Just love Activity Day

I have to put our last Activity Day in the win category. I had made circle bingo cards with word of wisdom fruits, vegetables, protein, grains, etc. and little cards with all the items on the bingo cards along with forbidden cards of cigarettes, pipe, tea, coffee, liquor etc. We talked about the word of wisdom given from God Doctrine and Covenants 89 and then played bingo. They covered up the right answers but had to take cover-ups off if a forbidden card turned up.

Talking about the Word of Wisdom

Playing the bingo game

Chiyo won

Next we talked about science and how observation and recording was a big part of the study of science. Asking the right question is another big part.

Here we observe the spin of a raw egg and the spin of a hard-boiled egg. One girl noted that one egg was warm and one egg was cool. Yeah that could have been a give-away also.

Then we tried the floating egg trick. Note to self, let the salt water stop swirling before adding fresh water

Salt water and egg

So I just added more salt until the egg came off the bottom of the glass.

Then the fun began with the volcanos. First we had some mentos and diet Pepsi. I was told the diet shoots up farther than the regular sugar kind.
Lots of volunteers to drink a few sips so the mentos can slip in. Shoti kind of slipped a few mentos in before we were ready and the spray was amazing. Could have been higher if more mentos had all been put in at the same time.

After the diet Pepsi explosion the kids went on to form their "volcano" around a water bottle with clay

Adding vinegar to all the bottles

Since the volcano is going off in Legazpi, we made "volcanos" out of clay wrapped around water bottles. I told the kids the clay was just for the picture because the explosion would come out of the water bottle. I added vinegar to all the bottles and gave them baggies of soda to add on their own. I did tell them if they could get the soda in and a cap on the explosion would be more forceful. Most of the volcano went off while they were still pouring.....except Chiyo's and it was great.

Jeepney Angels

After a few hours at at the dental office I left to dodge cars and trucks along C-5 watching for bicyclists and random people in the road. Motorcycle weave in and out of traffic and jeepneys crowd the edges. Hawkers are selling water and treats, security guards are whistling and making room for cars backing in and out of businesses.  After one or two missed turns I found the land and gate I was looking for and parked across someone's driveway and sidewalk.
Sereene and I had a great outing together picking up missionary travel stuff because she will soon be going to the MTC in preparation for her mission to the Salt Lake Visitors Centre. I'm getting the impression that only sisters are in that mission - fascinating! She kept thanking me and I told her it was just fine because I am just paying it forward. I had an entire ward - Syracuse 7th ward in Utah - who outfitted me with everything-just everything- so I could go on my first mission. Did I ever thank them enough for all the generous donations? Anyway I told her I was passing the legacy along and she could help another missionary someday. So if you happen to be on Temple Square sometime this summer and see a happy missionary with a "Sister Baysa" name tag, please give her a hug from me.
After I dropped her off - she was able to give me really great directions to her home - I set out (with about the 4th or 5th prayer in my heart) to drive back home. On 20th avenue the lights were out. Two lanes of traffic going into two lanes one way and two lanes the other way - cars, trucks, taxis, motorcycles and people cramming in anywhere they could fit. Of course I had to make a left turn - what with Murphy's law and all!
I arrived at the intersection of the street and prayed very hard that I would safely make it through the chaos. A jeepney came up on my left and a jeepney came up on my right (yes there are only two lanes of traffic) and I knew that if I stayed sandwiched between them I could get through the intersection because jeepneys dare any opening and all I would have to do is move forward. Who would have thought jeepneys would be an answer to prayer? That is not usually my reaction to jeepney aggression.

Changes

Last Wednesday was Sister Hoem's last day in the office. She spent it teaching Sister Weir her job.

Sister Weir has 10 children and 45 grandchildren and has been a mission president's wife

Jonah's last day of her trip to Manila and she was back at work with Elder Stewart. Good times.

Jonah and Dr. Stewart team

Last patient of the day was a complimentary prophy for Sister Hoem's as she leaves.

Good-bye Sister Hoem - see you in Elko!

They

Life feels easier when it is "they" who are having the drama and crisis and problems. In Legaspi a volcano is going off only 14 kilometres away from Jonah's home. This is scary and frightening.

Winds shining can make life comfortable or NOT

Very close to where Jonah is

"Snow" of acidic ash

Jonah takes this picture of Aunt Divine and some cousins 

View from the farm

Night

Beautiful and deadly

Everyone is wearing face masks in Legaspi. Jonah by her volcano.

No, I am NOT a fan of knowing personally who is at risk. I want to snatch her up and make her safe.

