Madison on a Mission

From Bauang to You

I just want to share a few miracles that happened to us this week. I am gaining more faith that if we truly open our mouths that we will find the people prepared by God to teach. I felt so blessed.

On Saturday we were trying to find people in a new area that the Sister Training Leaders left when they transferred to Bauang 1st ward. We ended up finding an older couple that had been baptized a little over a year ago but none of their family had been baptized with them. As we were talking to them we saw their granddaughter hanging clothes nearby and we were makulit and did everything we could to get her involved in the lesson. As we were getting to know her, her asawa came in and sat down and started listening. They are a young couple in their early 20s. As we started the lesson, we asked Sister how her belief in God has helped her in her life. That's when her eyes filled with tears and she explained that they had just lost their first baby. They were both distraught. But brother expressed his faith in God and in prayer that he has been given him to get a job to support his new family. They have great faith in God. After that we were able to testify of the Plan of Salvation. We asked them if they wanted to know where their baby was right now and their eyes lit up and looked at us with such eagerness and attentiveness. We started reading Moroni 8:

8 Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.

11 And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins.

12 But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!

We told them their baby was with their Heavenly Father. Brother asked if they are growing up in Heaven and we were able to tell him that we know that he is learning and growing in knowledge to become like his Heavenly Father in the celestial kingdom. Then we shared verse 10:

10 Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach—repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children.

That's when we testified of the Doctrine of Christ and that Brother and Sister must be repent and be baptized to be saved in the kingdom of God with their child and be a forever family. They cried and told us they want that more than anything. They are already reading the Book of Mormon and committed to a baptismal date and to go to church. It was the best experience. Sister Tobias and I were overjoyed.

We've been focusing on the Bacolcol family too. They are a whole family that goes to church. They have two kids that served such honorable missions. But one of them just died in service to their country and they are absolutely devastated but became open to the missionaries again. We've been boldly testifying of the Plan of Salvation in 2 Nephi 9 to them and it was like the verses were speaking directly to them.

1 And now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things that ye might know concerning the covenants of the Lord that he has covenanted with all the house of Israel—

2 That he has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his holy prophets, even from the beginning down, from generation to generation, until the time comes that they shall be restored to the true church and fold of God; when they shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, and shall be established in all their lands of promise.

3 Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.

4 For I know that ye have searched much, many of you, to know of things to come; wherefore I know that ye know that our flesh must waste away and die; nevertheless, in our bodies we shall see God.

5 Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.

6 For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.

7 Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.

They are really improving in reading all the reading assignments we give them. Sister Bacolcol is feeling peace reading the Book of Mormon. Brother is still struggling overcoming an addiction and it is making it hard to read. They are having trouble deciding to be baptized and I'm reminded of the Abat family in Lingsat. But we know the time is coming just like the Abat family.

We taught Brother Rafael last night in the church. He is a minister of Iglesia. When we started teaching he just started bombarding us with scriptures he memorized in the Bible and even the Book of Mormon about prophets and the Godhead and we were a little worried at first as we were holding our ground that things weren't going to go the right direction. But when we asked him why he wanted to know these things he expressed to us that he was an honest seeker of truth and that he has questioned many churches and completely understands the apostasy. He told us that his greatest desire in life is to teach the word of God and we were able to testify to him that we were called of a living prophet to testify that these things are true and that he needed not a worldly witness but a spiritual witness of the Book of Mormon through sincere prayer. He asked us that if he were baptized in this church that he wanted to be baptized by immersion and that he wanted to be a missionary like us. He is only 20 years old. We told him that if his desire is true to seek the truth that he will find the truth and become a missionary and even a leader of the church and that God has a plan for him. As we were ending he asked to share a scripture with us. Jeremiah 1:16 and then basically testified to us that before this world was we were foreordained to the most important work and calling in the world- to be a missionary of the Lord Jesus Christ. We were so happy and we testified to him that it was true. I felt so weak during that lesson -- I just testified. But I am so grateful that I was able to witness a miracle.

On Thursday all of our appointments fell through so we ended up looking for old members in Calumbaya. We found an old couple that was baptized the 1980s. We felt impressed to talk to their neighbors. One man was shirtless and tattoed but ran to us and asked if he could listen and of course we told him yes. He ran back to his house, showered, and made himself presentable, came back, sat down, and then we started the lesson. We felt impressed to ask if there was anything they could ask God what would they ask. Brother told us that he has been searching and searching the Bible for the right religion but that he recognized that there had been an apostacy and that things were changed in the Bible. He wanted to ask for the true religion. Of course we testified that that was all true and that there was a boy named Joseph Smith that had asked that question. We gave him a Book of Mormon and asked if he would read before we came back and he told us that by the time we came back he will quote to us from the Book of Mormon. We were so excited.

Basically work was amazing this week. Rica and Charlene got baptized and Rica testified that she knew these things were true although she is only 14 years old. We are focusing on helping her family recognize the truth also. We worked hard. Things weren't perfect -- we make mistakes too. But we testified of these things and tried to serve and love others. I was able to testify in sacrament meeting about charity.

Sister Tobias is the most hardworking missionary. We are both so happy and positive working even when things don't always go the way we hope or plan and we make mistakes too. But we love to work, to study, and we are really happy as a companionship. Amazing things are happening here. Miracles.

Missionary work is the most wonderful work in the world -- bringing souls to Christ and His Restored Gospel. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Sister Porter