Dear Ones,

The last couple of weeks have been filled with service opportunities manifested in many different ways.

Last week we were asked by GMA Kapuso Foundation if some volunteers from our church would be able to help them pack any amount of the 80,000 Christmas bags they put together annually for poor children.  We set up a meeting with our Public Affairs director Haidi Fajardo thinking we were making an introduction that would lead to future meetings and possible help with the project.  Well, we took Roger to Haidi's conference room where he explained his needs.  Then we watched as Haidi made phone calls, organized an event with 100 volunteers, arranged for the use of a church building and committed to have 30,000 kits put together by the weekend.  Our meeting was on Tuesday.  Product was delivered to the church by GMA Kapuso on Wednesday and the kits were started that afternoon.  Thursday, missionaries were called in by the Quezon City Mission President and along with the helping hands volunteers they put together 13,000 kits in one day. 

Then the Typhoon hit in Northern Luzon.  All GMA trucks were commissioned to take relief supplies to the north.  Our office sent two full time employees to assess the damage and begin food relief.  However, the kits for children continued to be filled by the volunteers working at the church.  With no trucks to haul the bags to a GMA storage unit the church began to fill.  The gym was so full of bags it made working to put them together difficult because there was no place for the assembly.  The bags were moved to class rooms downstairs.  Police from a local barangay were there helping the missionaries to move the bags. 

Finally, on Friday GMA began sending smaller trucks to transport the bags to another location. Again the police, missionaries and helping hands volunteers lined up and down the hallways and stairways and passed the sacks of bags down a line and into the truck.  Ten of the gift bags had been loaded into a large gunny-sack kind of bag. And those larger bags were stacked everywhere in the church.  One by one the large bags were loaded in truck after truck until Saturday afternoon the last bag was loaded.  Sister Webb was in the bag line moving the filled sacks along while Elder Webb tried to work out the logistics of the trucks.  It took nearly a week, but the good people volunteering did not complain or sit down on the job.  They were great.  And best of all, the church officials who had to deal with activities and such (around the bags!) were cooperative and willing to help!

The next week brought Family Day at the office.  The first ever.  The H.R. department had been given the assignment to bring some fun and unity into the Area Office.  So the idea of a Halloween spinoff showed up and the staff ran with it.  Such impressive displays of Disney themes!  It was great fun. 

Along with those two events we have two water projects we are just about ready to submit and another order of chairs that are to be delivered to several schools.  

Elder and Sister Webb are heading over to the warehouse to count out the screws and bolts that go to each school to assemble the chairs.  Two hundred chairs here, two hundred chairs there.  That’s a lot of screws and bolts.

Sister Webb is planning the Welfare Training Conference, and Elder Webb is getting ready for the new Senior Missionaries who will be here the first part of November.  They are experiencing some of the same anxiety most missionaries feel before they come here.  16 months seems like a life time ago in some respects, but we totally remember how we felt.  It is nice to be able to ease their minds, with information and truth, rather than rumor and imagination.   The missionaries we replaced were long gone when we arrived, so there was no one to answer our questions.  It took us longer than it needed too, to get things comfortable.  Heck, we are still learning new things but we know more than we did when we got here!

Halloween decorations made from cardboard boxes; very creative ideas came up during this week of fun.  WE loved seeing how simple material turned into wonderful  professional looking characters

We were in a meeting with the Area President the other day and he turned to Elder Webb and asked him if he was having a good time on his mission.  Some people struggle.  Elder Webb seems to have a good time no matter where he goes. Even in the Manila traffic.  He has a continuing conversation with the other drivers.  This seems to help him release stress and he arrive at his destination happy.  Sister Webb has finally realized that he is not expecting her to respond to his dialogue or even help in navigation.  He has his own way of surviving. For a long time she actually thought she was helping and then she realized he most likely had never heard her response.  

We had FHE potluck last week with the Senior Couples.  WE played Mormon Jeopardy with the Stewarts (MTC dental office couple) leading the game.  With the help of a handicapped computer connection the game took a humorous twist and we all laughed as Sister Stewart worked with the computer malfunctions and Elder Stewart responded like a straight man.  We laughed and laughed.  It was great therapy.  We look forward to playing the game with family when we get home. 

We also had a going away dinner at 8cuts (a burger joint) for the Hilliers.  They have served as the MTC nurses and have done a fabulous job.  It is hard to say good bye.

Elder and Sister Webb with the Gokeeloas

This beef and broccoli was so yummy.

Friday night we had dinner at the Lucky China Mall with our partner Iris from the Purple Centers Foundation. After finding a place to park our car we walked through an open market.  We asked directions to find the Lucky China Mall, our meeting place. There were no doors so we just continued to veer right.  WE found the Mall decorated for Christmas.  It looked like a wonderland.

Fabulous decoration every where.  

Christmas wreath

When we came out after dinner it was like the twilight zone.  Nothing looked the same.  All the shoppes were closed and the garage type doors pulled down and locked.  This is the open market not the Mall.  We had trouble locating our car because we had walked through the open market.  Fortunately Iris and her husband know their way around and together we were able to relocate our car. This after we walked down dark alley ways filled with garbage sacks and people curling up for the night. We took Iris and Vincent to a street close to their home and they pointed us in the direction of Aurora Blvd.  They texted us about 5 time to make sure we were on the right path home.  They are really great people.  We arrived home about 11:30 pm.  

As you can see we do have fun on our mission.  We love the variety the Lord has chosen as our mission experience.  We feel his guidance in all aspects of our work.  He gives us instruction.  He provides people to help us learn what we need to know so we can do the work that is waiting to be done.  We feel his love as he allows us to reach out and touch the lives of those in need.  He loves all his children and trust he is watching over and caring for you.

We love and miss you all,

Elder and Sister Webb
Mom and Dad
Gma and Gpa
Norriss and Carol