January 2026

Ringing in the New Year 2026

Ok, so technically New Year’s Eve is 2025 but close enough to 2026. On New Year’s Eve we decided to do some sightseeing. The temple was closed New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day so we had some time to ourselves. We had heard there were some fun and interesting things to do on the island nearest to us called Mactan Island. We had been there for a tour once before but there were some other things we wanted to see. Also, the airport is on Mactan Island as well, we have been there a few times. We wanted to visit the statue of Lapulapu and tour a guitar factory.

We first headed to the Lapulapu statue. It was very interesting and there was more there than just the statue. We learned that Lapulapu is the “first Filipino hero widely recognized as the chieftain of Mactan Island who famously defeated Ferdinand Magellan and his Spanish forces in the Battle of Mactan in 1521, marking the first successful resistance against European colonization in the Philippines”.

We enjoyed learning about Lapulapu. Each year on April 7th, they have an event where they reenact the battle where Lapulapu defeated Magellan. We had fun browsing the gift shops and talking to some of the locals. One of the gift shop owners had a copy of the Book of Mormon that he proudly showed us and asked us if we knew Elder and Sister Stuart who served in 2016. Of course we didn’t know them since they served almost 10 years ago but it was cute that he thinks all of the missionaries know each other. His book looked well used but he is not a member yet. 

Next we went to a guitar factory that had been recommended to us. Our tour guide told us that the factory had been in their family for 5 generations. 

At the end of the tour our cute guide played a Filipino guitar and sang the John Denver song, Sunshine on My Shoulder along with another family member. The Filipino guitar was beautiful, has 12 strings in 6 pairs, and sounds so beautiful. We really enjoyed our tour.

On New Year’s Day we were supposed to serve at the Giving Machines again with Elder and Sister Stirland. Following our service they were going to head to the airport to pick up a new missionary couple who were supposed to arrive that afternoon. However, their original flight got cancelled and their new flight ended up arriving much earlier than planned so Dad and I went to the Giving Machines by ourselves. 

We really enjoyed working at the Giving Machines again, and the opportunity it gave us to share a little information about our church. When we arrived back at our apartment, we were able to meet the new missionary couple - the Torries - from Canada.

Our New Year is off to a good start even though it started off pretty slow at the temple.  We were short on workers, many of them heading home to their respective islands just before Christmas and not returning until the 2nd or 3rd week in January. We had quite a few patrons though and we kept really busy which makes the time fly by.

On January 4th it was my birthday. I always get a little homesick on special days that we would normally be spending with our kids. Michael and I share a birthday but because of the time difference we actually celebrated our birthdays on different days this year.  Kinda crazy! It was like having two birthdays this year, one in the Philippines and one in the US, only that was mostly on social media. My sweet friend Sister Stirland baked me a birthday cake and Sister Harding and I had a nice chat on FaceTime. 

Temple Preparation/Priesthood Preview

Sister Stirland and I were asked to speak at the Temple Preparation/Priesthood Preview program for two of our piano students. Actually they were the only Primary children moving on to Young Women this year. I spoke on the Blessing of the Temple and Sister Stirland spoke on the Blessings of the Priesthood. 

Two of the cute girls we teach piano to each week

It was such a lovely program and my darling student sang Teach Me About the Temple. She has such a lovely voice and did such a great job.  

She did a great job and didn’t even seem nervous

Sinulog Festival and the Alabong Temple Dedication

The Sinulog Festival is the 3rd week in January, and it was actually the same week we arrived in the Philippines last year! The Festival celebrates the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines. It is a huge deal here and there are parades, fireworks, and gatherings all week leading up to the culminating event on the 3rd Sunday in January here in Cebu. Literally millions of people flock to Cebu this week-long event. 

This was a small procession through one of the stores at the Mall. The girl in the pink has a statue of the Santo Niño that she kept lifting and showing everyone.

The Santo Niño is a Catholic title of the Child Jesus, a religious relic originally a gift from Ferdinand Magellan, also associated with miraculous events. The little Santo Niño is everywhere in Cebu during this time, and at other times but not as many.  We even saw one in the Dr. office. We saw the original while on a city tour at the Basilica in downtown Cebu. 

Display at the Doctor’s Office 

While all this was taking place, on the Island of Luzon, a celebration quite different was taking place on the 3rd Sunday - the Dedication of the Alabong Temple. Elder Bednar dedicated the 4th operating temple here in the Philippines. The dedication of the Alabang Temple, by contrast, is quiet, reverent, and deeply sacred, focusing on covenant-making, worship, and drawing closer to God in a peaceful setting. While one fills the streets with movement and sound and the other fills hearts with stillness and prayer, both reveal a shared Filipino spirit of faith, gratitude, and devotion to God, expressed through the traditions and beliefs people hold most dear.

The Filipino Are So Thoughtful and Giving

On almost a daily basis we are shown so much love from our fellow temple workers, they are thoughtful and always wanting to share what they have with us. Most of the shift coordinators bring some kind of food for the entire shift anything from sticky rice to rice porridge, or sweet or savory bread. They have given me gifts of earrings, necklaces and even dresses. One gift we will cherish is a pencil sketch of Dad.  

