Thursday the 22nd
Transfer Day

We went to the bus/van/jeepney depot and saw Elder Sparks and Sister Nonu off to their new assignment at 7:00 this morning. Their replacements are certainly here in San Jose now, but we don't know who they are. We left after saying halong and went to Culasi.

We hauled our mission leader , Kib Beriong, Jomar, Sister Percy, and one other sister from the other side of Bugasong with us. We met the Culasi/Tibaio Elders at their apartment. We are not sure that much planning went into this outing, but we had a good time.

We split into groups and Sister Sessions and I went with Elder Stacy and Elder Lopez and Sister Ortega (The Senior Sister pictured below) to the downtown area and tried to draw the Plan of Salvation on the walk and attract some attention and interest.. The bricks were so coarse and so far apart that I couldn't get the chalk drawings to resemble much. We moved down town to the plaza and I drew them on some painted panels on the stage. The drawings were not very good. I didn't have good colors, and the slick paint was a poor medium on which to draw, but we got it done and there was a good deal of interest. We showed a few folks through and Sister Ortega and Elder Inoke were very successful in giving out pamphlets and making appointments to teach.

I was literally soaking wet with sweat by 10:00 and got sick from dehydration. I punched down some water and an ice cream. We went to lunch and I got some salt and drank a bunch of fluids and felt better. We worked at the Plan stage for a few hours and for home at 4:30 pm. I was still wet when we came in our door. I showered up and do feel better now.

Sister Nonu and Elder Sparks are right in the middle of the group. Elder Sparks is from Rexburg and has been one of our zone leaders here. He is a good man and getting short. I think he goes home in August or September. He is Filapino and speaks like a native. We will miss him. Sister Nonu, we were just getting to know. 

Elder Shaffer and Elder Sparks, zone leaders.

Tough canvas . . .

Elders coloring in the earth for Earth Life. I drew in the Philippines in the South China Sea with a star on the island of Panay with caption "You Are Here"

Elder Inoke, Sister Ortega and Sister Sessions showing a sister around the Plan. Elder explains the central role of Jesus Christ. Pretty fun and very effective.

Doing the Plan of Salvation in chalk on the sidewalk, was done in New York City by Elders.  I checked it on the Internet. One of the AP's mentioned it to me some time back, and, we thought we would give it a try. I can't find sidewalk chalk here, so I used some colored chalk for teachers.

I think it was very successful for finding people to teach. The lady pictured above is a city official (white shirt) and she wanted to know where in the kingdoms that fire and brimstone come. I had fun talking to here and telling here that the fire and brimstone are our own eternal regrets for things we should have done and did not, like "like coming unto Christ".

 It is interesting how people recognize different things depicted by the drawings. Things sort of sound familiar to them and they sign-up for more information and lessons.