Mabuhay! (the miracle of technology is that you can google this and find out what it means 😀) The past few weeks we have been to Legazpi to train new assistants and we were blessed to have a son and a daughter (they came at the same time) come to visit us here in the Philippines. We were given permission to take a few days off to show them some of our favorite spots and to visit some new ones.
The region around Legazpi is known for their chili peppers. They are tiny but they really have a burn. We stopped at a restaurant that served Sili (chili) ice cream. As you can see by the first picture, there are different heat levels you can order. We had Level 1 but one of local people we were having lunch with had Level 2 - they don't even want the highest heat (Volcano). This ice cream is very interesting. It is cold and creamy when it touches the tongue but the burn starts in the back of the mouth. The burn doesn't go down the throat, it pretty much stays in the the same place unless you eat more than one scoop in one sitting, then the heat starts to spread. We had a tiny taste of the Level 3 and that one is really hot! The little things sticking up out of the ice cream in the picture are the chilis. Elder Tucker tasted those and found out they are really, really hot.
When Aubry and Rhet were here, we went out one evening for a "Firefly" tour. We rode a boat into the mangroves which grow on the edge of the land out into the water. We've seen fireflies on land before but part of this tour was seeing bioluminescent plankton in the water. At first it was like little fireflies in the water, little sparks of light in the wake of the boat. The guide that was with us gave us sticks that we put in the water. When we would dip or splash the water with our sticks, it looked like a lighted sparkler or a fairy wand of magic sparkles in the water. It was amazing to see all that light in the water - so beautiful! An added bonus was seeing all the stars in the sky while we were out in the dark. God has created so many beauties for us to enjoy - on land, in the sky and in the water - everywhere! I tried to take pictures but it was too dark for my camera so your imagination will have to do. I am including some pictures of some of the sights we saw with Aubry and Rhet so you can see how beautiful this country is.
As we've thought about Elder Holland's visit, we have realized that the broadcasts we had with him have been a highlight of our mission. These broadcasts are part of the reason we are here. We are doing our best to get people trained in every unit so that real-time broadcasts like we had with Elder Holland can be available to every member in the Philippines. There really isn't anything we can do about wifi dependability but to have trained people in place to set up and troubleshoot broadcasts such as these is what our work has been. The country-wide Stake Conference Elder Holland held and the Devotional for Married Couples were the responsibility of the Technology Specialists. They use Facebook Messenger to communicate with each other too. It was great to see their conversations when one had a problem and someone would answer to help them resolve the issues. We couldn't really read what was written because they sent messages in Tagolog but we could watch the action and see how they worked together to have successful broadcasts. Ours is a work that we don't often see the results but this time we did and it was satisfying to know that through technology, the good word of the gospel was reaching more and more members. Of course this wasn't all because of our efforts alone. It took many people doing their jobs to make the connections work. We were just happy to be part of the team.
As our time becomes shorter and we know our mission will soon come to an end, our tendency is to look back and determine what kind of a “wake” or ripple effect we’ve had. More than ever, we witness this is the gospel of Christ, His work rolls forward and our testimonies are stronger because of these past months. The prophet Nephi puts it this way, “and thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them...” 1 Ne 17:3 Our witness is this is true. We are doing all we can to work and make a difference and gradually ways open so we can accomplish the things which need to be done.
We love each of you and are grateful for your prayers of support. We can feel the difference your prayers make in our service. Thank you.
Love,
The Tuckers
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