It seems like a bit of a cliche to start this week's letter with news about the weather. Last year when we arrived in the Philippines, we were told it was the rainy season. It rained some everyday but not a lot. We thought the rainy season was like living in Florida in the summer when the storms came in, it rained and then cleared up and was sunny again. We learned this year that last year was a very mild rainy season. This year is more normal. It has been cloudy and rainy for the past several weeks but the last five days have been crazy. We will have howling winds and a driving downpour for 30 to 60 minutes then it will be calm and the streets and sidewalks will begin to dry. Before we know it, the wind and rain begin again. There have been landslides and a lot of flooding. The first picture is of the only way out of the neighborhood where our department manager lives. Her home and family were fine but they were stuck at home for a while.
I learned a fun fact last week. I brought a "bucket"of crackers (see picture) and brought them to the office. When our co-worker saw them, he said that there are bigger containers of these crackers that people buy and bring to funerals here. We have funeral potatoes and they have funeral crackers. :) Actually they have a week long wake where people come to the home of the family who has had someone pass away. There they talk and eat. It is sometimes very expensive for the bereaved family. Often those who visit will bring food with them or donate money to the family that is used for all the food they serve.
My picture of the crackers also includes the most used hand sanitizer here - plain Isopropyl alcohol. They keep several bottles around the office.
Every Tuesday morning the Area Office has an employee devotional at 9 am. Today the subject was about Pathway Connect. The employees are encouraged to take this course to help them advance in their jobs. Kent gave a great talk encouraging the employees to enroll. I think most left the meeting ready to do it. I'll share more about Pathway Connect in my next letter.
Elder Stevenson and his wife were here this past week for the Face to Face that was broadcast from the MTC Activity Center. Following the broadcast, they both spoke to the missionaries who are currently at the MTC . We were blessed to be invited to that meeting (we were not invited to the Face to Face because that is an event just for the youth). Elder Stevenson is amazing! He knows the whole "Preach My Gospel" manual forwards and backwards! He taught so powerfully from that book. (3rd Picture)
We close with a scripture he shared and told the missionaries to remember by memorizing 2-2-2 -
2 Nephi 2:2 "Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain." The word consecrate adds so much power to this statement. Knowing that God will "make sacred" our afflictions and that they will make us more than we would have been without them brings us all hope that those afflictions are creating something beautiful and powerful within us, that no trial is wasted.
It is an honor to be serving and having the learning opportunities we experience. The gospel of Jesus Christ heals the wounded heart, lifts up the down trodden, and blesses everyone in individual ways as needed. We witness the work of God moves forward and his kingdom is rolling forth to fill the earth. We love the work…
Love,
The Tuckers
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