Epistle #18 of 20

Dear family and friends,

The Philippine people live lives which are rich in beauty, color and spirit…if not in worldly wealth.  Our experience here has affected our lives and deepened our testimonies.   We share a few photos depicting these beautiful people and their colorful surroundings.

Last Sunday we caught a glimpse of how Filipino members "share the ride" going home from church.  These 18…and 4 more…climbed in, on and around one tricycle, operated by a generous member.  Note the colorful clothing, the modesty and…daisy duck.  

The pink tricycle is aptly named "Singing Zion".  You see 13 Filipinos, including the driver.  Believe me, there are 9 more, with 7 inside!

Colorful surroundings begin here...

The local mall.  You can't miss it.  Color, color, color.  Buy some sunglasses!

If you have a river, you have a resort, with pink, green, yellow and deep blue houses.  Some have thatched roofs, some are tin.  But all reflect the vibrancy of life in the Philippines.  (The river next runs under the highway, from which we took this picture).  On the other side of the highway, many families are using the river for laundry day.

 

Why NOT a hot pink house?

But if one color is insufficient, feel free to use the whole palate.  

 

Frequently, the church rents a former home to use it as a chapel.  Here in Catanauan, even the church is more colorful.  Would this work in Utah?

 

Beautiful architecture, along with color, showcase this home.  

But some do not have enough pesos for paint, so their home is "au natural".  But note the beauty of the natural landscape, with fruit (bananas) on the trees.

 

The REAL color here is in the lives of the beautiful people.  Here is President S, a district president.  He is a giant of a man, even though he had to pull out the step stool behind the podium when he spoke in District Conference.  With the fresh flowers that decorated the podium for this special occasion, he then stood on his tiptoes to reach the microphone and see the congregation.

 

When we first arrived, Vic (seated) helped us bring our home up to workable order.  He works for the Church.  His wife works in Italy as a domestic worker and returns every 2 or 3 years to be with her family for a few weeks.  Along with two Filipino Sister Missionaries, pictured are two sons, a brother and a friend.  The home is as colorful inside as out.

For the second year, our great friend President B (left), invited us to Taytay Falls to celebrate our common March birthday week.  He also invited a loan recipient (right), Pagotaisidro who we are assisting.  We call him Brother P, for obvious reasons.

 

Riza, one of our Specialists, is rich in sons.  The one (lower right) is hand-signaling "gwapo", or "handsome"…which he certainly is. 

A specialist training in Olongapo.

 

Loan recipient, beautiful Celeste, with her two boys Ian Samuel and Daniel Omni.  Her husband works abroad but they Skype everyday for family prayer and scripture reading.  They have a goal to stay with this employment arrangement for 5 more years.  Whew!  Such a challenge.

 

In our most distant location of the Olongapo Mission, we found Sister G.  She teaches kindergarten, earning the equivalent of about $75 per month, now and then.  A month after this picture, she gave birth (cesarian) to a baby boy.  Hospitals require a large payment prior to releasing any patient, so it was a challenge to pay in advance.  She faithfully serves in the church and after several years has begun again to remember her promise.  She remembers that President Hinckley gave this direction, that we believe is inspired:

If members "even living in poverty and misery…will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those may be meager…they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads.  I do not see any other solution."  Pres Hinckley, Cebu Philippines 1996

As difficult as her personal circumstances are she greets us with a smile and thanks us for our encouragement.

 

A random gathering of boys from the street, as we arrived at the church.  They held out their hands for money, but today they had to settle for small cookies.  (Note how many are "gwapo".)

 

After several years, Brother C, was located in a far-away village.  Sister C was with their young baby who had been hospitalized.  

The Branch President helped us find our way.  It was heartwarming to listen as this BP looked him in the eye and said simply, "we need you".  In the coming days Bro C took turns at his baby's hospital bedside.  He spent his time reading the Book of Mormon and sent us texts with news of his son's improvements, release and eventual baby blessing.  A few weeks after this visit, the BP scheduled a first-time sacrament meeting in this village.  With Brother C's help, over 30 attended.  The next week over 45 attended.  Frequently, members who cannot afford to come to church just need the church to come to them.

Elder and Sister D, called as local Church Service Missionaries, bring their daughter to our training as an interpreter, and computer advisor.  

