A Trip to Heaven - The Temple in Manila

It seemed like it was a long time coming. The anticipation was high as P. (age 8) and her family began their trip to the Manila temple from their home village of Châu Đốc, Vietnam. They were on their way to be sealed as a forever family.

A six hour bus ride brought the family into Ho Chi Minh City where they joined the rest of the group – 44 in all – who were making their way to Manila for the annual temple trip.

On July 17, members from the three branches in Ho Chi Minh City as well as the Virtual Branch from the outlying areas gathered together at the Tan Son Nhat chapel for a brief devotional before catching either the 1:00 am flight to Manila or a flight later that morning. 

A devotional started off the trip with the outpouring of the Spirit.

The group gathers for the 1:00 am flight.

We were assigned traveling buddies - Elder Coffey and I traveled with a delightful mother and her daughter.

Arriving at the temple in the middle of the bustling, crowded city of Manila is a little bit like finding heaven.  A lot like it, actually.

The tired but happy group gathered in the patron housing lobby to receive their room assignments.

Patron Housing at the Manila Temple - for those who travel a long distance to attend.

The weary group waits for their room assignments.

Catching up on sleep before heading over to the temple.

The temple provides housing for temple patrons who come to the temple from long distances.  Bunk beds line each room housing 8 people.  Some rooms are reserved for families so they can stay together.

Assigning out the bedding for each room.

The group arrived at the temple around 6 in the morning and after resting up a bit, began serving in the temple.

The Manila temple is an English speaking temple.  Many of those in our group spoke only Vietnamese, but several in the group were able to translate to help explain things. In spite of translation challenges, the universal language of the Spirit flowed and blessings followed. 

A particularly tender moment was when P.'s family was sealed - first her grandparents to each other, then her mother to her grandparents, then her parents to each other, and then the crowning moment when P. and her baby sister were brought in to also be sealed as a forever family.  I could not hold back the tears that swelled in my eyes at this sacred moment. 

Three generations of Vietnamese Saints

It was a very big day for them!

S. was another one who came to the temple (photo, right).  A widow for 7 years, she came to receive the sacred ordinance of being sealed to her husband for time and all eternity. Miracles unfolded as saints rallied around her to help her with the paperwork and translation in order to be able to perform the sealing. She has been a member of the church for 2 years and this has been a sacred highlight for her. 

The blessings continued day and night as members were baptized for their loved ones by proxy and as families were joined together by the power and authority of the priesthood that Heavenly Father has restored to the earth in these last days. 

Elder Coffey and I and others were given opportunities to assist in the temple - helping wherever they needed us. 

What a joy it is that we are blessed with temples throughout the world - bringing these eternal blessings to families on both sides of the veil. Our visit to the temple was four faith-filled days mingling with saints, feeling the outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord, and being reminded of the supernal and eternal binding power of the priesthood. Everything about the temple points us to Jesus Christ. It is His house.  We are grateful guests in His sacred work. 

"Temples are are more than stone and mortar. They are filled with faith and fasting. They are built of trials and testimonies. They are sanctified by sacrifice and service."  Thomas S. Monson

Christmas in the Pen 3 Branch

Christmas is a time for family.  For most of the sisters in the Peninsula 3rd branch, like us senior missionaries, family is far away.  But there is a bond in the Pen 3rd branch that ties us all together in one large family - as is evidenced by the smiles on their faces!

Last Sunday our enrichment activity in the Peninsula 3rd branch was getting some of these fleece blankets ready - rolling them up and tying with a ribbon and a Christmas card.  We prepared 80 blankets.

Today is Christmas. Our sisters are required to spend holidays outside their employers' homes - all day, out on the streets. So the church opens up and they come to spend the day, with service, food, games, songs and celebrations.  

Our Christmas service project was to take the blankets to the nursing home (shown behind us, with red lettering), across the street from the Kwai Fong chapel. It's a nursing home quite different than anything we have seen before. The kitchen for the nursing home is on the ground floor, and the residents live upstairs on the second floor. In very humble conditions.

Stairs up to the second floor to the nursing home.

The residents were waiting for us.

Their individual "rooms" are just big enough for a small bed, partitioned off with partial dividers.

This room was a bit bigger.

We greeted some of the residents.

Elder Ball plays Santa.

Sister Smart, our Branch President's wife, grasps the hand of one of the residents.

Elder Coffey is welcomed by one of the women waiting for our arrival.

After greeting some of the residents, the singing began.

Singing with gusto

The blankets were handed to each resident personally. They loved them!

Elder Coffey shares a Christmas card and blanket.

These ladies insisted on getting the orange blankets!

Back at the church, after a wonderful Christmas program,

 the feasting and games began!

These faithful members of the Pen 3 branch are far from home and loved ones this Christmas. Yet they sing as they serve - grateful for their Lord and the blessings of His gospel in their lives.

Therefore, for them and for us, our Christmas will be a gift of new traditions, new smells, new tastes and music, new laughter, and new memories as we serve those who have also left home and family many miles away.

We miss our family back home, grateful for Viber and Skype, and are grateful for their support and love. We are grateful for the blessings of the Christ Child, who brought to us all things sacred and treasured. 

May your Christmas be a gift of all things sacred and treasured, all things sought, as we continue our journey wisely seeking Him whose greatest gift will bring us Home.

Missionary Sabbath

You might call today a “Missionary Sabbath”.  It was a great day.  We left home at 9:15 am to make our way to the Kwai Fong chapel where we met for a “Finding” activity – our first for Elder Coffey and myself. We were formed into teams and sent out to various areas not too far from the chapel. Our mission – to find Filipinas in parks or subways and invite them to learn more about the Church – or attend Church with us. 

Elder Coffey and I went with the two full time sister missionaries to a nearby park and found Jena.  

Jena is a domestic worker, and has Sundays off.  Like all domestic workers, on their day off they are not allowed to stay in their employer’s home, but must stay outside in parks, street corners, subways or wherever they can until the day is over.  After visiting with Jena briefly, we invited her to take a quick tour of the church building, and invited her to join us for services at 2:00. 

She was thrilled to meet fellow Christians!  At 2:00 she came back, and to everyone’s delight, she already knew a friend – someone she had met in the Philippines before they came to Hong Kong.  She instantly felt at home surrounded by dozens of Filipina domestic workers, a friend to call her own, Christian fellowship, and the presence of the Spirit.

Jena fits right in with all the rest of these sweet sisters!

Jena and her friend Catherine

Today was also Mary Jane Mondragon’s last day with us (shown above in yellow). She is going home, and while we will miss her terribly, we are thrilled for her.  Jane is preparing for her own full time missionary service, so a full blown missionary farewell was given in her honor after church services. Lots of hugs, lots of photos, and tons of food. Jane is such a sweetheart and we just know she will be a fantastic missionary!

 

Mary Jane Mondragon with Elder and Sister Coffey

More photos - always more photos!

 And what would a missionary farewell be without food??????

Then of course comes the clean up - one more hour to go at the end of a long day - no paper products with this crew - everything is hand washed and hand dried.

Our bright and cheerful dish washer committee - all volunteers!

At the end of a long and very wonderful Sabbath day. Cleaning up from the farewell....

 We got home at 9:00 pm - nearly a 12 hour day. The Peninsula 3rd branch is probably the best branch in the entire Church!