Week 47 (Cauayan)
Maayong adlaw sa inyo tanan!
Favorite lesson: We took a whole lesson for the Tablason family and just focused on the Atonement. Most of the people here understand who Christ is and that he sacrificed Himself to save us from our sins but they don't understand the true depth of meaning of the Atonement. The Spirit was incredibly strong and I could see their understanding deepen and it was cool to see. The Atonement means everything, if there was no Atonement there would be no way to progress, no way to change and become better, no way to return to the kingdom of God. The Atonement gives us a way to access healing even from things like physical sickness and mental illnesses and feelings of hurt or loneliness or weakness. Through the atoning blood of Christ, we can be healed, we can become whole and eventually, perfected.
Funny story: we were working with Elder and Sister Willis and we were at one house when it began to rain really really hard and the path was already muddy so it just got worse. They let us borrow some umbrellas and we started back to the highway. Sister Willis bought rain boots so she was totally prepared. Meanwhile, I was trying to nimbly step from rock to rock or places of grass to avoid most of the mud when Elder Willis sloshed by and said "just give it up Sister Bingham" Elder Willis with his socks and sandals. I was laughing pretty hard. He also sang to us while we were driving home haha.
Favorite people: The children of Isio. Isio is a place. The children are just drawn to us. They can see the light and they have such innocent and amazing faith. They go to church each week even though there parents don't go with them. They find a way to have money, and if there is none, they are willing to walk. They go to church even though they haven't eaten breakfast. They quietly sit through the sacrament without being loud or running around. They listen and answer questions in our lessons or in their primary class. I love them so much. There's a picture of them outside the church with us and the other is them with Romnick who makes sure they are safe getting to and from the church. They are so bright and they show me what it means to become like a little child like Christ taught.
In closing, I wanted to share something I learned yesterday in church that we could all better apply. "Live your life, live 24 hours, like Christ is standing right beside you" the idea is like in the song "If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do" There is a story called the golden 24 hours and you should try to find it if you have time. I'd expound more if I had the time but you can ponder that in your studies :)
Love you all!
Sister Bingham
“Twenty-four Golden Hours,” included after the pictures
“Twenty-four Golden Hours,”
“Charlotte had come to a hard time in her life. She was filled with discontent. Everything seemed wrong. Her ambitions were thwarted; her friends were commonplace; her home unattractive; her own personality unlovely, as she was well aware. The problem was too much for Charlotte. She seemed caught in a current of circumstances that was carrying her into an ugly and unsatisfying life, and she could not escape.”
To obtain help, Charlotte went to Margaret Ames, a lady who was leading the kind of life that Charlotte wanted to lead. “Charlotte poured out the story of her heartache over her frustrated, unhappy life. … Margaret after a gentle word of sympathy said, ‘You can change all that if you really have the will to do it.’ …
“[To begin the new life, Mrs. Ames suggested to Charlotte]: ‘Live for twenty-four hours as if Christ were right beside you, seeing everything that you do. Then come to me again, and we’ll talk it over. Will you do that?’
“Charlotte was a church member, but she never spoke of Christ like that—almost as if he were a neighbor that one might speak to. Somewhat constrained and doubtful, she answered, ‘Yes, Mrs. Ames.’ …
“It was late afternoon when Charlotte went home. She knew that she was expected to help get the supper onto the table. She went to the drawer and took out a wrinkled tablecloth. When she spread it on the table, she noticed several soiled spots. And here she had her first thought of change.
“‘If Christ were going to eat with us, I wouldn’t put on a soiled cloth,’ she said to herself.
“She got a fresh cloth. And with the same thought she brought in a small bowl of flowers from the yard. She put the butter on a fresh plate instead of on the soiled one. She cut the bread with care. …
“‘Company tonight?’ asked her father. …
“‘Just you, Daddy,’ smiled Charlotte. If Christ were present, of course you’d smile at your family and show them your best manners.
