Christmas in the Philippines

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

  

          December in the Philippines, is the dry season.  Occasionally, the sun shines brilliantly.  It is quite beautiful (when it’s not gray)—and it is Christmas!  The Christmas Season begins in September and ends in February—6 months!  The palm trees are swaying and the music is playing.  The temperature is in the 80’s with less humidity than in the summer months and everybody is wearing flip-flops (called “slippers” here) and sometimes complaining that it is too cold. 

 

 

            We had an enormously successful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the missionaries in the MTC.  I have attached our agenda for your perusal.  The Spirit of the Lord was everywhere warming up every heart!  The senior temple missionary couples prepared a special gift including an embroidered temple envelope with the Manila Temple beautifully stitched on each one.  The sisters received a small necklace and the elders received a new tie.  Some of them had never had any Christmas gifts in their lives and were deeply touched.  The MTC Presidency Counselors and their families sang to all of us.  Even Ebenezer Scrooge paid a visit to the festivities.

            One of our MTC Security Guards, John Tago-on accepted baptism and joined the Church.  Everything was perfect—one of the best Christmas’s ever!!   

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

GT & DT, George & Debbie, etc. 

Poinsettia

Dear All: 

            The Philippines is abundant with beautiful flowers.  Each week, our catering cafeteria staff prepares a gorgeous floral array for our Devotional Dinner with a member of the Area Presidency or Area Authority.  The flowers here are fragrant, an expression of love, and very impressive, displaying the beauty of nature produced in the Philippines. 

            But, it is hard to imagine any flower more striking and symbolic than the Poinsettia, especially at this special time of year.  We celebrate with you the grand and glorious restored gospel which is magnificently blossoming and blooming in the world as the Son of God sheds His light on the gardens of the earth.  Please read Sister Taylor’s message relating to the beautiful Christmas flower we all enjoy at this time. 

 

Love and Merry Christmas , From GT & DT Taylor   

Poinsettia

 I drive down the road, not far from the MTC, I pass a nursery filled with row after row of red poinsettias. Every time I see these flowers, I think of Christmas--especially at this time of year, I think of “Home.”

In Mexico the poinsettia symbolizes the purity and innocence of baby Jesus.  It represents our deep love and devotion for the ‘Christ.’ The star-shaped poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought of as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem. It is known as 'Flower of the Holy Night'.  

There is an old Mexican legend about how Poinsettia's and Christmas come together.  The story is related as follows: 

 

There was once a poor Mexican girl called Pepita, who had no present to give the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked to the chapel, sadly, her cousin Pedro tried to cheer her up. “Pepita,”he said,“I'm sure that even the smallest gift, given by someone who loves him will make Jesus Happy.”

Pepita didn't know what she could give, so she picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a small bouquet. She felt embarrassed because she could only give this small present to Jesus. As she walked through the chapel to the altar, she remembered what Pedro had said. She began to feel better, knelt down and put the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into bright red flowers, and everyone who saw them were sure they had seen a miracle. From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the 'Flores de Noche Buena', or 'Flowers of the Holy Night'.

As we see the beautiful poinsettias this year, may we consider, as did Pepita, what gift we will give to the Savior—a gift that will blossom into beauty and love.

Rice 101

Dear All: 

            I can’t stop Sister Taylor from writing her missives.  Now she wants you to learn how to plant, grow, harvest and eat rice.  Rice is served here in the MTC 3 times per day.  Missionaries may eat as much as they want—second, third helpings, etc.  And you ought to see them pile it up—like a snow-capped mountain in the Himalayas  (by the way, we have missionaries who come here for training from Nepal).   The rice overflows the missionaries’ plates.  It’s like they have been starving their whole lives (some of them have indeed). 

            My friend and partner, Brother Villanueva, the MTC Manager of Training says, “Everything is just a side-dish to rice!”  I’ve told you about the pork, the fish, the chicken, the spam!  I suspect that our MTC Christmas Dinner for the missionaries will have rice for everyone.  I like rice.  Here, it is sticky, white, fluffy, and has hardly any food value.  When I return home, I’m going to buy a big package of Rice-a-Rony (the San Francisco Treat!) to get a little bit more flavor with that delicious monosodium glutamate (it gives me a royal headache—but it might be worth it!).

