Saturday, February 28, 2009
Nipa tracting
The other day we went to a brongay or neighborhood of nipa huts which is where we spend all of our time. We met with a family who was inactive and had a very good visit. We went to the next place and they had no chairs but when we looked back we saw the chairs that we had just sat on in the previous meeting being brought up behind us for us to sit on at this home. We then went to the next place which had no chairs and the chairs followed us where ever we went. They are so gracious and giving to us and each other. As we were going from one nipa to another we saw a young woman who looked like she was about to deliver a baby. She told us that she was not pregnant but didn't know what it was. She happened to be a member of the Church. We gave her a blessing. We felt good about the blessing and so did she.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
What dedication
Sunday we were in Capoocan Branch. The district Primary President was also the Branch Relief Society President, she was the Relief Society Chorister and taught the lesson. Her husband taught the Gospel Doctrine class. On the next Tuesday when we were at the branch she was there teaching Seminary. What a powerful sister and such dedication, she is also the mother of seven and a returned missionary.
We hope you enjoyed the video clip. We met with a family in their home to challenge them to activity. They were so sweet. They brought out their scriptures and listened eagerly to or message. They live so far away from the church it is very hard for them to come because they have no money to pay for public transportation. If we can get twenty or more people coming we can have a special sacrament meeting and take the sacrament to them. We will try to do this.
When we finished our visit, their son climbed the coconut tree and threw down several coconuts . The father cut them and we drank the coconut milk and ate the coconut meat. It was called a green coconut and the inside was soft. It was quite tasty.
We go with the Missionaries most every day. We have been going in different areas and working with three sets of missionaries. We so enjoy working with them.
We went out to San Miguel the other day and met a faithful member who was a baby during World War II. She told us her story. I guess the Japanese soldiers were making fun and throwing her up and trying to catch her with their bayonets. Her mother was crying and didn't know what to do so her aunt, I believe, gave herself to the soldiers so they would spare the baby. She said they had a big house and the Japanese soldiers ruined it and threw out their rice and corn and they had to run to another area to get away from them. This is the area is where our good friends, the Beechers, served a year ago. The sister said everyone in the branch cried when they left.
When we finished our visit, their son climbed the coconut tree and threw down several coconuts . The father cut them and we drank the coconut milk and ate the coconut meat. It was called a green coconut and the inside was soft. It was quite tasty.
We go with the Missionaries most every day. We have been going in different areas and working with three sets of missionaries. We so enjoy working with them.
We went out to San Miguel the other day and met a faithful member who was a baby during World War II. She told us her story. I guess the Japanese soldiers were making fun and throwing her up and trying to catch her with their bayonets. Her mother was crying and didn't know what to do so her aunt, I believe, gave herself to the soldiers so they would spare the baby. She said they had a big house and the Japanese soldiers ruined it and threw out their rice and corn and they had to run to another area to get away from them. This is the area is where our good friends, the Beechers, served a year ago. The sister said everyone in the branch cried when they left.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Basketball /and rice paddies
I need to tell you about the basketball tournament project. Sister Dalley and I decided to buy some treats for all those non LDS and LDS players. We bought 30 drink and cup cakes because we wanted to be safe. We thought there may be as many as 15 non members show up. Well, the night finally came and 75 non members showed up. We were flabbergasted, and didn't know what to do. It came time for the seminary class to start and I announced that they should go in to the class. Ten of them chose to go home but 65 stayed and went to seminary. We had a keyboard class offered as well and 14 non members showed up for that. Now we have had three days of this tournament and the kids just keep coming and some of them are really getting interested in the Church and want to come. The interest in the key board class has not subsided either.
The other day we were working with the Elders Blaoing and Manarang in Capoocan to visit all the members of their branch. We are trying to strengthen the branch so that they can become a ward. We called on six members who were inactive to bare our testimonies and ask them to come back. This Sunday all six of them showed up with their whole families. One of them was a real story. We were in a rainy day, which most days are this time of year, and had to cross a rice paddie to get to their home. It turned out to be a little more than that, it was raining so hard that we stopped at a closer nipa hut to get out of the rain. We didn't have anything else to do so we started talking with them and found out they were inactive members as well. We bore our testimonies to them and asked them to come back and they did. Then when the rain subsided the little 14 year old girl that was a member of the family we were trying to get started taking us across the rice paddie dikes (about a foot wide) which is the only way to their home. We were slipping and sliding all the way until she brought us to a large stream and told us we would have to ford it because the bridge had broken. We were astounded and asked if there was another way, to which she exclaimed that there was but it was farther. We chose the other way. We still slipped and slid all the way, jumping over puddles an slipping down dikes. After we got there Sister Dalley's legs and shoes were so muddy that the lady of the house brought her a bucket of water. Sister Dalley just stuck her feet into the bucket, shoes and all, to wash them off. After talking with them and two of their sixteen children, we began our trek back. The little girl, again, started to lead us and asked which way we would like to go. We chose the other way. It was shorter but when we got to the stream it had swollen from the rain. Sister Dalley walked across the stream on a bamboo pole being aided by the little girl who was in the stream. When it came my turn, I knew the pole wouldn't hold me and there was no other choice but to ford it dress shoes and all. I started down the bank and slipped and fell on one side. I got up and slipped and fell onto the other side. I got a little upset so I just stomped through the stream. The place I chose to go was clear up to my waist. I forgot about my wallet and spent two days drying out my money when I got home. I guess we broke mission rules by getting in the water but we saw no worms. When Sister Dalley and I finally got home, we must have looked like a couple of drowned rats. It was worth it though because the family was all there on Sunday.