“Her mother, worn and hot, and still dressed in her kitchen clothes, sat down, saying, ‘I don’t know what’s got into her to fix up so for just us. I suppose she’s expecting someone to drop in before we’re done.’ …
“Charlotte kept still until she thought of the proper thing to say in the presence of the unseen Guest. ‘I don’t know of anyone I’d rather fix things up for than our own folks,’ she said.
“The family simply stared for a minute. That wasn’t like Charlotte. Then Father said, ‘That’s right, Daughter. It’s too bad we all don’t think of that oftener.’ …
“In the living room Charlotte slipped a magazine out from the bottom of the pile and began to read. She had brought the magazine home herself, and she kept it under cover. After a few minutes she put it down. … ‘I wouldn’t be reading this if Christ were sitting where he could read with me,’ she thought. And she carried it out, and put it in the wastepaper bag. …
“[The next day Charlotte] went to work again. … She disliked her job very much. …
“‘Christ beside me,’ she thought as she walked into the store among the chattering girls. She said good morning smilingly to all she met.”
Charlotte’s friendliness to them and her concern for their problems amazed her coworkers. She was even able to solve problems with rude customers as she reminded herself of how she would act if Christ were beside her. That evening she returned to Margaret Ames’s home to discuss the experiment.
“… ‘I tried it, Mrs. Ames, just as well as I could, and—well, it made everything different. I think I can see what you mean. Of course, it didn’t change the things that are bothering me. I’m still poor, and can’t go to school, and I live in an ugly house. …’
“‘Ah, my dear! But you only started the seed-sowing twenty-four hours ago. … Can you keep on as you’ve begun, and “wait patiently” for the Lord, as the Psalmist tells us? … You have the [key] word. It is Christ. Fretting … doesn’t change things very much; but Christ does. Just remember to keep your daily walk very close to him.’
“‘I’m going to do it,’ said Charlotte” (in Lucy Gertsch Thompson, comp., Stories That Live [1956], 34–43).
Favorite lesson: We took a whole lesson for the Tablason family and just focused on the Atonement. Most of the people here understand who Christ is and that he sacrificed Himself to save us from our sins but they don't understand the true depth of meaning of the Atonement. The Spirit was incredibly strong and I could see their understanding deepen and it was cool to see. The Atonement means everything, if there was no Atonement there would be no way to progress, no way to change and become better, no way to return to the kingdom of God. The Atonement gives us a way to access healing even from things like physical sickness and mental illnesses and feelings of hurt or loneliness or weakness. Through the atoning blood of Christ, we can be healed, we can become whole and eventually, perfected.
Funny story: we were working with Elder and Sister Willis and we were at one house when it began to rain really really hard and the path was already muddy so it just got worse. They let us borrow some umbrellas and we started back to the highway. Sister Willis bought rain boots so she was totally prepared. Meanwhile, I was trying to nimbly step from rock to rock or places of grass to avoid most of the mud when Elder Willis sloshed by and said "just give it up Sister Bingham" Elder Willis with his socks and sandals. I was laughing pretty hard. He also sang to us while we were driving home haha.
Favorite people: The children of Isio. Isio is a place. The children are just drawn to us. They can see the light and they have such innocent and amazing faith. They go to church each week even though there parents don't go with them. They find a way to have money, and if there is none, they are willing to walk. They go to church even though they haven't eaten breakfast. They quietly sit through the sacrament without being loud or running around. They listen and answer questions in our lessons or in their primary class. I love them so much. There's a picture of them outside the church with us and the other is them with Romnick who makes sure they are safe getting to and from the church. They are so bright and they show me what it means to become like a little child like Christ taught.
In closing, I wanted to share something I learned yesterday in church that we could all better apply. "Live your life, live 24 hours, like Christ is standing right beside you" the idea is like in the song "If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do" There is a story called the golden 24 hours and you should try to find it if you have time. I'd expound more if I had the time but you can ponder that in your studies :)
Love you all!
