New “I WIll Go, I WIll Serve” Logo and Theme Introduced in Area-Wide Fireside

The Philippines Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints introduced an updated theme and logo to the current "I Will Go, I Will Serve" initiative on Sunday, November 20. The special fireside was held at the Philippines Cebu Temple Complex grounds in Lahug, Cebu City. 

About 2000 members from the Cebu City metropolitan area were in attendance, including Talisay, Liloan, Mandaue, and Consolacion Stakes. Also in attendance were the wives of the Area Presidency, Sister Susan Bangerter, Sister Bon Choi, and SIster Marites Revillo. In addition, Area Authority Seventy Elder Edmarc Dumas and his wife, Area Organization Adviser Donna Dell B. Dumas, also graced the affair.

The fireside was also broadcast to members across the country through the official Facebook Page and YouTube Channel. As of this writing, the Youtube video has already gone through 6,737 streams, while the Facebook video has gathered 23,000 views and 1,900 comments. 

Little Miracles

The skies were dark in the hours approaching the scheduled time for the fireside as it was the day before during the Cultural show kickoff celebration. As the guests took their seats at the fireside, little droplets started making dark spots on the parking lot pavement, and members of the audience began popping up their umbrellas. 

The drizzle eventually stopped after the opening hymn, and the fireside continued without anyone getting wet. 

A Celebration through Music

The fireside opened with the Liloan Stake Choir, and their rendition of the We'll Bring The World His Truth / as Sisters In Zion FSY Medley by Janice Kapp Perry in keeping with the missionary service theme. After Elder Choi's remarks, the audience was turned to a pre-recorded performance of "Youth Battalion of The Lord: Hope of Israel" by the Davao West Philippines Stake Youth Choir.

A couple and song composers, Justin and Daday Baluyot, performed a new version of the "I Will Go, I Will Serve" theme song.

The Legazpi Philippines Choir sang "Have I Done Any Good" through a pre-recorded video, encouraging everyone to "Wake up! And do something more than dream of your mansion above". After Elder Bangerter's closing remarks, the Mandaue Stake Choir closed the fireside with "High On a Mountaintop" as they descended the steps in front of the temple.

Milestones

Elder Yoon Hwan Choi expressed that much has been accomplished since the initial launch of the initiative, calling it a "resounding success." He added, "So far, we have 3,695 missionaries serving in the field, and we are anticipating more by the end of the year."

Elder Choi also pointed out, "Although the missionary workforce was reduced by half due to the pandemic, the number of baptisms increased to almost double the pre-pandemic levels."

All foreign missionaries were sent home during the pandemic, which slowed down missionary work in the country. Therefore, on May 16, 2021, the Area Presidency challenged all stake leaders, youth, and young single adults to prepare and generate 4,600 missionary applications by December 2022. This was initiated as part of President Russel M. Nelson's invitation to "every worthy and able young man to prepare for and serve a mission" and his calling out to "welcome sisters wholeheartedly" to serve as well to "enlist in the youth battalion of The Lord." 

The message was passed on to leaders in the Area and Stake (diocese) levels to train and inspire leaders and youth and to come up with plans to strengthen and prepare the youth to choose to serve a full-time mission.

New Logo and Theme

"In recent months, the Area Presidency prayed fervently to our Father in Heaven to know His will regarding the direction and future of the "4600: I Will Go, I Will Serve" initiative." He adds, "In preparing to go and serve, we must, first and foremost, see Jesus Christ as the reason we do all that we do. Coming Unto Christ is our primary motivating focus."  

The new theme goes, "Come Unto Christ: I Will Go, I Will Serve," along with a logo with an image of a temple with silhouettes of youth coming into the temple from the left side and going out enlightened and renewed from the right. "We Come Unto Christ as we participate in ordinances of The Temple," Elder Bangerter expressed. "We must see the temple as receiving temple ordinances and covenants. We must not merely see those as boxes to be checked off."

 Along with this introduction, the Area Presidency announced that pins for the young men and pendants for the young women, and T-Shirts with the new logo would be distributed among active members of each of the units in the Area. According to Elder Bangerter, this is an "emblem of our desire to experience the reality of this vision in our lives. We will no longer declare 'I Will Go, I Will Serve' and only think of missionary service."

Jesse Ray Villanueva, 18, from Mandaue First Ward in Mandaue Stake, has been called to serve in the Hawaii Honolulu Mission and will begin in December. When asked about how he feels about the new logo and theme, he answered, "When I saw the logo, it's really inspiring and creative, seeing on the left the youth who have not been in the temple yet and through the temple, they can find their desire to go on a mission. And really help with the goal of the Area to produce more missionaries and instill more desire to the hearts of the youth."

An Inflection Point

Elder Carlos G Revillo Jr. remarked, "Today marks a new beginning as we recommit ourselves to stay on the covenant path and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ with renewed enthusiasm." He also highlighted that the new initiative will "usher in a new era of increased spirituality and lifelong discipleship." He then refers to Elder Dale G.Renlund's reference to this time as an inflection point happening in The Philippines "With a historic number of men and women who have responded to the call to serve a mission. We have also seen better-prepared missionaries." 

Elder Revillo then cited suggestions on how parents can help their children stay on the Covenant Path. "The example of my parents inspired us to Come Unto Christ. Every step of the way, our Church Family was there to help us." He added, "A gospel-centered home is the best place for the rising generation to get into and stay in the covenant path."

Elder Choi emphasized, "My gratitude goes to the parents of the missionaries. Thank you for raising them in the Gospel and entrusting them to the Lord for two years or eighteen months. I am also inspired by the many who have answered the call without strong support in the home." 

Jhemarie Manipis, 23, a convert of less than two years from Danao Second Ward in Liloan Stake, who had just received her mission call, stated, "I've had the desire to serve even before I was baptized. I've waited a year to serve a mission and worked it out. I told my mother of my desire to serve, yet she disapproved. She said she wouldn't know where I was. I then told my mother not to worry because The Lord will always guide me." Although she had not gained the support she needed from her home, ward members had banded together to give her the support she needed to push through her mission application.

Reflections

When asked how the fireside affected him, Jesse replied, "It's a good reminder of how big a commitment I've made and how great the impact of my decision is. Though I am one of the thousands of others, I will have a unique mission experience. I will help people who would not have been helped if I had not served."

Jhemarie also reflected after attending the fireside, "Since I have the desire to go on a mission, I will need to exercise my faith and know that I will be safe and that I will not be alone and that the Holy Ghost will guide me. Sometimes, many negative comments come my way, but I know these are just temptations. I just think I will be a missionary, and people out there need my help."