TRUNKATED VERSION (full letter follows trunkated verstion):
August 15, 2016
Hello Sam Sparks, this is America! I mean... lets just go to the email... So as it turns out the movie Pacific Rim is actually true. Giant monsters are rising out of the sea and asking for directions to Tokyo. We usually just give them a pamphlet, give a quick lesson -their busy monsters and they are on a schedule so we have to respect their time restraints- and then just send them in the right direction. We've met a lot of very nice sea monsters that way, though one tried to take a bite out of Sister Hermosa but i scared it off by opening my umbrella at it so we are good.
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| At Taytay Roman's Baptism |
Besides romping sea monsters and giant robots we have had a very successful week. Tatay Roman was baptized by his son Jason- a Return Missionary- and it was truly the most amazing experience of my life. Last week we had the fast and testimony meeting -where everyone gets up if they want and bears their testimony after sacrament meeting- and the spirit was sooo strong and it has carried over this whole week. Tatay was baptized along with a member who had just turned 8 by the name of Charity. When Roman showed up he had gotten a haircut, and shaved and was just grinning from ear to ear. After the baptism he kept saying "Sobrang masaya po ako." (I am soooo happy) over and over and just smiling and hugging himself and his wife. They are very excited to go to the temple in a year from now and Sister Hermosa (since she is from Manila) will be there- the lucky duck... I simply cannot describe how extremely happy I am to have been able to witness his baptism. After the service Roman approached me and told me that he had been taking the missionary lessons on and off since November of 2000. That's a long time. But he has been truly converted. When he was interviewed the Elder who did the interview pulled Sister Hermosa and I aside and told us he had only ever seen one other investigator as converted to the Lord as Tatay and that he was excited to see what he would do. Now, that sounds like i'm bragging, and I want to make sure ya'll know that i am not. I can barely get a sentence out in Tagalog and Tatay speaks a mix of tagalog and ilocano so i honestly can't understand him half the time and he has no idea what I say either. It's not me who baptizes and it's not me who converts. I am lucky enough to have the Holy Ghost with me as I teach and he was ready to hear and receive the words at this time. It's like how a hammer isn't the one who builds a home, but the one who uses it. I am but a tool in the Lord's hands and hopefully I live up to be useful to Him.
We also have an official house cat. But here the sound of rain isn't just the rain hitting the tin roof, it's also the sound of a bunch of wild cats suddenly wanting to be house cats... so we will see. Scaredy Pants, the cat is actually the bravest of the lot and will just kinda lounge about the house while we update our area book. You've got to keep a good eye on her because otherwise she'll get into the garbage and other such shenanigans so... yeah. Cats!
We also had our Zone Activity today, which was suuuper fun. Yesterday I was feeling a little down but that is why God arranged for the ZC today. So a ZC is where all the missionaries gather together on a p-day (prep day) and either go to a museum or a tourist spot or something but since there isn't much to do in Laoag we just met at the church and played games and ate. It was so fun it was kinda ridiculous.
You may be wondering about my foot. It's fine. It looks gross in the picture, but the skin has completely healed over and it's just a little flaky so we are all good. I'm supposed to go back in next week to have a follow up apt, so we will see what the dr says then but it doesn't hurt any more and it's alllll good.
From the Sister who may be getting transferred
Sister Eldredge
FULL LETTER:
August 15, 2016
Hello Sam Sparks, this is America! I mean... lets just go to the email... So as it turns out the movie Pacific Rim is actually true. Giant monsters are rising out of the sea and asking for directions to Tokyo. We usually just give them a pamphlet, give a quick lesson -their busy monsters and they are on a schedule so we have to respect their time restraints- and then just send them in the right direction. We've met a lot of very nice sea monsters that way, though one tried to take a bite out of Sister Hermosa but i scared it off by opening my umbrella at it so we are good.
