Sunday July 8,2012

This morning we are taking the ferry to Iloilo.  Just prior to the safety instructions, which is shown on a television screen, there is a power point with an angel filling the screen as a modern version of the Lord's Prayer is spoken while the words fill the screen.  This is to protect the ferry as it travels across the channel between the islands.  The first time we traveled on the ferry I thought it was a little strange.  This morning though I found it touching and sweet.  The Philippino people are simple and warn and their lives are surrounded by the serenity of nature.  The earth, sky, water, fire and people are the constant in their lives.  They live with fire to cook, warm and clean.  Water also is to cook, clean, satisfy, sustain plant life and provide travel.   Although their lives are simple they are happy and content with life.  Even the poorest people readily smile and share all that they have.  I hope they never lose their warm and spiritual nature even when the day comes when the gospel, education, and modern world comforts dispel the poverty of this land.

Yesterday as we were waiting for our meeting to begin in San Carlos we were visiting with Brother and Sister Montemayor.  They are natives of the Philippines, but went to BYU Hawaii and then BYU in Provo for graduate work.  Brother Montemayor also completed his training  in California, prior to their return to the Philippines.  As we visited Sister Montemayor was talking about the use of time and how most Philippino people are not concerned with time and thus often meetings start late.  In fact we were waiting for the presiding priesthood leader to arrive so we could begin our meeting.  Brother Montemayor was able to reach him by phone and he asked us to proceed without him as he was detained.  We laughed about the casual nature of time here and compared it to our Hispanic friends and wards in Tucson and the Mormons in general, "Mormon standard time".  No one seems to be in a hurry and things just flow along without urgency.  The Montemayor's said it was a real bother to them when they arrived as they felt when anyone is on the "Lord's errand", they are on the "Lord's time" and that time should not be wasted.

I was pondering this concept and realized that the "Lord's time" is indeed "His time", not my time! The time we have spent here has been full of "hurry up and wait". But in the quiet of the work the Lord is whispering His will and opening paths for this great work.  All that has needed to be accomplished and more is accomplished.  Often we meet even more people than we have set appointments with during this wait time.  I have decided that I will not think of this time as wasted and ponder,   and be prepared to listen to His spirit and then follow the path he has prepared and opened for us.  He is the Master, He is the way, this time is His time and I will use the Lord's time as he ordains. 

Saturday we left home at 5:00 am to travel to Escalante for a Planning for Success workshop there.  Yes, the meeting started late, but we were able to visit with two participants who are working hard to be successful  in school and in their church callings.  They have such sweet spirits and seek to do only the Lord's will.  They both served successful missions and are now in school preparing for careers that will help them and their families be financially secure. This time was not a waste of time at all.  It was a time to learn and contemplate these young men's futures and hear about their hopes and dreams. 

One of the young men joined the church as a teenager. He was the only member of his family and he worked and saved to serve a mission.  Two months after he left to serve his mission his family was baptized.  They are now preparing and saving to go to Cebu to be sealed in the temple for eternity as an eternal family.  He is the first counselor in his branch presidency, works and goes to school.  He is single yet is content with his life and knows that after he is done with school and can support a family he will find someone to build that family with.  His district president told him that as soon as he gets married he will become a branch or district president.  He said laughing, "Since then he has had no girlfriend".  But he knows he is preparing for the day he will indeed marry, raise a family and continue to serve as a leader in the church moving the church forward here in the Philippines.  He is proud of his family joining the church and his personal membership in the church.  He is proud of his preparation for the future and is moving forward a step at a time. Slowly he is becoming the man the Lord will have him be!  What a great and  humble man he is and we learned so much from his faithfulness.  What a blessing it was for us to have had the time, "the Lord's time" to learn of him and learn from him.