Global Schools, Conferences, Temples, and a Trip to Africa!

 Several observations I've been wanting to share:

• Filipinos are not shy about asking your age.  We're getting used to it.  So beware:  when we get home, we may ask your age and wonder why you look surprised that we would ask such a thing.

• And they are not shy about telling you that you are "increasing," meaning putting on weight.  And if you're perhaps losing weight, you are "decreasing."  And they will tell you so.

• I've been told that there are only two seasons:  hot and hotter.  We are now in hotter, as April and May are the summer months.  School is out.  People are holidaying.  But they are still coming to the temple in large numbers and we keep extremely busy.

• With that "hotter" comes the practice of Filipinos putting small towels on their necks or upper backs under their shirts, or paper towels, or even several sheets of paper, all to absorb the sweat.   

• To get a man's attention, you call out "Chief.  Chief."  Good to know.

• I have been confused why those with very good English often get he and she mixed up.  It's because in Cebuano (also known as Bisaya), the same word is used for he, she, and it.  Now it makes sense.

• We see a lot of older white men (Americans or Europeans) with young Filipino women and sometimes with older ones.  A white guy can be a real catch.  But the catch is that the guy often needs to help support the extended family.  

• But we've also seen a lot of very happy marriages between white men and Filipino women, some choosing to live in the Philippines and some in other countries.

Now on to Global Schools . . . 

Our church-sponsored BYU-Pathway Worldwide's Global Education Center (known here as the GEC -- they love acronyms) started one year ago here in Cebu City.  The GEC provides affordable, spiritual and temporal online education.  It's a safe, high-tech, place where students can learn in online college courses and can receive degrees in many fields.  Education is the answer for those living in developing countries such as the Philippines.  And really, it's the answer for all, no matter what country you live in.  In 2024, the BYU-Pathway Worldwide program served 75,000 students in 180 countries.

We visited the GEC, which is open 9-9, one evening as we were out for our walk.  The GEC is in one end of one of the church buildings in the temple compound.  These young people are not members of our church, but are "interns" from local high schools.  They are learning how to help others use the computers as part of their high school curriculum.

These two young adults are overseeing the high school interns.  They also help those who come to learn at the GEC.  It was a pretty quiet evening but they say that it's often humming with activity.  So many people coming to learn on high-speed internet on the 100 computers.  

You can see our apartment here in the temple compound -- the two windows on either side of the palm tree in the center of the photo.  A nice apartment with a good view of trees, flowers, and the church buildings, one which houses the GEC.

Cebu City Stake Conference and General Conference 

We really enjoyed our recent Cebu City Stake Conference.  It was 95% in English so we could actually understand it for a happy change!  About 1000 people were in attendance -- the chapel, cultural hall, and stage were filled to overflowing. 

Elder Matthew K Jackson, a General Authority Seventy, was the main speaker.  You can see him in the picture -- tall and with white hair.  Elder Jackson encouraged members to share the joy of the gospel with others.  He said that there are 181 stakes of the church in the Philippines and there will be more.  The Church is growing rapidly in the Philippines.

A stake is an ecclesiastical unit composed of several smaller units, called wards and branches.  Stakes meet in conference twice a year and sometimes more often for activities; wards meet weekly with many extra activities.  

Talking about Conferences . . . We just enjoyed the annual, worldwide, two-day General Conference of our church, originating in Salt Lake City, Utah.  So thankful for technology and internet connections.  LeRon and I got up at midnight and again at 4 a.m. to view the Saturday sessions of Conference.  The Saturday and Sunday sessions were rebroadcast the next weekend to our chapels here in the Philippines.  

So great to hear from our church leaders who come, not only from the US, but from all parts of the world -- France, England, Germany, Brazil, and other European, Asian, South American and Oceania countries and even Philippines and Russia.  And our own Elder James Evanson, who grew up in Taber, Alberta, Canada, was recently called as a General Authority Seventy.

An Event Not to be Missed

A very exciting thing . . . The Salt Lake Temple has been under major renovations for the past several years.  It is now nearly complete and will be open to the public for tours of its interior from April 5, 2027 to October 1, 2027.  In that six months, 3 or 4 million people are expected to come from all over the world to tour the temple.  What a fantastic opportunity to be in this beautiful temple! 

The Salt Lake Temple is the grand-daddy of all our temples.  It was built over a 40-year period, from 1853 to 1893, in the days of early church members' poverty and sacrifice.  It's a good chance to see what the inside of an LDS temple looks like.  Once it is dedicated, after the 6-month open house, only members who qualify can enter.

