Testimonies . . .

This past Tuesday, we were invited to participate with the 14 missionaries returning home from our mission during their final testimony meeting. WOW! It was amazing to listen as each of the 11 Elders and 3 Sisters as they bore witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They each expressed their gratitude for being able to share the gospel with the Filipino people and how much that they had grown from their experience over the last 18 -24 months. These missionaries were from the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia and the USA. What a great day to rub shoulders with these fine young people.

There are days that go by that I wonder what type of 'spiritual' experiences I could be having as I work in the mission office preparing departing books, orientation books, letters to parents, sorting mail and ordering supplies. But as we send missionaries home with the Light of Christ in their countenance and then receive new missionaries fresh from the MTC, in Provo or Manila, who are eager to get out to meet and teach the people and to bring souls Unto Christ, our testimonies are strengthened. We see how the Lord has a plan for each one of us.

Today, I was standing in line at the bakery. An American man came up to me and asked if I was part of the church in Cabanatuan. (He was looking at my name tag as we spoke.) I told him that we didn't attend there (it is about 2 hours from Angeles), but we were the same church. He was trying to tell me about the political stuff going on back home. I told him we hear about stuff back home, but we are here to tell the people about our church. I told him that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was taken from the earth after Christ died and that Joseph Smith had restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ back to the earth. I told him that we have a book that tells of the history of the people who left Jerusalem and settled in the Americas. He stopped me and asked if that was the twelve tribes. I told him that these people were from one of the tribes and that we are all from the either the tribe of Ephraim or Manasseh. He told me had one of our books - the Book of Mormon - that the young Elders had brought to him. He said that they had been to his home several times. I asked if he had read the book and he said no, he hadn't even read the King James Bible. I challenged him to go home and read the book of Mormon and then call those young Elders who have stopped by his home before. He said he would as he walked way . . .

Wade was asked to speak in the Angeles Stake Conference last week on Finding Joy in Service. I was asked to bear my testimony. One of my friends here told me that she loves to serve the people who are serving the Lord. She is the house help here at the mission home. I had never thought of serving in that way before,. But what a pleasure it is to serve the Lord whether it be serving those who sever Him or if you are working in the office. There are opportunities for 'spiritual' experiences. We just need to open our eyes a little more and look around at all He has blessed us with!