Christmas Eve

Anna Leigh Bowman with her grandfather David Bowman in front of the Bishop's swimming pool where she was baptized.

The Bowmans got permission from their Bishops respectively so Anna could travel from Oregon to the Philippines and get baptised by her grandfather.
This is really a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas Eve. Anna was welcomed into Jesus Christ's family on a day that Celebrates His life.

It was nice that the Bowman's traveled for hours (about a day) so we could see and be part of their special day

I learned that Stephanie Bowman, Anna's aunt is very gifted musically as she sang a special rendition of  "I  Am A Child of God" while her mother played the piano. Anna sang the first verse with her, she sang the second and we all chimed in the 3rd verse while Stephanie had a marvellous addition to it. Such lovely talented women

Jeffrey and I were privileged to be part of Anna's day

I felt privileged to see my sister!

Field Trip

Off into the country we went to explore and enjoy the country side. We went all the way to the ocean and got a small glimpse of this beautiful land. Believe it or not my camera was in the trunk the whole way going to the ocean! Unbelievable. Anyway I had in my mind all the little scenes I wanted to take on the way home, but of course it was totally different and wonderful.

It was a very calm ocean that day

This has the feel of a tropical rainforest but it has obviously been farmed or worked on at various times

Mostly I just stuck the camera out the window and started taking pictures of the fascinating world around me.  It must have been wash day on Saturday because almost every home had the wash hanging from lines, trees, and branches. How do they make the whites so white?

Look at this white - it is done by hand.
What is the umbrella for?

There were horses that young men rode with containers on both sides, there were pigs rooting around next to the road, chickens and little kids all next to the road. Then I noticed that the water was carried back to their homes by hand.

Every few miles the water was being collected by hand

This was the only place I saw clearly marked for water

The jungle takes back anything that isn't currently being worked on

This woman had laid our her rice on a tarp on the road then stood there guarding it from trucks, cars, jeepneys and buses  - mind you this is a two lane windy, twisty road. She just has to hope that no one is coming the other way

Many of the homes do not have windows

Everyone had wash out. Only older women sat on chairs, most people, young tots, young children, teens, young adults and men have this flat footed squat that they use for sitting

Many of the field were in different stages of planting and growth. I think these were rice fields but I don't know the difference between the plants I saw. 

Rice?

The carabao are used to plant, plow, pull, and ride. Lots of farms had them

I don't have a good picture, but I asked several people about the little shacks that were in the middle of the fields, up off the ground, no windows. Ernesto who maintains the dental clinic was able to tell me that they are use them to rest in away from the sun and water.
(Every day at noon, the workers here who are constructing the MTC second half will all lay down under the trees or overhangs and rest for an hour. I'll bet they really need it as they carry bags of debris out on their shoulders and supplies back in on their shoulders.)

When we got into a more populated place it is crowded -

Jeepney intersection - they drive around and through without traffic lights or signs
Four way intersections are busy with everyone driving their way at the same time

Traffic is insane

Contrasts in the Philippines are stark and real. I live in the wealthy neighborhood.

This is a view from my 6th floor apartment - we have since moved to  another apartment on the 26th floor

I have a stomach clenching view from our small balcony of the mall down below, people look the size of ants and fireworks are normal after concerts

My camera battery ran out long before I got home as I tried to capture some of the sights and feelings as I drove through this awe-inspiring country.

The Mabuhay House

Hello Everyone!

Nicole (Ernst) Jackson here (Verne and Shawny Ernsts' daughter)! Sister Adams invited me to guest post on her blog to give a little background on the Mabuhay House in Manila.

My husband, Josh, and I (and our two boys) just moved back to the United States after living in Manila for two years. It was definitely an adventure! Josh works for Charity Vision, a charity with the goal to restore vision around the world. They partner with local doctors in foreign countries to provide surgeries to people who can't see. Josh spent two years setting up eye clinics in various cities and islands in the Philippines.

Mabuhay Deseret (now known as Charity Vision) was founded by Josh's grandpa (Dr. Jackson) over 30 years ago. He was called to be a mission president in Manila in the 80s. So he, his wife, and teenage son made the move across the world. While a mission president, Dr. Jackson was asked to be on the board of directors for a hospital in Taguig (a city within Metro Manila). As he visited different areas of the Philippines, he would find people who needed medical help/surgeries, but didn't have the money. The other doctors on the board at the hospital agreed to provide 6 free surgeries a month for people Dr. Jackson could find that needed help. And so began Mabuhay Deseret. Dr. Jackson chose to focus on people with club feet and cleft lips/palates, because his missionaries would be able to recognize those problems and refer them to Dr. Jackson. This pattern of working with local doctors grew and grew. (It is now a worldwide charity. Though Charity Vision has narrowed its focus to just restoring sight, they continue to help people in the Philippines with club feet, cleft lip/palates, and various other problems.)

