John B. Norman, president of the Guatemala City Temple, and his wife and matron of the temple, Christine Norman, came to Belize this weekend to visit our corner of their large temple district. The Normans are from Bountiful, Utah. This is their fourth mission since they both retired from their respective careers.
President and Sister Norman spoke in the Saturday and Sunday sessions of district conference. Also, Ismar Vallecillos (below, front row, left), Area Director of BYU-Idaho Pathway, spoke to our district members about the inspired, international university entrance program that gives members and non-members of our church the opportunity for an on-line college education at an affordable price.
Also, Brian K. Ashton (front row, second from the left), Second Counselor in the General Sunday School Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke at conference. We were honored to have these inspiring men and women in our home for dinner, along with our friends, Elder and Sister Adams (back row).
Brother Ashton (below) teaches us in the Saturday evening session of conference in the Orange Walk chapel. Notice the ceiling fans twirling along with the air conditioning running. It still was a humid evening, yet the spirit of restored truth was a welcome warmth!
Three members of our missionary district are being transferred this weekend. Zone leader Elder Reyes (second from the right) from Belize City, Sister Arteaga (fourth from the right) from Corozal, and district leader Elder Richardson (second from the left) from Orange Walk now have the opportunity to serve in other areas of Belize or El Salvador. We grow to love these dear, hard-working missionaries!
This week, Elders Vera and Richardson from Orange Walk wanted to see the ruins at Altun Ha. It was a beautiful, green setting of this magnificent Mayan center.
We never grow tired of visiting the Mayan ruins near Belize City.
Belize experienced a torrential downpour on Sunday for about four hours. Streets were flooded with a foot deep of water. Luckily, we have six umbrellas for ourselves and friends!
The Belize City Branch Relief Society had a fun activity Saturday evening -- karaoke, laughs, and snacks-- we had a great time! I feel right at home with my Belizean sisters.
Tyler (center) was baptized today in a service attended by many of his friends both from school and church. His friend Luis (third from the right) performed the baptism. Seventeen-year-old Luis has the Aaronic Priesthood, the authority to perform the baptism of his friend. Luis is likely to be serving as a missionary in a year.
Elder Livingston and Elder Saunders are the missionaries in Belize City who taught Tyler the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
Why does the baptizer and the person being baptized wear white clothing for the baptism? It symbolizes the sacredness of this essential first step on our path back to our Heavenly Father. Jesus taught: "Except a man [or woman] be born of water and of the Spirit, he [she] cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5)
When we got home from youth camp a week ago we realized we didn't ever stop to get a picture of us with the other senior missionaries when we were together at camp. They are our dear friends whom we love serving with. We took this photo when we happened to be together Monday. (from the right - Elder & Sister Adams and Elder & Sister Flake) The Adams conclude their mission Sept 6-- we will miss them!
Belize Youth Camp 2018, with the theme Anchored in Christ, was an inspiring week for our youth, ages 12-18.
Boys came Monday-Wednesday, and the girls Wednesday-Saturday. The purposes of camp were to increase youth's faith in Jesus Christ, learn skills in how to avoid the influences of today's world, have fun, and meet new friends. From the feedback received, mission accomplished!
Enjoy a glimpse of this special time we had with our youth this past week.
Panel discussion of youth and leaders as they answered questions that were submitted anonymously.
Obstacle course
Treasure hunt
Self-defense class
Modesty fashion show for the young women reinforced being anchored in Christ
Young women crafts
Sports activities were a favorite. Our sportscasters for volleyball kept it humorous.
Corozal youth traveled over four hours to arrive at camp.
Scripture story skits
Sister Flake and Sister Castillo setting up camp
President Nefi Gomez of Orange Walk inspired youth with his life's experiences.
The young women love Sister Adams!
Elder Adams is a gifted leader of young men.
Singing hymns is an essential element of LDS worship services. So, we had a class on how to lead music.
The team of cooks was incredible! These gifted volunteers, all Church members from Cayo District, made over 1,500 meals during the six days over a camp stove and open fire.
Want happy campers? Make 'em showers!
This is the handout from the class, "We can have peace in Christ when we are anchored in Christ", from Mark, chapter 4, in the New Testament.
After this class we sang Master, the TempestIs Raging. (We sounded even better than this BYU chorus)
1. Master, the tempest is raging!
The billows are tossing high!
The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness.
No shelter or help is nigh.
Carest thou not that we perish?
How canst thou lie asleep
When each moment so madly is threat’ning
A grave in the angry deep?
