Philippines Mission--Week 43

Maajong hapon kamong tanan! Here's my lovely week!

February 1st, Monday to February 4th, Thursday, I was really sick and so I stayed home in bed all day :( Monday was the worst p-day ever because it felt like I got hit by a bus, and my throat/ears were killing me and I felt like throwing up/fainting. All of that lasted about 4-5 days so I don't really have any work to tell you guys about, sorry.

February 4th, Thursday, even though I was sick, we had to go to the zone training meeting in Bogo and so Sister Delos Reyes and I got ready and went. I'm actually really glad I went because for the meeting, we watched a 'worldwide missionary training' video with some of the apostles of the church and I saw a VERY familiar face in the video! I saw Elder Erick Garcia!! He was with some other missionaries and they were talking to Elder David A. Bednar and L. Whitney Clayton about missionary work and how we can improve. While watching the video, they showed the name "Elder Garcia" and I thought, "Hmm, that's cool. Elder Garcia." But I didn't think that it was someone I knew. And then Elder Garcia answered a question and I didn't really recognize him at first and then he started talking and I recognized his glasses and was like, "Oh my gosh!!!" My companion just looked at me and asked, "Do you know him?" I thought it was so awesome to see him again even if it was on a video.

February 5th, Friday, I felt a lot better and so we did our weekly planning, and then we went out to our area Japitana. We were walking past this house and this lady with her baby yelled, "Hi Sisters!" so we decided to stop by and introduce ourselves to her and her family. We taught them how the gospel can bless families and we also found out that they had been visited by missionaries before the Yolanda storm and they're letting us come back and visit them.

After teaching them, we visited a less active and taught her about Heavenly Father and how He's always there for us no matter what is going on in life and He will never leave our side. She told us, "I will come back to church, but just not yet." She was kind of hard-headed; but the good news is she came to church!! It was awesome seeing her there! We then visited a former investigator that had been dropped because she wasn't progressing, but Sister Delos Reyes had the feeling we should visit her. We taught her about the Plan of Salvation but had to teach her slowly and in baby steps because she is a very slow learner. But she's SO kind and was really talkative with me even though I just met her. I loved it! Our last appointment was one of our investigators with a baptismal date on Saturday! He was baptized before, but the records were lost, so he has to be re-taught/re-baptized. We're pretty excited for his baptism coming up.

February 6th, Saturday, we visited some older people that we had "oym'd" and taught them a little bit about our Heavenly Father/Jesus Christ. They were pretty old so the whole time we were yelling (haha). But they were so adorable and are letting us come back! After we visited them, we were walking around and Sister Delos Reyes said to me, "There's a British guy that lives here, do you want to go visit him?" So we went and introduced ourselves to the British guy and his wife. It was so weird speaking in English! We talked for a while getting to know them, and then they let us teach them. It was the weirdest lesson ever because I was teaching in English and for some reason I had no idea how to teach the lesson because I'm used to it in Cebuano. But Brother Travis was very nice and welcoming. They're both Catholic and Sister Travis is more strict Catholic than he, but we're going to keep going back so they can feel the Spirit and understand the truth.

February 7th, Sunday, It's fast Sunday and Sister Delos Reyes and I traveled to one of our farthest areas with the couple missionaries and picked up our investigators/members that live too far from the church. The Arnaiz family that we picked up are investigators and it was their first time coming to church because the fare is too expensive for them because the parents have 13 kids! So Elder/Sister Bock decided to pick them up to let them experience attending church in an actual church building before they have a special sacrament where they live. It was awesome being able to hear the testimonies of the members in my new branch. They really love the Gospel and even though they're just a branch and the membership so small, they're still strong in the church.

After all the work, some members/missionaries got together and had an FHE at the Pino family's home. The son gave the lesson and read from the "Search for Happiness" book and mentioned a story about a couple that were only married for 2 months and were struggling with their marriage because they were focusing on worldly things and their life wasn't centered on Jesus Christ. It sounds silly, but it's so true that if you don't center your life on Jesus Christ, your life/relationships around you just crumbles.

February 8th, Monday, Sister Delos Reyes and I got ready in p-day clothes and headed to the Bogo chapel because we were going to participate in a CSP! It was a free scanning/check up for those that have cataracts, cleft lip/palate, and club foot. It was really fun being able to help out the people here with their physical problems. Some investigators that we had invited a while ago actually came and got checked up! It was awesome to see the big smile on everyone's face when the doctors were giving them FREE medical help. There were also a lot of foreigners there too because they had some groups that went around the world and helped out people as well. And a lot of them were members and served missions! One of the groups actually formed in Boise, Idaho. After my mission I really want to look into the group a little more and see what they do so I can go with them. It looks like a lot of fun!

P.S. I'll be hitting my one year mark in about a week and a half!! And Sister Savanah Asay is going home soon! Whoop whoop!

I love you all! Amping kanunay!

Love,

Sister Johnson