Wow, time is really starting to move fast. I hope everyone had a good week! Mine was fantastic, a lot of great things happened.
Last week we baptized S-, and this week when we were teaching him we started talking about coding a little bit. I learned c++ at BYU last semester, and we really got to bond over that for a bit. Sean knows c++, c#, plus java! He's just about my age and he's already doing his senior thesis, the education here is really cool because people start uni way early, and Sean is really smart dude. He says after he finishes his education he's going to serve a mission! What a stud, right?
Okay, the highlight of this week:
The P- Family. We were going through this neighborhood we call Arkong Bato (arch rock) and doing some finding. It's called OYM (open your mouth) when you just start talking to people. Elder S- started asking people if they knew where someone lived, and then we told them about us and left a passalong card, but it's super hard to decipher if they're smiling because we are American or because they're interested in the message.
That was last week, and now fast forward to Tuesday of this week. We were walking through Arko again and we heard "Elder!". We do a 180 and see one of the women we talked to! We asked if we could share with her in her house, and she said absolutely! She thought it was hilarious that we were coming into her tiny home, she kept saying "pasensiya" (sorry) for us having to duck, but we finally squeezed in! We taught A- and her husband M- the first discussion, and it was the most spiritual lesson I've ever had. Elder S- said in the 10 months he's been here he has never taught people so excited to talk about Jesus Christ and the Bible. They were so involved, and they perfectly reflect the point of teaching people. Our church believes the Bible to be true, as far as it is translated correctly, and also the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. We don't ask people to give up truths or knowledge about Christ that they already have, but just to BUILD upon what light and knowledge they do have. And the P- family just absorbs what we have to offer. They were parched for the word of God, and they were prepared for us.
Our second lesson we were unsure of whether to really dive into the Plan of Salvation, but then A- asked about the plan of God, and it just segued perfectly. Then near the end of the second big question, Elder S- and I looked at each other, and we both felt prompted to ask if they would be baptized. They said yes, and they really really mean it. We invited them to church and told them where and when, and they said they would start to prepare for Sep 3rd! We hadn't yet taught their 2 oldest kids but their youngest is 6 and she's such a ball of fun. After these two lessons, Elder Shaw and I were so happy, and we felt so good about them. We felt they were so ready!
Now on Sunday, I was a little disappointed. We invited about a dozen investigators to church, and we had some of our regular progressing ones, but were missing quite a few, including the P- family. Plus, Elder S- and I had to bless the sacrament because there weren't even that many members there for some reason. Plenty of reason to get discouraged, right? After sacrament though, we were still sitting up on the stand, and I had the clearest impression that the P-'s were trying to find us. The chapel is on the second floor in our building, and there's not really obvious signs. I didn't act on the prompting to go show them the way, which I regret, because I know that this was the Holy Ghost telling me this. About 5 minutes later, they walked in! I was so amazed, we leapt to our feet and went to greet them and sit with them. Then we ended up having one of the most spiritual fast and testimony meetings I've ever had. To top it off, Sister A- went and bore her testimony!!! She told me afterwards that she had no idea what she was going to say, she just went up and started speaking, and it was so amazing. Her first time in a new church and she bore her testimony. A pure, simple testimony. I've been a member my whole life and I didn't use to go up! The P- family is truly amazing.
We taught them again later that Sunday, and they are still just so prepared. They have brought me so much happiness, and given me so many spiritual experiences already, and it's been less than a week since i met them. I love them so much, and I can't wait to share more with them.
This is just the mom, A-, and the youngest daughter, M-, and I have no idea who that little baby is honestly. They come and go sometimes, it's just a neighborhood thing. I look like I'm being transfigured here... a new level of white that I'm going to copyright: Transparent
The first time I met A- she was so worried about her little bahay, and making sure it was clean, and offering us cold water. She was worried that she didn't have any chairs for us to sit on, this and that. But I can testify that none of that matters, her house has love in it. It is more than a house, it is a home. And most importantly, the Spirit is there. They are some of the happiest people I know. If we seek to have these things in our homes, it doesn't matter if the furniture isn't quite what we want it to be yet. Have love and happiness first.
I know this church is true. I know Jesus Christ lives, and the principles of his gospel will bring a more lasting happiness than can be found anywhere else. I have seen it in others here in the Philippines, and I've seen it affecting me.
Thanks for tuning in, I love you all!
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