Maayong buntag! Sorry that I never sent a letter for you guys last week. But here's my letter from last week. Enjoy!
May 23rd, Monday, we visited our investigator, Jonathan Catalonia, who has a baptism coming up! We were planning on teaching him about marriage/temples, but he didn't really seem into the lesson. He had opened up and asked why we've been coming and teaching him more then just once/twice a week. At the beginning of us teaching him, he scheduled two days that we can come and visit him, but now that his baptism is really close, we've been visiting him a lot more than twice. We explained that we need to prepare him for his baptism. We taught him about 1 Nephi 2:16-19 and explained Nephi's desire to know of the truth for himself and how Laman and Lemuel just complained the whole time. We wanted to show him those scripture verses because he wasn't reading the Book of Mormon and we wanted him to grow the desire for to read it every day. He's such an awesome kid. I love him!
May 24th, Tuesday, after our district meeting, we and our district leader, Elder Santos, went to Brother Jonathan's home because he was going to be interviewed for his baptism! The interview felt like it took hours! But Brother Jonathan ended up passing! He can be baptized! Sister Calagui and I also noticed Elder Santos' eyes had some tears. He said that the interview was filled with the Spirit. I'm so happy and excited for Brother Jonathan Catalonia!
After the interview we went to Babylyn Olivar's home and taught her about The Restoration. Besides her older brother on a mission, she's the only active member in her family. She really wants to serve a mission and so we did an overview of the Restoration and had her kind of teach us to see if she knows it. She's so smart! I love working with her because she teaches so well and her testimony is one of the strongest that I've heard a 17 year old have. We then visited Sister Sollano and shared with her Alma 36:3 and shared that we know that Heavenly Father will always be there to lift us up and strengthen us through times of trials. Her whole family are members but less active and so it's hard for her because she feels like she's the only one that wants to be active.
May 25th, Wednesday, Sister Calagui and I tried to visit Sister Flores, but she wasn't there, so instead we shared with some of her grandchildren that were grown up. Brother Jaylord and Sister Maria were her grandchildren and they seemed pretty interested. Brother Jaylord had told us that he wanted to learn the truth, but he was really shy and so he didn't really open up to us too much. We shared a bit about the Godhead and just explained how the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bless our lives. After teaching them, Sister Calagui and I traveled to Don Virgilio and taught some less actives/investigators. We taught Sister Sofia and Sister Mia about prayer to help them understand who we should pray to and how, in order for our prayers to be answered. While teaching them, a bunch of other kids gathered around us and just listened/participated in the lesson. It was awesome! Kids are so receptive! We then visited Sister DosDos and taught her about enduring and helping out her family to come back to church so they can all be sealed together in the Temple. She's really struggling and I hope that she can become strong in the church to help her family/friends.
May 26th, Thursday, Sister Calagui and I traveled to one of our farthest areas, Curva and did some tracting where we go and find new people to teach. We went to this one home with these two sisters, Lucille and Lorraine who had some conversation with us. They opened up about how their mother has cancer and so we shared about how families can be eternal through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We then tracted at this one house and this lady came out and let us go up to her porch and talk with her. Sister Bernadeth was pretty welcoming and we got to share with her a little bit. We just explained a bit about what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is and how it can bless us in our lives.
The best part about this day was that Sister Calagui, Babylyn and I started talking to these older women and they had actually been drinking. So we started a conversation with them and then we asked one sister if is she was married. She said, "No, I'm not married." I was shocked (because they were really old) and so I said, "You never married?" and she replied, "Nope! The men run!"
May 27th, Friday, after our weekly planning, Sister Calagui went and visited some less actives, Sister Flores and Sister Pino. We shared with Sister Flores about faith and how we can grow our faith more in Jesus Christ. We also shared with Sister Pino about centering Jesus Christ in our lives. Sister Babylyn Olivar worked with us and shared Helaman 5:12, one of my favorite scripture verses in The Book of Mormon.
After teaching some less actives, we went and visited our investigator, Jonathan because the next day he was getting baptized! We taught Jonathan about eternal marriage and baptisms for the dead. It's a lot for someone new to the Gospel to take in our lesson, but he seemed to have understood it pretty well. While teaching him we always try to emphasize for him to serve a mission. So we explained that AFTER he serves a mission, he'll get married in the temple.
May 28th, Saturday, Sister Calagui and I got to witness Jonathan Catalonia's baptism!!! Sister Arguilles, Sister Matafeo, Sister Calagui, Sister Babylyn Olivar and I all sang at the baptism and it was filled with so much Spirit! Jonathan's family came to the baptism also! I was so happy and excited to see them all come and witness Jonathan walk into the waters of baptism and change his life.
May 29th, Sunday, we went on splits again and I went back to Canhabagat and taught Brother Christian, a recent convert, about repentance and how important it is to always be repenting because every day we sin and make many mistakes. He really wants to serve a mission but has been struggling with reading the scriptures and showing an interest, but lately he's been doing a lot better! He's really progressing and is loving to learn about the doctrine. Sister Babylyn (my companion at the time) and I then taught the Inot family (Christian's parents) about obedience and the love of God for all of His children. It was an awesome lesson, because Sister Babylyn taught some of it! She usually just testifies because she's so shy, but she shared a scripture, and taught them. And I loved it because whenever she testifies/teaches, you can really feel the Spirit. She's going to change lives when she serves a mission.
May 30th, Monday, Sister Calagui, Sister Babylyn and I all got together and played some basketball in the morning in Japitana. It was an awesome way of having fun together one last time before I transferred (because we all knew that I'd be the one to transfer). After that, we went home, got ready, had studies, and then went out and traveled to one of our furthest areas, Tindog (which is funny because tindog is Cebuano and means "stand"). We contacted a referral, Joshua and taught him about how the gospel can bless lives. Then we did some tracting there because we didn't have any investigators or know anybody because missionaries never really went to the farthest area because well, it's far. But we found some people to be able to teach in order for us to return and teach them again. They seemed pretty receptive!
May 31st, Tuesday,:Today is transfer calls! Dun, dun dun . . . of course, I was nervous. I'm always nervous when it comes to transfer calls. The zone leaders announced who is transferring and guess what??... I'm transferring. I will be transferring to Consolacion (My first time having a city area. My other areas are usually in the mountains) and my companion is Sister Paget! My third American companion! I used to be in the same zone as her and so I've met her before. She's really nice and super funny! I know this next transfer I'm gonna laugh a lot. I'm pretty excited for a new area/new companions. This will probably be my last area before I go home. 5th area and 10th companion so far!
"Our obedience to the commandments is an expression of our love for our Heavenly Father"
I love you all! Amping kanunay!
Love,
Sister Johnson