We are approaching our 7th month in the mission, but who's counting? I guess I am.
I will have to say that my association with the children continues to be my favorite part of our mission. Take yesterday, for example. We were able to visit the Corozal Branch. As I started to play the prelude music for the service these two boys came up and contently listened to the songs. At the end of each song they gave their commentary on what they liked about the song.
During Sunday School class I shared with the little girl a picture book that my daughter, Lisa, made for me. She was entertained the whole class time looking at the pictures of Jesus. Here are four pages from the book.
Our Relief Society lesson was about the Sabbath day. As I listened to the lesson, I thought of my own daughter, Janelle, teaching the same lesson in Idaho. I appreciate that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly a world-wide church and that the lessons given in church each Sunday in Belize are the same lessons that are given in Idaho, or anywhere else in the world.
This short video has a great message about the Sabbath day.
On Saturday I was able to attend a Relief Society activity and learn how to cook a Garifuna dish made out of casava root. It was fun to be with the sisters and learn more about their culture. They even tried to teach me some of their Creole phrases. I don't know how successful they were.
The first picture is of the sisters peeling the casava root. The last picture is the end product. And the other pictures are of the process in-between. The final dish tasted like a sweet, warm, nutmeg- flavored pudding.
We were able to attend the Young Women New Beginnings program on Sunday. I enjoyed learning about the 2018 Young Men/Young Women theme: Peace in Christ. The scripture that goes along with the theme is found in Doctrine and Covenants 19:23: “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.”
Elder Magnusson spoke to the young women. I requested a photo with my "twin". The top photo is of the young women singing the theme song. You can listen to the song below. I especially love the words to the chorus.
“Peace in Christ"
(2018 Mutual Theme Song)
There is peace in Christ
When we learn of him
Feel the love He felt for us
When he bore our sins
Listen to his words
Let them come alive
If we know Him as he is
There is peace in Christ
Chorus:
He gives us hope
When hope is gone
He gives us strength
When we can't go on
He gives us shelter
In the storms of life
When there's no peace on earth
There is peace in Christ
There is peace in Christ
When we walk with him
Through the streets of Galilee
To Jerusalem
Mend the broken hearts
Dry the tear-filled eyes
When we live the way He lived
There is peace in Christ
As I've said before, we love serving with our hard-working missionaries. Elder Hoskinson has been out on his mission one year and has a hole in his shoe that was guaranteed to last the two years.
I'm standing with Elder Richardson. His hometown is the same place where my roommate from my freshman year at college (43 years ago) lives. He knows her and her family. I took the picture to send to my roommate, Charlayne.
Last Tuesday, we watched the message from the new First Presidency announcing important changes following the passing of church president, Thomas S. Monson. We know that the Lord will always communicate to His children through His chosen servants.
The Old Testament tells why prophets of God were needed anciently: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7)
The New Testament confirms why a prophet continues to be needed, even after Christ's coming: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets...Till we all come in the unity of the faith...That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine." (Ephesians 4:11, 13, 14)
World conditions today make it even more imperative that we continue to receive God's direction through living prophets, as we prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ. Russell M. Nelson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is God's prophet on the earth today.
We know from the New Testament that when Christ called his apostles He asked them to leave their nets and serve Him. Likewise, when Elder Nelson was called to be an apostle in 1984 he was asked to leave his "nets" (career) as a renowned heart surgeon, and serve Him.
Matthew4:18-20
18 ¶ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
What better way to be introduced to President Nelson than through the eyes of a child.
There are many articles that have highlighted the life of President Nelson. I like the one that was recently published in the Deseret News that is titled: Who is President Russell M. Nelson? A man of heart, compassion and faith. You can read the article by clicking here.
Dr. Russell M. Nelson performs cardiac surgery.
Elder Russell M. Nelson shares a personal story to give encouragement for when we feel "weak in the heart." He knows first hand about dealing with heartaches, as he has dealt with the death of his wife and a daughter.
You can also see the video by clicking here or read the script below
I was in a small airplane, and all of a sudden the engine on the wing caught fire. It exploded, and burning oil was poured all over the right side of the airplane. And we started to dive toward the earth. We were spinning down to our death. Oh, this woman across the aisle, I just was so sorry for her. She was just absolutely, uncontrollably hysterical. And I was calm. I was totally calm even though I knew I was going down to my death. I was ready to meet my Maker. We didn't crash. We didn't die. The spiral dive extinguished the flame. The pilot got control and started the other engine up. We made an emergency landing out in a field. But I thought, through that experience, if you've got faith, you can handle difficulties, knowing that with an eternal perspective, all will be well. In Luke 21, the earth shall be in distress, "nations, with perplexity; the [seas] and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear." What we're seeing is a prediction that in these latter days, people will be afraid. Men's hearts are failing, and that includes women, because they forget their identity and their purpose. The heartaches will come. I've lived through the death of a wife and the death of a daughter. I've seen the troubles that divorce brings. Children or grandchildren go astray. Disability, illness, injuries. To the individual who is weak in the heart, fearful in the heart: Be patient with yourself. Perfection comes not in this life but in the next life. Don't demand things that are unreasonable, but demand of yourself improvement. As you let the Lord help you through that, He will make the difference. I'm so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ that allows me that kind of strength in these tumultuous times.
