Highlights:

- A member treated us to a random but very generous buffet breakfast at this nice hotel this week (yes they had salad :) ) 

-Sister Berry and I singing "scatter sunshine" and "there is sunshine in my soul" as we walk in the pouring rain. (It actually makes the day a lot better) I am pretty sure this is a highlight for all those within hearing distance 

My coat that I wear ALL THE TIME!!

-I was so touched this week by the service by some members in our ward. We were visiting a family enduring some pretty hard trials this week, sickness, financial, everything sabay-sabay (at the same time). In the middle of the lesson a member of the bishopric and his family came in with bags of bread, eggs, and rice, at least enough for two weeks worth of groceries and the look on the mom's face was hard to put in words. The church truly is the same everywhere, wonderful :) 

-Bought a chicken and had a chicken picnic last P day just to be cute comps.

Random sunshine means picnic time!

-Oh yeah, ummmm a BAPTISM!!! SISTER AILYN MY BEST FRIEND WAS BAPTISED AND CONFIRMED!! I will write more on that later :) 

Missionaries can Laugh Too:

In the middle of relief society, this cute old lady (who doesn't say much usually) decided to speak up and almost yelled "Na-antok ka na ba??" to Sister Berry my companion (meaning are you sleepy?) Everyone stopped and looked at my comp and she got super red because they all thought she dozed off, when actually we are pretty sure sweet old sister Gray dozed off and that was the first thing she exclaimed upon walking up. I did support my companion but I have to say I laughed pretty hard first hahaha :) 

You Know You're in the Philippines When...

They have cool fruit like Lychee :) 

Tagalog:

"dow" means you are quoting someone else so when little kids come to the door and say "Wala dow sila" it means "They said there's no one here" Which then causes us to wonder...who told their child to tell the missionaries no one is home? Hahaha :) 

Spiritual Thought:

This week I was reminded of the miracle of prayer, and the role of the holy ghost in one’s conversion. We invite as missionaries so many times, our investigators to pray and ask God about every aspect of our mission. It can be tempting to start to doubt the power of your invitation when it seems redundant and almost impossible that someone could decide to change their life based on a feeling after a whispered prayer, BUT we can never doubt the power and promises of God. Although as a 19-year-old, white missionary walking around in the Philippines, I am so weak, but with this message and the promise of God I have full power witness to others that God WILL answer their prayer and if they are faithful they will be blessed by acting on that feeling. Sister Ailyn's testimony at her baptism was the most genuine, simple and powerful that I have ever heard. At every point in her testimony and learning of the doctrines of the gospel she repeated "Ipinagdasal ko siya, at naramdaman ko siya, at alam ko na. Iba ang pakiramdam. May something dito." (I prayed about it, I felt it, and now I know. It's a different feeling, there is something here.) When investigators have that witness personally from the holy ghost, there is an inseparable bond there that nothing in this temporary world can pull away. We must never lose faith in the lord's promises. I know He will back up his faithful missionaries and answer the prayers of their investigators.

Missionary work is incredible!!

Sister Walters