This week has been action packed with with daghang (many) irons in the fire. There are many programs and things going on in all direction. Nindot kaayo (very great) mga missionaro ug Nindot kaayo Branch.
I will start with the self reliance program. If you want a first hand look of your donations to the Perpetual Education Fund of the Church then keep tuned as we show this program unfolding from the grass roots up in a newly formed branch of the church.
I am the facilitator for the group Starting and Growing My Own Business. The name of our group just happens to be called Helaman's Warriors. The name was created by our group. There are 8 members of the group not including myself. We had our first meeting this week with is a great discussion of fundamental ways to be successful in business and also spiritual values, that when applied to business, help all involved to benefit from the blessings of the Lord in our entire lives. Starting and running a business in the Peenes is not as complicated as in America but the basic principles are the same.
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| Great shot of Helaman's Warriors at our first meeting. |
The business interest here range for Joaquin Jandayan (second one in on the right) 16 years old. Joaquin wants to make and sell ice cream. Other interest include making and selling natural oils, stating and running retail outlet in the market, running a fruit and vegetable stand. Other possibilities are being explored as they do simple market research over the next 12 weeks to start or improve existing business. It will be great to see how this all unfolds.
Second is the CSP (community service project) at nanny Claudia's balay (house). She receive and small humble home from the Habitats for Humanities organization after the earthquake 3 years ago. All the branch member went out on Saturday to help level the floor to receive concrete. She is widow with 2 young daughters and is most appreciative of all help she receives. These homes are interesting construction. They have an aluminium frame and then they weave bamboo strips throughout the metal framework. Some folks live in them like this but usually they do stucco work on both the interior and exterior of the bamboo and it makes for a cozy little home.
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| The leveled floor and the lunch after |
We are going into town tomorrow to finish the last medical requirements for Marjonilo Viodor's mission papers. He is my branch clerk and my right hand man. We will keep you up to date on his progress as he gets his call. January 7 will mark 1 year as member of the church. What a difference 1 year makes in the lives of these young people as the Holy Ghost teaches them the Gospel and they have amazing testimonies.
Well I will turn the rest over to Sister Bell.
I love the Lord and I love his work. May all of us love and serve others in a way we can feel His love in our lives. When you lose yourself in the service of others you find the real you. Just try it some time and you will also know of His love and spirt in your life.
Kita Kits sa sunod simana (See you next week)
Elder Bell (Tatay, LoLo & Amigo)
Ayo! How are all of you this week? Just a little reminder….we write you every week! We would love to hear from you once in awhile…in fact we would love to hear from you every week but I am realistic!
Well, I am going to be doing a little bragging here….today we had the very first ever (this is historical) beloved Primary Program! After our disastrous practice last week I have entertained serious doubts all week that we could pull it off. But, I was so pleasantly surprised. These kids did fantastic. They all said their parts. The big kids all came with actual talks written and we sang 13 songs!!! Can you imagine the magnitude of this? Less than a year ago these kids had never heard of Primary or heard any Primary songs and today they performed flawlessly!
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| We were soooooo proud of these kids! |
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| Claudalyn and Miezel working on their posters |
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| Sister Anderson and Janalyn |
So after Sacrament Meeting we took a little break from singing and drew pictures of our wonderful program. This is Sister Anderson and Janalyn showing off their picture (really Sis Anderson is the artist but she gifted the picture to Janalyn). I might add here that Sister Anderson played all of those 13 primary songs for the program plus all of the other sacrament meeting songs today! Thank you Sister Anderson! You are wonderful!
Our Saturdays are always crazy busy and yesterday was no exception. We had our typical seminary class (I might note here that we are exactly half way through with this year's studies now) and then the youth had planned an activity they called…Visiting and Home Teaching. These programs have not yet been introduced to this branch (But will be very soon) and so it was cool of the kids to realize that everyone in the branch needed a visit. We all split in to 6 groups with a full-time missionary leading each group and with the addition of 2 or 3 youth it made up each group. They met for a few minutes and planned a lesson and then I took 3 of the groups and President Elder Bell took 3 of the groups and we headed out. It was really dark when we headed out as the sun always goes down at 5:30 year round and so it is a little unsettling for me to drop off groups and see them march out through the jungle on the very darkest of nights with usually only one dim flashlight. I wondered several times if we would ever see them again. But, we were able to collect them all up after 6 very successful visits. Today, a less-active member that none of us had ever met before came to church with her 3 children because that little group took the time to go visit her last night. This amazing branch takes seriously their missionary work and it shows. I have said it before and I will say it again…..they are the most 'Zion-like' people I have every known. They teach me so much of love and patience and unconditional service.
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| Mariel and Lowella working on a 'Doctrine Mastery' assignment. |
So, you know how I have told you before that a mission really brings in to focus ones short-comings and faults? Well, it is no secret that one of my biggest short-comings is patience! You throw my 'A-' type personality in to a third world country and it is a recipe for some serious stress. I am a person that abhors meetings starting late, waiting for people to arrive, etc, etc…..Well, you add that to the fact that generally speaking, even though I have a smart-phone, I can rarely communicate with other people (It turns out that you need a smart network to support a smart phone) and you have one very impatient, stressed out senior missionary! I find this a problem on a daily basis. And so I am going to publicly state here and now that I am going to pray for more patience! I am going to pray and work for this Christ-like attribute that has here-to-fore eluded me. So, keep me in your prayers people….I am going to need them!
Well, that is going to wrap up another week here in Paradise! We are living it and loving it and will confess that it is one of the hardest things I have ever done but one of the most wonderful things I have ever done. The challenges are real….the blessings are many…..and that is what makes it all worth it!
Love you forever,
Sister Bell (Mamala)
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