Maayong udto FAMILY!
This was such a different week as you can probably tell by the pictures..most of them we're not in proselyting clothes-but, man, I secretly missed the hard, manual labor..us sisters have it here with community service, I beg, but no one lets me and thinks things are too hard. Have they seen who they're talking to? Sister. Arnold. I know! Well, this week was a little disastrous in one of the "purok"s that they are called..It's like a "Subdivision" There was a crazy man, come to find out that he was on drugs, etc. (I don't really know) and he stood on his roof and said "Imperiano na ta!" (English translation: We're all going to hell) and threw fire. It caught this whole area on fire with over 200+ homes and needless to say...there wasn't much left as you can see from the pictures.
I immediately told Sis. Polatis we need to go visit them because LOTS of our members live over there-more inactive than active, but regardless, as a missionary, they became family to me. We went and I told Sis. Polatis that I observed whose homes got burnt down and whose didn't.
The next day, Wednesday we went and helped all the members, mostly inactive help go through the remains to gather scraps! It was hard work, with heat blistering over us, but I LOVED IT! That Saturday we as a ward had National Community Service Day in the Philippines was spent over there! The members are getting help from the ward, etc.and the church attendance on Sunday was incredible as all the inactives were humbled back to church and the members who were saved continued as they gave thanks! It was great to hear their testimonies in our Gospel Principles class as we talked about Our Heavenly Father. We had a group of investigators, 3 men that we met at dinner on Saturday and while Sis. Polatis was getting the food,I went to sit down. The one in black that I sent you a pic home approached me and asked me from what country I was from and asked more about us, why we're here and we, of course as missionaries I JUMPED on the opportunity to give him a Book of Mormon. HE said that he was seeking answers and it was a good long hour of answering his questiions and sharing our testimony of the Book of Mormon. He asked questions like :
-Is God fair?
-If God is fair, why does he let the starving people in Africa live like that while other like Americans have it so easy?
-Was Jesus Christ happy in his life? etc.
I sit back and am SO grateful for my knowledge on those topics. We had a great discussion while our ice cream melted and our food was cold, but after we sat back and just thought WOW! What a powerful discussion! I know the Lord placed us in his path as missionaries to share what we know with him. We got his number, and invited him to church! and...low and behold, THEY CAME! He, Fred, in the black asked so many of the same questions in Gospel PRinciples and brought up Africa and the inactive members whose homes were gone were in attendance to that class and I felt the need to ask them how they felt..did they feel that God didn't love them because He let their homes burn down and they all agreed that it was just a trial to try their faith and it was a humbling experience for them to realize what was important and even though the people in Africa have that title, they were literally left with nothing as welll and where were they? The church. Why? Because they knew that that was most important!
Well, he texted us more questions and I realized that all in all, he has no faith. He asked why those with Downs Syndrome have to suffer the way they do, etc. It was perfect that he chose that disability of all as I responded my opinion, how they're perfect and especially with Tyler being my brother and having that as a struggle in his life...good thing they're perfect and we're not. Man, it was a testimony builder for me and I gave him a reading assignment in Ether 12 and he texted back thanking me as he finally took the step to read it! I was so grateful for my testimony of this gospel! I know that God is our Heavenly Father, knows and loves each and every one of us! He gives us trials to make us more refined and perfect as isn't that our purpose of this life? I am grateful to continue to share what I know and how the Atonement of Jesus Christ can bless all who are going through any discomfort or pain."As we struggle, we should consider ourselves honored to suffer with Christ."This gospel is the only true church! I know that anyone who takes the time and exercises their faith to read the Book of Mormon will feel of it's truthfulness and reality! That is what Sis. F did as she prepared to enter into the waters of baptism last Sunday! She had lots of member support and on Sunday came up to us and expressed her feelings on how great she felt! Who wouldn't want that in their lives?
I love my calling here as a missionary and will continue the work yet another week! Know I love and pray for you just as much as I do the people here,whether you're next to me or thousands of miles away! :)
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