Maayong aga everyone!
So this is kind of sad because I wrote a long weekly update for you all this week and right when I sent it, there wasn't anymore internet and so I don't have it saved anywhere. It wasn't even saved as a draft! But I do have one short part that somehow saved so this is all I have for you this week 😊
So anyways the sister who is a member is a really strong member of the church. Missionaries actually found her dad first who was a devoted catholic but his daughter ended up getting baptized first. So for months, the missionaries have been coming back to try to teach her parents, si Nanay (mother) and Tatay (father) but they just weren't interested. Missionaries would regularly go to teach but Tatay was never interested. But the month before I came here to [my current area], something changed in him and he started listening to missionaries. And I have been so blessed to be able to continue teaching them and prepare them for the sacred ordinance of baptism. And ever since they have started listening to the missionary lessons, Nanay and Tatay have had such strong faith and have grown so much closer to our Savior. So this day when we planned to teach them, we went and started teaching them, but some Tatay's family friends passed by and he was insisting that they would listen to us. And it was so amazing and so heart-warming to hear Tatay share his testimony to his friends even though we hadn't even asked him! When his friends sat down, he started testifying something along these lines "Come take a seat. Come listen to what the missionaries have to share. You know I'm so thankful for these missionaries and how they haven't stopped coming back here. They've came here so many times but I always told them next time. I always told them that there's one God and we believe in the same God, so it's fine and there's no difference. But one day I started to read the Book of Mormon and it really changed me. I felt something different and I know Joseph Smith really translated this through the Priesthood, or power of God." There was more that he shared but that was the basics of it all. I'm so blessed that Nanay and Tatay have been prepared by the Lord and that they have a desire to share the Gospel!
Even though you all weren't able to read the e-mail I sent I'm happy at least that this part was saved!
Pictures this week:
[Sister Coronel made our cooking so "sosyal" 😆]
Until next week!
Halong kamo pirme,
Sister Ventura
Philippines Iloilo Mission (Jan 2018 - July 2019)
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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.