Well the big news of this week...I
got robbed! I was minding my own business this morning just walking
around in a store and next thing you know my bag is unzipped and my
wallet is gone. So that's good! No money on P-day! We had to review the
security cameras, but the angles were bad and we figured we wouldn't be
able to find the person anyway. It sucks, but its a story and hopefully
they put ALL my personal, mission, and security money to good use.
Other than that this week we were mostly on exchanges. We first
went to Tobaco. I got to teach one of the investigators that I taught
when we were on exchanges there before! Sister Heikee. I was able to
teach her the first lesson last exchange and it was so cool to see her
progress from just a couple of weeks! She told us that she had been
reading the Book of Mormon and praying about the message of the
missionaries. She said she felt good each time she prayed and read the
Book of Mormon and kept pointing to her heart. We were able to tell her
that that was the Holy Ghost. Then we had an interesting experience. We
were going to visit a less active member, but got stopped by her Nanay.
Her Nanay was very harsh and asked Why are you here? Then she started
going off about all the untrue things about Joseph Smith. Each time we
would try to explain to her why we were there or respond to her she
would cut us off and say we needed to leave. So we left without being
able to talk to her daughter. I just felt bad for her and her family.
She was so closed off to her message and by the things she was saying it
was clear that she didn't even understand our message. She sure thought
she did though. I have been amazed so far on my mission at how
important listening is. The people who listen to our message and seek to
understand it, always accept it, but those who are not humble and who
think they already know everything will not receive our message because
they are not willing to listen.
We next went to Ligao! Yay! My favorite! So the areas in Ligao
just got all split up and so me and Sister Cacares worked in a SUPER far
area that used to be the Elders. One of the people we taught was a
recent convert. She was the first baptism of an Elder from my MTC
district so it was really cool to teach her. Sister Caceres told me the
Elder had been really homesick, but after he was able to extend a
baptisimal date to her he felt better! I'm sure he realized the
importance of the work and the joy that comes from it. So the farthest
area took about an hour to walk to, but it was so beautiful! We got
punted though- so then we had to walk the hour back. We had extra time
and so Sister Caceres told me to pick a house to tract at. I picked this
way nice house with a big gate in front. She told me to take the lead-
so I say "Tao po" and all these kids come- so I asked for the Nanay and
she came out and was so nice and let us in and told everyone there that
they had guests. She was so happy to have us there...until we started
telling her we were missionaries...then she totally closed herself off.
She said all religions are the same because we all pray to God. She said
her and her sisters and grandchildren go around each night and pray at
the homes in their neighborhood at 6 o'clock. She told us her
grandchildren have the prayers memorized. I told her we don't want to
change her beliefs or take away from them, but rather strengthen her
relationship with God. I gave her a Restoration pamphlet and invited her
to read it if she wanted to simply just understand our beliefs. She
told me to take it to someone who needed it. She said I should take it
next door and then tell them she would be over to pray with them later. I
just told her we wanted to give it to her, she didn't have to read it.
She accepted it and just set it down. Her granddaughter started looking
at the pictures and was reading and Nanay grabbed it away and said that
is not for you, that will just confuse you. Poor kids. I feel so bad for
these people. They are so dedicated to their faith- which is so
awesome, they are trying to have God in their life, but they are so
unwilling to listen to us. We don't ask them to be converted to our
faith. We just ask for them to listen because it will bless their life.
It is their choice to accept it or not. We simply invite them to pray to
know if it is true. If they will just listen and pray- their lives can
be changed. It is hard to KNOW something is true and then have people
reject your message, a message you know will change their life!
After exchanges nothing major happened in Legazpi. I was super
exhausted and a little homesick and just not feeling so great. I spent a
lot of time during the morning and before bed reading conference talks.
I found a lot of comfort and strength in the words of the Prophets. We
got punted or people weren't home a lot this week and so it just felt
slow. I read a lot of talks about enduring through hard times and there
always being something good ahead if we will be faithful. I know during
the slow hard times if I keep working hard and having faith we will see
miracles in Legazpi. We definitely saw a miracle yesterday when 27 less
active members showed up to church from our area! They just kept coming!
We were so happy! We don't know why they all came on the same day, but
it really was a miracle. People who haven't come to church in months or
even years. I was happy to finally see a result from our visits!
We weren't able to visit the Malacad family because of
exchanges and then they were gone this weekend because of their sick
grandma. BUT they promised the Bishop they will attend the devotional
with us this week and church on Sunday. He said he talked to them and
they are just excited about this new component of their lives and are
anxious to learn more and progress! AHH I love them so much!
I have one more story-
So this young German man came to church with some members
on Sunday and were confused why he was there. I guess he is vacationing
before he goes to work in Vietnam. I guess he is just sorta wandering
around the Philippines and didn't really even plan to go to Legazpi. He
stopped by the canteen of the members to ask for directions and ideas of
where to go while he was here. I guess they fed him and were really
nice and helped him out. He kept going everyday to ask for directions
and they started talking to him about the gospel and was super
interested so he agreed to go to church with them on Sunday. He came to
the class for investigators and recent converts that the missionaries
also go to. It was such a wreck... people kept asking the DUMBEST
questions and the spirit was not present! I felt so bad, but after the
class he asked if he could have the gospel principles book and of course
we said yes! After Elder Nelson told him sorry that class was so bad
and had a really long talk with him about the gospel. He is VERY
interested. He was leaving today or we would teach him.
What a miracle though! I don't think stuff like that happens by
chance! There are like 20 canteens next to each other where he went and
he happened to choose Joanns!
Okay, try this recipe! It is heaven. Me and Sister Mataele make is every day...no joke.
MANGO FLOAT
Ingredients:
-Graham crackers
-condensed milk
-whipping cream
-mangoes
(We make it in a square tupperware that is tall as it is wide. Maybe 10 inches in every direction.)
Instructions:
-Mix 1 can condensed milk with 2 cans of cream.
-layer graham crackers then milk mix all the way up the container. Use all the cream so it will soak into the graham crackers.
-Put sliced mangoes in the middle layer and on the very top.
-Put it in the freezer until the cream get icecreamyish, but you don't want the graham crackers or mangoes to freeze.
Hopefully that made sense? It's so good and super popular here. That and fruit salad are my favorites.
Hope everything is good with all of you! Miss and think of you guys everyday! Mahal Kita!
-Sister Gardner
p.s. figure out what this means-
bababa ka ba?
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