December 17th Security Staff Family Home Evening Christmas Party

Peter Negrido and his son

Spencer Apduhan eating spaghetti

Sklyer eating spaghetti with his grandmother (Lola)

Peter's daughter singing.

This is the canteen area of the office. We held our FHE there.

Cake pops were a hit. Many ate more than one.

Security Staff singing "Christmas in our Hearts" My favorite.

Summer Chloe Apduhan and me

On Friday night the 17th we had our Security Staff Family Home Evening. Most of the officers and staff showed up with the exception of four who were not able to make it. Everyone contributed some kind of food and came prepared with entertainment. Remember in the last post there was a surprise feature by me.....sorry there were no pictures but I sang Santa Baby to Elder Burningham. He is always telling everyone that he wants a Ferrari so I said....Here's my Christmas List. Then sang Santa Baby. It was a hit.

We ate Filipino dishes prepared by the wives of the officers. Our outsourse security, Vallum Security came to the party as well. We had lots of singing and games. Elder and I distributed some Santa Bags to the children and stuffed animals to the babies. We ended it with a video clip called "Mary did you Know" sung by Donnie Osmond.

We all had a great time.

Security Staff Family Home Evening preparations.

We are going to have a Family Home Evening with our Security Staff and their families tomorrow evening the 17th. Each family is going to contribute something in the way of food and entertainment. We are doing a Santa thing for the kids and a music video of Mary did you know sung by Donnie Osmond. Should be great. Also a secret song presentation by me....to be announced after the performance. Hope it turns out well.

I made some Christmas decorated Cake pops for the party. They turned out yummy. Hope the guys like them. They are telling me that they are bringing some balut to the party. I guess I will have to try it. Partially developed chick in an egg. Sound disgusting. Oh well.

December 12th, 2010 - Construction view from our apartment window

Construction between two towers with crane. View from our apartment window.
Men trying to adjust crane high in the air.

Today after church we watched these men working at the top of this crane. It seemed they were trying to fix something on it. Didn't make sense to us that they would climb it to fix it. We thought it should be lowered to work on it rather than climb up so high. Looked so scary. We had to shoot a photo of it for this blog.

MTC Expansion work.

MTC Expansion and upperparking lot. This picture was taken from the roof of the MPAO.

View of the MTC Expansion taken from the roof. I wasn't going to get too close to the edge.

This is a post regarding the MTC expansion security technology that is at the top of the list of what we are doing. The MTC expansion is well on its way with the roof to be placed soon. For security the correct CCTV cameras and proximity card readers have to be installed to coordinate with church headquarters and MTC in Provo. Not just anything will do. It has to be correct. Originally the plans were to "get it in" without the appropriate specifications. If that was to take place then within a year it would need to be replaced. Expensive. Elder B is the "go to guy" for this type of research. With his business background in IT he was able to bring to the attention of the importance of identifying equipment that would work. The proximity card readers here in the office have been problematic. They are just outdated and need to be replaced. Some of the CCTV cameras used for security need to be replaced as they are always breaking down. Some don't turn in the directions needed to see certain parts of the complex. The Cebu Temple complex has the correct cameras and the correct monitors to view them all. Here at Manila there is need to update. Elder B has made numerous phone calls to those vendors and dealers in Salt Lake and London and gosh I don't who else. Seems like he is always on the phone. The budget for the equipment is less than what really is so a "New and expanded budget" will need to be submitted before the equipment can be ordered and bought and cables pulled.

This seems unlikely for a missionary call...but that's what we have and that's what we will do. In the future..maybe not too distant future there will be a Philippine Global Security Operations Center. As in Salt Lake City where there is a GSOC monitoring temples in various parts of the world on a screen as big as a wall. State of the Art. It is what is needed as we battle the adversary in the Latter Days.

