Philippines Iloilo Mission: 07/01/19

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Hey friends kag fam!

[Picking up trash!]

(More Photos below!)

This past week was really good and I am just loving every second. The mission is the best and I know this is literally once in a lifetime. This past week was really great and filled with so many miracles. I just wanna share one story of one of the people we've been teaching who we have only known for a little over a month actually but his progression has been so fast!

So one day when we had exchanges, I was with Sister Bernardo for the day and we decided to do some finding in the area. For as long as I've been in my area, I haven't been able to explore ever area or path. And for the past few couple months There had been this one path I've been wanting to enter in but we have just always hadn't had time and had other places to go, but during exchanges, since we had two companionships working in one area, Sister Bernardo and I did some finding! And so we entered the path and talk to almost every person we saw.

Everyone seemed willing to listen but not too promising. We ended up teaching one family and as we were walking out, I felt the prompting to keep going all the way to the end of the path instead of going back out to another area. We went to the end of the path and there was this one man I was almost drawn to talk to. I noticed he had a brace type thing on his leg and so after asking him how he was doing I asked him about his leg and he said he got in an accident. After introducing ourselves, I felt that I should give him a Book of Mormon and so I did and I explained the background and he mentioned how he had a Book of Mormon before Typhoon Yolanda and that he used to be taught by missionaries in the 1990's! I was amazed and set a return appointment with him.

The next time we came back, it was Sister Loftus and I now and he actually forgot we were coming but he quickly made time to listen to us. Actually the first time, he told us a lot about himself which was actually good so we know how to better help him and what he needs to grow closer to Jesus Christ. We asked him if he read in the Book of Mormon and he had already read the introduction and all the testimonies within 2 days and he explained it to us in depth! We set another return appointment from then on and just kept visiting him and going back to teach him.

One day as we were teaching him, he mentions how he's going to be going to Manila and Sister Loftus and I were both so sad because he was progressing so much and was totally prepared to receive the Gospel. But we didn't let that stop us from continually going back to him and teaching him. We steadily taught him and he kept going to church but the time was approaching that he would leave for Manilla. So the day he was supposed to leave for Manila, Sister Loftus and I wrote letters to him to take with him for his trip so that we can encourage him to continue listening to missionaries in Manila. We got his contact info and place of where he would be staying so that we could refer him and everything.

[Found the smallest shell ever!]

So the week passes by and we go to church on Sunday. As we got off the tricycle, we saw his car in the parking lot! Sister Loftus and I looked at each other and we were like noooo way. So we go inside and we see him at church (this was last last Sunday)! After Sacrament we talk to him and he said that he actually never left. He said he was so touched with the letters we wrote to him and so he pointed to me and said "before you go home. I will get baptized." In my head I was like "tuod ka?! (are you serious?!)"

Everyday after then we went back to him and he absorbs everything like a sponge. He's truly a miracle. It's actually funny because this past week we taught him about how we have a living-day prophet and at first when we told him he didn't seem to believe us and so we just taught and testified and he said these words "As you were talking, I felt something different in my body, like a good different, And then I heard a small whispering that said 'it is true.'" I know that we didn't get this brother to believe, but instead the Spirit touched his heart and whispered the truth to him. After the lesson, we gave him a Liahona with General Conference talks and by the next day when we came to visit, he had read many talks and testified to us that President Russel M. Nelson is [a] true [prophet]! I know Heavenly Father prepared this brother. He's getting baptized this Saturday and we're just so excited.

[Merienda]

Last Saturday he got interviewed and in his interview he shared with our district leader that ever since he got into his accident and he almost lost his leg, and his life, he felt that God had given him a 2nd chance. And so he looked for the truth. A lot of religions had visited him but he just wasn't satisfied. But after many years, and after almost leaving for Manila, he found the truth! I know that he's such a good example of putting God first in our lives. Instead of choosing to leave and go to Manila, he knew it was more important to get baptized first. I know that it took some sacrifice but he loves Heavenly Father more than his earthly necessities. Do we love God more than the things we can physically hold? And what will we do to make sure we show our love to Him? Take time to ponder that this week and I know we will feel how we can love God even more!