We thought that the Manila Temple was particularly beautiful. The gardens are really gorgeous. There was even a sign warning people that they couldn't use the grounds for picnics :) The temple is also set on the top of a hill with a nice outlook over the surrounding area.
We visited so that Ethan could do baptisms. He ended up joining with a group of youth who had been on a bus since 2am to get to the temple and for most of them it was their first time attending. The temple had organised a special meeting with speakers, for the youth to be able to learn more about the temple before they did the baptisms. Ethan was also able to participate in this.
We hadn't anticipated the extra time this would take though, so Erica, Clara and I ended up getting plenty of time to explore the temple grounds and meet people coming and going from the annex. Filipino people seem to be very friendly - or maybe it is just Filipino people at the temple (I don't know). Many people in the annex asked us where we were from. We would respond 'China', which usually created some confusion. Then we would explain that we are Australians living in China. This would get an enthusiastic response and we would be asked if we knew certain Elders and Sisters. There must be a lot of great Australian missionaries serving (or have served) in Manila. The members sure seem to love them!
The other thing David and I noticed was that the annex was FULL of people (and it is a decent-sized room). We saw whole families here where one parent would do a session while the other cared for the children, then the parents would switch. We were impressed with their commitment to temple attendance.
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