Great Faith

Dear Mom and Dad,

It has been an absolutely crazy week with transfers. I got my new
companion! His name is Elder R. , and he's from Pangasinan which is
in the Baguio Mission. I'm also the new District Leader in our
District here. There's a lot I could say that happened this week, but
due to time I'll just share this experience.

On Saturday we got a call from our Bishop while they were at the Ward
Temple trip in Manila telling us that one of the families we've been
teaching's house had burned down while they were up at the temple.
Because most of the members were at the temple, they asked us to check
out the house. We went over to their house, and when we got there, it
had been burned to the ground. This family had found an abandoned pig
stall and had put up banners and other things as a roof. Their house
had caught on fire, and it had burned the whole house and everything
they owned. Their kids were playing at a neighbors when it had
happened, but when they got home it was all gone. The oldest boy, a
twelve year old had pulled out what he could, and even though the fire
was completely out when we got there, he was sitting on the ground,
crying to himself and covered from head to toe in soot. We decided the
best we could do was just start cleaning up. So we started to pull all
the rubble out, sweep it clean, and as we did so, all the neighbors
came out of their houses and gathered together food and whatever else
they could. By the time the family got home that evening, the
neighbors had put a new tarp roof on the house, and the inside of the
stall had been cleaned out. The family was able to sleep that night in
the very house that had burned to the ground hours earlier.

The timing was certainly interesting that while this sister was at the
temple, such a tragic thing happened. And yet the very next morning
there they were, dressed in Sundays best, sitting in the seats for
Sacrament meeting a half hour early. At the end of Sacrament as I
walked to Sunday School, the whole family was lined up against the
wall paying their tithing. This is a family that had nothing before,
and lost everything they had after. Yet they understand the Plan of
Salvation, they understand the why and are truly converted to the
Gospel. I feel blessed I was able to help this wonderful family. As
the Lord said, "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I
have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." May we rise to our
best when trials come, and prove through our actions how steadfast and
immovable our faith is in the Savior.

Love,
Elder Yost