One of the most exciting happenings this month was that 3 of my piano students, Amihan, Cathy and Jenn, got to the point in their lessons where they were able to receive a keyboard to take home to practice on. After they reach the point when they are able to play for church and teach others, they can apply to keep the keyboards for their very own. They are all determined to do this!
I'm so proud of them!
This program is sponsored through the Harman Foundation.
What a blessing to so many people around the world!
Amihan
Cathy
Jenn
I think teaching piano lessons has been the favorite part of my mission!
Fe and Reymar
We also have LOVED having a choir each day!
It was Elder Kendell and Sister Em's birthdays, so we celebrated with ice cream and cake.
After 2 years, Sister Veronica got her visa approved and is leaving for Iowa to be with her husband. We are praying for her to be able to adjust to going from Hong Kong to Blockton, Iowa. (pop. 210) She is an amazing person who has planned all the spectacular Saturday Family activities.
We hope she will be appreciated in her new home.
Even "grownups" have food fights now and again.
Tuesday Family did a very nice activity about the beauties of nature.
We all got to do a flower arrangement. Of course there were lots of pictures.
Our girls are even prettier than the flowers.
Our beautiful sister missionaries
This is a great elder, Elder Copely, who just went home.
Brother Estrella is one of our only male members.
At Elder Copley"s farewell party.
Our girls LOVE to do cross-stitch.
I don't know how they find the time to tackle something like this!
We have started 2 self-reliance business classes.
I hope that some of them will be able to learn to start their own business in the Philippines.
Sister Marjorie taught us how to make flowers for our hair.
Sister Betsy is modeling hers.
The theme of our visiting Teaching Convention was "Heart's Knit Together in Love".
Sister Whitman made 150 heart cookies for us!
They were a huge hit!!
We are so blessed to have Elder and Sister Brown and Elder and Sister Pett help us on Saturday!
Sister Yolly, our Relief Society President, helped cook all the food.
Every other Saturday, a few women cook a feast for over 100 people.
They begin by shopping for the food at 7 AM every time.
It's like having to do a ward banquet every other week for the rest of your life!!
When you ask them about it, they assure you they love serving in that way.
"It's how we show love!"
Here's Sister Yolly again! What a surprise it was for us to go down to the pool one afternoon and find Yolly and Ems swimming there! They both work for people who live in our apartments, so they can use the pool. It was a fun time for all of us!
The Farewell Parties have begun.
Decorations are going up.
Sisters Shirley and Lala.
Our great missionaries helped the sisters cook all the food!
All of us helped eat!
YUMMY!
Note the musical balloons.
Our balloon magician is Grace.....one of my piano students.
My Thursday students are Jenn and Susan (standing)
Cathy, Grace and Amihan (bottom row)
Saying goodbye is never easy!!
We were honored to share a farewell party with Sister Mary Ann on Tuesday.
She is going home to start her own business!
Sweet Mary Ann will be sorely missed by all of us!
Sister Jennifer made this peacock from over 1,000 pieces of folded paper!
....and games....
....and dances.....
In Thursday family, Sister Noravee is going home to take care of her family.
It was great sharing a farewell with her!
She wanted everyone in purple....her favorite color!
She wanted everyone in purple....her favorite color!
She made every family member a special purple pillow that said I love you!
Sometimes, taking down the decorations is just as much fun as the party!!
Sister Claire sent away to the Philipines to have this banner made for us from Friday Family!
All our families are so sweet and thoughtful!
She also had this clock made for us. Thank you Mommy Claire!
Sister Lyrma gave us shirts from the Philippines to remember her by.
We had to say goodbye to five different families.
Sister Luzvaminda was baptized by Elder Mangrobang. It was so nice to see him again.
She seems like she will be a real asset to Saturday family!
It's always fun to photobomb a picture of pretty girls like Nerissa and Zcharina!
Sister Dannilyn Glomo was able to have her parents come from Texas to go to the temple with her for the first time!
We went to Big Wave Beach with Judi and Stan Pett. It was so HOT you couldn't walk barefoot!
The Petts help run our branch on Saturday, so they have a Sunday P-Day with us.
I call him "Eye Candy" for short!
My "turquoise" friends, Kathy Roberts and Larraine Chamberlain.
This guy is making noodles.
It is a real art!
When we look at our grocery list, it's perfectly clear what everything costs!
(Just not clear what it IS????)
(Just not clear what it IS????)
Bamboo scaffolding as high as you can see. It's held together by fiber ties.
The guys that put it up and down are called spider men.
These are some sights we are going to miss when we leave.
A view of the Church Office Building from the building across the street.
This is what was going on at home!!!
Lots of Easterners having fun visiting cousins in Salt Lake!
Can't wait to hug them all again!