As we were walking down the street with the Elders prior to all of the above, I would walk up to a person, just any person, as they came toward me and say "are you a Mormon?" To which they would say "No I am Catolic." To which I would respond "you look like a Mormon." They we would get into a fun conversation about the church and people they know who are Mormons. The Elders were quite intrigued by this method, so when we got to our notorious rice paddie we saw a man plowing with a Caribaw (pronounced Caribow) We took the picture shown below and started down the trail. The Elders in their excitement walked up to the farmer with the plow in his hand and said, " Are you a Mormon?" To which the man said "YES." Another inactive member. What are the chances.
Today the same Elders asked us to visit a man who had not been active for six years even though he had been very active and a very talented man. We got there and met him in his home, which by Filipino standards, was a nice place. He was very gracious and asked us in to talk. In the process of our conversation he said that he planned on getting active again some time in the future. I asked him when he was going to die. He said no one knows that answer. I said then If I were you I would repent immediately or you'll be dead before you repent. That kind of startled him, but he continued that he probably would some day. Finally I said "how are you going to be the Bishop next year when we become a Stake if you're not active?" He said "what" so I repeated the statement. It really made him think. I continued challenging him until he gave a much more amenable answer. Hope he comes to Church next Sunday.
The other day we were working with the Elders Blaoing and Manarang in Capoocan to visit all the members of their branch. We are trying to strengthen the branch so that they can become a ward. We called on six members who were inactive to bare our testimonies and ask them to come back. This Sunday all six of them showed up with their whole families. One of them was a real story. We were in a rainy day, which most days are this time of year, and had to cross a rice paddie to get to their home. It turned out to be a little more than that, it was raining so hard that we stopped at a closer nipa hut to get out of the rain. We didn't have anything else to do so we started talking with them and found out they were inactive members as well. We bore our testimonies to them and asked them to come back and they did. Then when the rain subsided the little 14 year old girl that was a member of the family we were trying to get started taking us across the rice paddie dikes (about a foot wide) which is the only way to their home. We were slipping and sliding all the way until she brought us to a large stream and told us we would have to ford it because the bridge had broken. We were astounded and asked if there was another way, to which she exclaimed that there was but it was farther. We chose the other way. We still slipped and slid all the way, jumping over puddles an slipping down dikes. After we got there Sister Dalley's legs and shoes were so muddy that the lady of the house brought her a bucket of water. Sister Dalley just stuck her feet into the bucket, shoes and all, to wash them off. After talking with them and two of their sixteen children, we began our trek back. The little girl, again, started to lead us and asked which way we would like to go. We chose the other way. It was shorter but when we got to the stream it had swollen from the rain. Sister Dalley walked across the stream on a bamboo pole being aided by the little girl who was in the stream. When it came my turn, I knew the pole wouldn't hold me and there was no other choice but to ford it dress shoes and all. I started down the bank and slipped and fell on one side. I got up and slipped and fell onto the other side. I got a little upset so I just stomped through the stream. The place I chose to go was clear up to my waist. I forgot about my wallet and spent two days drying out my money when I got home. I guess we broke mission rules by getting in the water but we saw no worms. When Sister Dalley and I finally got home, we must have looked like a couple of drowned rats. It was worth it though because the family was all there on Sunday.
As we were walking down the street with the Elders prior to all of the above, I would walk up to a person, just any person, as they came toward me and say "are you a Mormon?" To which they would say "No I am Catolic." To which I would respond "you look like a Mormon." They we would get into a fun conversation about the church and people they know who are Mormons. The Elders were quite intrigued by this method, so when we got to our notorious rice paddie we saw a man plowing with a Caribaw (pronounced Caribow) We took the picture shown below and started down the trail. The Elders in their excitement walked up to the farmer with the plow in his hand and said, " Are you a Mormon?" To which the man said "YES." Another inactive member. What are the chances.
