We have been doing more traveling and have enjoyed meeting new people and seeing new places. Last weekend we went to General Santos in Mindanao. It is usually not a good place for foreigners to go, so we had an escort. (I won't go into detail as to why, but if you are interested, you can google it!) We had a very successful training and got to enjoy some of the sights. 

We love our continued service at the MTC, too! The missionaries continue to amaze us with their dedication and commitment to the Lord. 

We have both learned  much while serving here together. Being together 24/7 is not always fun. LOL But we wouldn't trade it for anything! We have grown closer as a couple and our dedication to each other and the Lord continues to increase daily. Seeing miracles happen and watching lives change is a marvelous experience. We wish all of you could have the opportunity to serve a mission! Such a small way to show our love for our Heavenly Father and the gospel of Jesus Christ. We love being missionaries!! 

What a blessing it is to be serving here! Each and every day we have spiritual experiences. One of those experiences came on Feb 17, 2016 when President Russell M. Nelson and his wife came and spoke at a devotional here. Everyone in attendance was able to shake his hand and meet them, along with Pres. and Sister Haynie (counselor in the Area Presidency) and Pres. and Sister Trask (MTC President). Elder Chantry was able to meet Pres. Nelson as they exited their van, as Pres. Trask had requested some photos be taken. Brother Lopez was also on hand to take photos, and took these. 

 

What a wonderful experience it was to meet and shake the hand of the President of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles and to hear his message to us here. Before he left, he invoked a blessing upon us that was amazing!! 

Happy New Year !!

Elder Chantry was asked to be the "Philippine Area Technology Supervisor" in addition to our work here at the MTC. Of course he said yes, and now has this added responsibility. As his companion, Sister Chantry will sometimes accompany him on some of his travels. It will be a great experience to see more of the Philippines and to meet more of the Filipino people. And we are both excited to be able to continue our work here at the MTC, too! 

We are both feeling great and doing well. We appreciate the emails, Facebook messages and letters we receive from family and friends. Time is going so fast ... we have been here 7 months already.

Our grandkids like seeing pictures of the large insects here. Thought we would share a couple more here. 

The missionaries here continue to amaze us. They are so willing to serve and they strive hard to learn. It is sometimes tough to be a missionary and to be strong in doing what is right. They are taught that "obedience brings blessings. EXACT obedience brings miracles." 

As most of you know, my mom passed away last week. I knew she had been frail and was losing weight, but was still shocked when I heard the news. I got to see her just before we left on our mission, so I am so thankful for that. I love my mom very much. She taught me so much about being a Christ-like person. She never judged anyone and she was always willing to help others. One of the reasons I am on a mission now is because of how she and my dad raised me. They were not church-goers, but they truly lived their lives serving others. And my sweet sisters, Peggy and Julie, have been so wonderful in helping out both of my parents. I am sure that the loss of our mother was so very hard on them, as they lived with her and cared for her every need. They are angels !! They both, along with my brother, Joe, were with mom as she slipped from this life into the next. Peggy told me that mom was calling out to family who are on the other side of the veil, and I am so thankful that they were there to greet her and take her home. I look forward to the day when I can see her again. I bet she had a reunion with my dad, her mother, her siblings, and I am positive she was excited to meet her father. She never knew him on earth, so it must have been a joyous time for them both to finally be together. 
My mother was so good to my boys. She was always so giving. They loved going to grandma's house. After my boys got married and had kids of their own, great-grandma would always have a fun gift for the kids. She adored her family and loved giving presents and goodies to them all. This beautiful, caring, loving daughter of God will surely be missed, but not forgotten ever.
I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that families can be together forever, that the family unit is eternal. I have no doubt in my heart or mind that she is happy and well and busy continuing to learn!
I am so thankful for a Savior who died for each of us individually so that one day we can be together again. I look forward to seeing my ancestors that I have come to know through doing family history research. It will indeed be a glorious day for each of us one day as we pass through the veil and experience the wonder of "heaven". 

