Elder and Sister Petersen Philippines Cavite Mission 2015-2016: Update-The Family who lives under the Mango tree 4-18-15

The Elders who found and are teaching the little family who lives under the big mango tree stopped by our apartments the other night. They had something they wanted to show us that they clearly treasured. When they stopped by the mango tree earlier in the evening, the kids ran out to meet them, and gave them the following drawing that they had done for these Elders. I had to post this drawing in two parts because it's size.

This is the Sena family. They are the family that lives in the little shack that is located under the big old mango tree. Sister Petersen and I got to meet most of the family on our first visit to their home. Then they were at church the Sunday before General Conference. There we got to meet the dad.

The Elders continue to teach them the lessons. The bond that forms between missionaries and those they teach is wonderful.

And this is Elder Hansen and Elder Matina.

I love this drawing. I love the effort these kids put into this drawing, and I can see why the Elders treasure it. Those who know our beliefs may notice that there is something in this picture that seem o little out of place. But it's ok. This is how these kids would designate a religious person.

There was some concern expressed about how little this family has. Each member of the family would have at best two changes of cloths. The father does work. They do have money, but the yearly income of many Philippino families is low. A lot of what they make would go for food. They have so little, but the seem to ok with it. They seem to be happy. We in the U.S. have lots of stuff. Our drawers are full of stuff, our closets are full of stuff, our garages are full of stuff, we have storages sheds that are full of stuff. Some people have so much stuff in their homes that there is no room left there to live. A lot of our time and resources are used in stuff management. And we all seem to be on a never ending quest to get more stuff. A lot of this stuff we do not use, or is not used very often. And are we more happy because of our stuff? I vote no. There is a lesson to be learned from the family that lives in the little shack that is located under the old mango tree. Stuff accumulation does not equal happiness. More stuff is not an answer.

I wanted to show some random pictures of some things we have seen while we have traveled around. There are things I would like to have a picture of, but it took me too long to get the photo app up, and I lost the moment. People using their freedom to use their ingenuity.

How many people can fit on a motorcycle? At least 4.