As we near the end of our Philippines experience, we want to share a few more visual images of the people we have grown to love.
We worked extremely hard to help Jenny Rose succeed in her schooling. This is her family, with two brothers and a sister. She is on the left.
After working and working to help her get her loan application in place for her final semester of a two-year course, we concluded she was not going to take the necessary steps to complete her loan application. We visited the school and discovered she had not paid her 20% of tuition and supplies for several semesters. The accumulated balance due will prevent her from graduating. And, she did not take the steps necessary to qualify for the 80% loan in her last semester. Jenny has taken the courses, turned in her assignments, taken the tests, and now she is finished - but will not be allowed to graduate because she has not paid the school. Sad. Very sad. Her parents were so hopeful.
Joerex, Michael, and Oscar are three outstanding young men are all recently returned missionaries, living in a remote town on the eastern seashore.
It takes us 6 hours round trip to visit them in Baler, over mountain roads that are mostly paved. It is the remaining unpaved portions that make the trip so interesting. Two want to be teachers, the third wants to graduate in police work. If they follow through and study hard, they will be a blessing to this District of 4 small branches. A teacher will make 8,000-10,000 pesos per month, starting out. That is $200 to $250 equivalent. For perspective, we squeak by on 80,000 pesos per month, or about $2,000.
Elder and Sister D, with Rosita.
We visited her home. Or better said, her hut. No cinderblock. Mostly outdoor cooking. Dirt floors and hard-packed dirt yard. It always astounds us how they manage to dress so beautifully, with clean and pressed clothes, since we know the washing facilities they use. No washer, no wringer, just buckets, plastic wash basins and wooden scrub boards. Just above the HUILLIER sign is the black Church plaque, signifying the meeting place of the local branch. The donut shop is a real temptation on fast Sundays!
One lucky family lives across the street from this drain pipe. It simplifies kitchen clean up.
Quenie, another participant, lives in this jungle paradise. She is about to graduate and qualify to become a school teacher.
We encouraged her to become active at church again. She came out the next Sunday. It meant a long walk to the main road and then a Jeepnie ride for a few miles, and then another walk to the chapel. Much to our dismay, the bishop made a comment to her that offended her and she has retreated again.
This was a celebratory dinner for a local missionary couple who we love and who were completing their one-year calling. (He is the one who lost his thumb in a fight with his brother. The older brother swung a bolo knife at him and completely removed his thumb!) This dinner was served as you see it. No utensils, no plates....just banana leaves.
The food was delicious and the novelty of the meal encourages us to serve a similar meal when we get home.
Wonderful Elder & Sister P, with their nephew, post meal.
Our former barber. Elder Howell asked him to cut his hair short, but it lost something in the translation...By the time he could open his mouth, Lane had a white sidewall on one side. 
So, now he wears a hat whenever he can.
For a recent P-day, we decided to drive over the mountains to the "Survivor" beach near the tiny town of Caramoan. No one told us in advance that the road was impassable, except possibly to 4-wheel drives vehicles or just motorcycles. This was the scariest drive of our lives. At one point we needed a group of native mountain Filipinos to push us out of a deep mud hole. The car did not fare well. It took us 5 hours to travel 54 miles, but somehow we made it.
Accompanying me in this picture is a kind motorcyclist who shadowed us, stopping at the most difficult passages, crossing himself, and using a shovel to even out the worst spots. Then he would scratch his head, waive his arms and point where he thought it might be possible to get through.
The result? A fun day of "Island Hopping" near Caramoan. Remote, sandy beaches, right out of a picture book.
What we didn't know until we got to the town of Caramoan was that a ferry could have taken us there. So we gratefully boarded the ferry back, on laundry day. Most tourists we met were from Manila who had traveled by plane, then boarded a bus and next a ferry ride. Even the locals were amazed that we made the trip 100% by land.
Extremely low clearance for buses and trucks...
Now as our time rapidly wears away, Carolyn has created a diagram for our final trip into the Angeles and Olongapo Missions to provide one last training to the stake specialists. The words "Olongapo Mission" are placed where a mountain range exists. The travel distance from the upper left to the upper right would be about 8-10 hours.
Carolyn is a master scheduler. With texts, emails, and phone calls, she lines up critical meetings all along the way, trying not to miss a single Stake or District. The last work day of our mission will be in San Jose, at the upper center-right.
With area permission, we will spend 10 days exploring the Philippines, prior to our flight home. First stop? The ancient Banaue Rice Terraces--a world Heritage cultural site. Then off to Manila and Cebu to visit both temples, and then a stop at the Subterranean Caves of Palawan. These caves can only be seen via canoe, traveling through the underground stalactites and stalagmites. Finally, a 3-day stop at El Nido for more Island Hopping and a little R and R. Then....the most important stop of all -- the Manila airport for the 19-hour trip back home to see you all. We expect significant mixed emotions as we leave this beautiful land and its gentle, warm and friendly people. Sharing faith and testimony ties us instantly and permanently to our brothers and sisters here. Our perfect pattern is Jesus Christ, of whom we testify. True and lasting happiness can only be found by following Him. This experience has taught us much about enduring our challenges well. And what an experience we have had!
With much, much love to all of you who have "Survived" our 19 Epistles and have shared this adventure with us. Can you survive one more?
Mom and Dad,
Elder Lane and Sister Carolyn,
Grandma and Grandpa Howell,
Friend
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