Dear Ones,

Our last stop was Legazpi which is on a tropical Island.  Yes every island in the Philippines is tropica, but some look the part more than others.  This city’s surrounding landscape reminded us of scenes from the old movie South Pacific.  Bali Hai comes to mind complete with a volcano that is the predominant feature in Legazpi city, although we never actually saw the top of it because of the cloud cover. 

Elder Webb at hotel with volcano behind him hiding in the clouds

We arrived Wednesday afternoon late.  Quite to our surprise we met Elder and Sister Mulligan in the dining room of the hotel, a delightful missionary couple from England.  They were out on the town because it was their anniversary.  We shared our dinner table and enjoyed conversation as the Mulligans told us about the Self Reliance Mission they are on in Legazpi.  

For three weeks LDS Charites has been one of the NGOs hosting the US Navy medical ship Mercy, providing doctors and nurses as they serve the community and surrounding areas of Legazpi as well as on board ship.  Each morning for three weeks, teams of medical personnel and volunteers would go into the countryside to set up temporary clinics to render simple medical care.  We shared a van with one young girl who was being treated for third degree burns on one of her legs.  The other leg was also burned but not as badly.

LDS Charities also provided a puppet show and educational forum for the community which made it easier for the children to accept the care offered. There were several other projects throughout the city.  One the Navy engineer corp participated in a building project in which LDS Charities partnered with the Navy and community leaders to re-roofing one of the schools.

We were invited to tour the ship and view the services.  We had never been to Legazpi and we wanted to support those who had personally worked on this mission so we accepted the invitation.  It was another fast trip, but we were hosted by Elder Perez who put us in the good hands of the local stake president. 

After our visit on the Mercy Ship President Giovanni, the stake president, gave us a tour of the city; we are in his debt.  We actually felt a little guilty knowing he was also the one who handled most of the details for public affairs and helping hands.  They toured the ship with us. 

We can’t tell you how it felt to come alongside the USNS Mercy with the American flag waving in the sea breeze.  We both had a sense of pride as we reflected on all the good being done.  It was so nice to see the U.S. Navy ship here in the Eastern Philippines Sea. The doctors and nurses who are devoted to serving the poor were wonderful.  

We love our home and the principles upon which our country was founded.  The 4^th of July came and went with little fanfare.    For Family Home Evening we had Kentucky Fried Chicken, baked beans and potato salad.  It was just not the same.

Last week we spent a lot of time in meetings as well; the time just slipping away.

Our friendships are growing as we come to appreciate the many difficult details of life in the Philippines and the outstanding way people move forward and remain positive.

We are so blessed.  We love you and are so thankful for your support.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Elder and Sister Webb

Grandma and Grandpa

Norriss and Carol

The bell tower in this picture is all that was left of a town after the volcano blew it's top in 1814.

This is a painting of the volcano.  It is very old and was hanging in a cathedral we visited

heading for the ship

Doctors and Nurses aboard the USNS Mercy Hospital Ship

Elder Webb listening to instructions

Elder Webb and President Pagan

Chaplin Williams talking with an LDS Charities doctor and Elder Webb

Elder and Sister Webb over looking the night sky in Legazpi.  Sister Webb is wearing her Admira's cap which she got on the U.S.N.S. Mercy in memory of her dad who was a Navy man from WWII

 

Another old Cathedral 1600's which is still used daily for Mass.

Elder Perez, Sister Webb and Chaplin Williams discuss the need for doctors to visit Sister Kotter, a new mission president's wife who had vertigo.

Talking with the doctors

Sitting in the the harbor in Legazpi

Dear Ones,

We need to write before we take off for LaGaspi where we will tour a Medical Mission on the U.S.Navy Merci ship.

Sunset on the beach in front of our hotel in LaUnion, Philippines

Last week we traveled in a different direction to distribute solar lamps. We drove north to Bengued a town in the Province of Abra.  We met with some teachers and a principal who had come in from the mountains.  The roads are no longer passable to motorized vehicles and they walked 10 hours to be with us.  We visited with them during the distribution and became aware of some of the difficulties they face daily.  Supplies are hard to come by and they wondered out loud just how they were going to get the solar lamps to their school.   We talked for a bit, and I said they would be the ones to come up with a solution because they know the problems and obstacles.  They finally said that perhaps the department of education would hire a pack horse as a solution.  The rains will stop in November and the land will once again be traverse-able by over land vehicles but the night skies are dark now.

Stopping on the way to Vegan.  Some times a good old Whopper shows up out of no where.

