Week 74: The tender mercies of the Lord are truly all around us!

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Mayong aga everyone! 

[I love my mission parents 😊]

Woo this past week was pretty great. It was really eventful too! So much happened, I'm excited to share it all 😁

Last Tuesday was Transfer Day and even though neither Sister Loftus or I transferred, we were at the terminal back and forth to see off one of our sisters that transferred and then a couple hours later we went to the terminal again to welcome two new sisters. Yay it was so exciting and we were able to find a couple new people to teach as well.

[Transfer day! Bye Elder Singleton! Thanks for everything!]

Last Wednesday was probably one of the best days of work ever! We worked hard, talked to a lot of people, and had more new people to teach as well. Usually we have interruptions in the work to fulfill our other responsibilities but this day was pretty awesome, we just worked the whole day and were able to completely focus on our friends.

[Random haha!]

[She's really detailed in her journal!]

Last Friday we attended the funeral of one of the members in our area and it was so sad, yet so beautiful. Sister Loftus and I couldn't help but cry at the love expressed for this member but I'm so grateful that I have the knowledge that families can truly be together forever. I love my family so much and I know Heavenly Father wants us to experience that love forever.

[Yum energen in the morning 😁]

Last Saturday we woke up extra early to meet up with our zone to travel all together to [the city]. It was such a bittersweet day. We were all so happy because we were gathered together to see the whole mission but we heard President Cruz and Sister Cruz's departing message. I love them so much and I'm so grateful to them!

Sunday we had such an amazing Sabbath Day. The people we expected to go to church didn't go to church! But the people we didn't expect to go to church came and it was so amazing. It was such a tender mercy for Sister Loftus and I because we weren't able to work in our area the day before. And it's so heartwarming to know that the Lord knows how hard we are trying to save these souls that He helped them to come to church 😁 In the evening time, we went to the terminal (once again) to meet up with the ZL's because we went to [the city] once again for MLC.

[The struggle, haha!]

Yesterday I wasn't able to send out an email because we had MLC. President Cruz's  last one! I'm grateful we were able to gather together as a leadership council and discuss how to improve our mission and President Cruz and Sister Cruz are preparing us for the arrival of the new mission president next week.

[Last picture ever while were both missionaries!]

[Batch!]

[MLC!]

Yesterday I hit my 17 month mark. 1 month na lang! I am so happy to be serving the Lord with my entire soul and I know this last month will be the best. Keep me updated.

Stay happy!

Halong kamo pirme, 

Sister Ventura

Philippines Iloilo Mission (Jan 2018 - July 2019)

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Send an e-mail: 

elza.ventura@missionary.org

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.

Week 73: LAST AREA 5EVER

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Maayong udto everyone! 

YAY we got transfer calls this morning and I'M STAYING IN [THE SAME AREA]. I'm so happy haha so I'll really be here for 9 months a.k.a. half my mission. Grabe gid, I'm so excited 😊 Sister Loftus is going to 'kill me!"

[Sis. Reyes made me this trunky planner for me over a year ago and I finally opened it because now it's my last cycle!]

This past week was pretty awesome.

Just some random highlights:

Last Tuesday we worked in 3 areas! Pretty crazy so Sister Loftus and I did follow-up exchanges with the 2 sets of companionships. We were all over the place and it was so fun. The afternoon I worked with Sister Fuller and then in the night time I worked with Sister De Jesus! We were only able to work in our area for 1 hour but I'm happy to serve my sisters 😊

[Thank you for cooking!]

Last Wednesday we did a CSP for one of our friends who's disabled. He always talks about how he needs help cleaning around his house and yard so Wednesday morning we show up and he kept saying how shy he was and that he didn't want to make us clean but we cleaned anyway and he really appreciated it! It was nice to do service and to show that we want to help him not only spiritually but temporally as well.

Last Thursday we had a special zone meeting and the AP's came and gave some spiritually uplifting talks about how we can be better missionaries. It was really inspiring and it makes me want to be better everyday and strive to be the best I can for those we teach. We also had another follow-up exchanges and we went to another area to work in. I worked with Sister Dacer and we had a lot of fun and were able to teach a lot of people.

Last Saturday we attended the baptism of one of the sister companionships in our zone and it was such an amazing experience. There was one Nanay who is 85 years old! She bore such a heartfelt testimony and that just shows it's never too late to change your life! At night President and Sister Cruz, and their daughter took us out to eat at Pizza Hut! I haven't had pizza hut in so long it was sooo good.

