Monday, July 24, 2017

Musta po!!!

So I tried to send an email and my computer crashed so I have to do this all over again haha so I don't have as much time. Pasensiya!!!!

But I love you all! Another crazy week but good! Sister Johnson was in Manila all week so I was in San Juan on exchanges. I love the sisters there, I got to help my trainer recover from surgery there, and the work there is great!! The sisters there are so hardworking and the youth are amazing. One of their recent converts has started a chain reaction with the youth. He recognized the truth of the Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ right away because he was truly searching -- Kenneth. He became converted and baptized and now the youth in the ward are working with the missionaries and giving referrals of all their friends and it's truly amazing! The youth are so important and truly have so much future and potential!

Sister Johnson came back from Manila on Thursday and they fixed her spinal headaches but she has a cut muscle from her surgery last month so she has a long recovery process and went back to her old area to recover. So I have a NEW companion!!!!! Sister Daban from Manila!!! She's the BOMB! She's 15 months on her mission and she is so hardworking and soooo sweet! The minute she got here she was ready to work, and even though we were rejected we were so happy. I'm learning that our work and our love and worthiness of the Spirit is what truly defines a missionary. Not the number of baptisms or stats. If we are using the Lord's time for the salvation of His children and conversion of ourselves and serving others, we are doing what He wants us to do. We work hard, she lets me run on the beach or on the street, and we make chocolate pancakes and do our best to serve our investigators and the ward and be kind to each other. This is going to be a great transfer!

Sister Walters and Sister Bleak have been so good to me too. I am so grateful for how they've helped me see what the definition of a great missionary is. They are so kind and so devoted to serving the Lord. AND they were SOOOO grateful for the package of food!!!!!!! THANK  YOU SO MUCH UTAH FAM! They were so grateful and seriously all of Sister Walter's favorite foods! That helped her so so much! She's gone through so much and is just amazing!

The Abat family is doing great. They come to church ever Sunday and I know that if they continue to experiment on the word, they will become converted to the Savior Jesus Christ. They are learning line upon line precept upon precept. That's how we learn and be converted. And that's what we need to do ourselves to. Act in faith that this gospel will change your life and as you do these things you WILL KNOW that this is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet, and Jesus Christ is our Savior and faith in him can help us do anything-- ANYTHING. This is His work and His Spirit is among the people preparing their hearts for the gospel. We will find them -- but we have such a small part in their conversion-- it's really the Spirit working with people and it's all in his time.


Spiritual thought:
I read the Book of Mormon in Tagalog and I wanted to share a scripture:
Jacob 4:7
7 Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things.

 Gayon pa man, ipinaaalam sa amin ng Panginoong Diyos ang aming kahinaan upang malaman namin na dahil sa kanyang biyaya, at kanyang dakilang pagpapakababa sa mga anak ng tao, kung kaya’t may kapangyarihan kaming gawin ang mga bagay na ito.


God shows us our weaknesses so we can rely on Him and know that by Him miracles happen. We need to humble ourselves and recognize His hand in all things. I know that if I trust in Him and not my own understanding, miracles will happen. I am grateful for my weaknesses so that I can know that miracles will happen.

Cultural Note:
Guess what I ate this week??

Adidas -- street grilled chicken feet. It wasn't my favorite to be honest. Chicken feet is mostly cartilage and skin and bone and the sauce is really salty here but hey I tried it hahaha. Filipinos have the most interesting street food -- fish and squid balls, adidas, day-old chicks, quail eggs (qua-qua ) in batter.

I love you all! THANK YOU for the packages, the emails, the letters from the Young Men, and ESPECIALLY for prayers for my companions and our investigators! Serving others is literally the best thing in the whole wide world and I love my Savior so much! I think when He lived on earth many people didn't recognize Him because He was a carpenter and came in humble circumstances, but He overcame all temptations and suffered for all sins and sicknesses and understands EVERYTHING we will ever feel and go through. I know that He is the Christ the Son of the Living God and His gospel is the way was have to become perfect through His merits.

Sister Porter





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