In Doctrine & Covenants 97:13 we read that the temple is a "place of thanksgiving for all saints." The new, beautiful Lindon temple became a holy place of thanksgiving for me on September 10. 

I sat in a large sealing room with seats positioned around an altar. My husband was seated across from me. My hand was holding the hand of my 96 year-old mother-in-law who was present at the wedding, representing Logan's four grandparents and Ashley's four grandparents who are all on the other side of the veil, besides her. It was a tender moment. I was remembering my wedding and how I felt that day many years ago.

In walked children and their spouses, and siblings and their spouses, not all, but many of them. The sealer spoke of Jesus Christ and how He has made everything good in our lives possible. We covenant with Him, and we covenant with our spouse. What a magnificent, wonderful triangle of commitment and love! 

Our son Logan waited many years for that day to happen. He prayed and hoped and dated dozens of women. Ashley is such a blessing to him, and to our family. We love her and welcome her to our family.

We have been asked if it was hard for us to come back to the Philippines after being home for a few days. It was not. This is where we belong right now. We are filled with such gratitude to the Lord for our many blessings that we wanted to come back to serve His children and be about our work here.

No matter how much we try to serve Him, we are always in His debt. I love Jesus Christ and praise Him!

Sometimes I have entered the temple heavy with burdens and asking for help. I have sought refuge in the temple from the storms of life, and have found direction and light. On this day, I went to the temple with a heart full of thanksgiving and basked in the light of our Father's house. Joy and gratitude filled my soul.

 

We thought when we arrived in Salt Lake City for the wedding festivities that we would hurry to the car rental place and be on our way, never dreaming family members would be at the airport to greet us! They brought a delicious snack tray and helped us with our luggage. We loved seeing them!

 

 

I have been thinking about the sign outside of certain restaurants here in the Philippines. The sign reads, "UNLI RICE." I didn't know what the sign meant for a few months until a missionary explained to me that the sign tells customers there is unlimited rice offered with the purchase of a meal. Now I know why missionaries look for that sign, because they love rice and can eat as much of it as they would like in those establishments.

Today I was thinking about what items, besides rice, that I would like to have unlimited access to. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have unlimited clean water, or ice cold sprite, and fresh fruit? But besides food, what would I like an unlimited supply of?

Time with family, or memories of time spent with family.
Peace.
The Holy Ghost.
The love of God.
Repentance, rescue, and redemption.

Hope.

Spiritual power and protection.

A connection to God through prayer.

Thanks to a loving Heavenly Father and His marvelous plan, we are incredibly blessed, and as we keep our covenants, we have access to marvelous, unlimited blessings from God.

I read a quote once from Emma Stone who said, "I really like being alive." Here are two pictures from an outing a couple of weeks ago. In this moment, with my feet in fresh water and looking up at Mantayupan Falls, I really liked being alive. It was a sensory moment with the feel of the water, the sound of the falls, and the sight of the beauty around me. I thank God every day for the chance to be here on earth.

 

Today I cried and that is not usual for me. I try so hard to be brave and not think about what or who I miss, but today homesickness hit and I let the tears come, at least for a few minutes. It all started with lunch. After the branch conference I was handed a carton of lunch. Three very kind ladies made lunch for everyone in the branch, and I appreciate their generosity and service. In the lunch there was a large portion of rice, a meat and vegetable dish, and some kind of sauce in a baggie. I thought the sauce was some kind of gravy to pour on the rice, and as I began to open the baggie, a missionary whispered, "Sister Clarke, don't open that. You don't want to eat that." I asked, "Why? What is it?" The missionary answered, "Pig's blood." I did not open the baggie. I ate a little rice and a few bites of the meat and vegetable dish and then I shut the carton lid. Oh, I should mention that no utensils were handed out. A few people were given hand baggies to eat their food with, but then the baggies ran out so people were eating with their bare hands. 

Then before leaving the chapel, I needed to use the CR (comfort room is what they call a restroom here). I always put off using the CR because the condition of the bathrooms is really disappointing. Sure enough there was no soap, not even a sink, no toilet paper, and the bathroom was very dirty.

