Happy New Year 2012!

January 1st 2012

Another year has come and gone. It just doesn't feel like it's 2012. It doesn't feel like it's been long enough. I think part of it may be that the seasons are so subtle, time feels faster because there is no visual change in plants or weather to point it out. Whether or not it feels like it, it's 2012; nothing can change that fact. A few facts that do arise from this one fact:

I've lived in the Philippines for an entire year. I can no longer respond "Next year Pa" (still next year) when people ask me when I'm going home. Strange.

So- now to explain the picture. This picture is my super awesome visual for a Family Home Evening we taught last week. (Yes, I made it myself, with the help of my companion). Family Home Evening, for those of you who don't know, is a program of the church. Basically, it's just an opportunity for a family to gather together, play games, have a spiritual lesson, and be strengthened by each other. As missionaries, we are often invited to participate and usually give the lessons. My companion and I happened to read the same chapter, Alma 43, that morning during our personal study sessions, and we both commented on the contrast of preparation between the two classes of people, so this is what we taught.

There are the Lamanites, the black figure, and the Nephites, the white. These two groups of people are about to go to war with each other. The first, the Lamanites, have such a great desire that they grab their weapons and march upon the Nephites. The Nephites have a deeper desire to make sure they win as protection for their families. They know the Lamanites are coming, but they take the time to prepare, grabbing armor, shields, and swords. The number of Nephites was much smaller than that of the Lamanites, yet due to their preparation, they win.

There are many lessons that can be learned from this simple experience. The one we focused on was how important our preparation is in connection with our desire. Most people have desires, and those desires are often good. We desire to finish school, raise good families, receive salvation, and the list goes on. Yet what can those desires really do for you? We could take a Lamanite student who has a desire to do well on a test, grabs his pencil, and heads into the testing room. We can compare him with a Nephite student who recognizes the importance of the test, and equally filled with a desire to do well, sits and studies before jumping in. Who probably experienced more success. Our desires, standing alone, can't do a whole lot. It's when we allow those desires to push us to prepare that we experience the blessings. If we look at it from a religious aspect. Many people have a desire to go to church, Sunday morning rolls around and several people get up saying that they will go to church. Some get busy and distracted, others prepare to go. They all have the same desire, yet only part actually attends church, and only that part receives the blessings of having attended. Heavenly Father doesn't bless us just because we have good desires, we won't get to heaven just because we want to be there. We have to walk the path that will take us there.

ihanda ninyo agud magkaara sang mga handum ninyo.

PS - From her family letter about how she spent her New Year's eve.

We had to be home by 5:00 pm, but we stayed up anyways till 2 am! (not voluntarily, the neighbors had fireworks going until then and my companion and I couldn't sleep, the other companionship slept through it mostly). To celebrate we made lots of food, opened presents (my companion's family has a tradition of opening presents on New Year's so she bought us presents) and I made a batch of magic cookie bars, (the ingredients were from my Christmas package that finally arrived!) they were delicious.

My companion gave me a hair accessory, a bamboo wallet, and a pocket size Book of Mormon. Giving gifts on New Year's Eve is just a tradition of her family as far as I can tell. The bamboo wallet is more like a coin purse or a clutch bag. They make anything/everything out of bamboo!