Friday, December 20, 2013
Malipayon nga Paskwa!
December 21, 2013
Malipayon nga Paskwa! Merry Christmas!
The last couple of weeks, I have had the ultimate highs and
lows. Let's begin with the low and build
up, shall we. I was so depressed
thinking about how little we have to do and what little we have to offer now so
I needed to get a boost!! Of course I am sure those who know me well can just
see me deciding in my "over the top" manner deciding the best way to
get out of a funk is through service.
Yes I know, "just say NO!" especially to myself! Well, I
decided to make a pillow case for each of our 260 young missionaries. We went to the textile store and bought
fabric and so began the marathon cutting and sewing event. Needless to say, my
funk left as I buried myself in the mounds and mounds of Christmas fabric. What fun I had doing that! One of the missionary
mom's wrote a cute little poem to go with the pillow cases:
The Elders and Sisters were nestled
all snug in their beds While visions of baptisms danced in their heads. With a new pillowcase that was made
out of love-- The dreams that they
dreamt were straight from above.
Sister Sinema spoke not a word, but
worked with her might-- Pillowcases for all, to share in His light. She was heard to exclaim as she finished them right—
Merriest Christmas to all and to all…
“Now, Sleep tight”.
Andersons, Chins, Neffs, and
Rasmussens flew, throughout Negros Island in earnest pursuit, of delivery just like all good angels do, bringing
joy of the season to all through and
through!
What a fun time I had
with that and thankfully they have all been delivered and I can now make it
through!!!
In our travels we have
learned many new and exciting PEF changes that will make our last 100 days as
exciting as our beginning days. We once
again can offer four year degrees, incentives for repayment through good grades,
on time payments, having a mentor, and getting employment!!! The incentives can
repay up to 40% of the participant's loan! What a blessing!!
Also, during the
meetings one of the priesthood leaders told how the Philippine people have very powerful hands. Here is the example of that: as you walk in
front of a car to cross the street to
stop the car all you have to do is wiggle your fingers and the car's will
stop!! It really does work!
Another of the great
power here is found in the police department! Pay attention Paul! During the holidays
and especially at New Years the police do not want their fire arms to discharge
in celebration so they seal the barrels of their weapons. Paying attention yet? Well, here is how it is
done! The police all line up in their squads and wrap their gun barrel with
masking tape and the squad leader signs his name over the tape. The tape, apparently is so strong that is stops guns of
discharging into the air during the celebrations!!! Now TPD this is a new
strategy you can use. Oh maybe it is
just the masking tape here is stronger than in the US. Doubt that though!!
In Quizon City the
government has made a new law to protect children. Wait for it, wait for it. Children are
prohibited from sitting in the front seat of the motor scooters and must be
wearing a seat belt. (no they do not
have to wear a helmet) the seat belt will protect them! Now the scooters
actually do not have a back seat, nor do they have seatbelts, so......
Finally, Thursday we
traveled across the island to San Carlos and then by pump boat to the little
island of Sipaway to be guests of honor at the elementary school's Christmas
program. One of our PEF specialists is
the head teacher and teaches fourth grade, at the Kinder through Sixth grade
school. We had also made a small
donation to buy the poor children slippers for the program. We arrived and saw all the smaller grades,
lined up in orderly lines in costume with makeup. They stoop there orderly for about 45 minutes
until the program started. No one moved
at all. They just patiently waited. Each
grade level performed a dance and they were so cute!! After the performance the
students were given gifts before returning to their classrooms for lunch and
small gift exchange. We really enjoyed
the day even though we were so hot being in the outdoors all day!! I will post
photos! What well behaved children! Later, Zinnie (the teacher) told us that
she had told the children that Santa Clause was coming to the good boys and
girls, and you guessed it, they thought
Santa had shaved and Dan was Santa!!!
The next day we
actually got to be Santa and deliver the young missionaries mail with the Neff
couple. They do not drive and normally
haul everything with them on the jeepney, so we offered to help as we have car
and can carry as many packages as possible. We will deliver with the Neffs on
Monday or Tuesday also to get all the Christmas mail delivered before
Christmas.
