Philippines--Week 50: "I don't understand your language."

Maayong buntag and HAPPY EASTER! Here's my love Easter letter for you all!

March 21st, Monday, Sister McMaster and I went and emailed in the morning so we could have a faster internet connection, and when we walked in, we couldn't find the guy that usually sets up the computer for us. So we started asking this little boy where the guy went in Cebuano, and he starts speaking in English (It was kind of broken English). And Sister McMaster and I just look at each other and then ask him again in Cebuano. And he points to the bathroom and says in English, "The CR is right there." I seriously thought that he was just messing with us, but then we asked him if he understood the language we used and he told us, "I don't understand your language." haha. It was so cute! We asked if he's American and he said, "I'm obviously American." We asked, "Is your dad American?" and his response was, "Duuuhh!" haha! I loved that kid! We sat down and started getting on the computer and he kept talking to us and saying, "I like Minecraft. It's my favorite game. Ahh! Creepers! They're killing me!" It was a funny way to start off the day. :)

After emailing/buying food, we went back to our area, and decided to visit Sister Flores because she hasn't been coming to church. We taught her about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and that through him, we can not only be forgive of our sins, but we can be healed mentally and spiritually with whatever problem we have in life. She started crying badly! It was such a Spirit-filled lesson. It's what she really needed to hear at the moment.

March 22nd, Tuesday, after our district meeting, we traveled to Canhabagat and finally got to teach our investigator, Arnel Jr. Arnaiz. We usually teach him at his home, but there's so many animals like pigs, goats, chickens, that it's super loud and we can't ever focus. So we decided to go over to our recent convert's, Sister Inot, and teach there. It was such a good idea! We started off with the song "I am a Child of God" because he seemed pretty uptight, hardheaded at first. But after we sang, he started to warm up. After the song/opening prayer, we decided to read with him the assignment that we gave him because he had a hard time understanding it. We read with him 3rd Nephi 27:1-22. We slowly read each verse one at a time and had him explain what he understood. Because we did that, he really started to understand our message! And he really started to open up to us. It was awesome! Last time that we taught him, we committed him to pray about our message and he told us, "I'll pray, but don't ask me how my prayer was when you guys return. It makes me nervous and tense. Especially if I didn't even receive an answer yet. When I'm ready and feel like I received an answer, I'll be the one to tell you." So this time we never asked him how his prayer went; he was the one that opened up to us and told us! He told us, "I prayed and the confusions kind of left. It felt like I took a shower, my feeling was light. I felt clean and happy." Sister McMaster and I tried so hard to just sit there and be quiet so the Spirit could speak to him and he could feel the truth. After a while, we decided to continue reading and we came across verses 16 and 17 and he explained that we need to repent, but left out the fact that we need to be baptized because he wanted to avoid it. We had him re-explain, and he mentioned that we need to be baptized. He asked us about little babies being baptized and why we don't get baptized when we're born. We shared 1 Corinthians 15:22 and explained that because of Christ, we aren't responsible for the sins of Adam, we're responsible for ours, and babies don't have sins. He really understood it! We then explained a little about the 3 kingdoms of God and he really wants to go to the Celestial kingdom, but he mentioned that he knows that he needs to be baptized to go back. We committed him to be baptized in April, and his response was, "I know that I need to be baptized, but not without my family. It's not the same without family." We then read to him in Doctrine and Covenants 31:2 and explained that if he continues to show faith and be baptized, his family will fall into place and have the same desire that he does. He told us that we should continue teaching his family and to not give up on them so they can all go back together. It was the sweetest, most Spirit-filled lesson ever! I know that he's ready. I can see the Lord working in him. I can't wait to see what the future holds for him.

March 23rd, Wednesday, we visited some less actives and used a little demonstration with cornstarch/water. When you don't move the cornstarch/water in your hand, it'll turn into a liquid and fall out of your hand, but if you continuously move it, it'll become hard. We related that to our faith. If we're always building our faith, it'll become firm and not fade away. It was a fun object lesson!

March 25th, Friday, Sister McMaster and I had weekly planning. But before we planned, we were talking about our area because we kept hearing rumors of how President would take our area and give it to the Elders next transfer. We were pretty upset because of everything that we've done to make our area progress and how before they put sisters in our area, there were Elders there that never got the work done and made anything progress. So we were pretty scared the same thing would happen. So we started talking and not acting very humble about it all. We decided to sing a song and start the planning and so I opened the hymn book and it was #130- "Be Thou Humble." When I saw that, I started laughing and told sister McMaster, "This looks like a good song to sing right now,#130!" She looked at me with a shocked face and showed me which page she turned to. It was #130 also! haha. Heavenly Father was really trying to tell us something.

