*URL Links to scriptures and related material are enabled.
Maayong aga everyone!
[Halfway point: October 24, 2018]
Yes I'm officially halfway through my mission:
[MANGO FLOAT FOR MY 9 MONTHS]
Sorry but this'll be just a quick update!
Trio update:
BEST COMPANIONSHIP EVER. I love Sister Quinton and Sister Salan! I feel like we are all different but all complete each other (opa, haha)! We work hard and we help each other out and I just love them so much. We are obedient and sensitive to each others needs. We also have been doing better teaching wise because it's kind of awkward as it is to teach with one companion, but teaching with 2 other people is just interesting. But we've been doing great! Also we have a lot of fun together. We laugh alot, haha!
[Sister Quinton cooked Chop Suey for us!]
[Zone Conference with my companions]
Investigator update:
So we visited one of our investigators on Monday in the evening time and we decided now that she knows Joseph Smith is a true prophet, we decided to teach one of the commandments he restored... the Word of Wisdom. dun dun dun! Joke lang but we thought she might have a problem with it but it turns out that she doesn't AT ALL. This is the first time I've met someone like this and I'm sort of shocked but also it's such a blessing to have met her. Her faith has truly grown and I know as we testify to her she feels edified because she opens her heart to what we're saying. Just like it says in D&C 50: 21-22 -
I love those verses because that's how I feel when we teach her 😊
Also we have another investigator who has been waiting to be baptized since August but a lot of things came up and she hasn't been able to be baptized yet... BUT things have been going great with her and she's scheduled to be baptized on Saturday! Next week I'll write more in depth about her conversion story 😊
[One of our investigators scheduled to be baptized on Nov 17!]
[Our investigators baby's 1st birthday!
We got her a cake 😊]
[Book of Mormon promoter!]
[Our investigator scheduled to be baptized this Saturday!]
[SO CUTE]
[These two nanay's were both on the way to the temple for their first time ever!]
[One of the Elders in our districts birthday! 🎂]
[Zone conference!]
[Photo bombing Elders haha]
[The sisters in this Zone Conference!]
[Palangga ta ka Sister Cruz!]
[On our way back after Zone Conference]
Sorry this is so short once again but I hope you enjoyed the pics and videos!😄
Halong kamo pirme,
Sister Ventura
Philippines Iloilo Mission (Jan 2018 - July 2019)
--
Send an e-mail:
elza.ventura@myldsmail.net
Written letters and packages:
Sister Elza Ventura
Philippines Iloilo Mission
Osmeña Street,
Arevalo, Iloilo City,
5000 Iloilo
Philippines
*Some names have been changed or omitted to protect the privacy of individuals.
*URL Links to scriptures and related material are enabled.
Maayong hapon friends and fam!
This past week was really good actually! We had a lot of good progression in terms of working in a trio and also with our investigators! It's a good time to be a missionary in the Philippines Iloilo Mission!
This weeks highlights:
Monday after emailing -
We visited one of our investigators (the one who's 15 years old and the one where were trying to get her family to listen to what we're sharing as well). It was such a blessing actually what she told us during the lesson because her mom hasn't been too understanding about how her daughter needs to go to church and stuff. Her mom is really nice and is willing to let her get baptizedpero it's just going to church and other activities that's the problem. So what we did last last week is we fasted - all 4 of us! And this evening when we visited we saw gid ang blessings of fasting because she told us that her mom is going to buy her church clothes!! ANO?! (WHAT?!) how cool is that? 😄 I know it's something really small to get happy over but that it meant alot to us. FASTING WORKS!
[😊]
Tuesday -
This was a really good day! So a highlight was that we visited one of our investigators (the one who has a tsanggie/mini store) and we found out that she has temporarily relocated her tsanggie to the plaza (kind of like a central park) because there's going to be a fiesta coming up soon here 😄 So we visited her at her tsanggie in the plaza because we haven't seen her in a while and she didn't look well at all. She had gotten sick and is just really overwhelmed. We had visited to sort of "determine the relationship" because we felt that they haven't put as much effort as they have before to listen to the message we've been sharing. Like before they would always look forward to us coming over and we would too because they're so receptive! But these past few weeks have been different. However when we went to visited, somehow she shared about how she had an experience of someone who was saying not so nice things about our church. She and her husband just listened and didn't say anything. But what's so cool is that she said that she didn't believe anything that person said and I know that they didn't believe what the person was saying because they know that the message that we're sharing is true. They know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and having a knowledge of that overcomes every disbelief if we're strongly rooted in our beliefs!
