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.