Now. . . what you've been waiting for . . . a trip to Africa! 

No, sadly, we haven't been on a trip to Africa.  We are still in Cebu City, spending five days a week in the Cebu Temple.  But . . . 

First a bit of explanation.  Our church sponsors a weekly radio, television, and internet broadcast, called Music and the Spoken Word.  It is the longest continually-running broadcast in the US, starting in 1929 and continuing uninterrupted to this day.  It features gorgeous scenery and beautiful music by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.   The short, non-denominational message is meant to inspire those of any faith or those of no faith at all.

A recent broadcast featured our beloved Africa.  As we watched, we felt like we were back on our mission in Africa -- enjoying the acacia trees, the baobab trees, the wildlife, and the people.  Hope you too will enjoy this 30-minute broadcast, called An African Special: The Joy we Share.  Here's the hotlink: 

https://www.youtube.com/live/1DgtkfstvpM    

(You may skip the ad at the first.)

Screen shot from the video.  Love those baobab trees!  They say Africa to us.

And how many times did we see these magnificent animals as we traveled for missionary work to different places in Kenya and Tanzania and explored many game parks.

And who can forget the lovely, loving people of Kenya and Tanzania!

Yes, we felt like we had journeyed to Africa after watching this beautiful video.

Earthquake . . . and Sights and Smells

Earthquake?  Yes, earthquake.  I was having a nap on Monday afternoon, April 6 (the only day of the week, other than Sunday, that we are not working in the temple, and also the day our latter-day church was organized in 1830, and the birthday of Yael, our good friend from Israel), and I felt the bed shake for a few seconds.  Then our Filipino phones alerted us to a 5.2 earthquake, centered in Bogo City, which is about 100 kms north of Cebu City.  A senior couple, the Bartons, who live in Bogo City, said, "It was pretty exciting. We were rocking and rolling for about 10 seconds."  The last major earthquake was in October 2025 (actually two earthquakes -- 7.4 followed by 6.8).  Between earthquakes and typhoons, we may be in for some crazy times.

Here are some things I've noticed in the three months we have been here:

• Supply chain management seems to be an issue.  If you find something you want, you need to buy it because it may be gone the next time you shop.  (I remember how many times the clerks in Nairobi, Kenya, would tell me, "Out of stock."  Supply management is an issue in many countries.)
• Filipinos seem to like to have matching outfits, or at least matching colors.  In our stake, the stake choir always has matching outfits.  And we've noticed that weddings also bring out the matching phenomenon and not just for the bridal party, but for everyone who comes to the wedding.
• Some (quite a few) Filipino ladies have tattooed eyebrows and some even have tattooed lips.  Google says tattooing can cost between 5,000 and 30,000 pesos, depending on what is done.  That's a lot of money for people who struggle on 500 pesos per day.
• And talking of tattooing, I haven't seen a lot of tattooing here, at least compared to the west.  Again, it costs money.
• I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find fresh milk here.  I love milk.  I have found long-life milk that actually tastes not too bad.  Yeah!!  It comes in cartons and you can store it for up to a year just on the shelf.  I am surprised how good it tastes.  My first experience with "cardboard milk" as I called it, was when we visited LeRon's cousin, Ellen, in Turkey.  I didn't like the taste of that milk, but the milk here is pretty good.  It comes from Australia or New Zealand.  I can also get Almond Milk here.

Someone asked about our schedule:

• Sunday: Church, and in the evening, a potluck supper and a Family Home Evening lesson with the temple presidency, the temple missionaries, and Filipino temple volunteers. 

• Monday: Temple is closed so we grocery shop at a Costco-type store with the other two couples; do laundry; clean house; work on genealogy; write my blog; LeRon plays the piano and organ and reads. 

• Tuesday: Work in the temple baptistry from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., helping youth or adults do baptisms for their deceased ancestors.  We sometimes have up to 60 youth come, especially now that school is out and summer holidays have started (April and May).

• Wednesday: Work in the temple from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.  LeRon teaches piano lessons in the afternoon and I go along as a chaperone.

• Thursday through Saturday: Work in the temple as temple worker trainers from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Then do our own temple work or go shopping or have naps.  We are tired after getting up at 5 a.m. and working till 1 p.m.  We are getting old!!  And . . . it is very hot to be outside.

Now for some photos:

Love the beautiful hibiscus flowers.  But . . . seems that as soon as they flower, the gardeners cut them down and start new plants.

