pioneer
noun pi·o·neer \ˌpī-ə-ˈnir\
:someone who is one of the first people to move to and live in a new area
On June 10, 2016, a warm Friday Morning,
Sister Anderson and I visited the Malasiqui 2nd Branch. They were hosting their “FamilyOlympics”. They had all kinds of games to play, relay
races to run, just a great family day including Fun, Family, Friends and
Filipino Food. Wow I like that 5 F’s ---
Fun, Family, Friends and Filipino Food.
What could be a better way to spend the day.
We were on our way to another
appointment so were only able to stay less than an hour. We watched the children run a relay race
where they had a row of 7 glass pop bottles lined up on the grass about 3 or 4
feet apart from each other. The first
relay runner was given 7 straws and had to run down the line and place a straw
in each bottle, run around a chair, shake their body and run back collecting
all the straws. The next person followed
the same. So much fun.
I asked Brother Eric and Sister Janice Gatus to help me get her story to share with you here.
These are her words.
Faith… How can we say we have, and how firm or
strong it is? In my everyday struggle
faith has been my powerful armour.
In many years, being a
member of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I always
look ahead and with full strength
and keep my hands holding to the iron rod which brought me endurance in sailing this narrow path towards eternal
life.
September
3,1933 was the day I was born, the
eldest and the only
daughter among 4 kids of
Nicanor Sabado Graneta and Dominga
Balaba Tangunan. I grew up going
to a Methodist church. My father was a
minister in this church. After high school,
I went to National University and took up Bachelor of Secondary Education. After college, I met a man, Calixto Domantay Ballesteros
who was working that time at the Atlantis Grief and Pacific Corporation. He won my heart’s attention and finally got
married at a Protestant church on April 15, 1953. He was a pure catholic from Malasiqui,Pangasinan. We were blessed with 10 children, 6 boys and
4 girls. They were all baptized in Roman
Catholic Church. As we work together in nurturing
our children, I was worried since we came from two different churches. I really love our family and I wanted to be
with them eternally. So I always prayed
to God to help us worship all together one and true church where we can
exercise our faith. We have a big
family. And as we go along, my heart
started to look for more since Protestant has knowledge about salvation but I
felt insufficient in doctrines that I was longing for.
With that being said, we found the Church through my eldest daughter Zenaida who worked in Barcelona Spain for 7 years. She was converted and brought home the complete gospel of Jesus Christ. My daily prayers were answered. Significant changes occurred after our conversion. We’ve learned that Heavenly Father had plans for us. Where we came from? Why we are here? Where we are going? Our family stayed close to the church as we spent our daily lives and learned that He loves us. Through prayers we can constantly talk to Him. And by obedience it brings blessings beyond compare. By reading scriptures together, we managed to strengthen our faith. We felt assurance of safety, peace, inspiration and courage which significantly helped us in making it this far.
My faith stays stronger for I know I found the
true church. Nowadays, I still continue
to influence and give comfort to my family especially my grandchildren by
renewing my covenant every Sabbath day and displaying teachings from the book
of Mormon all the time. I can no longer
remember one by one the challenges we encountered, nonetheless, one thing is
for sure, it made us believe that death is not the end but rather the start of
eternal life. I know my faith will bring
our family eternal blessings. We
continue to press forward in living the gospel. My 4 daughters served full time mission and
married in the temple. At my old age, I
witnessed families on and off the church. Let my piece of advice for these younger
generations to stay in the church, be obedient to laws and commandments, be
humble and love your neighbors, be honest, attend church every Sabbath, read
the scriptures, go to temple, get involved to missionary work, do the family history
and endure to the end. I know that
heavenly father lives and loves us so much. I know the gospel is true. I know that Joseph Smith restored the gospel,
and we have a living prophet Thomas S. Monsoon and the book of Mormon is
another testament of Christ… In Jesus name, Amen
Last week we visited Sister Ballesteros
in her home and took these pictures.
Family Pictures & Memories |
She
told us how the members in this branch met every Sunday for 4 years in their
home for Sacrament Meeting, Sunday School and Primary, Priesthood and Relief
Society. Every Sunday for 4 years and
then Heavenly Father blessed them with the beautiful building where they now
meet. When we sacrifice and serve, when
we pay our tithes and offerings and keep the commandments, God truly “Opens the
Windows of Heaven, and Pours out Blessings”.
Malachi 3:10
The Ballesteros’ Family are Pioneers. Just as my Pioneer ancestors traveled from
England and Europe to Utah and Idaho and built a heritage for me, Sister
Ballesteros and her family have built a heritage which will reach generations
past, present and future. This family is
what our Philippines Area Goals describes as a, “…strong, self-reliant
multi-generational Filipino family.”
What a neat lady.
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