Greetings from the Philippines

We are now fully engaged in our mission work:  

• Preparation of the monthly newsletter by Carolyn
• Traveling hither and yon throughout the mission, almost daily, meeting with Young adults or priesthood leaders
• Personal or electronic contacting of PEF participants who need to be bolstered in keeping commitments
• Attending periodic San Pablo Mission conferences
• Cheering and encouraging members at various church meetings
• Assisting the young Elders and Sisters as they find and teach candidates for baptism
• Teaching Institute classes in various cities and towns, primarily the "Planning for Success" workshop
• Attending YSA activities, dances and devotionals, speaking on Education and PEF assistance
• Updating and maintaining computer files on PEF participants
• Reading, studying and dressing like full-time missionaries

We love what we are doing.  Carolyn works tirelessly preparing materials for bulletin boards and emailing follow-up messages to all we meet.  Lane is the main telephone contact with the PEF participants.  Together we buzz around the mission, speaking frequently and have a happy time trying to advance the work.

The cultural experience is all we had hoped for.  Here are some pictures of what we see and some descriptions of the fun and interesting differences we observe:

The countryside is gorgeous with tropical vegetation, frequent volcanic peaks, and beautiful Filipino people smiling at every turn.

 If you need to dry your personal rice harvest, where better to do it than on the highway where it is flat and "clean".  No one would DARE to drive over the family food supply!

Always check your power bill closely.  How hard could it be to get your wires crossed?  

And note the tricycle traffic in Siniloan.  We could only catch a few in this photo.  Many streets are curb to curb with them, almost creating a tricycle-gridlock.  Don't let this orderly-looking line-up fool you in photo #6.  They are just getting ready to "start your engines".

You could almost live entirely off the fruit from the tropical jungle.  Here is a fascinating one, the rambutan!  The prickles are soft and feathery.  You force it open with your thumbs to find a bright, white, peeled-grape-like fruit inside, and then you discover a large pit inside that.  When these fruits are ripe, roadside stands have piles of them to sell.  They grow on large trees and are connected 10 or 15 to a bunch.  Very pleasant eating!

This is the dairy section of the supermarket, but the milk is not refrigerated.  It has been pasteurized with high heat and radiation, making it safe to sit on the shelves like dry goods.  Frankly, it makes us nervous and has a sweet, off-taste, but you have to get used to it.  Once opened, it lasts a few days in the fridge.

It's laundry day in the country-side.  Just find a good river and start washing.  Periodically beat the clothes item you are washing with a paddle-board.  We think it must make the dirt come loose faster.  And then hang the clothes out to dry ANYWHERE.  Guard rails along the road are good.  So are tree branches.  And best of all are clothes lines attached to power poles and house roof-tops.  One thing we recommend...try to find an UPSTREAM spot.

We are loving our mission.  We have some long days, and some challenging times, but find that overall it is a marvelous experience.  We have taken ferry rides to two different islands, found motels that cost $22 per night, and even gone to Manila a couple of times to help a fellow senior couple when the husband was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery to save his life.  (And found a Cost-Co like store next to the hospital -- what a treat!)


Of course, we miss family and friends back home, but trust that the Lord will look after you while we are away.  We both want to express our love to you all, and thank you for your periodic responses to our obnoxious emails.  We especially appreciate hearing news of your family's day-to-day activities and special events.  Feel free to email anytime.  

Love,

Dad and Mom

Elder Lane and Sister Carolyn

For those of you who are not yet asleep, here are a few musings about random things that go on here as a regular matter of course....

Laundry Day

Noemi, a member, comes once a week and washes our clothes.  After hand scrubbing them in the sink, she hangs the clothes to dry on wires strung in various locations in the front and back yard.  While the clothes dry, she cleans around the house and later irons the clothes that have dried.   The process takes her about 7 hours, for which she is paid 500 pesos or about $12.50.  We generally give her a little extra to help pay for her tricycle ride to our house. 