Filipinos seem to be, almost without exception, very musical.  They love to sing and they love to dance.  We stopped into our neighbors who live across the hall to join in the music.  Elder Torrie is in there somewhere, playing on his keyboard.

New friends from Canada.  Yeah!  They work in the temple with us. Ted Brown actually has connections to what we've always called "The Island", north of where we live in Grassy Lake, Alberta.  His grandfather was born on "The Island" at the forks of the Oldman River.  He's also related to the famous Jerry Potts who helped found the Northwest Mounted Police in Alberta.  Ted married a lovely Filipino, Maricel, and they lived for many years in B.C but are now permanently in the Philippines.  So fun to discover new friends.

Filipino people love their cats and dogs.  This food and water station is set up outside a restaurant in the big Ayla Mall here in Cebu.  More fun dog pictures to come . . . 

Stray dogs frequent the entrances to many of the shopping centers, sleeping in the heat of the day.  People just step around them and they never stir.

Here's a close-up of the dog in the previous picture.  At first we thought he was dead.  He didn't move for a very long time.  How in the world can he sleep, in the heat, with people everywhere, and in a very uncomfortable-looking position???

Dogs sleeping everywhere, even on the stairs.

Another day . . . another mall . . . more dogs.  They have collars, so we wonder if they belong to someone, but they seem to be strays.  Maybe the city puts collars on them.  Just a thought.  And here's another thought . . . see photo below . . .

We have seen many "Animal Bite Centers" in Cebu as well as in Manila.  Rabies is a serious thing here.  As missionaries, we are instructed to never even pet a dog or a cat.  Many Animal Bite Centers are open 24/7.  Yes, it costs to get a rabies shot, but better that than to get rabies.  Thank you, Louis Pasteur!  Some clinics offer free government-funded rabies shots; private clinics have a cost.  According to google, who knows everything, over 1 million cases of rabies are handled each year in the Philippines.

Can't get over the sleeping dogs.  I have a hard time breathing in the heat, let alone sleeping.  It's been around 30 C, which isn't that hot, but with 60% to 80% humidity, it feels very hot and muggy.  Thankfully our apartment is air conditioned, as is the temple, the taxis, and some of the stores.

We have eaten street food in many countries, but not here.  Food places on the streets are open 24/7, so if you want a midnight snack, you can easily get it, and for a cheap price too.

While we don't eat out on the street, we have tried many restaurants and once in a while, we go to the old faithfuls, such as KFC.  Who knew that KFC in the Philippines comes with French fries AND rice.  The square package is a brick of cooked rice, which actually tastes good with the gravy.  They also serve coleslaw.  Yeah!

For our 51st wedding anniversary on March 6, we worked in the temple and then went to La Parisienne for supper.

We have enjoyed the pizza here at La Parisienne . . . until we discovered . . . Pizza Hut at the Ayala Mall.  That pizza is so good.

La Parisienne has gorgeous looking gelato but we prefer the real Italian gelato.

We went with the other couples to the Texas Roadhouse for my 74th birthday celebration.  They made me ride a saddle, which I did side saddle because of my crazy hips, and wear a hat and wave a bandana while they sang Happy Birthday to me and performed a line dance.  Fun!  See very short clip below.

Singing with some fun temple workers.  They love Beatles music and have very nice voices.  I've been telling LeRon for a long time that he needs to learn more Beatles music.  I mean, he knows it, but he doesn't normally play it.

And here is our resident gecko.  He scurries very fast when he wants to.  Some of the other women scream when they see a gecko, but I think they're cute.  And I would much rather have a resident gecko than a resident mouse.  At least geckos eat bugs and are not as dirty as mice.  I can't live with mice.

So thankful for our de-humidifier.  We have to dump it about 3 times in 24 hours and each dump is about 5 1/2 liters.  It's keeping our humidity between 45% and 65%.  Our clothes are no longer molding and the paper no longer feels limp.  We still can't understand why only 2 of the 11 apartments have this humidity problem.

And we're thankful for the new kitchen faucet.  The old one was corroded and it leaked under the sink, which is probably why our apartment has a unique odor.  The tap on the right is the filtered water tap. We drink the filtered water.  We also fill the water jug from this tap for the water cooler.   The tap on the left is hot and cold. 

We are lucky to live in temple housing because we have many of the comforts of home.  Our biggest issue is that the hot water is inconsistent.  Sometimes no hot water for a couple of days.  Sometimes hot water in the mornings.  Sometimes hot water in the evenings.  Sometimes lukewarm water.  Sometimes cold.  Cold showers are not fun.  Most Filipinos only have cold showers.  One told me that hot water makes your hair fall out!!

