March Madness

 It has been a wild ride through March. But what a ride.

Overall, I should note here at the beginning that we reached our 1 year mark living in Manila, Philippines and serving in the Temple here. Early Friday morning at about 5:30 or so, on March 22, 2024, is when we arrived last year. Here is a picture from that morning that I shared on my first blog post.

Bruce and Laurie March 22, 2024 Arriving at Manila Airport

Here we are, "about a year later". I could not find one of just the two of us on March 22nd, so I had to pull one from a little earlier. You would have thought I could have planned a little better.....

Bruce and Laurie on Saud Beach (Laoag area) March 8th, 2025.

Boy, Laurie is sure an amazing wife. We go a lot of places together and I am so fortunate to be able to be married to her.

Visitors from Home

Since the temple was closed for the first two weeks in March for it's semi-annual maintenance, Jason and Katy decided they could come over and visit us for about 4 full days and a couple of half days. Jason served his full time mission over here in the Laoag, Philippines Mission (LDS Church) in late 2005, 2006, through August 2007. He thought it would be great to be able to visit there and and also to see a little more of the Philippines. Katy's parents were so very kind to take care of their 4 grandchildren during this time.

It was a whirlwind trip. We flew to Palawan (south of Manila - another island) and then we flew up to the Laoag area. Flights are few and far between in and out of Laoag. It was tricky to get it all done but we did it in great style :).

Truthfully, just seeing the two of them in the Manila airport when they arrived might have been the most excited we had been in a long time. It was so wonderful to physically see family and to hug them and talk with them. It is hard to explain, but thrilling to feel. I guess being here away from family is as hard as we sometimes think :).

I am going to include a few pictures of the trip.

Bruce and Laurie, March 8, 2025, Vigan City in a tricycle motorbike


LtoR; Jason, Katy, Laurie, Bruce - In Pagudpud. Jason served part of his mission here.

Laurie eating Dragon Fruit Ice Cream in Paoay from a street vendor.

Bruce looking out from a hammock on Sabang Beach, Palawan Island

Our first and only night at the Daluyon Hotel on Sabang beach

Ok, that is enough of our trip. We loved the time off with family, more than you know :). We were so blessed to have Jason and Katy take their time and resources to come visit us. It was just great.

Only a couple things left because this is the latest I believe I have ever posted a monthly blog. The March Madness has moved into April and I just have to "shut it off" for a bit.

Our Water Heater

I thought it might be informative to show you the size of our water heater. It is not an "on-demand" water heater that provides continuous hot water. It does provide continuous hot water for me and "not so continuous" hot water for Laurie. That's because I shower before her 95+ % of the time. It may be a few hours before her, but the water still is not up to the spot of being hot for the amount of time that she likes it.

This past week it started kicking out a bit of extra heat and condensation, more than usual, I guess I would say. The engineering group told us to turn down the temperature of the hot water by about 20%. I was fine with that :). Laurie may not do quite as well with it though.....

Final Picture



The reason we are on our mission is embodied in this recent picture of Moroni as he trumpets the message of the Good News. Though the dark clouds may surround Laurie and I at times, we are continually grateful to be a small part of supporting God's great message and His Plan of Salvation, Mercy, Joy, and Peace to all His children in the world. It is a very important message for all to hear.

With the Easter Season fast approaching may we spend an appropriate amount of time thinking of, and giving thanks to, His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. He is our Savior, our Exemplar, and our Redeemer. He is Risen, and I am grateful that I know this most important message.

I hear Him every day as I study His words in the scriptures,  and commune with Him through sincere prayer. I feel so grateful for the loving atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ as I repent of my sins each day. I truly feel the love He has for me as I serve others as He has asked me to do.

"He is not here: for he is risen, as he said...."Matthew 28:6 




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