On a recent laundry day, it started to rain hard shortly after the clothes were hung out to dry.  The rains soaked all the clothes on the wires that weren't protected by the house eves.  Naomi had to leave with the job half done.  That night, last thing, I checked the clothes.  Socks were dripping wet.  Some things were drying.  I pulled in the "under-eve" clothes and towels and repositioned the rest.  The next morning the rains began again, so we quickly repositioned the clothes again, bringing the driest things inside.  I suppose most of the world does laundry this way.  Things you learn!  (Many people hang their laundry on hangers on a portable clothes rack.  It sits outside until the rains stop, because they've learned that they will dry in place...eventually.)

Visits to Young Students and Driving – day and night

One late afternoon we traveled to the Lucena, Stake Center, about 90 minutes away, to interview 11 PEF recipients; beautiful kids -- already in college.  They gradute from high school at 16 years old.  With the kids being so small, and so young, it felt like we were talking to kids entering jr. high.  Then came the trip home in the dark.  The roads were mostly one-lane and unlit, with periodic construction zones where a small barricade blocks a lane, requiring you to drive into the oncoming lane.  With luck, the oncoming traffic moves over to the dirt and pot-holed shoulder, but sometimes not.  Be prepared to yield or play chicken!  (They play the same game coming at you when their lane is blocked).  Night driving is SPOOKY!  Some of the traffic is painfully slow, so passing is a must, especially when we have appointments.  Bright headlights are frequently in your eyes as oncoming traffic uses them trying to discern what the road is like ahead.  And if someone coming at you is passing a truck or tricycle, they generally have their brights on or are flashing their lights to warn you they are coming.  Eeeek!!!.  How does anyone see?  And on rainy nights, with wet roads, reflections compound the problem.

Pedestrians are another issue.  

They appear out of nowhere and are either darting across the road or walking along the road, several feet into traffic, seemingly oblivious to the racing cars and trucks. We think they must reason "I can see the oncoming vehicles so they must be able to see me." 

Did I mention that many drivers determine they can save gas by leaving their lights off?  This is especially common with tricycles, jeepnies, bicycles and motorcyclists. And it is one of the main reasons for using your brights, especially when you pull out to pass.  

Occasionally you have two lanes to work with going your way.  But NO ONE abides by the rule that you keep right except to pass.  So passing on the right is a great option…sometimes.  Watch out for vehicles that just stop and park.  The driver may be resting, or visiting someone or just shopping nearby.  Or a roadside vendor may have commandeered part of the right lane to sell his wares.  Or a pothole has been marked with a yellow-painted tire, standing in the road, guarding the dangerous condition.  Or the road can narrow without notice for a small bridge or just because. 

We prefer not to drive at night, but when we have evening appointments, far away, we have decided to forgo the hotel and head home.  So away we go.

Merry Christmas!!

We were warned.  But when September 1^st arrived and we heard the first Christmas music, we were stunned.  SEPTEMBER!!  We have been singing Christmas carols in church for over four weeks now.  Santa Clauses decorate the stores and lights are blinking around some of the more affluent homes and businesses.  Soon it will be Christmas year-round!  We approve.  Not a bad thing if the emphasis is on the true meaning of Christmas!  Carolyn adds...skip over halloween altogether! 

Welcome to the Philippines

MABUHAY!!!

As we travel throughout our mission we discover an interesting tradition.

Each city has a WELCOME ARCH...and also a bye-bye arch.

So have a peek at a few that we captured along the highway. The first one is simply the arch across our subdivision entrance.

Salamat Po.  Ingat,  Elder & Sister Howell (Mom & Dad)

The Philippine Post

Today is September 19th, 2011

Sharing time begins:

- Happy Birthday to Randi!

- We made a record-breaking fast trip to the Oquirrh Mtn temple and "home" again.  In the air 58 hours, on land 47 hours.

- It was a g'momma's dream to hold Raylie at the altar during the sealing.

- Callie and Rayson had a wonderful day!

- Elder D.T.C. took time to perform the sealing.

- My favorite calling in the past has been ward newsletter editor.  Most relieved upon release; ward newsletter editor.

- I've now consented to compiling a PEF Newsletter/Philippines Area

- Upon our return from Utah I dove into a 2 day project to complete the PEF newsletter.  Whew!  

- The newsletter blasts out by email to priesthood leaders, PEF participants and others today (1000+).