The water cooler is fun.  Very cold water on the right, room temperature water in the middle, and boiling water on the left.  So nice for cooking things that need hot water.

Can you see the white square in the upper right of the back window of this car?  Click to enlarge so you can see the words, "Caution: New Lady Driver".  Can you believe that???  I think most women are much better drivers than men.

A "red button ginger", also known as a "scarlet spiral flag", or "Costus woodsonii" if you want to know the real name, on the temple grounds.  Interesting, but not beautiful.  Its roots and shoots are used in traditional medicine for everything from digestive issues to inflammation.

More flowers on the temple grounds.  This one is a "desert rose," a succulent that does well in dry African regions.  Its roots rot easily so maybe that is why it's planted in a bed of rocks.

The rocks are so white, we wondered if they were painted.  But no.  They are white rocks.

I love the bougainvillea.  But every time, just as they are blossoming beautifully, the gardeners prune them down.  So sad.

The bougainvillea blossoms are actually those tiny white flowers.  The beautiful colors are bracts, or small colored leaves just below the flowers.

Umbrellas are everywhere, and not just for the rain.  Even on the two-minute walk from the temple to the patron housing, Filipinos use umbrellas to keep the sun off.  And the sun IS really hot.

We sometimes shop at the Metro, a huge grocery store in the Ayala mall.  I came across an aisle filled with dried fish.  So interesting.

I asked google what Filipinos do with dried fish.  This is the answer:  they eat it for breakfast, along with garlic rice, eggs, tomatoes, and a vinegar dip.  Now I know why we sometimes smell very pungent smells in the hallway outside our apartment!

In Kenya, we saw aisles full of cooking oil.  In Sweden, we saw aisles and whole stores full of candy.  In Philippines, it's aisles of dried fish.

And then there is the fresh fish!  Nauseating to me!  And yet I loved the fish dishes we ate in the Canadian Maritimes last summer.  We learned that if cooked fish tastes fishy, it's not fresh.  And I remember eating "St. Peter's fish" on the Sea of Galilee in Israel one year.  The fish even had a shekel in its mouth.

Ah . . . that fishy smell.  LeRon says that it reminds him of his mission in Japan (1972-1974).

My kids know that I can't go anywhere without buying a painting or two.  I've never seen any I've really liked here, though I did see some "maybes" in Manila.  But this sister, who works in the temple, helps sell her husband's paintings.  We were hooked.  A painting of a farmer working in his rice fields with his carabao (pronounced care-ah-bow, as in the dog says bow-wow).  Not caribou.  The carabao is the national animal of the Philippines and is still used as a work animal.  But many farmers are turning to tractors and other machines, even small swathers and combines.

Here's an internet picture of a carabao.  I have only seen them from a distance.

A great Easter evening at the home of the mission president, President & Sister Clarke.  Our nephew, Darren Torrie's wife is good friends with the Clarke's daughter.  And President Clarke served a mission in his youth in Japan, as did LeRon.  Small world.  Fun to eat delicious western food that we all helped prepare and to visit with other senior missionaries.

Now for my benefit: 
Back row L-R: Elder Joe Andreasen; Elder LeRon Torrie with Sister Colleen Torrie in front and President Clarke behind; Elder Krey Stirland, Elder & Sister Holt (mission office), Elder & Sister Barton (of the Bogo City earthquake); Elder Palmer (LDS Charities), Elder _____ (BYU Pathways missionary).
Sitting in middle L-R: Elder & Sister Evans (MLS missionaries); Sister Wilhelm (mission secretary), Sister _____. (BYU Pathways missionary).
Front L-R: Sister Beth Andreasen, Sister Wendy Stirland, Sister Clarke (mission president companion), Sister Bringhurst (finance, mission office), Sister Palmer (LDS Charities), Sister C (hard name to remember -- she's the wonderful mission nurse).  

We temple missionaries go to a different restaurant every Saturday evening.  We're here at an Italian restaurant tonight.

We're at the temple president's home after a morning of training for Shift Coordinators.  They asked LeRon to bring his keyboard and make some music.  So fun.  We sang and danced.  Most had already left when this picture was taken.

Saturday evening at a new-to-us restaurant.  Open to the air on the top floor of a hotel.  You can see the Cebu City temple between Sister Andreasen and me.