            Producing rice here in the Philippines is a very big but broad and local industry.  They used to export their rice all over Asia until Asia decided to produce their own—now they import it to the Philippines.  I think for Christmas, you should go out and buy and prepare a large pot of rice for your Christmas Dinner.  If you are not excited, you should still read Sister Taylor’s article. 

 

Love, GT & DT   

Rice 101

Rice in the morning! Rice in the evening! Rice at supper time!

Don’t waste one grain of rice, and we will all be fine.

 

Planting rice in the Philippines

1.     Prepare the plot of ground and make it soggy.

2.     Saturate the rice grains in the sack.

3.     Spread the rice on the ground by hand.

4.     Keep ground very soggy.

5.     Add fertilizer after 5 days.

6.     Pick out all the snails and feed them to the pigs.

7.     Prepare another plot ground and divide into sections.

8.     Add compost and charcoal to the soil.

9.     Transplant seedlings after growing 2 weeks from the first plot to second plot. Make sure they are spread out for further growth.

10.                        Harvest by hand with a sickle after about 120 days.

11.                        You can thrash the rice with your feet but it hurts.

12.                        Place rice in the bags.

13.                        Place on the side of the road for drying. Make sure rice is removed in the night and if it rains.

14.                        Remove the rice husks.

15.                        Burn husks.

16.                        Celebrate! Sell your rice and eat it!

Planting rice in the Philippines (U tube.com)

Philippine Lantern or Parol

At Christmas time, this little light of mine—I’m gonna’ let it shine!.  See how the Philippines light up for Christmas by reading Sister Taylor’s research paper attached. 

 

Love, GT & DT. 

Philippine Lantern or Paról

As I drive down the streets, I see that many of the markets, shops, and homes are lighted with multicolored paróls.  The design of the paról evokes the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Three Kings to the manger.   It also symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and the Filipinos' hope and light of goodwill during the Christmas season.^[5]

Patterns of the paról evolved from the five-pointed paper star lantern originally crafted by an artisan named Francisco Estanislao in 1928.  His creation was made of bamboo strips covered with papél de japón (Japanese paper), illuminated by a candle or kalburo (carbide).   This kind of lantern was used by barrio folks to light their paths during the ritual yuletide dawn Masses called Misa de Gallo, as electricity was yet unavailable at the time in many rural areas.^[6]

In the Philippines, the paról has become an iconic symbol of the Filipino Christmas and is as important to Filipinos as the Christmas Tree is to Western cultures.^{[11] Wikipedia}

^{I can never think of the Christmas season again without seeing the bright colors of the Philippine lanterns. They remind me of the happiness of the people, their stained glass windows, and their dedication to their Christian beliefs. As you look at the lights on your Christmas trees this year may you know that we also celebrate as we think of you across the sea.}  

^{DST  December 2012}  

Bamboo Versatility

Dear All: 

            I mentioned in an earlier message about the Pilipino pigs.  You’ve heard the story of the 3 little pigs:  One built his house of straw or grass.  The second built his house of twigs and sticks.  The third built his house of bricks.  Here in the Philippines everybody builds their house out whatever they can afford or find:  grass, straw, sticks, bamboo poles or iron rebar and cinderblock bricks.  Those “poles” prove to be as versatile and strong as all of them.  I think you ought to read Sister Taylor’s attached interesting article.        

 

See you Soon, GT & DT

 

BAMBOO

We can’t leave the Philippines without mentioning the great value bamboo which has across a myriad of cultures and which spans thousands of years.  Bamboo’s uses have evolved over time.  Even in the 21^st century, this “grass”—considered a symbol of fertility in Chinese culture and a symbol of friendship in India—has been utilized in a multitude of ways, some of which seem eccentric, especially by North American standards.

            Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world and the longest grass which varies in length from 30 centimeters to as high as 40 meter or 100 feet.  Bamboo grows so fast that you can actually watch it grow!  Bamboo is a plant with extraordinary economic potential.  In a lifespan of 35 years, a bamboo plant can produce 15 kilometers of usable pole.

            Bamboo is the savior of the Philippine environment which helps in preserving the forests, contributes to the conservation of biodiversity rehabilitates degraded land.  Bamboo aids in conserving top-soil, in water management, and in providing food, security and human economic sustenance.

            Bamboo is the most versatile and one of the most beautiful plants on earth with 1,250 species. There are 12 bamboo genera consisting of 49 species in the Philippines. There are only eight species used extensively:  kawayan tinik, kawayan kiling, bayog, botong, giant bamboo, bolo, anos and buho.

