Happy New Year!

For those still living in 2016 waiting for the new year to arrive we can say that it came in with a bang - in fact several of them.  There were a lot of neighborhood fire crackers. Then a horn honking for 20 minutes straight.  After that it was pretty quiet until morning. No karaoke that we could hear.

A new day has dawned in a new year and what we see of the future, so far, looks pretty good.

Looking back through pictures  taken over the course of this last year brought back a flood of memories. It is unbelievable how many changes have taken place and how many new experiences there were in that year.  Here are just a few of the highlights.

All of the missionaries who were with us in the office this time last year are now home.There were 8 batches of missionaries come and go during the year. About half of the mission.

There was a close encounter with balut.

There were many close encounters with a multitude of other vehicles on the highway.

Elder and Sister Haliday returned to their home and are no longer with us.

President and Sister Tanner also left for home and were replaced by President and Sister Maughan.

Our good friend Elerie was married and he and Wilma are expecting their first child.

The Philippine Area Presidency changed as President Bowen took the place of President Ardern.

We had our first jeepnee and tricycle rides.

Our granddaughter was married bringing a new grandson into the family.

Elder and Sister Weatherston joined us in the office.

Our home ward has changed and we have a new stake president.

There have been tender mercies too numerous to count. Looking back we see the Lord's hand in this work. There is absolutely no way it would be moving forward without divine help.

We anticipate many new experiences as we look forward into the coming year. One thing a mission does for 'seniors' is to move us out of our comfort zones. We are placed in an environment where we are constantly challenged and need to adapt. Getting 'set in our ways' will need to come later.

Thought for the Week

"Certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean-spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that would allow us to take offense. However, it ultimately is impossible for another person to offend you or to offend me. Indeed, believing that another person offended us is fundamentally false. To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else. "

Elder david A. Bednar  'And Nothing Shall Offend Them', October 2006