This week

I am not sure how long we will have internet. We may move into our bungalow on Saturday. We will see if it is ready. Our mission president was an accountant and his wife a nurse. They are very nice. So we are staying in the mission home until the bungalow is ready. Unfortunately we will have a car. Everywhere is too far. Our assignment seems like it will be very exciting! Elder Boiser is our boss. He is a paid employee and he is awesome!

As you might guess everyone wants to know our ages because we have a son on a mission and a daughter going:) Surprise to them! We are so excited for Charity's assignment to Sacramento and it seems the timing is perfect, too. I can't wait to hear of her adventures for the next month.

Monday we spent the day doing immigration papers and getting drivers' licenses. Our driver who drove us everywhere....well, we were so grateful. Manila is a crazy traffic city. Ignore the lane lines. There might be 4 painted lines but 5 cars squeezing through. There might be 2 inches all around of space, motorbikes cutting you off... The only rules are: patience, stay close, and don't hit or get hit! 

Tuesday our driver took us to the Manila temple. We went through a session and were blessed to be the witness couple. There were only, well, less than 27 total patrons and 2 workers, same film. It was so small. I dressed in a small dressing room and then took my clothes to a 7x7 locker. It was very nice.

After the session we went across the street to see brother Franco, another PEF employee of the church. He is a stake presidency member and another great man. He went through some of the characteristics of the people. It was very helpful.  He had the office lady take us to the cafeteria and then he took us upstairs to Elder Bowans office for a short visit. He was very nice and told us of some of the projects he had worked with Raymond on in the Priesthood department. He obviously thought a lot of Raymond. That was very fun.

When we went back to the hotel, the sister missionaries were there and we had dinner with them. I had Hawaiian Izard and Dad and I shared a 3 scoop ice cream dish. It was really good.

Wednesday 6am found us with scrambled eggs and garlic rice for breakfast and then off to the airport. We had too many kilos of luggage so the cheapest way to go was to upgrade to business class and then the luggage was free. It was great! Lots of seating and leg room, lounge privileges while we were waiting with food and wifi. A couple talked to us who were there to pick up their son from his mission.  They were so excited! Then on the plane (1 hour flight) they served us warm ham n cheese and tropical punch.  Upgrading on an airplane is crazy!

President Aquino and his wife and other assistants picked us and 28 other elder/sister missionaries up and took us to the mission office for orientation, lunch, and testimonies, and pictures. Later that night they took us to look at the progress on our bungalow. We will take pictures when we move in.We had breakfast by ourselves at the mission home table. Then 2 elders from the office took us driving. Ray drove to help us get comfortable. We went to our self-reliance center where we will work, then to our bungalow. It looks much nicer now...windows and screens, refrigerator and stove with oven. It all looks like when we first began our marriage except it is not in the basement. Dad practiced getting in the driveway gate. It was too narrow so they will change the gate soon. We are using Sister Aquinos washer and dryer to do our clothes. Maybe tomorrow we will move into our bungalow.

Thursday, of course we were waiting for Charity's call and went right over and announced it to the missionaries. They all were aaah! America is exciting to them.

We had breakfast while we were there: rice, over-easy fried egg, 2 short fat sausages, short sweet banana, and 3" sweet pancake. It was very good.  We returned to the mission home for scripture study. Then the Taylors and the Sessions trained us. At 11 brother Boiser from SRC came to train us and all listened. We had lunch at the mission home and then the Sessions drove us around to SM mall where Ray purchased a SIM card for the phone and we went to the grocery store to look. They stopped at a pie shop to treat us on the way back to the mission home. We had fish like frozen breaded that we would have at home and some cream soup that was tasty.

Friday am we exercised 10 minutes, then shower, now breakfast is ready.

To be continued . . . see "Iloilo" post from Sep. 28.