It’s warming up!

Our Dear Friends and Neighbors: 

Well, another gorgeous day, another week, another month here in the tropical Philippines.  It’s warming up!  After a frigid winter season of about 80 to 90 degrees, with high humidity, we are going into our summer season with higher temperatures, higher humidity with 110 percent chance of down-pours including monsoons. 

The flowers are blooming bigger, the shrubs and trees are blossoming better, the foliage is fuller, the allergy count, the air pollution and the Manila smog is getting thicker day-by-day!  The cars, buses and huge numbers of modern SUV’s in metro Manila multiplies each week exponentially!  It’s going to be a beautiful season!   

I thought of 2 more driving principles (you may recall the last three!):  No. 4:  Don’t take a GPS! (Don’t even take a map!) No. 5:  Take a cell phone!

We love it here.  We love the people, we love the missionaries.  We love the work!  We love our Heavenly Father.  We love you!

George T. Taylor, President

Philippines Missionary Training Center

13 Temple Drive, Greenmeadows

1110 Quezon City

(63 2) 635-9147

The Value of Prayer

We are all fine. We haven't fallen off the face of the earth, but since the earth quake and the increase of the worlds rotation time is going faster. 

I thought that George had sent you updates but then I guess you are feeling the repercussions of his hard drive crashing. They are still trying to retrieve the journals and information.

It has been very interesting lately. We didn't have any water the other day and the knob came off the shower. The ceiling air conditioners started leaking in the presidents room and in the main lobby so we decided that we could shower there. It is good that I had stored a bottle of water for 

emergency .I used it for a spit and promise wash.

We now have 86 missionaries under our wing from Cambodia, Thiwan, Pakistan, India, and all over the Philippines each speaking all the languages. The Spirit is the great interpreter. 

One of our sisters had to be in isolation for a few days for TB. We prayed a lot and she returned to us today. I know it was so hard for he to be alone. She might have felt like Joseph in the jail because she could not leave her room or associate with anyone. 

On Saturday we had to give 344 shots. We thought that the missionaries would be sick or hurting, but they were up and going strong on Sunday.

One very sad note is that one of the mission presidents wife is dying and they won't be able to get her home. We are praying for the president, his family, and the mission. He has been very successful and loves his missionaries. He grieves at the idea of finishing like this. You can not believe the sacrifice that people make and they are happy to do it. I am humbled.

             

Most people around here drive 1-1&1/2 hrs. to get to work and many drive that far to go to church.

           

I went teaching the other day with the missionaries.  I first rode a van for 1/2 hour,  caught a ride in a jeepney, then walked all over. We tracted a lady off the street who sold candy at a small stand. When the sister first told her who we were the lady covered her face with a orange silk cloth. Then the sister told her that we had a sacred message for her and asked if she would hear it. The lady asked her small son to watch the stand and invited us into her home.  Her home was at the end of an alley that was lined with squatters who have no other place to live. We were invited to sit on her couch. There on the wall were pictures and statues of Jesus and Mary like in many homes of the Philippine people.

As the discussion went on, the sister taught the sweet lady to pray. The sister prayed a line and then the lady followed. I can not imagine not praying. I don't know what I would have done all my life if I hadn't had a Heavenly Father to pray to and help me with my endless needs. Who would I have had to talk to that could comfort me when my heart was broken? Who could I have shared my blessing with. I can not express how much I value prayer and the knowledge that we have a Heavenly Father of flesh and bones who loves us, His children, and answers their prayers.

I bought small plastic Easter eggs for the missionaries. You can not believe their joy and excitement. They have never had Easter eggs.

I count my blessings daily to be able to be with the Lord's servants. The Spirit is so strong that at times I feel a conduit right to heaven. I see miracles every day as missionaries are able to learn and speak and come to know their Savior. That is the goal-coming to know the Savior.