Today the same Elders asked us to visit a man who had not been active for six years even though he had been very active and a very talented man. We got there and met him in his home, which by Filipino standards, was a nice place. He was very gracious and asked us in to talk. In the process of our conversation he said that he planned on getting active again some time in the future. I asked him when he was going to die. He said no one knows that answer. I said then If I were you I would repent immediately or you'll be dead before you repent. That kind of startled him, but he continued that he probably would some day. Finally I said "how are you going to be the Bishop next year when we become a Stake if you're not active?" He said "what" so I repeated the statement. It really made him think. I continued challenging him until he gave a much more amenable answer. Hope he comes to Church next Sunday.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Our Calling in the Field
I have been called to be the Mission Executive Secretary. Not that a Mission really needs one but Pres. Malit wanted to have me there to act as a spare councilor because his live so far away. Wanda was called to be over family History for the whole Mission. It through her into apaplexy but she is surviving.
The Pres. assigned us to a little town called Caragara. If you roll your r's you'll get the sound about right. He asked us to design a program to both get more baptisms and strengthen the branches so they can become a Stake. We studied and prayed about it and came up with inspiration that amazed us. As you may or may not know there is a new temple being built in Cebu, which isn't too far from here. About a half days travel and about 400p round trip. We are visiting all the inactives and challenging them to get ready to go to the Cebu temple. The experiences this has brought are fantastic. We are talking it up in all the branches and placing a picture of the Cebu temple with a commitment thermometer next to it. Each family that commits to go will have their name placed next to the thermometer and the red will increase toward the top. So Far it has been fantatstic. We took a couple of Philippino Elders with us who work in the area and they told the Mission pres. that the day they spent with us was the most spiritually charged day of their missions so far.
It was really something to sit accross from an inactive fisherman and tell him that we knew he still had a testimony and that the Temple would be ready in a little over a year which gave him just enough time to get his life in order to go. When he said I can't go to church I have to spend Sunday working to which I had an overwhelming feeling to promise him that he would not loose one penny if he took the time to go to church and observe his Sunday duties. After awhile he also was touched by the spirit and promised he would come to church again and wanted to take his family to the temple.
Then there is the Basketball program. The kids here love basketball so we thought They love basketball and the Church has the nicest outdoor courts in the area. We also thought they like food and we want some one to teach and they want the very best possible for their kids and teaching them the gospel of Christ will give them that opportunity. They get to be on one of our teams and all they have to do is come to seminary and have a treat to qualify. The first day we signed up 7 young men who agreed to the terms. When ever we have a game we will invite their parent to come in to watch and enjoy a treat after they have participated in Seminary.
It is so good to get back into full time service again.
The Pres. assigned us to a little town called Caragara. If you roll your r's you'll get the sound about right. He asked us to design a program to both get more baptisms and strengthen the branches so they can become a Stake. We studied and prayed about it and came up with inspiration that amazed us. As you may or may not know there is a new temple being built in Cebu, which isn't too far from here. About a half days travel and about 400p round trip. We are visiting all the inactives and challenging them to get ready to go to the Cebu temple. The experiences this has brought are fantastic. We are talking it up in all the branches and placing a picture of the Cebu temple with a commitment thermometer next to it. Each family that commits to go will have their name placed next to the thermometer and the red will increase toward the top. So Far it has been fantatstic. We took a couple of Philippino Elders with us who work in the area and they told the Mission pres. that the day they spent with us was the most spiritually charged day of their missions so far.
It was really something to sit accross from an inactive fisherman and tell him that we knew he still had a testimony and that the Temple would be ready in a little over a year which gave him just enough time to get his life in order to go. When he said I can't go to church I have to spend Sunday working to which I had an overwhelming feeling to promise him that he would not loose one penny if he took the time to go to church and observe his Sunday duties. After awhile he also was touched by the spirit and promised he would come to church again and wanted to take his family to the temple.
Then there is the Basketball program. The kids here love basketball so we thought They love basketball and the Church has the nicest outdoor courts in the area. We also thought they like food and we want some one to teach and they want the very best possible for their kids and teaching them the gospel of Christ will give them that opportunity. They get to be on one of our teams and all they have to do is come to seminary and have a treat to qualify. The first day we signed up 7 young men who agreed to the terms. When ever we have a game we will invite their parent to come in to watch and enjoy a treat after they have participated in Seminary.
It is so good to get back into full time service again.
