Debbie is In Her Element!

Our dear family and friends:

Last Monday evening, we traveled with the Area Presidency Secretary and his wife, Elder and Sister Sorensen over to President Mark Howard’s (the Manila Mission President) mission home where we enjoyed a nice lasagna dinner, including banana splits, toured the historic Manila mission home, and received a review of the history of missionary work in the Philippines.  Of course, President Howard is well known in Provo, having been the hospital administrator before moving to Las Vegas for several years.  President Howard was one of the first missionaries assigned to the Philippines along with my good friend Mary Ellen Edmunds.  We have had President and Sister Howard speak at one of the MTC Devotionals.  He is an enthusiastic, entertaining and motivational speaker.  We have enjoyed becoming much better acquainted—a good and great man!  He will be released this summer and return to his home in Timber Lakes near the Heber Valley Girls Camp.  Anyone want to buy his luxurious home in Las Vegas—it’s still for sale and at a substantially reduced price! 

Last Tuesday evening, we traveled two hours (30 miles) through heavy traffic to attend a two-hour organ concert, part of a week-long annual bamboo organ festival.  Of course, the thing was that the organ built over 200 years ago was made entirely out of bamboo.  It was long, it was late, the seats were hard, it was warm but the concert was splendid!   

Debbie is in her element!  She arises at 5:45 and joins all the missionaries in daily exercise!  Our gym right now consists of a large cement parking lot with two BB standards, a volleyball net, and a badminton net.  I jog around the lot—but I’m used to going around in circles all the time!  Debbie loves to play games with the missionaries—she counts the number of times she can hit the badminton thing without it dropping.  She got up to over 250!  I sometimes play a little basketball with the elders, but mostly with the sisters!  I can compete!  My next missive from Manila will be about the food!  We miss you all but are too busy to think about it much.  We are happy and healthy. 

Love George & Debbie.