Then Sings My Soul: Happy 4th!

Written 7/6/14

Hi all.

So many things have happened this week, I hope I can get them all typed out here. I also want you all to know I'm appreciating this moment because I am FREEZING in this email shop. It's raining outside and when I come home I will have to stay in a blanket burrito 24/7.

The Filipino independence day is in June, so I celebrated personally by wearing my red skirt and blue shirt. #Murica.

Thank you all for your conversion story contributions. I had some really awesome studies this week because of it. Anyone else who wants to send me their conversion story is welcome, I'd love to hear more.

I have a picture of Mom and Dad that I carry around with me and whip out in lessons to talk about eternal families. I've gotten so many comments this week on how Mom is so gwapa and that Dad looks like Tom Cruise. :)

I also got told by one of our less active members who was really drunk that I look exactly like Mamma Mary, I just need to wear a robe, so... That happened. You never know what to expect here :)

I love the Book of Mormon because it confounds false doctrine, and this week we have run into an unusual amount of that yucky stuff. I learned this week that "Baliscad" is the devil's favorite word. In Ilonggo it means "upside down". The devil was everywhere this week, turning the truth on it's head for our members and investigators this week.

I wrote down some doctrine of the devil I heard this week, and the scriptures that teach us the truth:

"It's better to trust in myself than in God." (Mosiah 7:33, 2 Nephi 4:34)

"I can't pray because I have too many sins." (2 Nephi 32:8)

"God understands that I can't go to church because I have to cook." (Alma 45:16)

"God still loves me and will bless me even when I don't obey His commandments." (Half-truths here. That's also the devil's favorite. 2 nephi 28:8)

"My son can come to church only if it's raining... Otherwise he needs to sell his ice cream." (Mosiah 13:17-18) (By the way, it rained on Sunday and they still didn't come. -_-)

"I can't be baptized in your church because your members are sinning." (Moroni 10:32)

Isn't it scary what the devil can make us believe? That's why the daily basics are so important. The devil has been working hard on some of our recent converts lately. We have a lot of young men aged converts in one of our areas who have lately been avoiding us and not coming to church. I got a taste of motherhood last Friday as Sister and I tried and tried to wrangle them all so we could teach them and get to the bottom of this. It took almost an hour but we finally got to talk to them all and resolve some concerns with them. It was a heartbreak to hear that some of them had fallen back into old habits and addictions, but even more sad to hear them tell us they can't come to church because of their sins.

Later that day we also ran into a recently gone less active YSA aged young man we've been working with to overcome some of his addictions as well... Except he was drunker than a skunk and hiding a bottle of whiskey in his pants. I called him out on the whiskey and we tried to talk him into handing the bottle over to us and not returning to the party, but it was clear he was not quite.. there. Ahaha. He ended up tucking the whiskey bottle under his arm and running (apparently drunks can still run) back to the party. It was pretty devastating to see the example he was setting for our recent converts and the sorrow he was causing himself and his family. I'm still a missionary, so I guess we have to invite others to come unto Christ- even the drunk ones.

All of our sadness and worrying and mental exhaustion over our members came to a head on Sunday, where sister and I were fasting for our Recent converts. I nearly cried as the meeting started and hardly anyone was there. Then I nearly cried again as I watched nearly all those boys walk through the sacrament hall doors and take a seat in the meeting. Later I watched one waiting outside Bishop's office, waiting for an appointment with him. The Lord is ever so much more powerful than the devil and his false doctrine. He can take care of these children of His way better than I can.

In other news this week, V.J. and company brought 3 new investigators to church with them, and as B. introduced me to L., he said "He wants to be taught by the missionaries. So when is his baptism??" Ahaha. LOVE these little 13 year old missionaries. B. even said the closing prayer in his young men class on Sunday :)

C. is a new investigator who is AMAZING. She's the daughter in law of one of our members, and is so golden. In our first lesson she asks us, "Sisters, what does 'gospel' mean?" And in the second, as we followed up on her prayer about Joseph Smith she says, "I prayed and after 3 days, I felt so light and peaceful. I know he's a true prophet." She came to church on Sunday and the RS in the ward were so good at welcoming her. I testify that the Lord answers prayers!

The cake topper to all this? F.'s baptism on Saturday. He's been so diligent in biking to church every week, and his baptism was a sweet experience. Afterwards, it was raining outside and we were worried about him getting wet. (Filipinos are all afraid of the rain. It gives you the flu.) We got a black garbage bag from the storage closet for a makeshift poncho and he wrapped his wet towel around his head (like how we do when we dress up like the shepherds in the Nativity story on Christmas Eve and Megan and I fight about who gets to play Mary... Which apparently I look like Mamma Mary so that ends that everlasting argument. Okay, tangent over.) and resiliently got on his bike to go home in the rain. As he rode out of the church grounds sister and I watched and she said to me, "Now that's the faith."

Well, do you think this letter is long enough yet? I hope these emails catch a little glimpse of my life here. I love it. I love the rain and the crazy Filipinos and the gospel. I know Christ lives. Read the Book of Mormon.

Love,

Sister Luke

1. It was a week of cute baby animals. I have to admit it- I'm a cat lady.

2. My Lolo F.

3. You cannot tell me that is not the sweetest face ever.

4. This is J., one of my RC's and this picture (and my face) explains so perfectly what I do about 50% of my time here. Sister Oquias and I play mother to all the lost children here.