Malipayon Ko para sa miagin simana (I am grateful for this past week). This is a great time in our mission. We are actually able to see many people come from a first contact with the gospel to preforming as leaders and teachers, helping others to find their way to the truth.
Well to start off we attended a Missionary World Wide Training Seminar that implemented new guide lines and policies for the young missionaries. The Apostles and other church leaders trained them in their duties and also gave them much more flexibility in the daily schedule. Allowing much more flexibility to adapt to conditions in the culture they work in. It was great to be uplifted with the missionaries and see them rise to all challenges they are faced with.
 |
| Calape Zone Missionaries |
On great message I received foro the training was the charge that missionaries are call to find, teach, baptize and establish the church. The young missionaries are great at the first 3 in this charge but have a harder time completing the 4th. In many cases the training they receive on their mission helps them to establish the church in their home land. They return as great leader and teachers and bless the lives of their families and church units they serve in for many years to come.
Being a mission couple, we work mainly in the part to 'establish the church'. Missionaries are great gathers and mission couples are great retainers. This is why the need is so great for more mission couples to serve and help to establish the church among the new members and converts.
So on Saturday night after seminary the youth held a musical fireside that they all participated in. It is amazing to see all 20 of them stand and show talents and speak. It is refreshing to see how pure in heart they really are and willing to share with others the truth they have discovered in their lives.
 |
| Marjonilo Viodor (waiting for mission call) |
 |
| Jamiaca Jandayan (member for 3 months) |
 |
| Jesabelle Gambe with her talk on talents |
It is great to see the youth and adults in the Sagbayan Branch rise to whatever call is given to them regardless of past experience. They trust in the Lord and the Lord makes them equal to the challenge ahead of them.
My prayer is that I will always remember the faith and courage they show and use that kind of faith in my life. Whom the Lord calls the Lord qualifies. May we always remember that.
I love the Lord and I love his work. My I always be found worthy to participate in it.
Nahigugma ko kanamo (I Love all of You)
May God Bless You
Elder Bell (Tatay, LoLo and Amigo)
 |
Just for fun this is shot of a delivery truck used to deliver bamboo mats
|
Ayo!
My week started with a sisters activity for the Calape Zone sister missionaries…..For some reason they love to do yoga with me. Quite honestly, I love to do yoga with them because Elder Bell does not like to do it with me! So we had yoga at the church and then wandered over to Sister Shamrell's house and she fed us breakfast! Shamrell's live in the apartment we used to live in when we lived in Calape so it is really close to the Calape church.
 |
| Namaste |
We also continued our work with Family History this week and had the Jandayan's over to start on their search. It is pretty fun to do family history here as all of these people are first generation members and so there has been no work done on their family lines. However, it is also very challenging because there is a huge lack of records of any kind kept. If the family could not afford to register a birth it was not done and so it is hard to find birth dates and death dates. But, I am sure somehow doors will be opened for the work.
 |
| Brother Jandayan and his mother being assisted by our Family History Specialists, Sister Joenalyn and Sister Jovilyn. |
On Thursday we were able to attend a meeting for Relief Society Sisters and Young Women in Tagbilaran. Our area president, President Bowen and his wife, Sister Bonnie Oscarson the General Young Womens President and her husband spoke to us and then were kind enough afterward to shake hands with all of us. What a great pleasure it was for us to attend. We had about 25 sisters attend the event. This was a great showing for Sagbayan as the entire rest of the District had only 31 sisters attend. Fortunately we were joining the Tagbilaran Stake and so there were a decent amount of sisters present by the end of the meeting.
 |
| Getting ready to leave for our women's conference in Tagbilaran |
Saturday I was able to teach Sister Jandayan how to make suckers (thank you Heidi Benson) and Pink Popcorn treat. She is opening a small tindahan (store) in her home and hopes to be able to make enough money to help with the family finances. Just the smallest business can support a family and so when I was home in November/December, my niece Heidi, taught me all that she knows about sucker making. I brought that knowledge back here and I am planning to teach a few people how to do it. I think it is going to be very successful for them.
 |
| Sister Jandayan packaging candy with little son, Fidel and daughter, Jamiaca |
 |
| This is my front yard. We live in the only two completed apartments in the complex and so we live in a construction site. With the constant rain the mud is pretty incredible in the front of the house. |
 |
| One day I heard a commotion outside at about noon. I stepped out on to the same balcony I had taken this picture from and this is what I saw….. |
Chicken fighting is big industry around here. Each community has a big arena dedicated to the sport and it draws big crowds. It is also the financial ruin of many families as the men get addicted to the gambling that goes along with the sport. It is a brutal thing to watch. You can see they strap razors to the legs of the roosters and they go for the kill. Apparently the workers were all enjoying a little sport during their noon break. Yikes!! I live in a den of iniquity!
Well, I will wrap it up for another week. It is amazing to see the change and growth of our little branch. Today we had 21 kids in primary! That is a bit much for our one little classroom. But, we are all doing well. With 88 in attendance at church today we are bursting at the seams. These are all good problems to have. With growth comes challenges and eventually change. We are excited to see what the next few months will bring to our growing little branch.
I sure love and miss all of you. We never forget the sacrifice that our family is making to let us serve this mission. We remember all of you that are helping with our responsibilities there so that we can serve here. It truly takes a village to send a senior couple on a mission…..Thank you, thank you!
Love you forever,
Sister Bell (Mamala to all)
No comments:
Post a Comment