" A POCKETFULL OF SUNSHINE"

This Blog is very fitting as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has done so much for us

CHARM'S TESTIMONY

Charm ( a nick name)  is from the Philippines 

We met her through the missionaries

We were delighted when she would text us with the message,

"Grandma and Grandpa,  I wish for you a 

Pocket full of Sunshine today!"

 After the baptism Saturday and confirmation of Holy Ghost Sunday while she was at work, she sent us this text:

"I am honored to be one with the Holy Ghost
I believe in Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints like I believe in the Sun rising.  Not because I can see it --but because by it------ I can see ----------------- EVERYTHING!"

and I would add -- MORE CLEARLY!

Isn't that such a wonderful way to share her testimony?

This is Charm with President and Sister Shumway.  She had to be baptised early enough so she could leave and go to work.  This is the uniform she wears to work.
It was very special of Pres and Sister Shumway to come to her baptism especially since their son and his family were leaving that afternoon for Iowa.  They don't often attend a baptism because they are so busy.
We were in their home the week prior to the baptism for home evening where they taught Charm the plan of salvation. Abby their daughter really enjoyed Charm

Left is Elder Snow from Utah and Right is Elder Wilson from Arizona.  These are the missionaries that  taught her the gospel here in Tulsa

 All of us together just prior to the baptism meeting.


 CHARM'S STORY
This is her nickname and it certainly describes her personality

She was raised in the Philippines mostly by a Nanny because her parents worked for some business that  had some connection to the Catholic Church of which they were members. It kept both her mom and dad very busy.  Charm is 21 and her sister is 19  In her younger years she felt she had promptings from the Holy Ghost occasionally and she also had some meaningful dreams.

When Charm was about 13 she went with a friend that was a class mate to her church.  When she walked into the Church house she said,

  "what is this feeling I am feeling here?"   It was warm, peaceful, happy, comfortable and calm.   It was different from any Church she had been in

Shortly after that she and her friend separated into different classes where they didn't see each other so she never could go back to the Church.  In the mean time as she was getting older, she began to study the Bible and to have questions about the teachings of the Catholic Church.  

She would ask her Mother a question and her mother would only comment, 'that is just was how things are".  There was no explanation.  

Charm felt that there had to be some answers so she began going to different Churches to see if they had the answers.  There was either no answer or one that just brought on more questions and a determination to find an answer that would be the truth and satisfy her.

 About that time her friend's schooling brought her back to the same school Charm was in and they were classmates again.  Charm asked if she could go to Church again with her.  By this time the friend had become a better person and was more interested in religion so they went together to her friend's church.

When Charm walked into the Church House with her friend --

THERE IT WAS!! THAT SAME GOOD FEELING SHE HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR---FOR A LONG TIME!. It felt so good! like she was light as a feather and like she had come home. IT WAS LOVE; IT WAS WARMTH; IT WAS HAPPINESS The feeling was strong and lasted for awhile.

Her friend helped her connect with the missionaries.  She had about 3-4 lessons.  Then  she came to the united States as part of her school training. She is doing training for a year here in the USA  in Hotel, Restaurant management. ( She also has degrees in Civil Engineering and Art but she was told civil engineering wasn't work for girls.)  The Philippine Missionaries helped her contact the online missionaries who continued to teach her the lessons while she was transitioning to here.

After she arrived here, she looked up the Church address where she thought she would be attending and took a cab there only to find it was closed because it was 5pm.. So sad--- So she contacted the online missionaries to help connect her with some missionaries here..

  the online missionaries wrote up a referral and it was given to Elders Snow and Wilson who began teaching her with our help as she couldn't be with them without someone else being present. She began calling us her United States 'Grandparents'.  When the missionaries taught her that we have a living prophet today, she was ecstatic !  After studying the Bible, she couldn't understand why none of the churches had prophets!  She was so happy she practically jumped up and down.

By the time she was baptised, she had worked with seven sets or more of missionaries, all of whom she really enjoyed.  She can't remember their last names so she has nicknamed them Disney characters.  She is such a sweet, unassuming, very polite, sensitive,tender, kind, happy person.  She is so happy since finding the Church she says she has what she terms as the" SMILE SYNDROME".

This missionaries drew this diagram and explained the restored true gospel of Jesus Christ. for her so she could understand

 In the beginning the earth was made and a plan developed by the Gods for Heavenly Father's children (that is all of us who come earth to live)  to come down on earth and have choice so we could learn to become like HIM.  They knew that all of us would make mistakes many times as we were learning good from evil, so right from the beginning, the Savior volunteered to sacrifice his life (the atonement) so we could repent and be forgiven and live with Heavenly Father again. the Savior's incredible atonement will do this for all of us who desire and choose to want the atonement, the Savior and his true doctrine in our lives. The Savior becomes the center of our life.

 "All that is unfair about life can be made right through the atonement."  Sister Burton General Relief Society President

By following this diagrahm above.  We make the Savior the center of our lives by:

1. FAITH.
We acquire faith hearing about the Savior, the Restoration of his true gospel with true authority, Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.  We can continue to learn by sincere prayers  and reading the Book of Mormon with the other scriptures daily   Each time we keep the commandments our faith increases.

2.REPENTANCE
Follow the steps of repentance--recognize our mistake, apologize and strive to repair the damage. We humbly ask Heavenly Father for forgiveness and help to change our behavior.

3. BAPTISM
When we are baptised, we make a covenant with our Savior and Heavenly Father to do their will which is to always be truthful and love and help each other individually with burdens-.  We become members of his True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and pay tithing, fast and give donations..  When we make covenants with the Savior he can claim us as his and then can work the power of the atonement in our lives.  When we attend Sacrament meeting with a humble and  repentant attitude and partake of the sacrament we can be forgiven and be clean again.

4. HOLY GHOST
After Baptism, we are confirmed and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  That means if we are dong the other 3 steps, having faith, repenting and keeping our baptismal covenant we can have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion.  It will witness truth to us, teach us of things,  recall information, guide us and warn us.  What a great friend to always have!

this circle can be repeated over and over.  there is no limit to what a person can learn and how many times a person can repent and be forgiven.

(this isn't quite how they taught it;  they did much better but this is what I remember)

Charm is so happy, she says she has the**SMILE SYNDROME.**She can't stop smiling! 

SMILE SYNDROME is the name for the  "AWESOMENESS PROGRAM".

These are the levels of her AWESOMENESS PROGRAM
Level 1.  Read and search the scriptures and pray to know the truth about God and his church.
Level 2.  Follow the promptings of the spirit
Level 3.  Find the missionaries and receive the lessons
Level 4.  Get baptised and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

              She received a strong witness from the Holy Ghost when 
              she was baptised and again when she was confirmed a member of the church
              and given the  HOLY GHOST.

This is the level of where she is now and she is so happy that she just radiates!  

Now her aim is to achieve the rest of the 

AWESOMENESS PLAN as life continues.

Level 5. Temple endowments

Level 6. Mission

Level 7. Temple marriage

Level 8. Children