December 8, 2010 Family from Pakistan

There were four families from Paksitan here (14 in all) to be sealed in the Manila Temple. We took this family's picture for the blog. They are lovely people and spoke English so well. I asked how the church is in Pakistan and they said it was growing. I asked how Christmas was there....is it different? She said, "No it is the same. We have Christmas Parties and gifts and food." It is wonderful to see how the Gospel spreads throughout the world the "same". They just loved being here at the Manila Temple.

December 3rd, 2010 Christmas Concert at a school in Alabang

Yes I ate these, baby crabs fried dipped in vinegar....just ok
Choir and bamboo instruments played.

Choir singing

Christmas Duet in Tagalog

Young Alan Mercader, the singer, with his sister Arlissa

Young Alan singing his solo and had moved to the couch.

He sang, "Mary had a Baby"

We attended a school Christmas Concert where the son of our vendor Alan Mercader was singing. He has been a soloist for many years with this school. This year he had one solo with the choir. The choir has such beautiful voices and showed alot of enthusiasm. We were dinner guests of the Mercaders at a Filipino Restaurant which was interesting. Gladys Mercader said I just had to eat some baby crabs dipped in vinegar. Interesting. Can't believe I ate them.

It was also Alan's birthday (29 again) so we celebrated that also. We had a lovely time with the Mercader family.

December 1st VIP reception at the MPAO and Lighting Ceremony of the Christmas Lights

Nativity at the Manila Temple

Nativity inside the MPAO office

Our Office Christmas Tree

Elder Edwards giving the Christmas message at the VIP evening reception

Buffet food for the reception

DTA Lee Gunnerson and General Berroya of Vallum Security

Elder and Sister Ko

Elder Al, General Berroya and President Howard

VIP Reception

On December 1st, the Area Presidency held a VIP Reception and Lighting ceremony at the Manila Temple. The VIP's consisted of our vendors and those we deal with in the community. Each department had a VIP guest. We invited the attache to the American Embassy but he could not attend. General Barrayo accepted and he is over the outsource agency Vallum that we hired about 4 months ago to help with our Security here. He is a retired General from the Philippine Air Force. He is a wonderful man and we so enjoyed having him here. After the light dinner, Elder Edwards made some remarks and then a choir from the office sang. All sang Christmas Carols before we all went across the street to see the lights turn on. It was a great sight.

November 30th, Sister DeLaMare's 50th Birthday Party

Sister Jafek at the Party
Surprised Sister DeLaMare

Elder Jones and Elder Jafek

Sister DeLaMare and her son Ben

Tuesday the 30th President DeLaMare had all the Senior Missionaries plus Area Presidency over for a Surpirse Birthday Party. It was a complete surprise to her and a very nice time.

November 29th rehearsal for the 50th Jubilee celebration for April 29th 2011

Filipino cultural dance with the young men

Ballroom Dancers
Scarf Dance

Bamboo Dancers

Primary age childern doing a cultural dance.

Choir and dancers

Single Adult dancers

Even though it is five months before the Jubilee celebration the church here in the Philippines have been practicing for the big event. Today was a run through of the dances being practiced for some time and the choir rehearsal. It was held in the Ynara Sports Stadium but the big event will be held in the Araneta center which is quite large. The Ynara Sports Stadium has a capacity of 3 thousand people and there were 5 thousand that were there. It was a concern for the stadium officials. We had about five of our Security Staff there helping with the security and emergency medical there. We were told that there were 15 medical incidents by the time we got there at noon. Mostly incidents were dehydration and lack of air. It was crowded. When we got there we were offered water and food. We had ground floor seating so we could see the dances. The organization of the rehearsal was very good. Right on target. The dancers and choir performers came from about 17 stakes around Metro Manila. There were a great many busses that came with members arriving as early as 5 am this morning.

November 27th, Thanksgiving at the Mission Home and I put up the Christmas Tree in our apartment

Second table with missionaries, senior, younger and DelaMare kids

Our Mission President in his apron at his home for Thanksgiving
Elder Al getting his plate full

The Missionaries eating

Our little tree

Trimmed

Joseph, Mary and Jesus ornament