 

After assisting in the 'rescue' of a YSA we stopped by an elementary school that is being helped by Elder and Sister W.  In just seconds these kids gathered, in their crisp uniforms, eager for a picture.  

 

Specialist training with some favorite members.

The Manila staff came to visit us. 

Sister O, a loan recipient from years ago, wishes to repay her loan.  However, she stays at home with her cute children and need not enter the workforce anytime soon.  Her husband is committed to repay the loan on her behalf but currently he is without work.  We offered a payment reduction or deferral, and promised blessings when they are able to keep their commitment. 

 

Elder V, 22, could not serve a mission due to a heart condition.  He got special permission to be called as a local Church Service Missionary, to assist us in his home stake.  He also serves as the Stake Clerk, Seminary and Institute Supervisor, and Branch 2nd Counselor.  He timidly asked us if he could please pursue eternal matters while serving as a missionary.  Eternal Matters?  (He wanted to date.)  We said, absolutely!  But just don't wear your missionary badge on dates.

 

Our Mission has a larger-than-normal Senior Missionary contingent, thanks to aggressive recruiting by President and Sister P (center-right).  We are immediately in awe of any missionary coming to serve here.  Our first hand knowledge reflects their sacrifice to be far from family, familiar foods and accustomed comforts.  (It should be noted that this photo is taken at the magnificent mission home.)  We love them all.

Our lives are richer, and much more colorful for having been here, and for having met wonderful, faithful members who find great joy and blessings in following Christ and his prophet.  Filipinos travel long distances by tricycle, jeepney or bus to get to church meetings.  They sing enthusiastically in a foreign tongue (hymnals are in English).  They serve in multiple callings.  And after only 50 years of church organization they are now being introduced to home and visiting teaching.  

Do you know you were prayed for today?  Sister C, a district specialist, gave thanks for the Howells and called down a blessing on our family.   WE also give thanks for your support and remember you always in our prayers.

Much love,

Dad and Mom

G'pa and G'ma Howell

Elder Lane and Sister Carolyn

Lane turns 65

Magangdang Hapon,

How are you this fine day in March? 

There obviously is a sharp contrast between young missionaries and us.  It is not because of location but rather due to our unique call as senior 'rescue' missionaries.  We serve primarily with members.  And in the coming months we are focusing most efforts on just 42 leaders who need to be fully trained and capable to continue the rescue.

This letter will detail what happened last Tuesday.

Lane celebrated his 65th birthday and is now officially a "senior".  We are very grateful that we have already served 2 senior missions.  Most people his age are thinking of retiring.  Now, here we are considering going back to work next year.   

On his birthday we arose at 5:45 and rushed out the door, eating cold cereal in the car.  I handled a large glass of milk and kept sprinkling in dry cheerios to spoon feed Elder Howell as we veered in and around traffic.  We drove 1 and 1/2 hours to arrive at the pier in Batangas City.  It is not The dock, or The port.  It is The pier.  We stored our car there and negotiated the 2GO 'super-cat' boat tickets and terminal fees (about $9 U.S. one way).  


By 8:30 a.m. we were underway to the island of Mindoro (slightly larger than the Big Island of Hawaii).  The super-cat is the fast boat which we prefer to the slower ferry.  It is a quick 1 hour ride with free snack service and this ride included 50 minutes of "Ironman II".  

Computer work and snacks on the super-cat boat ride.



Lane on the i-pad, with movie IronMan II (no audio).

View from my window seat.

Then they kick you off and start an entirely different 50% feature film on the return ride.  This was our 4th or 5th trip.  We can't remember.  Once, during large ocean swells they chose to play a DVD of open heart surgery.  STRANGE.  But we love it.

View as I ride behind the tricycle driver.  Lane is tucked away inside the side car.

Upon arrival at the Mindoro district center we met with the PEF Specialist until noon, then hired a tricycle to take us back to the pier.  

Leaving the Island of Mindoro, Calapan City.


Terminal building.  Very lavender.



We usually spend the night on Mindoro but this day we couldn't linger because we had another long drive the following day in another direction.  When we were back in our car we drove to Lipa City and located a little known bowling alley that the mission president recommended.  We meandered upstairs through a dilapidated mall and discovered the darkened location with 20 lanes.  They whipped on half the lights and a few fans.  We had fun bowling 3 games.  It was just the two of us, and the attendant, who kept running to check the pin-resetting machine or jostle the ball return.  It was a real kick.