Another highlight of today is we visited another one of our investigators who is just the best (joke lang, all our investigators are the best!). But anyways it was such a good lesson because we've been frequently following up with him about how he's doing with his vices - smoking and drinking. He said he stopped them both and he doesn't want to go back anymore! Sometimes I wonder how hard it can be for someone to stop drinking and smoking, especially when that's something they've been doing since they were younger but he's literally a testimony to me of people who have the desire to change can truly change. I believe in him 100% that he won't drink or smoke but if it turns out that he does, we'll be there to support him no matter what because he truly wants to (from the bottom of his heart) to change. It's amazing seeing real people really change their lives from their old selves and then becoming a disciple of Christ! I'm excited for the rest of his journey.
[ I just find this picture so funny.
Both of my comp's are 'kana, joke lang!]
Wednesday -
Zone interviews! It was a good day! Really inspiring to hear from President Cruz, Sister Cruz, and our AP's (Assistants to the President). President and Sister Cruz are really the best mission parents ever.
Thursday -
This day our zone leaders came over to teach us for district meeting! It was a good lesson kay ultimately what I learned that we as missionaries are held to a higher standard and have to live by mission rules, pero we really do have the power to choose. We have the power to choose to be obedient missionaries and have a successful mission! I really believe that to be true.
Another highlight of today was when we visited another one of our investigators who we've only been teaching for 2 weeks but she is so nami gid kay (very good and) she totally understands and accepts everything we have shared with her! Because it tends to be that people invite us over because everyone here in Philippines is really religious and they enjoy to have people over for "bible study." But as we've been teaching her I've really seen her faith grow even though it's been such a short amount of time and I know it's because of her desire and willingness to know. When we first met her she was SO SHY but she has really opened up and is actually sharing! It's amazing what sharing the truth can do to peoples' countenance.
[District meeting 😄]
Friday -
A highlight of today is when we visited one of our investigators (as always those are the best parts of my day). Actually this one's pretty funny because the lesson was going really good! We had invited her last time to read the Book of Mormon to know if Joseph Smith was a true prophet. When we asked her if she had done it she said "of course, it's like when we go to school, you have to do the assignment the teacher leaves so that you can learn!" I love her enthusiasm and it would be cool if all our investigators would do the commitments we invite them to do. But so yeah the funny part is that she recently found out that her live-in partner IS A MEMBER. Hahahah, ano?! It's pretty funny because we have been teaching her for a month or so and she barely found out. It turns our he became a member...a long time ago! He's not active right now but he told her "go listen to the missionaries, you won't lose anything just by listening." It would be so awesome if we can get him to be active again and then they can raise their children in the church together!
[The sun was bright!]
[Our area has city and also not city 😊]
Saturday -
This day we were punted times 10000000 pero of course we don't let that stop us! We looked for some people that we had street-contacted before and had expressed that they wanted us to come over. Also we looked for someone who was referred to us and we found people that knew him but not him 😞 It turns out he moved back [where he came from] because he's sick. Kinda sad we never got to meet him. But yeah overall it was a busy day! A lot of running around all over our area - I'm going to go home so dark by the end of my mission, haha!
[#PrayForUs 😄]
[Had to walk really far to check if someone was home...
and no one was home 😢 okay lang!]
Sunday -
Almost everyone we had committed to come to church, came to church! This usually never happens but I know with Sister Quinton, Sister Salan, and my diligence and obedience, we had success this week. It's just really satisfying to see that our hard work is paying off. Because just thinking about it, Sister Quinton and I didn't start off with much in our area but now we (with the added help of Sister Salan) had 4 investigators at church yesterday! Besides that it was a good, busy Sunday... lots of meetings but it's good to know what's going on. Especially with the changes in the church instruction handbook!
I'm looking forward to this week because it's zone conference once again. I'm ready to feel inspired and motivated! Also I'm looking forward to November because we have mission tour!
