Every week there's so much that happens. We've had a few really stellar investigators just drop the missionary lessons. They won't answer our calls or hide from us, or if we see them walking on the street they'll turn around and RUN! I don't think we're that scary??? It's been super sad because they tell us how much they want the gospel in their lives and that they know it's true, and then wala, they're just up and gone. The most sad thing about it for me is that I know whenever life gets hard, when we stick to the gospel and what we know, everything will be okay. So while it's been sad to see people run from the gospel, it's been incredible to see what happens in the lives of people who stick to what they know.
One of the recent converts here, Tatay Jun, was baptized last year. He loves the gospel so much and even though it's really hard for him to walk, he walks by himself to church each week. And though his family will be friendly to us (smile and say hello on their way inside) they refuse to listen to us missionaries and think Tatay is crazy for being a Mormon. But Tatay has been steadfast in his testimony and has stuck to the gospel even if his family won't listen. This week miracles happened. :) We were able to teach his son and in a later lesson, his son and his wife listened!!
Another experience similar to that was at Janet's. She's been a member for years and we've been teaching her son for the past little while and she really wants us to teach her husband as well. But whenever we come over, no matter how much she asks, her husband stays upstairs and refuses to talk to us. This week though, Janet didn't even need to try and persuade him. She told him we wanted to meet him and her husband came right down and talked with us! We were a little scared, and didn't know if he was mean (because none of the missionaries we know had ever met him), but he was super friendly!
I've really been learning so much here. I know that as we stay steadfast in our testimonies, and keep going, we'll be blessed. It's been amazing seeing the hearts that have been prepared and softened just this week.
Friday was so cool. It was just a spiritual high kind of a day, and we really knew we we're being led everywhere we went. We started off the day in Bancal where we were getting punted(when we go to a planned lesson and they make up some kind of excuse for why they can't listen) left and right. We just couldn't find anyone who would listen to us, except the two 10-year-old boys who'd been following us for an hour. So we started talking with them/asked them where they were from and the boys just started leading us down streets we'd never been to, towards their houses so we could meet their parents. (By the time we got there, we had a little groupie of 15 kids following us, while we talked to the parents two of the little girls stood there saying "puti" (white) and rubbing the hair on my arm the whole time!! Haha kids are crazy!) Both of their parents were super interested and really want us to come back! It was so cool because who knew two little boys could be such missionaries!
Honestly, missionary work is amazing!!! I hope all of you at home are looking for and taking hold of the missionary opportunities that surround you. They are everywhere! A missionary opportunity isn't just walking up to somebody and saying "Hey I'm a Mormon and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is really cool! Want to learn about it?!" You can totally do that if you want to but I've come to learn that the most simple way to be a missionary is just by sharing simple truths. I know Heavenly Father loves us. I know that He listens to and answers our prayers. I know that the gospel has blessed my life and my family's life immensely. I know where I came from, my purpose on earth, and where I'm going. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can find comfort and peace. What do you know that you can share with others around you? I know that the more you're a missionary, the more your own testimony and love for the gospel grows. It's so great!! :)
I love you all and hope you get LOTS of missionary experiences.
Mahal ko kayo!
Sister Marshall
sorry no pictures this week, so just picture this story in your head;)
P.S. go out with the missionaries if you can! It's fun!! This week one of our members helped us out a lot when our investigator asked us "why are people afraid of the Mormons?" she told him a story about when she was growing up: "When I was little someone told me that the missionaries had candy in their bags. But then more people told me that that was a lie and when little kids ask missionaries for candy they turn the little kids into corned beef and sell it in America!!! I was so scared! 6 foot, 7 foot, missionaries with green eyes were always in our town! I didn't want to become corned beef!!!! But I'm a survivor of Yolanda (one of the huge storms here) and when we didn't have any food the Mormons gave us some. The Mormons helped us all so much after the storm so I decided maybe they're nice. But I didn't know yet, so I asked one of them to show me what was in his bag (if it was chocolate they were nice, if it was corned beef they were mean) and he just had a lot of Aklat ni Mormon!! Then I started to take the lessons and I love the missionaries! And they didn't turn me into corned beef!" Haha it was great!
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