Even though Halloween is not an official holiday in the Philippines some of the wards still did some activities. The Busay Ward primary dressed up one day and walked across the parking lot from the stake center to patron housing where the temple missionaries gave them some treats after they sang a song, "Popcorn popping on the apricot tree". The Apas Ward had a ward party including trunk or treat for the kids and some skits from the movie "Frozen". Yes they love "Frozen" here too.
Two weeks ago Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was in Cebu as part of a several weeks visit to the Philippines. On November 2, 2014 he did a Philippines Area live broadcast from Manila, along with the area president and members of the seventy. Elder Oaks, along with Sister Oaks completed their service as Philippines Area President ten years ago. As part of his counsel to the Filipino members during the broadcast he repeated some of the same counsel he gave ten years ago as he left the Philippines. Some things he mentioned were to give up family or cultural traditions that are in conflict with church culture. Some specific traditions addressed were:
1. Many Filipinos leave the country for extended periods to work for better wages and then send the money back to support family, including extended family, while able family members, including adults, do not work or even seek work. This has created a strain on marriages and denies able family members the personal and economic benefits of working.
2. Many do not work until they finish their college education. Elder Oaks told them that they should get a part time job while attending school because it would not only help them pay for their schooling but the experience working would be as much of a benefit to them as their schooling.
3. They should not put off getting married until they have completed their schooling but should attend school and get married at the same time when they find a suitable companion.
4. Elder Oaks did not mention this but it was mentioned by others that spoke that they should pay a full tithe and give a generous fast offering as a way to help themselves and others.
This was all good council to everyone not just the Filipino members.
Elder Sorensen has been singing with the combined Busay 1st Ward and Busay 2nd Branch choir. They have performed three times in the last 6 weeks. The first time was for "Music and the Spoken Word" which is a fireside done by each ward in the stake with speakers and musical numbers. The theme was "Families". The music was done very well, as well as choirs in the United States. The second time the choir sang was two impromptu sacrament meeting numbers when it was rumored that Elder Oaks was going to attend the Busay Ward while here. Elder Oaks did not attend any of the church meetings but met with the Temple Presidency in the temple later in the afternoon. The third time was this past Saturday when the choir sang for the adult session of Stake Conference.
Stake conference was very good with talks by the Stake Presidency, an assistant to the Cebu Temple Matron, the Philippines Cebu Mission President and his wife and others. The music on Sunday was by a stake choir and several numbers by the young full time missionaries. One thing we have come to enjoy here is the way missionaries receive their calls. Since mail is not reliable all mission calls are sent to the stake president and then hand delivered to the missionaries. This usually takes place in sacrament meeting but there was one delivered in stake conference on Sunday. They had the young man come to the pulpit and receive his White Envelope, unopened of course. It was brought up that the Cebu Stake currently has 22 missionaries serving, 4 waiting for their calls and 19 more who are submitting papers. The hastening of the work is definitely happening in the Philippines.
We had some of the staff from the Prestigio, the place where we first stayed when we arrived in Cebu, over to eat with us again. We enjoyed them so much while staying at the Prestigio and have developed a friendship with them and call them our Filipino children. We were sorry to hear that two will be leaving to pursue work outside the Philippines but are glad they have the opportunity for better employment, we will miss them though.
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| The Busay primary headed to patron housing from the stake center. |
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| The Busay primary in their costumes. The temple missionaries are dressed up as themselves. |
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| Apas Ward Halloween party. I guess you would call this tailgate and treat. |
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| Here is a trunk or treat. |
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| This is the stage in the cultural hall ready for the "Frozen" performances. They had this huge poster made for the backdrop. The sister with the microphone has been to Utah and has actually seen snow. |
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| "Frozen" portrayed in the Philippines by the Apas Ward Primary. |
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| We would like you to meet Mahonri Santiago a member of the Apas Ward. The name caught our attention. |
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| Elder Oaks entering the Cebu City Temple. Well actually he is already in the temple in front of the area president who's back you can see in front of the door but this was as close as Sister Sorensen came to getting his picture. |
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| Busay Choir. Sister Quitoy, on the left holding the baby, is the choir director. Elder and Sister Henthorn and Elder Sorensen were the Temple Missionaries that are part of the choir plus one set of young Sister Missionaries and one set of Young Elders are also part of the choir. The young Filipino woman on the front row second to the left of the one holding the bottle is now in the MTC in Manila beginning her mission and the young man on the top left by Elder Henthorn is the one who just received his mission call in stake conference. |
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| Our Filipino children from the Prestigio. Left to right, Jasmin, Karl, Karen, Merriam. Karen, just behind Elder Sorensen, is leaving to work in a hotel in Bahrain. Merriam, on the right, will be leaving to work on a cruise ship out of the UK. We will miss them. |