- In one presentation to institute teachers, Elder Howell actually asked "how old do you think Sis. Howell is?"  They answered, "57?, 56?"  (I AM BARELY 53!!!)

- I must remember that a young woman age 25 here can pass for 15.  I DO look pretty ancient to them.

- Mouse #2 caught on a sticky trap. 

- I love sticky traps!

- Our mission president is President P.  He invited us to accompany him and his wife to a district conference.

- Lane spoke at 3 sessions and did a marvelous job, as always!

- I spoke at 2 and gave support to Sister P. at the auxiliary training.  She said " please attend the breakout session with the Primary leaders and take these handouts with you."  

- I walked into the primary session, took a seat and the district primary president says "Sister Howell will now give us our training."

- I was dumbfounded, yet found the words to guide them in their efforts to lead and teach the children.

- While dining with S and I teachers we were served an interesting dessert called "mix-mix", ice cream topped with whole kernel corn.  (Or corn topped with ice cream.)  Not yummmm ; ( When I was caught separating my corn, I was told to stir it in for the best flavor.  Gag!

- Said out loud yesterday at church "I bet Sister Howell was pretty when she was younger."   ;o}

- We have been getting busier by the day.  We have now committed to teach 5 institute classes throughout the mission. (Eternal Marriage [honk if you believe that one], English Proficiency, and Planning for Success {required for PEF loans}.)

- Lane asked me "which mission has been harder for you?"  Well, in NYC we had only 1 mouse in 2 years.  In my Philippine home we've had 2 in less than 2 weeks. EEK!

- 91 weeks left.  You do the numbers.

- I am placing tape on the bottom of each door.

- AND buying 91 sticky traps! 

- Lane is in heaven on this mission. Friday we traveled by ferry to the island of Marinduque (mare-inn-dew-kay) to visit with church leaders and youth. If you can see the photo, our silver car is in the bottom left hand corner.

We love you!

Scatter smiles & sunshine ; D

Momma & Dad

Sister & Elder Howell

Daily Life

September, 2011

Daily life

Air conditioning day and night.  Except when there is a "brown-out", like yesterday at church.  (Lane almost fainted from the heat).  We wake up around 6 or 7 to daylight in our loft bedroom, looking out at the palm trees and greenery and listening to the roosters crowing, the rain on our tin roof, the yapping dogs next door, or the tricycles tooting to pick up someone nearby.  Study time, planning time, breakfast and working on our computers is next.  Then into the car and off to a far away place to find a priesthood leader.  In the evenings we reorganize our plans, watch some CNN international on our new TV, and check the Internet for family news.  We have learned that if we do not send, we do not receive.  But until a week ago, we did not have access to electronic communication.  Our I-phones now have a "jail-break" chip in them that allows them to function here.  The I-pad has 3G and we have a wireless Internet installed in the house.  But the ordeal to get this all done was another story you will probably never hear.  Suffice it to say we are connected. 

Carolyn loves to fix meals.  We have had a scrumptious chicken divan, spaghetti, shepherds pie, and lots of rice on various evenings.  A lot of American food is available for a premium in the stores.  The SM (Save More) Mall has a very nice grocery store but we have a hard time getting fresh milk and a few other things.  All fruits and vegetables get washed in chlorine water when we get home, whether they can be peeled or not.   (4 months into our mission we relax this quite a bit)

SM also houses a McDonalds, a KFC and a Pizza Hut (Carolyn's new favorite meal; a 'garlic-shrimp-mango-salad' and a mango shake).  All in all, we are not suffering, and certainly not sacrificing.  This whole experience is just like a party or a fun vacation.  We are so blessed.

