Bagbag na puso at nagsisising espiritu

This week was so great. We came home every day completely exhausted. We worked so so hard. Our zone conference was fantastic and I felt the Spirit so strong -- especially about the sacrament and how we can draw power from it to change ourselves and become reborn every week. Little by little every week we take out the natural man in us and replace it with good and new more perfect spiritual qualities. Every piece of bread we take represents the unique and individual needs that we need that Christ suffered for to refine us, cleanse us from our sins, and give us power to overcome our weaknesses. I felt the Spirit so strong and felt the power of the Atonement changing me. I've felt so inadequate and unsure what to do or how to improve, but through the sacrament I'm learning to rely on Christ and his power to change me. I am feeling like that I'm born of God, that I have no desire to do evil but to do good, that I love my Savior more and more, and I feel converted and basically all I want to do with the rest of my life is share the gospel for the rest of my life. Is there such thing as a lifetime extension?? I truly do wish with all my heart to spend my days here sharing the gospel. Lives are changed. I've seen an alcoholic change into a humble man glowing with the light of Christ. He just had his baptismal interview on Sunday and our district leader said that his countenance is truly glowing. It's so obvious to me that the gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives, changes souls, changes the world. I feel enlisted in the most important cause to change the world. I LOVE IT!

Basically I am probably the happiest I've been on my whole mission. We worked so hard finding part member families and meeting their families in their compounds. We found a lot of promising investigators that we are going to back to this week. We taught quite a few referrals of members, one from Brother Nuevo who is now giving out the Book of Mormon to his friends that he knows can change too (WOW!), one is the husband of a member who desperately wants to be married in the temple, and another from our efforts in asking members to give a Book of Mormon. Basically I just love the members and I love the people of Naguilian -- I honestly wish I could just be here forever. I feel that there is SOOOO much work for me to do, and sometimes I feel bad that it took me so long to figure out how to do missionary work more effectively. It was really hard when I was training, but I'm trusting that there was a reason my first year was hard and things didn't go the way I planned. I'm hoping that I will be able to serve the Lord with what I'm doing for the rest of my life.

My companion and I are doing great. We eat super healthy and eat all kinds of pure vegetable dishes and rice, like kare-kare or ginataang gulay. We exercise every day and study the Book of Mormon first thing in the morning. Our apartment is filled with the Spirit. We are feeling filled with the Spirit. Yesterday we were confused about where to go and what to do but everything worked out perfect because we followed the peaceful feeling that we needed to go to Tuddingan, even though we weren't sure if it was going to work out. We were able to teach in unity and power. We are excited to work. Even though it does feel like an overwhelming task before us and we know we can't do everything and we aren't perfect, we trust that the Lord will guide us to use our time wisely. Sister Umpad is one of the best companions I've ever had. We teach repentance and are bold. This has been the happiest transfer I've had, even though sometimes there have been hard times to. I'm grateful that I've learned so much. I'm praying so so hard that the Lord will help us bring many souls to Christ, because I've learned that I absolutely cannot do it on my own and it has been hard to get over my self-doubt and being hard on myself.

I talked at a funeral service about the Resurrection and that Jesus is the Life of the World. I never thought I would do that. I also got to speak in church and I felt the Spirit as I testified of the importance of missionary work. I don't know if anyone else felt it but I did.

I love missionary work. I love being obedient. I LOVE NAGUILIAN. I love my companion. I love working. I know I'm not a perfect missionary and we have hard times too -- I'm especially hard on myself because I want to bring souls unto Christ and I feel that because of my imperfections and capabilities that I have missed opportunities. But I'm trying hard and I know I have to trust in God that they will come if I follow Alma 26:22 -- repent, exercise faith, do good works, and pray without ceasing.

Sister Porter

Good morning!

This week was a little bit harder even though we are continuing to see wonderful things happen in Naguilian. Somethings just didn't work out the way we wished, but I read this scripture in Alma and it really helped. 

22 Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.

I truly love this gospel and feel converted to missionary work. I truly do feel that way. There is nothing I love more in my whole life than seeing souls repent and trust in Christ. That is such a privilege to witness! It isn't to worry about the membership of the church or to be a salesperson or to improve their lives, but it is to SAVE SOULS and bring them to salvation.  There is nothing more serious or more important in the whole wide world and cannot be taken lightly.