And one more thing and probably the best is that we can potentially have weekly baptisms in November if our investigators keep their commitments. YAY!
Hope all of you are doing well! Life's good!😄
Halong kamo pirme,
Sister Ventura
Philippines Iloilo Mission (Jan 2018 - July 2019)
--
Send an e-mail:
elza.ventura@myldsmail.net
Written letters and packages:
Sister Elza Ventura
Philippines Iloilo Mission
Osmeña Street,
Arevalo, Iloilo City,
5000 Iloilo
Philippines
*Some names have been changed or omitted to protect the privacy of individuals.
*URL Links to scriptures and related material are enabled.
Maayong udto everyone!
[Philippines Iloilo Mission😊]
[Hahaha]
Pasensya gid pero my weekly will be kind of short this week! So I'll just share some highlights of what happened this per usual: I'm in a trio! Yup that's right, Sister Quinton now has 2 moms! haha, we got a call Monday night from the Zone Leader's and we were freaking out because we thought one of us was transferring, but it turns out that we would get a new companion, yay! So Tuesday we did the preparations that we need to get everything settled for Sister Salan (She's my batch! We arrived to Iloilo at the exact same time). We had to get another bed, electric fan, etc. It was pretty crazy and our apartment is pretty small pero we've been making it work. 😄
[Trio adventures!]
[Batch and Companion!]
So we got the call to head over to the transfer point to wait for our new companion and after a while, she arrived! It's so cool to have a companion that you pretty much haven't seen since you arrived to the mission because after talking we saw how much we changed and just everything we've experienced! Sister Salan...speaks Cebuano so I've been picking up a couple Cebuano words from her. Nami jud (Nami gid (really cool))! It's also really funny because Sister Quinton said now she has 2 moms - one that could cook (me) while one does her 12-week training (S. Salan)!
[We're making the trio life work 😆]
[Potential Christmas card photo? 😄]
[Sister Quinton gave us prayer rugs from her lola, so cute! 😄]
Another highlight of this week was GENERAL CONFERENCE. Wow. I'm speechless at how awesome conference was. Also I can't believe that I only have one General Conference left until I'm going home! 😩 It feels like just yesterday that I had my first General Conference with my trainer, Sister Reyes, and this past weekend I had my second General Conference with my bata (child), Sister Quinton. I wonder what will be happening when it's my third General Conference. 😊 Anyways there was so many good things that I learned from conference but I think my favorite has to be Elder L. Andersen from the Sunday Morning Session. Please watch it or listen to it or read it! It's amazing! (Click: "Wounded" by Elder Neil L. Andersen)
[After General Conference 😊]
So this conference was also the first time that I came prepared with questions and it honestly made such a difference to the way I listened to conference, and not only that but I really got answers to my questions. It's crazy to think how generally they talk to the entire world and how personally a talk, a phrase, or a sentence can hit you. I know that the Holy Ghost plays a huge role in my understanding of answers to the questions I prepared. Honestly every conference I will definitely spiritually prepare myself with questions and I urge you guys to do the same! 😄
[Elders had a baptism 😊]
[Video: The struggle to get the Christmas tree up this year!]
[Sister Quinton's mom sent a tree!
It's actually really tiny and SO CUTE!]
[Sister Quinton's mom, you're the best!]
There's a lot more stuff that happened pero that's the most important I'd like to share for this week 😊 I'll try better next week! I hope you're all doing well!
Halong kamo pirme,
Sister Ventura
Philippines Iloilo Mission (Jan 2018 - July 2019)
--
Send an e-mail:
elza.ventura@myldsmail.net
Written letters and packages:
Sister Elza Ventura
Philippines Iloilo Mission
Osmeña Street,
Arevalo, Iloilo City,
5000 Iloilo
Philippines
*Some names have been changed or omitted to protect the privacy of individuals.
*URL Links to scriptures and related material are enabled.
Mayong aga sa inyo tanan!
[😊]
This past week was really good! I learned a lot of lessons which I hope you can connect with, or apply to your lives.
This past weeks highlights:
Monday -
[P-day activity!]
