Tink, Tink, Heevy!

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

            I am happy with my brain.  It is not as swift nor as bright as other brains, but stuff which I have put into it and then scrounged up from time to time has given me a lot of joy and satisfaction over the years.  It has worked reasonably well if I have used mental exertion.  The fact that I can think and then act is quite a remarkable phenomenon.  I try to observe and understand how the young mind works.  Some folks have not yet discovered their brains.  Someone said, “Think!  It may be a new experience!” 

            Please check out Sister Taylor’s recent wonderful article, “Tink,Tink, Heevy!” 

 

Love,

George & Debbie

Tink, Tink, Heevy!

In August 2012, Elder Ian S. Ardern, Second Counselor in the Philippines Area Presidency, spoke to the missionaries in the Philippines MTC about the importance of pondering.

He related an experience he had as mission President in Fiji when he asked his missionaries to define the word, “Ponder.”   One of his missionaries from Papua New Guinea raised his hand and replied in his local accent, “Tink, Tink Heevy!” Or as we would say, “Think, Think, Heavy!” I loved that statement!

While I was “tink, tinking” about pondering, I looked up the dictionary definition: “to weigh in the mind with thoroughness and care, and to think upon and incubate.”  

The lyrics of the children’s hymn by Jaclyn Thomas Milne also came to my mind:  “Search, ponder, and pray, are the things that I must do. The Spirit will guide, and deep inside, I know the scriptures are true.” 

What is the value of pondering? Why would the Lord ask us to do it? 

I remembered the Savior counseling the Nephites to go to their homes to ponder, pray and prepare their minds for the morrow (3 Nephi 17:3).

Apparently because I am so weak, I’m not able to understand, remember, and apply the truths that God wants me to know.  It isn’t enough for me to simply read, hear, or skim over the words of the scriptures.  I find that I must prepare.  My mind, my eyes, my heart must be single and focused.

The Lord says “... my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near-- Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you.” (D&C 88:62-64).

Could pondering be the invocation and benediction to prayer?  Could pondering be the act of drawing near and seeking diligently?  I have seen the teachers and missionaries here at the MTC take a small moment before they begin and end their prayers.  Can you imagine the power and blessing that we would receive if we pondered before we began to read the scriptures and prayed?

As I read 3 Nephi 17:17-18 I found that the blessings of pondering are profound.  Here are just a few: repentance, forgiveness, healing, vision, the Holy Ghost, What more would we want to seek or want?

May each of us “Tink, Tink, Heevy!” so that the ultimate gift of the Father “drawing near to us,” will be granted.

Debra Taylor  09-14-2012 

Philippines Flooding

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

            We had severe flooding in the Philippines recently.  There’s more flooding than some foolish people may realize.  There’s a flood of evil drowning our Father’s children throughout the world. 

            As a holy and dear Prophet of God wrote, “Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own self-destruction.  Only the gospel will unite men of all races and nationalities in peace.  Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family.” (–President Ezra Taft Benson, Preach My Gospel, page 2). 

            The floods and tides of evil inundating the lives of the children of the earth will be soon turned away by the Savior of the World.

             You’ll be interested in Sister Taylor’s report of the Philippines Flood, attached below. 

George & Debbie

 

Last week and last month the Philippines experienced a major earth quake and severe flooding.  Last year’s rains in the Philippines were not as bad as this.  The rain comes down, not in drops but in buckets.  In 2010, the lower level of the former MTC was flooded. 

“The overflowing Marikina River in Marikina, Metro Manila, is seen in this aerial photograph released by the Department of National Defense August 8, 2012. Emergency workers and troops rushed food, water and clothes to nearly 850,000 people displaced and marooned from deadly floods spawned by 11 straight days of southwest monsoon rains that soaked the Philippine capital and nearby provinces. About 60 percent of Manila, a sprawling metropolis of about 12 million people, remained inundated on Wednesday, Benito Ramos, head of the national disaster agency, told Reuters.”

“A group of Philippine farm workers huddle beneath a bridge to seek shelter from rains and rising floodwaters north of Manila on August 8, 2012. More than a million people in and around the Philippine capital battled deadly floods on August 8 as more monsoon rain fell, with neck-deep waters trapping both slum dwellers and the wealthy on rooftops.”

Here at our new MTC we are secure, safe, and sheltered from the storm.  For our last “batch” we wondered if we were going to get the departing missionaries out to their fields and the new missionaries into the MTC on August 9^th and 11^th.  But the watery weather withered and all went well. We even had a missionary show up the night before he was scheduled to arrive.

The Quezon City Mission in which area we reside, had 42 missionaries displaced and moved for a couple of days to other missionary apartments or to the churches. The humanitarian missionaries at the Area Office along with the youth from the local wards and stakes have worked hard preparing hygiene, new born, and food kits. They put together canned sardines, corned beef, rice, noodles and crackers. Over 10,000 kits were prepared.  Our MTC missionaries loaded the bags onto the trucks for distribution in between their training sessions.

