Elder Jarom Travis Odom

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Philippines Cauayan Mission

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Temples of the Philippines

Manila Temple (1984)


Cebu City (2010)



During his opening remarks at the Saturday morning session of the 180th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Thomas S. Monson announced the construction of a temple in Urdaneta City, Philippines.1 Located approximately 100 miles north of Manila on the island of Luzon—the largest and most populated island in the Philippines—the Urdaneta Philippines Temple will help serve the over 100 stakes and districts in the Luzon Island Group currently served by the Manila Philippines Temple

I Love This Game!

Emelie here...

I was able to talk with Jarom on Sunday evening and he told me that he learned the Philippines #1 favorite sport was soccer and he got a bit bummed - TWO WHOLE YEARS WITH NO BASKETBALL!


Then he found out basketball was the #2 favorite! All is well! He'll be fine! :)




Tuesday, March 20, 2012

A Little Philippino History...


The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines is a sovereign country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its tropical climate make the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons but have also endowed the country with natural resources and made it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Its capital city is Manila.
With an estimated population of about 94 million people, the Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country. An additional 11 million Filipinos live overseas. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands.
The Philippines has been part of several empires: the Spanish Empire during the age of Imperialism, the United States after the Spanish-American War of 1898, and the Japanese Empire during World War II, until the official Philippine independence in 1945.
 Aside from the period of Japanese occupation, the United States retained sovereignty over the islands until the end of World War II when the Philippines gained independence. The United States bequeathed to the Philippines the English language and a stronger affinity for Western culture.