            There are over 1,500 documented traditional uses of bamboo.  Let me list a few:

 

1.       Food:  It is a source of food due to its edible shoots.  As a food,  it is a near-relative of rice, corn, wheat, oats and barley.  Bamboo shoots contain large amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals. 

2.       Medicine:  The vinegar produced from distillation can be used in the treatment of allergies, as a sore-throat antiseptic, a skin and hair conditioner and as a cleanser.

3.       Building Construction:  Bamboo is ideal for construction purposes because of its tensile strength which is superior to mild steel; it has a weight-to-strength ratio better than graphite.  Bamboo is the strongest plant on earth—and it is durable. The bamboo plants located near ground zero at Hiroshima, Japan in 1945, survived the atomic blast and grew new shoots within days.  It is used as, 1) house components – floor, stair, post, wall, divider and flat bamboo tile; 2) fencing and foot bridges; 3) scaffolding--incredible tensile strength and is comparable to steel; 4) concrete reinforcement; 5) plywood--cement-bonded board with bamboo. 

4.       Furniture:  tables, chairs, cabinet, bed, hamper, etc.

5.       Handicraft:  baskets, trays, torches, lamp-stands, or shades, vases, trays, utility boxes.

6.       Toys and Musical instruments:   organ, flute, marimba, xylophone, angklung, “the sliver of bamboo increases the sound fidelity of audio-systems   

7.       Handles for farm tools, i.e., sickle, scythe; Shipping containers

8.       Fishing Equipment- difficult to break yet easy to bend

9.       Art & Writing Materials Paper and “Papel de Japon”

10.    Thinned strips for tying; Hedges and wind breaks

11.    Jewelry – necklace, brooch, bangles, fashion, accessories

12.    Cooking utensils; Hand-loom for weaving

13.    Charcoal : The bamboo charcoal produces the hottest of fires required to melt gold. The bamboo charcoal has industrial and specialty uses. It can be used to clean the air, purify water, and absorbs odors  

14.    Alternative Energy waterwheels for hydropower and blades for wind turbines

15.    Health and Beauty Products, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties

16.    Clothing, bedding, underwear, baby diapers, blankets, bags, hats, and much, much more.

17.    Bicycles, Motorcycle & Bicycle Helmets

18.    Cars, Kyoto bamboo electric car; Computer Hardware

19.    Folk dancing props; Weaponry

20.    Caskets biodegradable, making it one of the greenest ways to spend the afterlife.

 

 

The Rainbow

Dear Friends and Neighbors: 

            I believe the Lord gives us many indications of His love and of His return.  He gives signs in the heavens, signals upon the earth, and symbols in everything!  I hope you read Sister Taylor’s piece on The Rainbow, attached.  When He returns again, there is to be a great sign in heaven!  Do you know what it is?  I think I do! 

 

See You Soon! 

George & Debra

Terry and Debbie

The Rainbow

 

Since I grew up and lived in the western United States desert areas, I have been concerned about having enough water rather than having too much water.  In the Philippines we have the opposite fears. Whenever anyone feels just one drop of rain they cover their head and run for cover. I thought that this was silly, until I saw 17 inches of rain beat down in 24 hours from the tropical hurricane. 

We see the Sunrise every morning looking out our window over the Temple and the green hills.  I began searching for a “Rain Bow” to set my mind at ease.  The rainbow came!.  I looked to the east and there it was—beautiful and breath-taking— between the Manila Temple and the eastern mountains of Antipolo.  What a relief and inspiration it was to see that spectrum of light and color brightening the eastern horizon—the “mountain of the Lord’s House” and the lush-green Antipolo mountains! 

As I looked at the multi-colored rainbow wondering where it started and where it ended, I thought, of course, of Noah and his family.  I wondered how many of his family members had been left behind.  He was 600 hundred years old when the “…fountains of the deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Genesis 7: 11).  

Noah had probably been building the ark for 100 years; the people—his friends, neighbors, perhaps even members of his family, didn’t believe his warning voice; they scoffed, belittled, mocked and ridiculed his industry.

It wasn’t only 40 days and nights of rain that kept Noah and his family confined in the ark; it was another 10 months before the water receded and before they could leave the ark and plant their feet upon dry earth.  How dark was it during this time?

