Sister Sessions and I having a bag of soda. They recycle the little bottles, so we bought a couple of small 7 UPs and they pour them inside a plastic bag, add a straw, and you are set. Can't remember the weird name of the little store, but they line the roads.

13 Marso 2014 Huebes Having a tough time with this since I downloaded the new system on the ipad, and I screwed something up on the camera, so I don't have some pictures I wanted to share. It is 3:50 am. A rooster is crowing outside the mission home. He is up early. We went to a bangko (bank) last night with the AP's (Assistants to the President) and changed dollars to pesos. We got a little taste oflife and visited with the AP's. They do drive wildly in Iloilo. More about that later. We are going to get driver's licenses this morning. It will take about 4 hours. After that we are scheduled to meet with the Taylors and President. I will add more later. I wish I could figure out the camera/picture thing. Hopefully the office Elders will help me. President called me to be secretary for the Mission Presidency. I am making an agenda template for them to use in meetings.

Here is a picture of the mission home and President and Sister Aquino with us outside the office today. I threw in a couple of jeepneys for fun. Jeepneys are strange open air buses that cost little to ride and people smat inside them and on top and hang from the back. Note the beautiful flowers along the road behind the jeepney.

A picture of the ward building here in the mission home compound is included here.

Marso 12, 2014
Myercoles

At Manilla Airport waiting for our last leg. I think we took our first hosing at luggage check-in.

We attired in Mawnilla at 10:30 pm last evening after losing one day. It was weird to check the sun at midnight our Idaho time and see it was so bright and cloudy over the ocean. Daylight wise, we spent one day, one long stinking day, flying. I did fine and it was easier than I worried about. I thought about the saying again: "Our worst fears and our fondest dreams are seldom realized." So, it did no good to worry for so many weeks

Waiting to fly out to Iloilo in a few minutes. Much more later today. It has. Been a fun adventure.

 Halong
12:45 pm Philippines
We landed at Iloilo Airport about 9:30 this morning. We slept a few hours at the Manila airport Hotel last night. Pretty funny. There was no hot water. I did not mind, but Sister Sessions was not well pleased. She said,"Brian warned us about this.

We got to the airport and all went pretty well except they nailed us about $350 for extra bags/ weight that SLC said was fine. Then I sent my carry on bag through the x-Ray, which has been done at least three times previously in all stops and they detected three 30-06 rounds in my bag. What was weird is we could note they disappeared into the bag lining.  locate an opening whereby the rounds had been stored and gone un-noticed. We finally cut into the bag and removed them. I think I put them in there at Christmas to give Chance for the M-1, and forgot them. Who knows.

We had a quick flight to Iloilo and were met by President and Sister Aquino. We went to the mission home, a jewel in the middle of a very low socio economic area. I was expecting Iloilo to be more modern. There may be places that are more like home, but we have not seen them. Yet, we are loving it for some reason.

I have been unable to download pictures of the AP's and office missionaries meeting/greeting us, but will try to get more from one of Elders more later.

7 Marso 2014
Biyernes
845 pm

We got home a few minutes ago. We taught this morning and acted as investigators for another couple. We were to roll play a less active couple. It was pretty good, but it was tough to act when we don't know the back story to a less active person. We found that the only way to teach people was to clear up their questions, problems, confusions regarding doctrine, then we can teach. Knowing only the problem that seemed on the surface, didn't give information enough to teach with the Spirit. Our other roll plays this week were with people acting, but presenting their own stories and problems from their history. It is like real.
Yesterday, George and I were looking at the scriptures. He had tears in his eyes. So did I. It seemed real.

We later sat with George at lunch and his story/problems/needs, were true. Although he was acting, the lesson was strong because of the Spirit attending. Valuable experience. Scares the heck out of one, but it is a good way to learn.

We had a good week. It passed rather quickly. We met some fine people. Our district was naturally the best. We really believe that. The four couples in the district were serious and dug into the scriptures and really sought the Spirit. We were lucky to be in such a group. Our instructors were excellent young return missionaries. We liked the brother in charge of the senior missionary training, but saw little of him.

We will get some rest tonight and then start tomorrow to get down to serious packing. We have to pick up our glasses and clean out the fridge and just do all sorts of things to get ready to head to the other side of the Earth.

This brings to mind one of the wonderful things about the MTC. The missionaries visit with one another in their new languages. They travel to strange new places. I met an Elder this morning, in the bathroom, who is heading to Amsterdam next week. Another (not in the bathroom) from Samoa, going to Japan. A senior couple left yesterday for Nepal. Three of hundreds of world travelers at the MTC "today". . . The Lord's church is truly a world-wide phenomenon. So, the food stank, but the Spirit of the place is spectacular.

Marso 5, 2014
Mie'rcoles

Good day at the MTC. We were scheduled to teach today, a 45 minute lesson. Everyone was tight, even though we were roll playing. The MTC brings in people to act as investigators and one cannot tell if they are for real or not. Ours ought to get the academy award for his performance today.

Even though it is only roll playing, the Spirit is very strong. I remember the same thing from last time we were here. Even when we practice in our little room, two on two, the Spirit is strong.

Last night I had the impression to get on the ipad and search out scriptuers regarding our relationship to Father in Heaven. I was so tired that I just went to bed. About 5:15 this morning, I got the same prompting. I got up, said my prayers, and went to work on finding scriptures. I marked several that I remembered and some that seemed new (I have read them many times, but. . . ). I marked them and wondered if they would be of use and if it was really the Spirit prompting me.

