I Love Cebu, the Temple

February 27

Graced by moonlight, last night we attended a Lahug Ward Temple devotional on the edge of the Temple site.  While the announced time for the event was 6:30 p.m., working on Filipino time, folks casually arrived at about 7:20 p.m.  We sat outside on plastic brown chairs, placed on a rock covered pad between two construction buildings about 200 yards to the north of the beautifully lit structure, like a great rocket reaching to Heaven, ready for launching.  One of two huge K-Line red steel shipping containers (50’X15’X10’) was being lowered into place as we arrived, filled with furniture shipped from Salt Lake.  These two huge containers framed our view, with the view of the Temple positioned between them and a 6’ chain-link fence was immediately before us, blocking our entry into the complex.  Inside the fence to our left was a huge pile of sand used for making concrete. To the right we could see the still under construction, the Patron’s Resident for off-island members who will have a place to stay during their more than one day visit to the Temple. Workers on the site were busy completing their evening construction duties as we gazed up the gradual slope to the elevated Temple.  Large lights lit up the site for the workers.

Two senior couple missionaries (husbands, over TFH & Public Affairs), the Elders Quorum, High Priest Group leader and finally the Bishop were our speakers for the evening.  A couple of locals sang “Come, Come Ye Saints” accompanied by a harmonica.  In my mind’s eye I saw g-g-grand Father William Luke, sitting with fellow-travelers around a camp fire on the great American plains on his covered wagon journey to Utah.  Here sat members of the Cebuano religious pioneer movement on the verge of entering their spiritual promised land.

One speaker spoke of very poor members from Mindanao who sold their caribou, their most important plodder used in their fields, to finance their Temple trip to Manila.  Now Central Visayas members of the LDS community would be relieved of this great sacrifice.

Halfway through the devotional we sang, “I Love Cebu, the Temple” (with lyrical changes done by a local member) accompanied by a man on a violin, no Paganini, but I enjoyed the color and simplicity of the musical experience.

I love Cebu, the temple

I'm going there some day

To feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray

Cebu temple is a house of God

A place of love and beauty

I'll prepare myself while I am young

This is my sacred duty

I love Cebu, the temple

I'll go inside some day

I'll covenant with my father,

I'll promise to obey

Cebu temple is a holy place

Where we are sealed together

As a child of God I've learned this truth

A family is forever

As I thought thru the lyrics I remembered working with a beautiful young lady yesterday on her “Flight Attendant” resume, and the struggle she had to get the English right.  On the sheet handed out last night with the words to this song, I immediately moved the word “the” to the left, thus changing the opening line to read “I Love the Cebu Temple.” Yes, better…but then I said…no, too conventional, just leave it alone!  It wouldn’t have the flavor of this culture without the lead, “I Love Cebu.” You can buy tee shirts here with that phrase and there are local romantic songs with this short lyrical phrase.  I do Love Cebu, the Temple, I’m going in there, in a few months, to feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray.  While this region is wracked with poverty and much of it run-down neighborhoods, I find Cebu to have a certain romantic aspect to it, can’t exactly pin it down for you.  But right now, with the Temple, love is preeminent.

Our evening was very sweet just to sit there and enjoy the beauty and moving spirit of that brand new building, with a bright moon over head, listening to the devotional comments of the senior missionaries and the faith-filled Filipino church leaders.  My expectations are high for the coming months.  I rejoice,…I rejoice at the great blessing this marvelous Temple Complex is to my Cebuano friends, followers of our Everlasting, Eternal Savior and His Beloved Father.

I said to my senior friends, I wondered “if the Owner of this majestic residence was home tonight.” The interior lights were on and a wondrous glow resonated from out the windows. Yes, He’s Home.