Salenga Family
In a recent Zone Conference (a larger meeting of about 75 missionaries) I took a walk down memory lane. I spoke of meeting and teaching the Salenga Family in 1982. They were one of those great families that I fell in love with all those years ago.
In the fall of 1982, I was serving in the cities of Hermosa and Orani in Bataan. It was my first and favourite area because I was there for 7 months. The family did not join the Church all together and make one nice photo all in white in front of the font.
First I just taught the mother and oldest daughter Lorna. Lorna was very spiritual and immediately receptive. Her mother was more traditional and hesitant. When we finished teaching them, the mother refused baptism but readily gave permission for Lorna to be baptized. Undaunted, my companion Darren Tagg continued to pursue the mother to make the commitment of baptism. Elder Tagg was fearless, and after a particularly powerful lesson where Elder Tagg insisted that Mother Salenga ask God if it was true, she knelt down with us and prayed a sweet but intense prayer and received her answer; a powerful answer. Once mother Salenga was baptised, she was anxious for the rest of her family to receive the joy she found in her new-found faith. She invited her husband and three oldest sons Ronald, Donnie and Elmer to learn the gospel. Father and the three oldest boys operated a mini bus business, running a short haul bus route near Hermosa where they lived. I remember well their mini bus running down the road with the stereo blaring Beatles music. They were great. Father was kind, but had no interest in our message The three oldest boys listened. I think at first they listened to be polite and out of respect for their mother, but soon the fire of faith caught hold of them and they also were baptised. The two youngest, Edwin and Lita, were too young for baptism at that time. The entire family were now members of the faith except Father. They were such a great family. The local congregation was so pleased to have them join the Church. Our little branch then had only 48 members and met in a little rented house. Now, there is a large Stake of 6 and we hope soon 7 large Wards or congregations. They meet in beautiful chapels. The Salengas remained active in the church and have given their lives to their faith.
After I left Bataan I lost contact with the family. There was no internet or Facebook back then, only letters. I hate writing letters. I have, however, thought of them often over the years. Often when life gets hard, I take a walk down memory’s halls and remember my days in Hermosa and Orani. The little Branch was lead by Toribio Santos. I loved that good man. Toribio died this past December. How I miss him. I have been lucky to have had contact with the Santos family and the Villanueva family (including Angel who I baptized and who married one of the Villanueva girls). I have been able to see some of them since I returned to the Philippines. Others I have been able to email. It has filled me with such joy. I know I made a difference here and my fruit has remained. I have not gotten an accurate count, but between the Salengas, the David’s (another family I baptised in Hermosa) and Angel’s family I think about 15 of their children have served missions. Is this not every missionaries dream?
Since my return to the Philippines I had been unable to communicate with anyone from the Salenga family. I have heard of their lives and service to the Church. Ronald Salenga served a mission to Cebu in the central Philippines shortly after I left the Philippines in 1983. He was the first of many missionaries to serve from the Salenga Family. There have been temple sealings and so many wonderful things happen in their lives.
As I shared my memories of teaching them all those years ago at the Zone Conference, one young missionary, Sister Albalate, had a big smile on her face. This surprised me. Some of my Elders from Bataan know the family but she is not from Bataan. Elmer left Bataan many years ago. He taught Sister Albalate in Seminary. He has taught Seminary since 2005.
Elmer emailed me a few days later. It has been such a happy reunion. He has told me of the family and their children and their service. What brought tears to my eyes was Elmer relayed a message to his mother for me and told me that after 25 years, his father was baptised, joining the entire family under the gospel banner. They were sealed in the Temple about 1 year before the father passed away. I guess you never know. I guess there was a picture of them all dressed in white after all. I can’t wait to get a copy of that picture.
On a completely unrelated note, the Church announced this week that it has closed the Liberia Monrovia mission because of political unrest and food shortages. About 130 missionaries were evacuated. Ten of the evacuated missionaries were from the Philippines and they were all returned to the Philippines to continue their service here. We were blessed to have two of these missionaries assigned to our mission. They told us it was a temporary assignment but we kinda hope it is permanent. They arrived yesterday. They left Liberia on Thursday and arrived last night (Sunday). They flew from Liberia to Ghana to Dubai to Manila and then took an 9 hour bus ride from Manila to Cauayan. They could not get them a flight to Cauayan for a few days so they put them on a bus. With busses, we never know when they will arrive because of traffic. It is a 2 or 3 hour window when they arrive. Sister Craig and I sat on the side of the highway and waited for the bus to come. We knew they would be exhausted and hungry and wanted them to have smiling faces and warm hugs to meet them when they got off the bus. We only had to wait about 70 minutes for them to come. They arrived with big smiles and happy countenances. They reported that after some months in the bush in Africa the first thing they did when they got to Dubai was find a MacDonald’s. ... Typical! I am sure that they will have some great stories to tell and I look forward to them. We are so happy that they are here.