But I have to have faith and act and DO IT! I have to have faith that God is preparing souls around us to learn the gospel, especially here in the Philippines Baguio mission where people are so humble and will repent if missionaries are bold in their testimonies of the gospel. That is what saved Nuevo Dumaging. If we hadn't told him he needed to repent and he needed to do it NOW and not little by little, he wouldn't be getting baptized in 2 weeks. Nuevo is a soul prepared for baptism. He is active in the church activities and has the most humble heart. As soon as we tell him a law and tell him to repent, he repents right away and does it no more. Arnold Aljentera is getting ready to be baptized too next month. We had a strong lesson about getting answers through prayer and that he has found the true gospel and someday through his example his family will follow. The Spirit was so strong in that room.

Another thing that happened this week was while we were walking through our area we saw two ladies in their rice fields working and of course we came over to help. They were so so surprised to see two sister missionaries willing to help them in their rice fields. And while we worked we told them about the Restoration. I was so so excited to serve and help and share the gospel.

Prayers would be appreciated to help me have the strength to talk to as many people as possible even when I feel tired in body and spirit and wonder if I can keep going in energy!

If I repent, exercise faith, do good works and pray without ceasing, I will know the mysteries of God and bring 1000s to repentence. It's in the scriptures! It's a promise of God! I can't rest from my labors until the end of my life because souls need to be brought unto him and I'm not truly happy unless I fulfill this commission.

I'm so grateful to be here in Naguilian -- here I've learned the most and love the people here so much. I've really been learning what it looks like to TEACH REPENTANCE and BAPTIZE CONVERTS!!!

Sister Porter

Hello from Sister Porter

We worked really hard this week. We came home super super tired every single night. We've been doing our best to help the ward and map all the members in the ward. We are making some progress and I think our branch president is excited about it. But it hasn't been easy asking and asking and asking people where people live and being makulit when trying to get information. I've never been the most outgoing person so every day I have to keep trying to talk to people. Sometimes it is super awkward, and to tell the truth I'm the only one usually who goes out of my way to talk to people so that's been hard. But I'm praying to improve and that I can heed the promptings of the Spirit to who I need to talk to. One member we found has been living in Manila for over 20 years and almost never comes home to Naguilian. But we happened to find her on the day that she came home for the holidays for the first time in years. We shared a quick message with her and she cried and remembered when she was in Primary and all the hardships she has had since. We gave her a Book of Mormon and hope that her ward finds her in Manila with the information we got. It wasn't a statistic but no effort is wasted -- it was a person to be loved. Lots of little miracles are happening as we ask to find old members. The branch is little by little getting more united, and I feel like we are really trying to help the branch. We are still going to members houses and asking for them to give Book of Mormons to their loved ones. We will keep following up on them.

Brother Nuevo is getting ready for his baptism in less than 3 weeks. He has become so humble and anything we ask him to do he does it. He has had to change and leave behind most of his old life and friends for this gospel. But what he's found is happiness -- he smiles and ponders the scriptures and is finding strength to his body that he hasn't had in years. What a blessing to see the true change. He is learning to make covenants to his Father in Heaven so I am not worried about him making his baptismal covenant. He is learning and growing so much. He is even fellowshipping his next door neighbor, Brother Arnold, who is also progressing very well. He came to church for the first time and loved the testimonies about the Book of Mormon. He is reading and praying if it is true and coming to church. He has true intent, and I know that people like that find the truth because Heavenly Father blesses those who seek it. The members are excited about him coming to church because he was a referral years earlier but that wasn't quite ready yet. The time is ripe now.

A couple weeks ago a lady stopped us on her motorcycle and felt impressed to talk to us. She is a single mother who adopted and rescues kids because she was an abandoned and unloved child when she was young. She wanted to talk to the missionaries. She came to church yesterday and enjoyed it. We taught her the Restoration last night and she truly listened and then gave a heartfelt prayer to know the truth and in thanks to her Heavenly Father. She still has a ways to go but she is doing great and we have high hopes for her. She is so lonely and we know what she needs is the gospel and belonging in the Church.

Brother Wally passed the sacrament for the first time this week. I couldn't even contain my excitement for him; I was grinning from ear to ear the entire time. We have been having the elders teach him so he can have more priesthood support. He's a little lonely right now because all the men his age are returned missionaries, getting ready to be married or are at work or preparing to serve a mission.

Brother Arsenio Mendoza went to the temple right after his baptism, and he loved it. He is already a home teacher and the branch is so excited about him because he is opening up the doors for his family.

The Estebillo family is having a little bit of a hard time accepting the Restoration right away because they have been in their religion their whole life. But their 18 year old son is starting to read and pray about it so I am praying that the Lord will help their family and bring them to the truth.

It's been great to feel a little closer to the members. A few of them bore their testimonies that the missionaries helped them recommit to the gospel these past few weeks.

