First time in English
This week was just about the same as last week! We had our Special MLC on Wednesday and talked about the reasons why our missions numbers are on a heavy decrease right now and hopefully we can pick them back up in the next few weeks! Our numbers are still very good he continues to remind us, but they have been even better in the past! Our zone training meeting on Friday was a bit interesting. I felt as though we were chastising the missionaries for having low numbers, it was kinda weird, because we don't have super high numbers either!
Our streak of weekly baptisms came to end this weekend :/, but we confirmed 2 yesterday! We will pick back up with weekly baptisms on April 11! Yesterday I confirmed Christine. She is our deaf investigator. So just picture how that would go in your mind for a second. She can't hear, yet you're giving her a blessing. So what we did was rather than take forever and try to have Sister Mary Jane sign what I was saying, we got President Ferrin's permission to record the blessing and tomorrow i will type it up and give it to her so that she can read it and understand what was said! I also gave the entire blessing in English. Which was the first time that I've ever confirmed someone in English. You would think that that would make it easier, but it almost didn't. It just felt weird! It was pretty awesome though!
Our work is progressing here in the Bacolod 2nd Ward, and I love it! It is all because of members. Most of our progressing investigators are referrals or are from part member families so they already have an instant support system. That is the "better way" of missionary work that President Hinckley talks about in Preach my Gospel. Missionary work is not very successful when we're knocking on doors, members are the true key to success! They find, we teach! * Finding + Teaching = Baptism! * That's how it gets done!
Nothing else too exiting going on here! Hope you all have a great week! I love you all and can't wait to see you beautiful faces in a couple months! :)
Thursday, April 16, 2015
3.23.15
Tapos na naman ang Simana!
This week was a very interesting week. I started off going on exchanges with Elder Brinton again! While on the exchange Elder Brinton enlightened me on some of the things his companion had been doing that he shouldn't be. I also became aware of communication he had with other missionaries in the mission that are outside our zone and tried to fix that myself, but one of the missionaries I corrected did not take it very well and made some pretty rude comments in return. So I scheduled an appointment with President Ferrin before we switched back to our normal companions, and we talked it all out. In result of my conversation with President, he has called an emergency/special MLC this next week to discuss rules and other problems that have been happening within the mission. President also asked me if we should take that missionaries phone. The decision was all up to me. I decided to give him another chance! But we'll see what happens in the upcoming weeks.
Other than that crazy incident, nothing too much happened this week. Our numbers went down a bit, but we still had a baptism and still have more scheduled! The members here in the Bacolod 2nd Ward are such a great help to the success of missionary work, I love them! We would not have much success at all if it wasn't for all their help! This week was the Baptism of Charlie Lantape. We've now baptized the father, mother, and 1 of the 2 kids in that family. Their daughter, Cherry Pie, is 21 years old and wants to be baptized, but she works everyday which doesn't allow her to attend church. She told me after the baptism of her brother that she wants me to baptize her before I go home. So that doesn't give her too much time to find a new job! I hope she can pull through because I would really love to be able to be here and be the one to baptize her as well!
I love you all and hope that you continue with your Book of Mormon reading! I am now in Alma 34! I only need to read 3.3 pages a day to finish on time! I hope you all can finish too!
This week was a very interesting week. I started off going on exchanges with Elder Brinton again! While on the exchange Elder Brinton enlightened me on some of the things his companion had been doing that he shouldn't be. I also became aware of communication he had with other missionaries in the mission that are outside our zone and tried to fix that myself, but one of the missionaries I corrected did not take it very well and made some pretty rude comments in return. So I scheduled an appointment with President Ferrin before we switched back to our normal companions, and we talked it all out. In result of my conversation with President, he has called an emergency/special MLC this next week to discuss rules and other problems that have been happening within the mission. President also asked me if we should take that missionaries phone. The decision was all up to me. I decided to give him another chance! But we'll see what happens in the upcoming weeks.