One of the brothers Dad works with did this sketch from memory,

I think it is a great likeness of him. 

Saying Goodbye Again 

Even though we said goodbye to most of the people transferring to the Davao Temple, a few of them stayed so they could continue to serve in the temple since the Davao Temple won’t be dedicated until May 3rd. But with the Cebu Temple shutting down for cleaning and maintenance, the last of the Davao Temple workers are heading home and we most likely won’t see them again. Dad and Brother Hermosoura have become very close, he calls Dad Elder Candy Man - which is no surprise to those who know him.  We, along with the Stirlands, took them to dinner the other night just to show them how much we love them. We went to one of our favorite places, The House of Lechon. We had such a great time. We told them to order whatever they wanted and to get all their favorites. 

The Lechon (Roasted Pig) and a lady who makes these little pouches, 

they put rice in them and then boil them to make a perfect serving of rice.

Good Friends Enjoying a Meal Together

There was so much food and a lot of it was left so we had it boxed up and gave it to the Hermosouras to take home for another meal. But in the total Filipino way, when they got home they knocked on the doors of the other Filipinos on the third floor and shared all the food with them.  They may not have a lot, but what they have they are always willing to share.  

We will sure miss working with these good people!

We also said goodbye to Elder and Sister Wayman - humanitarian missionaries from the Cebu Mission. It has been fun to get to know them - the have worked hard and blessed many lives with their service. We got together with some of the other senior missionaries and the Mission Leaders to say goodbye and share some treats. 

Elder and Sister Wayman are seated on the right.

The Sisters on either side of me will be heading home to Davao

Sister Gementiza and Sister Miranda

Here we are with President and Sister Lagaña

Newly called President and Matron of the Bacolod Temple

Temple Service

January has flown by as we have been serving in the temple Tuesday through Saturday. We train four out of our five shifts, and even though training can be rewarding and fun, it can also be exhausting and sometimes even frustrating. The language barrier here is real and can affect the quality of our training even when both trainer and trainee are doing our best to understand one another. The younger trainees seem to know English much better and that makes their training so much easier. A lot of the older sisters seem to struggle not only with the language but also with the process of some of the ordinances. But we manage to get it done and it is so wonderful to see their excitement when they “get it” and can move on by themselves. I do appreciate my Saturday afternoon shift when I am “just a worker”, I miss the spiritual experiences I receive when performing the ordinances and serving the patrons. This last Saturday I was the sister officiator on the last session of the day. As I was standing at the door greeting the patrons, a temple attendant brought four children up to be sealed to their parents. I greeted them as they walked by and welcomed them to the temple. They looked so beautiful all dressed in white with their dark hair, skin and eyes. As they passed the young boy reached out his hand and I thought he wanted to shake my hand but when he took my hand and he raised it to his forehead. This is a sign of respect, humility and reverence toward elders. I was really touched by his gesture. I was still standing at the door when they finished the sealing and the children were being escorted downstairs. As they walked by I could see the older sisters were weeping tears of joy knowing that their family was now a forever family. Maybe not having as many experiences like that due to training makes me appreciate them when they come all the more.  Either way I am thankful to serve and bless the lives of the people here in the Cebu Temple whether it is training or serving I am thankful to be part of gathering Israel in this part of the Lord’s. Kingdom.

We hope you are all doing well. We miss you all so much, but time is moving quickly and it won’t be long until we are home with all of you we love so much.

Love,

Sister Andreasen

Mom, Grandma, Friend and Missionary

December in the Philippines

It’s Been Busy a Month

December has been a busy and joyful month here in the Philippines. Christmas is celebrated on a much grander scale than back home, and the festivities begin surprisingly early. In fact, Christmas decorations start appearing as early as September! Filipinos call these the “ber” months—any month that ends in “-ber” is officially part of the Christmas season. So we have been hearing Christmas music and seeing Christmas decorations since September.

The Temple is beautiful at night!

On December 8th, we attended the Annual Temple Workers Christmas Devotional and Party. This event had been announced for weeks, and everyone was eagerly looking forward to it. Shift coordinators spent weeks organizing dance routines and collecting money for the luncheon, adding to the excitement.

The devotional began at 10:00 a.m., and the festivities continued until 2:30 p.m. It was a lovely devotional—the Presidency and matrons spoke, and we sang beautiful Christmas hymns together.

After the devotional, it was time for lunch, and we returned to our apartment so Dad could change into his Christmas suit. He has so much fun wearing that suit, and it was a big hit—so many people wanted to take pictures with him.

The suit was a hit!

After lunch, the party began—and I’ve learned that Filipinos truly know how to celebrate. A proper party always includes karaoke, dance routines (often inspired by exercise videos copied from YouTube), and plenty of food. Each of the sister shifts performed a dance routine, and I was invited to dance with every group. Not wanting to choose just one shift, I decided to sit this one out.

It was such a joy to mingle with the other workers, laugh together, and simply enjoy having fun with people we’ve grown to love. The party was well attended.