I have been busy keeping up a Facebook page for the MTC and also posting on my personal FB page, I have neglected this blog for a while now .....
So many wonderful things happen to us daily while serving here. We meet new missionaries every 12 days, each with their own unique life story. Some make you laugh, some make you cry, some leave you in awe. One particular Elder comes to mind. At age 15 he suffered from a stroke. It took him a year to learn to walk again. He came to the MTC at age 20, with a limp and a determination to strengthen his body and mind in order to serve the Lord. His companion would help and encourage him every morning to ride the exercise bike to gain more strength in his bad leg. This Elder also had a great sense of humor and always made ​​everyone smile. He was a great example to all of us of forgetting about yourself and working for the good of others. He wanted to be the best missionary he could. After he left the MTC, he soon had and MRI and it revealed that he had a slow growing brain tumor. It was inoperable and would one day take his life. He was given a choice ... he could go home and be with his family or he could stay on his mission. There was no way to tell how long he had, but he expressed that he wanted to stay on his mission. He said that it was because of his stroke that he found the church, and he wanted to serve so that he could tell others about the truthfulness of it so that they could experience that joy he has felt as a member. WOW! That story helps me to want to serve better and faithfully. It makes me count my blessings each and every day. I want to be like this Elder in expressing my love for my Savior, Jesus Christ. 

We have also had some fun adventures here ... we have been on outings with other senior missionaries who have given us a glimpse of the Filipino culture and also strengthened friendships. we do not get away from the MTC for long periods of times except occasionally, but that is ok. We are not here to be on a vacation, we are here to serve. 

We love getting emails and "real" letters from family and friends. We are so thankful for email and Facebook so that we can keep in touch with so many people. I watch these young missionaries watch for letters from home, even though they get to email home weekly. There is nothing better than getting a letter to hold and feel. We also get to skype with our family whenever we can, so that is always an exciting time. It is great to see everyone and to help the grandkids remember us!

We hope you all know that we love you and thank you for your support as we serve. Some of you are not members of our faith, but love and support us anyway. We have such strong testimonies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We personally have gained a witness for ourselves of its truthfulness. We know that Jesus Christ is at the head of this church and that he leads and guides it through his servants. We know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I love this man! We also know that Joseph Smith is a prophet and was chosen to help restore the Lord's church in these latter days. Nothing would give us more pleasure than to have each of you find the joy that we have found in our membership in this church. We know that the Book of Mormon goes hand-in-hand with the Bible, and it is a 2nd witness of Jesus Christ. One of my favorite stories in it is how the Savior came and visited the people who lived here on the American continent after his resurrection. He came and walked among them, he let them see and touch the marks on his hands and feet and he wept with them. He blessed the little children. He taught his Gospel to all the people. If you were to ask me if there was something you could do for me, I would ask that you read this book, and with a sincere heart, ask God if it is true. The power of the Holy Ghost will manifest the truthfulness of it unto you. I love the saving ordinances of the holy temple and the peace that going to the temple brings to me. We live across the street from a temple here, and it is so inspiring each and every day to see it out the window and to be able to go there and participate in the work there. We are so grateful for having been sealed together as an eternal couple, not married "till death do us part." We want to be together forever, along with our family. Even though some of you do not agree with our beliefs and our ideas, we are thankful that you love us enough to encourage us as we serve. We pray that through our serving on a mission for what we believe in, that you will also serve in ways to show your beliefs and to be good examples of them.

Getting behind on our posts here ... we have been here almost 4 months now. Another group of missionaries are leaving today and the new batch comes in on Friday. (today is Wednesday. 
Our testimonies of the church, of missionary work and of families continues to grow more and more each and every day. We recognize the blessings that have come into our lives through all of these venues. We love being able to serve in this capacity. We love the people we serve with and the friendships that we have made. Some of the missionaries write to us when they get out into the field and it is wonderful to hear how they are doing and to how they are so excited about serving the Lord and the people in their missions. 
Thought we would share some photos of us with some of the missionaries we have had the pleasure to meet while here. 

Can you believe that in 3 days we will have been here for 3 months already? That is crazy !! 
We were out recently with some other senior Missionaries to visit a museum. When we came out we heard, "Elder, Sister!" and we looked over and a young boy was running over to us. Then his sisters Mom came up. too. They were so excited to see us. The boy was 10 and was excited that he would be going on a mission in eight years. His sisters just giggled and his mom was telling us where they came from and why they were out at the mall. (The kids got good grades, so they were out for a treat). We could not resist getting a picture with them. So fun !! The Philippine people are so friendly and so happy all the time! We love them all !!