Sister Bingham
“Twenty-four Golden Hours,” included after the pictures
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| me, sister nanlabi, and then sister francesca We went to teach her about how she can do for temple work for her child who died and she already knew and explained to us instead of us to her |
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| Aa pepper called the mark of the demon. I took a tiny tiny piece and just licked it and my tongue was on fire |
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| stuff we found on the beach |
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| sister nanlabi |
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| The children of Isio and Romnick (note from the editor: I am AMAZED that these children attend church on their own! No one getting them ready, telling them it's time to go and getting them there. Also amazed at the young man who makes sure they get to and from the church safely. Pretty astonishing!) |
“Charlotte had come to a hard time in her life. She was filled with discontent. Everything seemed wrong. Her ambitions were thwarted; her friends were commonplace; her home unattractive; her own personality unlovely, as she was well aware. The problem was too much for Charlotte. She seemed caught in a current of circumstances that was carrying her into an ugly and unsatisfying life, and she could not escape.”
To obtain help, Charlotte went to Margaret Ames, a lady who was leading the kind of life that Charlotte wanted to lead. “Charlotte poured out the story of her heartache over her frustrated, unhappy life. … Margaret after a gentle word of sympathy said, ‘You can change all that if you really have the will to do it.’ …
“[To begin the new life, Mrs. Ames suggested to Charlotte]: ‘Live for twenty-four hours as if Christ were right beside you, seeing everything that you do. Then come to me again, and we’ll talk it over. Will you do that?’
“Charlotte was a church member, but she never spoke of Christ like that—almost as if he were a neighbor that one might speak to. Somewhat constrained and doubtful, she answered, ‘Yes, Mrs. Ames.’ …
“It was late afternoon when Charlotte went home. She knew that she was expected to help get the supper onto the table. She went to the drawer and took out a wrinkled tablecloth. When she spread it on the table, she noticed several soiled spots. And here she had her first thought of change.
“‘If Christ were going to eat with us, I wouldn’t put on a soiled cloth,’ she said to herself.
“She got a fresh cloth. And with the same thought she brought in a small bowl of flowers from the yard. She put the butter on a fresh plate instead of on the soiled one. She cut the bread with care. …
“‘Company tonight?’ asked her father. …
“‘Just you, Daddy,’ smiled Charlotte. If Christ were present, of course you’d smile at your family and show them your best manners.
“Her mother, worn and hot, and still dressed in her kitchen clothes, sat down, saying, ‘I don’t know what’s got into her to fix up so for just us. I suppose she’s expecting someone to drop in before we’re done.’ …
“Charlotte kept still until she thought of the proper thing to say in the presence of the unseen Guest. ‘I don’t know of anyone I’d rather fix things up for than our own folks,’ she said.
“The family simply stared for a minute. That wasn’t like Charlotte. Then Father said, ‘That’s right, Daughter. It’s too bad we all don’t think of that oftener.’ …
“In the living room Charlotte slipped a magazine out from the bottom of the pile and began to read. She had brought the magazine home herself, and she kept it under cover. After a few minutes she put it down. … ‘I wouldn’t be reading this if Christ were sitting where he could read with me,’ she thought. And she carried it out, and put it in the wastepaper bag. …
“[The next day Charlotte] went to work again. … She disliked her job very much. …
“‘Christ beside me,’ she thought as she walked into the store among the chattering girls. She said good morning smilingly to all she met.”
Charlotte’s friendliness to them and her concern for their problems amazed her coworkers. She was even able to solve problems with rude customers as she reminded herself of how she would act if Christ were beside her. That evening she returned to Margaret Ames’s home to discuss the experiment.
“… ‘I tried it, Mrs. Ames, just as well as I could, and—well, it made everything different. I think I can see what you mean. Of course, it didn’t change the things that are bothering me. I’m still poor, and can’t go to school, and I live in an ugly house. …’
“‘Ah, my dear! But you only started the seed-sowing twenty-four hours ago. … Can you keep on as you’ve begun, and “wait patiently” for the Lord, as the Psalmist tells us? … You have the [key] word. It is Christ. Fretting … doesn’t change things very much; but Christ does. Just remember to keep your daily walk very close to him.’
“‘I’m going to do it,’ said Charlotte” (in Lucy Gertsch Thompson, comp., Stories That Live [1956], 34–43).
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