Hey everyone!
Okay before I say anything else, I just want to inform you all that we are OKAY. Us as missionaries have no idea what the media and stuff is saying about these storms, so we are always surprised when we get on email and hear about it! But yeah, we were warned about the typhoon that was coming through. We didn't work Saturday afternoon and we didn't work all day yesterday. We had to prepare and be ready for it. But.... literally nothing even happened. There was a little bit of rain (it rains harder when there is no storm) haha and the wind was blowing, but it felt more good than anything! So, I am way sorry that there was a big scare over there. Maybe it hit worse in other parts of the mission. I am not quite sure, we haven't heard anything! All of us in San Nicolas are happy though because we get to have P-day and email. :)
It was another great week. The Spirit was felt lots. I just wanted to hurry and tell you that we went so far out this week and we ran into this man who had a USA army emblem on the front of his house. Of course that interests me. We talked to them and he was a retired army guy. It was the day after September 11th and so I wrote him a not thanking him for the service of our country and put it inside of a book of mormon and gave it to them. I have met other men like that here in the Philippines as well, and it just amazes me. I was overwhelmed with gratitude because these filipino men sacrifice their life for the USA and then they just come back and live in the Philippines. I will be forever be grateful for the men and women who put their lives on the line for our country!
The next thing I wanted to tell you all about was the family that we found last week! So the Gabriel family. The ones who went to church last week. Remember? Okay, so we hadn't even taught them the Restoration. We went back on saturday to teach the whole family again. This time we took a couple fellowshipper. It was one of the coolest lessons in the world. Man you can just feel the power when you are teaching a husband and wife and their kids. I had never felt anything like it! They are super receptive, but I was in charge of teaching the Restoration portion of it. The story about Joseph Smith. Sometimes I get really impatient because little kids are running around and being loud and stuff. We just continued though because the parents were really listening. So like the climax of this lesson is obviously always the first vision. And I finally have it completely memorized in tagalog so I can just literally say it right to them. I begin saying it while holding the picture and brother can't take his eyes off of the picture, but the kids started being loud. Inside I was just freaking out because I didn't want them to ruin this moment! I just kept going without stopping for silence haha. It was all good. Then my companion asked them a question about if they have any doubts that this really happened. The mom said, I don't have one doubt in my mind that he saw them. Then brother said, "no, i have no doubts! I am looking at the picture right now! He really did see them!" This dad is amazing. He just said, "Just like James 1:5 says! I believe if one of us went out into the bukid, the same thing could happen with us!" The things he was saying was what any missionary would die to hear after teaching the restoration. You should have seen the smiles on our faces! So after that we obviously planned to extend baptism to them. So we showed them a picture of Christ being baptized and invited them when they came to know this church was true, if they would follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. Without hesitation they nodded their heads, and then we extended the date ofNovember 15th. Brother went on to tell us that he wants to change, and if it was God wants him to do, he will do it. He opened up that he has a drinking problem and he gambles, but he wants to stop it. And then he went on to tell us how grateful they are that we came and found them because now they know about this. And then he said that they can feel the difference when we are there. I have never had anyone ever tell us that my whole mission! I mean that is obviously our goal as missionaries, but no investigator has ever expressed it to me or my companionship my whole mission. It was like perfect. This is a special family. And I am sad because I don't have a picture of them, but next week I will. So this family is scheduled to be baptized on November 15th, 2014. The weekend before I go home... :) I love them. Haha they even look like a mormon family! Even though they don't have anything, they fed us a simple lunch and we all ate with our hands. It was just pure joy. I seriously can't wait to keep teaching them. Brother makes baskets out of bamboo and I am trying to figure out a souveneir her can make me to take home! We are so blessed right now in the work! I am sure I will have a lot more to say about them next week!
My companion and I are doing great! We had an awesome talk about giving it literally our all. We evaluated ourselves on how we are doing and we both know even though our work is great right now, it could be better! Gonna step it up a knotch. :)
And a little happy birthday shout out to my loovely mother this friday. :) It is writeen all over my planner. I have not and will not forget! I LOVE YOU!
I LOVE YOU ALL!
Don't count the days, make the days count. :)
Love,
Sister Wood
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