Debut of Elai

It is time for my daughter to be woman, her 18th birthday was as inspiration for everyone especially with us as parents. 

Elmar Beach Resort in Sogod Cebu

Elaizah in 360 Tuburan, Cebu - Bamboo Area

Sogod Farm - Rise and Rebuild

Beauty and the Beast - BYC Production

Another opportunity to witness a Beauty and the Beast Broadway production by the BYC (Broadway Youth Cebu), founded by Allan Nazareno.

My daughter, Elaizah, was part of this production and was assigned to be the stage manager, along with three other managers. They were tasked with taking care of the stage needs for Beauty and the Beast.

My wife and I were excited to see this production. Fortunately, we received two complimentary tickets for free, but my wife still bought two more for the other group's production. There are two cast teams performing in this event, and we wanted to witness both groups of performers.

On August 2, 2024, we saw the Set A team perform. It was our first time witnessing this Beauty and the Beast production, and I was amazed by the characters and the performance of the cast in this team.

We had another chance to see the Set B team on August 3, 2024, at 7 PM. The cast was also good, although I preferred some of the performers in Set A. Our friends joined us for this event, including Merlyn Matthews, Merchenito Fernandez and his wife Gerlie, and their children AZ, BY, CX, DW, and EV. Kariza Llanera and Alvy Montemayor were also with us.

This was a beautiful experience to witness their performance. I learned that a man's heart can always be influenced by the world's power and pride, which can lead to imprisonment or a state of no progression.

Through the cast's performances, it was evident that good hearts can change everything. The main character in this event was Belle, who showed a loving heart that transformed everything. She is not perfect but always sees the bright side of what is good for her parents. This opportunity prepared her to meet the Beast, whose heart was hardened, but her influence brought about an amazing change in him and everything else.

Prayer - The Only Way

Prayer is one way to lead ourselves to humility and to seek God's will in our lives.

Our lives are full of opportunities and tests. The only way to be led to what our soul needs and to reach our exact destination is through prayer.

I watched a YouTube video from Elder Uchtdorf about the art of walking in a straight line and learned something about prayer.

In our lives, if we only depend on ourselves, we will not go far on our journey.

Through proper guidance, we will learn more about Him and how we can reach our potential as sons and daughters of God.

Nowadays, individuals depend much more on themselves rather than on a Being who knows everything about us. Our loving Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ set something for us to follow and guide us in these perilous times. With prayer, we will come to know what we can do and how we will be led according to Their will.

With our Savior Jesus Christ, our lives will always have the opportunity to change, grow, and understand the will of God.

One of the best reasons I always attend church every Sunday is to learn more about my Savior. The lesson we discussed is related to this article and why I am writing it. During our Elders Quorum meeting, I felt the Spirit. It was amazing, and we discussed prayer.

During our discussion about prayer, Sister Porter shared about three types of prayer: prayer to know, prayer to grow, and prayer to show. I was edified and blessed by our shared thoughts on this matter.

Everything we have in our lives is confirmed through prayer. When we always pray to seek the will of God, we will be blessed with many things.

I have been blessed to know the truth about His Church. I have come to know that the Book of Mormon is true through sincere prayer. This leads me to believe that Joseph Smith Jr. is a prophet of God called by God in these latter days. The Church of Jesus Christ is a church that Christ established in these latter days.

Lapu Lapu First Stake Creation

One of the historical places here in the Philippines is Lapu-Lapu Island. This is where the battle between Lapu-Lapu, the chieftain, and the Spaniard Ferdinand Magellan took place. I wrote this because I've been a tour guide for many guests coming to Cebu for almost seven years.

The growth of the Church here in Cebu is exponential, and it has indeed been a blessing for every Latter-day Saint to witness this amazing Church grow. One aspect of this growth is the creation of stakes in the Philippines.

Since I was transporting an Area Seventy during this time, I was able to attend the creation of the Lapu-Lapu Stake. The location of their building is in Agus, Lapu-Lapu City.

I was a witness to this creation, and this stake is the 130th stake in the Philippines. The first Stake President is Martinez.