After exiting the ark and walking on dried ground, Noah built an altar unto the Lord.  The Lord established His covenant to never destroy the earth by another great flood. As a token of His covenant, “I do set my bow in the cloud” (Genesis 8:11). “A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon caused by reflection of light in water droplets, resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. Rainbows caused by sunlight always appear in the section of the sky directly opposite the sun.” (Wikipedia.org). Can my life be brightened and colored by facing the light directly from the Son of God!

The next time you see the sky’s rainbow, remember Noah, his family, his covenants, his obedience, and the promised token of the Lord’s covenant with each of us.

I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows!

Dear Friends and Neighbors: 

            As many of you know, I know how to sleep.  I can fall asleep anywhere, anytime, anyplace.  I love sleep!  Unfortunately, it happens sometimes when I am presiding in our sacrament meeting and sitting on the stand or in an MTC Devotional.  I wonder if I have Narcolepsy!  Yes, I love to sleep—it is one of my favorite activities and entertainments.  Is it an evidence of my advancing age?  The fact that I have to get up a couple of times in the night may be the cause of my day-time droopy, dreary, dopey drowsiness!  

            Normally, I get to bed here in the MTC by 9:00 p.m. or 9:30 p.m.  I require all missionaries to be in bed with lights out and falling asleep by 10:00 p.m.  There are really only three rules of which I absolutely demand of missionaries here in the MTC:  1)  Stay with your companion—always! 2) No one is allowed to stay up after 10:00 p.m. 3) No one is allowed to stay in bed after 6:00 a.m.! (The time for retiring and rising is slightly different in this MTC than the time required in the mission field for a few good reasons). 

            The only time I begin to get upset with the missionaries is when I find out that they are staying up beyond the 10:00 p.m. hour.  This dreadful disobedience to my command has the potential of requiring me to stay up late!  Some of you know that my mantra and motto has been during my life, “A Day Without a Nap Is a Day Wasted!”  I have wasted a lot of days, especially here on this wonderful MTC mission!  Sleep is important to your health and happiness.  You need to read Sister Taylor’s words on the attached, “I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows!” 

Love,

George & Debra Taylor

I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows

Each morning I arise at 6:00 AM to extend a greeting to the missionaries over the MTC intercom by saying, “Good Morning Elders and Sisters, Rise and Shine!”  Usually I get to the other building by going down the front stairs, but since we had another typhoon and it had rained so hard, I thought that I would take the back stairs.  After climbing down three flights I found the bottom landing flooded with water.  I had already mentioned my concern about this specific entrance as having a potential problem to the contractors; my concerns were not addressed but ignored.  I felt disappointment and anger.  I have seen many things that could be avoided or prevented by immediate and timely action.  Instead of applying the adage, “measure twice and cut once,” I see a lot of cutting but not very much measuring: too much effort, too much time, so much energy is spent on redoing and cleaning up messes.  I appreciate repentance, but wisdom, prevention, and obedience seems to provide a better way.

As I looked at the open door, the missing thresholds, the water and mud in the newly remodeled building, I remembered a story I had heard long ago that impressed me.  Today I ask myself, “Can I sleep when the wind blows?  Or, do I put off tomorrow what I should do today? Am I prepared in both temporal and spiritual affairs?  You’ve probably read or heard the following story which is a good lesson. 

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man. Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him.

The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters.

He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins.

The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

Preparing for a Mission

Dear Friends and Neighbors: 

          Everybody’s talking about the new revelation on missionary work!  In this MTC, we’re going to be inundated with “youngsters” and with passions aplenty!  Imagine putting together in one building 100-200 18 to 19 year-old beautiful and handsome, well-groomed teenagers all exploding with multitudinous  desires, uncurbed enthusiasm, high over-the-top-energy and a committed zeal without bounds!  Save me!! (Am I getting too old for this?!).  It’s good that they’re cutting the time down to just 13 days in the MTC.  (It gives the President and his wife a 36 hour break every two weeks instead of every 3 weeks!) 

          The Lord must know what He’s doing!  He’s unleashing a power which will change the world!  Who can resist an unyielding, unbending army of stripling spiritual warriors going out into the world with a faith and a trust which nobody, including many of us leaders can comprehend!  Only the prophets and the seers can see where this is going—but it’s sure going to go somewhere amazing!  Hang on to our hats (I don’t have a hat) and on to our chairs (I’m afraid mine is going to be a rocking chair soon!).  Any young person or older planning to go on a mission or helping someone to go on a mission better read Sister Taylor’s article, “Preparation Before and After a Mission” attached. 