How Sweet it Is
We have been assigned to the Carigara Branch to help strengthen the members and less active members and help them become a ward. Carigara is about a forty-five minute drive from our apartment and is much more rural than Tacloban. It is a beautiful ride and we are truely out in the jungle. We saw many rice fields with people working with their caribou (I can't spell it correctly). Some live in what is called Nipa Huts with thatched roofs and others have cement dwellings with tin roofing. There is much poverty here but the people seem happy. We had an awesome day yesterday visiting members and less active members to help strengthen them and help their branch become a ward. The missionaries are truely awesome. It was inspiring to be with them and feel their great spirits and be a part of this great work. We were able to add our testimonies to theirs and be understood even though we had to speak in English. The Lord loves these people and wants to bless them and will, as they become more faithful in keeping all of his commandments. We feel the Lord guiding us in the things we say and do. My testimony is growing by leaps and bounds.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Getting Settled
The next two days were spent with the missionaries making purchases and moving into our apartment. Our apartment is on one of the nicest streets we have seen in the city. The road is cement and wide enough only for two vehicles to pass. Our apartment is gated and very spacious. We have three bedrooms, a bathroom and a large kitchen/living room. It is furnished but we had to buy dishes, pans, cleaning supplies, utensils, etc. to be able to move in. We had to buy a small unit to attach to the shower to heat our water because there is no hot water there. We have a stove about half the size of our stove at home that is run on propane. The fridge is about the size of a camp refridgerator. We have no washer and dryer but will have househelp that will do our laundry, clean and cook for us if we want. I am having a hard time with that one because I am not used to having someone do my work for me; also she wants to start at 7:00 a.m. and finish at 12:00. 12:00 is fine but I can't imagine someone being in our home so early in the morning. I guess I'll get used to it.
The Mission Home
We stayed at the Mission Home for three days while we were getting settled. It is beautiful and President and Sister Malit were very gracious. They live there with five of their seven children. Their oldest is going to college in Manila and one of their children is deceased.
We had to do a lot of things like choosing our apartment, having pants made for Abe, getting a cell phone, buying a lot of items we would need for our apartment, etc . It took much longer than you would think but I think a lot of it was that it took so long to get around in the town. The streets are very narrow and there is a lot of traffic. We were so glad the missionaries were with us or we probably would not have been able to make it back at all.
The night we arrived was transfer time for all of the missionaries so when we got back to the Mission Home we were able to meet all of the missionaries. They had a dinner prepared for all of us and then we had a Meeting to say goodbye to the ones that would be leaving our area. The President's assistants and leaders took charge of the whole meeting. What awesome young men they are. President Malit believes in deligating and the young missionaries run everything and they do a super job of teaching and motivating. The outgoing missionaries had a chance to bare their testimonies.
The next day we all drove to the Tacloban Airport to meet the incoming missionaries. We went to McArthur Park for a short visit and for the missionaries to receive their new companions and their new assignments. The missionaries told a brief history of McArthur Park. During World War II, McArthur and his troops were forced to retreat from Tacloban bay by the Japanese but he turned, as he was leaving, and said, "I will return." Which he did, this time with two hundred battleships. We tried to imagine 200 battleships in that bay. There is a monument to them right there by the oceanside.
We went to the Mission Home and had another meal. The food was delicious. I have never tasted Philippine food except for the food our children prepared for us just before we left. Almost every meal here has rice as one of the main entries, except breakfast. We then had a Zone Meeting and all of the new incoming missionaries bore their testimonies.
We had to do a lot of things like choosing our apartment, having pants made for Abe, getting a cell phone, buying a lot of items we would need for our apartment, etc . It took much longer than you would think but I think a lot of it was that it took so long to get around in the town. The streets are very narrow and there is a lot of traffic. We were so glad the missionaries were with us or we probably would not have been able to make it back at all.
The night we arrived was transfer time for all of the missionaries so when we got back to the Mission Home we were able to meet all of the missionaries. They had a dinner prepared for all of us and then we had a Meeting to say goodbye to the ones that would be leaving our area. The President's assistants and leaders took charge of the whole meeting. What awesome young men they are. President Malit believes in deligating and the young missionaries run everything and they do a super job of teaching and motivating. The outgoing missionaries had a chance to bare their testimonies.
The next day we all drove to the Tacloban Airport to meet the incoming missionaries. We went to McArthur Park for a short visit and for the missionaries to receive their new companions and their new assignments. The missionaries told a brief history of McArthur Park. During World War II, McArthur and his troops were forced to retreat from Tacloban bay by the Japanese but he turned, as he was leaving, and said, "I will return." Which he did, this time with two hundred battleships. We tried to imagine 200 battleships in that bay. There is a monument to them right there by the oceanside.
