Baguio trip to see a CCTV camera installation and did a little sightseeing while we were at it.

This is what the Vendor Anixter wanted us to see.  The monitor and the cameras and what they showed.  We are installing new cameras and monitors here and this vendor wanted to show us where they are presently installing their products.

Child with his dad at the wet market

 Beautiful Flower arrangements at the wet market

 Stunning flower arrangements at the wet market

 A little girl eating her meal and would not look up for the photo

This Filipino lady acutally asked to have her picture taken

 The Mangos here are absolutely wonderful and I bought a few. Elder clicked away.

 Sausages

 Al and I and Zack (the vendor) and his daughter Diane in front of the Mansion place where the President vacations. It is much like Camp David for the US President.

 We had to shoot a picture of this Jeepney with our son's name on it. Look closely at the tires.  They are all bald this way. This shot was taken from the back of the jeepney we were riding in.

Mother and Daughter on the Jeepney with us.

 This little boy was peeling a Jicama and just grinned as we took his picture

 Good looking boy at the wet market

 These lei's of flowers are for graduates.  Zack our guide said that they itch a lot when worn.

All kinds of tropical flowers are sold here at the wet market

 Two sisters riding the Jeepney with us

Breakfast at Camp John Hay Manor

 Fresh fruits and Vegetables are so in abundance here in Baguio

 This is the Sister Amy who approached me and said, "What are you looking for Sister?" She is a member and has these wood carved things for sale right on the street.Her granddaughter had to get in on the picture as well.

 This is a carved Lion's head out of a huge rock.  It is being cleaned and painted.

Manor Camp John Hay where we stayed in Baguio

We had been invited to take a trip to Baguio by a prospective vendor of CCTV camera system and ended staying the night at the Camp John Hay Manor. It was informative and productive.  We saw a few sights and did some vegetable shopping at the Baguio outdoor wet market.  We also had a taxi take us to a wood carving area where wood carved items are being sold.  Once there we walked to a couple of stores and then was approached by a very small woman named Amy who said "Sister, what are you looking for?"  I started to tell her and then I realized she addressed me as "Sister".  At first I thought it was because of my name badge but then she said she is a member of the church and it was because of a couple missionary that she was referred to the younger missionaries and she accepted the gospel and was baptized. Her son is serving a full time mission and her children are members.  I  bought a bowl with weaving and a tissue holder.  Then because it was so far away from town and no taxi came that way again we opted for a jeepney to take us back to town.  The ride was great...the experience was awesome.  We did some shopping at a wet market before checking out of the hotel and getting on a luxury bus liner to come back to Manila.

Wham Burger

There is a hamburger chain that is actually very good.  The meat is absolutely delicious and fries great.  It is called Wham Burger.  Elder B wanted one of their hats but at first they wouldn't sell it to us.  We had to get Ryan our receptionist to negotiate it and we finally have one.  Elder is so thrilled.  He will have the only one like it in the states.

March 26th Camp O'Donnell Memorial

 Actual Box Car that prisoners were crammed into and transported in intense heat

 Actual Box Car

 Walkway of flags

 Camp O'Donnell Memorial

 Major Saxton and Sergeant Joseph

 Etching on the Memorial Wall at Camp O'Donnell

 Museum

 Looking straight up into the memorial

After we visited Cabanatuan we went to Camp O'Donnell where there were POW's both Filipino and American incarcerated.  Here is where they sent by boxcar hundreds of POW's.  They were crammed into box cars shown here up to 110.  The heat was intense, the men sick and some men died but couldn't fall anywhere as they were so packed vertically in the box car.

The Cabanatuan Memorial

 Cabanatuan Memorial

 Viewing the Names of Filipino and American Soldiers

 Elder B and President and Sister DeLaMare

 Elder B explaining the raid at Cabanatuan

 Lunch with our gathering at Cabanatuan

 Me but these are not my tennis shoes. I am in flip flops that you can't see.

Foundation rock with shadow of tree

This is a wonderful peaceful memorial

We put together a day trip to Cabanatuan and Camp O'Donnell to visit and pay tribute to the fallen POW's held captive at Cabanatuan and at Camp O'Donnell. There were 12 of us that went. President and Sister DeLaMare, Brother and Sister McAllister who are the expats over Legal Counsel here in the Philippines, Elder and Sister Beckstrand, Sister Burwell, Sister Clark, Elder and Sister Burningham (us) and a new acquaintance just met, Major Damon Saxton and his bodyguard, Sergeant Joseph. Major Saxton is a US Army Chaplin that dropped by the MPAO this past week. We mentioned this trip and invited him and he was most anxious to go. Sergent Joseph is his bodyguard.

