Family Matters: For Time and All Eternity

Due to the developing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, gatherings of church members were temporarily suspended worldwide and leaders asked members to hold Sunday meetings in their homes. We know that the Sabbath is a special day and we want it to be a spiritual day amidst these trying times. We know we will reap blessings of stronger family relationships, kinder communication, spiritual depth, and more family fun. Our family has carefully gathered the following activity ideas after the Sunday service at home: 1. Make a family storybook: Everyone picks a memory, draws their version of it, and writes a short summary about it. Share your memories with each other. 2. Create a family mailbox to keep inside your home that you fill with sweet letters to each other. 3. Make a wall of favorite quotes from the general conference and leave it up for 6 months until the next conference. 4. Book of Mormon Puzzle: Draw your favorite scene or character from th

Part of our Family Home Evening last 25 February 2020 was watching the Face to Face event for children, youth, parents, and leaders, where President and Sister Oaks answered questions from around the world focusing on the Children and Youth program which is to strengthen the rising generation’s faith in Jesus Christ, and help children, youth, and their families progress along the covenant path as they meet life’s challenges. Our children then made a resolution to follow the process more intentionally: discover, plan, act, and reflect. They have also set personal goals that challenge and stretch them and continue to discover new talents, interests, and skills. This morning, when my husband and I woke up, we were surprised to see the house already sparkling clean. They worked together to do the house chores after their personal prayer and scripture study. The opportunity to counsel with our children to discover the areas of growth and learning they are interested in is a blessing to us.

When the First Presidency announced a new resource to help Church members and their families study the scriptures at home:  Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families,   our family counseled together to include it in our daily family morning devotional as part of our homeschool program. Since we have been studying together as a family in January 2019, we have deepened our testimony that our  home is the best place to live, learn, and teach the gospel. In other words, ministering begins at home. So when gatherings of church members were temporarily suspended worlwide because of conditions related to COVID-19, leaders asked members to hold Sunday meetings in their homes. Our family morning devotional that we do everyday as part of our homeschool program prepared our whole family for this trying and difficult times. We had an added measure of the Spirit in our home when my husband and 12 year-old son administered the sacrament. In our closing hymn, we couldn't hold back our tears wh

So this is a photo of my husband, Anatolin teaching his 38-year old Chinese student online early this morning. In China, the English language has become increasingly significant. It wasn't long before businesses were hiring more and more people with English skills, and over the next few years it's set to become a mandatory qualification. The English language has become so important in China because the country wants to successfully promote internationalism and keep the lines of communication open for trade and business matters. We have been in the ESL industry for 15 years and we have seen how Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Vietnamese and other nationalities invest a lot of their resources to feel confident and relaxed when they speak English. As a result, they advance in their career, grow their business, gain international friends and become globally successful. This also makes us wonder why Filipino parents don't give much importance teaching the language to their childre

The digital world that we live in has opened the door for many to stop commuting to work, and avail an opportunity that allows them to work from the comfort of their own homes while enjoying all the benefits of obtaining a better work-life balance. One of the major benefits of a home-based job is the proximity to family.  This thing is not new to us at all. It was in 2008 when my husband, Anatolin and I decided to embrace this work-at-home opportunity, leaving our typical 8-5 job. If you’re a parent, working from home can add increased peace of mind knowing you are close to your children should an emergency arise. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, may everyone stay alert, stay updated, and to stay healthy while our governments and health professionals help us resolve the situation. Meanwhile, we at ESL Hive continue in our advocacy and passion in helping our students achieve their dreams, advance in their career, grow their business and be globally successful with our Internationa