The stake Primary children sang "I will Walk with Jesus" one Sunday evening.  I love the words to this song, especially the chorus:

As I walk with Jesus to my home above,
He will bless me with His Spirit and fill me with his love.
Change my heart forever and help me clearly see.
I will walk with Jesus, and He will walk with me.

He is Risen! Easter in the Philippines

After 10 days of fighting pneumonia, I'm back in the land of the living.  Thank you to those who offered prayers for me.  It was brutal.  LeRon reminded me that his mother often said that pneumonia is an old person's best friend (in that it helps them pass on when it's their time).  Thanks LeRon!  I don't think I'm that old, nor in need yet.  Our daughter Heather said that if I would have been born in pioneer days, I would probably have died from pneumonia.  So true!  Thank you, God, for inspiring scientific research that produced life-saving antibiotics.  And thank you for good doctors here in the Philippines.

I recovered just in time to enjoy some Palm Sunday activities -- a 2 a.m. zoom into our Taber ward's special sacrament meeting in which our son Craig gave the address about the significance of Palm Sunday.  Then a beautiful cantata that evening (our Monday morning) about the life of the Savior, composed by former Taberite, Jenny Francis and led by Barnweller (is that a thing?), Jane Porter.  

The cantata can be viewed at  <https://www.youtube.com/live/VPMERN1HOAs>.  The actual program starts at 22 minutes but before that, our son Craig plays 20 minutes of beautiful prelude music on the organ.  The cantata was well attended by members and community friends.  What a nice way to start the Holy Week.

Now about Easter . . . Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday are most important days for all Christians.  On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey, as kings often did, and was greeted by hundreds of people waving palm branches and dropping their garments on the ground to make a royal passage.  By Friday, He would be crucified with the approval of many of those same people.

Good Friday -- the day Jesus was crucified -- is a somber day.  We were in Salzburg, Austria, one year on Good Friday.  It was a cold, cloudy, dreary day.  Usually church bells ring out daily in Salzburg, echoing lovely chimes across the city, but today, Good Friday, the bells were silent.  Silent too on Saturday.

Then on Easter Sunday morning, we were awakened to the sound of hundreds of church bells pealing throughout the valley, sounding on and on and on:  He Is Risen!!!  People greeted each other joyously, not with the usual "Guten Morgan" (Good morning), but with the words, "Er ist auferstanden!" (He has Risen!!)

We understand that Easter Sunday here in Cebu will be quiet.  On the Easter weekend, many people go home to their families on other islands.  There will be almost no traffic, partly because of Easter but also because of the high price of fuel.  Many buses, jeepnies, and ferries are already not running or have cut back on their routes.  But the malls may be busy, as they sponsor games and treats for the children while their parents shop.  But hopefully many will attend church services, as will we.

We will be missing Easter traditions with the grandchildren who live near us, and not just Easter eggs and bunny rabbits and good food. . . .

We have had a tradition for several years of making palm branches by tracing the palms of our hands and attaching them to construction paper branches.  Then we enact the Triumphal Entry as we shout, "Hosanna!  Hosanna!"

Our sons, Michael and Eric each spent a semester in Jerusalem (at the BYU Jerusalem Center) and both were able to participate in Easter celebrations, including the Palm Sunday procession, waving palm branches and singing with thousands of Christians as they entered Jerusalem and commemorated the beginning of Holy Week.  This picture shows us in 2024 with our palm branches, with a picture on the TV of us in 2023 with our palm branches and the picture in the background is of Michael with his very tall palm branch as he joined the Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem in 1998.  A picture of a picture of a picture.  Click to enlarge so you can see how tall Michael's palm branch is. 

And here is Eric and his family with Eric in the back picture having joined the throngs entering Jerusalem in 2010.  What an amazing opportunity to be in Jerusalem at Easter time.  Walking where Jesus surely walked is a never-to-be-forgotten experience.  LeRon and I and our family have been to Israel five or six times (can't remember how many), and each time, it has been an amazing experience.  We love Jerusalem and the land of Israel and both the Jewish and Muslim friends we have made there.

The Jerusalem Palm Sunday Procession was cancelled in 2026 due to unrest and war, but this photo from the internet shows what it looked like in 2025.  Such a joyous occasion.

Because Jesus rose again, He lives today, and we too will live again after we die.  What joy it will be to be with our loved ones and with our Heavenly Father and our brother and Savior, Jesus Christ!  

                       So from us in the Philippines to you wherever you may be . . . 

                                                      Happy Easter!  He is Risen!!