Week 64--September 11-17, 2016
A hammock strung between two trees along side the road provides the perfect place for an afternoon siesta. The hammock was barely wide enough for his body. He was resting along side Camarin Road that has provided us with an obstacle course for several weeks.
We can only speculate but this car looks like it was involved in an attempted escape from the drug deal. We suspect this vehicle will be left on the side of the road for some time as a warning to would be drug dealers.
Tom had the opportunity on Sunday, September 11, to exercise his priesthood and give a blessing to Brother Richard Jayme Mondejar. He was giving a presentation as part of his certification process to become a teacher of English, Math, and Science.
The highlight of this week was Mission Tour with Elder Evan A. Schmutz, second counselor in the Philippine Area Presidency, and Sister Cindy Schmutz. He was in our mission Tuesday through Thursday. We had the opportunity to attend the meeting on Thursday. He talked about the Doctrine of Christ. He put on the board faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. He then bracketed the first four and asked the missionaries how long they work with an investigator to achieve those four items. They said about four weeks. Then he pointed out that the last item, enduring to the end, the new member has the rest of their life to work on. The goal of the missionary should be to get the investigator well founded in the gospel and pointed to the temple so that they have the basis for enduring to the end. He shared many personal stories while serving as a missionary and Mission President of the Philippines Cebu Mission. We were spiritually fed.
On Wednesday, September 14, Elder and Sister Bremner arrived from Canada as the newest senior couple in our mission. They are excited to be serving. He said that when he joined the Church at the age of 28 they set a goal to serve a mission together. They will live in Baliwag and serve in the Bustos Branch fulfilling their calling of MLS (Member Leader Support) missionaries. They will do whatever the Branch President asks them to do and to assist the young missionaries.
Thursday evening we had the opportunity to have dinner with Elder and Sister Schmutz and to be taught by a General Authority of God. His focus was on the amazing work happening in the Philippines, since missionary work began with only four missionaries in 1961 only 55 years ago. Today there are 21 missions, thousands of foreign and local missionaries, and 3/4 of a million members. There are more church buildings per member than any other country in the world.
We had our Stake Conference this weekend. Our Ward had been asked to sing in the Saturday night adult session. We have been practicing for several weeks. The songs were to be on the Restoration of the Gospel so we sang: What Was Witnessed in the Heavens? (Hymn No. 11) and An Angel from on High (Hymn No. 13). The focus of the adult session was on Ward Councils and Filipino culture vs Church culture. The members were encouraged to replace the Filipino culture with the Church culture of Family Home Evening, scripture study, going on missions, keeping the Sabbath Day holy, attending the temple and being sealed as families, and being a full tithe payer.
We can only speculate but this car looks like it was involved in an attempted escape from the drug deal. We suspect this vehicle will be left on the side of the road for some time as a warning to would be drug dealers.
Tom had the opportunity on Sunday, September 11, to exercise his priesthood and give a blessing to Brother Richard Jayme Mondejar. He was giving a presentation as part of his certification process to become a teacher of English, Math, and Science.
The highlight of this week was Mission Tour with Elder Evan A. Schmutz, second counselor in the Philippine Area Presidency, and Sister Cindy Schmutz. He was in our mission Tuesday through Thursday. We had the opportunity to attend the meeting on Thursday. He talked about the Doctrine of Christ. He put on the board faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. He then bracketed the first four and asked the missionaries how long they work with an investigator to achieve those four items. They said about four weeks. Then he pointed out that the last item, enduring to the end, the new member has the rest of their life to work on. The goal of the missionary should be to get the investigator well founded in the gospel and pointed to the temple so that they have the basis for enduring to the end. He shared many personal stories while serving as a missionary and Mission President of the Philippines Cebu Mission. We were spiritually fed.
On Wednesday, September 14, Elder and Sister Bremner arrived from Canada as the newest senior couple in our mission. They are excited to be serving. He said that when he joined the Church at the age of 28 they set a goal to serve a mission together. They will live in Baliwag and serve in the Bustos Branch fulfilling their calling of MLS (Member Leader Support) missionaries. They will do whatever the Branch President asks them to do and to assist the young missionaries.
Thursday evening we had the opportunity to have dinner with Elder and Sister Schmutz and to be taught by a General Authority of God. His focus was on the amazing work happening in the Philippines, since missionary work began with only four missionaries in 1961 only 55 years ago. Today there are 21 missions, thousands of foreign and local missionaries, and 3/4 of a million members. There are more church buildings per member than any other country in the world.
We had our Stake Conference this weekend. Our Ward had been asked to sing in the Saturday night adult session. We have been practicing for several weeks. The songs were to be on the Restoration of the Gospel so we sang: What Was Witnessed in the Heavens? (Hymn No. 11) and An Angel from on High (Hymn No. 13). The focus of the adult session was on Ward Councils and Filipino culture vs Church culture. The members were encouraged to replace the Filipino culture with the Church culture of Family Home Evening, scripture study, going on missions, keeping the Sabbath Day holy, attending the temple and being sealed as families, and being a full tithe payer.
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