Group Photo From Temple Worker’s Christmas Devotional 

On December 11th. we said a sad and hard goodbye to the Hardings as they left for their new assignment in the mission office of the Tuguegarao Philippines Mission. We shared so many great experiences with them and will miss them so much.

At the Mall

We spent many hours with the stake choir practicing for the Stake Christmas Devotional. It ended up being a lovely evening with musical numbers and spoken words. Here is a link to some of the highlights: https://fb.watch/EhP4rheu_X/?

Our Stake Choir along with the Primary Choir

We have such a sweet group of sisters who sing in the alto section of the choir and we have become friends. They are so sweet and wanted to do a going away party for Sister Harding.  We planned the party for weeks and in the end we were able to keep it a surprise. One of the Sisters cooks professionally and she prepared a lovely meal for all of us to share.

They call us the Alto Girls

On Christmas Eve, we had the opportunity to serve at the Giving Machine. I have always wanted to do that, and it was such a fun and meaningful experience. Last year, the Giving Machine was located in a mall closer to our apartment, but this year it was moved to a mall farther away by the ocean. The mall that hosted it last year said they would do it again, but only if they received a percentage of the donations. Since the policy is that 100% of every donation goes directly to the charity, that arrangement wasn’t possible.

Unfortunately, the new location didn’t have as much foot traffic. The mall is attached to a casino and is more high-end, with mostly designer shops and only a few restaurants. While we were there, only three people participated. Hopefully next year they will find a place with more opportunities for participation. 

Even so, we enjoyed the opportunity to serve and felt grateful to be part of something that brings hope and help to others. We are looking forward to serving again at the Giving Machine on New Year’s Day.

Serving at the Giving Machine was so much fun!

Later that evening on Christmas Eve, President and Sister Clarke - Mission Leaders for the Cebu Mission - invited all the senior couples to dinner.  It was a lovely evening, everyone brought something yummy to share, we read scriptures from the Book of Mormon and New Testament about the birth of Christ, sang Christmas hymns and played some fun games. We enjoyed getting to know the other senior missionaries a little bit more.

At President and Sister Clarke’s House

Christmas Day was pretty quiet, we talked to our kids in the morning which was Christmas Eve for them. It was so good to talk to all of them but it sure made me homesick. In the afternoon we had dinner with the Stirlands and enjoyed some time together. It was a very quiet day.

In the Temple and In the Ward

We continued to serve in the temple each day and we were so busy. As the weeks went on in December, our temple workers that come from other islands began heading home to prepare for Christmas and be with their families. By the week of Christmas we were down several workers on each shift so we were working extra hard to keep up with many patrons coming worship in the temple. So many patrons and so few workers. One day we even set a temple record for the most people receiving their endowment in one day. That day we had 70 people attend the temple for the first time - it was pretty amazing. In addition to all the endowments, there were several weddings and many, many families being sealed together for eternity. We worked hard but it was a very wonderful and beautiful week. 

In addition to all the patrons, I was training these two sweet ladies

One day early in December these six young men, along with the two sisters from our ward attended the temple for the first time. 

Young Men and Sisters from the Lahug Ward

The next day was Fast Sunday, and each of these young men bore their testimony. They shared how the Church has changed their lives for the better. All of them are preparing to serve missions—some already have their papers submitted, and a few have even received their calls. They testified that they are children of a loving Heavenly Father and that they know they have a purpose in this life. You could see the light in their countenances. The gospel has made such a difference in their lives. When they return from their missions, they are more confident and are usually able to speak English much better, which opens so many additional opportunities for them to succeed in life.

In December, we also had our ward Primary program. Our sweet Primary children knew every word to every song and sang with all their hearts. Each child had their part memorized. It was beautiful and quite impressive, and it brought an abundance of the Spirit into the ward that day. The children here are so darling, with their big dark eyes and black hair. I love getting to know them.

These cute Primary children were so impressive!

Moments like these remind us why we are here. Watching faith grow in the hearts of these young men and children strengthens our own testimonies and fills us with hope for the future of the Church in this part of the world. We are constantly reminded that the Lord is deeply aware of His children, that His gospel changes lives, and that it is a privilege to witness His hand at work and to play even a small part in His great and loving plan.

As 2025 comes to a close, we find ourselves approaching the one-year mark of our mission. It is amazing to reflect on all that we have experienced in just one year. We have grown and learned so much. We have laughed and cried, faced challenges we weren’t sure we could handle, and discovered that our way is not the only way. We have been humbled, taught, and stretched, and we have learned to rely on the Spirit more than ever before.

We know we were called to serve at the Cebu Temple for a reason. Yes, we have talents, experience, and abilities to share, but we have also learned how much we still have to learn. Living in another culture has taught us powerful lessons, and we have come to understand more deeply that this is the Lord’s work. With us or without us, His work will move forward. We are simply grateful that we were called to labor alongside Him, with Him as our guide.

Our hearts are full—full of love for the work, for the brothers and sisters we are privileged to serve with, and for the trust our Heavenly Father and Savior placed in us by sending us to the Cebu Temple to be part of this sacred work in this portion of His vineyard.