Houston Texas Temple/Elder Odom

 

 

I am FINALLY updating Jarom's blog!  29 Sep 2012 we had the opportunity to attend the Houston Texas temple with our son.  He is our second child to take to the temple - what an amazing experience!  It gives me a glance into the joy Heavenly Father feels when His children are making right choices that bring them closer to returning home to Him.  Besides Jarom, and Milton and me - we had eighteen of our family and friends come to share this experience.

 

03 October 2012 we had the opportunity to go to Beaumont with Jarom as he was set apart as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines Cauayan mission.  He will serve from October 2012 through October 2014.  His name officially changed from Jarom to Elder!  (not really :)  I have to tell you - he signs his letters: Love, Elder Odom - I LOVE it!!!



Update...

 

These past three months have gone by slowly and yet far too quickly.  Jarom has spent a lot of time studying the scriptures and Preach My Gospel, with missionaries in the stake teaching discussions and attending P-day, and he went to Youth Conference as an adult leader.  He also had the opportunity to meet and talk with Elder George M Keele of the Seventy at stake conference the last weekend in August.  Now, with just two weeks left until we leave for Provo, we have to get shots, try to get him an International Driving Permit, and finish up some last minute shopping. 

 

September 23rd (next Sunday) will be Jarom's missionary farewell sacrament meeting, he will go to the temple September 29th - 11:00am session (all are invited), and September 30th will be his farewell potluck dinner after church (at noon).  All are invited to attend.

Philippines MTC

 



When Elder Russell M. Nelson dedicated the new missionary training center that stands near the Manila Philippines Temple, he was a witness of and a participant in the ongoing growth of the Church in this southeastern nation of islands in the western Pacific Ocean.  The Philippines Missionary Training Center, which Elder Nelson dedicated on May 20, can house up to 144 missionaries from the Philippines, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand. These "locally grown" missionaries are trained in the languages of their home countries.  The new center has two buildings. The first houses state-of-the-art training facilities, including an auditorium, the Joseph Smith Hall. Also in the building are teaching rooms with built-in audio visual, translation booths, a computer lab, a laundry area and sleeping quarters for the missionaries. The second building houses additional teaching rooms and offices of the MTC's presidency and director.

Be Prepared

As most of you know, Jarom did not enter the MTC on July 18th as originally planned.  He will now enter the MTC 10 Oct 2012.  His reasons for postponing his mission are personal though I am very proud of him for having the strength and the courage to stand up and say, "I am not quite prepared".
Over the last couple of weeks I have seen the wisdom and the blessings that have come from his decision.  A couple of those blessing include being in the MTC with one of his best friends, and the opportunity this date has given all of us to attend General Conference in person!  This opportunity will be an amazing spiritual experience for all of us, but especially for Jarom.
I have no doubt the Lord has an amazing work for Jarom to do in the Philippines because the adversary has done everything in his power to keep him from it.  I am sure this added time of preparation is making him stronger in testimony and closer to Heavenly Father.
"...yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting...and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God."
Alma 17: 2-3

Houston Temple

(photo taken by Elizabeth Ashworth)





I love to see the temple.  I'm going there someday

To feel the Holy Spirit, To Listen and to pray.

For the temple is a house of God, A place of love and beauty.

I'll prepare myself while I am young; This is my sacred duty.

I love to see the temple.  I'll go inside someday.

I'll cov'nant with my Father; I'll promise to obey. 

For the temple is a holy place Where we are sealed together.

As a child of God, I've learned this truth; A family is forever.

That day has come!  30 Jun 2012 at 11:00 am.

The Passport

On April 24th, Milton spent the day with Jarom getting everything filled out and turned in for his passport.  It was a little confusing and we didn't want to make any mistakes.  A phone call to Salt Lake and the helpful people at the post office in Vidor helped to make it all fall into place.  It came in the mail pretty quickly and so that hurdle has been successfully jumped!  Next is his Visa, a bunch of shots, and some shopping!  Only ten weeks left until he is due to report to the MTC in Provo, Utah on July 18th!

The Language is Tagolog

JAROM AY TINAWAG UPANG MAGLINGKOD NG ISANG MISYON SA PHILINAS CAUAYAN MISSION!

There is an awesome website that translates English to whatever language you choose and also from whatever language to English.  It will be fun to write emails and letters to Jarom in the Tagalog language while he is on his mission...even more fun while he is in the MTC before he has learned the language!!!