Chorus
The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:
Peace, be still.
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons or men or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and skies.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, be still; peace, be still.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:
Peace, peace, be still.
2. Master, with anguish of spirit
I bow in my grief today.
The depths of my sad heart are troubled.
Oh, waken and save, I pray!
Torrents of sin and of anguish
Sweep o’er my sinking soul,
And I perish! I perish! dear Master.
Oh, hasten and take control! Chorus
3. Master, the terror is over.
The elements sweetly rest.
Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored,
And heaven’s within my breast.
Linger, O blessed Redeemer!
Leave me alone no more,
And with joy I shall make the blest harbor
And rest on the blissful shore. Chorus
The handout from the class taught by Elder Flake (below), "Five Things that will Change You and Help You Change the World"-- the challenge given recently to the youth of the church by President Russell M. Nelson.
There were many hands that made camp successful. Our camp directors, Elder and Sister Adams, were responsible for making it all come together so well. Here, they receive a plaque of appreciation from Cayo district president Leovany Lopez on behalf of the LDS youth of Belize.
The branch presidents (leaders of our congregations) from our district meet regularly to plan and for training. This group from Belize City, Orange Walk, and Corozal met in the Orange Walk Chapel recently, with two missing. Elder Magnusson is blessed to associate with these dedicated servants of the Lord.
Elder Magnusson with President Lozano, President Gomez, President Peña, and President Woods.
Some of my favorite times during the missionaries' district council meetings is when we sing a hymn to open the meeting. Here we see the enthusiasm and unity that the elders have as we sing.
Enjoy this video from the week before as the elders and sisters (via Skype) sang Secreta Oración (Secret Prayer) in español.
Today in Primary I enjoyed being with the children as we learned the song, A Child's Prayer.
1. Heavenly Father, are you really there?
And do you hear and answer ev'ry child's prayer?
Some say that heaven is far away,
But I feel it close around me as I pray.
Heavenly Father, I remember now
Something that Jesus told disciples long ago:
"Suffer the children to come to me."
Father, in prayer I'm coming now to thee.
I love the second verse as it answers the question of, "Heavenly Father, are you really there?":
2. Pray, He is there;
Speak, He is list'ning.
You are His child;
His love now surrounds you.
He hears your prayer;
He loves the children.
Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heav'n.
Enjoy this video of the interview with the author, Janice Kapp Perry, where she explains the fascinating story of when she wrote the words and music for "A Child's Prayer".
Is it time for Youth Camp yet? Almost! Friday we drove a load of equipment to Spanish Lookout where the camp will be. Elders Magnusson, Adams, and Flake put up the basketball hoop at the precise height in preparation for some fun playing time, among other activities and classes. Next week I'll share all about camp!
The worldwide Church celebrates Pioneer Day on July 24, the day when the Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah in 1847, seeking religious freedom. We had a Belize City Branch Pioneer Day activity on Saturday, remembering the first generation Church members, or "pioneers", of Belize.
Our pie-o-neer celebration meant everyone was invited to bring a pie. We had quite an assortment, from homemade apple pie, to meat pie, to lemon meringue pie, to shepherd's pie, bean pie, and many more. The Young Women organization was in charge and Sister Casanova did a marvelous job coordinating the activity.
Several members shared their own pioneer experiences of when they joined the church. Others read parts of the church's history in Belize and others shared photos from the past.
Pictured below: Paul Woods, Jennifer Cadle, Wallace Belgrave, Harold Smith and Evelyn Woods, Julia Smith
Jennifer Gordon, Hilberto Casanova, Branch President Joel Muñoz, Elder Magnusson and Harold Smith sharing a photo from the past.
Pioneer Day can be fun, but also of remembrance of the sacrifices of our ancestors who left their homelands in order to be able to worship in peace. Elder Uchtdorf explains in this video that not all pioneers crossed the American frontier to the West.
As you click on the arrow to watch the video,
be sure to click on the full screen button in the bottom right hand corner of the video.
Our Skype account was extra busy this past week. We had three Skype meetings. Below is the zone and sister training leaders being trained by President Adams from El Salvador.
President Adams, and Elders Flake and Magnusson had a Skype mission presidency meeting, each originating from El Salvador, and San Ignacio and Belize City. Sister Adams (Seminary coordinator), Sister. Flake, and I had a camp planning meeting via Skype to finalize what needs to be brought to Spanish Lookout for youth camp next week.
It's always a treat to join with the missionary leaders and other senior missionary couples for lunch after our Mission Leaders' Council meeting.
