Hello Po,
It's More Fun in the Philippines:
- A very great blessing occurred on Sunday! We had stake conference which basically entailed traveling an extra 30 minutes to go to church on Sunday. This is a very extremely difficult trip for the people we are teaching, especially because no one here has cars and has to pay the travel fees. As a result our church provided a very large jeepney that could fit 24 people. This jeepney would take the people we were teaching from our church building all the way to the stake center building 30 minutes away. Well, we invited all of them this past week to join us for church and when Sunday came around we witnessed a miracle. Even though we had to meet up bright and early and the travel time was long, 31 of the people we are teaching ended up showing up (between us and the other companionship). We filled the jeepney to the brim and still had to pay the fee for a few people to travel by other means! See video of this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHeWHB0K7U8
- Today is transfer day, and Elder Burton and I are together for another transfer!!
Okay, this is very long and I'm sorry, but our mission president asked us to write one of our greatest spiritual experiences we have had on our mission, so here is mine:
To simplify all of the many spiritual experiences of my mission down to one event is seemingly impossible. However, if I had to summarize all of the miraculous conversions that I witnessed in God's children, all of the times I followed the Spirit and was led to a situation divinely set up by our God in heaven, or all of the times that I planted a seed of faith in someone even if it never took root, then I believe I would go back to November 11, 2018. This was a hard night for me. Still young in the mission, I remember feeling extremely inadequate. I was giving all of my energy, and yet my language skills lacked, and I was too scared to open my mouth. Each time I opened my mouth to testify to someone I felt terrible because my language skills were horrid, and those I spoke to could not understand me and I could hardly understand them. Finally, this November night I decided I needed to truly express my concerns to God. As my companion retired to his bed I knelt in prayer. In the center of the room I began offering my thoughts and feelings. I began by expressing thanks for everything I have been given as way of blessings, from family to clothes to a roof over my head. I offered thanks for the little and the big things. Concluding my thanks I expounded my concerns; I struggle understanding and speaking the Tagalog language, I get scared beginning conversations with strangers, and I feel that I am an inadequate representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. With that I asked that God would bless me with one thing, and that is to fill my mouth with the words I must speak. I offered in some way or another a deal with God. I promised that I would fight the fear to start conversations with strangers if God would just fill my mouth with words. With that I told him that to show my faith and desire for this blessing I would speak to the first person I saw in the morning. Feeling content with this promise, and knowing that God would honor my desires, as they were desires of righteousness as well as promises clearly outlined in the scriptures, I retired to bed. In the morning I woke with a smile, and as sure as I had promised I spoke to the first person I saw on the street. I was scared to approach him, but I knew God would fulfill his promise as long as I fulfilled mine. Thus, I walked straight up to that man and shared with him that we were missionaries and desired to offer a prayer for his family. The man accepted and we prayed for him and offered him a small lesson. In concluding the lesson and walking away from that man I smiled as I knew that God had fulfilled his promise. My mouth had been filled with words, and the man I spoke to understood my words as I also understood his. Though my Tagalog was still very rough and nowhere near fluent back on that day of November 2018, I saw a mighty change. I noticed my fears began to shrink as I relied on the Lord. I trusted him and I trust him to fill my mouth with the words that I must say. Each person I talk to and teach is an outcome of the November night where I made a promise to the Lord of which I still keep this day. Though the fear to talk to strangers has not left completely, I have learned that having just enough faith to open my mouth is one of the largest tools in missionary work. The Lord will pick up the areas I lack if I will just give it all that I have.
I have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. I am grateful for his sacrifice, and now I am trying my best to give back to him. I love him, and I know he loves you.
WEEKLY CHALLENGE: Let your light so shine, and share how the Gospel of Jesus Christ has helped you in your life.
