Teaching and Baptism of Linda Castro

Senior Missionaries usually find themselves  supporting the young missionaries and ward members and focus on reactivating the less actives in a ward or branch. A lot of calls involve a great deal of administrative work as well. Other senior couples spend most of their time studying and teaching classes in either seminary or institute or both. Sister Jones and I were called as CES missionaries and assigned to teach institute classes in the Saipan Ward. We teach two institute classes and enjoy that part of our missionary service. We feel blessed in Saipan to be involved in other endeavors as well. As we reflect on our service we see that we are spending our time in four different kinds of work.

• Working with the young missionaries in supporting their efforts and encouraging them to be committed to the missionary work. We try to provide leadership, encouragement and physical and spiritual support. This part of the work involves teaching investigators and less actives as we go with them to visit people in their homes.
• Strengthening and developing the members of the ward. This involves some shadow leadership with members that are newly called to positions in the ward. This work also involves finding less active members and inviting them to come back into activity. Sister Jones also spends many hours teaching piano lessons to several ward members.
• Preparing and teaching our institute classes. We spend hours studying the manuals and learning about the Gospel and then teaching a small class of Young Single Adults on Wednesday and a larger class of Single Adults on Sunday afternoons.
• Putting a face on the Church in the community. We go about frequently "to be seen". That means going to the library, the Memorial Park, the grocery store and even the tennis court where we meet many people of the community and share our work and the story of the Church with the people of the island.

We often talk of how grateful we are for the variety of our activities and the change of pace that we enjoy in our mission call.

We had not focused on finding, teaching and baptizing because of our other work. That opportunity presented itself in September of 2012.

We enjoyed the wonderful experience of  actually teaching someone the Gospel through all of the discussions and see her enter the waters of baptism. The sisters name is Linda Castro. We were introduced to Linda by a ward member named Delia Castro, a relative through marriage. Over a  period of two months we taught Linda from "Preach My Gospel". We taught her, prayed with her, read with her, listened to the travails of her life most importantly experienced the spirit of our Heavenly Father with her. I had the privelege of performing the baptism on Oct. 20, 2012 and confirming her on Oct. 21, 2012.

The experience has been a highlight of our missionary work in Saipan and something we did not expect to happen.

From left to right, Elder Jones, Sister Jones, Sister Linda Castro and Sister Delia Castro.

Elder Jones, Sister Jones, Sister Piukala, Sister Myette de la Cruz, Sister Linda Castro, Sister Matela.
Sister Myette and Linda were baptised the same day and Linda and Myette became great friends.

Elder/Sister Jones, Linda Castro, Myette de la Cruz, and Sister Pat Sinkevith, a Thai member and friend of Linda.

Out and About in Saipan

 

 

 

 

 

A rainy day from our apartment walkway. See our little garden of plants?  It increases as neighbors and friends give us plants. More are on the other side.  These little plants need no care from us because of the plentiful rain and sun they get just sitting there.  I hope someone will like them when we have to leave Saipan. 

 

This is what happens to bus stops when buses don't run. 

This is what happens to houses when people move out after a world war.
 

Ahh,  the Sisters found a little shelter from the sun and rain.  We don't know who's house this is.
 

From our balcony at night.  Sometimes the ships out on the ocean look like little floating amusement parks beyond the hotels.  This one is really a battle ship.  Waiting to be called if a need should arise on the Asian seas somewhere, someday. 

 

Toward the end of Flame Tree season.  This frequent drive never got tiring to us.
 

A charming home where a little family in the Saipan Ward lives; this is a government house of some kind.  The family got lucky to have it.  We went there to give blessings to the children in the home before they started school.
 

 

 

 

This morning we saw a rainbow so bright arching over our view, we couldn't help but feel lucky and felt that all our prayers would be answered today!

 

 

 

 We even saw a parrot in a tree!!  Squawking and screaming, saying, "put me back my cage where I my dinner is!"

