In her first international assignment since becoming the Primary general president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Rosemary K. Chibota ministered in the Church’s Philippines Area, Sept. 11-21.
President Chibota was accompanied by her husband, Brother Joel B. Chibota. Members of the Church’s Philippines Area presidency — Elder Carlos G. Revillo Jr., president; Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong; and Elder Steven D. Shumway, all General Authority Seventies — joined at different times.
In a devotional in Tacloban on Sept. 19, President Chibota reminded parents of their responsibility to help their children develop faith in Jesus Christ. And she testified that children who learn to stay close to Heavenly Father and turn their hearts and thoughts to Him will know they are never alone.
“They will know that they can talk to their Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere, whether they’re at school or whether they are lost. They can stop and pray, and help will be sent to them by our Heavenly Father,” she said.
The devotional’s participants included Church leaders, parents and children from the Tacloban Philippines Stake and nearby stakes in Carigara, Ormoc and Tolosa. The Church’s Philippines Newsroom reported that more than 800 people attended the devotional, filling the stake center and adjoining extension rooms, with others watching from hallways.
Throughout her time in the Philippines, President Chibota spoke to Church members and their friends, such as in a stake conference in Tacloban; gave devotionals for parents and missionaries; visited families; and took part in the Church’s efforts to care for women and children.
Member child nutrition
While in Tacloban, President Chibota joined local Church leaders, families and medical volunteers at the Tacloban Stake Center to expand the Church’s Child Nutrition Program to that stake.
In 2018, the First Presidency approved a program to address child malnutrition among Church members in developing countries. The Philippines was the first area to pilot the project, beginning in 2019. Since then, more than 125 stakes and districts have responded to this initiative.
These efforts are part of the Church’s global initiative to care for women and children under age 5 by expanding access to child nutrition, immunizations, maternal and newborn care, and education.
About 100 children took part in nutrition screenings in the Tacloban Stake Center on Sept. 19, the Philippines Area told the Church News. Each child’s height, weight and mid-upper-arm circumference were measured to see whether the child is malnourished or at risk. Families were connected to appropriate care and resources. Local leaders and ministering brothers and sisters will follow up and monitor the child’s progress.
Local journalists viewed the efforts and spoke with President Chibota that day.
She explained that the Church serves as a source of support, with the overarching aim of helping families reach a point where they become self-reliant. The Church invests in children’s growth and development so they can thrive both temporarlly and spiritually, she said.
Caring for women and children
On Sept. 14, President Chibota joined the Naga City Mayor Maria Leonor G. Robredo at Naga City General Hospital to offer encouragement and support to new mothers and deliver a donation from the Church of 150 newborn kits with handmade clothing and other essential items for the first weeks of life.
“Each newborn represents hope, promise and the future. When we care for mothers and infants, we are investing in generations to come,” President Chibota said. “Today we celebrate not only the arrival of new life, but also the devoted men and women who care for mothers and babies during some of life’s most joyous and vulnerable moments.”
The visit builds on many years of cooperation between the Church and Philippines leaders through initiatives and donations to support maternal and child health and strengthen families, the Church’s Philippines Newsroom reported.
Missionaries
While speaking to more than 240 missionaries at the Philippines Missionary Training Center on Sept. 16, President Chibota encouraged them to trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ, and allow Him to “mold you and shape you to be strong” as they prepare to share His gospel throughout the world.
President Chibota and Brother Chibota a year ago completed service leading the Alabama Birmingham Mission.
“Missionary work is hard,” she said. “It takes a special kind of person to endure this. And I can promise you that this is the best gift that you can give yourself and your future generations.”
She showed a video of a potter carefully shaping and refining clay, comparing the process to the Lord’s refining influence.
“I want you to know that something is happening inside you, even when you cannot see it,” President Chibota told the missionaries, as reported by the Philippines Newsroom. “The Lord will be working on you.”
