Sunday, March 25, 2018

Don't Miss General Conference!

We participated in another Seminary Super Saturday this past week.  This time the seminary students, their teachers, leaders, full-time missionaries, and senior missionaries from the Belize District (which covers the northeast part of the country) were involved.  The Rotary Club of Belize supplied the paint and supplies we needed to paint playground equipment at two different school playgrounds.

At St. Martins School...
...a mile away at Queens Square School.

We had over 50 youth participate.  If you take 50+ youth working for 2 hours each, that is over 100 hours of donated service time!
Our yellow Mormon Helping Hands vests identified us as volunteers serving our community. 

As we returned back to the Belize City chapel, we enjoyed lunch, complete with snow cones to refresh us after working in the hot sun.  Then, we gathered to talk about our service experience.  Fun activities, a bounce house, and karaoke completed Super Saturday!
Elders Adams and Magnusson got into the act and sang Johnny Cash's, "I Walk the Line" --karaoke style

We asked a member of the branch, Stuart Barton, to show us the location where the Belize City saints first met for Sunday services in the early 1980's, prior to the completion of their present-day chapel.  The house, located on the corner of Eve St. and Barack Rd. along the seawall, is showing its age.  
A younger Stuart, second from the left, stands next to the sign that was in front of the house then. An older Stuart, and equally old Elder Magnusson, stand in the same location.

This past week we were able to meet some new friends from Montana.  It was fun to get to know them and introduce them to Belize.  It won't be the last time we get together with the couple on the top row, right.  Our son is marrying their daughter next month!
As I complimented the lady's dress (bottom right photo) she noticed our missionary tags.  She said that she was also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visiting from Sacramento, California.  As we talked, I found out that we both grew up in the San Francisco Bay area as teenagers in the 1970's.   It's a small world, after all.

Every year during the week leading up to Easter, our church focuses on the life and Atonement of Jesus Christ.  The mormon.org youtube channel said this about the featured video clip #BECAUSEofHIM:

As you celebrate Easter this year, remember how Jesus Christ changed history that first Holy Week—from His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to His Crucifixion on Good Friday to His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. We invite you to find ways to be more like Jesus Christ this week by loving others, loving God, and following His example. #BECAUSEofHIM
You can also see the video by clicking here

Visit https://www.mormon.org/easter and learn more about Jesus during this Easter season.  The website invites us to follow the example and teachings of the Savior, and make the changes that will lead us to lasting joy and peace in our lives.  It is an honor for us to share our testimony of Jesus Christ with our brothers and sisters here in Belize.  

This coming Saturday and Easter Sunday is our worldwide church's General Conference, originating from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.  Thanks to modern technology we can all hear it. We eagerly anticipate hearing from President Russell M. Nelson.  You can read the post about when President Nelson was called to be God's prophet on the earth in January by clicking here.

Some fun facts about the Conference Center from mormonnewsroom.org 

The Conference Center has 21,000 seats
Millions of other people will watch and listen to the proceedings from overflow facilities on historic Temple Square, in Mormon chapels throughout the world, on television and radio, and from Internet and satellite communications into 190 countries, nations and territories.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a worldwide church and its members speak nearly 190 different languages. There are 1,500 translators that prepare each talk for the 700 interpreters who will read the talks in 94 non-English languages.
During the five conference sessions there are 350 interpreters located in the Conference Center and about 400 in their home countries reading the talks as they are given from the pulpit.

Everyone is invited to General Conference this weekend.  Click here to find out the times and options of listening/watching it via the Internet.  Another option is to go to our Belize City chapel or to any Mormon chapel in the world where it will be streamed in over the Internet or satellite, in fulfillment of prophesy:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days that...many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord...and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord." (Isaiah 2:3) 

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." 
(Amos 3:7) 

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Busses, Borders, and Temples

El viernes y sábado, fue un privilegio para nosotros una vez más viajar al hermoso Templo de Mérida México.
Ooops,  I forgot, we aren't in Mexico anymore.  I'm glad to be back in Belize where English is the official language. AND I'm glad I'm married to my own personal interpreter who speaks excellent Spanish.    

Like I was saying, on Friday and Saturday we were able to once again travel to the beautiful Mérida, Mexico Temple. We boarded one bus at 5:00 pm in Belize City to take us to the border, stopping along the way to pick up members in Orange Walk and Corozal and to exchange our money to pesos. After going through Customs and Immigration of both countries and walking several blocks over the bridge to Mexico...
...we boaded the Mexican bus at 10:30 pm for the six-hour drive through the Yucatan, arriving in Mérida at 5:30 am. There was even an hour stop at a roadside diner at 2:00 am! 

You can read more details about about our first experience of traveling to the Mérida Temple in November by clicking here.  

