Good Morning po!!
This week by far has been the most stressful week since being here! Getting a new companion is definitely more stressful than it sounds, and leading the area is almost a nightmare! It is hard because I feel like if anything falls through, it is all my fault.. and boy have things been falling through this week! We were punted almost all day everyday and we just walked and walked and walked through the burning heat and the pouring rain. Things have definitely been hard and at times I have just wanted to break down, but there is always something inside me that makes me keep going when all I want to do is quit. I am grateful for the struggles that I am having because I know that Heavenly Father is teaching me very valuable lessons and I am doing all that I can to see these experiences as blessings.
We really taught like no lessons this week, but we were able to find 12 new investigators which was a miracle. I really don't know how many of them are potential, but I know that at least one of them is going to be baptized! She's an adorable 16 year old girl, Rica, who is the niece of one of the members, Sister Marivic. We have only taught Rica once, but her knowledge and desire to know the gospel is amazing!!! I really pray that she will progress and begin her own process of conversion.
We taught the Honrejas Family a few times this week, but only Allan came to church yesterday. He is doing AMAZING and you can physically see the changes in him. I just wish his family would all come to church!!! I don't know what to do. They all have a great understanding of the gospel, they read the Book of Mormon everyday and they really have testimonies.. Now we just need to get them to church!
On Saturday was the baptism of Nataniel and Jetro. We got to the chapel at 8:00am to clean and prepare and set everything up for the baptism at 1:00. 1:00 rolled around and no one was there... Not even Jetro or Nataniel! Finally the second counselor arrived and one of our investigators, Mamboy. Jetro and Nataniel finally arrived with their Father and Grandma. We had been searching all morning for baptismal clothes but there was only 1 suit- for the baptizer. We called everyone we could and searched every inch of the building. As missionaries, it really isn't our responsibility to even provide the baptismal clothes- it should be provided by the ward. The mother of Jetro and Nataniel was yelling at us and scolding us because we didn't have the clothes. Both Sister Alfoja and I were seconds away from bursting into tears. The second counselor also didn't know what to do about the clothes, so he was no help. The poor Grandma had white polos at her house and a pair of white pants so she went walking home in the pouring rain to grab them. The baptism ended up starting 2 hours late and no one else even showed up. It was so discouraging. We had invited everyone in the ward to come, but we got no support. The boys were confirmed yesterday in church, and I am just so glad it is over with! It is definitely a day that I NEVER want to relive!
NAKATAWA
As we were out working the other morning, it started pouring out of nowhere.. and when I say pouring, I mean POURING!!!!!!! We got to our next appointment- a less active named Sister Carmelita who is in her 70s- and you should've seen the look on her face when she saw us! There was not an inch of us that was dry and we looked like a mess! She urged us to come inside and insisted that we change our clothes. We tried to assure her that we were fine and that we would just change when we got home. She would not take no for an answer so we complied. I got to wear a really not cute stretchy skirt that was not emphasizing my body in a way that likes to be emphasized, along with a suit jacket fully loaded with big ole shoulder pads... Yaaa buddy!!! I was lookin gooood! I should have old women dress me everyday
Well this week has been crazy and I just pray things will look a little brighter this week. I am so blessed to be serving, especially here in the Philippines!! I love you all!!!!
Love,
Sister Anderson
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