The time is fast
approaching for our return to America and I am so excited!! I must say this has
been the hardest, yet one of the most rewarding things I have done in my
life. Missionary life is very difficult
( mostly being away from our family) but we have served and loved many
wonderful people here and will remember this time fondly. Not fondly enough to
do it again though!!!! We love you all and wish you a Malipayon nga
Paskwa!
Joan
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Christmas message
December 2013
Dear Family and Friends,
We are nearing the end of our mission here in the
Philippines and I am so thankful for your love and support. In the Philippines the Christmas season
starts in the "ber" months: Sept. Oct. Nov. and December are the
celebrating months. I have to say I have
loved hearing the Christmas music each time we have gone to the grocery or into
the mall. I even put up my tree early
this year (Halloween) since I doubt I will ever do that again. Since it is Christmas I wants to tell you a
wonderful and glorious story of someone I love very much, so here it is:
There was a beautiful young woman living in the City of
Galilee. She was kind and wise beyond
her years and very much in love with her fiancé. He was a carpenter and well respected for the
masterful work he would produce with his gentle hands. They were to be married
soon, and Mary became concerned I am sure when she found out she was expecting
a baby. Not just any baby, but the Son
of God. She and her humble love, Joseph
had been told of this miracle in revelations from God. Unfortunately, the end
of her pregnancy was fast approaching and they had to travel to Bethlehem to
pay their taxes. Mary was very
uncomfortable riding on the donkey, Joseph led through the day and into the
night. They arrived in Bethlehem late in
the evening. Joseph left Mary and the donkey
in a stable to search for lodging (they did not have the internet reservations
system we have today). Joseph began to worry as he traveled from place to
place, unable to find a room for his sweetheart. Anxious but unable to find
a hotel, Joseph returned to the stable
where shortly thereafter, Mary gave birth to her firstborn son. She gently wrapped the baby in swaddling
clothes and lay with him in the manger watched over by Joseph. Slowly, and
incredible thing happened as the animals calmed and an angel of the Lord came
upon shepherds in the field. The
shepherds were terrified and they had never seen an angel before. I think I would have been afraid also. But the shepherds heard the gentle voice of
the angels say, "Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings (news) of
great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is
Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Then out of the heaven a
multitude (that means many) of the heavenly host (a really cool angelic choir)
joined the angel and sang praising, "Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will toward men."
As the angel and the choir ascended into heaven the Shepherds decided they
had to check this out, I mean really how many times do angels come and tell you
to go and find a baby just born in a manger. So they came with
"haste" the story goes, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe
lying in the manger. Soon the word
spread across the land and three wise men came with gifts for the baby. Everyone marveled at the sight which they
witnessed that evening but Mary kept the things she had witnessed and
experienced and pondered them in her heart.
This young baby would grow to share his earthly fathers love for
creating beauty and teaching others of His Father in Heaven's gospel of
peace.
As Christmas comes this year and I serve the last few
months, the wonderful young people of the Philippines, I want those I love to
know I believe the Savior, Jesus Christ is my elder brother who loves me and he
loves you. He know our hearts, our
desires and he has and continues to
bless our lives through repentance and through the redeeming, enabling
power of his atonement. He lives, it is
through him that we find peace and real happiness in this earth life full of
trials, troubles, sorrow and of joy and happiness. His has indeed blessed each of my children
and cradled them in his arms while I have been physically far from them serving
him. I know that through my service
others have been blessed beyond measure.
I know he is the head of the true gospel and he alone leads and guides
that church daily through a modern prophet Thomas S. Monson. I know the Book of Mormon is holy scripture
that testifies of Jesus Christ and that if we read and study that book along
with the Bible we will know the things we should do and how to live our lives
so that when we meet again, our Savior, will cradle each of us in His arms and
say, "Well done, my good and faithful child, enter into my kingdom and
rest."
May you each have a wonderful, spiritual, glorious Christmas
season full of love, laughter, and hope for the future. I love you, I cherish you, I am blessed to
know you and to call you my friend, my family, my love!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Thanksgiving 2013!!
Thanksgiving, 2013.
It is Sunday and we are home from church today as Dan has
thrown his back out, so I thought I would journal a little about my thoughts.
It has been a busy couple of weeks. We
have traveled to Manila to hear about the new PEF Self Reliance Centers and
loan changes. I am so excited that
bachelor's degrees are back and that we can be useful the last five months of
our mission. We were so concerned about
the drop in our PEF applications both Dan and I wrote letters to Elder Gay
about the circumstances here in the Philippines and the lack of jobs without a
bachelor's degree and PEF listened. Of
course after going from over 200 applications down to 2 applications, we must
have known what we were talking about.