Besides romping sea monsters and giant robots we have had a very successful week. Tatay Roman was baptized by his son Jason- a Return Missionary- and it was truly the most amazing experience of my life. Last week we had the fast and testimony meeting -where everyone gets up if they want and bears their testimony after sacrament meeting- and the spirit was sooo strong and it has carried over this whole week. Tatay was baptized along with a member who had just turned 8 by the name of Charity. When Roman showed up he had gotten a haircut, and shaved and was just grinning from ear to ear. After the baptism he kept saying "Sobrang masaya po ako." (I am soooo happy) over and over and just smiling and hugging himself and his wife. They are very excited to go to the temple in a year from now and Sister Hermosa (since she is from Manila) will be there- the lucky duck... I simply cannot describe how extremely happy I am to have been able to witness his baptism. After the service Roman approached me and told me that he had been taking the missionary lessons on and off since November of 2000. That's a long time. But he has been truly converted. When he was interviewed the Elder who did the interview pulled Sister Hermosa and I aside and told us he had only ever seen one other investigator as converted to the Lord as Tatay and that he was excited to see what he would do. Now, that sounds like i'm bragging, and I want to make sure ya'll know that i am not. I can barely get a sentence out in Tagalog and Tatay speaks a mix of tagalog and ilocano so i honestly can't understand him half the time and he has no idea what I say either. It's not me who baptizes and it's not me who converts. I am lucky enough to have the Holy Ghost with me as I teach and he was ready to hear and receive the words at this time. It's like how a hammer isn't the one who builds a home, but the one who uses it. I am but a tool in the Lord's hands and hopefully I live up to be useful to Him.
Next on the venue is Kevin. He is living with Nanay Myrna and her grandson Gello (sorry I haven't gotten a picture of them yet) a Recent Convert. He approached US and asked to be taught because he recognized that the Gospel would fill a hole in his life. So cool. Anyways his birth grandfather has been sick in the hospital and he is the only relative so he spends his weeks at school and his weekends in Laoag taking care of his grandfather and tries to go to the church in Laoag. So he hasn't been able to attend every week like he would like to. You should just hear him pray. Man, I wish I had the spirit like this kid does. We hope to get him baptized this upcoming Saturday but it all depends on his grandfather who we 1) want to get better 2) want him to attend the service. So we are trying to contact the Elders in that area to go and give him a blessing if Kevin would like and just working on situating that all out. Scheduling is hard. I don't like it. (read the previous sentence like a child 'i downt wike et') But hopefully we will get this all worked out and when the Grandpa is blessed he will recover and it'll all be hunky dory. Sana, (hopefully) we will get to teach Kevin's birth grandpa too...
Then there is Franklee and Rica... Their parents don't want them to be married as Franklee doesn't have the best job and their son has lung problems and financial crap. I personally don't get why the parents don't just support their kids but hey, i'm bias towards the wedding and i'm not a parent so i have no 'basis for comparison' (if you don't get that movie quote i might cry... the full quote is: "That's not fair!!" 'you say that so often, i wonder where you get your basis for comparison.') But so far they are praying about it and hopefully they will either come to a decision and be married anyways without parents consent or Franklee will get a better job or the parents will change their minds. So far i'm praying for the last two.
We have had two of our investigators move out of town (Kimberly and Maan) which is suuuuuper sad but hopefully we will get their contact info there and the missionaries in that area will be able to get a hold of them. SPEAKING of investigators we got a text from the office elders that a guy had requested for a Book of Mormon from the online website and we were to go and meet with him. Turns out he is a pastor for a church in one of our further brgys. He was sooooo cool. He says he wants to study our church so that when members of his congregation ask him about other churches he can give them correct information and that they won't base their religious beliefs off hearsay. I'm looking forward to meeting with him and helping him out. He may not take the actual lessons but it's all about helping understanding. (Please read Our Search For Happiness for the best non religious explanation of our church) I may try to order one for him....
One of the best friends of one of the RC in the area, by name of Cezlee, has been really amazing lately. She comes to church and bears her testimony and knows all the primary songs (she is 7) and she has simply MARKED UP her scriptures like CRAZY. Hopefully we will be able to meet up with her and her mom and teach them as a family.
We also have an official house cat. But here the sound of rain isn't just the rain hitting the tin roof, it's also the sound of a bunch of wild cats suddenly wanting to be house cats... so we will see. Scaredy Pants, the cat is actually the bravest of the lot and will just kinda lounge about the house while we update our area book. You've got to keep a good eye on her because otherwise she'll get into the garbage and other such shenanigans so... yeah. Cats!
We also had our Zone Activity today, which was suuuper fun. Yesterday I was feeling a little down but that is why God arranged for the ZC today. So a ZC is where all the missionaries gather together on a p-day (prep day) and either go to a museum or a tourist spot or something but since there isn't much to do in Laoag we just met at the church and played games and ate. It was so fun it was kinda ridiculous.
You may be wondering about my foot. It's fine. It looks gross in the picture, but the skin has completely healed over and it's just a little flaky so we are all good. I'm supposed to go back in next week to have a follow up apt, so we will see what the dr says then but it doesn't hurt any more and it's alllll good.
From the Sister who may be getting transferred
Sister Eldredge
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