I invite my family and friends, like we invite the missionaries, to read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it is true. I also invite you especially at this time of year to pray to know that Jesus is the Christ and your personal Savior. What a relief to know that we have someone who can help us return to our Heavenly Father. I believe that I have been homesick my whole life.

May you have all your righteous desires met. Most of all may you feel the presence of the Lord in your lives and our love. 

The Taylors 

Paradise

Dear Family and Friends:

Well, another average day in Paradise!  We are well and enjoying everything.  Well, not everything!  I’m still having difficulties maneuvering the driving here in Manila.  My eye-hand coordination, my hearing, my eyesight, my nerves—all are deteriorating with my advanced age(!) and it takes a really sharp person to thread the needle through this incredibly exciting and horrendous traffic!  It’s a great thrill (scare?)!  The 3 rules for successful driving:

1)      Bigger is better!

2)      Fill in the blanks!

3)      Don’t look back!

Last week between “batches” we went to a wonderful modern museum, called the Ayala museum, in an area of Manila called Makati.  The museum displayed the history, culture, art and artifacts of the Philippines--beautifully and artistically presented.  Makati is a major and modern up-coming business/economic center.  There is such a dichotomy and contrast here in this here town—between the rich and poor, between the modern and historic, between the gleaming, reaching sky-scrapers and the small patched up hovel.  It is a country teaming with energy, desiring to explode into greatness!  The spirit of the Lord is working hard to uplift the people.  We love them!  And, we love you! 

George & Debbie

The New Batch!

Dear Friends and Family:

This week has been a great week!  Our current class size (they call it a “batch” here in the Philippines) is small, just 23 missionaries but we have grown very close to each other.  We have 1 sister from India, 2 elders from Pakistan, 1 elder from Nepal, 1 elder from Singapore and all the other 18 from somewhere in the Philippines. 

The 2 Pakistani  elders were supposed to be able to speak and understand some English—but they don’t!  Fortunately, our 1 sister from India could speak their language pretty well so she spent nearly all of her MTC training time interpreting for them which she was very kind and gracious to do.  As always, the Lord provides for these missionaries somehow in their (and our) great hours of need!  We are grateful to Him for His constant divine providential assistance.  We love you all!

George & Debbie. 

Debbie's Sorrow for Japan

Dear Amy,

            I have a new baby boy grand son, Max Stillman Taylor, son of David and Manya. They are well and he is a doll. I love the sound of a new born baby. I look forward to the day I can hold him. I am so grateful for technology and being able to see him on Skype.

            I wanted to share a few things with you but maybe you won't want to share on the blog.

            This past few days has been very hard for me. I miss you all. I feel such sorrow form the people of Japan. It is like they are calling from the water and ground. I grieve. One in Japan mission was shut down and the missionaries have been reassigned to other missions in Japan.

Even though there could be such hard feelings towards Japan because of World War II, the people are praying in every church,and  in public meetings. The news coverage is like 9/11 in the US. Japan says that the devastation, loss, and destruction is so much worse than Wold War II. 

            Today, I went to the temple with the elders and sisters for a second time at 6:15. As we walked up the stairs the Sun was shining through the window in all it's glory. Amazing! I hope I can get a picture on another day. I have never seen people more happy and grateful to be able to go to the temple. Most of them are the only members of their family who have been. They seem so mature concerning the ordinances. They build my testimony.

            I met a older sister missionary and her companion from Utah who had been called to serve in Malaysia, and had traveled all the way to the Philippines to escort a family from Malaysia to the temple. What a story of faith and commitment.

The other day one of the Seventies shared about a sister Who gets up at 4:00 am to walk with her child  to church and be there at 6:00 am meetings. I have a hard time getting up at 6 :00am. 

            I am constantly amazed at the division between those who have and have not; but especially the people who walk out of their corrugated roof shanties clean, pressed and dressed to the max, with bright eyes and smiling faces. 

            I have so much to learn.

            Well, I love you and put everyone's name in the temple. I hope you are feeling the Lord's blessings. 

Love, me