October 26, 2010
When we visited the Mabolo Ward Sunday, our Relief Society lesson was based on the April Conference talk “Mother Told Me” and how influential mothers can be in teaching principles of the Gospel to their children. I was particularly impressed with the Relief Society president’s comments; she has not had any children of her own but has adopted several Filipino children. She is a school teacher and as such has the responsibility of being a “judge of election” because the election polls are held at the schools; after the election the teachers carry the ballot boxes to the place where the votes are counted. Many of the government officials are corrupt individuals who will stop at nothing to win the election and during the last election there were shootings when the boxes were carried. This dear sister was frightened at the thought that this might happen again. Her children had come home from school last week saying that the “Family School Play Day” was scheduled on Sunday and apparently there were activities involved that this mother did not feel were appropriate for Sabbath worship. She wanted her children to make a righteous decision to not attend, but they were so excited about going that she was afraid they would make the wrong choice. She prayed for guidance as to how she could influence them in making the right decision without forcing them and was inspired to say, “You know how worried I am about carrying the ballot boxes on election day. We need to pray to ask Heavenly Father to protect me from harm.” The children all agreed this was important. Then the mother said, “Do you think Heavenly Father is more likely to listen to our prayers if we are keeping his commandments, like keeping the Sabbath Day holy, than if we are not doing as we should?” The children thought for just a moment and then said, “Mommie, we will not go to the Family School Day; we want Heavenly Father to hear our prayers to bless and protect you.”
I had a heart-wrenching experience that same day. The Relief Society teacher asked us to turn to the sister next to us and talk about the joys we had felt being mothers or how our mothers had influenced us. I let the older lady sitting by me talk first: I discovered that she was not a member, that the missionaries are teaching her right now; she told me that her parents had died when she was very young and that she had become the bread winner for her younger brothers and sisters until she got married. Then her husband either wouldn’t or couldn’t work (I’m not sure which one, but it is not unusual for the mother to be the breadwinner in the family), and so she was again working. She had four children, born close to each other. She would leave for work at three in the afternoon before her children came home from school and then work all night getting home at nine in the morning—after her children had left for school. She was their only support. She seldom saw her children. Now her husband is dead and her children are adults. They do not visit her. Two of them send her allowances to live on but are verbally resentful of doing so. When she was sick she asked them for medicine, but no one would get it for her. They have told her, “you are our biological mother, but that is all.” She is heartbroken and says, “All I want is a little respect.” I hope the Relief Society sisters in that ward wrap her in the arms of their love and help her to feel that she is loved. She needs the Gospel and the warmth of the members in her life. Her experience made me so grateful for my children who do love me and express gratitude so often.
We see little miracles in the Temple on a daily basis. One morning recently at 8:48 there were only two sisters who had come to attend the 9 am session. Those who come to the recommend desk after 8:50 are encouraged to do initiatory or sealings so that the sessions can start on time. One of the quiet Filipino sister followers told the coordinator, “I am praying for 10 sisters to start this session.” And in turn the coordinator, Sister Ganir, prayed that somehow Sister Luyong’s prayer of faith might be answered. As they closed the doors at 9am, there were 10 sisters attending the session! Sister Luyong said to Sister Ganir, “Next time I’m going to pray for 20 sisters!”
We’ve had two large groups from two different areas on Mindanao visiting the temple the last few days during the students’ semester break. The temple has been so busy with baptisms, initiatory, own endowments and sealings as well as full sessions. The youth are excited to be here. They have been staying in the Patron House for three nights and are going home tomorrow after they do one more baptismal session. One of the Stake Presidents told me that they only brought 45 youth; they had planned on bringing 65 but because there were typhoon warnings, many parents did not want their children to come. He promised the ones who did that they would travel safely; the waters were calm as they came. Tonight there was a fierce storm with the rain pelting down, creating rivers of water in just minutes, and I thought of these faithful Saints going home on a ferry tomorrow, traveling for hours on the water and I prayed that the storms will be stilled again for them.
Larry and I were in charge of the Halloween Family Home Evening last night. We planned a Pot Luck Supper with everyone bringing soup, salad, breads or desserts. Each person also was to bring a wrapped “trick or treat” gift. We played Halloween Bingo where each person filled in a blank Bingo card with 25 Halloween words then we went around the tables giving one of our words. If anyone else had it, it could be crossed off. When you got Bingo, you shouted out Happy Halloween! and chose a gift. When anyone else got Bingo he could choose a gift from the table or from someone who had a gift. It was fun with a lot of laughter. I satisfied some creative urges by making table decorations for the four tables: a stand up witch made by accordion folding black paper and adding a green head with orange paper hair and a witches hat, a standing black tombstone with three ghosts floating out of it, a full yellow moon with bats flying across it, paper jack-o-lanterns sitting in green paper grass. As couples came in we gave them a little card with one of the four items on it to tell them where they were to sit. We cut spider webs from black crepe paper and stretched them over corners. It all added to the fun of the evening.
When we finished at the temple last night at nine we invited Leah Garcia to come have leftover chicken noodle soup with us. She misses her family who are in Manila so much. Her two daughters and husband are coming Nov. 11 for four days and we will have all of them come for dinner. She is another example of sacrifice to support her family. She was so appreciative for the food and the company. She was going to catch two jeepnie rides to get home to her apartment and that would have taken her one and a half hours because jeepnies don’t run as often late at night and she would have had to wait. We insisted on paying for a taxi for her. Again she was so appreciative.
One of the darling young sisters who works with us in the temple, Sister Sheila May Abracia, is engaged to an American returned missionary from Derby, Kansas. He came this last week to spend three weeks with her. Everyone in the temple was excited for her and was waiting after they finished their shifts to meet him. She is having a hard time getting a Visa to go to the US so they can be married. They came to visit us for an hour and left several kinds of minicandy bars that were yummy.
You are in our thoughts and prayers constantly. We love the pictures you have been sending; we love talking and seeing some of you on SKYPE and wish all of you had that capability so we could be closer to you too. We love you and are so grateful for your goodness and determination to live the Gospel and serve others.
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