When we started the drive home, I began to think of family members I missed at home and a wave of homesickness hit. I thought, "I don't want to be here with pig's blood and dirty bathrooms! I am a lady! I am not used to living like this! I would really like to be with my children on Mother's Day!" The tears fell for about five minutes and then I pulled myself together. It is important for me to stay focused on the blessings of serving here and the beauty found in the people and the country. As is the case with any endeavor, you find what you are looking for. If I focus on all that I miss, I will be miserable, but if I focus on the blessings of being here, I will find happiness. When we arrived home a couple of hours later, I purposefully kicked myself out the door to visit the female senior missionaries and wish them a happy Mother's Day. 

I must not think inward, but outward. This is all good for me and I am experiencing and learning a lot.

 H  U  M  I  L  I  T  Y

Humility is the Christlike attribute I am concentrating on, and I am learning a lot about it. Here are some things I studied today:

Admit.

Apologize.

Be slow to anger.

Be quick to forgive.

Repent.

Cultivate more love.

Speak kinder.

("Is Pride Stopping You From Being a Loving Spouse?" by Aspen Yip, April 2026 Liahona)

Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29).

Am I meek and lowly of heart?

I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things (Alma 26:12).

Do I give credit to God for the strength He has provided me?

Always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive (Alma 7:23).

Am I grateful for all that I have received?

I cried unto him in prayer and supplication (Enos 1:4).

Are my prayers earnest and sincere?

When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves (2 Nephi 9:28).

Do I think I have an issue figured out without asking God for counsel?

Submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord (Mosiah 24:15).

Am I patient and cheerful while serving the Lord?

 

Two times since arriving in the Philippines we have made our way to Texas Roadhouse and enjoyed an American hamburger. There is a Texas Roadhouse restaurant in a mall not too far away, and after serving after serving of rice, something American tastes absolutely delicious. Ah, the simple pleasures of life! We ate with confidence and there were no stomach issues afterwards. 

At 5:30 in the morning, these two elders woke up to water up to their ankles on their apartment fllor. Typhoon Tino had hit and their neighborhood and street were flooding. Within a half hour, they were standing on their desks and the water was up to their waists and rising. They had been told by a well-meaning individual to stay in their apartment because the flood waters would carry them away, but they knew they needed to get out of their apartment. They broke open a window and swam out. Somehow they climbed up an outer wall and got on their roof, and then walked across rooftops until they were invited into a woman's balcony. I have video footage of them on the balcony with the flood waters down below. The waters carried parked cars down the street and piled them on top of each other. We feel God's hand in their escape!

Though saddened that many of their belongings were carried down stream or are now completely covered in mud, they salvaged what they could from their apartment. We offered our power hose to them and they spent many hours in the front yard hosing off their items. It was our pleasure to offer them a few meals, laundry soap, and listening ears.

Imagine our surprise when they showed up at the house this week with flowers for us and a thank you card for helping them through their ordeal. How can they think outward when they have been dealt such a blow? They are amazing men! I admire their patience and faith. I admire the way they have handled this. They are trying to be optimistic. They are heroes to me.

 

We were handed a surprise today and the contents of the bag made us very happy. A sister missionary who had served her mission in Cebu finished last week, but she did not fly home because her parents were coming to get her, but for some reason they did not come until today. The sister missionary and her parents came to a church building where we were having a meeting, and we stepped out of the meeting to greet them and tell them what a wonderful daughter they had. The mother of the sister missionary handed me a bag and told me it was from our family!  What?! How could that be? Somehow this mother had tracked down one of our children and told him that they were traveling to Cebu and would he like to send something to us. He gathered cards and notes from the grandkids and filled the bag with things like Trader Joes chocolate almonds, powdered sugar, and coconut, all items that are hard, if not impossible to find here. What joy! We were blessed by the thoughtfulness of others.

 

I appreciated something specific that happened this week. This little miracle began several weeks ago when I was doing video apartment inspections. As I looked around at the apartment of four sisters and we discussed the supplies they already had, and supplies that needed to be added to the apartment, the sisters requested a bookcase to hold their study books and also copies of the Book of Mormon which they pass out. I searched different stores and found a bookcase which I purchased for them and put in my garage, along with other supplies they requested/needed. The sisters were able to take the other purchased supplies home with them when they came into the city on bus or taxi, but they could never fit the bookcase. This week we had interviews with the missionaries in their area and I thought, "If we are going to be near their apartment, let's take the bookcase in the back of our car and drop it off at their apartment on our way to interviews."