Here are some pictures of our life from the past couple of weeks.
On a walk we passed a local tortilla maker. You can see that the corn is soaking in large black pots in preparation to be made into corn tortillas. Then they will be made on a grill above an open flame under the canopy roof.
The next two photos were taken on the same day. One scene is from a walk in Belize and the other one is from a scene from a walk near our daughter's house in Salt Lake City. Guess which photo is from Belize and which one is from Utah.
In a house we visited, we noticed an unusual wall decoration. When I asked about it, the response was "Yeah, I killed and ate it before he killed and ate me." Okay...
I want to highlight two other videos by President Oaks and President Erying to help get to know the two other members of the First Presidency.
I was touched by Elder Oak's teaching that we should love everyone no matter our differences. As I talk to people on the streets, I can honestly say that I love my brothers and sisters here in Belize.
I remember when Elder Eyring gave this message about finding ways to recognize and remember God's kindness. I have kept a journal since I was 20 years old and it has been a blessing to me to go back and see God's hand in my life.
Below are some of the news reports we were following Tuesday night after we felt the 7.8 magnitude earthquake off the Honduras coast just before 9:00 pm. About 10:00 pm, we read of a tsunami warning for Belize. We felt pretty safe because our house is raised about 12 feet off the ground. I was also happy that we had several 5 gallon water jugs on hand here in our apartment. When I saw that the water had receded at the San Pedro water taxi area (see picture below), I started to get a little nervous. I was relieved when I read at 11:00 pm that the tsunami threat was lifted.
When our daughter, Kristine, attended BYU Hawaii, she lived though a tsunami warning after the big Chilean earthquake in 2010. Janelle wrote about her sister's experience on our other blog, under the label of emergency preparedness. Click here if you want to read about Kristine's tsunami experience.
The next day, we had our zone conference here in Belize City with the 16 missionaries who are serving in the country of Belize. It is always inspiring to be taught by our mission president, President Adams, and to also hear from Sister Adams, as well as the zone and sister training leaders.
Elder Magnusson and I were in charge of feeding the missionaries breakfast and lunch. For breakfast we served granola bars and bananas. For lunch we served sloppy joes, Aztec salad, chips, and Sister Flake made chocolate cake for dessert.
At the outdoor market picking out the tomatoes for the Aztec salad. Bananas are plentiful, good, and inexpensive here in Belize. (14 bananas for $1 US)
The next day we welcomed Elder Zeballos, general authority Seventy, and Elder Arbizú, area Seventy. They flew in from Guatemala to meet and counsel with the Church leaders here in Belize. Below, President and Sister Adams as they arrive from El Salvador, and Elders Zeballos and Arbizú coming in from Guatemala. We're blessed the world over to have the Lord's servants watching over and ministering to His children everywhere.
I'm amazed with the people who are put in our paths as we go through our days here. Below, we met this couple Saturday on the water taxi as we traveled to Caye Caulker to meet with members on the island. The couple was on their way to tour the island. It turns out they are members of our church - originally from Ukraine, now living in Canada - and were the first missionary couple from their country of Ukraine. They served as temple missionaries in the Freiberg Germany Temple.
The second photo represents the Mennonite men we sat next to on the water taxi on our way home from Caye Caulker. There is a large presence of Mennonites here in Belize. You can recognize them because the men always wear plaid shirts, suspenders, and straw hats. They are hard workers and produce a high percentage of the food consumed here. Elder Magnusson enjoyed visiting with them--speaking Spanish because they preferred it over English--and learning more about their way of life.
The family in the last photo are members of our church from Alaska who were on a cruise ship that stopped in port for the day. They had arranged to find us and donate two suitcases full of school supplies they collected for the children of Belize.
While life isn't easy on Caye Caulker for Solomon and Mary Nicholas (left), they are blessed by their testimonies of Jesus Christ. This was our second visit with them. The Ross and Polk families (right) also reside on Caye Caulker and are a strength to the island.
When I woke up on Wednesday I was surprised by the news that President Thomas S. Monson, our beloved prophet and president of the church, had passed away the night before.
The Mormon newsroom announcement read:
With tender feelings we announce that Thomas S. Monson, president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died this evening at 10:01 pm in his home in Salt Lake City. He was with family at the time of his passing. He died at age 90 from causes incident to age. President Monson, who has served as president of the Church since February 2008, leaves behind a legacy of service and good works.
