Linggo Ako 20th
Abril
Easter Sunday. These two pictures were taken Thursday afternoon. The people were creating 14-15 of these stations depicting the crucifixion. They held a huge procession Friday where they walked from station to station, starting from station 1 at the Catholic Church and ending there.

Today is Easter Sunday. The celebration was over. I thought it odd that the horrid days of Christ's life were celebrated, and not the day of his resurrection. All transportation is running again. All stores are open. It was like the Sabbath ought to be from Tuesday to Sunday morning, then BAM, back to normal on the Sabbath.

We went to Dao for church this morning. The branch is very small and there are few baptisms. It seems dominated by one family. The meetings were okay and it was sure good to take the sacrament. The missionaries there are doing there best, but the old branch president died and the people don't like the new one, so they stay home. This is one weird place to Sister S. and to me.

We had potatoes and meatballs for dinner today; a family favorite. It is always enjoyed, but Sister Sessions has never figured out how to fix enough meatballs, the best part. She used our last can of Campbell's tomato soup, so we are pretty much stuck with Pinoy food after this, and we are certainly tired of that. We went to a new restaurant yesterday as very few were open. They had some pretty good tempura. Pickins have been slim this week.
A few pics from the road to Dao:

The farmers pile their rice husks in the fields and then light them afire. They burn for days, filling the air with smoke. The smoke, humidity and heat are sometimes overwhelming and we have to get in the truck, turn on the ac and just wonder. .

The plants are pretty here, and flowers. Today was a pretty morning. Dao is nice and the people a bit more prosperous. We saw many swimming at the beach and the cleaner homes and roadside looked much like California down along the ocean above San Diego. (Anyway as I remember it) It has probably changed totally.

Training yesterday went quite well, except I wanted to show "Ministry" from the 2013 Leadership Conference on LDS.org. It depicts leaders out visiting their members, loving them back into activity. Our technology didn't work because the branch had not paid their bill for WIFI as it turned out. I had to show it on my i-pad. It was a bit small, but they could hear it. . . not the same. Other than I taught from the handbook 2 about PEC meetings, the way the Lord teaches (one-on-one), home and visiting teaching, and had a pretty good time.

President Vilosso, a counselor in the mission presidency, taught after me. He is a great man and has a wonderful spirit. He has been a bishop and leader for many years. It was strange, because he kept looking at me as if to ask, "Is this right?" I had to grin at him, thinking, "You know way the crap more than I do about this stuff . . .why are you lookin' at me." Anyway, I really like him and hope to get to spend more time with him in the future.

Sister Sessions drove for the first time yesterday. Lucky for her, the roads weren't crowded. She had to run back to the house twice for the i-pad, then for the i-pad cord.

I have been wanting to go swimming in the ocean, but haven't had the time, or I get feeling strange at the last minute as it is wide open and nobody is around. I better get some water wings I suppose. First time I have ever had any qualms about swimming in the ocean. I'll go one of these days.