The program will combine the Employment Recourse Centers and the PEF
offices into the PEF Self Reliance Centers with computers for writing resumes,
job searches and other training and classes.
We do not know where the Galo center will be, since there is not room in
the Galo building, but it will be exciting to watch and be a part of the
planning even though we will not be around when it opens and starts to build
the self reliance here in the Philippines.
On our return to Bacolod we helped transport the transfer
missionaries from the Tacloban Mission.
We received 16 transfer missionaries who had experienced the devastation
of the typhoon. They had seen death and destruction and yet were so anxious to
get back to work. They were sad to have
left the wonderful people and mission president they love in Tacloban, but so
excited to get back to serving the Philippino people. We also met three missionaries fresh out of
the MTC in Manila slated to go to Tacloban. We were able to spend the first day
after their arrival just visiting and assisting them getting used to a new area
and president and then they had the same orientation new missionaries get
before sending them with their new companions out into the Bacolod mission
area. We love the young missionaries
already and they have the most valiant spirits.
Only one of our missionaries here in Bacolod lost family members. Sister Bendoy lost nine family members in
Tacloban and decided since she would be returning home in December she would go
to be with her remaining sister and brother.
Her sister lives in Manila and so she and her brother (who survived the
typhoon) will go to be with her in Manila.
What a tragedy for her family.
Overall, there were only thirty members of the church killed and minimal
damage to the roofs of some of the buildings, but not one missionary was
lost. What a miracle.
Friday we assisted with repacking rice and clothing into
family size packages. The leaders thought it would take us all day to pack
three kilo bags of rice and several articles of clothing per family member, all
day to do. But there were so many
volunteers we were done by lunch time. I
can't explain how thankful we were to be able to help with the assistance for
the families in our mission area who were affected by the typhoon. Another group of members have been building
homes in Escalante also. The leader of that group is a medical doctor
(anesthesiologist) from Bacolod Stake, Dr. Marty. We love her and can't begin to know where she gets her
energy. She has a thriving practice, has
been to Manila for a conference and helped build six homes in the last two
weeks. I wish I had her stamina
As excited as I am to be getting close to our return home, I
will miss the wonderful Philippine people.
I have made such dear friends here and will always appreciate the
example of faith that they have shared with me.
The people here are so friendly and genuinely happy to see us. Even the security people at the grocery store
are so thrilled to see us. I want to
remember to make other feel as special as these humble people make us feel.
They are generous with their meager belongings and always have a smile of their
faces even when they are dealing with death and tragedy.
We will have Thanksgiving with the senior missionaries
couples this week prior to traveling to Cebu for Dan to train the priesthood
leaders there, and then the next week we travel to Iloilo for the same
meetings. Two weeks later we will travel to Bohol (the area affected by the
earth quake) and can't wait to see our friends there. That will end the year
here, and begin the last four months of our mission. Before we came on our mission I thought we
would be some of those senior missionaries to serve multiple missions, but I
must admit that although this had been the most rewarding thing I have ever
done, it has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I hate being so far away from my family and
unable to just hope on a plane and get to them to visit or assist them with
their struggles. I know the Lord has
blessed us and our family in so many ways, but I am so excited to return to
being a full time grandma.
Monday, November 4, 2013
November 5, 2013
November 2013
We had a glorious few days preparing for and participating
with the visit of Elder Neil L. Anderson and Elder Clayton of the Seventy,
Elder Ardern and Elder Echo Hawk of the Philippines Area Presidency. Thursday after work, Halloween in the United
States, I decided to put up our little
Christmas tree because it is actually late here in this country and I can do
that without offending anyone. After I
finished decorating I plugged in the lights and my one year old lights did not
work. Thank goodness the tree is only
about four feet tall. I took everything
off and went and bought more lights. Of
the two long strands only one worked so I just made due. Only in the Philippines. Everyone here says it is more fun in the
Philippines and that is because everyone just goes with the flow. No use getting upset about anything because
it will probably never change.
