Yacht Trip/Cooking Class/Coming Home

The two Grant's

Mike, Shiella, Grant, Susan, & Grant

Lunch on the Deck

Grant just relaxing

Just hanging out!

Grant Pace's yacht at Subic Bay

Cooking breakfast in the Galley

Sailing down the coast of Luzon

Cooking Class Raffel

Farewell Surprise Party

Last thursday morning we went up to Subic Bay with Mike and Sheilla our neighbors to go sailing on Grant Pace's yacht, the Puerto Galera. He was taking it down to Puerto Galera on the island of Mindoro. He named his yacht after this port. We sailed from Subic Bay in northern Luzon to another port south and spent the night there on the yacth. We went a shore for a swim and dinner at a very nice yacht club The next morning we were off to Puerto Galera.

The crew of three plus Captain Grant got going early. We arrived early afternoon and again moored at another yacht club. We went into town walked around a very interesting port city. We had dinner at a local restaurant and hotel. The next morning we left in a rain storm to catch a ferry to Batangas. That was quite an experience and a little scary as the ferry got hit by some big waves. Mike and Sheilla's driver and car were waiting for us and we rode home to Manila in about two hours. Our ferry ride took over an hour. I needed to be home to get ready for the R. S. cooking class I was teaching that afternoon. I had about 25 women sign up to learn baking skills and entertaining ideas. We had it in our little apartment but it worked out great and was so much fun. Grant even helped and we had a raffle to give many things we won't be taking home with us. After, Sheilla and Mike came and got us and said they wanted to show us something on the 6th floor of our building. So we went with them and when we got down there they took us into the party room and everyone yelled surprise! It was people from our ward that came to say good bye. We were totally blown away and surprised! They had all kinds of food and a big cake. Then they told us all the things they liked about us. It was quite touching to realize that we would be missed. For those of you who have not heard we decided to come home earlier than we had hoped. For a long time we had been wondering what to do. Grant had built out the clinic and then after that he just did not have much to do. We kept saying let's just give it some more time. We had even bought our tickets for coming back from being home in April. The people at the clinic were quite sad but they understood because they know the building just gets used one half day a week. Anyway we have kind of a compromise that they will group patients together and actually start using the building for the surgeries. Grant will return every two months to help do the surgeries. We fill good about things and think this will be for the best. If we can get them to use the building it will be a great accomplishment. See you all soon.

Asian Women's Conference

Beautiful Manila Temple
Grant practicing with "silver heads" for Ballywag District Conference
Krisann and Robyn riding the out door escalator to our hotel at mid level in Hong Kong
Having lunch in Stanley Market after a full day of shopping
Robyn has to be admitted to the hospital in Hong Kong
The building with the steeple is the church building where they held the Women's Conference
We worked on a service project of tying quilts when we arrived Thursday evening
Some of my friends from Manila. We went to the Hong Kong Temple Friday night.

Last week I went to Hong Kong for the Asian Women's Conference and Grant went to Davao. We have a clinic in Davao and Grant went down there to see if he could be utilized better down there. They have a nice clinic down there and although it is in the Muslim area it is a pretty safe city. But by the time he got his license there our time would be pretty much over, plus we would have to move and get settled there. But he was happy to see what is happening down there. I had a great time at the women's conference. There were seven of us that went over from Manila. There were probably about 200 women in attendance for the conference. We had a service project and great speakers too. I loved being in Hong Kong again. We arrived on wednesday walked along Nathan Road, went to the Peninsula Hotel for high tea and watched the laser show from the Kaloon side that night. We stayed up late playing games and the next day took the bus out to Stanley Market. My favorite place to shop. It was lots of fun because we had no husbands that made us leave when we didn't want too. The Conference started Thursday at 5 pm with a service project and then speakers at 7. We again stayed up late that night playing games. Friday we had speakers, lunch and breakout sessions where you could choose your class. We went out to the Hong Kong that evening and then back to the hotel. That night we did not play games because Robyn was not feeling well. Early the next morning we were very concerned about her and got some of the Church members over there involved. A doctor who works for the Embassy and another priesthood holder came and gave her a blessing and quickly admitted her to the hospital. She had to stay there for several days. One of us stayed back with her and they just got home wednesday. They think she has dengay fever. It is kind of scary because she is the 3rd person I have known that got it recently in Manila.

Grant and I both got back about the same time on Saturday night. The next day we went with some of the senior missionaries to the District Conference in Ballywag. Grant and two of the missionaries sang at the conference. They sounded great.

INFANTA SCREENING

Our delicious dinner made by Melonie and Maricar the social workers

Melonie and Maricar on the left

One of the little patients that will be coming to Manila

Some of the little patients at the screening, notice club feet.

Beautiful drive to Infanta

Catch of the day. One of four big tuna's they caught that day.

Always interesting trucks to see.

We saw this little girl taking a bath as we drove along.

Last week we went to Infanta for a screening with Manny (director of Mabuhay House). We work with the social workers up there and they get the word out that we are coming to look for patients. Infanta is about a 3 hour drive from Manila going east and north until you come to the eastern shore. So we are on the western shore of the island of Luzon and they are on the eastern shore. It was a very beautiful drive and you always see interesting sights along the way. When we arrived we were met by Melonie and Maricar who are social workers for the government. It was a busy town and I thought very nice. They took us for a snack and said they would be bringing our dinner to us later because the place we were staying had no services and all the places in town close at 6:30 pm. I thought that was kind of strange. We stayed in a fairly nice resort right on the ocean. We were the only guests as it was the middle of the week. They came back later with a dinner for us of fish, rice, and mangos. The fish was really good. We ate out in front of our little cottages. It was only when we got back to Manila that I found out why everything closes at 6:30. I guess this is a dangerous area with political fractions that don't get along so people are just home and the town closes down at night. We didn't feel scared so I guess it was good we found out after the fact. The next morning we went to the large covered pavillion that each area seems to have. It is used for basket ball games (very popular sport here) and large gatherings. Lots of people were there and we had to listen to the political talks by the Mayor and others before we could start the screening. We found some patients that our organization can take care of. They will be bringing these patients down to Mabuhay on Monday. It was fun for me to help out with the screening and we will get to go to more of these in the future. Grant is going to go to Davao on friday and check out our clinic there and I am leaving for Hong Kong on wednesday to go to the Asian Womens Conference. I hear it is cold over there (60's). We are used to 90 so it will be a shock to our system. I am going with about 10 women from my LDS ex-pat group.