Here is an excerpt from the post:  

We traveled 650 miles round trip which took us 24 hours of traveling time. We left our house on Friday afternoon at 4:00 pm.  We returned home Saturday night at 10:00 pm.  That is 30 hours that we were gone.  During that 30 hours we were either on a bus (trying to sleep), going through immigration, transferring buses between Belize and Mexico, eating at a roadside diner at 2:00 a.m., buying ice cream from a street vendor in Mérida and, of course, we were 6 hours in the temple.

I will say that there was one thing we did different this time.   We were able walk to a Burger King that is located close to the temple and have a Whopper and fries for lunch!  
As we walked to the Burger King, my thoughts went to my oldest brother, Craig.  He served in the México Veracruz Mission as a young missionary from 1973-1975.  He was assigned to work in the city of Mérida for a time.  I pondered that maybe I was walking on some of the same streets that he had walked those many years ago.   
Elder Craig Harris  (far right) as a missionary in Mexico 

As we passed this etching on the sidewalk, I snapped a picture so I could send it to Craig to let him know I was thinking of him.  
Members of the Orange Walk Branch pause in the plaza in Mérida
The temple grounds are beautiful in the tropical Yucatan Peninsula.  


So why do we go to the tempe? Mormon.org explains what the purpose of temples is:

Holy temples are as necessary today as they were anciently when they served as sacred locations to make covenants, perform holy ordinances, and to be taught by God. Today in over 140 temples worldwide, Mormons do those same things. In these temples, faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints find opportunities for peaceful reflection and for learning more about God’s plan of happiness for His children. Through the power of the priesthood, members are married for time and eternity and perform proxy baptisms for their ancestors who died without enjoying the blessings of this saving ordinance.  
You can also see the above video and read more about Mormon temples by clicking here  

It was transfer week for the mission and once again we were able to help with the process of welcoming the missionaries arriving from El Salvador, and helping transport the missionaries to the airport who were departing to El Salvador after their service here. It is quite the juggling act, but things always work out.  

After a home-cooked meal at our house, Sisters Kendall and Ashby, who were waiting for their new companions, helped me cut out nativity sets that I like to give to children who I come in contact with.  

We're excited that Elders Wright and Tupou are re-opening the area of San Pedro for missionary work. They're at the wharf waiting for the water taxi for their trip over to the island.

The Belize City District gathers for district meeting...
(from left to right: Elders Eves, Jenks, Tupou, Wright, Barlow, Reyes, Magnusson)

... with Sisters Kendall and Arteaga joining the meeting via Skype, since they live two hours north.

It's not unusual to have vacationing visitors attending Sunday services at church. Today, a large extended family from Logan, UT, joined us.
Have you ever wondered how members of our church--or non-member visitors--can find the closest church building on a Sunday and know what time services begin?  You go to:  mormon.org/worship in your browser.  Then, type in your address in the address box to the right.  Then click onto LOCATE.  It will work for any address in the world.  Try it with your address!

Monday, March 12, 2018

A Special Visitor Comes to Belize

Since moving to Belize, I am reminded that God loves and cares about all his children wherever they live in the world.  He cares about His children in our hometown of Duarte, California, in Argentina, Oregon, and Chile where our children served their missions, in Holland where my ancestors came from, and also His children here in Belize. As a matter of fact, He cares for all His children all over the world.

As I think about God's love for all of us, I know He has a plan to reach out to everyone. We learn on lds.org  that during Christ’s mortal ministry, He called the Seventy, instructed them in a manner similar to the Twelve Apostles, and sent them out “before his face,” explaining that those who heard their voices would hear His voice (see Luke 10).

This past week, we heard His voice through his servant Elder Gerrit Gong, of the Presidency of the Seventy, as he came to Belize as a part of his Central America visit.  He was accompanied by Elder Jorge Zeballos, also of the Seventy, President Eric Adams, Mission President, and their wives. They spoke to a special gathering of Belizean saints gathered in the Belize City chapel on Thursday night, and then to all the missionaries of the country on Friday.

The Belizean saints gathered from across the country, with some traveling up to 2 1/2  hours by bus to attend.
 Members enjoyed meeting Elder and Sister Gong
 Elder and Sister Gong with the Grey family from Corozal
Elder and Sister Zeballos greeting the Gomez family from Orange Walk
Meeting on the Ambergris Caye with San Pedro Branch President Williams (red shirt) and his family. 
 Missionaries gathered for breakfast before the arrival of Elder Gong and Elder Zeballos on Friday morning.
Elder Gong (second row, right) and Elder Zeballos (second row, left) with all the missionaries serving in Belize.