One of our missionary’s home was washed away with everything in it just one week before she entered the MTC.  Her stake rallied the members to provide her with clothing, shoes, and scriptures.  We had a few other missionaries that arrived without scriptures because they were lost or damaged in the flood.

Oh, how grateful I am for the Lord, the gospel, the members, and all those who bless my life and the lives of so many others.

Debra Sue Taylor 09-12-12  

The Parable of the Pencil

“A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL 5 IMPORTANT LESSONS JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE BOX:

1. EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK .

2. YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.

3. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4. IN LIFE, YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS, WHICH  WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.

5. TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU.

We all need to be constantly sharpened.  This parable may encourage you to know that you are a special person, with unique God-given talents and abilities. Only you can fulfill the purpose which you were born to accomplish.  Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot be changed and, like the pencil, always remember that the most important part of who you are, is what's inside

of  you and then allow yourself to be guided by the hand of God.”

Many of you may know my great interest in a plain old pencil, so when Elder Armstrong sent this parable to me I couldn’t help but share it with you.         Love, Sister Taylor         

Nutritional value of Ants and Weevil

Dear Friends and Neighbors: 

            I like rice!  We enjoy eating white rice 3 times a day here in the Philippines.  You should see the way the missionaries pile up the rice on their plates at each meal.  It looks like a small mountain!  I suspect that many of them have never eaten so well and so much food in their lives as they do in the MTC.  The rice fills up their belly.  They can eat as much as they want! 

            When asked in my final interview with them, what did you enjoy the most in the MTC, they often answer, “the food!”  We have a subtle contest to see who will put on the most weight in the 19 days of MTC training.  Can you believe that some missionaries put on as much weight as 3-4 kilograms in the first three days! – and 8-15 in the next few days!   I am told by our MTC Nurse-nutritionist that refined white rice is just empty calories.  I am told my Brother Villanueva, our manager of training that anything served beyond rice is simply a side dish!  (We eat a lot from the “side dishes!). 

            I am now down to about a table spoon of rice at each meal.  But better rice than lice!  Please refer to Sister Taylor’s “The nutritional value of eat ants and weevil” attached. 

Love,

George & Debbie Taylor 

The Nutritional Value of Ants and Weevil

Recently, after visiting the doctors I decided to turn over a new leaf for my health, and eat American oatmeal for breakfast. Today while sitting at the table in the MTC cafeteria eating the oatmeal with our senior couple, Elder Armstrong looked down into his bowl of oatmeal and asked, “What is the food value of eating ants?” 

My eyes widened as I realized that I had just finished my cereal. I laughed and said that I would research the nutritional value of eating ants and weevil as soon as I returned to my office. I remembered my father talking about eating bread that he thought was cracked wheat, and then found out later that it was cooked weevil.

Well, I want to give you the official report on the nutritional value of eating aunts and weevil.  I’m sorry to tell you, but you don’t get much food value out of either one, and if you did, you would have to eat a lot. Needless to say, if it makes you feel better thinking the nutrition value has improved the oatmeal or bread, you may continue to think that way.

On the other hand, if you would rather get rid of the problem use NutraSweet as a bait. 

As for me, I prefer plain oatmeal with sugar, cinnamon, and milk. Enjoy!

Debra S. Taylor, August 2012

Don't use Shampoo to wash your hair in the shower!

Dear Friends and Neighbors: 

            Here in the Philippines, it’s hot and humid.  There are four seasons:  1) Hot 2) Humid 3) Rainy Season 4) Warm and Wet.  We are right on the Equator and are surrounded by the South China Sea, the Philippine Sea, and the Sulu Sea.  We receive lovely monsoons always accompanied by downpours like buckets of water!   We take showers a lot here because we perspire so much.  But we have to be careful as we shower for various reasons, one of which is featured in Sister Taylor’s attached message.  Beware! 

George & Debbie

 Don’t use Shampoo to wash your hair in the shower!

I read a funny story the other day. I laughed so hard that I had to hurry into the bathroom before I wet my pants! On the way in I thought, “I need to pray for a sense of humor! I have never prayed for a sense of humor. Why not?” Later, when I reached my office I opened my e-mail and found the perfect message for my improved humor, from Elder Armstrong, our MTC Executive Secretary:

SHAMPOO WARNING! A WARNING TO US ALL!!!
 It is so good to finally get a health warning that is useful! I don’t know WHY I didn’t figure this out sooner! I use shampoo in the shower nearly everyday!
This Warning INVOLVES THE SHAMPOO WHEN IT RUNS DOWN YOUR BODY AS YOU SHOWER! When I wash my hair, the shampoo runs down my whole body.
Printed very clearly on the shampoo label is this warning:

“FOR EXTRA BODY AND VOLUME.”

No wonder I have been gaining weight! Well! I got rid of that shampoo and I am going to start showering with DAWN dishwashing soap instead. The label reads,

“DISSOLVES FAT THAT IS OTHERWISE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE.”

My Problem is solved! If I don’t answer your e-mail or the phone I’ll be in the shower!