Getting to the missionary apartments is like finding your way through a maze. Most of the time Google Maps gets us there, but a couple of days ago when we were trying to find this sister's apartment, we wound around narrow streets and finally came to a small pedestrian bridge which we could not drive over. We had to back up, call the sisters for help, and approach the apartment a different way. We never would have found the apartment on our own. Thank goodness it was daylight and the sisters could help direct us.

Fast forward to today when an emergency transfer had to happen in the mission. There are 48 apartments in the mission and lo and behold, the emergency transfer involved sisters in that very apartment. As we drove to the apartment again today and the sun was setting, we knew the way and found the apartment without trouble, which was a blessing because this time it was important and time-sensitive.

I think you probably have to be here to imagine the maze of narrow streets and the difficulty of getting around in a vehicle on some of those streets. It is not fun and not safe to be lost or turned around in the mazes, especially in the dark. We are thankful for safety in each and every one of our trips, errands, transfers, deliveries, and rides. We are thankful for a God that looks out for his missionaries. Because we happened to deliver a bookcase to an apartment on Wednesday, we knew the way today:)

 

Another city, another restaurant, another mango shake.

It is difficult to find places that are safe to eat, until we ask someone who we trust who lives in the city, and then they point us towards a hidden restaurant, and the food is good, and we don't get sick, and the restaurant serves mango shakes. For a minute we forget about the issues and concerns of the mission, and we enjoy the cool and delicious treat. Cebu Island has the best mangoes in the world!

 

Sometimes mission miracles are large and sometimes they are small, but I appreciate them all. There are many elders in our mission who barely have enough clothing to get by. We have been working on quietly (and individually) supplying them with white shirts and ties, but they are left to find pants on their own. Pants are easier to come by. The missionaries can sometimes find pants at thrift stores, but fresh white shirts are hard to find. At a recent mission conference, a sister told me that an elder sitting across from her had a hole in his pants. This elder was only in the city that day, and would be going back to his assigned area later. I knew that someone (I don't remember who) had given me two new pairs of pants and told me to give them to an elder. I went to my mission supply cupboard and put the two pairs of pants in a bag. When an opportunity arose, I spoke with the elder and asked him if he would like to try on a couple pairs of pants. He was delighted to try them on. I told him that the size may not be right, and to our great surprise the size on the pants was exactly what he needed. How can that be? How can I not remember from what source I received the pants? Whoever gave them to me was directed! They were exactly the size that the elder needed, and he was happy to receive them! I am amazed at the goodness of God.

 

 

Perhaps the most shocking revelation I have had since moving to a different country, is that having clean water throughout my life was a blessing I totally took for granted. For 61 years I drank water freely from the tap, I washed my clothes and bathed myself in it. I rinsed food, washed babies, washed my hands and poured cup after cup of it for satisfying consumption. I never realized what a blessing it was to have clean water! Now I am see the effects of water that is not clean. Missionaries have skin issues. They tell me they itch after showering. They have sores that won't heal and get infected, and I realize that I see only what is what is happening on the outside of their bodies. Yet, the missionaries are blessed and they are careful, and they continue to serve.

I asked a missionary about his apartment this week and he showed me around via video. We went over the supplies he should have in his apartment and after talking with him, I know he and his companion need: a toilet seat for the toilet, a new can opener, a small frying pan, two dish towels, and a vegetable peeler.  At the end of our interview I asked, "Elder K., are there any issues in your apartment that we did not talk about?" 

He paused and thought, then replied, "There are little red worms in our water." 

"What?"

He and his companion laughed. "There are. We can see them."

"I had no idea! I am so sorry! We need to find you a new apartment!"

"It's okay Sister Clarke. We are kind of used to them now. Whatever you think is best for the work."

