Kamusta sa akong pamilya!
Here's to another P-day in the Field. It feels like the week went by fast, but it also feels like sooo long ago. Weird how time works here.
Last monday night we did a FHE in Looaon with some investigators and some members. IT actually turned out really well and we had about 20 people there! WE did an object lesson with two cotton balls. One cotton ball symbolized doing all the right things we are to do: read the scriptures, pray, go to church, service= that cotton ball was 'protected' and was soaked in alcohol. The other cotton ball wala protection/alcohol. We set them both on fire. The fire burnt the cotton ball with no protection/wasn't doing the right things, and it was black/ dirty. The one with alchohol/protected was still clean! :) the Filipinos really liked it a lot and understood the concept really well.
We are teaching Brother Raymond (16 yrs old) and he has two great examples who live in the same sitio as him (neighborhood). They are awesome boys and he does scripture study with them every night and he came to conference in a suit and tie with them on sunday! So happy. He is getting baptized April 30th--his birthday. So excited! He will be my first baptism of the mission. I hope it all goes according to plan! I think it will. He is an awesome kid and even though i can't communicate well we still joke and laugh lots.
We had miracles happen this week as we've met people prepared to hear the truth. Sister Jeni (26 years old, married) was at that fhe and was participating and said she just moved from manila and new some mormons there and had learned from the missionaries there. So excited! WE taught her the message of the restoration and she brought us out the pamphlets she had received back in manila and told us that she has been searching at different churches for a long while , but sometimes at night she would read the pamphlets and feel overcome with peace and just cry and cry. She got all teary just talking about it! we explained (haha--i mean my companion explained..) to her that that was the Spirit and then we talked more and right then commited her to baptism and she accepted! YEAH! We have visited her daily, met her husband, and then met her brother in law and his thre ADorable kids who just love us and were able to share the plan of salvation with the whole family. They invited us to dinner and everything and it was so fun! (we ate lots of rice and fish, by the way...) love that family so much.
WE also are teaching another family of a recent convert. Sister jenatte and brother noly. There situation is interesting b/c there is no divorce in the philippines and her first husband died tragically (she has little kids) and noly and her have been together for two years, but i guess he has a wife somewhere, but they split up a while ago.. Anyways, noly and jenatte have a baby together and are loyal to eachother, and are considered together, even though they can never get married b/c his first wife is alive somewhere. So, i guess here in the philippines the church has a 'co-habitaion' situation where they could get baptized if they are interviewed by the branch president and considered a couple ,etc. Interesting eh? They actually both seem very excited and participated in the two lessons we taught. I like them a lot and their kids are adorable as well.
Well, we spent this week getting people excited to watch general conference. Actually my companion spent the week explaining the zls, members, brach president, mission president how crucial it was for us to watch general conference. I won't go into detail, but i guess here in the philippines it isn't a big deal to watch general conference. We seriously went through an epic battle this week and then we worked so hard to get everyone where they needed to be to watch the dvd and then more things went wrong and then we couldn't hear it and it was so frustrating...so i just started praying because seriously, we had done ALLL WE COULD DO to listen to the prophet and then, miraculously everything started working. WOW, sooo happy. So we got to watch Sunday session of conference and at district meeting we will be watching one session of saturday. I loved president uchtdorf's talk on love. so powerful. and the talk on mothers. and trials. loved them all.
This week I have eaten: squid, lots of fish fish fish, lots of rice/ginger, this deliciousssssssssssssss soup thing which was very flavorful.
On Friday we had "zone reactivation" where all the missionaries go to one area and go find all the less active and teach with members. Sister lemmon and i got assigned to all the families that were straight up in the BUKID. I am not kidding we hiked up and down and all around this very large mountain. Wow, it was incredible! But we taught some awesome lessons and really enjoyed our day.
THursday we had a workshop with the branch council and missionaries. Umm, funny story. IT was soooooooooo hot. It was like we were in a sauna, no joke. I fell asleep (because it was epically longgggggggg meeting) for about two seconds and i woke up and COULD NOT breathe! Seriously, it was so hot and humid it was like there was no air in that room. I had a slight panic attack and started coughin! it was awkward but thankfully i had water and was able to breathe after a frantic prayer. I am so embarressing here. The members don 't know what to do with me!
Well, i should head out now. My comp and I are working hard.
I hope you all are doing well! Family--email me, tahts the fastest way; i only get dear elders or mail like once every 2-3 weeks, so emailing would be awesome.
I pray for you all every night! Thank you for all your prayers and support. I really need it and really appreciate it.
NAsayud ko nga buhi ang dios ug sa iyang anak si jesukristo. nasayud ko nga kinahanglan kita sa pagbasa sa basahon ni mormon tungod magtabang niya kita makailila sa dios. mapasalamaton ko nga sa akong pamilia makauban sa hangtud sa kahangtuoran. Tinuod ang ebanghelyo ni jesukristo ug niya sa atong manaluluwas.
Nahiguga ko sa ninya!
sister blonquist
p.s. they have really good bread here. there is no way i am losing weight. :)
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