Maayong Hapon! That means a good afternoon in Cebuano.
A few months ago I was called to the Philippines Tacloban Mission, and I’m going to be honest: before I got my calling I was expecting to be called to Europe and on a possible Spanish-speaking mission. Who knew? I was wrong. It happens to the best of us at some point. As you’ll find out, there are a lot of things I’m imperfect at. For example, I would draw a pretty good metaphor between baking my cake and following Christ’s gospel.
My Sad Cake
On the off chance you couldn’t tell, I love writing. It has become a good way for me to share my thoughts and feelings on multiple matters. For those who might not know me as well some of my other hobbies include singing, acting and baking.
This year for my birthday I decided I was going to bake my own birthday cake and I got everything ready, mixed it all together, stuck it in the oven and watched it cook to make sure it didn’t burn.
It came out of the oven beautifully. It looked perfectly golden brown in both pans, everything was going smoothly … until I tried taking it out of the pan. Maybe I didn’t spray enough Pam, but for whatever the reason the cake was stuck.
I attempted to loosen the sides and it worked a little bit, but the center was still stuck. I made the mistake of turning it over to see if I could get the cake out that way. To be fair, it did —- in a pile of crumbs that even Humptdumpty would agree was too hopeless to put back together.
Now I still had another pan. It was going to be a two layer cake after all. But rather than leave it in the pan and decorate it, I tried the same thing with the second layer, just in case the first was a fluke… Ah, it wasn’t! The second layer came out worse then the first one. And I was left with a mess with what was supposed to be a two layer cake.
How Living Christ’s Gospel Can Be Like Making a Cake
Trying to live the Christ’s gospel is a lot like making a cake. It’s never perfect for any of us. Sometimes we mistake the tablespoon of salt for the teaspoon and the cake comes out really salty, or we forget the cake’s in the oven and so it burns a little.
Rarely is it ever perfect, but despite all the mistakes and the slip ups we, in the church, still have the recipe of Christ. Not everyone has that. There are many people in the world who have bits and pieces of God’s recipe, but are still missing so much direction. There are many who don’t have a recipe at all and are trying to create one based on a visual and the knowledge they have. And there are many still who don’t even know God’s recipes even exist.
I have been blessed with the fullness of God’s gospel in so many ways I can’t even begin to number the blessings. I have been on so many journeys through years that have changed me for the better. Not only that but I have been taught and been guided by some of the most amazing people anyone could ever know. The question now is less why am I going and more how I can I not.
That is the reason why I am going to another country for 18 months to speak a language I didn’t know existed prior to my mission call. I want to find these people and share the goodness of the gospel so that they can be blessed just as I have been.
My Testimony of the Church’s Truth
I’d like to bear my testimony that I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. I know that God loves all of his children and wants us to return to him. I know that President Russel M. Nelson is a true prophet in our world today, and I know Joseph Smith restored the priesthood keys upon the earth again, never to be taken away. And if we follow Christ’s truth and gospel I know that he can make our lives so much sweeter and turn our flaws into strengths.
– by Ella Hughes
Feature image caption: Ella Hughes prepares to leave for her LDS mission to the Philippines on the 14th. Courtesy Ella Hughes.
Ella Hughes – Panguitch
Ella Hughes is a junior journalist and editor at The Byway. She has recently graduated from Panguitch High School and has written for The Byway for two years now. Her favorite topics to write about are history as well as present-day local events. In her free time she enjoys singing, watching movies, reading books, and spending time with her family she adores.
Ella is currently serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is serving in the Philippines Tacloban Mission.