As promised in last week's blog, here is the progress on our camp showers.
This week I enjoyed watching the 3 part series titled: Reyna Aburto’s Story. The Mormon Channel summarizes the series:
As a nine-year-old, Reyna lived through the devastating earthquake that hit Nicaragua in 1972. The natural disaster claimed the life of her brother and the home they lived in....She often wondered where her brother was and if she would ever see him again. In a daydream she had, her brother would knock on the door, and when she answered, he would tell her that he was not really dead but alive—just somewhere else. This daydream brought her comfort as a little girl.....
...In 1984 she married a young man she had dated for several years. Together they moved to San Francisco, California, where they both had family. After two years of marriage, they had a son. Not long after their son was born, Reyna’s husband lost his job and fell into addiction. She did what she could to help him, but after a time it became clear that she could no longer trust him. Of this trying time in her life she says, “Those days were times of despair for me, not knowing what to do.” She dealt with feelings of fear, but at the same time she was determined to protect her young son and make a living on her own. “It was very hard to end the relationship,” she says. As she faced the future without her husband, she again wondered why God allows bad things to happen. Over time, God granted her understanding. “People make bad choices, and that freedom to make choices comes from God. He has given us that freedom, and that is why He cannot stop people from doing bad things,” she says. She learned through her experiences that if we are patient, God will one day answer our prayers and bring us peace...
...Reyna compares her life to a certain Lutheran church in Germany that was bombed during World War II. When the church was rebuilt after the war, the builders chose to include a number of the old blackened stones as a reminder of the war. Reyna shares the following: “My life is like that church. . . . I have gone through very hard times. The scars are still there, the consequences, the pain is still there. But the Lord has rebuilt my life and has allowed me to have joy.”
On Friday and Saturday we traveled to the Mérida Mexico Temple and back. This was our third trip to the Mérida Temple and as always, it was a trip to be treasured.
On Friday, our bus left Belize City at 5:00 pm. As we went north along the highway, members were picked up on the way in Belize City, and the towns of Ladyville, Sandhill, Orange Walk, and Corozal. After an hour and a half experience of going through Belize and Mexican immigration at the border, we transferred to a Mexican bus. There was a brief stop at a diner for a little 2:00 am snack. We arrived at the temple at 4:30 am. We did it under 12 hours this time.
This was our lunch stop in Morelos, Mexico returning from the temple on Saturday.
When we resided in Duarte, California, we lived one hour away from three temples --Los Angeles to the west, Redlands to the east, and Newport Beach to the south. When we moved to South Jordan, Utah, we were only a mile and a half from the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. I will never complain again about traveling through Los Angeles freeway traffic to worship in the Lord's house.
A view of the temple spire when we arrived in the pre-dawn.
This is the temple spire as we left the temple. Why is the angel with a trumpet on the top of most all of the temples? The angel is not an object of worship for us, rather... well, it's best to read this link to find out!
After our temple service we enjoyed seeing sights in downtown Mérida. This sign is at the town plaza. As we approached the sign, we asked a tourist couple if they could take our picture. The kind man (bottom right) immediately told us that his daughter and her family in Minnesota are active members of our faith. We became fast friends and he even invited us to visit them at Playa del Carmen if we ever were in the area.
Across the street from the town plaza was the imposing cathedral of Mérida, built in 1598 on the site of Mayan ruins. It was the first cathedral to be finished by the Spaniards on the mainland of the Americas. We entered and learned more of religious devotion.
The youth on our trip paused for refreshments and shade before we departed for home.
If you want to know why we attend our temples, you can watch this informative video.
Elder Andreason arrived from El Salvador this week and is assigned to Dangriga, two hours south of us on the coast. With most of the missionaries who we pick up at the airport, we stop by this site by the sea, near our house, for this photo for them to send home.
Elder McDonald (far left) and Elders Livingston and Reyes (right) welcomed Elder Andreason at the office. Paul Woods (center) is the employee for the Church in Belize City who handles all the administrative functions in the country.
Later, we and the missionaries happened to meet up with our friend Rodney on the street. Usually we're in our car, but it also feels good to walk sometimes, too, between appointments.
For district council this week we skyped from home with the missionaries since we happened to be all in different towns. Elder Magnusson volunteered to construct the outdoor showers for the youth camps to be held in August. Here I'm trying it out...without the hose, and, oops, the all-important tarp to go around it! Read more on the finished product in a future blog.
When it rains it pours at this time of year in the Caribbean. This was an afternoon downpour, looking out from our front door.