Friday we had a planning and strategizing meeting in
preparation for the big meeting with our church leaders. We met in the newest
and largest Church meeting house in Talisay, the city north of us. The chapel
is about the size of an average chapel in the United States and will
hold about 250 tightly packed, in the chapel itself and about twice that in the
cultural hall. We moved some benches and
added enough chairs so all the missionaries could meet in the chapel. We have 244 young missionaries, five senior
couples, and 10 local church service couples.
President Lopez was concerned about keeping the young missionaries and
the members separated during the gaps in the meetings as the number of the
people would be so large. We have had
some problems with members falling in love with the missionaries and it is a
great concern to the president. So we
practiced how we would direct traffic to shield the missionaries as best as we
could. It is difficult because the missionaries
and the members who had not seen each other since transfers really wanted to
greet each other. After we did all we
could to prepare we went to the airport to pick up Elder and Sister Scott from
Iloilo. He is in the mission presidency
there and we had met them earlier in our service and had an instant connection
as they are from Snowflake Arizona. We
had planned to take them to the Ruins (the only tourist site here) but it was
raining so we just came back to our home and visited until five pm when we
drove them to the mission home for their meetings with the Mission Presidency
and President Lopez. It was so nice to
see them again.
Saturday we arrived at the Talisay chapel at noon to begin
direction the missionaries to the rooms where they would be waiting for their
meeting with the general authorities.
They were all to be at the chapel between noon and one as they would be
ushered into the chapel at one thirty after the priesthood training meeting was
let out. Their training was from nine am
until noon and then they were served lunch.
The missionary meeting was from 2:00 until 4:00 and another meeting for
the youth and young adults was held from 5:00-7:00pm. The leaders had interviews between and after
those meetings. I do not know how they can
continue that brutal pace, especially since they arrived a week ago Friday, had
similar meetings in Manila, and Cebu and traveled to Bohol to visit those
suffering from the earthquake.
Dan had volunteered us to stand at the front door of the
meeting house to direct all the missionaries so that I could greet each one as
they arrived. It was so very wonderful
to hug each sister and shake the hands of each elder and express our love for
them prior to directing them upstairs. I can't begin to describe how very much
we love these great young people who work so very hard and have such valiant
testimonies of our Savior. At exactly
one-thirty we began to file into the chapel.
They were all seated by one-forty.
The couples entered the chapel last and sat in the front row of the
chapel. I stood to look at them and
tears flowed as I could see the entire group seated in the chapel. Oh how I love these faithful young men and
women. They are some of the most beautiful and hardworking young people. What a glorious site. At two pm the leaders entered the Chapel and
took their places on the stand, and Elder Neil Anderson expressed his desire to
shake each missionaries hand. Again the
tears flowed knowing that each of these beautiful young people were going to
personally be greeted by an apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amazingly, the entire 250+ were able to be
greeted by the five leaders in only ten minutes. When it was my turn I quickly thanked Elder
Anderson for greeting each missionary and told him it would be a lasting memory
for each of the fine missionaries serving here. I was touch to think I am shaking the hand of
an apostle who just shook President Monson's hand less than ten days ago.
Some thoughts on each talk follows:
Elder Echo Hawk spoke of his call to be a general authority
and how he and his wife were overwhelmed with their call and yet their lives
have been blessed immeasurably. He
joined the church when he was fourteen years old never expecting to have the opportunity to not only shake the
hand of a prophet, but to sit with them and counsel together. At a previous occasion in Escalante, Elder
Echo Hawk spoke about how when his was a little older he traveled to Salt Lake
City to attend conference but could not get into the actual meeting. As the meeting came to a close his brothers
lifted him up on the walls of temple square ( he told us not to do that) and as
President McKay came out the side entrance he was waving to the crowd of people,
and looked up and smiled and waved at the young man on the wall. Elder Echo
Hawk said he would never forget that he had looked directly into the eyes of
the prophet, that he knew President McKay was a prophet of God!!
Elder Ardern spoke of our lives as being a test of our
character, and in order to grow and develop into the people our Heavenly Father
desires, we much press forward in dedication, perseverance, and endurance and
to be immoveable in our desire to live
the gospel. We love Elder Ardern, he is
from Australia, but has lived in the Philippines now for a few years and he is
a wise and compassionate man. He is the
one who approves all the over age applicants of the PEF program. He has never turned anyone away.