Other than that crazy incident, nothing too much happened this week. Our numbers went down a bit, but we still had a baptism and still have more scheduled! The members here in the Bacolod 2nd Ward are such a great help to the success of missionary work, I love them! We would not have much success at all if it wasn't for all their help! This week was the Baptism of Charlie Lantape. We've now baptized the father, mother, and 1 of the 2 kids in that family. Their daughter, Cherry Pie, is 21 years old and wants to be baptized, but she works everyday which doesn't allow her to attend church. She told me after the baptism of her brother that she wants me to baptize her before I go home. So that doesn't give her too much time to find a new job! I hope she can pull through because I would really love to be able to be here and be the one to baptize her as well!
I love you all and hope that you continue with your Book of Mormon reading! I am now in Alma 34! I only need to read 3.3 pages a day to finish on time! I hope you all can finish too!
3.16.15
Vacation?
So this week was crazy! Elder Alfeche goes home this next transfer but he's awesome! He wants to work and told me to help stay focused so I'm super pumped about that! Our work this last week was pretty good! We also had 2 baptisms yesterday! One was for Christine, our deaf investigator! We also learned a ton of sign language this week so teaching her was much easier. We're going to suggest to bishop that we have a sign language class at church on Saturday's so that members can learn so that they can interact with Christine as well! The baptism was so awesome!
Saturday though however was our vacation! We got to go to..... Manila! It was sweet! We need to get fingerprinted before we can leave the country so they took 21 of us foreigners up to the Area Office in Manila. We left Bacolod on an 830am flight and got to Manila around 930 and then our flight back to Bacolod from Manila left at around 530pm. Manila is so much more civilized than Bacolod! haha The temple was unfortunately closed for cleaning, but we got to see it across the street and take pictures! It was also really cool to see missionaries that we were in the MTC with who are serving in other missions while we were at the Area Office! After fingerprinting we went to a US War Memorial in Manila. It was really cool and peaceful. It was were President Hinckley dedicated the Philippines for the preaching of the gospel. It was super awesome! I also got to hang out with Elder Pack, Carver, and Minson for the last time. We'll never all be in one place again while serving our mission! Kinda weird to think about!
The work goes forward. I love you all! Have a wonderful week! :)
So this week was crazy! Elder Alfeche goes home this next transfer but he's awesome! He wants to work and told me to help stay focused so I'm super pumped about that! Our work this last week was pretty good! We also had 2 baptisms yesterday! One was for Christine, our deaf investigator! We also learned a ton of sign language this week so teaching her was much easier. We're going to suggest to bishop that we have a sign language class at church on Saturday's so that members can learn so that they can interact with Christine as well! The baptism was so awesome!
Saturday though however was our vacation! We got to go to..... Manila! It was sweet! We need to get fingerprinted before we can leave the country so they took 21 of us foreigners up to the Area Office in Manila. We left Bacolod on an 830am flight and got to Manila around 930 and then our flight back to Bacolod from Manila left at around 530pm. Manila is so much more civilized than Bacolod! haha The temple was unfortunately closed for cleaning, but we got to see it across the street and take pictures! It was also really cool to see missionaries that we were in the MTC with who are serving in other missions while we were at the Area Office! After fingerprinting we went to a US War Memorial in Manila. It was really cool and peaceful. It was were President Hinckley dedicated the Philippines for the preaching of the gospel. It was super awesome! I also got to hang out with Elder Pack, Carver, and Minson for the last time. We'll never all be in one place again while serving our mission! Kinda weird to think about!
The work goes forward. I love you all! Have a wonderful week! :)
3.9.15
Week 4!
The streak of weekly baptism continues! We should be able to get to week 6 the way it's looking. Not sure if we have one for week 7! It's just so amazing to see the work of the Lord going forward in such haste!
Elder Babida transferred this morning. I was hoping that would help me to get a new companion with a greater desire to work. But that isn't what I got. I got a companion who goes home in 6 weeks. So hopefully this works out! I'm the senior in the area so he has to follow my lead! haha It should be alright though! The work never gets easier. Up until the day you leave missionary work is still hard!
We had an unfortunate loss this past week. On Monday our recent convert Tatay Rolando suffered a stroke which ended up taking his life just yesterday morning. We were able to visit him at the hospital on Friday, but it was as if he was not conscious. We knew he didn't have long. It is a tremendous blessing that he was able to join himself with the church and be baptized just this last January. Elder Lopez and I were the ones who interviewed him when I was still assigned in 1st Ward. He was an awesome old man. He always made us laugh. Now he's doing the same in the next life I'm sure! He will be missed.