[Pizza Hut at Robinson's]

Yesterday we had pretty miraculous work. We had 10 new friends yesterday! When we arrived to church yesterday, there was a Sister that approached us and apparently she came to church all alone and attended the Sacrament service prior to ours but she lives in our area. It was her first time coming to church so we got her information and told her we would find her later in the afternoon. As we started looking for her, it started pouring rain! But luckily we were able to find her quick and it was such an amazing lesson. So it turns out, her friend kept on telling her to go to church and she finally went even though he already moved back to his hometown. She really enjoyed church and she was so open to our message. It was so miraculous because not only she listened but so did her mom and her sister. They were in tears by the end of the lesson and I know they felt the Holy Ghost warming up their hearts that Heavenly Father loves them and that the message is true. We're excited to go back to them!

It was a good week! We look forward to welcoming 2 new sisters to the zone and I'm also excited because this Saturday we're going to basically have a farewell conference with the entire mission for President and Sister Cruz.

Hope all of you have a good week! Stay happy 😊

Halong kamo pirme, 

Sister Ventura

Philippines Iloilo Mission (Jan 2018 - July 2019)

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Send an e-mail: 

elza.ventura@missionary.org

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.

Week 72: 'Guro di ko gid ya ma-mala (I'll probably never be dry)!

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Maayong udto everyone! 

This week was pretty good, I think it's officially rainy season again! Actually in the beginning of the week it was extra hot (more than usual) which means I sweated... a lot. But towards the end of the week it started raining, also a lot and so we were rarely dry this week, haha. I love my mission.

Last Monday we had Zone Activity and shout out to Elder Jenkins (batch) and Elder Singleton for making our activity amazing gid! The Elders made and escape room type of thing and it was so much fun! We did Elders vs Sisters of who would "escape" faster and we beat the Elders by 20 minutes! 

After we went to the terminal and picked up some sisters that would be sleeping our apartment because the next day we had zone conference! Naka-balik si Sister Obina, ang daan nga kabalay ko sa balay (Sister Obina came back to the house we used to live in together)!

Last Tuesday we had PRESIDENT CRUZ AND SISTER CRUZ'S LAST ZONE CONFERENCE EVER with [our] zone. It was so sad but an amazing conference. After lunch we sang "Abide with Me" for them and then we gave them a jar filled with our testimonies and also a painting from our zone. I can't believe President Cruz and Sister Cruz are getting released so soon!

Last Saturday we had another baptism for one of our friends and wow I'll just share her story because she's the most golden of the golden friends ever! So She was actually a referral from Bishop's wife in our ward. They met 7 years ago because they both work at boarding houses and were looking for students at the close-by college. They added each other on Facebook and from there, our friend found out that Bishops wife was a member of the church. Many times in the past couple of years Bishop's wife invited her to activities and church and even to other peoples baptisms but she just said she was busy. But a month ago, she felt her trials were so heavy and she didn't know where to turn. She knew that Bishops wife was someone she could trust and so she asked if we, the missionaries, can come over and help her out. That day that we scheduled to teach her, there were a lot of obstacles that I knew Satan put in her path so that she wouldn't make it to our appointment. However she made it and the first lesson was just so amazing. She opened up to us about her life and was just really looking for something to fill her life with happiness. Ever since that first lesson we kept on going back to her and she kept every commitment we gave her. Not only did she do the commitment but she DID it, whole-heartedly and because of that, she started to feel converted and closer to our Savior. She just totally opened up and really trusted Sister Loftus and I in growing closer to Jesus Christ. She is the kindest, most pure Sister I've ever met and I'll never forget her, especially her testimony after she got baptized - she said "The first time I came to church. It was a different feeling. I can't explain what i felt. I have never felt so welcomed by other people even though we don't know each other, they greeted me so kindly. I know that this church is true and I'm so grateful to Bishop's wife, Sister Loftus, and Sister Ventura. They never got tired of coming to my house to teach me the good news of the gospel."

I'm so grateful that I have this opportunity to help people put their trust in things that are of our eternal worth. The good news that we share is that we have a Savior that died for us and because He died for us, not only can we be resurrected like Him, but we can return back to our Father in Heaven who's waiting for us. I know this is all possible because They love us and I know they really do! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen

Halong kamo pirme, 

Sister Ventura

Philippines Iloilo Mission (Jan 2018 - July 2019)

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Send an e-mail: 

elza.ventura@missionary.org

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.