The missionaries are melting!! Including these two, although we're almost always inside with air con. Today the electricity went off in our church building just as we finished the SS discussion about Jesus being the Light of the World and it got HOT. Fortunately, it came on 45 min later, just in time for the missionaries to finish filling the font. They were determined to baptize this sister today after church, and having more than 18 inches of water (level when electricity went out and water pump stopped) was helpful.
This week was zone conferences and it is sooo difficult for me. Fortunately, Dallin helped me A TON with my presentation--he designed the content and the slides from just an email telling him I could use help on a presentation about the Holy Ghost. It went along perfectly with what we were taught the week before at the MP Seminar, so I added a couple of slides at the beginning and Derrick helped me get the videos to work and I was all set. The delivery is the challenge, but the missionaries participated and they loved the demo about the Holy Ghost giving us power that I did with Dan's electric blender cup--they all want one now! I was personally tested a lot this week with losing the Spirit and needing to repent to get it back, so it was easy to teach with humility, since I'm the one who needed it the most.
Stewart's teaching is always powerful and each day he ended with a challenge for the missionaries to get 15 new investigators/week in order to bring 300 souls into the Church in June. It's a very high goal, (the average now is 9/week), but it gives the missionaries something to really work for--there is a lot of uncertainly and fear in the mission right now with the mission split coming up, so Stewart is really focusing them on their purpose and encouraging them to work, in spite of the terrible heat. He asked the missionaries to text him if they want to participate, and one companionship of sisters agreed to try, but were worried about getting 50 investigators/day, and very relieved when they found it was only 15!
Dad gave an amazing speech in a very humble venue last night at the graduation of 19 Pathways Connect students where he was the keynote speaker. These Filipino members --mostly young, but some older--traveled to the Aurora Chapel in Quezon City every Thursday night --usually two-five hours of traffic from their work/home--in order to fulfill the requirements to be able to matriculate into BYUI online. Most of them, like Paula Caviero, Mark's convert's daughter, work at least nine hours a day in addition to their study. She doesn't have a computer, so she completed all the coursework on her little smartphone. We were so proud of her and all of them. And Stewart's account of taking 14 years to finish his schooling and reminding them of UVU's Filipina president who rose from poverty was very inspiring. He ended with a reminder that they have God's DNA in their spirits and can succeed in any righteous desire, and I felt determined to try harder in my little responsibilities.
In other exciting news we had another rat in the attic, by Ann's report "HUGE--4xs size of last one", but unfortunately we were at ZC when they removed it and she forgot to take a photo. That's our excitement for the week. We love you and appreciate your prayers and support. MONDAY MORNING (that's Sunday night for those in USA) we're having our version of MEET THE PARENTS when Celeste's parents come to the mission to interview us--all day long. We hope we pass --and so does Sam! I'm writing early so you can think of us and pray for us. (And also because it's fast day and I'm waiting for Dad to come home from Baliwag District and MCM at San Jose Del Monte stake and a meeting with the APs.)
Much love,
Mom
PHOTOS:
Paula and me at Pathways graduation
Sister Cole's daughter, Carrie, sent me a nurse cap and syringe pens!
My weird allergy -- my elbows turn red and burn sometimes when I eat fruit: bananas, mangoes and this time pomelo. But only sometimes, so I still eat them.
Seniors out to dinner. Our new nurse and her husband (front left) are trying hard to learn their duties.
Paula with her certificate-- she is amazing!
Date night celebrating Dan's successful Ironman -- fancy sticky rice & mango at a Thai restaurant by Aurora chapel--wish this was in our mission!
Practice teaching at Malolos zone conference --we do this after lunch to keep them awake! Stewart has also started assigning them a 5-min talk, all on the same subject, and then calling a few from each zone to give them. This time the subject was, "What I learned from conference that changed my life!" and there were some great talks.
Sisters from Fairview/Montalban. Our sisters always dress beautifully and look so nice!
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