Musings

Are undefinable blessings Grace? I know that answers to prayers can come quickly or over time and usually the answer is bigger than the anticipated result. The longer I am on this mission the higher my 'contentment' level rises. I'm not referring to the joy I feel when I know the Lord has answered an immediate plea (though that is really cool!) this is a overall accumulating feeling of peace.
Have you ever wondered what glory is? There are many references in the Bible about glory. Something that is sought for, something that is felt or seen, something that is great, something that is knowledge and light, something that can be gained or lost.
I'm really not an analytical person but every once in awhile I want to understand something on a deeper level. What is bringing me the happiness I enjoy? I know all good things come from God. For some reason He is giving me a glimpse of enjoyment that I think is found in heaven. Problems don't melt away and challenges are still tough but behind it is that confidence and feeling of assurance that an answer will be there.
Grace, glory, goodness.......I think mere words are so inadequate in definition. I need a story or picture.
What is glory? What is the difference between glory and grace? Grace - Divine means of help or strength - a part of glory? Good is such a broad term. Goodness is positive, Grace is positive, Glory is positive if real.
I'll have to get one of my analytical sons or brother-in-laws to give me a good definition.
Feel free to send me an email if you have an answer.

I saw Monkeys!!!

Living in the city it is impossible to see native animals - except maybe the zoo. A few weeks ago I had expressed my desire to see at least the monkeys that I know live here. I can do without a crocodile sighting - salty or fresh water.
On the ride around Corregidor Island coming around a bed there were some monkeys by the side of the road - on my side!

Bucket list - one checked off

Looking for dinner

The momma's were playing with the babies until we showed up

The babies were much harder to photograph as they bounced and ran around the treetops.

Aww, Nice!

Corregidor

At the end of the day I could not bear to hear any more about thousands of young men dying far from their homes. The start of the day was so beautiful.

We arrived at the ferry just about dawn

A large group of senior missionaries - and Jonah and Sister Maryanne waiting at the pier

The day was beautiful but the aroma was disgusting. I'm not sure if sewage was being dumped into the bay or something so big was rotting that it smelled like sewage.

All aboard

The boat was filled only with passengers going to the island. On the way we were shown a film that told all about the island and what we would see there.

Garbage disposal is a huge problem in the Philippines

On one side of the island, garbage drifting in the ocean piled up and on the other people could go swimming.

As soon as I remember where I put his name, I will update this caption

We had a superb guide who was very knowledgeable about the history of the entire island and would show us the sites with a great explanation. Any questions could be readily answered. I did wonder what kind of speech he would give if we weren't Americans.
The Americans built many, many buildings from Japanese concrete and Bethlehem steel from the States. I'm sure they felt they would last hundreds of years. Who knew in the early 1900's that in 25 years every building would be bombed - twice - and be completely inhabitable. Many of the buildings were finished in 1915 or early 1920's but in 1941 and again in 1945 they were all destroyed. First by the Japanese pilots and then by the American pilots.

Middleside Barracks

This once housed hundreds of soldiers. Now it is rubble. After the island was bombed there were no trees left. A plane threw out seed bombs of native trees to re-plant the island. Grass and nature took over the rest. A few trees and shrubbery were planted for design.

I mostly took pictures of people.

 If you want to know the history, here is the link:http://www.corregidorisland.com/history.html    
and information: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/corregidor-island

The whole group at the Barracks

The Whiteheads examining a tunnel entrance

Looking down the barrel of a cannon - perfect frame - The Stinchfield's

David Bowman

The Japanese shouted "Banzai" when they captured the cannons, but then I heard they shout Banzai when the leap from a cliff committing suicide rather than be captured by Americans. It means something like 1000 years or long live the Emperor

The light house was not terribly high but I still clutched the rails

Tuckers at the top of the lighthouse looking toward Bataan

Eckerts and Lee's at the bottom

The tour included a very lovely lunch near a lighthouse and museum. There was a war memorial garden too. At one time a lot of time, effort and money had gone into making this a beautiful thoughtful place.

Thinking and pondering war

Artefacts found on the island

Memorial of a Filipino solider with an American solider

I have to wonder who paid for it - American's because the Filipino is injured?

Eternal Flame

In the centre of the memorial

We saw a few caves that the Japanese had holed up in - most were over-grown and inaccessible.

Completely uninvitinged

We also took a step into the vast net work of tunnels built over ten years all over the island. We just walk down one corridor to another side of the island. They don't let tourists wander all over inside the famous tunnels.

Discussions

About the second to the last stop I was done hearing about the atrocities men could do to men.

Elder Lee checking to see how deep the shrapnel could go

Elder and Sister Elliot from the MRC

At the last stop there was a statue honouring the strong Filipino women - so of course I had to take a picture of the beautiful strong woman who means so much to me. Jonah Magno