 

Hurrah For Israel,

Love,

GT & DT

George & Debra

Terry & Debbie

 

How to prepare before and after your mission!

Being called on a mission is one of the most exciting times of life. It is a transition from adolescence to adulthood. There can be many conflicting feelings of anticipation, freedom, curiosity, joy, anxiety, and even fear.  A mission is an educational micro life experience.  It is a time to “live in the world, but not of it.”  It is a chance to prevent or eliminate destructive addictions and establish worthy habits.  Would there be a better thing to do than to “give” our children or ourselves unto the Lord as Hannah did with her son Samuel?  Who knows better than our Father in Heaven as to what we each need to learn?  Is there a better tithe than offering our hearts, might, mind, and strength for a short moment of time?  Our goal is to come unto Christ, then invite others to do the same!  We do it together!

President Spencer W. Kimball said: “The setting apart may be taken literally; it is setting apart from sin, apart from the carnal; apart from everything which is crude, low vicious, or vulgar; set apart from world to a higher plane of thought and activity.” PMG p. 4

Today I have been thinking a lot about preparing for a mission.  None of these things that I suggest are new, just very important. 

Before our mission:

Pray together morning and night

Read to and with your children, especially the Book of Mormon

Learn to play the piano

Keep a personal journal of insight, inspiration, and revelation

Play together

Eat together

Hold Family home Evening with other family members and friends

Give assignments to everyone and rotate them (Give everyone a chance to listen, speak, and do something)

Visit Family, friends, and neighbors weekly

Express Gratitude in verbal and written form

Teach your children how to use proper phone etiquette

Set limits on the TV and the internet

Set regular patterns for arising, going to bed

monitor comings and goings as a matter of respect

Require regular household duties such as: dishes, wash, bathrooms, vacuuming, windows, cars, lawn, weeds, garbage, shopping, cooking, and menu planning (work together and rotate).  If they need a friend, bring one in.

After our mission:

Our goal still remains to “Invite others to come unto Christ!” We do it together!

Our goal is not to “Get back to normal!” as I have heard expressed.  We want our mission to have changed us.  We want to feel, know, and say with a surety, that God is our Heavenly Father, He loves us personally, Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, that the Holy Ghost is our constant companion, that Joseph Smith restored the Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth for the last time, and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.

We support each other and gain a renewed testimony by:

·                     Spending one on one time with a new return missionary.

·                     Letting them share their experiences without interrupting.

·                     Praying and reading scriptures with them.

·                     Encouraging them to share a power point presentation for a Family Home Evening about their mission. 

·                     Not making the newest movie our highest priority for them to see.

·                     Giving them a church job, home teaching, visiting teaching, and      service involvement.

·                     Treating them as adults.

How best can we see the face of God and prepare for the Second Coming of the Savior than by preparing to serve and serving a mission.                                                                   

 

 

 

 

 

I am Serving a mission because of my sister!

Do you ever do something because of another person?  Do you sometimes do something for someone else?  I think missionaries serve because of a strong influence of another person upon them.  Even the Lord, our Savior served because it was the will of His Father—He loved, he suffered, he died, because He wanted to do His Father’s will.  He said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  (John 15:13).  You should read Sister Taylor’s attached experience in one of our recent MTC Relief Society Meetings.        

President Taylor

I am serving a mission because of my sister!

Today in Relief Society, I asked the new missionaries to introduce themselves by giving their name, where they were from, which mission they will be serving in, and tell us who influenced them to serve their mission. About halfway through the introductions, one sister stood and told us that she had always wanted to serve a mission from the time she was a little girl, but because she had a “Special Sister” with severe handicaps she needed to remain at home to help her parents.  She prayed and asked Heavenly Father what she should do.  Then one month before she turned 21 her sister died peacefully in her sleep. With tears running down her cheeks she said, “I love my sister! Because of her I am here today. I will be the best missionary that I can possibly be. I want everyone I know to learn about the plan of salvation.”

After this sweet testimony our sister from Taiwan gave the closing prayer in broken English. As she prayed with deep emotion the spirit was so strong I felt we were in the presence of God. All of a sudden she stopped her prayer, knelt down in front of the class, then continued pouring out her pleadings for our dear missionary sister and for each of us.