We first visited The Cabanatuan Memorial that was the site of the Great Raid, the rescue of American and Filipino POWs that went down in history as the most daring and successful rescue ever. The atrocities of the Japanese against POW's are horrific to say the least. We felt reverence for the fallen soldiers and grateful for those who survived. I hope the pictures give some relevance to our visit there.

Brother McAllister found a family name on the Memorial Wall

The Mercader Family - A Blessing of health to Sister Gladys Mercader

Today we had a special experience.  We were able to unite in faith for administration for the sick to our vendor's wife Gladys Mercader.  Alan Mercader has been the vendor (Mercalite) to the church for many years for security equipment and have been friends with the security missionary managers as well.  We have really enjoyed knowing them here.  They are not members but Alan Mercader sure feels the spirit of the Lord and has great reverence for the church.

Alan's wife Gladys is to have surgery on Tuesday the 29th of March. Alan asked for our prayers and I offered to him an administration of health through a priesthood blessing if his wife would like one.  She did! And her husband Alan did not believe she would want one but she did.

They came this afternoon...the whole family to witness this ordinance.  We started with my (Sister B) giving a prayer before the blessing.  Ryan Apduhan (our Security officer) administered the oil and then Elder Burningham sealed the blessing.  Gladys was grateful for the blessing and said she would not forget the experience with tears in her eyes. 

From left to right, Alrissa, Alen, Gladys and Alan Mercader

Before the blessing was given, young Alen asked many questions about the Temple and the teachings there in and about meeting houses and various other questions about genealogy.  He liked what he heard.  All the family gave us hugs before leaving.  This was a special day.  This is the missionary experience we get to have here.

Good to have a housekeeper - Alina

Our housekeeper, Alina Cruz, comes to our apartment every other week and cleans our apartment from top to bottom.  She cleans the refrigerator and cleans every shelf and totally rearranges our things.  She recycles things too.  Amazing what she can do with an empty toilet paper roll.  She will even scrub my rubber flip flops (in the Philippines they are called "slippers")  Good to have a housekeeper.

March 23rd Missionary Birthday Dinner

We had our monthly Missionary Birthday dinner and had it catered here at the office cafeteria.  The restaurant we chose was Agave Mexican Cantina.  They were on time on delivery and set up  and the food was very very good. 

There is a vending machine in the cafeteria where chips and drinks are sold.  A couple of the Agave employees were trying to get some chips out and the chips got caught in between the glass in the vending machine and where it is dispensed.  They tried three times to get some chips and three times they stacked one on top of each other.  We all broke into laughter.  President DeLaMare is tall and he took the machine and tipped it a bit and they all fell into the bottom to be easily retrieved.  Gratefully.  But it was a funny moment.

Performance reviews are done and pay increases for our staff have been delivered.

We had finished our performance reviews last month and all the salary increases have been delivered.  It has been such a pleasure to work with our staff.  Great men and priesthood holders.

Todd Tapp- Incoming ex-pat as our replacement

In just four months we will be saying good-bye here.  I have thought that it would be very difficult as we have learned to love our staff very much and they have learned to love us. 

We had a meeting today with Brother Todd Tapp who will be our replacement in July.  Our key staff officers and ourselves helped inform Brother Tapp of our security dealings here in the Philippines.  I was relieved that we will be leaving the department in GREAT HANDS.  Its hard to go home when you feel like you are leaving home. 

I won't miss the traffic here...but I will miss my friends, the branch members that I have learned to love.  But most assuredly I will miss the men here in our staff....and I won't know what to do without them when we return to the states.  I love them very much.

I hope to get a picture of Todd and Pauline Tapp before they leave for the US on Friday.  But they will return in four months and time will fly.

March 15th, Felipe Ramos Jr. Retirement party with the Manila Security Staff.

 Philip with Wife, granddaughter and son

Paul doing a skit with agency guard

 Officer Paul expressing his love, friendship and appreciation for Philip

 Philip and wife

 Philip, his wife and granddaughter

 Philip's wife saying something about her husband

 Peter the Seagull guy on our staff relaying with emotion his appreciation for Philip

 Young Bishop Ryan Apduhan saying his parting words of friendship to Philip

 Philip saying his parting words

Security staff singing a song about friendship

On the evening of March 15th a surprise Retirement Party was hosted by his family.  We enjoyed songs and speeches and good will.  We will miss Philip (as he is known to us) and his good work ethic and his integrity and excellence in his work.  He has worked for the Security Department for 24 years and was present when the coup d etat took place.  He will be missed very much.

Philip said that he thought no one really loved him. After everyone spoke he was emotional and relayed his love and appreciation for all of us.  He is a very fine man and served well. At 55 he is still young enough to find another avenue of interest in a new business.  Good for him.