30 January 2016

I was reading an article written by Michael Snyder this past week that really opened my eyes.  He is an economist and writes a lot about the state of affairs in the world and more especially in the United States.  He is not LDS and he wrote the following statement: "the truth is that we are moving into the greatest time of chaos that any of us have ever experienced, and those of us that have been preparing are going to need to step forward as leaders.  It is during times of great darkness that light is needed the most, and during the hard years ahead there is going to be a crying need for people that have great strength, great courage and great love".    As I considered what he wrote, I was struck by how much that is like the church is teaching right now.  The world IS being covered in darkness, or in other words, with the power of Satan, and it is only through the light of Christ and His righteous followers that the darkness can be dispelled.  Each of us will have to become leaders with strength, courage and love to overcome the evil; to help ourselves and our loved ones through the difficulties to come.

Elder Haynie with the 2 Senior Couples.

"It is during times of great darkness that light is needed the most."


A WHIRLWIND week!!

Sunday:  In Dalipay for Sacrament meeting.  Then to Canaman chapel to find a piano student and back home for Priesthood/RS.   Sunday night choir practice with the ward.

Monday:  Our preparation day which was a nice quiet day.  Shopping and lunch at the mall.

Tuesday:  The workshop for missionaries going home. All day long.

At lunch in our apartment on Friday after the Zone Training.

Out to dinner with the Watsons.

Wednesday:  First thing in the morning we drove to Pili to get a sick missionary and her companion.  Back to Naga to the hospital where Sister Hoopes helped her through the process.  Hurried to Canaman chapel to help with the processing of new missionaries who had just arrived.

Wednesday night, we went to dinner with the Watsons at a new restaurant which they had discovered.

Thursday:  Shopping and preparing for the visit of Elder Haynie on Friday.

Friday:  Missionary choir practice at 9 am with the Canaman and Naga districts. Then Naga Zone training with Elder Haynie in attendance with Pres and Sister Reeder.  The Watsons gave the missionaries a presentation on using Family History as a means of finding and helping less active members and new investigators.  Elder Haynie was there just to see the presentation.  Friday night piano lessons until 8 pm.

Saturday:  Just like last week.  Started off with piano lessons this morning and choir practice tonight.

The missionaries going home before the workshop.

We just saw President and Sister Reeder this morning and they look tired!!  They have had such a long week.  The transfer week is always difficult but in addition, they had Elder Haynie here and then on Friday they had the new mission president and his wife come for a visit.

Elder Bondoc in for a new companion on Wednesday.
He is from Las Vegas and we haven't seen him
for quite a while.

Elders Howard and Beard in a breakout session.

It was a long week and we are tired but we slow down for some of today.  But we will be busy again tomorrow traveling to Bato and Iriga for church.  We have English tests all day on Monday and heading to Pasacao on Tuesday morning for piano again.  It will be mid week before we can really slow down very much.

We are doing well, however, and Sister Hoopes is doing much better with the hives.  They still come every day but are very small and not a big concern anymore.

Until next week.

This is how they build roads in Dalipay.  This was on
Sunday before Sacrament meeting.

The white building is the chapel where we attended Sacrament
Meeting with the Dalipay group.  It is about 15 minutes
from Naga.