Birthday Umbrella on Mother's Day

Here I am with my terrific umbrella that employs and deploys with a push of a button on Mother's Day in Sapang Palay. Pretty in Pink.

Mothers Day in the Philippines

It is interesting to me that "Mother's Day" is a day that has ancient history even back to the Greek God culture. Many countries celebrate Mother's Day on the same day as the USA and some celebrate it in December (Spain) or another day in May....at any rate...Mothers are honored. I will always remember my mother as making sure I went to Church meetings and Seminary and knowing she always had a testimony of the Gospel. I attribute her teachings and example to my even being here on a mission with my husband. She always wanted to go thru the temple...which she has some 14 years ago or so. Because of her desire, I received my endowments even if she couldn't at the time. Elder and I have raised our family in the Gospel for which I am so grateful to have been able to do so. I am so grateful that my family has embraced the Gospel in their lives and are now nurturing their families in the Gospel. My sons and son in law all returned missionaries. What joy!!! And my mother helped me see how important that is and I "Did not doubt her". And my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true and real and I learned it for myself.

A few weeks back I attended a temple session with a few of our guards who transferred to Cebu to work there. I entertained them with a meal afterwards with our Supervisor Jess giving them counsel upon their new Officer in Charge jobs. Telling them of integrity and privilege to serve as well as being employed. I thought it was wonderful and told Jess so. The guys (brethren if you will) loved what I had provided for dinner. Many said they hadn't had the cold cuts (delicatessen) style for some years. Jess said to me and I quote, "You are like a mother to us Sister Burningham" I told him I was just being a hostess but he protested that I am their mother. I was not expecting that nor did I try to do that at all, but found that I have grown very fond of our guards very quickly. It is more than a corporate managing type work that we are doing here. Its caring and teaching the guards (brethren, men). As missionaries we are blessed with a very special spirit of love and teaching. But to be honest, I felt a little uncomfortable doing that as I am a guest in their country....I don't want to intrude. I feel like the LDS Filipinos are so knowledgeable in the Gospel and as much dedicated in their callings and serving as anyone I have known throughout my life as an American in the United States. So what am I doing here? Yet the Filipino saints and nonmembers alike look to us and as one sister in the Sapong Palay branch told me....."Teach us Sister."

While in Cebu I asked one of our Officer In Charge Guards how he felt about American Senior Missionaries in their country. His name is Edwyn and is about the age of one of my oldest sons. Edwyn told me that because of their history from WWII where the Japanese had taken over much of their country and were so brutal and cruel to the Filipino people and that the American soldiers had rescued them, taught them about democracy and then giving them their Independence after having been a commonwealth of the US.....that they love the Americans. They love the American Senior Missionaries. The people know that they still have issues with government and have a long way to go, but they love what the missionaries have done here. I felt humbled by his comments. And yes....now I do feel like a mother to our guards. I love them as my sons.

Talk about the "Field is White and already to harvest" . The President of the outsource Security Agency, Centurion is Michele, a second generation owner of the company. She is so impressed with the technology for the Temple structure and the security put in place for its protection against intruders. She told me how grateful she was that the LDS Church has done that and it is helping the Philippines in their desire to come up to speed. Michele said and I quote..."We know we are behind in many things and are so anxious to advance in technology." I took her around the inside of the temple and described some of the paintings to her. I could see she understood all that I was saying. I explained the Temple Baptismal Font and that it is used for baptism by immersion as Christ was baptized and that we baptize those who have passed on by proxy (for and in behalf of) and have not had the opportunity to be baptized. She reiterated those exact words back to me and told me how wonderful that is to have baptism for those who have "not had the opportunity to hear the gospel and be baptized" Those were her words not mine. I know it will be just a matter of time and she will embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and be baptized. When she said goodbye, she told Elder Burningham that she felt so privileged to have such a wonderful personal guide to the temple. I could feel that she felt the spirit testifying to her of the truth. I felt a special spirit also...a wonderful new exciting experience none other than I have felt before.

I hope to get pictures today and post them. Hope all moms out there have a great Mother's Day. It is a divine calling.
Sister B

Saturday May 8, my birthday in the Philippines

This is one of the malls we went to. There are so many here and they are huge. This pictures shows how clean they are and quite organized. Very plush. I believe this one is SM Mall. We visited three malls looking for the right umbrella. It was at SM Mall that I found the right one. One that automatically goes up and down with a push of a button.

This is ShangriLa Mall. We had lunch here. There are six floors at this mall.

This Mall has six stories. SM Mall.

So Mall hopping is what we did for my birthday. Watching a movie and dinner later.

Posting a comment.