As missionaries, we have the opportunity to gain new friends. When we can reunite old friends who haven't seen each other in a long time, it's even better. Joel Muñoz, president of the Belize City Branch and of former professional fame in a Belizean band, teamed up with Lewis Chan, an accomplished musician on the saxophone, to play together in our house following dinner. What a treat it was for us!

Seminary Super Saturday involved 60 church members, including Seminary students, their teachers, leaders, full-time missionaries, senior missionaries and the mayor of San Ignacio. We painted concrete benches and the gazebo in one of the city parks.
One of the youth said "This is the first time I have ever done a service project.  I've never done anything like this before.  It feels good."
After our service project we all gathered at the San Ignacio chapel where we did some Seminary activities, played sport games, and sang karaoke.
We love working with the other senior missionary couples -- Elder and Sister Adams and Elder and Sister Flake.
The Adams--over Seminaries and Institute in Belize--along with the local leadership of Sister Kay and the other Seminary teachers of the Cayo district did a marvelous job coordinating everything.   Elder Adams noted, "We appreciate the great cooperation of everyone that came. It could not have happened without them."

On Sunday we attended the San Pedro Branch. It is interesting to travel there on the water taxi for the hour and a half trip, and ponder the majesty of Heavenly Father's creations.
Sister Alden of San Pedro and I were able to be with the Primary children as we taught them to follow the example of Jesus.
While in Primary, I loved teaching the children the song, "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" by Sally DeFord.  The words of the song carry a powerful message not only for children, but to all of us.

If the Savior Stood Beside Me 
by Sally DeFord
If the Savior stood beside me,
would I do the things I do?
Would I think of His commandments,
and try harder to be true?
Would I follow His example?
Would I live more righteously
if I could see the Savior standing nigh,
watching over me?

2. If the Savior stood beside me,
would I say the things I say?
Would my words be true and kind
if He was never far away?
Would I try to share the gospel?
Would I speak more rev’rently
if I could see the Savior standing nigh,
watching over me?

3. He is always near me,
though I do not see Him there,
And because He loves me dearly,
I am in His watchful care.
So I’ll be the kind of person
that I know I’d like to be
if I could see the Savior standing nigh,
watching over me.
You can listen to the music by clicking here

It's always a good day when we can pick up some fresh vegetables...



Sunday, March 4, 2018

Missionary Work Continues in Belize

This weekend we were able to attend the baptismal service for Oscar (right).  He was one of the first people we met when we came to Belize. His father was honored to perform the baptism.
Brother Belgrave, a retired builder, is a 17-year member of the Church in Belize City and is the branch mission leader. He conducted the baptismal service.  
As we attended Oscar's baptism, we were reminded of Jesus' example of being baptized found in Matthew 3:13-17

13 ¶ Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  

The children in this video were asked to tell the story about Jesus being baptized in their own words.  You'll be surprised by their understanding of the scripture verses found in Matthew 3:13-17.  
You can also see the video by clicking here
Waiting for district meeting to start....and the rain to end!
Corozal town is at a beautiful bay in the north, bordering Mexico. The two sisters are doing a marvelous work in Corozal. 
We continue to have people put in our path who we are privileged to share the Gospel with.  Elder Magnusson wrote about one experience we had this past week.

Yesterday as we were driving out of a town we visited, we noticed a store that caught our attention. We stopped, went in to browse, didn't see anything that we needed and were leaving.  Omar, the manager, was at the front counter and we mutually engaged each other in conversation. He commented on our missionary badges. We asked about his background, learned he was acquainted with some members of our church in the town, and actually had been taught briefly by sister missionaries 23 years ago, and even remembered one of their names. He commented on his Christian beliefs. 

We asked if we could use the pad of paper he had on the counter. We diagramed how Jesus Christ established His church, that there was a falling away of the truth, and this led to the beginning of the restoration in 1820. Sister Magnusson went to the car to retrieve a copy of the Book of Mormon. We told of how the Bible and the Book of Mormon are one in our hand to testify of Jesus Christ, as explained in Ezekiel 37: 16-20. Omar opened his electronic tablet to the Bible and we read the verses, and then from Isaiah 29:10-14, and then John 10:16. We told him that our message will add to the already strong Christian background he has.  

Omar continued to direct employees and transact business while we chatted, and seemed in no hurry to dismiss us. He then asked, "What will the Book of Mormon teach me more of Jesus Christ?"  We told him it was a deeply insightful and important question. We then read 2 Nephi 25:26 from the Book of Mormon. We told Omar that the Book of Mormon itself is the proof of our message. It is either a true and a translated record, or it is false and a fraud. It is one or the other, and that he can know for himself by reading it and asking God. We promised him he can receive an answer. We left the book with him and told him we'll look forward dropping in again.

This was the beautiful view from our drive home from Orange Walk this afternoon.