Highlights:
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| Getting the water from the well for Raven to shower (yes outside!) before church... |
Well
I am happy to say the typhoon was not quite as dramatic as the title I gave it
but...it was big. In more northern parts of the Philippines it was a super
typhoon so we are keeping Loag mission in our prayers but here in La Union we
still got a good signal 3. I was on exchanges the day before and we ended up
switching companions early so we good be at our right houses when the storm
really hit madaling araw (early in the morning). Thank goodness my companion
bought me some crackers and tuna for my 72-hour kit hahaha :) There were
definitely a couple times where I thought our house was going to break from the
wind but our little apartment did pretty well! And my super smart Filipina
companions thought of covering our door with plastic bags so it would stop the
flooding. We had to stay inside the whole day but at least we got our WHOLE
apartment SUPER deep cleaned, so we felt productive! And we have some good
opportunities to help clean areas where trees have fallen and stuff like that.
So anyways...the Lord protects his missionaries. My bigger fear is honestly
this little annoying red ants that keep biting me in my sleep. (Shout out to
Sister Hardcastle in Peru, I feel you with the ants)
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| Cleaning the church after the Typhoon. The fallen trees are in the basketball court... |
ANYWAYS another cool
finding experience this week: we felt prompted to go to the hospital and see if we could
leave our names as references for patients to talk to for counsel (from the
finding list in our planners). We also noticed how many Liahona magazines we
had that we aren't using so we thought of leaving them at the hospital for the
patients to read or those that are waiting in the chairs. We wrote our number
in the magazines and the information for church services in case someone
because interested while reading. At the hospital we had to wait a while to
talk to the appropriate person, but the whole time we felt peace in waiting,
like a voice telling us to just wait. Then the woman who was the head of social
services let us into her office and she thought her friend sent us to her
because she is a less active who had told her friend she wants to come to
church but there was a Bagyo. We were so happy to tell her the only person who
led us there was God! We were able to get permission to distribute the
magazines and had a lesson with her where she voiced that she wants to have us
teach her nephew and bring him to church. The lord works in mysterious ways!!
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| This little boy, Raven, we are preparing for baptism and he has got my heart. Walking to church... |
Missionaries can Laugh Too:
When one of your
companions prays that the other will develop the desire to follow the
commandments of god and get married when she gets home, in your companionship
prayer before leaving the house. I really tried to be reverent but I died
laughing after.
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| Cheese is so sweet here..literally a candy or dessert! |
You Know You're in the Philippines When...
It's completely normal
to start singing hymns acapella in the middle of your sacrament meeting talk
and the ward may or may not join in. It is also acceptable to "bear your
testimony in the form of a song" and then close your testimony and sit
back down. Hahaha I love these people :)
Tagalog / Ingles
Binabasbasan ng
ebenghelyo ang mga pamilya - The gospel blesses families
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| Sis. Barbante got a little jealous of my new companion! |
Spiritual Thought:
My study is still
focused on the Saviors teaching in the bible and I am reading Jesus the Christ.
Something that stuck out to me was the expansion of the parable of salt. How we
are the "salt of the earth, if the salt shall lose it's savor, wherewith
the world shall be salted? The salt shall thenceforth be good for
nothing..." 3 Nephi 12:13. Talmage's explanation in Jesus the Christ
states "To be of use salt must be pure, to be of any saving value as salt,
it must be salt indeed, and not the product of chemical alteration or of any
earthly mixture, whereby its saltiness or 'savor' would be lost; and as
worthless stuff, it would be fit only to be thrown away." (Pg. 232) This
verse took on a new meaning for me. As members of the church the lord entrusts
us the responsibility of preserving his work and his kingdom here on the earth.
But if we are not pure followers of Christ- if we are halfway devoted to him
and his gospel with part of us an "earthly mixture" or prioritizing
worldly status or temptations...Jesus Christ has said we are not of use to him
anymore. We will not be able to do our job fully if we are not centered
"with an eye single to the glory of God." I think this verse is a
good chance to evaluate our dedication to the gospel of Jesus Christ and how
true we are in our membership- how pure our salt is. I know this is the true
way to become happy and gain peace in this life. I see the miracle of
consecration work in missionaries every day and I know there is always more
that we can do.
I love you all!!
Sister Walters
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