Sunday June 23

Sunday June 23

Today we went to church in the Bago 2nd Ward.  We went there to meet Elder and Sister De Los Santos and to go over their students with them.  We arrived and thought their ward met at 9:00am as that is the time that showed on the internet information.  Their ward really started at 8:30 and Bago First Ward met at 9:30.  They share the building and the first ward begins with Sacrament meeting and the second ward begins with Relief Society, Priesthood and Primary ending with Sacrament.  I noticed that really helped with the children's reverence since they must be mindful of the other ward meeting and not allow the children to run around and disrupt the other ward.  So as the church grows priorities of reverence change, which is the natural process as the members are very respectful of the other wards.  In our Magsungay Ward building only one ward meets so the necessity of reverence is less for the children.  As the church grows and the need to share the buildings grow here in the Philippines, the natural progression will include teaching the children to understand that reverence becomes more important so those around us can feel the spirit. 

The spirit was so strong in the ward today.  I was a little concerned that I would feel different as I traveled to other wards that I would not feel as touched because I would not know the members in the wards we travel to.  But the saints are the same everywhere.  They love the missionaries and think we are so special.  They asked us to give talks and share our testimony in Sacrament which caught us a bit off guard.  Now we know we must be prepared to speak everywhere we go.  I will be an expert in speaking with no preparation and maybe learn now to be so nervous about speaking.  As soon as the bishop asked us to speak a scripture popped into my mind that I have always loved and I knew that I needed to use it in my talk. 

The story is that Nephi's father told his sons that they needed to return to their home to obtain the record of their ancestors.  Nephi's brother's grumbled and complained that the request of their father, and in turn the Lord, was too hard for them to do.  The ruler, Laban, of the place which the family had fled was not of the same faith and did not want to help the church in any way so the brothers expected him to deny their desire. Which of course is what happened but the Lord did open the way for the young men to return to their family in the desert with the records (that of course is another story).  Although Nephi's brother's did not want to go and follow the direction of their father and the Lord. Nephi's response was the following:

"And it came to pass that I Nephi, said unto my father, I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, as I know that the Lord giveth  no commandment unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" 1 Nephi 3:7.

I likened this story to our life and our being here in the Philippines.  I have wanted to serve a mission for the church all of my life  As a little girl in Primary  when I would sing "I Hope They Call me on a Mission" I felt a burning desire to go on a mission.  I knew that my family could not afford to send me and I would have to wait until I retired to serve.  Dan and I saved all of our marriage so we would have the financial means to serve the Lord.  Even though I always wanted to serve, when the time came, I faced the difficulty of leaving our family and not  being able to see them for the 2 years we have been called to serve.

 I love my children and grandchildren more than anything and love to visit with them and spend time with them.  Even when we lived far from each other I would be able to see them at least twice or three times a year and could just pick up my phone to text or call.  That is not possible here in the Philippines.  I do not have text capability to the United States, and cannot afford to call whenever I feel like it. I have to plan and prepare for long distance calls; we have to go to the mall and buy phone cards and use a land line to call.  Also, the time difference is a problem.  We have to call first thing in the morning in order to reach our family in the evening at home.   And even though I can access Face book at work, when I get to the office and log into Face book most of my family and friends have gone to bed. 

The analogy then, is that even though a mission was one of the fondest desires of my heart and something I had planned for all my adult life, it is still a very difficult thing for me! Sometimes even though we know what we must do, may want to do, it may still be a very hard thing to do.  But.....If we have faith and pray and prepare the Lord will help us have the strength to "DO" the difficult thing.  Also, I know that this is not just difficult for me,  I know that all of my family are sacrificing and supporting our desire.  I am so thankful for all of you and gain strength from you and your prayers.  I want to thank you all for your support!  When Paul drove us to the airport I was so afraid I would lose it and cry buckets of tears, but he being the great man that he is said," this is a happy thing and we are NOT going to be sad!" Thank you  Paul for your strength and your faith in your parents.  We so want to be the kind of parents that our children are proud of and know they can always follow our example, but that day I did not know if I could be strong enough not to crumble.  But Paul made it easy for me and I do not think he can ever know how much that meant to me.  I love you Paul. Thank you for your strength, support, and for taking care of our home with the help of little Faith and now Josh.  We could never do this without you!!!!

So....All this has taught me a great lesson.  When things get tough or hard, "I can go and do the things that the Lord commandeth" and I can count on my family to help and support me even when they may not really agree with what I am doing and may also have to make great sacrifices for me.  THANK YOU all.  I so love you all.