Dear Family and Friends,
We spent a wonderful weekend with Erika, Lara and several Grandchildren. We toured the Carl Block Exhibit again and enjoyed it even more the second time. Chelsea and Katie had also gotten us tickets for the BYU Music Christmas Concert, and that was wonderful as well. We spent our evenings at Eric and Rissa's home, and what a wonderful, loving, peaceful home it is. Well Monday morning came way to soon, but it was time to be on our way. Erika and Lara got us to the airport in plenty of time for our flight, the "see you in two years" was heart wrenching, but we all survived it. One day later we arrived in the Philippines. AHH, the Philippines. We were met at the airport by our Mission President, President Howard, the Office Elders, Elder Lee and Elder Bingham, and Elder and Sister Smith, the Senior Missionary couple, who made Naic the Mission District to be envied. We are very grateful to them for the excellent work they did here. They touched many lives and will always be remembered by the people they so unselfishly served.
We had one very nice day with the Smith's, while they talked to us about the area in which we would be serving, Naic. Then it was time to venture out to Market Market, a Mall in Makati City, to experience a true Philippine treat, a Halo Halo. This treat begins with a bed of crushed ice with sweet cream poured over it, then a square of flan, several round red gelatin balls, several cubes of green gelatin, a few sweetened beans and kernels of corn, a few mango pieces, some unsweetened coconut shreds and I think a couple of slices of banana, then topped off with some kind of blue ice cream. It is very colorful, to say the least, you know I really can't tell you how it tasted, but the texture was rather OK. That evening President and Sister Howard took the Office Couple, Elder and Sister Morgan, Elder and Sister Smith and DuWayne and I to dinner at a very nice Italian Restaurant. We had an enjoyable time as "farewell" was said to the Smiths and "welcome" extended to the Petersons. The next day, I think, we had the once in a lifetime experience of getting a Philippine driver's license. That experience has been recorded in my journal and will, hopefully, only be read when I am dead. When we returned to the Mission Home, alive but still in shock, we were met by the Morgans, another Senior Couple assigned to another District in our Mission. They were assigned to orient us to the area so that we would be able to find the Mission Office, the Temple and etc. We have much to learn and many trips to learn it, patience needs to become our friend, and quickly.
It is now Saturday and with the help of the Office Elders, the Sister Teaching Assistants and the Morgans, we are on our way to our new home, Naic, Cavite Province, Philippines. It was more than a two hour drive and a very, very interesting one at that. I now need to begin my day but will do another post Christmas Day, when we only have a few things scheduled, such as a baptism or two. Love to all and TTFN, Elder and Sister Peterson
From the MTC to Naic Philippines
Monday, December 13, 2010
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Dear Family and Friends,
The day finally arrived, the day we were to leave our home for our mission. It was 7:00 a.m., the morning of the 24th of November 2010, when our friend, Darrold Hanna, came by to load our luggage into his car to take us to the airport in Phoenix, AZ. Darrold and Frankie bought our car, so we drove it to their house, left the car and then Frankie drove us on to the airport. Saying good-bye to our home and our dear friends was easily one of the most difficult things I have done in a very, very long time.
We left 80+ degree weather in AZ and landed in SLC to 16 degree weather and lots of snow. Our friends Midge and Peggy were there to collect us and take us to their home, where we would stay until we entered the MTC in Provo, UT on the 29th of November 2010. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with our daughter, Lynnette, and seven of our ten grandchildren. Our gatherings were all held in Eric and Larissa's home and what a warm, comfortable home it is. Thanksgiving dinner was all homemade by our grandchildren, all of them exceptional cooks. Our eldest grandson, Bryson, seemed to take the lead and get the dinner prepared and served hot and on time - nice work to all involved.
Katie had gotten us all tickets to see the Carl Bloch exhibit on Saturday, which we all enjoyed tremendously. Sunday brought more snow, causing Lynnette to delay her departure back to Colorado Springs, CO until Monday. Some of us attended church with Bryson and Kami in the morning and then some of us went with Eric and Larissa to their ward in the afternoon. More good-byes Sunday night.
Monday morning, 29 November 2010, our friend Peggy drove us to the MTC, where we were met by an amazing group of young adults, our grandchildren. They had come to deliver our luggage and escort us to our room at the MTC. We did not need to say good-bye to them, as we would be spending the next weekend with them, prior to flying to Manila Philippines the following Monday.
Our stay at the MTC was so exhausting but so invigorating at the same time. We met so many dedicated Senior Couples, all of us eager to get into our missions and begin teaching and sharing the Gospel. We had long days of learning, listening, role playing and etc. The last three days of our stay we would end our Preach My Gospel lessons, have dinner and then go to two more hours of language tutoring with our wonderful tutor, Jacob. Friday night finally arrived, our classes were over, more good-byes to our Senior Couple friends, bearing our testimonies to the other language couples and then to the front desk to be collected by our daughters, Erika and Lara, and two of our granddaughters, Chelsea and Katie.
Stay tuned for another post soon. Right now we are waiting for our Zone Leaders to join us for a planning session prior to their District Meeting tomorrow morning. TTFN and Love to all, Sister Peterson
The day finally arrived, the day we were to leave our home for our mission. It was 7:00 a.m., the morning of the 24th of November 2010, when our friend, Darrold Hanna, came by to load our luggage into his car to take us to the airport in Phoenix, AZ. Darrold and Frankie bought our car, so we drove it to their house, left the car and then Frankie drove us on to the airport. Saying good-bye to our home and our dear friends was easily one of the most difficult things I have done in a very, very long time.
We left 80+ degree weather in AZ and landed in SLC to 16 degree weather and lots of snow. Our friends Midge and Peggy were there to collect us and take us to their home, where we would stay until we entered the MTC in Provo, UT on the 29th of November 2010. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with our daughter, Lynnette, and seven of our ten grandchildren. Our gatherings were all held in Eric and Larissa's home and what a warm, comfortable home it is. Thanksgiving dinner was all homemade by our grandchildren, all of them exceptional cooks. Our eldest grandson, Bryson, seemed to take the lead and get the dinner prepared and served hot and on time - nice work to all involved.
Katie had gotten us all tickets to see the Carl Bloch exhibit on Saturday, which we all enjoyed tremendously. Sunday brought more snow, causing Lynnette to delay her departure back to Colorado Springs, CO until Monday. Some of us attended church with Bryson and Kami in the morning and then some of us went with Eric and Larissa to their ward in the afternoon. More good-byes Sunday night.
Monday morning, 29 November 2010, our friend Peggy drove us to the MTC, where we were met by an amazing group of young adults, our grandchildren. They had come to deliver our luggage and escort us to our room at the MTC. We did not need to say good-bye to them, as we would be spending the next weekend with them, prior to flying to Manila Philippines the following Monday.
Our stay at the MTC was so exhausting but so invigorating at the same time. We met so many dedicated Senior Couples, all of us eager to get into our missions and begin teaching and sharing the Gospel. We had long days of learning, listening, role playing and etc. The last three days of our stay we would end our Preach My Gospel lessons, have dinner and then go to two more hours of language tutoring with our wonderful tutor, Jacob. Friday night finally arrived, our classes were over, more good-byes to our Senior Couple friends, bearing our testimonies to the other language couples and then to the front desk to be collected by our daughters, Erika and Lara, and two of our granddaughters, Chelsea and Katie.
Stay tuned for another post soon. Right now we are waiting for our Zone Leaders to join us for a planning session prior to their District Meeting tomorrow morning. TTFN and Love to all, Sister Peterson
