Welcome 2019... and some may never wash their hands again!!

Well, the week before Christmas came so quickly.  We had several dinners planned that week, and on Christmas Eve, we had a progressive supper with the senior missionaries in our building.  We all had a good time.  At some apartments we would have the appetizer, the next we would play a game, then the next the salad, then game, then main course, gift exchange and then finally dessert.

On Christmas Day I had the opportunity to help out at the MTC.   I don't think church members understand the work and sacrifice of the Mission Presidents and MTC Presidents. President and Sister Carlos work 24/7 ... 365 days of the year.  Their mission ends this Tuesday and the new MTC President arrives Tuesday.  Earlier in December, Sister Carlos sent out an email to the senior missionaries to ask if anyone was interested in helping out Christmas Day.  Most of the missionaries in the MTC were Filipino and had never had the opportunity to decorate cookies or a ginger bread house.  They were put in groups and as one group was in the cafeteria, decorating cookies and the gingerbread house, others were either in the Cultural Hall watching a live video presentation from BYU and Provo MTC while others were calling home for their Christmas family calls.  Sister Carlos baked over 300 cookies so each missionary could decorate two.   They were also making Plan of Salvation Kits and playing a game that we had laminated, they could use when they were out in the field.

 

Final products .. Filipino Flag Cookie

I was invited to attend at an Orphanage the afternoon of Christmas Day.  I was reluctant to go because I know it would tug at my heart to be with these children, but I am so glad I did.  The orphanage we attended was called Gentle Hands.  It is a child and youth welfare agency meant to be on the front lines of rescue and rehabilitation of at risk children and youth of the Philippines.  Many of these children were abandoned by parents who suffered from addiction and some came from homes where they were abused.  Some of the children were left because they may have a medical condition that parents can't deal with so the child is dropped off.

That afternoon, several of us senior missionaries took a printer and craft papers, stickers and such to take the children's picture so they could decorate it.  While some were doing that project, I was invited to play 'jacks' with a couple of the children.  It took me a while before I could regain my expertise ... I used to play jacks when I was younger.

A little background of this Orphanage ...  about 30 years ago, Denie Heppner, a Canadian humanitarian missionary,  made a crucial decision to give up her ordinary life as a missionary wife and mother and venture into an unfamiliar world of poverty and squalor. She and her husband, Dennis moved to the Philippines.  In 1989, she began using her skills as a nurse midwife and did her best to give indigent women hope of better medical care and treatment in childbirth.  In August 1993, Gentle Hands was founded as a Non-Government Organization (NGO) to operate as a birthing clinic to reach out to these urban poor women and their babies.  This organization stayed on the cutting edge of modern midwifery for ten years, "changing the face of childbirth" in the Philippines.

Their daughter Charity and her husband founded Gentle Hands Educational Foundation, hoping to bring eduction to street kids and out-of-school youth.  They taught children to read and write in their own language where ever they could; in the garage of their home and under the bridges where the poor lived.  The workers at this orphanage work tirelessly with these youth.   When her parents moved back to Canada, she and her husband remained in the Philippines and continue to work in the orphanage.
           

There is a story about the baby I am holding.  His name is Theo. He is so precious and is one true survivor of this orphanage. We were told his mother, probably out of desperation, tried to abort this baby and left him.  The angels must have been there because he was found and taken to a hospital to get the care he needed and blessed be... he survived.  He is now a resident of the orphanage.  I don't know how old he is because he is really small but his eyes are so big and beautiful.  I wouldn't be surprised if one day he is a doctor himself.  As I said, these children are smart.  It was certainly a privilege to go there and participate in this Christmas Day activity.  It really made my Christmas.

Elder and Sister Grimshaw's family came for Christmas and when they were here, Brother Kenneth Lee, (an Area Seventy and works in the Welfare Department at the Area Office), invited all of us to attend at his place for dinner.

Brother Kenneth Lee, Grimshaw Family, Elder and Sister Owen, Sister Stone,
Elder and Sister Browne, Elder and Sister Singleton and brother Lee's daughter
and wife. It was a great evening to visit with everyone and get to know the Lee's. 

MALIGAYANG BAGONG TAON!!!! (HAPPY NEW YEAR... WELCOME 2019)

NEW YEARS.. What do senior couples do?  Well, napped most of the afternoon so we could stay up and watch the New Year come in.  We were invited to Elder and Sister Gunnell's apartment which is 35 floors above Eastwood so we could see the crowds and fireworks.  Interesting, all the week before Christmas, they set off fireworks in Eastwood most every night for a few minutes. I could always here them, but from my apartment, I couldn't see them.  At Gunnells, we played games, ate snacks, did the count down, watch the fireworks, bid adieu and left to go home.  Eastwood was packed with literally thousands of people, we walked around where the streets were pretty vacant and got home in a reasonable time.  It was interesting view to watch the fireworks above where they were set off.