Readers if you want to make a comment please log into your google account. You can do that once you access the blogsite. This allows you to leave a comment. If you don't have an account it is easy to create one with no cost or consequences to you. Thanks.....Sister Burningham

Mormons prepare boxes of Vests for the cleanup project after the Elections

The Philippine Elections are being held Monday May 10th and notably a very big occasion. Posters are just plastered everywhere and on everything. They are on the fences, buildings, jeepneys and trikes. It is quite a mess to clean up so the church has organized all the wards, branches and stakes to help with the cleanup. It shows the community that the LDS church is community minded and willing to help. The Public Affairs missionaries, Elder and Sister Durfey are watching over this project today in the basement of the office where we usually park, however for today the garage is being used to pack up the Vests that say Mormon Helping Hands to wear when members are out taking down the old election posters and cleaning things up. Each ward will get a certain number vests in two different sizes for their volunteers. I (Sister Burningham) helped sort out the packing labels with the Durfeys so that the vests can be packed and then put into boxes to send out to the local meeting houses for distribution. The cleanup project will be held on Tuesday May 11th.
Sister Durfey and the Bishop and his wife from Tapong Ward help the youth sort out sizes of vests to distribute to the Meeting Houses in the Manila area and surrounding provinces.

Bishop's wife is instructing the youth on what to do.

Sister Durfey agreed to model one of the vests for me even though she said "I am not supposed to wear this." I told her I would take the fall for her. It is only for the picture.

One of the youth modeling the back of the vest for me.

May 6th, 2010 Making it happen

Further last important details to be addressed were sent to us via email from Salt Lake. Who stays where, airport transportation, cell phones, ground transportation and of course, what to wear, for me that is. No one has to give me directives on that. Hiring of an agency, hiring of a guard...all in a days work. And lots more to do. Thanks to all those following along. Please leave a comment so I know who reads this blog.
Sister Burningham

Today Sunday in Quezon City, outskirts of Manila

Because we returned from Cebu late last night we decided to attend church locally and not in the provinces. This is a Stake Center in Quezon City. Lower floor is the Employment Resource Center. It is really a nice building. Today very little Tagalog was spoken. We recognized many church employees that come to this ward. It was a pleasant change.

Looking down the hall at the Stake Center today. The floors are all tile.

Elder Burningham and Augustin (Lot) Revilla

Our Security Supervisor Lot for the Cebu Temple Complex is being counseled by Elder Burningham on some specifics for the Cebu Temple property. The complex itself is 11 1/2 acres which requires some training both on the property and in the patron house where all the security camera monitors are. Just outside the wall surrounding the complex is squater housing that could cause some concerns if we have intruders from that side of the fence. I just had to snap this pictures of Al and Lot.

Our experiences on the 29th of April

April 29th was the day that officially the temple was declared finished and ready for occupancy. There are a few minor finishes to be made but for the best part of the building it is finished. It was turned over to the Church and so was security. Our staff is now in place with the exception of one Officer in Charge and that spot will be filled soon.

On the 30th a Open House for the construction workers and their families came to view the temple. The church welcomed them with some refreshments and films with an overview of the church. We invited the president of our outsourse security that we hired for 6 guards. Her name is Michele and she showed great interest in the church as I showed her around the temple patron housing and inside the temple. Many of the police officers were really interested in the pictures so I was able to do some missionary explanations and found it was SO well received. Some even moved to tears. It was wonderful!!!!

Pictures of Cebu

Elder Burningham is conducting an interview via the Vidyo Technology

with a prospective Officer in Guard that is needed in Cebu.

This is food set up for the open house for the contractors and construction workers and their families who worked on the temple. Most are not members of the church so as a special day to honor them Area Presidency held an open house for them exclusively. I looked over the table and found an interesting treat that is a rolled waffle with cheese in the middle. I was asking about it at the table and told them I would like to try it. A young Filipino girl about 9 or 10 years old and speaks English very well told me flat out that "You'll Regret it". She does not like this waffle with cheese in it. I tried it and it wasn't all that bad. Funny though the way she said it. She was dead serious and looked right at me..."You'll regret it".

We invited the officers of the police department to come to this open house and see the mechanics of the temple and also to have a special tour inside the temple. They have been asked to help patrol the temple and help with traffic flow. The officers were very impressed and snapped pictures where they could.


Above is the Generator system to the temple that works well. We were in a meeting with the contractor, the engineer, temple presidency and others when the hand over of the temple was handed over to the church. We were there because the security was handed over to us. The Cebu security staff is in place with the exception of one guard that we are interviewing for. During this meeting the lights flickered and the question was posed..."What happens when there is a power outage?" The contractor said, "Well you have just witnessed it...the natural power has been out for an hour and a half and we have been running on our own generator. We are now on the regular city power now." You can see they are made by Catapillar.

Above is the water filtering system. Huge.