I love President Lopez. Also sometimes he is terrible, like when we go
to a training and he interviews us then tells us that he is going to
have us OYM him. And he is going to film it. And then put it on
facebook for the world to see. THANKS. haha but it was aight (im still
gangster).
I got my package at the training!!!! WHY IS MY FAMILY THE BEST. So I
almost didn't open it until I got back home to Sipalay and then on the
bus sister Foote conviced me to open it, thank goodness I did or else
I would've gone the whole 6 hour ride back to Sipalay not knowing that
I was holding a travel neck pillow on my lap. Okay and that willow
tree prayer girl MADE MY LIFE. Literally, it was an answer to my
prayers haha. It is one of my favorite possesions I have ever
received. I've been handing out the stickers like crazy, when kids are
being loud and not letting their parents learn how to receive
salvation I call them over and put the sticker on their chest and tell
them if they are wearing the sticker it makes them be quiet, then they
are magically quiet. Genius.
Me and Sister Rosario were inspired from our MPT and have been working
things out this week to start a special sacrament group out on the
island, Nauhang, because our recent converts there are finding it
basically impossible to come to church with all the typhoons. Its not
the best thing to cross the ocean in a row boat with 3 little kids in
a storm. Plus, we have a bunch of investigators there who are
interested but just can't get to the church. So the plan is that
starting August we will be doing a special sacrament meeting there in
the house of our recent convert, it will count the same as any church
attendance so our investigators can qualify for baptism and it will
make it so a ton can be baptized and hopefully we can get a group
started out there. Great stuff!!! I am a serving in the coolest time
of the history of the world ever.
Our investigator Ayleen. So we met her months ago, referral from the
spirit, let me give an update. Before she met us she was planning to
work out a way to leave her husband because he was taking away all of
her freedom, especially religiously, thats when she met us. We've been
teaching her since then and she LOVES what we teach, she LOVES the
book of mormon and wants to go to church and be baptized soooooooo
bad. She even asked for another copy of the book of mormon to take to
her family in the mountains because she wants them all to be baptized.
Her husband will get sooo mad at her every time she reads the BOM and
tells her to give it back to us but she just reads anyways. She has
asked him to take her to church every sunday for months and it always
causes a fight but she asks anyways. Its also been hard because we
aren't really supposed to teach where we cause dischord but she wants
us soooooo badly to teach her that we go back still. Last time we
taught law of chastity because they aren't married and even though she
has been "living in sin" her reaction was "Thats so cool! I love that!
This is the best commandment, that is so true, I want to live this
commandment!!" But her husband won't marry her. Once she found out
that she couldn't be baptized without getting married she goes "Okay!
Thats it! I'm going to leave my husband, I'll have him sign off on his
kids, we're going to my parents, and I'm going to be baptized! Just
give me some time to get my affairs together!" We were so shocked!
First we were like "sister no, the gospel isn't supposed to break up
families!" but she just shared her testimony and how it was already
her decision before she even met us and now it just gives her more
reason to do it. We cannot tell our investigators one way or another
what to do, we can just teach them the commandments and let them
choose, but oh my gosh if everything goes through and she really is
baptized, she is going to be one of the strongest converts ever!! I
know she'll be baptized at some point. "Oh that it would be in my
day!"
I forgot how many funny things happen with a native companion that are
so funny but only funny to me. Like when we're teaching a less active
and she is complaining that her sister is "the devil" and sister
Rosario tries to joke and says "Yeah devil, go to the hell!" and I was
the only one laughing for that reason but it was really so funny.
Do you remember Derek and Terisita Clement? Derek is the brittish
recent convert I worked with in 6th ward, terisita is his wife, they
are two of my favorite people I have met in my whole mission. So last
week Derek hit his one year mark and they were sealed in the Cebu
Temple. Yesterday Terisita passed away. One of the members in Sipalay
has a friend in 6th ward who texted her and she told me at church. I
was so shocked and so sad, I love them so much and I got so close to
them in 6th ward. Its so weird but it was also just so beautiful. I
can't describe it? Like I know that Derek is devastated, they are SO
in love and the cutest couple. But just that they were sealed in the
temple just a week before her passing, nothing could be a clearer
witness of God's hand in our lives and His plan for us all. It is such
a testimony that this life is not all there is and we do not and will
not exist in this world only. Keep Derek and his family in your
prayers and thank our Heavenly Father for His incredible plan for our
families.
I love you all sooooooooooooo much. Typhoons are the best. I love
these people. I love wearing my name tag. I love your letters and I
hope you have the best week of all the weeks.
LOVE Sister Manwaring
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