Merry Christmas Everyone!
This will be our first and last Christmas in the Philippines! Even though the stores started selling Christmas Decorations and the Malls played Christmas music in September, houses were not really decorated until December. We have a couple of pop bottle decorations outside, a small artificial Christmas Tree and a hand carved wooden nativity.
Elder Dansie has been invited to be Santa at the Kalikid branch Christmas Party on the 21st. He asked if he was cast because he is the fattest in the branch. The answer was, "Santa is white." We've been here long enough that we forget we are in the minority. We get around, shop and maneuver like a local now. So now we are on a quest to find or improvise a Santa outfit in 2 days. We'll start at the huge public market and go from there tomorrow.
Christmas is a Time for Tipping
Tipping is not expected in the Philippines. Most restaurants add a service charge to cover the tip. But for public services, that's different.
Garbage Truck #3 came by ringing everyone's doorbell and handed out envelopes that say "Merry Christmas Garbage Collection Team #3." So either give some money or your garbage may not get collected. Garbage collection is every other day. So Sunday morning the door bell rang again and I said, We gave money 2 days ago to truck #3. He pointed to the #14 on this truck. So tip again. Tuesday will be truck #? and we'll tip again I guess.
Then the doorbell rang again and a bunch of guys were canvasing the street. This time the Barangay Police (community police.) I didn't know we had police but a generous tips should ensure that they watch our house.
Tonight when we drove into our parking and 2 young boys rushed up to sing a Christmas Carol. So "We wish you a Merry Christmas| cost us 10 pecos and they were off to another car pulling in.
Baler
During the week we made another trip to beautiful Baler on the ocean. This time we made time for a full day of exploring the Dicasalarin Cove further. What was different this time was that the tide was out and uncovered hundreds of feet of rock shelf. The rain stopped for the entire time we explored and began again that night. There was a group of Porsche owners staying at the hotel. Each day they would journey off for a day trip and back. It was very unusual to see history Porsche in this part of the country.
7 Wonders Engineering Feat
We love this bridge as an example of planning ahead. Notice that the old bridge is caving in. Hope they figure out how to connect the road to the new bridge soon.
Finding A New Apartment Fast!
The Elders in a Cabanatuan ward have been living in a less than desirable location and searching for a better house. During transfer on Dec 8, President Clark decided to switch the area to be served from Elders to Sister Missionaries. The house was unsafe for two sisters living alone so we needs a new apartment fast. That night we looked at one and Thursday morning during transfer time we checked out more. None of them were right. The Sisters were already on the bus from Tarlac and no place to stay. So we prayed and asked the Lord to give us a hand.
We had been trying to text a good brother in the ward to get suggestions but he didn't answer the text. 10 minutes later he showed up at the Stake Center and said that he was out of load and wasn't getting text.
As we chatted he said that there was one new apartment built as the caretakers apartment attached to a nice new house. But he had talked with the Landlord two weeks before and the Landlord wouldn't rent to Mormons. I asked him if he would take us (Zone leader and Elder Dansie) after transfer lunch anyway.
So about 2:00 pm we drove over to a perfect, quaint, private street lined with very nice large houses. It’s only wide enough for a car and trike. 2 cars won’t fit. We parked and Elder C and Jay went down the street to get the Landlord about 200 feet.
Landlord came out, they chatted while I walked up and introduced myself.
He said, I’ve met you (someplace I couldn’t Understand)
We shook hands as he said, Do you want to rent my house?
Across the street from his home, he built a beautiful 2 story house for rent. It has a “servants” apartment attached.
I said I couldn’t afford his house but we need an apartment for 2 sister missionaries.
He said, let’s me show you the new apartment.
Then we went to the apartment next door. Newly constructed, paint buckets still on the floor.
We discussed needing screens and some paint touch up. He agreed to all.
There is a nice small couch sitting in the living area. I asked if it could stay. He said “sure.”
Then we talked contract and he insisted on using his own lease papers.
We chatted for a few minutes and he was suddenly OK with the normal Church provided lease and payment terms.
So 4 hours after we ducked in to the classroom in prayer, we have a new, beautiful apartment for sisters in the nicest street in the ward. Directly behind the chapel. We moved furniture from the old house on Saturday and the Sisters moved in Monday. They bunked with some other sisters for a few days.
The Lord watches over Missionaries and softens hearts when needed.
