-: October 2010

We left Hawaii on Monday morning and after a very long 10 hour flight arrived in Manila on Tuesday late afternoon at 5:00 pm, we were already messed up with the time changes and everything. And my favorite part of the whole trip was about to happen, Seeing the only 2 white people in the middle of a million philippinos at the bottom of a dirty ramp, Pres. and Sis Anderson, Mom and Dad, I couldn't believe it, it had been almost 2 1/2 years since we had seen them in real life and it was a sweet reunion! We had many staring at us but it seemed normal to my parents so we went along with it too. We walked through this filthy parking lot and jumped in the car and drove the crazy city of Manila, I couldn't believe all the people that were everywhere even little kids wandering these busy streets, there was a stinch in the air and it was pretty hard to take a breath of fresh air because there isn't any! We drove about 2 hours stopping for dinner at an american restuarant and enjoyed just sitting and being with mom and dad because I'm not gonna lie neither of us had an appetite, but the food was actually really good! Then we arrived at the mission home around 8:00 pm, it was so fun to see where my parents have spent there time this last 2 1/2 years and to be able to actually understand all that they do and are doing! We went over to the mission office and saw where dad spends a lot of his time, met some office elders and met the NightGuard/Bishop. We were beat so we went to bed. Mom had bottles of alchohol on our pillows with a rag for Trav (everyone in the philippines carries a rag around their mouth and nose because it stinks there and it's not the cleanest air), I had a fan and alchohol on my pillow, (the bottles of alchohol we carried with us everywhere and used it as often as possible to clean off germs or anything, it really isn't a clean place)!
The next day we were up at 5:00 am (still not used to time changes), we got dressed, enjoyed some Cream of Wheat brought over all the way from Utah by us, Dad was so excited about that! And we were off to a Zone meeting, it was so fun to see my dad in action and to see these missionaries that my mom and dad love so much. We were able to participate in some role plays with the missionaries and then Dad asked us to bearour testimonies and had travis tell a few words about his own mission. It was so neat to feel the spirit of these missionaries and of missionary work. I was overcome that these young kids from all over came to this foreign land and dedicate their lives to the Lord and His work for 18 months to 2 years. I wanted to cry for all of them, because just being there a day I knew there was no way I could stay longer then the week we were going to be there. What a Sacrifice! They were all so happy and filled with the spirit! They sang their mission song for us. Then we headed up to Lilew for lunch at Arabella's and some shoe shopping. Arabella's is a crazy restuarant, it is only as tall as we are and you have to duck when walking to the bathroom, it is american food so we again were grateful for that. While sitting there a little philippino boy showed up in the window and Dad said he comes everytime my dad is there because he sees my dad's car, he waited for us to finish our lunch and then we went out to meet him, he was selling little weeds or something I am not even sure, but he just wanted a few pesos. So my dad gave him some and then he followed Travis all through the shoe shops, it was so funny. We definitely stood out everywhere we went, the only light skinned blue eyed people you could see. People stared! We shopped for a couple of hours in Lilew (the shoe capitol of the philippines where you buy shoes for under 5 dollars. Then we took our first Trike ride and then headed back into San Pablo to go to the Planke! First we stopped at a member's home, he actually is the Bishop of the Lilew ward, I could not believe the humble circumstances in which these people lived. He was an artist and was painting when we got there, they had 2 darling baby boys and had lost a 1 year old girl about a year ago because she had a heart murmur or something and they had no money to get her the medical help she needed. My heart broke for this family but they seemed as happy as can be, that is what amazed me the most about this place, these people are so happy and kind but have so little. This home had dirt floors and I never even saw a bed. I can't tell you how blessed we are!! The Planke is like an open market, and was NOT Trav's favorite part of the trip, you walk through this open market with a million philippino eyes on you trying to get you to buy anything from their stand. There was people everywhere, it was all great until dad took us downstairs, I have never smelled anything so bad in my life, it stunk. There was meat hanging everywhere, jello being sold everywhere, eggs, balut, fruit, vegetables and beggars that kept tapping our arms and asking us for money, these were tiny kids and when you told them no they would fake cry, and they would'nt leave until you gave them money. one little girl kept pinching Trav's bum, it was hilarious. We got out of the basement fast and went to the car. Travis couldn't wait to get out of there and on our way home he told us that he thinks that is what Hell is going to be like, Chaotic, Dark, stinky, confusion, loud etc.. We laughed and joked about Hell for the rest of our trip! We got back to the mission home which always was so nice to be in a clean, good smelling place, and enjoyed a philippino dish made by the maid, of course after Travis took a Shower :) He had to shower when ever we returned home from somewhere, it was so funny! I enjoyed just talking to my mom and being with her. Then off to bed to rest up for day #3!

This is the beautiful mission home..

on our way to zone meeting..

I forgot to mention that we stopped at a member's home on our way to zone meeting. Sis. Silos, she was so sweet and kept telling us she hadn't bathed yet, so she didn't want us to get to close :). These people live in very humble circumstances, yet are so kind and giving .

This was the little store connected to her home, this is how a lot of the people make their money, very interesting.

Her kitchen..

THe front of her home..

These trikes are everywhere..

Travis couldn't believe the wiring and thinks the whole place might burn down someday..

Zone meeting...so fun to be in the presence of these missionaries..

This is a sister's apartment, again not sure i could ever serve a mission, I really look up to missionaries..

Arabella's..

This is as tall as the whole place is..

The little boy waiting for my dad..

there were shoe shops lined up and down this street, one shop i went in, I was looking around and came to the corner where a curtain had been drawn and noticed that somebody was in there taking shower...

Our one and only trike ride... you only need to take one!

The Bishop's Humble home...

He kind of had a river running through his house because it had rained.

more of his home..

This is how the streets always were, people everywhere... and my dad would weave in and out of this traffic, I couldn't believe it, he said you have to be bold or you won't get anywhere. I thought we were going to die lots of times..