Dr. Jackson and his wife continued their work in the Philippines providing surgeries. Eventually, because of the amount of people and surgeries they were facilitating, they built a halfway home in Cubao (another city within Metro Manila). They called it the Mabuhay House. This home serves as a place for patients from far away provinces to live while they wait, prepare for, and recover from their surgeries. It is an amazing place. People travel by bus, boat, and jeepney for hours and sometimes days to the Mabuhay House. Patients are accompanied by one family member or friend to help during their stay. Everyone helps with the cooking and cleaning and they all take care of each other. There are a lot of children with club feet, cleft lips and palates, and eye abnormalities. Many adults come to have surgeries to fix cataracts that have left them blind. People come to receive prosthetic legs. The patients are so amazing!! They sacrifice so much to come, many times leaving other children in the care of family back in the province. Even though the surgeries are free, they are all asked to provide some sort of "pay." People bring fish, crops, and money to show appreciation for their surgery. These patients are usually extremely poor. Somehow, despite their circumstances financially and physically, they are all so happy!

We spent a lot of time at the Mabuhay House when we lived in Manila. Josh worked in an office attached to the patients' living quarters. We saw so many people come with horrible medical needs and leave with new life and hope. We saw lives changed.

One boy, named Balong, was about 12 years old. He came with his mother Rose. Both his feet were completely upside down and turned backwards. He had stopped going to school because the other kids would make fun of him. He couldn't read or write. A single surgery wasn't going to fix his legs, so they put braces on his legs with huge metal pins that stuck into his bones. His mom had to rotate the pins every day to help gradually move his legs. It was an extremely painful process. Balong and Rose were at the Mabuhay House for almost a year. We got to know Balong and Rose really well. As Balong's legs started to look and function more normally, he started to change too. He started to take care of himself, like combing his hair. He had more confidence and excitement about life. He was also able to beat me at Just Dance on the Wii, which is not easy to do :) It was so great to see Balong and Rose finally go home.

When we first moved to Manila there was a teenage girl, Cherlyn, at the house. She also had problems with her legs that required surgery and casting for prosthetics. Cherlyn was extremely shy and spent most of the time alone in the rooms upstairs. Cherlyn also spent a long time at the Mabuhay House. She ended up meeting the missionaries and joining the Church during her stay. The day she got her new leg was one of the happiest moments. We all cheered and celebrated! Cherlyn was a totally different person. She was confident and happy.

Another amazing experience was with a little boy named Moi Moi. Moi Moi was 2 years old and lived in an orphanage by our house. He was almost completely blind due to cataracts. It was really sad to see a small child blind. He would have to be super close to see my face, so close our faces would be touching, and then he would touch my face all over with his hands to get a better understanding of what I looked like. He did that with everything, books, toys, food, etc. He came to the Mabuhay House and they were able to get him surgeries to restore his vision! He is now way more likely to be adopted and has a much brighter future.

(Patients with the missionaries)

These are just a few examples of the miracles happening every day at the Mabuhay House. On top of the surgeries, volunteers, like LDS missionaries, families, and various Filipino philanthropies, come and interact with the patients. They do things like singing, play games, teach hygiene, arts and crafts, throw parties, etc. The volunteers really make a difference and help the patients get through their challenges. 

I love the Mabuhay House! I miss the patients. They had a love for life and sense of gratitude that I had never experienced or seen before. I wish everyone could go and experience the Mabuhay House.

Building a Ship

Jeffrey and I were talking and thinking about the principle of obtaining promises from the Lord. Jeffrey was pointing out the fact that several people have talked about the promises in their patriarchal blessings that have never been fulfilled. It seems to me that there are a least two reasons this happens. One is the consequences of our own actions and the other is the consequences of others actions.

What happens when a young man gets a blessing that says he will go on a mission but decides to live another lifestyle? He doesn’t get the blessings involved in serving a mission. But the consequences will extend to those he didn’t teach and maybe to a young woman that was promised she would be married to a worthy elder. Her life will take another road than the one the Lord had set up.

What happens when a young woman is promised educational opportunities but is pressured to forget it for various reasons? Her life will take a different road and the experiences she was suppose to have and bless other people’s lives will be postponed or carried out in a different way.  I believe very strongly that the Lord will make up those blessings to those who are faithful. He will even change circumstances so that promised blessings can be obtained. We do know that in His day all will be made whole.