We drove home before dark and I served up Lane's favorite, chicken divan, then chocolate/chocolate chip cake with fluffy white frosting.  It was a long full day.  7 hours of travel and 2 hours of training plus some recreation.  

Now, don't you feel like you've spent a day in the Philippines with us?  

I try looking at my companion every morning and saying, "It's a great day to be on a mission in the Philippines!"  God loves us.  I trust him.  He can trust me too.

Epistle #17 of 20

Hello dear friends and wonderful family members,

 As Carolyn and I near the end of our mission, I feel compelled to share with you some insights into the amazing companion I have – not only here in the Philippines, but for all eternity.  You have not had the privilege to see her in action here, and she won’t tell you these things herself, so, I will do so.  I hope this gives you some new perspective on your friend, mother, sister, daughter, or grandmother. 

Oh that every missionary were so fortunate as to have a companion like

CAROLYN CREEK HOWELL

TOP 10 REASONS SISTER CAROLYN HOWELL IS SUCH A POWERFUL MISSIONARY:

10.  She works TIRELESSLY.  Day after day.  Night after night.  When she has a project to do, the clock stops.  I often open soggy eyes to see her still working until 1, 2 or 3am!

 9.  We travel a lot on Sundays.  To minimize the times we have to stop and purchase a meal on the sabbath, she will pack peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, fruit and a treat to help us survive until we get back home. 

 

8.  Her prayers are thoughtful, heartfelt and extend outward to so many.  One night, after a very long prayer, I had to remind her that she forgot to bless the lost 10 tribes that they will return safely!

 

7.  Within a day or two of arriving in our new home in San Pablo, while we were still patching, painting and repairing, Carolyn prepared a homemade treat to take to our new neighbors.  She told them unabashedly that we wanted to become the best neighbors they had ever had.  Ever since, Carolyn’s caring, sharing, and constant kindnesses have continued unabated.  Our dear Filipino friends are already tearing and fearing for the day of our departure. 

6.  With the help of the Spirit, Carolyn perceives what needs to be done and who needs to be helped to effectively carry out our work.  She knows every Stake and District President (42 units), every Specialist, every Stake Missionary and the majority of over 500 participants in our 4 Missions.  She has a large number of their pictures in her phone, and can remember a surprising number of them by name. 

5.  In between work hours, she delights in cooking for us.  It is uncanny how she can prepare culinary treasures from the odds and ends in our cupboards and fridge.  At least weekly she comes up with a never-before-tried recipe.  Most could compete with the finest dishes in New York City!

4.  She is an electronic NERD.  With little outside help she has learned and even mastered parts of Word, Excel, Pages, Keynote, Numbers, Facebook, Texting, Emailing, The World-Wide-Web, I-Photo, I-Tunes, Sony Projection, PowerPoint and MORE!  Somehow, she always finds a way to incorporate her expanding talents into her missionary work. For example, she has faithfully put out the country-wide Philippines Newsletter with such creativity and panache that SLC HQ shared what she has done with their offices world-wide.  And when we have a presentation to 14 or as many as 400 youth or priesthood leaders, she is feverishly modifying our PowerPoint slideshow with pictures, graphs, quotations, and cartoons to exactly fit the occasion, even well past the opening prayer!  And she pulls it off, time after time!

3.  As most of you already know, Carolyn never forgets to send every family member a special birthday greeting – from home or abroad.  Distance doesn’t stop her.  But truthfully, she has come to appreciate that when the day is over in the Philippines and she has been too busy to send birthday wishes, SHE STILL HAS 14-16 HOURS UNTIL THE DATE HAS EXPIRED IN THE USA!!  I’ve never seen anything like it!

2.  Carolyn strengthens me.  She is fun-spirited and willing to take on most any challenge.  Whether we have difficult news from home, or “mountains to climb” here in the Philippines, there is nearly always a cheerful smile, a laugh, or a gritty determination to keep going.   We could not keep going without her faith, hope and especially her charity.  If she were a Catholic I would nominate her for sainthood.

1.  Carolyn loves her Father in Heaven, His Church and the Philippine people.  When we first arrived, she would panic at the prospect of presentations to priesthood leaders or youth conferences.  Now she responds, often without prior notice, bearing a fervent testimony and talking for 5 minutes or an hour, without batting an eye.  She speaks a bit of Tagalog (enough to endear her to her audience), tells fun and interesting stories and quotes from the scriptures and GC talks.  The people here, young and old, love her, as do I.

