Nearly Two Weeks

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