.


Some tombs were out in the open sky, covers were built over some.


We learned an interesting thing . . . Children are not interred in the tombs. Children are put in crypts along the walls, row upon row, along the outer streets. Silent vaults. We did not find out why families are not kept together in the Chinese culture.

We really do have work to do on our mission. But most of the things we do at work would not be of much interest to anyone else, so we enjoy sharing the diversions we take from time to time.

BACK TO BAGUIO . . .

In early December we went with the Area Presidency back to Baguio where we where one year ago. We stayed at the John Hay Hotel. Even though it was December, the mountain flowers looked lovely.


Sister Roundy, Sister Millett, and Sister Edwards spent the day shopping and sight-seeing around Baguio. The brothers all went off to meetings.

When we came back from Baguio, Sister Roundy undertook to decorate the Area Presidents' Office for the season. She bought this nice Naivety for display.

She and Morena and Ace put up an Christmas tree. Morena and Ace are secretaries in the APO.

And Elder Roundy had a birthday. Twenty or so people came up and sang songs and wished him well. They brought a cake and a long birthday card. The Filipinos had a hard time believing he was "almost 70."

BACK TO BANAUE . . .

The day after Christmas we took a bus ride back up to Banaue. We were there exactly one year ago, but decided to go again because many other senior couples were going, and we didn't want to be left alone for the holidays.

Banaue is north of Manila. It only took us 12 hours by bus. (Elder Roundy explained that this way: When you have one bus loaded with old grandmas and grandpas, you won't do anything quickly.) We stayed two nights. The ride back only took 11 hours, not counting the two hours we spent attending Church services in a branch. (Nearly scared the branch president to death, seeing 25 "white people" all at once.)

Banaue is an ancient site. Over 2000 years ago settlers came into these mountains, probably from China, and began terracing the mountainside. The Banaue Rice Terraces are one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The whole side of the hill is terraced, from near the top way down into the bottom of the valley. It was explained that the terraces were built on the mountain were water sources were available to drain from one paddy to another. Where there are not terraces there is no natural water running down. It rains a lot, so the mountains have plenty of water to shed.


The children grow up living right on the side of the road. This little girl walks along the narrow wall between the roadway and a 1000 foot plunge into the river below, seemingly unfazed.

Our guide said this was the hanging "coffin." People actually live in this house. While this is a unique view, many of the houses along the road are of similar construction. Be sure not to send your kids out in the backyard to play.

Sister Roundy decided to adopt this kid.

The caribao is the beast of burden in the Philippines. This man is plow up his terrace getting it ready for planting.