and a good end to a good transfer. Especially this week, we have really been doing our best to work hard here and help as many people as we can this past week and I have really seen those efforts pay off. So to start with transfer announcements: I'm excited to start another great transfer with Sister Habla!
Even though I will be sad to say goodbye to my kabahay Sister Segovia.
So after last week, Sister Habla and I set a goal to do everything we could this week to have 10 investigators attend sacrament meeting this week. At the start of this week, that goal almost seemed impossible because as of then, we only had a couple of investigators with baptismal dates and even less progressing investigators.
But as it says in 1 Nephi 17:3 "...if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the things that he has commanded them..." So I knew that if we just worked hard, did our best, and HAD FAITH that God would be there every step of the way to help make our goals possible. With His help, I knew we would be able to achieve them.
So after a fun district activity at the church last week, where our district played some fun games and took some pictures (of course),
we headed home, finished up our "P-day chores"--including hand-washing 2 weeks worth of laundry I had neglected to do the week before--
and headed back to work.
One awesome opportunity that we had this week was to work with the Senior couple: Elder and Sister Hanson. They accompanied us on Tuesday to visit lots of the less actives in our area and let me tell you: having a car is SOOOO convenient!!!! In addition, I think Sister Habla and I were both amazed at the teaching skills of Elder and Sister Hanson. What I think amazed me even more was the fact that even though they don't speak Tagalog, what they had to say always seemed to be exactly what the people needed, and everyone seemed to feel the power of the spirit through the Senior Couple's words.
I was shocked that by simply listening to others and their problems seemed to do more than attempting to "force-feed" everyone the gospel and in addition, by listening first (and the senior couple REALLY listened), it seemed that the part of the gospel that the person we were teaching needed just seemed to come.
I think that one more thing I really learned from that experience was how important it is that we do our home and visiting teaching. I have seen a HUGE difference in the effectiveness of a ward just based on if they are doing their home and visiting teaching.
As I was thinking about it, I realized that we have a church in order to strengthen and build each other. We are not meant to go through this experience on earth alone. We NEED each other! We need to be there to listen, love and smile when others need it. We all need a friend sometimes, and we also need an opportunity to serve and to feel the joy that comes by serving each other, and I know that home and visiting teaching are meant to help us do just that!
Besides that, as we have worked hard to meet our goals and the expectations of the Lord this week, I have really seen His hand in our life, going before us and giving us miracle after miracle to help push the work along. Like on Wednesday, when we had an amazing FHE with the Odapi kids! I just remember as we sat in their home all laughing and having a good time, big smiles on everyone's faces, I looked outside to see a big smile on their mom's face (who has not yet joined in our lessons) as she saw the joy that the gospel can bring to a family.
In addition, I was happy and surprised when a package from my mom arrived on our doorstep Wednesday morning,
full of chocolates and Halloween goodies,
I am excited to try out the rain-boots my mom sent for the start of rainy season! Love ya mom!
I also received a b-day present from Sister Jimenez!
Which I was SUPER grateful and happy to receive!
I miss Sister Jimenez a lot, but I am so thankful that we have been able to keep in touch even after she has gone home from her mission.
(throw back of Sister Jimenez & I)
But I think out of all our teaching appointments this week, the one that stood out to me the most was with Jayden and Joshua from Francia.
We teach them at night because Joshua has school and Jayden works at a restaurant which is open "25 hours", so they usually end up being our last appointment (since we started teaching them last week).
We teach them at night because Joshua has school and Jayden works at a restaurant which is open "25 hours", so they usually end up being our last appointment (since we started teaching them last week).
But anyways, this lesson we shared about the Book of Mormon and its importance for us and by the end of the lesson, the spirit was really strong and we were feeling like we could extend! So we did... we extended for December 2nd, which Joshua immediately accepted. But Jayden sat there for a minute. He looked at Joshua and then at us before saying: "For me, I know that this is true. I know that nobody would write the Book of Mormon if it weren't true, so I will just be baptized." When he said that, Sister Habla and I were both so surprised and happy!
Of course, we had to explain to him that before baptism, we need to prepare first. But we also promised that if he will continue to pray, read the Book of Mormon, and come to church, then the Gospel will continue to change his life for the better and he will become so much happier.
In addition, I definitely had a lesson on humility on Saturday when after an unexpected Zone Fasting (which we had not been prepared for) Sister Habla and I were left completely starving. To be honest, I was feeling a little sorry for myself when on the way to lunch, we saw John Michael sitting outside the 7/11. He is the 12 year old homeless boy I mentioned in a previous email, and when we saw him, he told us that he hadn't really been eating. After that, we were again humbled when Nanay Marilyn (one of our investigators) started crying as she said the closing prayer as she poured out her soul to Heavenly Father for help. She told us that she hasn't been getting enough sleep because on the other side of their plywood wall in their tiny home, sits the neighbors big charcoal stove. Which is super hot and leaves their room sweltering in the Philippines heat.
After that, I honestly started to feel bad for feeling sorry for myself when I am surrounded by so many people who have it so much harder. Here, just to wake up in the morning is a blessing that the people are really grateful for.
In the end, God really has come through this week. Just this past week, he has proven my faith time and time again as we watched our hard work pay off and our numbers triple from last weeks work. I know that if we just continue to do our best and work hard than in this upcoming week, we can do even more!!!!!
We just need to remember: God is there. He really cares. And if we call on Him, we will never have to do anything alone because he will be with us every step of the way.
I love you all! And I love these cute baby goats . . .
Love,
Sister Matheny
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