Another Great Weekend

The weekends continue to be the busiest part of our weeks.  This past weekend was no exception.   Your dad and I accepted an assignment to give a workshop on personality development at a two-stake young single adult conference held at a Vigan resort.  Since the second day of their conference started at 7:30am, our day started at 4:15am in order to arrive in Vigan on time.

Below are pictures of some of the young adults trying to figure out a personality worksheet we gave them.

Your dad's closing remarks. (I had already given mine.)

The Demars then gave a presentation on celestial marriage while the AP's gave a workshop on missionary work to another group.  Break time meant picture time:

Maganda Rosecelle (one of my piano students) and her gawapo fiance

Maganda Michelle (another piano student)

Of course any red-blooded woman can't spend time in Vigan without hitting the shopping trail.  Elder Demars and your dad dropped Sister Demars and myself off at our favorite stomping ground: Historic Street. They quickly scampered out of sight, yelling to each other, "Save yourself!"  What chickens!  Anyway, I wanted to buy more Christmas runners for all my favorite children (which, by the way, is everyone.) Here is a picture of the cute Christmas tree runners you each will receive...someday.  They are all individually loom woven and dirt cheap.  If you don't want/like them, I will totally understand and keep them for myself. Sorry to say, the wooden bowl is not up for grabs.  I'm sure you are all heart broken.  However, your dad would LOVE for someone to take it off our hands.  He likes it as much as Laurel likes my African-animals-gathered-around-the Africa-shaped-table set, which I'm sure she has donated back to the D.I. by now.

The feet are carabao heads. Your dad says it looks like a Filipino-style baptismal font. Rude! Again, don't get your hopes up! Only one per customer....the customer is ME! I know, you're all sighing a sigh of relief!

 



After my shopping trip, your dad and I hurried back to Laoag to attend the Pascual baptism. What a joyful experience. About one year ago the three Pascual sons, ages eleven through sixteen joined the Church.  Their father wanted to join at that time, but their mother wasn't ready.  Wanting to join the Church when his wife did, he wasn't baptized when his sons were.  Many, many, sets of elders later, (your dad and I have been with two sets of elders when teaching) Sister Pascual was ready.  A lesson on temples and eternal families is what tipped the scales.  Even when Sister Pascual committed to a baptism date, it was still touch and go.  Their baptism was postponed a few times. So when they finally showed up for their baptism an hour late, the elders were a little worried.  I joined the worry team when helping Sister Pascual with her baptismal clothes.  She dressed in her white jumpsuit.  Great.  All is well.  Then she went back into the dressing stall and came back out in her street clothes.  I kind of mentally panicked thinking she had changed her mind and the baptism was off.  I collected my thoughts and said, "Oh, aren't your going to wear those?" pointing to the tossed-over-the-door baptismal clothes.  She is a very quiet person for two reasons: 1. She's shy.  2. She doesn't speak English very well.  So when she disappeared back into the stall without saying a word, I was totally confused. But, whew, she appeared again in her baptismal jumpsuit. The double baptism was beautiful.  Like I said, what a joyful experience.

 



Elder Ma'u (from Tonga), Brother and Sister Pascual, and Elder Tucker.

                      Finally, someone is taller than your dad.

 

The elders want your dad and me to teach the Pascuals a lesson on celestial marriage and temple work. We are looking forward to that. The stake is planning a temple trip to Manila in May. The whole Pascual family has a goal of going then and doing baptisms for their ancestors.  The youngest Pascual boy will be turning twelve in March. Perfect!

 

Saturday was a great day.  Then Sunday rolled around.  Since it was fast Sunday and since your dad and I have already been asked to speak in sacrament meeting next Sunday, my guard was down, not watching for suspicious people approaching me, asking me to do last-minute activities.  I was innocently standing in the hall waiting for the other ward to leave the relief society room so our relief society could enter.  I wasn't aware of the relief society counselor approaching.  By the time I noticed her, she was saying, "Sister, could you do me a favor?" Busted! "Our teacher won't be able to be here.  Would you give our lesson today?"  I stammered and stuttered something like, "Is there a manual? What's the lesson about today?" I was in total panic/faint/sick-to-my-stomach mode.  While the counselor wandered off looking for a Liahona, I went crawling to your dad to tell him of my predicament....as if that would help any.  Then I started praying like a mad lady.

Opening exercises over, Liahona in hand, I somehow found myself in front of the class.  It was all so surreal.  The sisters looked at me, I looked at them, and then I dove in.  Relief Society lessons and class discussions are always in Tagalog or Ilocano.  But I thought that maybe since I am an English-only person, the sisters would be able to respond to questions in English. I asked for a lot of class participation since I wasn't prepared.  Wrong! The sisters could understand my English, but they were not at all comfortable speaking it.  So it was pretty much a one-woman show for forty-five loooooong minutes. Actually it wasn't a one-woman show.  The Spirit prompted me the whole time as to what to say.  Remembrances and stories came to mind. The Spirit even reminded me that I had bookmarks in my bag with a message that tied in with the lesson. Wahoo! Bookmark handouts!  And there were enough bookmarks for all of the sisters except one to have one.  I was, and am, one grateful and thankful person for having had the help of the Spirit.

As members of the Church we are blessed to have the Gospel in our lives. As members, we are also so richly blessed to have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion.  Elder Eddington and I are so blessed to be on a mission in the Philippines. We feel very honored to be as needed and as used as we are.

Love, Elder and Sister Eddington