Sister Sessions and I went to our appointed person, an older gentleman who had lost his wife and three of 6 children. We questioned him and got to know him and we both knew we needed to teach the Plan of Salvation. He indicated in the questioning that his children and his wife were members of the church. I asked, "Do you have any questions about the church?" He told me that he thought it strange that our church believed in so many Gods, Jehova, God the Father, Jesus, Yaweh . . . He also shared that he didn't know about the idea of the pre-mortal world and the resurrection. I then knew why the Spirit took me to the scriptures this morning.

We shared that the very first article of faith and told him we only believe in Father, His son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. We then went to the scriptures teaching about our premortal childhood with a Loving Heavenly Father. It was powerful. I am finding it true, the Spirit loves the scriptures and He loves teaching about the Father and the Son.

We then taught a quick lesson on Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness and the Saviours central role. We committed him to pray to know that God is his father, and we bore testimony to him. I can't tell the whole 45 minutes, but it was dang cool. Sister Sessions still teaches with warmth and conviction that people seem to enjoy. What a fun experience with the Spirit. The Spirit has been strong with us ever since our setting apart. I am afraid to lose Him.

A few pictures. Sister S. has a black eye from moving furniture last week, so she wouldn't get in the picture near the big map. I don't know why. It is far enough away. . . I did snag one of here coming up the hall toward the chow hall. Pretty good food today for a change.         Halong                                                                

 

Marso 4,2014
Martes

We just got in from the Tuesday night devotional. Elder Aidukaitis (first quorum of seventy) and his wife spoke to the missionaries. They were great. We were pretty tired, but they still held our attention. The auditorium was only about 3/4 full. Last time we attended it was overflowing. A bunch of missionaries left today and 500 come in tomorrow, so it will be full again next Tuesday. The volunteer missionary choir was excellent and pretty much impromptu.

We studied teaching and roll played all day today. Tomorrow we meet a volunteer who we are to teach on our own. I'm not too nervous, but it will be good to get over.

I am very excited about scripture study again. I wish I knew more and could retain better. It is such a revelatory experience every day. Sister Aidukaitis said is was like someone adds verses and chapters at night, magically, so you read new things all the time. She and Elder A. are from Brazil. Neat people.

No pictures today. We had no time to stop and photograpy. It was raining and we had a quick lunch and dinner and got to classes and the devotional. Maybe tomorrow. We are well and happy.

Marso 3, 2014
Lunes

We made it to the MTC, a little late. We left Ryan, Cami, and the girls in SLC and drove to Provo. We stopped at a MacDonalds for a bite, and started driving to where we thought the MTC might be. We could not see the Y on the mountain, nor could we see the temple. Everything is grown-up around the temple, so it is no longer a landmark.

We finally found the MTC and got signed in at the main building. We picked up our packet, badged up, and went to the book store for more gear. We had our inoculations checked and picked up our visas in the travel office. We were then sent to the chapel next to the MTC and found that the senior missionaries will receive their training and lunches at that building. It is pretty nice and quiet and out of the way of the mobs of missionaries. Five Hundred more are coming in Wednesday.

We introduced ourselves, listened to talks by the MTC President's wife and himself. We then got the run down on all the rules, customs, times, assignments, itineraries for the week.

For some reason, I was made a district leader again. They must think I am a sucker. Anyway, I got all the information for the senior couples in my district and went over a Q&A sheet with them and told them what to do to be prepared for tomorrow.

We had dinner in the huge cafeteria, which has not changed one bit. The food was warm. We ate with a senior couple from San Antonio, who will serve in San Antonio. They are ex-teachers and we had a nice chat.

Our accommodations are much nicer than before, but are off campus. We don't mind as we have our car.
We were so busy that we took no pictures. Tomorrow I hope to add a few just for fun. 


It was a great day. Here is a wonderful mission scripture D&C 31. Verse 3: "Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation." The rest of the section is also inspiring, especially verses 5-8. Brother Peterson, our senior missionary coordinator promised us that the Lord has prepared people for us to meet and invite. The people have no idea we are coming, but the Lord knows. Tell/teach the grand kids . . . verses 5-6. The promise is worth everything to Sister Sessions and to me.

Halong'

Marso 2, 2014
Domingo

Our setting apart yesterday was worth the wait. We had a wonderful conversation with President Christensen and he set me apart first. He added a tremendous blessing of health, ability, and assured the love of the Savior and he promised a closeness to the people of our mission. I wish I could remember the exact words, but I can testify that I felt the Spirit, and still do. The mantle of missionary is back. It is not a wonder that I felt so lost after our release from the Alabama Birmingham Mission.

I got to then stand in to set Sandy (Sister Sessions) apart. Her blessing was equally strong, with particular focus that the Lord loves her and is proud of her (I teared up), that she would be an excellent teacher and that she would be instrumental in helping young missionaries far from home and homesick. We were both promised blessings regarding scripture study and the Spirit bringing to memory what we need to do and say. She was promised that her family would be watched over by the Lord. (Put us both at ease.)

Our trip to SLC was uneventful. We bask in the good feelings of our family, our blessings, and the Spirit. I do love it so.

8:46 pm . . . We went to the tabernacle and watched "Music and the Spoken Word" this morning. It has been a great many years since I went before. It was great. We went through the Visitor Center where the old museums used to be and the Conference Center. We looked at the art again.

Ryan and Cami and the girls got to Salt Lake about 3:30/ We visited them and went to dinner and then watched them swim for a time. We will see them in the morning just before we head to Provo. It has been a beautiful day in Salt Lake and we enjoyed the temple grounds and missionaries.