Safe from typhoon

We are well and not affected on this Yolanda typhoon [known as Super Typhoon Haiyan outside of the Philippines]. It is closing to our town but not bad. We will let you guys know if ever changes.

No effect from earthquake

We have not felt any of the earthquake. We are very far from that island. It is in Visayans island and we are in Luzon Island. Just wanted you to know we are safe and busy and happy.

Fallen bamboo tree

We are ok here rain and typhoons are still the usual event. The bamboo tree from our neighbor's yard fell down on our back door the other night, no harm done. [Elder Stamps will need] to remove it
in the morning, Monday while I will do laundries and clean house. Our day off. Tuesday we need to be in the mission home for finger printing for all foreign missionaries.

Sometime last week we had a snake in the kitchen living room. [Elder Stamps] whacked it with a bolo then threw it in the river. Now I have my lights on when I go to sleep.

It is good to see pictures from time to time when I can get on internet. I was out on the e-mail loop for a while due to password problems. Things are better now.   

[Elder Stamps has] been released as Branch President last 22nd of Sept. Our life load is a lot lighter now. We do the advising of leadership as needed. We are now concentrating on implementing Family Home Evening to the members that need how to go about it. Reactivate the less active members. All of the typhoons have gone north or south of us. We get some wind and rain. We are ok. Life is interesting here.

Well and busy

We are well and busy.  We are trying to coordinate a family week celebration this Saturday. The branch is doing well in the new building. I will be released as branch president in three weeks. Then I can better help train a replacement.  We will be still here working with the members. There are a lot of needy families. We can help them a lot with basic lessons of gardening and self reliance.
We have more mosquitoes now the water is not moving so fast. The first rice harvest is going on and the second crop is being planted. A snake crawled into our house tonight.  He was about a foot long. He tried to hide. No luck for him. Rose found the bolo. I threw his body into the river. I am more worried about the mosquitoes. We have none in our home. The members have too many. I hope they don't get dengue. The recent storms have gone past us to the north and south. We get a lot of rain. The floods have gone down.  We can still get to the members homes. The mud is not too deep.

Rose is training a seminary teacher.  It is a lot of work for her.  Take care everyone.

New Chapel Open House

Elder and Sister Stamps recently moved their branch into a brand new building. The old one was much too small, so this was a very exciting development. They had an open house on Saturday, August 17th. Each organization had a display. Around 75 people attended, 6 of which are investigators. No civic officials attended due to heavy rains. A film about the First Vision was shown, followed by question and answer time. Here are some picture that they wanted to share.

Our Elders are Elder Policarpio and Elder Frischknect.
They are a go-getters!

Flooding

The river by our back gate is now over the banks. We are safe. we are 2 feet higher than that. Much of the lowlands are flooded. We have some members who are living upstairs in their houses this week. We hope the main roads are open so we can get to urbiztondo. The storms bring a lot of rain. It can dump an inch in an hour. It is a balmy 75 degrees.  A lot of rain is headed this way. We will help those we can reach.  Those who live by the agno river should have left for higher ground last night. We will have food for those who go to the malibong school.  This sure is different to the desert.

What a week in Pangasinan!!

We are well and busy.

We moved into the new chapel on Tuesday.  The workers were still working on the wiring. Many members came to help load the truck.  It went really well.

On Wednesday the contractor and inspector debated the list of rework we wanted. The back steps were poured by some members.  The sink drains were fixed. Well most of them. We put bolt locks on the doors.

Thursday we poured the front steps.  Just as the cement was floated and finished, the piano arrived. We carried it through the back door. More finish work was done by the contractors.

Friday the workmen finished the front steps. They look pretty good. The wiring was finished. The lights outside now are on at night. I got the computer to work again. A great brother has built some storage boxes for the kids in primary that they can sit on during classes. The building is almost finished. We now have closets for relief society and primary and young men and women. There is even a cabinet for paper goods and brooms.

Saturday, The youth practiced a new song while workmen finished some projects.

Sunday we had the mission President and his councilor and their wives for sacrament meeting.  I t went well.  We still need some room partitions in the main hall to separate the classes. It is good to hear the primary children sing.   We are planning the first activities for this Saturday.  The elders quorum plan on building a bamboo fence between here and the neighbors. All are happy. This will be good for this branch for a long time.

There is a typhoon coming tonight and tomorrow. It will pass north of here. We will get the edge of it with rain and wind.  What a week.