Mormonnewsroom.org produced this video which highlights President Monson's legacy of service and good works:
One of the things we teach our brothers and sisters here in Belize is that there is a prophet on the Earth today who leads and guides us as did prophets of old.
With the passing of President Monson, a new prophet, or spokesman, will chosen by God. President Hinkley explained the process of how this is done.
This transition of authority, in which I have participated a number of times, is beautiful in its simplicity. It is indicative of the way the Lord does things. Under His procedure a man is selected by the prophet to become a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles. He does not choose this as a career. He is called, as were the Apostles in Jesus's time, to whom the Lord said, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you." The years pass. He is schooled and disciplined in the duties of his office. He travels over the earth in fulfilling his apostolic calling. It is a long course of preparation, in which he comes to know the Latter-day Saints wherever they may be, and they come to know him. The Lord tests his heart and his substance. In the natural course of events, vacancies occur in that council and new appointments are made. Under this process a particular man becomes the senior Apostle. Residing latent in him, and in his associate Brethren, given to each at the time of ordination, are all of the keys of the priesthood. But authority to exercise those keys is restricted to the President of the Church. At his passing, that authority becomes operative in the senior Apostle, who is then named, set apart, and ordained a prophet and President by his associates of the Council of the Twelve. There is no electioneering. There is no campaigning. There is only the quiet and simple operation of a divine plan which provides inspired and tested leadership.
* * * * * * * *
This past week marked 6 months in the mission field. With the beginning of the new year and Christmas behind us, we continue in the routine of missionary work. We enjoy working with the elders and sisters assigned to our area. Here we are having a district meeting via Skype with the missionaries serving in Corozal, Orange Walk, and Belize City.
As Paul Woods handed us keys to a new car, our life has changed with how we'll be getting around Belize, as we said goodbye to our pickup truck.
...a key to a new car, and the key to change people's lives-- reading and gaining a witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
We were happy to meet a wonderful prayer warrior here in Belize City. As we met by chance and started chatting with her on the street, she invited us to her prayer group that was meeting that night in her home. This is what she posted about the experience:
Our first prayer meeting for 2018, and what a blessing, we had two guests, Elder & Sister Magnusson from Los Angeles California. I want to thank God for His presence and grace, and most of all, for His agape love, as we shared with each other.
This past week Sam went from sunny Belize with his parents and two of his sisters to freezing Montana with Makelle and a marriage proposal. We are very happy and excited for them.
Our thoughts went to our marriage that took place on December 28, 1977, and then to life as missionaries 40 years later. We can hardly Belize it.
We were happy to learn that two other couples that we have been meeting with here in Belize were also married the same week that we were. One couple was married a year ago, and another couple 34 years ago. We were honored to bear our testimonies of eternal marriage and our experience of being sealed together forever in the Oakland Temple so many years ago.
Elder William Walker explains what we know about eternal marriage in this short video clip:
You can also see the video by clicking here and going to 7:21, or reading the transcript below:
The sealing room in our temples is a very wonderful and special place. It's a wonderful and a remarkable thing to look into the eyes of a man and a woman who are about to be married. They love each other with all their hearts. When two people are getting married, they can't imagine the idea that this beautiful, loving relationship would ever end. So it's an important part of Mormon teaching that it doesn't need to end at death. This marriage can go on into the eternities, and a loving God intended it to be that way. So He gave us this power and authority. It's actually what Jesus was giving the Apostles in Matthew chapter 16, when Jesus put His hands on Peter and the other Apostles and conferred upon them the authority to have bound on earth and have it be bound in heaven. That's what was happening there. Jesus was giving the sealing authority to His Apostles. And that's utilized in the temple, in the house of the Lord, where a man and a woman can be sealed together for eternity. When you've been married in the temple, you've been sealed in the temple, then your children who are born into this marriage are part of that sealing. And they are yours forever, so long as everybody lives the commandments. Now, you might say, "Well, what about those who were married before?" They can go to the temple and receive those same blessings. The children would come with the mother and father, and they would also kneel at the altar. And it's a beautiful, sacred thing to witness, particularly with little children, to see them kneel at the altar in the temple next to their mother and father, holding hands together on the altar, and have them sealed together as a family for time and for all eternity. That's a great blessing from heaven. It's a great blessing from God. And we believe that's what God intended, that families would be together forever.
This Sunday we traveled to Orange Walk where Elder Magnusson taught about next year's focus in priesthood and Relief Society classes on the most recent messages from the living prophets and apostles.
I was able to be with the Primary children during their class time.
I always enjoy showing this video with the celebration of the New Year.
I couldn't resist taking another picture of the beautiful Belizean sky as we left the Orange Walk chapel on Sunday. Bring on 2018! I can hardly wait to see what this year brings.