I've truly enjoyed this week and love Naguilian with all my heart and to be honest I really don't want to leave ever because there is SO much work left to be done. I feel converted to this work even though my abilities and capabilities are truly not very much comparatively.  But I've seen miracles here in Naguilian.

Sister Porter

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Even though Christmas was a little crazy and many people have been out on vacation, we are trying to be more of a strength to our branch. The little branch is struggling with the amount of members coming to church, putting a lot of stress on our local leaders. We are going to assist them in mapping out nonmembers so we've been using our ward directory. It's not easy but it's what the branch president has asked the ward to do and we hope it will help us find part member families. We are trying to put into place a way to work with the home and visiting teachers to help them find the less active and part member families in their area. And we have been focusing on visiting members and asking for referrals by giving them Book of Mormons. The great thing is, every member said they had a friend, kapitbahay or family member that has been on their mind to give a Book of Mormon too. We plan on following up on it every week until we get referrals and to ask more members too. Hopefully that will get us more investigators that have members involved in the work.

Brother Nuevo is doing fantastic. His countenance is changing. He has repented of his sins, and avoids the situations that tempt him. He reads the Book of Mormon every day and always comes to church. The gospel is blessing his life and I know that if he continues he will be ready for baptism in just a few short weeks.

Brother Arnold is a new investigator of ours. He felt drawn to the Book of Mormon and is truly interested in knowing the truth. We taught the Restoration so powerfully and I am excited to follow up on him. He really has the desire to read and go to church so we are extremely hopeful. He has a family too that isn't too interested right now but hopefully by Arnold's example they will join. He had a dream when he prayed to know about the teachings of the missionaries-- that he was looking at tons of photos of Jesus Christ all with different faces and appearance and he ended up choosing one. When we came and shared the photo of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon that was the one that Arnold knew he chose in his dream. It was a cool experience. I'm excited to teach him.

Rhenier Soriano and Arsenio Mendoza are the best recent converts. Even though Arsenio got baptized last week, he immediately wanted to go on the branch temple trip and he went! Rhenier did too -- and although he is only 15 I feel like he is a very very special young man. Ever since he started reading the Book of Mormon and was baptized he has devoted almost all of his free time to the gospel. He even works with us. He went to the temple and is trying to do family history work for his dad that he feels a special connection to. He tries to share the gospel to everyone -- he tries to share it to his whole class at school, all his family, and all his friends even though he has been rejected and persecuted. He has dreamed that he will receive a mission call. I know that the Lord has a VERY special calling for this boy who found the gospel by himself and is converted. I have felt such a privilege to meet him and know him. I almost cried when I saw all that he studies and does to share the gospel.

I've been really really studying the Atonement. I've been so impressed with the story of Alma the younger in Mosiah 27 and Alma 36. I really have been wanting to understand what it means to be born again, how to tear out the natural man and become a Saint through the Atonement of Christ.

Something else that I've been studying is opposition and weakness. I came across a paragraph in my language study book that said that there are 2 types of learners of a language -- those that are successful and those that are unsuccessful. Those that are unsuccessful are those afraid to try because they know they will make mistakes if they speak. They will only speak if they know what they are going to say is perfectly correct. The successful ones are those who are not afraid to act and speak all the time, even if what they say is balubaluktot and crooked and simple like Ako and ikaw. Those are those who eventually succeed.

I think that is not just for language but for life too. If we want to learn anything, especially how to be like Jesus Christ, we can't be afraid to fall and make mistakes. We have to try and try and get up and forgive ourselves. I guess that is what I am proud of in myself. I know that to some I may not look like the most successful -- I fall and make mistakes. Things don't always work out the way we plan. Often we can't get everything we thought we could do done. Sometimes we have to be patient with others. But what I've been telling my investigators and myself is that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for all of us even if we don't understand what and he will help us know where to go. But I know where my heart is -- it's to be a good missionary and to help others receive the gospel. Sometimes I don't understand how and I feel like I'm stumbling around in the dark. My desire is to be exactly obedient and I get stressed about everything I'm not doing and it's hard to handle seeing where I fall short. But I know who I have to trust and I hope that someday everything will make sense. I hope that you will be proud of me and Heavenly Father will be proud of me. I will never stop praying about it -- I've been praying for a year. All of the baptisms in our area have never been because of my efforts -- it's God's work and not mine. But I haven't given up and as hard as it is sometimes to not give up, I won't because I love this gospel and I love my Savior and others.

This year I want to talk to as many people as I can. I know that Heavenly Father places in our path people to teach.

Sister Porter

Zone Activity! There ya go -- traditional Filipino food and eating