SRC and Around

When it rains it really rains but it may not last long. Bro. Jai (Jarius Perez) says that Cebu has not had a typhoon for big storm for many years.

 

He looks after all the disaster areas in the Philippines where the church is framing houses  for residence to finish and he is negotiating water improvement where it is needed.

 

 

view from our FGU office building 

 

We feel very fortunate to live where we do. Parts of Cebu flood regularly. We just have a few leaks now and then--the television does not work but we do have WiFi .

 

 

One Saturday we discovered this art show at SR mall and went back the next Saturday because we wanted to take pictures (without flash was permitted).

 

 This was my favorite "One Market Day" by Ramon V. Dias

 

Another weekend we had  a Stake Relief Society activity. The purpose was to encourage and motivate women to become more self reliant through self employment or helping a spouse. Speaker was James Fantone from Ace Academy.

The next weekend was the ACE Academy Conference on Saturday --

"Growing and Strengthening Your Money Tree"

The focus is on small business--"start small think big". Always take a livable salary and save for a rainy day. Don't kill the golden goose.

The workshop "Trash for Cash" was interesting. They made paper beads and paper to weave all sorts of items--using items all headed for the trash.

 

Some of our classes are quite Amazing. I enjoy working with the PEF students figuring how they can go to school, work and get the money that they need for their education. Sometimes my heart breaks --like when I read in the paper about a 12 year old who wants to be a doctor. He sells hard boiled eggs on the corner after school to help his family--and hopes that the rugby boys don't punch him and steal his money.

 

Office Staff (Elder and Sister John, Eljane, Me, Sister Keller, May and Mary Ann Balen) The Johns go home in August and a new couple, the Mathers, come the end of. October.



Classes and Job Fairs will draw quite a large number of people--up to 40 sometimes..

 Ramil Judilla is over thirty, which means that it will get harder to find a job. He has three children. Right now he drives a jeepney but has no drivers license. He would like a call center job as they will hire older people and the pay is better than average. However, he could not pass the language part of the call center test so his brother James (below) told him to come into our center. He worked very hard and was beaming one day when he came in --he had passed the language part but not the technical part. He does have a small printing business so we wondered if he could expand that. James teaches English to Korean students.

 

Ponciano in front of Elder John is a church member with six children. He had a sea shell business but says that it has been out sourced to China so --he wants a call center job. The rest are not members of the church but wonderful and gracious people.

 Below is a group of missionaries that are just ready to return home. This is a very unusual group as so many were from the USA, but all missionaries take the Career Workshop course before returning home.

 

 Bennie, in the back with the blue shirt, is 37 years old. He used to work in Dubai but now wants to be home with his family so he is hoping to get a call center job. The person behind Sister Keller wants a call center job. Her son took the course and he thinks that if he could just get to Canada he could earn lots of money to support his mother.

Elizabeth (sixth from the left) spends hours writing out notes from a call center book in the office. She worked in the UK but "intonation" keeps her from passing the language test. She came home because her son had an accident and had one leg amputated. Anna in the black and white top wants to go to the temple and wanted to improve her English. She grows coconuts and has a small farm. 

 

Jefrey and Arjai were so lacking in confidence that I was surprised that they even came. But they were so proud of their certificate after eight classes and thanked us both. They really did improve and it gives them hope.

 Nenieta was leaving a teaching job because the pay didn't make it worth her while to work but she likes teaching. At the end of the American Accent program when she listened to the two tapes of before and after the classes (that is how we evaluate progress) she said: "wow I really am better and I even look prettier too".

 

I just want the best for every one of the people that we work with. We pray for them and we love them.

 

Just in case you wonder I am a member of the Mabolo ward choir. I told them to smile because my family may not believe that I am really joining the choir.

 

 

A few of the girls from the Apas ward choir that did a fireside "Do You Have My Name?" The music was wonderful and the presentation great. It definitely motivated us all to do our family history, and the temple work for our ancestors. .