7/27/2014

Maayong aga sa tanan!!! And what a wonderful morning it is!! :)
So last week we had Mission President's Training and it was GREAT! I've told you all before but trainings (especially at the mission home) are the bestest!!! When I first got here my fear to talk to strangers (mostly because of the language barrier) kept me from OYMing (opening my mouth) and finding new investigators every day. Over time I have overcome this fear and am still praying for more courage and faith each day to teach and find new investigators. President Lopez's training helped me to instead of taking a step forward in faith I feel like I was sprung forward taking 4 or 5 steps!! As if I jumped on a spring board! My excitement to find new investigators is drastically different from that of my training and last area. I am so excited about this area! I am learning so much and am so enjoying seeing the miracles in the lives of the people that we are teaching!!!!!!! I cannot explain how much I love this work. It is so challenging and I'm more tired that I though I could ever be (I might sleep for a whole week when I get home) but being able to experience the change and conversion of these people that we're teaching... it's so amazing!!!! Sister Manosig and I are determined to find more referrals! We realized that all of our progressing investigators are referrals! It is challenging to ask for referrals all day every day but as we reach out to active members and continue asking I know that Heavenly Father will provide! Not only that but our Branch has made goals for every 3rd Sunday- the auxiliaries will give referrals to the missionaries. So we're excited about that and hoping that it really happens:) Have I mentioned that I am serving in the best mission in the world?! I am so so grateful to be a part of such a productive, dedicated and faithful mission! I hope to return home with NO regrets. For example- for the month of June 2014 it was the highest baptizing month the mission has ever experienced: 343 baptisms! Can you believe that! ONE MONTH! Weekly Baptisms is possible and we are achieving it here in the Bacolod Philippines Mission. I have seen so many miracles it's difficult to try and record them all in my journal (no time and there's so many!).
Speaking of Mission President's Training DID YOU WATCH MY VIDEO ON PRESIDENT'S FACEBOOK?! He recorded us teaching him! He knew families would enjoy to see them so he posted them. Let me know if you find it!! ALSO I GOT MY PACKAGE!!!!!!!!!!! You are the bestest btestest bestest mom and dad!!!!! I feel so so loved when I get mail and packages it's like Christmas!!
Quick update on the week: we are teaching a pastor! Yes it is as challenging as it sounds. He is a pastor for an Evangelical Church here. He went online and printed documents/info about the church to try and debate/disprove the things we teach. He is really kind and VERY knowledgable about the biblia. Receptive wouldn't be the word that I would choose to describe him... but I can see this potential in him to accept the truth about this restored gospel. It is a promise to each and every one of us that if we sincerely seek the truth, read, ponder and prayer about the Book of Mormon that the Holy Ghost will bear witness to us that it is true. I don't know how we convinced him to keep let us come back but all I know is someday down the road when he is baptized he will be such a strong convert. Come to find out before we left the document that he had been studying and reading was from RLDS... not even from the same church. Palagpat. But there's something different about teaching an investigator that has religious background and has lots of questions wanting to truly understand what we teach and find out if it is true for themself.
I want to share (again about Sister Lilibeth) SHE IS SO AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! She has such a strong testimony and despite persecutions from family and other hardships that she is facing as she prepares to be baptized- her testimony that she shares each time we visit, the spirit that we feel and her strength is so incredible! She said that someday she knows she's visit Arizona (her husband is American working in Las Vegas right now) and I am dying inside imagining one day how maybe you all might meet her someday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is such a doll!! I want to share a scripture that strengthens her and that was an answer to her prayers. 1 Nephi 2:20 "And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands". Heavenly Father is preparing better and bigger things for each and every one of us! All we have to do is keep His commandments and we will prosper:) I know that Sister Lilibeth has been prepared by the Lord to accept this restored gospel (which is choice above all else!!). And that's the truth!!

Funny moment from this week: I was asked to lead the music (as usual) at the Elder's baptism this Saturday.. so we were singing I Am a Child of God and I was just leading and singing away and then after chorus I looked up at the room to see if anyone knew whether we had just got done singing the 2nd verse or the 3rd verse but half of them were looking at me with their mouths open ready to sing and half of them had their hymn books closed... I couldn't tell if we had finished the song yet or not! And so I tried to ask someone in the first row and they just shrugged their shoulders, then a sister in the back row signaled that we hadn't yet sung verse 3 so I started the 3rd first and only half the room continued to sing. I was trying so hard to not laugh too much as I was singing and leading. There were others giggling along with me thankfully. After the baptism the branch missionaries were all giving me a hard time because according to them we had sung the 3rd verse already and I made us all sing it again! "sulit-sulit!" they kept all saying to me teasing me saying I added a 4th verse to the song.. but it's still a mystery who is really right! Either way it was pretty embarrassing and overall really funny. That's when having a pianist really would have come in handy... pero okay lang. :)

Love you all!! Keep the faith and continue to endure to the end!:)
Thanks again mom and dad for the package! Love you all!!
Sister Judd