During a nine-day ministry in the Philippines, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles did a walk-through of the under-construction Alabang Philippines Temple with area youth, participated in wheelchair and prosthetic donations and met with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including leaders, missionaries, youth and young adults, the Church’s Philippines Newsroom reported on Feb. 18.
He also visited youth who were serving, saw a community where the Church helped to repair water tanks and celebrated Light the World donations, among other events, the Church’s Philippines Newsroom reported on Feb. 24. His ministry culminated in attending the first concerts of The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in the Philippines during their world tour.
“[God] will reward all good people everywhere and all who believe in Him. But let us not be mistaken. This, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is where His priesthood has been restored,” Elder Andersen said at a stake conference in Quezon City, a part of metro Manila, on Sunday, Feb. 18. “Our membership in this His restored gospel will be a great badge of honor as we cross to the other side of the veil. I know this is true, I know He lives. I know He is our Savior and Redeemer.”
Sister Kathy Andersen said: “I just love being here. There is something in your spirits that enlarges our soul. I think it’s just because of your hearts and spirits, because of your faith and your testimony. … Even though we don’t know each one of you personally, we feel such a love for you.”
Elder Andersen met with a group of young men and young women following the stake conference in Quezon City. On Saturday, Feb. 17, they met with youth and young single adults in San Pablo, Philippines, and answered their questions.
Joining them at various times were Elder Steven R. Bangerter, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Philippines Area, and his wife, Sister Susann Bangerter; Elder Yoon Hwan Choi, General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the area presidency, and his wife, Sister Bon Kyung Koo Choi; and Elder Carlos G. Revillo Jr., General Authority Seventy and second counselor in the area presidency, and his wife, Sister Marites F. Revillo.
Alabang Philippines Temple
On Tuesday, Feb. 20, Elder and Sister Andersen spent an hour walking through the rooms of the under-construction Alabang Philippines Temple with six youth ages 16-18.
“Everything in here speaks to the power and the truthfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ,” Elder Andersen said. “Without Him, we would not have our resurrection, we would not be able to live with our Heavenly Father, we would not be able to anticipate all the blessings and power that will come because of His divine life.”
The house of the Lord is one of 13 in the nation — two dedicated, one scheduled for dedication, three under construction and seven more in planning.
Manila MTC
At the Manila Missionary Training Center, Elder and Sister Andersen spoke to more than 200 missionaries.
“At any time, day or night, [we can] reach out to [God] and say, ‘Father, are you there?’” Sister Andersen said. “We don’t have to have an appointment. We don’t have to schedule it in advance. We just simply have to pray to Him. To me, that is one of the most wonderful, sublime blessings of our mortality.”
Elder Andersen taught missionaries how to overcome the difficulties of their missions.
“You do exactly what Sister Andersen taught you,” the Apostle said. “You get on your knees and you say, ‘Heavenly Father, I feel so alone here. I feel uncomfortable. Please, please, Heavenly Father, help me. Help me.’ And as you prepare and pray with a sincere heart and obey your mission commitments, He will bless your life and you will become more than you’ve ever been.”
He emphasized, “The most important thing you can do as a disciple of Jesus Christ, as a servant of Him, as a visionary of His message, is proclaim and teach who He is and what He can bring.”
Humanitarian donations
Also on Tuesday, Elder and Sister Andersen participated in a handover of wheelchairs and prosthetics from the Church and collaborators to those in need at the San Juan City Hall. Sixty-seven people received wheelchairs, and 19 others got a needed prosthetic.
“This is simply an act of love. We believe in Jesus Christ, and we believe in the two great commandments,” Elder Andersen said. “When our neighbors are hurting, when they need help, our donations are not from this big church. It’s from local people, people here in the Philippines, people who want to share what they have with those who have needs.”
The Church collaborated on the wheelchair project with Physicians for Peace, the University of East Ramon Magsaysay and the city of San Juan.
On Thursday, Feb. 22, Elder and Sister Andersen visited the Catholic-run Jaime Cardinal Sin Village in Manila, where the Church helped repair one of the facility’s large water tanks for the 1,200 families in 980 units who live in the housing development.
Ministry to youth
On Monday, Feb. 19, Elder and Sister Andersen visited the Holy Spirit Elementary School in Quezon City to share a brief message with students. The Church has partnered with this school to develop a classroom curriculum that reinforces important principles, such as the importance of families, for children of all faiths.
On Tuesday, Feb. 20, Elder and Sister Andersen visited two meetinghouses in Taytay and in Quezon City, where youth were assembling 250 mother and child kits for Manila’s Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital and 250 school and hygiene kits for the Manila Boys and Girls Town homeless shelter.
The next day, on Wednesday, Feb. 21, Elder and Sister Andersen visited the Girls’ Home Boys’ Town complex, where school and hygiene kits were distributed. The Church also gave the shelter air conditioning chairs, clothing, computers, dryers, freezers, mattresses, pillows, sound systems, tables, TVs and washing machines. The Apostle taught those in the complex, who are orphans, challenged teens and others, of their eternal worth.
Light the World donations
On Thursday, Feb. 22, Elder and Sister Andersen gathered with several dozen others in Manila to present Light the World Giving Machine checks to organizations from Cebu and Manila.
In addition to the 736,000 Filipino pesos brought in by the Light the World Giving Machines in the Philippines, the Church gave an additional 500,000 pesos to each of the six organizations that it collaborates with in the area: UNICEF Philippines, Feed the Children, Cebu Caritas, Mabuhay Deseret Foundation, HERO Foundation and Caritas Manila.
“My dear friends,” Elder Andersen said, “we love you and we admire you because you are the beautiful people of the world who give of yourself, give of what you have. And we acknowledge all the wonderful people who gave to those Giving Machines and all the wonderful people who gave to this additional amount to add to those Giving Machines, the thousands and thousands who gave of what they have. And we love them because we have the privilege, Kathy and I, to travel the world and see those people who give and love in every nation, in every culture, in every race, in every language. And we love them. And I have to say, honestly, in the many times I have been to the Philippines, there are none better than the good and giving people of the Philippines.”
