March 21

Hi everyone.
I had a surprise experience this week. I think Sister Robinson has already told you about the experience but I will tell some of my thoughts.
We went to Kalibo to deliver some of the funding for students in that area who were involved in the Perpetual Education Fund Emergency Relief Program. We decided to go to the graduation although that was not necessarily part of our assignment. The school is a Catholic sponsored school and most of the classes are Technical/vocational in nature. Since it is a Catholic school they held a Mass first and required all to attend. There were over 300 students at the graduation and it was held in an outdoor gymnasium. When we arrived there it was about ready to start so we took seats at the back along the wall. It wasn’t long until one of the officials, a Priest I think, came and escorted us to the front row with him and four other Priests. At the end of the Mass there was a 15 minute break before the graduation. We found a seat in another location and soon the Priest came and asked me to participate in the graduation ceremony. I followed him to the back of the line of graduates along with the other officials.  They put a decorative banner around my neck and I followed them to the stage. I was trying not to laugh and was wondering what is going on. I wondered who they thought I was. You would have thought I was President Obama or President Monson. I did as directed and participated in giving awards and handing out diplomas to 300 students. I had my picture taken well over two hundred times with students and groups of students. There was just four people involved in this process including the guest speaker. They also had me stand and presented me with a gift. I visited with the Priest who recruited me and he and the other Priest who were on the stand were also missionaries from India and were assigned to the school for five years. They were all very kind and expressed much appreciation for the participation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints and their sponsorship of the school. There was at least 60 LDS students in the graduation. I finally realized that to them, I represented our church and they wanted to include us in recognition of the success of their program. Our LDS students were appreciative of having someone from our church represent them, too. Several of them who received special awards wanted me to put it on their neck if a family member was not there.
Is it not strange that something like that could happen when all I did was show up!