Working in the rice fields.

We got the chance to ride some of the Philippine Water Buffalos, known as Carabao out here.

Here I am on a Carabao.  We were wearing work clothes.  This is out at the rice fields our Branch President"s dad owns. Our branch president oversees the work there.

Here is Sister Swift on a water buffalo.  She also got to ride one all the way out to the fields.  At first they wouldn't let her because they were afraid she would fall off if the carabao got wild because someone new was on it, but they gave in since she was so persistent.   She also got to walk a couple of them to the big water hole so they could cool down.

 Here is the work crew that had the water buffaloes. They had about five carabao for the job that day.

We also rode out to the rice fields in the cart. One of the times Sister Swift was the one riding this carabao and the worker walked.

Here I am helping a  worker load up the bags of newly harvested rice onto carts for the caribao to pull back out of the fields.  Each bag weighed about 135 lbs.

 Sister Swift and Sister Jones also wanted to  help load the rice bags. (We really just did it for the experience and the picture.)  I think we were really slowing the work down not helping.

  Here is a little frog we saw out between the stalks. We see frogs like this in our neighborhood sometimes also.

 This is one of the homes out there by the rice fields.  It is not unusual to see homes like this in the country.  Living in fancy homes doesn't seem to be important to people out here. It is more important to them to live by family.

 A group of the local Filipinos.  The branch president said most of the people there in the houses by the rice fields were relatives.

Some of the children climbed up on the stacked up bags of harvested rice after the water buffalo brought them in. All the children love to have their picture taken even though they are usually quite shy.  One girl was brave enough to ask us to take selfies with her.

 A truck from the processing plant came out to buy the rice.  They weighed each one.  The truck held about 60 bags.  You can see the Branch President's mother making sure they were all weighed and recorded properly.

This is how they carried bags to the truck: often on their shoulders also.

 We also took some bags to the Branch President's home.  He kept 30 bags for his family's and extended family's use. This is his mother's prize fighting cock.

Also one day we went to eat at Mang Inasal in San Ildefonso with the Elders because two of them were being transferred and it was a goodbye meal.  From right to left:  Ferdinand (investigator), Elder Gumban, Joyce (a branch member), Elder Articulo (leaving), Elder Salsbury (leaving) who is also from Washington, Elder Dapena, and Sister Swift.