I can't get Elder K. and his companion out of my mind. I thought about driving to his area this week and searching for a new apartment, and then I wondered if the situation would be the same in the new apartment. I can't fix everything here, though I want to. I can't solve every problem and make things all better. There are basic things like clean water that I would really love to provide for every missionary! We provide blue jugs of drinking water, but what they wash their clothes in and bathe in is a different story.

I love Elder K.'s humility. He is willing to stay in that apartment if it is best for the work. Wow.

We drove from Cebu across the island for a double-zone conference in Toledo. After the conference, we had some interviews, then we dropped the assistants off at an apartment of missionaries where they were spending the night, and then we drove to our hotel. The security guard would not let us in. Even after we showed him our confirmation code, he would not let us in. We found out that the hotel had been booked for the wrong night, and we were out of luck. There was a large golf tournament happening the next day at the resort, so all of the rooms were booked. Oh my! What were we to do? This is not Utah where you drive down I-15 and see multiple options. It was dark and we were in an unfamiliar place. The security guard recommended a place to us and we drove there. It looked completely dead and dark with no lights on and the office locked.  Matthew walked around the hotel property and found some people in the pool who directed him as to where he could find the woman in charge. She took one look at Matthew and said that she most certainly did not have a room with a bed that would fit him. She recommended another place to us, so we set out again to find it. It was down an alley; we pulled in and parked. Matthew inquired about a room and he was shown a sample room. It was a small room with no frills, no hot water, a bucket and a ladle in the shower area, and a foam pad instead of a mattress, but we took it. We had been praying that we could find a clean room to spend the night somewhere and the Lord directed us. 

Maybe you have heard the story about the man who is in a flood. He is stranded on a rooftop and prays to God for help, asking God to save him directly. A small boat comes by and the occupant of the boat yells to the stranded man, offering him a ride. The man declines and explains that he is waiting for the answer to prayer that he had requested. This is kind of how we felt. We had been praying to find a place to stay once we knew our reservation was not valid. The hotel room which we found was not a fancy room, but it was adequate. We slept well and cleaned ourselves off in the morning and were able to arrive at the church a little early for interviews. This was a special miracle for us because we knew of no other options in the town we were in. God led us to the people who could direct us to the hotel that had a room for us.

There is a missionary in our mission who spends two days a week helping with housing. He is marvelous because he can talk to the landlords in Cebuano about apartments that need repairs. Some missions have a senior couple who helps with housing, but ours does not. Every week there is a list of supplies that need to be purchased for the apartments. I am not complaining because I know we are not alone in this endeavor. Missions all over the world deal with housing demands for missionaries. With fifty apartments spread out through the island, it is tough to keep up on all of the supplies needed and issues. Take for instance this picture.

Two elders complained of rats in their apartment, and it is no surprise when I see the size of the hole in the door. The landlord has not been responsive about fixing the hole so we must find a new apartment for the missionaries to live in. But when will I have time this week to look for a new apartment? We have zone conferences on two days, and then we will be out of town interviewing missionaries in the northern part of the island. I advised the missionaries to ask the members of the ward they attended today for apartment leads. I will pray that we receive direction as to how to solve this issue.

But then, when my head and heart are heavy with issues, I think of the happy times I have had this week. Here is a picture of the three tallest sisters in the mission, and they are currently in a companionship threesome! Aren't they amazing?

I fight an inner battle every day of going from feeling fearful and overwhelmed, to feeling faith and confidence that things will somehow work out. I don't want to suffer through this assignment. I don't want to grit my teeth and get by. I want to find joy in it. I want to enjoy the journey. It's a lot and I am being stretched. Perhaps it is good that there is more to be done than I can possibly do, because then I find myself reaching out to the Savior, grasping for help and He rescues me. I know we can't do this without Him!

Yesterday at church we met a sister who has lived here in the Philippines along with in Seattle, Washington. She is familiar with both countries and cultures. She gave us marvelous advice. She said,

"Embrace the humidity. Embrace the people. Embrace the country. Embrace everything about here."

We are learning to not point out what is different here than in the United States, or what is lacking, or what is not as good. We are not above or better than anyone else. It is frustrating and of no worth to dwell on the differences. We are learning to find the beauty and to find the good. We shouldn't come here and try to change the country or their way of living. We must meet the people where they are and live as they do. We are guests and we are blessed to be here. There is so much good here!

