News, News and News

Written 1/26/14

Good Morning my loved ones!

Wow. What a week. Happy Martin Luther King day from last week, and Happy Birthday to Heather this week! Hope it's good even if I'm not there ;)

So.... Might as well just spit it out instead of chewing on the bad news.....

EMERGENCY TRANSFERS. I hate them. I wish I had perfect faith and trust but I don't... And I hate transfers. I got a call last night from the AP's that I transfer on Tuesday. I don't know where or with who yet... That'll come in my next week email! Sister Nielsen and I are SO bummed. I'm devastated to be leaving this area, Sister Davis, and Sister Nielsen. We've been getting along and teaching and finding like mad, and this area was really starting to progress even more. *Sigh.* It's all part of the plan.

In the happy news this week, Sister K. got baptized! She's the cutest thing, I LOVE her. We had an amazing lesson with her on Friday night, the night before her baptism, on the Plan of Salvation. She's been asking a couple questions about it and we were really excited to teach her. We brought KA with us, one of our awesome ward missionaries. As we neared the end of the lesson, K. asked us with tears rolling down her face where her Mom is now (she's since passed away) and how she could ever be a forever family with her since her mom was never baptized. If you know me, I can't hold back the tears if anyone else is crying so.. eventually we were just 4 women sitting there in tears, and I got to explain to K. about temple work, as I showed her the picture of the Salt Lake Temple in the back of my scriptures. When she asked us, I told her it was possible, and she looked at me and said, "Really?" It was that moment that I realized how strong my testimony of temples has become. I testified without a doubt about my forever family, and how she can do the work for her mother after she is baptized. The Spirit was the strongest I've ever felt in my mission, and it was amazing how gentle it was, but strong at the same time. Sister KA bore a powerful testimony... Her dad died and they've since done temple work for him as well- I know it was inspired that she came with us to that lesson. I learn so much from our awesome investigators.

Our miracle this week:

A few weeks ago, Sister Fitzgerald and I started praying specifically to find an "elect" investigator, prepared by Heavenly Father for us. We OYM'ed a man named TD in one of our neighborhoods, Rosario Heights, and he seemed pretty interested, and we've been trying to recontact him ever since. We've run into him here and there and tried to set up appointments, but he's never been home. Due to the fact that they have no addresses here... We found out last week that we'd been barking up the wrong tree.. Or in this case "Tag Balay"-ing at the wrong house. (For the Philippines novices: We say "Tag balay" outside the house instead of doorbells and knocking. Sometimes the neighbors think we're crazy.. Two white girls in skirts and holding blue books screaming at the doors of our investigators, but you know, it's cool.) Back on track. We found out where he actually lives and tried to go there, but only his daughter J. was home, so we set up a return appointment when the family was home. Later that week at district meeting, the Elders gave us a bunch of old record for OUR side that had been sitting in their area book. When we looked through the records... Lo, and behold, who did we find? J. (the daughter!) She had a record and had been taught all the lessons, been to church multiple times and even had a baptismal date. Because of some unexpected issues with some commandments, she had turned into a former investigator almost 2 years ago. Sister Nielsen and I determined to go visit her again. We got in the lesson with her and had barely sat down when she told us she wanted to continue teachings with the missionaries and wants to be baptized as soon as possible. Like... Where are these people coming from?? The Lord totally answered mine and Sister Fitzgerald's prayer to find an elect, even though it was in His time. J. is going to be baptized on February 15th (Same as Dayjah, Aubs!) and I know we came across her as an answer to our prayers.

Okay, this email is already getting long but I want to share something from my personal study. I've been thinking about the term "Savior and Redeemer".... I've wondered if there is a difference between the two words and if so, what is it? Everyone here (because it's a Christian country) always tells us that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior and our Redeemer, but it seems almost recited every time. I decided to look into it and an analogy popped into my head as I studied. It's as if we're falling over an edge into a deep hole. Christ is our Savior, meaning that His arm is extended toward us, and He catches us, so we don't fall into the hole.  Technically we're saved, because we won't fall down the hole to our deaths, but we're still dangling there in space. That's why Christ is our Redeemer as well... Because not only does he catch us, but He lifts us. That's the meaning of Redemption, of a Redeemer. In Mosiah 13:4-5 we learn that "Surely He hath bourne our griefs and carried our sorrows." Christ didn't need to feel our pains in order for us to be saved- He only needed to pay for our sins. But because He is our Savior and Redeemer, he did. He's lifted us out of the hole, instead of leaving us dangling, he's lifted our burdens and sorrows. In verse 5 it says, "And with His stripes, we are healed." Not only are we saved, but healed as well. Lifted. Redeemed. A Savior saves, a Redeemer lifts. The gospel is so cool, right?!