We went to the Mission Home and had another meal. The food was delicious. I have never tasted Philippine food except for the food our children prepared for us just before we left. Almost every meal here has rice as one of the main entries, except breakfast. We then had a Zone Meeting and all of the new incoming missionaries bore their testimonies.
The Endless Flight
We left the MTC on Monday January 26, 2009 at about 5:30 p.m. We rode to the Salt Lake Airport in the shuttle along with Elder Scott who was going to our same Mission. He is a great Elder. I thought we were taking care of him but instead he ended up taking care of us. Our flight left at 9:05 p.m. We flew to San Francisco and changed from Delta to Eva airlines which flew directly to Taipei, Taiwan (a fourteen hour flight). Somehow we seemed to lose a day because it seemed like we went from night to night. Abe had an experience on the plane that only he could have. I was sleeping and awoke to hear him talking with the flight attendant about his blood type which is A. He was telling her yes my blood type is A and of course I concurred. She was trying to give him some papers to fill out for our next stop. She did speak English but with an accent that made it a little hard for him to understand. I think she finally gave up as we handed the papers back to her and she left. It was then that we discovered that she was not talking about his blood type, which is A, but that she was talking about where we would be landing, which was Taipei. Well needless to say we had a good belly laugh about that.
We landed in Taipei and had a short layover then flew to Manila. Next we changed to Cebu Pacific Airlines and Flew into Tacloban where we were met by President Malit and his wife. It felt good to be finally on the ground for good. Only one problem, one piece of our luggage was lost and we would have to wait a couple of days for it. Well it was the one with all of Abe's shirts and pants so he had to wear the same ones for the next two days that he had already worn on the plane.
We landed in Taipei and had a short layover then flew to Manila. Next we changed to Cebu Pacific Airlines and Flew into Tacloban where we were met by President Malit and his wife. It felt good to be finally on the ground for good. Only one problem, one piece of our luggage was lost and we would have to wait a couple of days for it. Well it was the one with all of Abe's shirts and pants so he had to wear the same ones for the next two days that he had already worn on the plane.
Monday, February 2, 2009
By Chance?
On Saturday some of the members of our family took us out to lunch at the Brick Oven in Provo near the BYU Campus. I don't know why they took us to the Brick Oven, other than it seemed a good place to go. When we were all finished and it was time to go we meandered out to the foyer and who do you think we ran into. Little sister Sue. What a surprise. We didn't know she would be in Provo let alone at the Brick Oven. It was wonderful to see her and her two kids, Cami and Chris. Cammi was trying out for a band Scholarship at the Y. We have had so many of those kinds of tender mercies, as Wanda likes to call them, that it can't be coincidental. Abe
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Missionary Conference
We just got back from our Missionary Conference, what a feast. It is Fast Sunday and conference here is always held on Fast Sunday. The Mission President, his counselors and their wives all talked and reminded us of some of the things we have learned this past week.
I want to write some of the thoughts I heard:
Very little that happens to us are coincidences! God places people in our path for a purpose.
"Your mission is a success if you don't convert anyone but yourself." Jeffrey R Holland
"Save yourself first. The intention of Preach My Gospel was to convert the missionary before the investigator."
Your own salvation is the most important thing for you in this life and throughout eternity.
Are you enjoying your experience? If not fix it.
The first source of how to answer life's questions is the scriptures.
"Intelligence is the application of knowledge." If you don't apply the knowledge you gain you lack intelligence. Joseph F Smith.
Joseph Smith (or any other prophet) wasn't born a prophet, he became one.
Our own personal scripture is our Patriarchal Blessing.
We may not see angels but are promised A Still Small Voice.
"I WILL GO AND DO BECAUSE I KNOW.
I loved these thoughts. Hope you do too.
I want to write some of the thoughts I heard:
Very little that happens to us are coincidences! God places people in our path for a purpose.
"Your mission is a success if you don't convert anyone but yourself." Jeffrey R Holland
"Save yourself first. The intention of Preach My Gospel was to convert the missionary before the investigator."
Your own salvation is the most important thing for you in this life and throughout eternity.
Are you enjoying your experience? If not fix it.
The first source of how to answer life's questions is the scriptures.
"Intelligence is the application of knowledge." If you don't apply the knowledge you gain you lack intelligence. Joseph F Smith.
Joseph Smith (or any other prophet) wasn't born a prophet, he became one.
Our own personal scripture is our Patriarchal Blessing.
We may not see angels but are promised A Still Small Voice.
"I WILL GO AND DO BECAUSE I KNOW.
I loved these thoughts. Hope you do too.
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