Hey Everyone!
So this last week was great! I saw the first lady that I baptized in my mission last week! She's the Secretary in the Relief Society I think and is still active. And she's still bringing her kids to Church. And she's still working on her husband. haha. Good ol Adrian
So first, this story happened last week:
We had found this lady to teach. She has 8 kids so they are 10. So we were in there and discussing with her about the Gospel a little bit and at first she wasn't too into what we were saying. But then she started to open up as to why she didn't care about what we had to say. Turns out that this lady in the ward (one of the richest people i have met in the philippines
so what we did was we got the old bishop and his wife to come with us over there last last sunday so that analisa could meet some nice members and get a new view of the church. we were there for an hour and things went great. we played with the kids and the kids loved us. then bishop and his wife talked with analisa. it was great. we set an appointment for tuesday to come back. she accepted. we were optimistic. we counted our chickens....baptismal date in february was the call.
so we go back on tuesday with anthony, the son of the old bishop. we had had a great day. he had been a real help and had taught some great lessons with us. he was on roll. he's seventeen and getting ready to get serious about a mission. so we get to analisa's house and sit down. she sits down and asks (this is all translated of course) "what are we gonna do?". We smile and Elder Atanacio begins to tell her that we are here to share with her the truth that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth and that a living prophet leads it by revelation. He goes on and talks to her about the church. He was doing a really good job but we could tell that it wasn't hitting her the right way. So Elder Atanacio finishes his thought and stops. I had no thoughts come to my mind of what to say. Nothing. So I did what I learned to do--I waited for the Spirit to give me something to say. If I don't feel the Spirit telling me something then I don't speak. I felt nothing for about 1 minute. Then thoughts started coming to me. I bore solid testimony of the Restored Gospel. I told her about the Book of Mormon and how its true. I told her that I cannot put into words my testimony of the truthfulness of that book. I told her of Joseph Smith and his divine calling to restore the Gospel to the earth. I told her of the priesthood and the importance of it. I told her of the Apostasy and how it was prophesied of for ages and how the Restoration is the answer to the Apostasy. I bore testimony and then stopped.
There was silence for another minute. Elder Atanacio didn't say anything because he wasn't feeling anything. And the Spirit was done speaking to me. We sat there in silence for another minute. I looked at Anthony and he had his fists clenched together and his eyes closed tight. Then Elder Atanacio started talking. He told her of how he was a convert to the church. He told her of the blessing that it was in his life and the fact that the truth had been discovered by his brother. He talked about sealings and the temple. He bore a great testimony. He finished and silence for another minute. A full minute and then I felt prompted to ask her if she felt she was ready to hear the Restored Gospel. She didn't say anything. Then I said, "I dont think you're quite ready. Maybe another time." Then she said, "I think so too".
So I ask her to say a prayer. She says, "Your prayers are different than mine." I just said, "But we're both praying to the same person, right?" So she reluctantly stands up and shakes around a bit and then turns around. I thought she was gonna do some jumping jacks or something. Thats what it looked like. Then with lightning fast speed she shouts, "FATHER! SON! HOLY SPIRIT!" Then she spins around and faces this picture of Jesus on the wall. Then she hold out her arm and points at the picture. I didn't even close my eyes. It was the first time i had seen this. Her prayer was something like this: "Lord, I'm so grateful that I have withstood the evil teachings of these men. Thank you Lord for strengthening my heart against their attacks on our faith. Lord, I will not leave you to join the church of the Devil! Make them realize that their path is going towards Hell and suffering! Amen." Then she turns around.
Yeah. So we left and decided not to go back. But here is the interesting part. As we were leaving her house, Anthony turns around and says, "OH MY GOSH!" He starts freaking out. Literally. So we find a spot and calm him down. He goes, "Why did you guys not talk about Primary!" I go, "Primary? She's not a kid!" Then he tells us that at first when we started talking to Analisa, he was thinking of school and friends and stuff. Then he started to focus on Analisa. He said that as he did that, he started seeing pictures from Primary, hearing songs that he used to sing in Primary and remember lessons that he had learned in Primary. He saw his Primary teacher. He said it was like rapid speed through his mind's eye. I told him that I hadn't talked about Primary because I didn't feel prompted to talk about Primary. Then it hit me. The Spirit was prompting him HARD to talk about Primary! The Spirit had guided the lesson so well that it had even given him time to come in and talk about primary! Those were the minute breaks where neither I or my companion had any promptings! The Spirit had very meticulously weaved that lesson. Anthony can't be blamed. He didn't know what to do. That was the first time he said he had ever been that prompted in his life. I told him that that's what happens when you focus on what the investigator needs to hear--not what sounds good.
I know that the Holy Ghost guided us. And I know that Primary is what she needed to hear. But not from me. Not from my companion. But from Anthony. The Holy Ghost knows what he is doing. So listen carefully...
The second experience is cool too. We have an investigator getting baptized next Saturday--Editha Villa and her daughter Ladyvell. They are so converted it is crazy. They walked to church in the rain because they couldn't stand not going. She missed a Sunday because she was sick and she felt so horrible inside. She knows this is the Lord's true Gospel restored. We were teaching them about the Fall and Atonement (my favorite lesson) and we finished it up by holding up a picture of the Savior and then bearing testimony of Him. We finished and then EDITHA starts to bear her testimony to us about Christ and then she goes into bearing her testimony that this is the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then she tells us of her testimony of the Book of Mormon! Then she bears testimony of Joseph Smith. She said it was hard for her to express her feelings because its the first time in her life where she has felt such conviction in something. Then Ladyvell gives the most legit prayer I have heard in my mission. She thanks Heavenly Father for everything--school, her house, the Savior, the church, us, the Book of Mormon, her mom's job, etc. Then she (in her prayer) says, "Father, I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet! I know that the Book of Mormon is true! I know that the Church is true!" and then she closed.
Wow. It was such an awesome lesson. We met them 3 weeks ago. When we met them they had no idea what the Church was. Now look at them. This is why I'm here--in case you're wondering still. hehe. Its because of the Spirit, the Book of Mormon and their prayers. That's why they know it. You just gotta read it and then ask. It's simple. And its the only way.
Hope you all have a good week! Thanks for everything! By the way, thanks to all of you that sent me stuff for Christmas! I love you all. I don't have time to make up Christmas Thank you's but just know that I appreciate it all!
Love you!
I'll be home for Christmas!