In the fall of 1982, I was serving in the cities of Hermosa and Orani in Bataan. It was my first and favourite area because I was there for 7 months. The family did not join the Church all together and make one nice photo all in white in front of the font.
First I just taught the mother and oldest daughter Lorna. Lorna was very spiritual and immediately receptive. Her mother was more traditional and hesitant. When we finished teaching them, the mother refused baptism but readily gave permission for Lorna to be baptized. Undaunted, my companion Darren Tagg continued to pursue the mother to make the commitment of baptism. Elder Tagg was fearless, and after a particularly powerful lesson where Elder Tagg insisted that Mother Salenga ask God if it was true, she knelt down with us and prayed a sweet but intense prayer and received her answer; a powerful answer. Once mother Salenga was baptised, she was anxious for the rest of her family to receive the joy she found in her new-found faith. She invited her husband and three oldest sons Ronald, Donnie and Elmer to learn the gospel. Father and the three oldest boys operated a mini bus business, running a short haul bus route near Hermosa where they lived. I remember well their mini bus running down the road with the stereo blaring Beatles music. They were great. Father was kind, but had no interest in our message The three oldest boys listened. I think at first they listened to be polite and out of respect for their mother, but soon the fire of faith caught hold of them and they also were baptised. The two youngest, Edwin and Lita, were too young for baptism at that time. The entire family were now members of the faith except Father. They were such a great family. The local congregation was so pleased to have them join the Church. Our little branch then had only 48 members and met in a little rented house. Now, there is a large Stake of 6 and we hope soon 7 large Wards or congregations. They meet in beautiful chapels. The Salengas remained active in the church and have given their lives to their faith.
 |
| Mother Salenga with Lorna, Lita, and Edwin |
 |
| Elmer Salenga and family |
As I shared my memories of teaching them all those years ago at the Zone Conference, one young missionary, Sister Albalate, had a big smile on her face. This surprised me. Some of my Elders from Bataan know the family but she is not from Bataan. Elmer left Bataan many years ago. He taught Sister Albalate in Seminary. He has taught Seminary since 2005.
Elmer emailed me a few days later. It has been such a happy reunion. He has told me of the family and their children and their service. What brought tears to my eyes was Elmer relayed a message to his mother for me and told me that after 25 years, his father was baptised, joining the entire family under the gospel banner. They were sealed in the Temple about 1 year before the father passed away. I guess you never know. I guess there was a picture of them all dressed in white after all. I can’t wait to get a copy of that picture.
On a completely unrelated note, the Church announced this week that it has closed the Liberia Monrovia mission because of political unrest and food shortages. About 130 missionaries were evacuated. Ten of the evacuated missionaries were from the Philippines and they were all returned to the Philippines to continue their service here. We were blessed to have two of these missionaries assigned to our mission. They told us it was a temporary assignment but we kinda hope it is permanent. They arrived yesterday. They left Liberia on Thursday and arrived last night (Sunday). They flew from Liberia to Ghana to Dubai to Manila and then took an 9 hour bus ride from Manila to Cauayan. They could not get them a flight to Cauayan for a few days so they put them on a bus. With busses, we never know when they will arrive because of traffic. It is a 2 or 3 hour window when they arrive. Sister Craig and I sat on the side of the highway and waited for the bus to come. We knew they would be exhausted and hungry and wanted them to have smiling faces and warm hugs to meet them when they got off the bus. We only had to wait about 70 minutes for them to come. They arrived with big smiles and happy countenances. They reported that after some months in the bush in Africa the first thing they did when they got to Dubai was find a MacDonald’s. ... Typical! I am sure that they will have some great stories to tell and I look forward to them. We are so happy that they are here.
 |
| Elder Balbosa and Elder Dela Cruz arrive in the mission |
How sweet to know that you have then and do now make a difference in the lives of those good people of the Philippines. Love you and miss you both - it’s weird to drive by your home and not see your van parked on the driveway. Onward and upward!
ReplyDelete