Favorite photos this week

A stand selling Buko juice which is Coconut juice

Funeral home. All the caskets here seem to be white. If I die I hope they take me home.
Something about the funeral homes here just doesn't suit me.

A kubol home.
A Filipino trailer house. Small and mobile

See this woman almost every day.
She is carrying banana leaves in her container. Her skirts have these big pockets in front.
There are several women who dress very similar and it looks like they are all carrying banana leaves.

Baskets on their way to market

The yellow Styrofoam containers usually mean Buko juice for sale

That's a lot of chickens must be a party going on or he is taking them to roast and sell.

The Lilo-an garbage truck.
Men in rubber boots will stomp it down so they can add more

The road to the office.
 Just hope the motorcycles will move over as we approach them

Looks like field workers delivering their goods

Sweet and juicy watermelon all year long

On the road again

Love this view of the harbor. It's near Danao on the way to Bogo. The water is so smooth for the ocean. I think it is because we are one of the inner Islands. So we don't get the crashing waves like we had in California.

Can you see the fisherman's pole?

Mending their fishing nets.

On the road to Bogo there are many great sights that I enjoy seeing as we drive up the mountains.

   

Just as we get ready to climb the mountain there is an area where they sell biscuits
 similar to baking powder biscuits. They bake them over an open fire

There is a area on the road to Bogo that is up in the mountains that has baskets for sale along the road side. They are rather beautiful. I think if there was a way to put them in my suitcase I would buy some as they are very inexpensive. They are getting ready for Christmas as you can see the stars they have made.

Rooster in the shade of the baskets

I really like the stars for the Christmas season which is starting now

Animal parade

Reindeer

More fiesta's are happening. For some reason I like taking pictures of all the posters for the different fiestas for the communities. Every community has their own fiesta and patron saint to celebrate.

Flags and banners  for the fiesta

For such a hot place you see a lot of people walking with their
arms draped over another s shoulder

They start young wearing T-shirts on their heads

This church is under repairs but I always enjoy seeing its green dome come into view
 above the trees as we come around a bend in the road. 

Roads are decked out in swags across the road during fiesta time.

This church is on the water right off the highway on the way to Bogo and has some very lovely stained glass.

The Catholic Catherdral in Bogo is very ornate. I like noticing the architecture of the older churches from the small village chapels to the large cathedrals.

  

This home with the chickens and cocks is across the street from the our church in Medellin

Roosters hanging out on their perches 

Mother hen and her babies on their perch

              

FHE and Medellin

We did another family home evening in Bogo last week. The family have recently joined the church. The missionaries went with us. Not only did the family show up but also the neighbor children and cousins that live down the lane. 

 Drawing a fish for the story of Jonah and the Whale

 Singing I am a "Child of God"

They served us noodle sandwiches afterwards that were actually pretty good. They were like the cellophane noodles mixed with spaghetti noodles similar to what we see in the states. It also had a few carrots and onions pieces in it. They just eat it on white bread.

 I had made some rice krispie type treats using a cereal I found here that is half plain and half chocolate. It turned out pretty good. Sister Tanner when she learned of it decided to use the same idea for a treat for the missionaries at our zone conferences. Hers were fancier because she added several kinds of cereal and M&M’s. We taught them about the atonement and talked about how FHE can help families and make them strong. A very lovely family.

 Dad sharing "Book of Mormon Stories" that they can use to teach family FHE from

A huge shell they were using for a planter

We also traveled up to Medellin and did a Temple prep class for the branch. You know when you have arrived in Medellin because of the colorful water tower. 

The small branch building in Medellin

The land is more flat here in Medellin and not so many trees.

Chinese Restaurant

These are some sights from this last week.

We went out to eat at a Chinese Restaurant. We had some tasty dishes. What was amazing is that the Chinese food here in the Philippines taste pretty much like it does in the states in the Chinese Restaurants. One nice feature the restaurants here in the Philippines have, even places that are fast food, a washing station where people can wash their hands. I think we could use these in the states. 

We ordered Dim Dim which was ground pork steamed in a covering of dough in a bamboo basket. It tasted pretty good. 

We also had a soup called Lomi that was tasty. 

We ordered Chow Pot Chen which was broccoli, mushrooms, squid, quale eggs and other vegetables. We also ordered a dish that had Broccoli and 3 kinds of mushrooms. 

 

We did not order the grilled bangus fish it was cooked with the head on and barbecued. 

Went shopping and thought you might like to see the choices we have for buying Tuna. 

This isn’t even all the varities. There is sweet and spicy, sisig (which Dad likes but I don’t because I want to know what organs I am eating and don’t want it chopped up with the meat), corned, caledereta, mechado laing, afritda, barbeque or with rice. This isn't even all the choices. Maybe I should buy one of each and compare the flavors.

I wanted you to see the dragon fruit. It is really pretty but I don't care for the taste of it.

They also eat a steamed bun called Siomai with barbecue pork in it that you can buy at all the markets. I think it is made with rice flour. We have bought it a couple of times when we are at the market and need something to eat when we get home.

Favorite views of the week.

Pigs going to market

How many people can fit in a jeepney? Always one more.

The women and children get assigned to the back of the pickup.

 They are roasting chickens on the side.

A common sight of travel

Another broken down truck with branches for warning.

Selling bread

A masked rider

 Many of the hobbal-hobbal drivers and tri-cycle drivers wear a t-shirt to protect them from the sun and to protect them from breathing the bad air

Flowers for sale outside of the church. Always available on Sundays.

Dirty ice cream for sale. They call it dirty because it is 

mixed with the hands when they make it.