When we went out to proselyte, the people we had planned to go to just didn't work out. So while we were leaving the people we had planned, one of our investigator's called us and she asks us to come over. When we come over we see that she's been crying and she opened up to us about her problems. It's so sad to see someone, who Sister Quinton and I have grown to love so much. experience this emotional kag (and) physical pain. We automatically turned to the scriptures and shared Alma 37:37 -
37Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in yoursleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.
I love this verse but for some reason I was worried about how she'll react because we have only known each other for a couple weeks and most of people's first reaction if they're having problems usually isn't to turn to the scriptures. But I could tell that that was exactly what she needed. She became more calm and in our closing prayer, she applied what she had just read! I feel like you can tell a lot about a person by the way they handle struggles in life, and this sister is definitely a trooper! I hope when we have trials in life, we all automatically turn to the Lord.
Tuesday -
[7/11 ice cream is soooo good!]
[So funny - this was so random!]
Just a highlight of today was when we taught one of our investigators who we had met 2 weeks ago. We approached him while he was at the central park. Oh, he's the one I mentioned last week that texted us to make sure we were still coming over! We had such a good lesson with him. It was actually funny because last last Saturday was his birthday so last Sunday when we came over he was drunk/hungover. So this past Tuesday when we went over, he kept apologizing about Sunday and he told us how he truly wants to get rid of his vices. He is just so awesome and so humble because he's willing to give up his addictions to grow closer to the Lord! And not only that. but I think it's pretty cool because Sister Quinton and I didn't mention ANYTHING to him about having to stop his drinking. I know he just sort of knew when he saw us and he discerned that for himself. I'm excited to help him achieve his goal and help him become the person that Heavenly Father wants us to become!
Wednesday -
[💋 haha so cute! And glow sticks!]
Today was an interesting day! So last week we met a guy while he was playing basketball. We went up to him and he said "sorry I don't speak Filipine (yes he said Filipine, not Filipino, haha!)." This brother is half Lebanese and half Filipino, and he's here for his first time for vacation. It was so weird speaking English to someone that wasn't Sister Quinton! Haha, anyways he asked us what we were and we ended up teaching him. Again, it was so weird because this was my first time ever actually teaching in all English because he only understand English and Arabic. But yeah I never though I'd be doing that in the Philippines!
Thursday -
[Last district meeting of Elder Stewart!]
It was one of my district mates last district meeting EVER. After serving for 2 years, he's going back home on Tuesday. District meeting was cool because he shared some unforgettable experiences and he also showed us some techniques he uses when teaching. He draws on a whiteboard and that's something I want to start doing! It's crazy how much we learn out here in the mission. I remember Sister Quinton saying "the mission gives you like 20 years of life experiences jam-packed in like 18 months and 2 years." So true!
Friday -
[I love them!😁]
Not too much happened today, we explored a lot of our area that's been untouched for a while and hopefully the next few times we come, we'll find new investigators 😄
Saturday -
[An old friend that served in my ward back home in California!]
There was a baptism today and I just love baptisms 😄 Like honestly the sister who got baptized shared her testimony about how this is her 3rd attempt getting baptized and it finally happened! Third time's a charm, diba? She shared her testimony about how she didn't think she would ever get rid of her vices and become a member and she would even hide from the missionaries before, haha! Pero what really changed her is when her daughter gave her a pamphlet to read called the Word of Wisdom. And so she started to get an interest and wanted to change. Amazing!
Sunday -
[Titas of the Ward]
[Quezon City Mission!]
Just a highlight of today is that we experienced of the Single Adults in the ward's mission call opening! She had been praying that she would be assigned close to the temple and she is going to the Quezon City Mission! So exciting! It was nice to hear the mission call letter again because I didn't bring mine with me and it was a good reminder of my purpose and brings me back to when I first started my mission 😊
This past week was really good and the work is slowly progressing as we really discern the needs of those we teach. I know that missionary work is not easy but it's so worth it and I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve others everyday!
Hope you all are doing well, until next week! 😄
Halong kamo pirme,
Sister Ventura
Philippines Iloilo Mission (Jan 2018 - July 2019)
--
Send an e-mail:
elza.ventura@myldsmail.net
Written letters and packages:
Sister Elza Ventura
Philippines Iloilo Mission
Osmeña Street,
Arevalo, Iloilo City,
5000 Iloilo
Philippines
*Some names have been changed or omitted to protect the privacy of individuals.
