Visiting Sapang Palay

Today we decided to leave early to be able to visit some members homes before church started. We had a pair of Elders go with us as they knew where the members lived. We drove for a short distance and then walked to the homes.

This is really a most humbling experience. It puts all into perspective. This is an area that is extremely impovershed. Semi cobble stone streets, cement and corrogated tin houses with some electicity piped to them. Dirt floors and propane cooking equipment. The home we went to visit was a member that I have seen at church with her daughters. When they come to church they are very clean and dressed approprately and look generally very nice. They are very wonderful people who are happy and strong in the gospel. I don't think all the members live in this type of environment. It was a great experience to see them happy in the gospel.

Of the two Elders one was from the United States and spoke perfect tagalog and even had an accent. His companion was a Filipino. Both very strong into their calling as missionaries.

Some of the things I saw today reminded of the stories my sons Brad and Randy talked to me about. The streets of Ecuador and Guatelmala are similar to the streets I saw today in Sapang Palay.

We came home early from Church today as their was a level 2 alert for a Tsunami resulting from the an earthquake in Chile. By early this evening the leval 2 alert had been cancelled. We are grateful that the Filipino people will not suffer another natural disaster.

We hoped to stay later and take more pictures but that didn't happen. Darn it. The members were disappointed that we were leaving and so was I. But we will be back next Sunday to visit more members.