Carolyn keeps saying we were prepared for this mission.  Living in Florida's climate, driving in Italy and driving on the "wrong" side of the road in England.  Driving here is like playing a friendly game of chicken.  You look for every opportunity to wedge your way into traffic, and if you get their first, you win.  Passing without regard to the double yellow lines.  Tooting your horn to let someone know you are coming around them, on the right or the left.  The streets are packed with "Jeepnies" (strange looking mini buses you climb in at the back or just hang onto the side), "Tricycles" (Motorbikes with covered sidecars), huge buses, trucks, pedal carts, motorcycles, armored vehicles and cars.  But especially tricycles.  And when you get directions, they often say, "Just follow the tricycles".  It works!  At first it is scary, and then it becomes more like a game.  But still, great care must be exercised.  I have driven too close to a tree branch and put a big scar from front to back on the passenger side.  My alternative was to side-swipe an oncoming truck on a road too narrow to be considered more than one lane.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 The Spiritual Side of Serving a Mission

• Prayer with your spouse in some of the remote places on earth.
• Attending a mission zone conference with 50 or 60 bright, shiny Elders and Sisters, most of which are miniature people -- running about 5 feet tall on average.  And then there is the occasional American elder.  We have one that is 6'8" and wow, does he stand out.  We have learned that Filipinos make up over 60% of the missionaries here.  They dress smartly and generally out-shine the Americanos in dress and grooming.  And according to the mission president, the Filipinos are frequently the most obedient and dedicated.  Go figure.  They come from poverty and have so little of life's amenities.
• Meeting with Elder T, the new pres of the area.  What a wonderful, warm, caring man.  And what an example to his people.  

 

• President P, our new Mission President who has been here for 6 weeks.  He tells the following story:  "I frequently ask a member to tell me of their conversion story.  This past week I interviewed a member who told me her husband just left her one day and never came back.  She was left with no income to take care of her 6 children.  After a short time her power was turned off.  And then the water.  And she was rapidly running out of her meager food supplies.  She was desperate and had no where to turn.  Her kids were crying a lot and showing signs of extreme hunger.  Feeling she could not bear to watch them starve to death, she determined she would take their lives, along with her own.  She obtained a bottle of poison, cooked a small bowl of their remaining rice and told the kids they were going on a picnic to the beach.  On the beach she prepared to slip the poison into the rice, but decided to pray to ask forgiveness for what she was about to do.  After she prayed, she looked up to see two young men in white shirts and ties.  They asked her if they could teach her about Jesus Christ and his church.  The spirit was so strong as they talked, she quietly buried the poison in the sand.  She went on to join the church with her family.  Knowing how to sew, she was asked by a woman to create a dress for her.  And then several dresses.  Today she owns a dress-making business and is building a dress shop with her own hands.  She has 2 employees and is able to look after her family.  And she was visiting with President P to renew her temple recommend.   

• We are here to serve the Lord, to show obedience to His prophet, and to serve His beloved children.

We are tired and ready for bed.  But not before wishing you all good health and happiness.   May you find joy in your journey.  Exercise faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him.  Be grateful.  Be thoughtful.  Be kind.  Be patient.  Amen & amen.

Love you forever!

Sister & Elder Howell

Mom & Dad

Carolyn & Lane

Arrival & Settling in...

Arriving in Manila

July 24, 2011 - July 26, 2011  A Sunday evening flight to L.A., Hong Kong and Manila totaling 28 hours from SLC.  Arrived in a rain storm, very tired on Tuesday morning.  Carolyn slept all the way through Monday.   :o}   

Rain, low clouds and more rain.  And overwhelming, moist heat.  Make a note.  Stay indoors with A/C whenever possible.  After a week of this, our impression was that we might never see the sun or be cool again.  We learned that 2 typhoons were bearing down on the Philippines, flooding roads and closing schools and offices.  But to us it just seemed like our new life.  We stayed 4 nights on the 18th floor of the Holiday Inn.

Spent our daytime hours in the Manila church offices.  Wonderful.  New experiences.  This is what we wanted...what life is all about!! 

July 28, 2011   Thursday we were chauffeured 2 hours south of the Manila mega-city to San Pablo, a country town, for a temporary visit to our new home.  We traveled on a "highway" with unending huts (homes) doubling as roadside vending stalls.  It seems everyone is selling something. Car parts, fruits, candy, vegetables, papers, coconuts, bar-b-qued meat, frappes, soda....you name it.  And it goes on and on and on.