Some may look at it as though "Look, he was baptized and then he died." But the true fact is that the Lord new his time was coming to an end. So he put the gospel into his life before he was taken. The Lord knows what we need it and when we need it. He goes before us, behind us, and beside us. He is our strength and our salvation!
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Say your prayers and read your scriptures. As we keep the commandments, we prosper. It says so 34 times in the Book of Mormon. Put it to the test! ;) LOVE YOU PO! ;)
The streak of weekly baptism continues! We should be able to get to week 6 the way it's looking. Not sure if we have one for week 7! It's just so amazing to see the work of the Lord going forward in such haste!
Elder Babida transferred this morning. I was hoping that would help me to get a new companion with a greater desire to work. But that isn't what I got. I got a companion who goes home in 6 weeks. So hopefully this works out! I'm the senior in the area so he has to follow my lead! haha It should be alright though! The work never gets easier. Up until the day you leave missionary work is still hard!
We had an unfortunate loss this past week. On Monday our recent convert Tatay Rolando suffered a stroke which ended up taking his life just yesterday morning. We were able to visit him at the hospital on Friday, but it was as if he was not conscious. We knew he didn't have long. It is a tremendous blessing that he was able to join himself with the church and be baptized just this last January. Elder Lopez and I were the ones who interviewed him when I was still assigned in 1st Ward. He was an awesome old man. He always made us laugh. Now he's doing the same in the next life I'm sure! He will be missed.
Some may look at it as though "Look, he was baptized and then he died." But the true fact is that the Lord new his time was coming to an end. So he put the gospel into his life before he was taken. The Lord knows what we need it and when we need it. He goes before us, behind us, and beside us. He is our strength and our salvation!
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Say your prayers and read your scriptures. As we keep the commandments, we prosper. It says so 34 times in the Book of Mormon. Put it to the test! ;) LOVE YOU PO! ;)
Monday, March 2, 2015
3.2.15
Second Time Around
It's been an interesting week. We had stake conference and zone conference this week and exchanges and it's just been crazy. Our training that we gave during Zone Conference was great. If only my companion actually applied to his life and his mission. Our numbers were flat our awful this week. Some of that is accredited to the fact that we had so many meetings and then a baptism on Friday so our time was a bit limited. I'm just enduring until transfer day and then hopefully my problem just gets transferred. hahah
Our Stake Conference was pretty awesome though. It was the second time that I've attended Stake Conference now we're Elder Larry J. Echo Hawk has presided, hence the title of my email! :) Last time it was one of the most spiritual meetings I had ever attended. This time was just the same. He made the comment during the Saturday Adult Session that, "The Philippines Bacolod Mission has been described as the strongest mission in the world." Then at the Sunday General Session he said, "This mission has been described as the best mission in the Church." I don't say these things to brag about our mission, but it truly amazes me that of all the members, and all the missionaries in the world, I was chosen to serve here. I am far from perfect. I am far from the "strongest in the world" or the "best in the church." But it just goes to show that anybody can make a difference. The Lord chooses the weak things of the world to confound the wise and the strong! That's me. I have contributed but a small amount to the great success of the Bacolod Mission, but I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have been given to serve here. I wouldn't trade it for the world!
I just hope that as I get closer and closer to the end that I get more and more focused. The thing I learned from President Lopez is to never give up and to work til the end. Even the day before he left. He acted and talked as if he would still be here the next day. Hopefully I can do the same! It'll be difficult but that's what I have challenged myself with! Hope I can stand up to it!
I love you all! :) Have a great week!
