Around Cebu

It is so nice to be close enough to the Cebu temple that we can attend regularly. This group of young people were doing baptisms and want to take a picture with us. This is "walky, walky". When they want a funny picture they say walky which is kind of like wacky --I believe. We have gone  two firesides at the Stake Center. Elder Ward, a temple missionary, who was a seminary and institute teacher for 30 years talked on the Book of Revelations. Another time a ward did a "Music and the Spoken Word". The Stake President, Mission President, and Temple President spoke and the music was amazing.

This is the back of the temple grounds. It is quite a high density area but the temple complex (Stake Center,  patron house, missionary apartments, mission office, distribution center, mission president's home, temple president's home and temple) occupies 11.6 acres of land. The church owes more undeveloped land nearby. Brother Perez says that the Japanese had tunnels near by during the war so when JY mall was built the owner became quite wealthy because of the treasures left behind. When the mayor told Elder Oakes that the church may find treasures when they were doing an inspection Elder Oakes said" there will be treasures in heaven". Brother Jerez grew up nearby and says that people that once lived on the temple property had large snakes and crocodiles. On the way to school he would gather stray cats in a bag and sell them to the people for 5 pesos.  As children they loved to slide down the hills on coconut leaves. 

This is our walk home from the temple usually along Gorordo Ave.. Unusual to see a large animal as there is little open space. 

Bamboo is plentiful and this man is making furniture. All done by hand right there along the sidewalk. 

 

Laws here seem to be more of a suggestion than a rule. Some cars have homemade license plates. Stop lights are rare but not strictly followed. The little fellow on the walk sign literally runs--good idea. Pedestrians do not have the right of way.

 

Old church site--offices, patron space and Stake Center. It is empty now.

A wire hoop on a tree along a main sidewalk kept these young boys having fun. A little a little farther along there were several men crouched on the sidewalk playing checkers.

Tesda is doing a good service here trying to get corporate sponsors eg  Coca-Cola to work with them on training and job so that when students graduate they are able to find meaningful employment.

There are motorcycles everywhere

This dental office was along the way but I hope that I won't need there services



Then we get to downtown and the skyline changes.

This is  Ayala mall center court and a good place to stop and cool off.

The walk is about 5 km.

The mall is right across from the FGU building which is where we work on the fifth floor. Mind you because of superstition the building does not have a third or thirteenth floor. Taxis are plentiful and cheap. Most rides cost us about $2.50.

All boys seem to love basketball and I can never resist taking their picture. This is very close to our apartment. Also, the little boy and his brother below.

Along the way it is common to see skinny, stray cats and dogs. They never beg or follow you they just wander around looking for food,, I guess.

On the way to church we spotted some chickens. The cars didn't run over them because they were on a short tether.

I was actually admiring the flower when I saw the spider.

This little "place" is on the same street as our apartment. Sometimes there is someone sleeping on the bench or they may be selling food items.

This is on the way to SM mall which is another large shopping mall. I know that we look pretty pathetic but it is hot, humid and may rain suddenly. The young men on the truck below have T-shirt over their heads. This is actually quite common everywhere, and of course, it is necessary to have  cloth to mop the sweaty face.

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Motorcycles always go to the front of the traffic.

This is just a sidewalk overview. The first is very nice (one of the best), the second is quite common, the third is frequent and then there is none at all.

 

The jeepneys outside the mall are so colorful and cool. Security is always trying to find us a taxi because they think it is too far to walk.

Haven't eaten any fish, Sister Keller doesn't seem to like fish and sometimes the eye balls and the smell do turn you off a little. Produce does not seem to keep long here, even in the fridge it spoils quickly. We freeze a lot of things in our "little " fridge. Our rice had bugs in and we maybe had it a month.

 

People here seem to want lighter skin. Then  read in the paper that a lot of the creams have mercury in them.

 

 

 This canal was not pleasant smelling and was full of garbage. 

 

This is a squatters village. Very sad situation. 

 

Despite the huge construction and work going on in Cebu a lot of the work is very  labor intensive. To replace the portion of the sidewalk they chip out the old with a hammer and chisel, bag the rubble, carry it away, and mix cement by hand to make the repair.

This is the Balledos new home. They had a lot of us for supper and were leaving the next day. They have only been there for about seven weeks and now they are off to Salt Lake for training and then he will be the new mission president of the Baguio Mission.

Brother John was the manager of the ERC, But now Mary Ann Balen will take his place.

Very nice modern design with a lovely front door. There was a very large front entrance with the open stairs  --no clothes closet, of course.

 

The Perez family --both daughters were at BYU Hawaii and are now going on missions. One is going to Salt Lake and the other to the Baguio mission. The little fellow is 9 months old.

 

 To get there was a slow process through the people and streets.

 There is a touch beauty all around.