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!!! 



Temples of the Philippines

Manila Temple (1984)

Cebu City (2010)

During his opening remarks at the Saturday morning session of the 180th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Thomas S. Monson announced the construction of a temple in Urdaneta City, Philippines.¹ Located approximately 100 miles north of Manila on the island of Luzon—the largest and most populated island in the Philippines—the Urdaneta Philippines Temple will help serve the over 100 stakes and districts in the Luzon Island Group currently served by the Manila Philippines Temple

I Love This Game!

Emelie here...

I was able to talk with Jarom on Sunday evening and he told me that he learned the Philippines #1 favorite sport was soccer and he got a bit bummed - TWO WHOLE YEARS WITH NO BASKETBALL!

Then he found out basketball was the #2 favorite! All is well! He'll be fine! :)



A Little Philippino History...

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines is a sovereign country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its tropical climate make the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons but have also endowed the country with natural resources and made it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Its capital city is Manila.
With an estimated population of about 94 million people, the Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country. An additional 11 million Filipinos live overseas. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands.
The Philippines has been part of several empires: the Spanish Empire during the age of Imperialism, the United States after the Spanish-American War of 1898, and the Japanese Empire during World War II, until the official Philippine independence in 1945.
 Aside from the period of Japanese occupation, the United States retained sovereignty over the islands until the end of World War II when the Philippines gained independence. The United States bequeathed to the Philippines the English language and a stronger affinity for Western culture.