25 September, 2011

Hey Family,

This week was super good! It was probably one of the best weeks Elder P and I had together. On Monday we had a way great FHE with Villanueve Family, Sister Myla, and the Palmon Family. It was a lot of fun and great for fellowshipping. We had a good lesson and I think everyone really enjoyed it. I love Family Home Evenings! On Tuesday we had our district meeting. We talked about keeping commitments and the reason we have to do it. What I decided to focus on was the atonement and really help us all understand more clearly the power of the atonement and how we can truly change through it. How we can become different people than we were a couple months ago and also how we know what our investigators can become as they take these steps to change their lives and use the atonement more fully in their lives. I guess that’s one reason being District Leader is kind of nice. I think I learn a lot more than the district does as I study for these lessons.

Anyway, on Tuesday I actually went on exchanges wit h a new Elder in the district, Elder S. He’s a really good Elder. His last area was none other than Roxas 2. I worked with him in his area and we had a really good day. I really enjoyed teaching with him. It seemed like way good and in way good unity. Like he would just say a few sentences and then I would and it seemed the investigators were way tuned in and really understanding. We had one really good lesson with one of their new investigators, Sister Benedicto. She has such good potential. We taught about the Book of Mormon as evidence of how she can know all these things are true. She seems to really have real intent and a desire to know and follow what’s true and what’s right. The next day before we switch back we had a really good companionship study. We kind of talked a lot about little miracles. I kind of noticed that I’ve been noticing less and less the tiny miracles that have been happening in my life. Since he just came from my first area we talked about some stuff there. When I was there I think I did a lot better about seeing things that were really good. Like there was one Sister in Roxas that didn’t even know how to pray when we taught her. She was way poor and really needed help but we were able to teach her the principle of prayer and to trust and feel the love of her Father in Heaven. Even though she stopped progressing maybe she will accept the fullness of the gospel one day. Another thing happened that strengthened my testimony a lot this week. He told me in Roxas like a week before he transferred some guy came up to him and his companion and said, “Hey, I want to be baptized into your church.” The Elders, of course, were way surprised because that doesn’t really happen too often and asked if he met missionaries before. He said he was taught like two times by a really short pinoy and a tall American kid. They figured it was us and now this kid, Marwell, has been to church at least once. It took me a while to figure out who this kid was but I finally figured out. Marwell was in the first lesson I ever taught before, ever, on my mission. It was my first night in Roxas. He was our first new investigator. We were teaching his Sister Sara and he walked in smoking and sat down and listened too. He asked some questions but nothing really happened from him. But now, who knows what happened, he just saw the missionaries and told him what he wanted. It makes me wonder what happened to his Sister too, She was like our most progressing investigator but before she got baptized she moved to a different island, but we referred the missionaries there to her. Its things like that that really help me know God’s power in the work and that this really is a team work. One missionary isn’t the best because he has a ton of baptisms. You’re the best when you strive to do whatever God asks you to do. And then it’s not even like you’re the best, it’s like, God’s the best. So I’m going to do better seeing these little miracles. Because so many times in my mission I’ve felt led when I’ve found new investigators. I’ve felt that the first lesson with them was so good and then I get so excited. And then something happens and they start hiding or persecuted or something. And then I get discouraged and kind of doubt that God led me to them in the first place. But that is probably not the case. We were there, and did what we did, for a reason. I am now more convinced of that. Lift where you stand!



So Elder P in our area really focused on commitments and helping people truly repent. A miracle happened this week through that as we taught a couple, Mark and Juliet, that we've been teaching for long time now. We had committed them so many times to go to church which they had accepted but ended up something getting in the way. After a while they told us they weren't going to commit anymore because they don't know if something will come up. Anyway, so the past couple of weeks we've been mostly focusing on adding to their faith. But as we taught last Wednesday, I felt the importance of the atonement and that maybe they still didn’t understand our purpose there. We talked about how important this message was and how important it was to go to church for our salvation. We were feeling the spirit guiding our words and helping us know exactly what to say. When we finally gave them to commitment boldly they said they still couldn’t commit. We testified a little more and left, a little disappointed they didn’t commit. But the miracle came the next visit. We followed up with them and shared about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and why God sent his son. We read a bit in 3 Nephi and somewhere asked a question. I don’t remember what the question was but Sister Juliet shared, “Mark and I talked about it a lot last night, and we decided we really need to come to church. Even if Mark gets home really late from work (he works 24 hour shifts at the Police Station so gets home early Sunday morning) we’re going to go no matter what.” I was super surprised what came out of her mouth. It was a miracle. Their faith has grown so much, and even though it took a long time they finally came on Sunday. Mark was way tired because he didn’t even sleep the night before. The ward was so excited about them coming. Along with that we had some other new investigators come to church and Sister Myla again. It was way exciting.

Sister Myla is still doing amazing. She felt the spirit so strong a church. It was during the gospel principles class the topic was on Covenants and when the teacher pulled out a picture of the temple Sister Myla said she got this feeling for like 5 minutes that she couldn’t describe. She is so prepared to receive the gospel. It looks like her live-in should come home next month so hopefully the spirit will guide us to help him receive the gospel too and help them get married. But I feel our area is finally beginning to take off and I also feel we are working better with the Bishop to plan things. With some things we are still struggling but with others things are going great. We have some other investigators we’re working with but there is so many concerns that people have to work through. But I’m excited for the next week to come.



Well family (and others who are not family, just kidding, we're all family, but this message is more especially for my family, but don't feel disincluded ((is that a word?)) (((I just did parenthesis inside of parenthesis))) if you aren't in my direct family because this message is for everyone.) I love you.



Elder Josh