The introduction to our house was shocking.  Dirty, bug-infested, with garish decor, and lacking most of the furniture you would expect in a "furnished" apartment or home.  Chandeliers with cobwebs that would be acceptable in the Tower of Terror, broken windows, windows rusted open, a tub with no faucet or handles, plumbing leaks onto the floors, and roof leaks in multiple areas.  The prior tenants had been the caretakers.  To our amazement, they are building an attachment to the carport where they will live and become our closest neighbors.  But they are sweet, generous and caring people. 

On the other side, actually attached to our house, is a tin shed with no real windows and doors, housing a family of 5 in a space no bigger than a large, two-car garage.  The father has been bedridden for 8 years.  Extremely nice people. 

The area is beautiful, tropical and many streets are quite overgrown with jungle plants, narrowing the pavement and hanging low overhead.   

July 30th, 2011  Today checked out of the Manila Holiday Inn and made San Pablo our home!   First order of business - find a mattress and bedding and figure out how to get ready for church the next morning.  And then, figuring out what to do with our unusual housing.

But, thankfully, I am married to a creative wonder-woman.  With the help of church contractors, a neighborhood handy-man, and a little hired cleaning help, Carolyn has done her magic.  We moved the solid wood bed and mattress outside, hoisted it up and over the 2nd floor balcony to the light, bright, abandoned upper room, which looks out through the trees, all because the interior spiral stairs are only 2 feet wide. 

We brought in fumigators (twice), painted, scrubbed, repeatedly cleaned up termite chewings, bought some new furniture, made multiple trips to the hardware store and the "SM Mall", obtained light bulbs, new window coverings (drapes), and clear plastic sheeting to cover the open windows.  Then, more cleaning, catching lizards, sweeping up cockroaches, fighting giant flying ants coming in toward the light at night, and we finally felt like we had a home we could live in.  In fact, it is now quite nice.  Another senior missionary couple that has been looking for housing for 5 weeks came by and stood astonished at our good fortune and how beautiful and nice our home is.  We just smiled, knowing what it was like 10 days prior.

~ Lane

Here is our home for the next 23 months.  

Four bedrooms and three bathrooms. 

Rental rate is p10,000 per month ($250)

August 31, 2011   One month later, we are about 99% settled in.  My caulking gun ran dry after 3 tubes of caulk, the wall putty container is empty, and my gallon of white paint is gone.  (Can you believe I chose white!?)  

I have 2 kitchens with a total of 3 sinks.  And 3 bathrooms with a total of 2 sinks.  Our master bathroom is very small with only a toilet and shower.  This is alright because we brush our teeth in the kitchen where we have a 5 gallon purified water dispenser.  Our water heater is connected only in the master shower.  
We retiled the master bath, added a toilet seat, rotated the commode and generally gutted the place.  

(before)

(during)

In the Philippines the restroom is known as the Comfort Room, or C.R.  Now, our master bath space fits it's name. 

(after)

I get propane tanks delivered for the stove which has 4 gas burners, one electric burner and an electric oven.  We have no washer and dryer but have hired a house helper who comes once a week to hand wash our laundry, hangs it out on the 11 clothes lines we've hung and she irons while she waits for the clothes to dry.   

Living area: before and after

Dining area; before and after

To cool the space we have 3 air conditioners now.  And we added a dual water filter on the main kitchen tap for washing dishes and fresh produce.

before and after

Lane had the crazy brilliant idea to hoist the bed over the balcony and into our 'treehouse bedroom'.  We love the bright, open feel, fresh air, and the option to pick coconuts from the balcony.  

One other note of interest.  For garbage collection we hang bags of garbage in the trees.

We are starting to travel quite a bit to meet church leaders, students, missionaries and teachers. The humid weather is quite nice.  I even enjoy the rain.  I have decided to name the lizards.  We get along best when they stay on the walls and avoid the ceiling and floors.  I have decided that everything in my life has prepared me to be here...moving, traveling, painting, rainy Washington, creepy and crawly creatures and humidity in Florida, the traffic in NYC, Mexico, and Italy.

We purchased a Philippines GPS app yesterday for the ipad.  It works best with latitude and longitude coordinates.  I am not quite sure of our address.  We don't have a house number or even a mail box.  I will find out our province and postal code.

We slip home in September for Callie, Rayson and Raylie's temple sealing.  I am sooo excited!

I am Carolyn