This picture is taken from the balcony of one of the senior sister missionary's apartments. The temple grounds are nestled in the middle of a busy section of the city. There is repose in the midst of chaos. What a striking difference between what is inside the temple gates and what is outside! The scene is very analogous to our lives. There can be busyness and disorder swirling around us, and yet peace and joy within.

I realize that growing up in the United States I have taken many things for granted. There are numerous things that I have been blessed with that people living elsewhere do not enjoy. I am humbled with what I have seen so far. I'm not sure that I will every look at my life the same.

 

 

A few lines from the pages of notes I took last week:

Elder Holland: Cling to the standards works. The mists of darkness settle on the faithful and the unfaithful. Help the missionaries cling to the rod.

Elder Cook: The Lord's hand is in the hastening. This is an unprecedented and blessed time to be a missionary!

Sister Wright: Rededicate your life to Jesus Christ. Begin with exaltation in mind.

Elder Renlund: Remember the converting power of the Book of Mormon.

Elder Christofferson: Treasure up the word and it will be in your heart and mind when needed.

President Eyring: Pray to know the missionary's hearts. See their goodness. God has called you and He will strengthen you when you are weak.

Elder Bednar: Become servants of the members. As you serve the members, you'll earn their trust.

Elder Andersen: The Lord will bless you with miracles if you believe in Him.

Elder Gong: Repentance looks like walking towards Christ with His arms outstretched.

Elder Rasband: Live in thanksgiving daily.

President Oaks: Connect your teaching to the doctrine of Christ. Ensure that the missionaries have a testimony of Joseph Smith. He has not called you because you will be the same as someone else. He has called you because you are you!

Elder Uchtdorf: There is a sacred flame of fire inside each missionary. Your purpose is to invite. this is under your control. Continue to trust the Lord even when miracles do not happen.

Elder Kearon: No effort is wasted. Turn to the Lord and He will uphold you. Be happy! Embody what you are teaching.

Sister Freeman: Your mission is a time to become more like Christ. You will be blessed with power suited to your circumstances.

Elder Stevenson: Have high expectations and have high love. 

Elder Soares: Study and pray and the fear will go away.

President Nelson: The Book of Mormon contains the answers to life's most vexing questions. Blessings will come as you study, teach from and testify of the Book of Mormon.

 

I have a friend named Laurie who is finishing her mission this week.  She and her husband have been mission leaders in Brazil the past three years. She wrote this in September, 2024, and I learned from it:

Am I speaking perfect Portugues? Absolutely not! But I understand and am understood and it is absolutely wonderful.  In the first year of our mission I asked Rick if he could fast forward and get to the end of our mission with no negative consequences, i.e. we'd have done well and it would be over, would he do it? He was a little put off by this hypothetical question and said, "Of course not! I want to experience it all." But I admit that I was totally in for the fast forward. The days were very long that first year when I could only understand parts of what people were saying.  Year two things changed and I started to hear about the miracles first hand and it was a lot more fun. Now in year three, if given the option to fast forward to the end of our mission, my response would be the same as Rick's, "Of course not! I want to experience it all." Now that I understand what's going on and can fully participate. I don't want to miss a minute.

 

Anthony Ray Hinton is a hero of mine. 

He spent 30 years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. 

His time in jail was spent in solitary confinement in a five-by-seven-foot cell, allowed out only one hour a day. But, Hinton quickly became a friend and counselor to other inmates and the death row guards, many of whom begged Hinton’s attorney to get him out.

A unanimous Supreme Court ruling ordered his release, and he was able to walk free. In an interview he is quoted saying: “One does not know the value of freedom until it is taken away, People run out of the rain. I run into the rain…I am so grateful for every drop. Just to feel it on my face.”

Hinton was later interviewed on 60 Minutes. The interviewer asked if he was angry at the people who put him in jail. He said he forgave them all.

The interviewer asked, “but they took 30 years of your life — how can you not be angry?”

Hinton responded: “If I’m angry and unforgiving, they will have taken the rest of my life.”

(https://therockwalltimes.com/2024/04/positive/finding-freedom-the-remarkable-story-of-anthony-ray-hinton/)