Dad, Lane, Elder Howell

Epistle #16 of 20

Hello dear family and friends,

As most of you are gracefully suffering through a long, cold winter, we continue to operate the air conditioner, keep the windows open, and wake up to pleasant tropical sights, including banana trees, coconut palm fronds, and a plethora of flowers in our garden.  Enough of teasing...

Our mission activities are shifting...less focus on contacting individual participants who are struggling, and more on training specialists or local service missionaries who will carry on in our absence.  So, here is the pictorial:

Below: The San Pablo M specialist training, attended by our director, Franco, his assistant manager, Jib, and the new loan processing couple, Elder and Sister T.  (Note the beautiful chair and table set-up, provided by our lunch caterer.  All for about $4 per person, or 175 pesos.)

Post-seminar dessert at our home.  We ate Carolyn's now-famous Creamy Cherry and Blueberry Cheese-cake.  Delishhhhhh!

The same seminar, held in Naga M, Legazpi City.  This is one of the new missions just announced.  Legaspi M will be a split-off of Naga M.

Here we go again.  Same seminar, held in Angeles M.  But this is in the city of Tarlac, new headquarters city for the mission.

And finally, a smaller group in the Olongapo M.  Olongapo City, adjacent to the former US Subic Naval Base.

Yes, we travel a lot, and periodically run into an entrepreneur with his entire store in portable mode.  This is akin to an Internet shopping experience.  You can find it anywhere!!

However, there is strong competition plying the highways and byways of the Philippines. What is one difference between these 'peddlers'?  This one is powered by a peda-cycle. Somewhat like a slow Internet connection.  You can get there.  It just takes a long time. 

More competition, and a broader product line...  <:- br="">

Or, you can have a more compact line of goods, with an assistant manager to run the store!

For a really low-budget operation, try this approach.  No vehicle required. You just stand on the expressway, where traffic always backs up, and let the shoppers come to you!  

Each vendor has his own specialized product line, or color variations.  Note the marketing gimmick--a funny face with blow-out party whistlers.  Or whiskers?  Some of the things you can buy include umbrellas, fishing poles, dusters, cleaning rags, bicycle tubes, toys and more toys, musical instruments, roasted peanuts, pork-belly crisps, bottled water, or a variety of soda.  No need to pull off the express-way to shop!!

On a p-day in Angeles Mission, we joined with the Mission office couple, Elder & Sister T, for a trek up Mount Pinatubo (site of a previously pictured, world-class 1991 volcanic eruption.)  The journey begins with a rocking jeep ride up the river valley.  The hills you see are all volcanic ash from the one eruption.

The T's had visitors - their daughter's family from Provo.  The two young girls were energetic, gazelle-like hikers that covered twice the distance of the rest of the group as they bounded back and forth across the trail to explore every side crevasse.

More erosion of volcanic dust.

Other-worldly.  The material is mostly hardened, and fairly easy to walk on.  But occasionally the material is just soft, sandy grit.

Higher up the mountain the hills are covered with the tropical growth.

After the jeep ride, it was a 4 1/2 mile hike to the summit and "Crater Lake".  Not a really strenuous hike, but we were huffing and puffing.

The reward -- spectacular beauty.  Look across the lake and you see evidence of continuing sloughing of the side-walls into the lake.  This volcano is so young, geologically, that it changes rapidly, even week to week.

So, there you have it.  More life and times of senior couple missionaries.  There is a lot of work to do, but interspersed is the occasional laugh, novelty, tears, and wonderment of a different part of the world.  As much as we look forward to coming home, we will be sad to leave these beautiful, gentle people, and their tropical paradise.  

We are thankful for this experience.  It is rare.  We know that.  Our Book of Mormon reading reminds us of the incredible parental advice given by Alma.  We 'liken it' unto our kids…

"Give ear to our words…inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence…And now our sons and daughters, we trust that we shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God..; for blessed is he that endureth to the end…ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day."

Who doesn't love being delivered out of trouble and affliction?  God is mindful of us.  We are happiest in his service.  

Love,

Elder and Sister Howell

Momma Carolyn and Dad Lane

G'ma and G'pa