Maayong hapon everyone!
[The usual pic with Sister Cruz 😄]
Sorry gid wala e-mail ako last last week. Here's some updates from last last week:
I feel like I'm getting to know the area more and more. Our are is still big pero siempre not as big as my first area. Being in the city is so different because there are so many people everywhere we go. There are so many opportunities to share with people that they are literally sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. That's one of the things that I struggled to do sa 1st area ko. Like going up to people and just starting a conversation with them without freaking them out is really something I'm starting to overcome. Like up until now, I'm scared that they see me, assume I'll sound like them, pero when I open my mouth it's definitely not what they expect! So here sa Philippines if you have an accent they call it "slang." So me, I have American slang! Pero little by little, I'm doing better. One verse that I feel like really testifies to what I feel is D&C 84:85 -
85 Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.
Honestly when I think too much about what to say, I overthink the conversation and it ends up being too late! This is just the beginning of street contacting para sa akin but I have built so much faith that the Holy Ghost will give me the words to say when I need it.
Another highlight of last last week is that we had a Relief Society activity to get the members more involved with Ministering. It was cool because since I'm new to the ward, I feel like I was able to get to know the members more! Also last last Sunday. we had a baptism for a child whose parents grew up [in this area] pero he was born sa Northern California! His family including tita's, tito's, and cousins all came to the Philippines for vacation, his baptism, and his birthday! It really reminded me of my family because they all had American slang. I'm excited for the time when my family and I all come back to the Philippines too! At the service, Sister Fuentes and I sang "I Feel My Savior's Love" and "I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus."
Okay now updates for this past week:
Tuesday -
[Zone Conference met an old friend of my parents]
We had zone conference! I always love zone conference because it gives me the spiritual uplifting I need to motivate me even more in inviting others to come unto Christ. Two highlights I'd like to share are about "the worth of souls" and the power of the Book of Mormon. Sa conference, they discussed D&C 18:10-
10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love every single soul that has, is, and will live. It's my duty as a representative of Jesus Christ to help people understand their worth in Their eyes. Tapos, about the Book of Mormon, let me just say nga I LOVE THIS BOOK. I finished the Book of Mormon for my first time ever here sa mission ko and I have never felt so close to my Savior. The promised blessing in the BoM intro is so true where it says -
Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”
This book can really change lives if we read it and allow it to change us as we apply it in our lives!
[My area is so city haha]
[But there are also some not so city parts!]
Wednesday -
[On the way to our CSP]
We had a CSP (Christian Service Project) where we helped a member.
Thursday -
[I thought America loved fries, but Philippines loves fries even more. DO YOU SEE HOW BIG THIS IS?! haha]
Just a highlight of this day was district meeting. One of the other missionaries said something I'd like to share. Siempre (Of course) he said it in Ilonggo pero I'll translate it as accurately as I can. He said, "Everyday is like a lesson where we are the ones being taught and Heavenly Father is the teacher. We open our day with a prayer saying our hopes and desires for the day and at the end of the day we close with a prayer reviewing how the day went and what lessons we learned."
[An old hymn book!]
Friday -
[This sums up the rainy season]
Today was a funny day! So I was sitting on the back of the tricycle (behind the person driving the motor) and it was raining really hard. We drove through one part nga nabaha (that flooded) and the water rose up so high that I lifted my feet so that my feet wouldn't get wet. Galing, when I lifted my feet up, ONE OF MY SHOES FELL OFF! I screamed and the trike driver stopped while I jumped off into the water to find my shoe. I couldn't find my shoe at first pero I ended up seeing it sinking into the water and someone helped me get it. So yeah it was ironic, these type of stuff seem to always happen to me. #AccidentProne. Haha!
Saturday -
[He's showing me all his toys 😆]
[Play money]
[😊]
Today was a crazy day. I walked on water! Joke lang pero we did walk through a lot of floods where the water reached halfway up my knee! It was really hard to work because the rain was so strong and we were soaking wet. Pero we didn't let that stop us 😊 Anyways, one of our investigators got interviewed for baptism and she's all set to be baptized this Saturday, yay! I'm excited for her to receive all the blessing from following and ehemplo ni Jesucristo (example of Jesus Christ).
Sunday -
[The cables have branches growing on them - grabe!]
A highlight of yesterday was Fast and Testimony meeting. We've been trying to reactivate a less-active family and these past few Sundays, the tatay (father) of the family has steadily came to church. And yesterday was awesome because he gave the opening prayer and also bore his testimony in front of the congregation! His testimony was short, simple, yet powerful and it hit me right at my heart. He expressed his desire to go to the temple and it made me realized how blessed I am back home to have a temple that's only a short drive away. The closest temple for members here sa Panay is Cebu so they have to take a boat and they usually only go once a year.
[They're still playing volleyball in the rain!]
I forgot to mention that on July 24, I hit my 6 month mark here on the mission. Only one year left?! I can't believe it. One of the most important things I've learned these past 6 months is the power of the Book of Mormon. In Jacob 2:8 it says
8 And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.
Here sa mission, and life in general, it's not always easy. There are a lot of things that don't go they way we expect pero the Book of Mormon literally heals! Any questions we have about anything can be answered by reading.. nagapati gid ako (I really do believe).
I hope all of you are doing maayo gid!
Halong kamo pirme,
Sister Ventura
Philippines Iloilo Mission (Jan 2018 - July 2019)
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*Some names have been changed or omitted to protect the privacy of individuals.
Send me 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.