Kumusta Po Kayo Lahat,
Talagang Blessed po Kami Dito this week with the Cebu Cultural
Celebrations and Temple Dedication. On Saturday at five they
broadcast the cultural celebrations at the stake centre and we
had to bring and investigator. Sister Soriano, Sister Laureo and
I brought the Cabanyog family. A family we've been teaching for
a long time who we love very dearly and are such a great whole
family, and we we're so blessed to have the whole family come
to the event. I think their father Bro Cabanyog really enjoyed
the native dances from his home island of Mindanao. My
favourite though was from Sister Soriano's home land of
Bacolod, it was a dance where the dancers balanced jar's of light
on their head and then swung them around themselves inside
brightly coloured scarves. It was really beautiful. The best part
of it though was that so many people many investigators included
got and opportunity to see and hear the words of our living
prophet President Monson. The next day on Sunday we we're
bright and early for the dedication broad cast from our stake
centre here in Cabanatuan. The sky was clear without a cloud in
the sky however near to the end of President Monson's address
just before the Temple's dedicatory prayer all of the sudden a
loud roar of thunder was all that announced the POUNDING RAINS
of plenty. Literally more rain than I have ever heard or seen in
my whole life it was as if the heavens we're pouring down from
the sky. We could hardly hear President Monson's words and I
was sure that any second the powerful storm would knock out our
satellite feed from Cebu and we would miss the real dedication sure
enough just as it seemed that President Monson was coming to the
end of his talk the power in the building died and the emergency
lights came on.I could see a look of panic, pain and shock on my
companions and many of the other Filipino's faces. I almost
without thinking turned to Sister Soriano and looked here straight
in the eyes she asked me what we would do. I said we will pray!
It was so simple of an answer and so simple of a thing to do but
as I prayed harder than I have prayed in a long time I felt the spirit
so strong sitting in the stake centre, thinking of all those
Filipinos many of whom had waited years to see a living prophet
dedicate a temple of the Lord in their nation. I prayed for them so
that they might be able to participate in this great celebration and
blessing from the Lord, and ask I prayed I felt his love for them as I
do every day but this time very strongly. Not 5 minuets later before
I had even said the Amen to my long and ferverent prayer the
power came back and the Satellite feed was quickly located. All
were able to hear both the dedicatory prayer and participate in
the celebrations that followed. Tear's flowed from my eyes as we
sang the Spirit of God and I looked into the beaming and smiling
faces of my two Filipino companions and all the other's who
surrounded them alight with joy and with the spirit of the Lord.
I know that the words of our prophet are true as he said in this
very Cebu Temple dedication " You think their are no miracles
today, They are all around you all you have to do is have ears to
hear and eyes to see them!" I know that small miracle as it was
I witnessed a miracle to see a house of the Lord dedicated here
in this land where I continue to love serving Him! I love you all
and miss you too!
Mahal Na Mahal Kita, Ingat sa Lahat,
Sister Quinn