Elder Clayton worded his testimony of the Book of Mormon in
a way that touched my heart. He said the Book of Mormon, another testament of Christ is a sacred
scripture. He also said we should never
turn the page without learning something from that page. I believe that is true
of all reading, even fiction as there is fact and truth in all reading.
About half way through Elder Claytons, talk someone in the
cultural hall opened the dividing doors so they could hear better. They were
closed to secure our meeting and separate our meeting from the lunch being
served. After the lunch was completed
the facilities managers had set up chairs for the 5:00 pm meeting and the youth
who had arrived early had already taken seats there and were listening to our
meeting. President Lopez went back to
close the doors and when he returned to the stage the doors were opened
again. Elder Anderson told him they
could open the doors for the others to join.
When he began speaking he told the young people they were invited to
listen, but he would be continuing to address the missionaries.
Finally, Elder Anderson spoke he began with a report on the
progress of the church in the
Philippines that included: missionaries were first sent to the
Philippines in 1961. now we have 547,221 members here, 21 missions, 87
stakes, 83 Districts and 892
chapels. He told how they met with the
Bishop of the Catholic church in Bohol and offered financial assistance to
rebuild their churches. He also told of how the church in the Philippines had
assembled and distributed 10,000 food kits, 8000 hygiene kits, 500 emergency
shelters, water filtration, generators, and clean up teams. Seventy five member homes were destroyed and
the church was helping those saints rebuild, all in setting the example of
living the gospel is not what we believe, but how we live and our purpose
should always be to render aid where aid is needed. He also told the
missionaries that they were angels of the Lord and instruments in His
hands. Finally, he taught of the
atonement of Christ. His words were,
"Don't think you understand the whole of the atonement of Christ because I
don't get it fully"! Wow! I thought after losing our daughter we had that
one down, but I guess if an apostle of God doesn't get it, I have more to
learn.
After the meeting, we lined the parking lot to try and keep
the missionaries separated from the members arriving for the next meeting and to help those who had to
get on buses to return to their areas ( some over five hour journeys). The members of the church were all crowded
around hoping to have a chance to see the missionaries who had served in their
areas and had been transferred. What a
crowd of people. When we got them all
out onto the street there were no Jeepneys (large open air vans that are used
for public transportation) for them. It
took about twenty minutes for the
transportation to catch up with the need but eventually all the
missionaries were on their way and we were able to head home. The members of the church here just adore the
missionaries and think they (we) are angels and just desire to shake the hands
and visit with the missionaries. It is
the most amazing feeling even after all this time serving.
Sunday there were special stake conferences in four
different locations around Bacolod so the general authorities could meet more
of the members. Our stake had Elder
Clayton. I really enjoyed his talk both days.
Elder Clayton had several members called up to speak for a few minutes
impromptu and that was wonderful. One
was a returned missionary Ray Cobing and another was one of the Sister
Missionaries whose parents are mission presidents in California. Her name is Sister Becerra. She said her
father always told her to "do what the Lord says, not matter what it
is"! I love that! Instead of grumbling, or rationalizing doing differently
to just do it!
Elder Clayton told us that when he was called to Salt Lake
to receive his call as a general authority, he and his wife stayed in a hotel
there in the city. He said one of his sons who had a great sense of humor got
into his room and put several Mylar balloons and a card in his room that said
"Get well soon"! He was puzzled when he returned to his room to find
them. So he called the front desk in case they were delivered to the wrong room
and was told they were really for him.
So he and his wife opened the get well card and were still confused
until they saw their son's familiar writing that said, "Get well quick
before they figure out what you are really like"! Everyone thought that
was pretty funny.
He concluded his talk with the urging to "Be as good as
you can possibly be, and be as kind as you can be everyday, because as we draw
close to the Lord with our actions, He will draw close to us!"
What a spiritual feast we enjoyed the last few days. We are on a high that should last until our
release. What a blessing to see, hear
and meet and apostle of the Lord. We are
truly blessed.
I know this is longer than any other letter I have written
but I wanted to share what an excited and special weekend we experienced. I love you and can't wait to be reunited with
our family and friends back home.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Departing missionaries Oct 2012
Sister Molina
Elders Domingo and Ayala
Our mission parents the Neffs
Three generations
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