BINYAG NI VANESSA (BAPTISM)

Kamusta ka na?

It's More Fun in the Philippines:

- Transfer Day today, but Elder Hart-Stephens and I will be together for another 6 weeks!! WOOOOHOOOO!

- March 23, 2019 was the baptism of 21 year old Vanessa Lorejas. We originally found her six weeks ago as we were walking down a dirt path. We began sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with her, and she began attending church, institute (church classes), and even the ward choir. Many people thought she was already a baptized member of the church because she was not shy at all. She was reading the Book of Mormon, and her testimony of Jesus Christ grew exceedingly quickly. This past week she was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. I am so happy for her, because I know how important this message is. I have seen it change the lives of so many people. She notices the daily changes in her life, and now she desires to serve a mission in order to help others experience this change too!

Here is a crazy story of a man I met: At 9 years old, JR Castillo, ran away from his home in Mindanao Philippines and headed for Manila (different island). He made his way onto a boat and begged day to day for food and transportation. When he arrived near Manila he ended up working construction, and lived on his own. One day two men walked up to him dressed in white shirts and ties, they were missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They helped JR get back up on his feet as he was really struggling. JR began attending church, and not long after he was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. A few years later he decided to leave home again, only this time he would be sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a Missionary. Years later he became a branch president, got married, and now supports his wife and two kids as a landscaper. In his words, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the best news around, and everyone in the world needs to hear it. Try to imagine where JR would be right now if he had not found the church...  

Elder Hemmert

Darn! They're taken by God!

Kamusta ka na?

It's More Fun in the Philippines:

-I went on Splits with one of my companions from the MTC, Elder Garner. We literally ended up finding the entire day, because all of our appointments feel through. We probably walked 10 miles

-As we were buying a drink from a tindahan (small store), a girl asked if we were single. I told her we were missionaries, and her friend quickly responded with "Darn, they're taken by God!" It definitely gave us a good laugh because it is SOOO TRUE!

Just a few days ago we met a man that used to attend our church and was even baptized in our church. We sat down and offered him a prayer and scriptural thought. As we spoke with him he opened up that he has been wanting to come back to church, but he said he couldn't. We asked him why and he mentioned that it was because he had made too many mistakes. I reflected on his statement for a moment as silence filled the room. I broke the silence by asking a few simple questions, "Do you believe that God loves you?" He took a deep breath and responded with Yes. "Do you believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior?" He paused and once more said Yes. "Do you believe that the power of Jesus Christ's Atonement and suffering can make us clean from sin?" With another heavy breath he said Yes. "Do you believe that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ your sins can be made clean?" He paused extra long here... took a deep breath... and responded with a near to tears, YES.

I told him, and NOW I TELL YOU: I know God loves each of us so very much. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. He suffered and died for each one of us. YOU are not an exception to this. He suffered and bled for YOU! He payed for YOUR sins. His arm of mercy is extended to YOU. No matter your past mistakes or current situation, YOU can find happiness in this life and in the next. Your pains and sins can be made clean through Christ and his Atonement. And I say these things in His holy name, the son of the living God, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Elder Hemmert

There is still time....

Magandang Hapon po,

It's More Fun in the Philippines (Highlights):

-We have set a mission goal to hit 2 baptisms per companionship per month for the months of April and May, and then 3 for the month of June! I'm excited for the following months!

-We met a cute little family this week named the Balagas. The wife works at a call center for America. Which means she has to work a night shift because the time in America is 13 hours different. I have a small piece of ADVICE: when you call a call center and realize they aren't native English speakers then try to be as nice as possible. When you are mean they can't understand your English and then they just think all Americans are super mean. HAHA! She said it herself...

This past Monday a lady yelled for us "ELDERS!!" We came to her and she said she used to be a member of our church but hadn't come for over 20 years. She said she wanted to come back but was too shy to go by herself. The following day we visited her family with a few other members of our church, and we got to know the family. The Realango family has been living in a small house for the past 5 years without electricity and work has been quite scarce for them. They have four kids, and all-in-all are a very beautiful family. We invited them to church and they are so happy to come, and also the husband, Edgar, is not a member and has asked that we teach him about our beliefs. The said they have recently felt like something was missing in their lives, and they said as we began talking to them they realized that we were the thing they were missing. I know that our Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us. He sent his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to be our Savior and Redeemer. His gospel is what can and will fill the holes in our lives. No matter where we currently are in life, or what decisions we have made, there is still time to come unto Christ.

WEEKLY CHALLENGE: Pick someone that could use some help right now, and then pray for them by name every day this entire week.

Elder Hemmert

This is a great video of Elder Hemmert at a dinner appointment, the highlight is at the 12 second mark!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BxhyMZARLE&feature=youtu.be

BE BRAVE & OPEN YOUR MOUTH

Kumusta ka na,

It's More Fun In The Philippines (highlights):

-We met a few old Nanays that were sitting on their porch, and we offered them a prayer and a little taste of our message. We asked if we could return and share with them about Jesus Christ and our beliefs on a different day, and they said "No, we are ALWAYS busy. We literally never have any time." It's so funny because we get responses like that extremely often. I suppose it is not their time to listen to our message. Maybe in a month or in a year they will be willing to at least hear what we have to share.

-We had zone conference, and we got the new version of the Preach My Gospel.

While walking one day we watched a kid jump over a 8 foot concrete wall. We thought nothing was back there, but we wanted to know where the kid was going, so we peaked over and realized there were TONS of squatter homes back there. Basically people that didn't have a home had made a bunch of small homes where they have been living. We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders a little and said, "Lets do it." So we jumped the wall and went to the first house to ask them some questions and get to know them. The first people to see us were a bunch of little kids and it was very obvious that they had never had a white man at their house before. All of them were going crazy, some of the kids were yanking on our bags and pulling our shirts. Other kids were running around to show their friends that white people were at their house. The mom and dad were curious to know why we were there, so we said we were missionaries and asked if we could offer their family a prayer. It was a great experience, but with us through all of this was a 20 year old man from our church that is preparing for his mission. When we left he said he felt very awkward through the whole thing, because it's not common that people jump walls to talk to strangers. He is right, it is weird, before my mission I would never have been willing to jump a wall and knock on someone's door let alone talk to a stranger. However, as I have gotten more and more comfortable talking to strangers I am now willing to open my mouth and become friends with everyone I meet. As I have faced my fears, the things that used to make me uncomfortable are now totally normally.

MY ADVICE: Don't be afraid to do something that is new. As long as it is a good thing, then be willing to get out of your normal routine. As you do so, the things that make you uncomfortable or scared will quickly become normal. This especially applies for missionary work and sharing the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ. It may be hard to open your mouth to share the Gospel or Doctrine of Christ to others; however, as you strive to share you will find that it will become more and more normal. You will feel blessings come to your own life, and you will see blessings come to those you share with. I know that this message, the message of the Restoration of The Gospel of Jesus Christ, blesses individuals and families. I know that the work of sharing the gospel is the greatest work on the Earth because it is HIS work. BE BRAVE & OPEN YOUR MOUTH.

Elder Hemmert