Heading back on the road Elder Webb, Sister Soleta and Elder Soleta

Verdant landscape and fields along our route to Vegan 

Two of the teachers and the Principal quietly asked us if teachers could be recipients of these lamps.  It was a sobering conversation.  No one in the upper areas of the mountains has electricity.  These teachers expressed a need that we had not thought of.   The night comes early and they have no way of studying their lessons except by fire light.  Solar lamps will bless the lives of many.  To be the Lord’s hands in bringing help and goodness to these good people has been humbling for Elder Webb and me.

Buggy ride through the old town of Vegan

We stayed in a hotel in Vegan that was old and historical.  The Soletas, our traveling companions have stayed there many times before.  It was an old historical hotel with heavy woods and ornate carvings.  The bathroom sink leaked the whole night and the bed was very hard but we enjoyed being there.  The old city is very pretty.  We arrived early evening, had dinner and then went for a buggy ride.  The young man who drove our buggy was polite and informative.  As we drove by buildings he would stop briefly and tell us the history of the building or the family to whom the buildings had originally belonged.  Vegan is one of the spots that managed to survive WWII mostly intact.  There was a cathedral that was built by the Moors in 1548.  Apparently it is where one of Ferdinand Marcos' daughters was married. You may remember Marcos was the dictator who was booted out by the Philippine people in the Eighties.

Gardens at the old church

Well, back to the buggy ride.  When the ride was over Sister Webb had a few minutes with our driver.  She asked him about what he did for a living, if he owned the horse and if he felt this was a good job.   He seemed to be about 28 years old.  He told her he rents the horse.  He said it is difficult because everything is expensive and he has a daughter.   Sister Webb asked him how much he makes a day.  He said 350 pesos -- about seven and a half dollars.  Brenwell was clean, well spoken, attentive and gracious.  Once again we were reminded how very blessed we are.

We drove up the coast stopping our first night in LA Union.  It was fun to watch the sunset in an area that looked very much like the Oregon coast.  The weather was wet and much warmer than the Oregon coast.

Fuller Basket man on his trike along side our car

After our meeting with the teachers it was a race down the mountain and up the coast to Laoag where we were to catch a plan back to Manila.  We had scheduled a meeting on Saturday with the interfaith group who met at a Buddhist Temple in down town Manila so we could not miss the plane.  We managed to get to Laoag early enough to stop by the Marcos Home where we were shown the waiting place of the body of President Marcos.  He "rests" in a mausoleum built next to the Marcos home where they have kept him.  It looked like he is a wax figurine to Sister Webb although she didn’t really look too closely.  His body is waiting for the right to be buried in the American Cemetery alongside others who served in the war.  The new president, Duterte, has given permission to have him buried there, but not with the hero status the family had hoped for. 

Vegan street food.  Hand made Empanadas 

Elder Webb talks about LDS Charities

Sister Webb talks with teachers about their need for light to prepare their school lessons.

We made it to the airport in plenty of time.  The Soletas turned around and headed down the coast to Manila -- a 14 hour drive.  We had a meeting on Saturday morning with the Interfaith Group who may help us with the connections we need in the Muslim and Indigent groups who are being forced from their lands in Mindanao.  But that is another project.

Elder Soleta talks about the solar lamps

All our trips are fast and furious.  Half the pictures Sister Webb takes are of us whizzing by one thing or another, but every once in a while we get lucky and find a treasure to share with those of you at home. 

Our traveling and work companions on this project.  Elder and Sister Soleta on the right Elder and Sister Webb on the left
We love the Soletas!  They are devoted to the Lord and are the most giving people.  We are so blessed to be able to work with them.  If there is something we need done and we run into a road block, we ask Elder Soleta and he can find a way in to the closed door.

We made it home for our meeting with the Interfaith Community Saturday morning.  We were able to make a few contacts that may prove helpful in the research project we have been assigned.

Meeting with the Interfaith Community.  Our host are from the Buddhist community.

Our host for the interfaith community

Elder Webb at church on the 3rd of July  Elder Burtenshaw our new Area Dentist is just behind

All these adventures are a gifts from our loving Heavenly Father who helps us learn and grow as we try to serve His Son in doing the work He would do were He here.  We are blessed daily with miracles seen and unseen.  We feel his love and direction in areas where we have no experience, because in faith we march into what seems like the dark and find light.  Jesus Christ lives and is directing this work. He loves all God's children in every country in every land.  We know he is blessing you as well, and we are so thankful for that knowledge.

Love, Elder and Sister Webb

           mom and dad

           Norriss and Carol