After the planning we went to Don Pedro and taught our less active, Sister Idsan about faith. After teaching her, we had to go to our investigator, Sister Jolina because she had her baptismal interview this night and we needed to get her and take her to the church. She lives in Japitana which is pretty close to Don Pedro. But instead of going out and walking on the highway, Sister McMaster and I took a different way that we usually go. We walked through this path with salt that the Filipinos gather to eat. We had to cross over this little stream and can usually cross over it, but this time our path was too muddy and didn't have rocks that we could step on. But instead of walking back and wasting time, we decided to try and cross anyways. There was this big rock and Sister McMaster decided to push it down hoping that it would roll towards the stream so we could walk on it. But it actually rolled the opposite way haha. We then tried lifting it up to move it, but it was so heavy and our shoes kept slipping in the mud. So we decided to just jump the stream, hoping that we made it. We jumped it and made it to the other side, but then both slid into the stream because of the mud on the other side! haha. The whole time we were just screaming/laughing. It was such a mess. There was mud all over our shoes/legs. But it was a pretty funny memory! We finally made it to Sister Jolina's home and to the church. Our District leader interviewed her and... she passed! She can be baptized on Saturday! We're really excited for her!

March 26th, Saturday, Sister McMaster and I had a baptism! It was Sister Jolina Catalonia and she is such an awesome investigator. Her parents are the only members but so inactive that they never had their kids get baptized. I've seen such a growth with her and her family. Before, her father/mother would hide from the missionaries, but slowly, they've warmed up to the missionaries! The father and the mother now sit in on lessons and they came to her baptism when they were really hesitant at first! Oh man. My heart melted when I saw them. And also, her oldest brother came to the baptism when he flat out told us that he wouldn't go. He was SO interested and happy to have witnessed his baby sister getting baptized. Because of Sister Jolina's desire to follow Christ/find the truth, her family is being blessed! I love them so much. Her baptism went smoothly and the young women performed a song for her! It was so sweet. Even her testimony was awesome. When she got up to bare her testimony, she said, "I'm happy to be baptized in the Mormon church," in English! It was so adorable!

March 27th, Sunday, Sister McMaster and I went on splits because we had some investigators in Canhabagat and in Medellin go to church. I ended up going to Canhabagat and I was one of the speakers there. I spoke on the Sacrament and how important it is to go to church to partake of it.

Afterwards, Sister Analyn Aquino (member) and I went and taught Brother Arnel Jr. about faith and repentance, but for some reason, he was acting really hardheaded. He kept asking questions that we had answered him before. Sister McMaster and I know that he wants to be baptized in this church, but he's just scared. That's why he's been asking us questions, trying to distract himself from the truth that he feels in his heart. It was a frustrating/sad lesson. I wanted to just cry so badly because he knows the church is true, he's just scared.

Sister McMaster went and visited Sister Idsan and Brother Romel Catalonia (Sister Jolina's brother). There's good and there's bad news to those lessons. With Sister Idsan's lesson, she was starting to remember things! But then randomly her mind would just switch and she'd go back to forgetting everything and repeating herself. And then, Sister McMaster said that her cough has gotten worse, and that she could see yellow in Sister Idsan's eyes and she is looking really weak. We're worried that soon she will pass away, that she'll remember everything about her life and then just pass away. And she's my favorite person to visit!! Also, we found out that it's actually her own brother that has custody over her, and he's LDS! He's making her do Catholic things that she wouldn't do before, and making her kids go to the Catholic church with him. Before, her children really wanted to be baptized/go on missions when they grew up, and now they don't even talk to the missionaries. It's the saddest thing to see what's happening to Sister Idsan's life/family. But the good news is that Sister McMaster got to visit Brother Romel Catalonia (Sister Jolina's oldest brother that came to her baptism)! She was able to teach him and he was really receptive! She gave him The Book of Mormon and he was so happy/excited to read it. I'm pretty excited to teach him!

I've really seen the miracles that Heavenly Father has provided. With obedience and love for the work miracles really DO happen!

I love you all! Amping kanunay!

Love,

Sister Johnson