 

 

 

 

No end to the creativity of God concerning his skies!



October 3rd! One Year Anniversary as Missionaries!

 

 

 

 

     We received a very pleasant surprise yesterday.  The Park Rangers at the the American Memorial Park called us to ask if we could drop by sometime because they had something for us.  When we finally got there they gave a little speech in the lobby about our contributions to the people of Saipan. They presented us with certificates of appreciation and recognition for dedication and service to the people of Saipan. 
     Neither Ranger Nancy or Ranger Susan have heard us teach the Gospel, but they like what we represent for good and their little ceremony of appreciation to us made our day!
     The Memorial Park is a beautiful and well maintained park with war memorials and huge grounds to explore them on.  We take many of our morning walks here and enjoy learning more about what happened in Saipan during WWII in the detailed museum.  There is also a gift shop at the museum where we buy the birthday presents we send home to our grandchildren. 

Here we are actually several weeks ago with Mr. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan who is running for re-election for US Congress.  We hope he wins and we hope he is there with Romney.  Kilili likes Mormons.  Kilili helped us try to expedite the passport for Mike and Jenney's baby so they could get to back to China.

After District Meeting with our new District Leader, Elder Loveless, 2nd from left we celebrated his call with pizza at Pizza Hut.  All the missionaries have money the first week of the month so we enjoy each others company in the informality of lunch together.  First missionary on left is our new Elder, Elder Lina from the Philippines.  He has spent a year on Chuuk where there is no such thing as Pizza Hut.  Then Elder Loveless, us, Elders Mafi and Andrew, and Sisters Mataele and Pikula.

Saipan holds a huge street fair every Thursday night.  The above pictured congressman Kilili has raised money to keep it going because it draws tourists and more money to Saipan.  We come on occasion to see people in the community and to buy a yummy Asian dinner - 6 choices for $5.  We came this time to see these Carolinian dancers doing highly energetic dances because many of them are from the Igisiar family in our ward. 

We are with Jay Igisiar who is the lead dancer and a member of our ward and Institute class.

Heading into a cave on our morning walk!  This is actually on the grounds of the Hyatt Hotel and this cave leads to the pool and the beach.  It is a really pretty beach walk and we justify passing by the "guest only" signs because we have met ward members who work here and have been invited to occasions here.....it is a worldly respite from the poorer parts of Saipan where we spend most of our time. 

Most recent baptism;  the special occasion was for Clarence who is 9 and his cousin Enola who is 13.  Months ago we went with Elders Allred and Roko  to teach the grandmother who is next to me.  Clarence was hiding from us.  We coaxed him out and while the Elders taught his grandmother, we showed him pictures of Jesus on the iPad and told him stories.  He was impressed and asked good questions.  We had the honor of helping him say his first prayer as we closed the meeting with this family.  We are so happy that the Elders started teaching them again and have brought them to baptism.   We are happy that the family is taking the Gospel into their lives!  Grandmother and Enola's mother are scheduled for baptism next month.  "...and a little child shall lead them."  Isaiah 11:6

The missionaries at a service project in Lito and Cherry Lumbana's beautiful jungle.  No one had lived here for years and it needed civilizing with so much overgrowth.  This good family, the Lumbana's faced many challenges as Cherry and her little daughter spent recent months in the Philippines for mom's breast cancer.  Lito remained here, working and serving in the Bishopric and taking care of his 3 sons.  The cheerful attitude that this family displayed throughout it all, and their hope and optimism spread to all who knew them.  To offer service to them was a way to try and re-pay them for their example. 
We think any child would ABSOLUTELY love this "jungle book" world that this place is   (a member of the Church actually gave them the property to live in, so that it would be cared for).   There are places to explore, trees to climb and swing from, streams to jump over, etc, etc.    But the oldest son said,  "Hey!!! No Internet!!"

Sister Missionaries with Lito and Cherry Lumbana.  She just came back to Saipan this week after 7 months in the Philippines.  She is lovely with or without hair!