Week Recap:
I seriously feel like I was just sitting here at the computer, the weeks go by SO fast!! This week was another great one full of lessons, extending baptismal invites, teaching the restoration, and of course stairs :) Our zone set a new goal to pass out 6 Book of Mormons a week and have 100 baptisms in the month of May. My companion and I had to ask for more Tagalog Book of Mormons (or Books of Mormon whatever floats your boat) because we already ran out and had to stop at 8! I love testifying of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of this gospel.
We were able to attend a baptism this week for another pair of sisters and it was so awesome!! Their testimonies afterwards about how the gospel is working a change in them were incredible.
Also, way cool story this week about planting seeds and how the Lord works in mysterious ways. We "TC" (testify of Christ) as we walk to appointments and sometimes we do so many that you never know what is going to come of them. PERO we pass children playing a lot and if they have internet access, we give them a pass along card with mormon.org on it. A child gave this card to a 19 year old named RJ (everyone's name is RJ or JR here), then he said he was a "gamer" so looked it up online, chatted online with a missionary in Thailand to get our number, told his friend, then became a referal from another set of missionaries, and wanted to meet us so he came to the baptisimal service with us! The next day him and his friend came to church, stayed for all three hours, we had a lesson after, and then he asked if we had church the next day again. Hahaha isn't that awesome! Sadly we had to tell him church was only every sunday :)
You Know You're in the Philippines when...
An extravagant "fish massage" is only 200 pesos (about $4) and going to Macdo (Mcdonalds) is like eating. out. like suuuuuper nice occasion
Missionaries can Laugh Too...
You know how all these lovely Filipinos want to become whiter so they have those whitening creams and lotions? Apparently I was using my kasama's whitening soap for the past three weeks. She died when she realized I didn't know :)
Tagalog word of the Day:
Nakakatawa (funny) Sobrang nakakatawa ang lahat tao dito (All the people here are so funny)
Spiritual Thought:
If any of you are working on patience I encourage you to read the story of the Sons of Mosiah. I studied Patience as a Christlike Attribute from Preach My Gospel last week and found their words and experiences so inspiring. In Mosiah 28 they list their desires to serve missions (I think verses 2-8) then in Alma 26 it talks about the results of their missions! They were "depressed and about to turn back" because of the trials and disbelief of the people, but the lord told them to have patience in their afflictions and he would give them success. So they pressed forward. I think verse 29 lists all that they endured. Notice that after the Lord told them to be comforted, he didn't bless them with an easy mission. They endured SO much. The Lord DID bless them with strength, and with perspective. If you jump down to verse 35, they say "Yeah no man hath reason more to rejoice than we" (no one get upset if that's not exactly right, I don't have my scriptures out in this internet cafe). How did they do that? How did they suffer all that they did and remain in a state of not simply just not angry or impatient, but rejoicing in their God?
I know we all have trials in our lives. Whether big or small, there is something you are enduring right now. Endure it with patience. Ask the Lord to not take it away from you, because "all these things shall give you experience" but ask him to give you strength. Patience doesn't just mean not complaining, it means enduring calmly and hopefully! Rejoice in your trials, see the blessings they are bringing you :) That is the only way I have been able to love my mission so much. Yes it is hard. No RM is lying when they say it is the hardest thing they have ever done. But no RM is lying when they say they were the happiest they have ever been on their mission. This is from "cheerfully and patiently submitting to the will of the Lord" Mosiah 24:15
Mahal ko po kayo!!
Sister Walters
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