27 March 2016 Easter Sunday

Happy Easter!   

"Our Savior’s Atonement does more than assure us of immortality by a universal resurrection and give us the opportunity to be cleansed from sin by repentance and baptism. His Atonement also provides the opportunity to call upon Him who has experienced all of our mortal infirmities to give us the strength to bear the burdens of mortality. He knows of our anguish, and He is there for us. Like the good Samaritan, when He finds us wounded at the wayside, He will bind up our wounds and care for us (see Luke 10:34). The healing and strengthening power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement is for all of us who will ask."  Elder Dallin H. Oaks, General Conference October, 2015.

This talk by Elder Oaks is so powerful in helping us understand that the atonement is more than just paying for our sins and the resurrection.  We are so grateful for the blessings of the Atonement and for our Savior Jesus Christ.  We are grateful to represent Him here in the Philippines.  It is a beautiful day here in Naga.  We hope it is the same for you wherever you are.  (Elder and Sister Hoopes)

Elder Doria will be NJ and Sister Corpuz is in Irvine CA.

We started this past week by delivering two missionaries to the airport on Sunday. They were Elder Doria and Sister Corpuz who had both been called to missions in the US but could not get their Visa's and so were assigned to this mission until the Visa's came through.  That happened this past week and they flew to Manila on Sunday.  We were planning to go to the Pili ward for church on Sunday and as the airport is nearly to the city of Pili,

Sister Corpuz with two companions from Pili and
a little sister from the ward.

we volunteered to take them to church with us and then deliver them at the airport.  This was special to us because we had just been to Pili on Tuesday of the week before to pick up Sister Corpuz and bring her to Naga for her last week.  She had loved Pili and was so thrilled to be able to go back to the ward for Sacrament meeting.  Of course, there were lots of hugs and tears before we were able to leave and head to the airport and they asked her to speak in Sac Meeting.

RS program last Saturday with dances from each Ward.
This is fromt the Naga 2nd Ward.  Glenda, one of the piano
students is the one in front.  Love teh cowboy touch.

The rest of the week was almost like usual with an English test on Monday; piano lessons on Tuesday in Pasacao; District meeting and then a wedding reception of some friends on Saturday.  In between all of this was shopping because we had done little the week before; car washing and some downtime to rest from the labors of the previous week.

This is from the Naga 3rd Ward dance presentation.

Wedding reception buffet line.  Sis Hoopes made
donut "holes".  They should be invisible but aren't and
still have calories but tasted really good.  That is Sister Gamil
at the table.  Mother of the Groom.

Yasir and Marie Gamil.  He is a RM from Australia.  We met him early last
year and his family have been good friends to us.  Marie is a RM also.  

These three pictures are fromt the Wedding reception on Saturday (yesterday) of Yasir and Marie Gamil.  They were married on Thursday in the Manila Temple.  It is quite a trip to go to the temple.  This wedding was planned to coincide with a stake temple day.  They arrange for a bus and leave on Wednesday evening about 8.  The bus drives all night and they get there the next morning.  Spend the day in the temple.  If it is 2 days, they stay overnight in the Temple housing and then leave the next night for home and get home about 5 am.  Makes for along trip.  Both returned missionaries.  Yasur is the Elder Quorum Pres in the Naga 3rd Ward.

President and Sister Reeder at the reception along with
our good friends the Lopez'

There is not much else to say about this week other than it was very busy for Sister Hoopes. It was Holy Week here and Friday is a big day so she cancelled piano lessons on Friday night but was cooking most of the day getting ready for Saturday.  She had volunteered to take desserts to the wedding reception.  Then she offered to bring Bread Pudding to the choir members for Choir practice on Saturday night. She was running from early Saturday morning until late Saturday night.  Now Sunday is here and we have the program in church at 1 and then dinner here with President and Sister Reeder and Elder and Sister Watson.

And thus begins another week.  

Gia Valenciano next to Sis Hoopes and her mother (Naga 3 RS Pres) on the
far left along with our 2 Sister Missionaries in Naga 3.
The sister on the far right will be going to Mesa when she gets a Visa.

This little guy is named Wilford Woodruff Tud, the oldest child and son of
Bishop Tud in Pili.  He told me he wants to be a missionary.  His
grandfather is the Patriarch of the Naga Stake.

WE CALLED THIS A PHILIPPINO CAMPER.