It's been an interesting week. We had stake conference and zone conference this week and exchanges and it's just been crazy. Our training that we gave during Zone Conference was great. If only my companion actually applied to his life and his mission. Our numbers were flat our awful this week. Some of that is accredited to the fact that we had so many meetings and then a baptism on Friday so our time was a bit limited. I'm just enduring until transfer day and then hopefully my problem just gets transferred. hahah
Our Stake Conference was pretty awesome though. It was the second time that I've attended Stake Conference now we're Elder Larry J. Echo Hawk has presided, hence the title of my email! :) Last time it was one of the most spiritual meetings I had ever attended. This time was just the same. He made the comment during the Saturday Adult Session that, "The Philippines Bacolod Mission has been described as the strongest mission in the world." Then at the Sunday General Session he said, "This mission has been described as the best mission in the Church." I don't say these things to brag about our mission, but it truly amazes me that of all the members, and all the missionaries in the world, I was chosen to serve here. I am far from perfect. I am far from the "strongest in the world" or the "best in the church." But it just goes to show that anybody can make a difference. The Lord chooses the weak things of the world to confound the wise and the strong! That's me. I have contributed but a small amount to the great success of the Bacolod Mission, but I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have been given to serve here. I wouldn't trade it for the world!
I just hope that as I get closer and closer to the end that I get more and more focused. The thing I learned from President Lopez is to never give up and to work til the end. Even the day before he left. He acted and talked as if he would still be here the next day. Hopefully I can do the same! It'll be difficult but that's what I have challenged myself with! Hope I can stand up to it!
I love you all! :) Have a great week!
2.23.15
Weekly Baptism! :)
Well like I said I've finally been able to live the vision of weekly baptism! We baptized Sister Marciana Villarosa this past Saturday! She's 69 years old! She was so excited for her baptism that she showed up like an hour early to the church! That doesn't happen here because people are always late! Then she also had a bit of a fever and because everything imaginable went wrong to make the baptism start late it didn't start until like 6:30 so it was a bit cold and she already felt cold because she was sick. So when she got into the water she was shaking really bad! At first she wouldn't let go of the bar on the edge until I grabbed her hand and put it on my arm! It was crazy! Then I baptized the sisters candidate, Brother Ashley. First time I've baptized somebody taller than me! It was pretty crazy! I was the most wet I've ever been after a baptism! But it was a good Saturday!
We also have another baptism set for this Friday! That'll make 3 weeks in a row! The work is going really well in the Bacolod 2nd Ward. We may also have a baptism every week of March! I'm so excited! I love the 2nd Ward. We got fed like champs this past week as well. That's another reason I love this ward. Because they love us! haha
We have a Zone Conference this week, there will be 2 Zones. We have to give a 20 minute training. Our training is on Scripture Study and Virtue. We're going to tie in Ephesians 6:11-17 and the story of Thor. It's gonna be great. I'm actually kinda excited. I always get nervous training other missionaries though, as if I'm better than them. (I'M NOT!) haha But it should be a good day, and then there's free lunch, so that's always great!
Well, In terms of my study this week I just read today in D&C 101:36
"Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy
is not full, but in me your joy is full."
Our joy will never be full in this life. No matter what we do. True joy only comes in the next life. It is proceeded by a life of following the commandments and doing all that our Heavenly Father asks of us. We cannot reach our full potential in the next life if we don't do all that he asks. Salvation is free, but it's not at the same time. No money can buy it, but we pay for it through our righteous thoughts and actions that stem from our faith in Him. It isn't just given to us because we say we have faith in Him, or because He's a gracious Father. It comes through the atonement of Jesus Christ. It comes through obedience. That's the only way to become full of joy. In a life of devoted discipleship! I hope we all can receive this fullness of joy in the end as we do all that the Lord asks of us!
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! :)
Well like I said I've finally been able to live the vision of weekly baptism! We baptized Sister Marciana Villarosa this past Saturday! She's 69 years old! She was so excited for her baptism that she showed up like an hour early to the church! That doesn't happen here because people are always late! Then she also had a bit of a fever and because everything imaginable went wrong to make the baptism start late it didn't start until like 6:30 so it was a bit cold and she already felt cold because she was sick. So when she got into the water she was shaking really bad! At first she wouldn't let go of the bar on the edge until I grabbed her hand and put it on my arm! It was crazy! Then I baptized the sisters candidate, Brother Ashley. First time I've baptized somebody taller than me! It was pretty crazy! I was the most wet I've ever been after a baptism! But it was a good Saturday!