Funny moment this week: Sister Nielsen and I spent half Wednesday morning standing on kitchen chairs because of the HUGE, HUGE spider on the wall. *Shudder* Also, I got slightly peed on by a small boy. We were talking to this woman in her house, and the little boy by her just starts peeing on the rock by the one I was standing on. I feel some splashes on my leg.... Yeah. That happened. Ahaha. Oh, the Philippines. :)

Okay okay okay. I'm sorry that my mouth runs away with me every week. I love you all so much, and I'm the happiest I've ever been. I love this work... Can't wait to update you all on my new area and new companion! Keep on keeping on.

All my love,

Sister Luke

Sister K's baptism

All Things New

Written 1/19/14

Maayong Aga, my loved ones!

Wow, what a week of changes and awesome stuff. Sister Person left Tuesday to go home... It's a weird feeling to kill a missionary. Right now for me, home will never come, it's some far away concept that will never be real. Ahaha. But I said goodbye to her on Tuesday and met my new companion! Sister Natalie Nielsen, and she is the BOMB. We already click so well- I love her. She's from Arizona, and she nannied in PARIS (MEGAN) before her mission. So. Yeah, I think that alone can tell you how well we both get along. :) It's been different, leading the area, but our lessons have been rockin- she's a way sweet teacher and way good in the language. Speaking of the language, I feel like this week it randomly just CLICKED in my brain. It honestly felt like I woke up one day and suddenly I can understand what I need. I know what people are saying in the jeepneys and the streets and in the lessons.... Not everything, but enough to be able to teach. The Lord has given me the words I need to teach our investigators, and it's so exciting to actually be able to converse with these people I love so much. Wow. Gift of tongues is real. Before now, I could understand enough to get along, but it's amazing how the Lord gives you what understanding you need to move the work along. Sometimes I stop and wonder in amazement that I am speaking to these people in a different language, and they are responding! Hah. Weird. On another tangent- The past couple weeks I've been getting everyone's family Christmas cards, and I love it!! Thank you so much, especially to Aunts and Uncles who have been writing and sending cards! I love it so the MOST much.

Sister Smith and Sister Davis got the (dreaded) AP's call last monday after emailing that Sister Smith was transferring. We were so sad, but such is missionary life. We have Sister Arcinas in the house now, a Filipina, and she's super awesome. We all get along really well and love being housemates :) This week we have the girlfriend of one of our less actives getting baptized! I might have talked about K. before, but I can't remember. F. is a (former!!) less active in our ward (he just officially returned to church this week!) and we've been teaching his girlfriend, K. They want to be married in a year in the temple, but we can only teach K. on Friday's and Saturdays. She's been a little spotty here and there on the days she's been able to meet with us, but her interview was yesterday, and we got to teach her before. She passed, and she'll be getting baptized on Saturday! Hopefully F. will be the one to baptize her :) She told us how happy she was to be getting baptized, and even got teary as she shared her excitement with us. Missionary work rocks!

We had a sweet lesson with the J. family this week. (They are the ones we found through a referral... We wandered around for around and hour trying to find them?) Anyway, it was the very first time I've ever sat down in a lesson and felt the Spirit say, "You need to teach about (in this case) Temples." So I thought... Okay, we'll teach about temples! I told Sister Nielsen how I felt and we just went with it. The Lord had totally blessed us, and prepared us for this lesson without us even knowing. Earlier in companionship study, Sister and I had found a tagolog Liahona we wanted to give to T. that night, and it had a huge picture of the Salt Lake temple in it that we wanted to show him. We had planned this really nice lesson for T. about temples, and ended up using a lot of it with the J. family. We've been struggling to get them progressing. Brother has a lot of sincere desire, but keeps getting hung up on the small questions and details and random stuff from the Bible. But seeing their faces as we taught about the temple and showed them the picture... The Spirit was really strong. It got quiet for a bit, and I think the Spirit was really testifying to them that their family could be together forever. They are a pretty young couple, only about 32 and 28 and they have 4 beautiful kids. I really, really hope they get baptized soon- I know how much the gospel really blesses families!

And finally, in our week of miracles, we met a family of 18 children. Um, yes. 18. All from one mother. (Bless her.) And they let us into their home. And we taught them. WOW. We were totally lead by the Lord to them, but long story short, as we walked by their house it was getting dark (it gets dark here at 6 pm) and I saw two kids pumping a bumba by their house (pumping water.) I haven't been able to try that yet, so I told them we didn't have them in America and asked if I could try. They laughed and said yes, so I filled their little bucket there. Sister Nielsen just grabs one of the buckets they have filled there and starts taking it into their house. They are laughing at us, but let us help. Then all these kids start coming out of the house and we started talking to them. Come to find out, they all live there, and there's 18- with a couple of them living in other places with their families. The dad invited us in and we taught a bit of lesson 1. They all sat around and listened, and seemed so receptive. We invited them to church and told them we'd come pick them up on Sunday, and they accepted! But when sister and I went back, there seemed to have been a miscommunication (maybe I can't speak this language as well as I think ;) ) The dad had left with some of the kids to his own catholic church, and the mom told us they were really busy and couldn't come with us... But we will go back! I love them already :) Pray for them.

