This
last week was a good one. We feel like we worked hardest this week and we
didn't feel that the numbers reflected that, but that's the life of a
missionary I guess! We had 3 days with a 6:00 curfew this last week. One for election day,
one for Halloween, and one for all-saints day. I am very grateful for the
all-saints day curfew because NOBODY wanted to listen to ANY of the
missionaries in Batangas.
Tuesday was
a good day. We got in 6 lessons and 3 new investigators, one of which asked us
if she could have the Book of Mormon, before we even said the prayer to start
the lesson, to read before she goes to bed! It was awesome! We got a few
promising OYM's much closer to our apartment and a chicken flew over my head
and hit me during a lesson. And sister L said she would miss us if we were
transferred and was concerned about it! Which made us feel good. Apparently two
pull-outs in a row (all new missionaries) have not been easy on the world over
here. M has also came to the conclusion for herself that she needs to repent
and return to church activity for herself and be an example and have hope for
her kids to follow! I haven’t seen any action yet... but she is progressing.
She said she wanted a picture of Christ to put up in her humble home so me and Sister
Williams brought one to her later in the week. We gave her a reading assignment
in the Book of Mormon as well. The next night we had a little extra time before
we needed to go home and since she lives in our neighborhood we stopped by and
gave her a requested Liahona magazine in Tagalog. And we caught her reading the
BOM!!!! IT was a good moment.
So Williams and I have
a friend who we try to teach but she just would not focus in the first lesson
bless her heart. Well I think she has this sixth sense that the missionaries
are in Balete or something, it's a little weird. Anyways we ran into her once
again and asked to go share with her. She said she had a pupuntahan (place to
go) but we got her to let us come in for a ten minute lesson! I honestly think she
just likes having American friends; a lot of people are like that here. I've
never had my nose complemented so much in my entire life! Anyways she lets us
in and suddenly decides that we need to go to her neighbors house (who are
family of some sort, apo I think but her daughter was there too) anyways their
father died four years ago to the day so she wanted us to pray for them. But
they kept telling me all these things to pray for in Tagalog and I didn't
understand them all and I was really nervous. They need a good lesson on pray
so that they can know that they can just pray to their father in heaven, their
prayer means just as much as mine! But I guess my prayer was alright the second
time I started it, I'm not really sure what she interrupted me to say the first
time I started to pray but I guess she was satisfied. Wow that was interesting.
We are hoping to start teaching her with more extended family in hopes that J
will stay seated and just listen to what we want to teach her so that she can
feel the spirit!
On Wednesday we had a little dilemma of nobody being home and not knowing
where to go. We had a 6:00 curfew
already so we were just at a loss at who to go see. We could track more in
hilltop and Meraclo site and hope that D got back from the cemetery
before curfew or we could go closer to home in our subdivision and try a few
people there. We normally do NOT go back closer to home with an hour or so left
because we don't have very many things to do so close and we don't want to be left
so close to home with so much time left. But we both had a feeling to just go
back to st. peter. I questioned the inkling, but I decided to follow it, and
then I found out Sister Williams had the same feeling so off we went! Luckily a
potential we have been trying to contact for 6 weeks now was home! He was just
leaving! And he is super awesome and also fluent in English and Italian and Tagalog
and he's pretty much the best. We got to meet with him, and if we had waited
any longer we would have missed him once again! So we were very glad that we
followed the prompting we were given no matter how small it was, and even
though we didn’t recognize it as a prompting right away.
Halloween and saints
day were rough. No one was home, no one wanted to talk to the missionaries and
holidays are just hard! It made we want to follow the multitudes of
people going to the cemeteries and proselyte over there!
Also Marinel is now
the newest member of the church in Batangas 2! She was baptized and received
the Holy Ghost this last weekend! And it was a very special moment for many
reasons. Sister Marinel has actually been active in the church for about 5
months now, we could not find a record of the many missionaries who have apparently
taught her so all we had to do was re-teach the information she already knew!
But she did have deeper doctrinal questions than we are used to investigators
asking. Anyways, she was baptized by Ryanne who has only had the priesthood for
two weeks now and been a member for three! It was a very very special moment
for both of them and everyone present. The spirit was so strong! And it just
grew when sister Marinel shared her testimony. She is awesome. 
Her family lived a few
hour drive and a plane ride away, I’m not sure where. But they are also
listening to the missionaries. Their problem is that the church building is a
56 peso van ride away so it is very hard for them to attend church. They said
that the elders whom are teaching them have been praying for them to find the
means to get to church. And suddenly they are starting to catch more fish than
they ever have before! The lord sure likes to make miracles happen with fish.
:)
The 8 missionaries in
Batangas went bowling this morning for a good little p-day activity. We did
some duckpin bowling. Which means the pins are smaller, and the ball, you can
just hold in your hand... no holes or any of that sort of thing. I sent some
pictures! IT was quite fun and satisfying! The elder's found it one day on
their way to Atienza where about half of the 1st ward lives I feel like! (ok
that is a complete exaggeration) I'm not good at any sort of bowling I have
discovered!
In the picture is E. Kaifoto and Bodkin and Pacunla (his comp sprained both his ankles yesterday simultaneously so they went on exchanges with priesthood in their ward so that some work could get done) there is also Me, Williams Moimoi and calla! We had a lot of fun!
I am looking forward to another week of hard work! It is transfer week again so
I am just hoping that neither me nor Williams will be transferred. I am not
training new so I don't think we need to worry about it this time! I do NOT
want to be transferred again! I am in the best area of the mission (lots of
other missionaries have told me so) It's definitely not the prettiest area
because it is all city but the ward is the best and that makes the area the
best! We actually had eight extra missionaries in batangas last Sunday for them
to have their last Sunday here in their favorite area! It was a lot of fun to
get to see more missionaries than usual.
Well I hope all is
well in America and that you are enjoying not sweating to a seemingly death every
day. Ok, that might me an exaggeration as well... especially since it is the
"coolest time of the year" I don't think the word "cool"
even exists here... or maybe it is just a myth. I do not know :) Well have a
great week!
Love, Sister
Hellewell!
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Ice chunk I took out of
the freezer this morning!
This is what happens when we go
2 weeks without
defrosting it.
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