Flowers in Alaska

Reading in 1 Nephi 17 the story about the promises made to Nephi that he would construct a ship and carry his family and people to another land. Nephi didn’t look around for the ship; he asks the Lord where he can go to make tools to build his ship that was promised. He understood the principle of seeking for blessings and promises. This is such an important principle in obtaining the promises I am given. I have to seek, search and figure out how to make the promises given to me come true.

This is my live, my choices, and my quest, if I don’t take advantage of opportunities and ask for the Lord’s help in what I’m are doing, I won’t get the blessings promised. Nephi could have stayed in the Land of Bountiful that they had discovered, but a few chapters later we can see how numerous and prosperous this group of people would become and Bountiful just wouldn’t be big enough in years later. The Lord had a plan in mind and if Nephi hadn’t constructed a ship, I’m sure the Lord would have asked another to do it. But years would have been wasted and one of consequences would have been that Lehi would never have seen his promised land.

I want All the blessings I have been promised…….I just have to go out and get them.

Dec 5

We had another very busy day at the office. I was very happy that four women were there to take care of everything. Sister Hoem was at the front desk, Jonah was assisting Elder Stewart, I was helping out with reports and Sister Stewart would run between reports, think of how she wanted information, and take over when everyone went to lunch assisting Elder Stewart.

Since Friday the office has been very cold. I am the only one who didn’t mind. The Stewarts could not figure out why the central air suddenly decided to go on after being here since July with only the fans and air conditioners at two ends of the office. They had the maintenance men come and try to figure it out. The Maintenance man finally asked if the thermostat had been set. Nobody knew where it was until it was found right by the front desk. It had been overlooked as a decoration because no one knew what it was for. On the opposite wall there are two wires sticking out of the wall that no one knows the purpose for.

Manila Monday - Missionaries from Manila on Monday

The Elders and Sisters were mostly from the Manila mission field who had traveled in and the companions sat in the waiting room cutting out angels for the kids at the Mabuhay house, writing testimonies and finding virtues of their companions to put on the tree ornaments. Sister Bowman gave us some things to cut out for the children at the Mabuhay house to wear for taking their picture, like a long Santa mustache, hats, reindeer horns, glasses, etc. Sister Bowman also gave us a Bingo game the Elders and Sisters could cut out and the angel decorations for the kids. We listened to the Christmas devotional as we worked. It still is interesting that we are in another day while the rest of the world is getting ready for bed.

Sam and Anna Bowman - my nephew and niece who will come to visit in December!

Have I told you who Sister Bowman is?  She is the wife of the financial controller who worked for three or four years in Africa and then was asked to come work for three to six years in the Philippines. He has a paid job. Mostly though it is a calling. The interesting fact is they are my youngest sister’s in-laws and I met them for one day over 10  or 12 years ago when my sister got married. I knew at the time that I was older than both of them. My brother in-laws parents are younger than I. Well now we meet up with them and find out how cool they really are! Sister Bowman is very creative and talented in the craft and homemaking fields as I’ve witnessed in Relief Society and Jeffrey and Brother Bowman talk on a wide range of subjects bouncing ideas off of each other.

My niece wanted her grandpa to baptize her, so the whole family is coming out in December at Christmas time and I’ll get to see my sister and her family!

"Light the World"

Light the World with acts of Service - Become like the Savior

Acts of Service, awareness of virtues, helping out neighbours and strangers
Becoming more like our Savior

Here at the Dental Clinic we don't get out a lot and when we do we finish the basics of living and go to sleep. We were a little concerned about how we were going to celebrate Christmas and join in the "Light the World" activities. Presto! We have all these missionaries who sit and wait - sometimes for an hour or more. Leading up to December 1 we had all the waiting missionaries cut out and decorate and get ready for our celebration.

Missionaries from Quezon City

As different sets came in we had them decorate trees and presents around them and also cut out ornaments to be put on the trees as other missionaries come in December.

Missionary from Quezon City North

Then after we put all our beautiful decorations on the wall - they all fell down. Putting on our thinking caps we realised we did have lots of floss and so Sister Stewart (the tall one) tacked up floss to the ceiling panel and we hung all the trees, presents and "Light the World" sign.

If you look closely the present has the floss dangling, we had to adjust the sign up and down before everyone was satisfied.
Now we are just waiting for the missionaries in their acts of service!

The Visit November 15

Elder Cook came to tour the Dental Clinic at the Philippine MTC

Elder Cook first greeted the Missionaries who were waiting

Sister Stewart answered questions and showed him around

Elder Pagara was in the dental chair and got his picture with Elder Cook