The week of November 10 -17, 2007 was a special week in the Philippines. Many things happened that we will remember long.
The week started on Sunday as usual but with a mission presidents’ seminar. All the 15 mission presidents and their wives, and the MTC presidents and his wife joined the Area Presidency (three general authorities) in a three-day seminar. It was held at an elegant hotel, Shangri-La. It was Elder Roundy’s job to get all this organized. He didn’t do it all himself, certainly, but he had the task of ensuring everything went together as expected. The mission presidents stayed in the hotel for these three or four nights. The rest of us returned to our own apartments.
We ate at the hotel – lunch and dinner, and at each break there was what the Filipinos call a “merianda” or snack. Those were almost as scrumptious as the meals. Later on we found out that when the room is rented, the cost of the food has already been included, so eat up.
On Monday evening two apostles, Elder Dallin H. Oaks and Elder Quentin R. Cook and their wives came, and we had a dinner with them. On Tuesday, both of them were the seminar speakers throughout the day. The wives went with the sisters for a couple of hours into another room. That evening we joined with the Oaks and Cooks at President Edwards’ apartment with the other two members of the area presidency, Elder Ko and Elder Teh, and their wives, and Brother and Sister Millett, the Area DTA. We had a nice dinner, then sat and chatted. Elder and Sister Oaks told us about their meeting (she is his second wife). As also did Elder and Sister Cook. This was a very folksy, casual after-dinner visit. Elder Oaks is loud and almost bombastic, but kind. Elder Cook is reserved and laconic, and pleasant. We stayed at the apartment for a couple of hours or more, but we had to eventually leave because all of us had to catch a plane early the next morning.
On Wednesday we were driven to the Manila Domestic Airport to catch a flight to Cebu. Wednesday was to be the groundbreaking for the Cebu Temple. We rode with the Millett’s (his driver took us) and with President Earle Monson and his wife. He is president of the Manila Temple. On the plane we were again with all the same folks who had been at dinner the night before, plus the Monsons. We rode in the first-class upper deck section. An hour later we landed in Cebu. A bus met us and we were driven to the hotel, another Shangri-La. There was a light lunch, but Elder Round skipped that to go with Elder Ko to check out the sports center where the evening devotional was to be held and to go to the Cebu Temple site to see how the arrangements there were progressing. Elder Roundy had minimum to do because Elder Ko is the classic “take charge guy.”
In about a half hour it was time for the groundbreaking, or nearly so. The two apostles and others, including Sister Roundy, came to the site on a coaster (a small bus). The site had been all cleaned up, a couple of high tents had been raised, and nearly 300 chairs were set out. A choir section was provided. Elder Oaks presided. He had the ceremony delayed because the mayor had not arrived. Later on we heard he had told President Teh they should wait another 10 minutes to start. Almost on cue the mayor came, just shortly after the program had started, but just as it was time for him to give his welcome. Then he left.
Elder Oaks gave the dedication prayer. The day was overcast, the wind was mild, the temperature comfortable (nearly). It had rained hard the night before, but not rain on the groundbreaking day. The temple is to be built on a hill nearly downtown. When completed, it will be a prominent feature on the skyline. The hill sits on was one of the last holdouts for the Japanese during World War II. It was explained that the hill was full of tunnels left by them. It was also said, even by the mayor, that the rumor is there is buried gold beneath the hill. Elder Oaks told him when he had to leave early that he could come back later and dig as deeply as he wanted.
We returned for a private dinner in the hotel with the general authorities and their wives. While riding the bus back, Sister Oaks learned (apparently from the Edwards) that Elder Roundy had a school named for him. She sat on the seat just in front of us and turned and asked us a lot of questions about that. She knew some of the people from the school district because she had perhaps 15 years ago attended the BYU doctoral program with some of them. She said they liked to come to Las Vegas and visit her friend, the Tews (who live in the stake just across the freeway from us in Las Vegas). We told her when she comes, to remember we live nearby.
Up in the morning early on Thursday for a quick breakfast, again with the visiting authorities, then back to the airport. We flew back to Manila with all these folks, The Oaks and Cooks were scheduled to go on to Hong Kong.
It was raining hard in Manila. Brother Millett’s driver, Benny, picked both of us up and took us home. After a short break at the apartment, we went to the office and back to work. Then on Friday, a full day of Area Presidency meeting.
That’s a week of our mission, a splendid week.
