Sunday, June 22, 2014

Flowers for Karen from Central Market

Interesting start to the week!  Late Monday night I received a message, "I have been bitten by a snake". I called the Sister who lives over two hours away. They poured alcohol on bite site and wondered what more they could do. The site was painful, didn't bleed much and was a little swollen. I suggested she get a priesthood blessing. 

It was a long night.  George and I prayed (as I am sure many others did) for her well being.  Early the next morning I contacted her.  She said, "I am well, Sister Mower".  The swelling was gone and there was no redness when we visited later in the day.  There was only one puncture site and a scratch.  I told her she was our miracle; D&C 84:72:  "And the poison of a serpent shall not have power to harm them".
She showed us a picture of the dead snake. It was longer than she is tall (she is around 5').
The Lord loves his missionaries!

Elder Garson & Mother

We had the opportunity to take two new missionaries to the airport who are from the La Carlota District after the Mission President set them apart.  They were headed to Manila to the MTC.  One of their mothers’ came with us.  I asked her how she felt about her son going on a mission.  Through an interpreter (her Branch President), I told her I cried when our son left for his mission.  She said, “I am not sad, I am happy”.  She is a widow with five children.  This is her first son to go on a mission.  When her husband was dying, he told her, he would be happy if all of his children could serve missions; now her son is serving a mission.  On Father’s Day last week, two of her other sons announced they would also like to serve missions.  She said she knows this is what her husband would want, and it makes her happy.
 

Banate Family taught by the Sisters

Yesterday (Saturday), we attended the baptism of a family that was taught as a result of the Liahona child malnutrition screenings that we helped organize for the Mission.  Here’s a picture of the mother and four children; a fifth is shown and will be baptized in July (+1 other child from another family).  We also attended their confirmation today, and were asked to speak in sacrament meeting.

We enjoy our service here in the Philippines and love our family and friends back home.

May God bless you.