Lots to do in the Philippines.
One day we went on a service project to help a sister in the branch plant some vegtables. This is the home where she lives.
First thing we had to do was prepare the ground, which involved clearing out the under growth and putting the brush into piles to burn.
Then we had to dig up the ground in rows to plant the little stalks of vegetables. We planted to tomatoes and eggplants.
It seemed like good soil but the ground was hard packed and had to be broken up with this hoe.
Here we are behind some rows of eggplants.
One of the missionaries and an investigator that was helping us.
Here's the whole work crew. There were four missionaries and an investigator with us.
Fatima, a little girl that lives there. She has downs syndrome but is just adorable. After the project was over they fed us lunch, which featured a chicken that they killed and plucked just to make the ulam.
There was a baby blessing on Sunday and a lunch open house afterward, at their home. The baby's name was
Kinn Yohan, Here is Sister Swift with Sister Maila.
One day we went to a funeral (no pictures). We did not even know the less active sister whose brother had passed away, but the Branch President wanted us there. They had the service at her home where people can come and view the body in the casket for about 5 days. The casket will have a clear plastic cover over the person. Then the next day was the burial and Elder Swift was asked to dedicate the grave. He did this after the open house.
Also last week we had zone interviews with the Mission President. Sister Bertin is in the front. The senior couples cooked pancakes for lunch for everyone. In our area, Baliwag district, we have 6 senior missionaries from America, and 20 junior missionaries, 4 for each branch (3 from America, 1 from a Polynesian island, and 17 from the Philippines).