You can barely see they were packed
in like sardines. 

Looking down at the fireworks. They
lasted about 10 minutes and were pretty
spectacular.

THE HIGHLIGHT OF 2019... ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND'S VISIT!!!!!       

MESSAGE.... OBEDIENCE IS THE FIRST LAW OF EVERYTHING...                       

SO FAR... the highlight of 2019 was the opportunity to attend a broadcast Stake Conference with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland,  MTC Missionary Devotional and Area Office Employee Devotional.

We all knew last fall, that the Urdaneta Temple ground breaking was going to be in January and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland would be attending to that.  Of course, hope and anticipation of most everyone here in the Area Office was that Elder Holland would speak to us.  We all got an email from the HR Department inviting us to attend the Area Office Devotional on January 15th.  Then we received an email from our zone leader, Elder Whitehead, inviting us to attend at the MTC for a missionary devotional with him.  (There was an email fiasco ... but that is another story).  Just the week before he got here, they announced a Multi-Stake Conference Broadcast.

I attended at my building to watch the Stake Conference ... AMAZING!

Regional Stake Conference Broadcast

The next day, Sister Stone and I had to go to the Area Office early in the afternoon to practice with the area office choir who had been given the assignment to sing for the devotional the next day.  We got to the MTC early to get a seat.  All of the missionaries in the MTC were practicing a song for the devotional.  Then we were asked to be seated so Elder Holland could come in and shake everyone's hand before the devotional.

Elder Holland shaking my hand prior to the MTC Missionary Devotional.

After everyone had the opportunity to shake his hand, and when the meeting started, he told us that by shaking everyone's hands, it was a his way of 'interviewing' each of us.  We were to tell him our name and where we were from.   He continued to talk to us about our missions and how a mission can be the pivotal, important, transcendent experience of our lives.  Our challenge is to see our mission the way God sees it.

The next day, we had the Area office Devotional.  I had the opportunity to sing in the choir for this devotional and had an exceptional seat. 

His talk, again, was amazing.  At the end of the devotional, Elder Holland gave us an Apostolic Blessing.  He said this blessing was as if he had his hands on each of our heads and continued to invoke the blessing.  As he continued with this blessing, I just got so overwhelmed again, and tears started streaming down my face and I was having difficulty trying to collect myself.  When he closed, they announced that he wanted to shake everyone's hand and I was so nervous because I had been weeping.  I thought they would start at the back row like they did the night before but they didn't.  So i tried to collect myself and as we were going through the line, he took my hand, looked my in the eyes, I thanked him, and he put his hand on my arm and nodded.  I continued through the handshaking with the area presidency.  When I got out of the building, I just started sobbing.  I felt stupid but it was okay.

When we returned to the Family History Center, one of our Church Services Missionaries, who had been at the Area Office Devotional said she wasn't ever going to wash her hand again.  We probably all felt the same way, after having the opportunity to shake Elder Holland's hand.

The key message from Elder Holland... OBEY.  OBEDIENCE IS THE FIRST LAW OF EVERYTHING.  Not once but several times of the course of all of his messages, he repeated that.  So, I had a wake up call. It wasn't like I wasn't being obedient, but I needed to be more obedient. 

President Schmutz had shared was one time several years ago, he had to meet Elder Holland at the airport when he arrived.  He said Elder Holland looked really tired.  When he went to shake his hand, he asked how he was doing, to which Elder Holland responded, "I am exhausted, but I am okay."  He said this was a missionary Battle Cry..Trust that God will give us the strength to do what we are supposed to do.

It must have been a very busy and exhausting week for Elder Holland.  The very next day he had to drive to Urdaneta for the groundbreaking, and attend with dignitaries that afternoon.  The following day he had more meetings, then did a devotional that evening for married couples.

President Schmutz and Elder Holland
waiting for the service to begin in Urdaneta

Ground breaking at Urdaneta Temple Site.

Being on this mission has been such a blessing in my life.  I have had the opportunity to work with Area Seventies, attend devotionals and hear messages from two apostles and general officers of the Church as well as Relief Society and Young Women's Auxiliary leaders.  We expect there will be another temple site groundbreaking sometime this year.  In July there will be another mission formed, which will be the 23rd mission in the Philippines.  That will be two new missions in a year, and since I have been here.

This next week will be pretty back to normal.  We are continuing to learn all of the modules that we need to train our Church Service Missionaries for the Remote Operations Center.  I am working with a great bunch of people who are all volunteering their time to move forward and the family history work move forward.  We have been told we are the pioneers with this project.  Both Sister Stone and I have additional projects as well, with respect to island location, inhabitation of those islands and updating information for the thousands of cemeteries here in the Philippines.  So much to do.... so little time.

Some of my peeps.. I love these kids.  So anxious and willing
to work and help patrons in the Family History Center.