T. is doing fabulous. He wears his white shirt to church every week and I love it :) We taught him about the temple, and he can't wait to go with the YSA on their temple trip to Cebu for baptisms in April. It's amazing to see him and G. establishing their lives in the church. On Sunday, Sister and I were fasting, and had brought lunches with us to church so we didn't have to go home to each lunch after church, and we could just break our fast there. We may or may not have locked ourselves in a classroom to gobble down our food before K.'s interview after church. Ahaha. The life of a missionary. 

Anyway, sorry for the random throw up. I am happy and love love loving this work. Mosiah 24:14-15. So the MOST true. I love being a missionary, and I love you all. Keep sharing your missionary experiences with me- You are all an inspiration!

The MOST love,

Sister Luke

 

1. Sister Nielsen and I! Love this sister.

2. The V. family, one of our Recent Converts we've been teaching. Love them! He used to be a baptist preacher. Miracles do happen!

 

3. Trying to fit in Sister Smith's suitcase. It didn't quite work.

"Today is a Good Day for Being Pooh"

Written 1/12/14 

Ang mga palangga ko! And Happy birthday to you, Sarah!! :)

How are you all doing my loved ones? This has been an interesting week, and a joyful, joyful week.......... T. GOT BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love being a missionary.

Okay. But seriously. I have never felt so happy. I testify that there is "godly sorrow", but there is also Godly happiness, too. It makes you feel like your heart is going to burst! So much light and joy and heaven packed into your heart....That kind of happiness. Wow. It's the bestest. I'll send some pictures of the baptism. T.'s testimony after his baptism was amazing. He said he knows temptations still come to him, and always will, but he knows that because of the church and because of his "tight faith" in Christ, he is able to overcome it all. Wow, what a powerhouse. I love him!! Seeing him baptized was the MOST best. My face has been sore for days from all the smiling.

I've heard some crazy 50-degrees-below-zero stories about the states... and that 50 some odd people froze to death in New Jersey? True? You never know what to believe here... But it sounds like it's been pretty wintery in the states... And the same here! I don't know the degrees, but goodness. I broke out my CARDIGAN and SCARF yesterday for church. And I didn't sweat one drop of sweat! What is life? It's been raining here for like 3 days straight. I think the island is going to turn into a raisin. You know how your fingers get all pruney when you stay in the bath too long? Yeah, I think that's what's going to happen to all the Philippines. It's. So. Wet. Currently I'm wearing and sweater and a scarf now. I feel like a Filipina... I'm actually cold. I think it's probably somewhere around 60 degrees? Who knows. But I'm actually sleeping under my sheet nowadays :) It's the little things.

This week with Sister Person has been so good. She's so diligent, even to the very last few days of her mission! It would be so easy for her to slack, but she never does. She's an amazing teacher, and I'm learning a lot from her. I've been a little under the weather this week, but even when I was stuck in the house we arranged for member exchanges so she could go out and work. Wow! I love her. She's funny and caring and loves to laugh. She's small, but gets a lot done :) I'm so lucky. On Tuesday I'll get my new companion! Let you all know about the next victim next week ;)

This week we taught sooo much, and got a lot done, but only one RC came to church, and only one investigator. Definitely tender mercies that we had at least ONE of each at church, or I might have lost it otherwise. It's hard to work so hard the whole week and have little to show for it. Somehow, rain seems to become an acceptable excuse for missing church. Hmm. Don't pick me to be the one to tell Heavenly Father that...

Funny experience from this week: Sister and I went to visit a less active of ours a couple nights ago. He's an RM and really nice, and every time we go, he gives us Puto (these yummy little rice cupcakes). We'll call him John. Sister and I went to his house, and as we walked by, saw two drunk men sitting outside. We walked by, and continued to John's house. They told us he wasn't there, that John was sitting outside drinking. Oh, good. So we go over to where the two men were sitting.... Except now there's only one. We shined our flashlight on the man and asked him where John had went. He kept telling us he left... Except we could see him hiding behind the huge tree stump by their table. *Sigh*. Some people will go to desperate measures to hide from the missionaries. :) It's sort of fun to be so scary. Ahaha.

Love you all so much! Keep on keeping on- the work is working!

XOXOXO

Sister Luke

 

1. Sister G. 's baptism!!! Love this little one. The sun was suuupper bright. Hence the covered face with the hair (mom ;) )

 2. Happy 4 months to me!

 3. T. at his baptism!!!