We also have another baptism set for this Friday! That'll make 3 weeks in a row! The work is going really well in the Bacolod 2nd Ward. We may also have a baptism every week of March! I'm so excited! I love the 2nd Ward. We got fed like champs this past week as well. That's another reason I love this ward. Because they love us! haha
We have a Zone Conference this week, there will be 2 Zones. We have to give a 20 minute training. Our training is on Scripture Study and Virtue. We're going to tie in Ephesians 6:11-17 and the story of Thor. It's gonna be great. I'm actually kinda excited. I always get nervous training other missionaries though, as if I'm better than them. (I'M NOT!) haha But it should be a good day, and then there's free lunch, so that's always great!
Well, In terms of my study this week I just read today in D&C 101:36
"Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy
is not full, but in me your joy is full."
Our joy will never be full in this life. No matter what we do. True joy only comes in the next life. It is proceeded by a life of following the commandments and doing all that our Heavenly Father asks of us. We cannot reach our full potential in the next life if we don't do all that he asks. Salvation is free, but it's not at the same time. No money can buy it, but we pay for it through our righteous thoughts and actions that stem from our faith in Him. It isn't just given to us because we say we have faith in Him, or because He's a gracious Father. It comes through the atonement of Jesus Christ. It comes through obedience. That's the only way to become full of joy. In a life of devoted discipleship! I hope we all can receive this fullness of joy in the end as we do all that the Lord asks of us!
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! :)
2.16.15
Hello all! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and a wonderful Valentine's day! We celebrated our Valentine's day with the Baptism of Lorie Jean Belarmino (Insay) and Lorenzo Belarmino Jr. (Jay R)! It was great! It was a night baptism! The baptismal font here in the 2nd Ward is outdoor with a roof over it! So it's kinda cool. The Bacolod 2nd Ward was the first church built here on the island of Negros and it's style was never re-used. So it's a one-of-a-kind church!
This week our housemates got pulled out of there area so it's just Elder Babida and me in our big house now. We had missionaries sleep at our house 3 nights last week though as the foreign missionaries going home next month went to Manila for fingerprinting, so our house is always a party. The other day I went on exchanges with Elder Nery and did baptismal interviews in Santa Fe. President Ferrin had been there for one because the sister had apparently killed someone before but they didn't know all the details. She never showed up for the interview however so President told me to just interview her and find out the details for him and then let him know what's true. It was a bit interesting because I could tell that Sister had something she wanted to say to me the whole time but she just didn't. It was super weird. She he just kept avoiding the question and beating around the bush with her answer. So we went to the office and told President what happened and then he talked with her and she was baptized! So it's all good!
We have another baptism scheduled for this Saturday for sister Marciana! She's old and forgetful but she wants to be baptized and she lives right next door to the church and comes to church every week.We'll see how an interview goes for her. We also have another baptism for Tatay Tino and Nanay Rose on the 28th! I'm super excited, the work is going well and it keeps me going! Hopefully this keeps up for the next couple months!
I hope everyone had a wonderful week! I love and miss you all! :)
This week our housemates got pulled out of there area so it's just Elder Babida and me in our big house now. We had missionaries sleep at our house 3 nights last week though as the foreign missionaries going home next month went to Manila for fingerprinting, so our house is always a party. The other day I went on exchanges with Elder Nery and did baptismal interviews in Santa Fe. President Ferrin had been there for one because the sister had apparently killed someone before but they didn't know all the details. She never showed up for the interview however so President told me to just interview her and find out the details for him and then let him know what's true. It was a bit interesting because I could tell that Sister had something she wanted to say to me the whole time but she just didn't. It was super weird. She he just kept avoiding the question and beating around the bush with her answer. So we went to the office and told President what happened and then he talked with her and she was baptized! So it's all good!
We have another baptism scheduled for this Saturday for sister Marciana! She's old and forgetful but she wants to be baptized and she lives right next door to the church and comes to church every week.We'll see how an interview goes for her. We also have another baptism for Tatay Tino and Nanay Rose on the 28th! I'm super excited, the work is going well and it keeps me going! Hopefully this keeps up for the next couple months!
I hope everyone had a wonderful week! I love and miss you all! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)