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.