Wednesday, March 12, 2014

2/23/14 Masbate Island is Great

This week was awesome! I think that I could stay on Masbate forever! I love the people here so much and I am so happy! We have the most awesome investigators ever! I could talk about all of them for days, but I'll just pick a few...


Glen and Riza! I have talked about them before. Every lesson we have with them is so awesome! They both get emotional in lessons and have such a desire to be closer to Christ. Especially Glen- he told us that he just wants to live with Christ. They always ask us questions about our mission and say that they want to serve. Future couple missionaries! On Sunday morning we went to their house to meet them for church, they wanted to go together for their first time. Glen and their oldest daughter were the only ones that ended up coming..so hopefully next week the whole family! Glen loved church though! After we asked him how he felt and he said "Masarap ang pakiramdam ko" -or I feel delicious inside haha. That sounds weird in english haha. In Priesthood they had given everyone a sheet with all the Priesthood ordinances on it and what to say and he said that he was going to memorize all of them! He is so awesome! 

Rosalie! On Monday we taught her about the Temple and it was such a good lesson! She is so excited for her family to one day be sealed. We gave her some little pictures of temples and now they are hung up all over her house. I am for sure going to save up my money so I can come back and see their family be sealed! She is so excited for her baptism though. She told us she has been facing a lot of trials lately, but she knows that it is because her baptism is getting closer and closer. I wish every investigator and member had that kind of faith! We are planning a FHE at their house and guess what? They built onto their house this week to prepare for the FHE! We went over and their house has this extention and and they said it was because they want to be able to fit everyone for the FHE! They are so cute. Yesterday at church the topic in relief society was about strengthening families and FHE was brought up and she just lit up. She is so excited about the gospel! Her kids are my favorite too. We always plan object lessons to teach them and they love it (but maybe not as much as me and my companion do). 

Ray! My favorite!! We taught him about the Priesthood this week and he is so excited to be baptized so that he can hold the Priesthood. He has such a strong desire to be obedient and to be good. He promised to come to church and he was planning on it and then something came up and he had to travel somewhere... SAYANG! Next week hopefully.

Now about Maricor. Me and Sister Lang OYMed her forever ago, but then couldn't find her house. This week my and my companion are walking a long and we hear "Sister's" and it is Maricor. She said she had been waiting for us to come. Her husband is in prison and she has a little boy that is paralyzed. Her life is so hard, but she is so happy. She started crying as we talked about Heavenly Father and families. Then I started to cry and it was just a super emotional lesson. I am so excited to keep teaching her though. If anyone needs the gospel it is her!

Nanay Elsie! My third favorite old lady! She thinks the Word of Wisdom means that praying TO Joseph Smith and that beer is okay because it isn't alcohol. She came to church yesterday and of course asked all the same questions that she asks in all of our lessons and went on and on about how disobedient her husband is during relief society. Everyone was just cracking up. Oh Elsie...

Church was good this week too! (Despite the fact that I was the last minute speaker in Sacrament Meeting and the power was out so yelling my talk in Tagalog because there was no microphone haha) We had a lot of investigators at church though! The rain was crazy that day so we though none would come, but so many came! Not many members, but a lot of investigators! I'm dreaming of a white St Patrick's day...

This week President Guanzon made a surprise trip to the island to have a meeting with all of us missionaries here. He really is an inspired man though. He said a lot of things that I needed to hear! He said that "our ability to obey should be the measure of our happiness." Happiness should not come from success as a missionary, but from our obedience. I needed to hear that because sometimes I feel like I am doing all I can, and then I get so sad when people don't show up to church or keep a commitment, but I should still be happy as long as I am being obedient and doing my best! He said that if we learn to be obedient on the mission, we will learn to be obedient forever and Satan will have no power over us! I think that is something we all want! So be obedient and you will be happy! 
President also brought the news that John, (the Guanzon's security guard that I taught in Legazpi) will be baptized in March!!! No work is in vain! I am so excited about it! 

Me and my companion also had a lot of fun this week and laughed a lot. She is teaching me how to talk like a Filipino- the accent and everything. I sound ridiculous. One day our tricey had some serious techno music and we were just jamming in the tricey while everyone looked at us like we were crazy. As if I don't already stand out enough. Then on Sunday my companion fell slipped in the mud- being the good companion that I am I laughed and took a picture before I helped her up. I also learned how to weave, and am planning to purchase a machete to eat all the coconut I can this summer. Good times in the Philippines! 

I love and miss you all! Have a good week! Mahal ko kayo!

-Sister Gardner









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