April 13th "The gospel is not a weight, it is wings" quote by Sis. Stevens Gen. Conf. April 2014

It has been one tough week for us here in Nabua. I really feel we have been rejected so much and we haven't been able to work in our area a ton. We had exchanges with the Naga Sisters, Tuesday and Wednesday, and General Conference in Iriga for two days, but I am so grateful we got to watch General Conference.

But, Monday was so good. We had Family Home Evening at the Tomotorgo Family's home and taught them the Plan of Salvation in a game form. We made the different parts of the Plan of Salvation and gave them out to them, then had them see if they could get it all in order in 1 minute. It was awesome! And they all had so much fun! Roseanne had made a sign for the F.H.E saying "Welcome, Lets Play and Lets Pray, Thank you so much!" Ahhh! We saw it when we got there and about died! How cute! She is the girl who came to church the first time last week. I seriously love her! Then her Uncle said we could come back and teach him and his family... they have 3 girls (: ages 6, 3, and 1 month! We taught them all, the whole family and they said we could return again this week so I am excited to see their progression as a family!

Tuesday, I worked with Sister Ramos on exchanges, and guess who lives in there area now? Diane!! One of the girls I taught in Goa, and was baptized right after I left! She is working  in a home right near the church, and the Sisters have been teaching her. I surprised her, and when she saw me she an/skipped to me and literally hugged me for like 2 minutes sobbing! I was so happy to see her! She still goes to church every Sunday. I found out her mom had kicked her out after she was baptized, and she slept in the park for some time, but she is so strong! It was a joyous reunion for sure, and she ended up working with us the next day as a member present when I worked with Sister Prestosa. Later that night we went tracting, and the first house we went to was the right one. We met a woman who had just separated with her husband, but they were trying to get back together, and we shared with her a message and at the end she asked when we could come back, and if we could share to her husband also when he comes to Naga. The Lord really truly leads us to those who need the Gospel. Also, Tuesday just happens to be my comps bday so we all went out to Shakeys Pizza and ordered the biggest pizza they had... sooo good (: Happy Birthday Sister Pal!

Wednesday, we had a CSP in the morning with the Naga Sisters, and helped dig up the foundation of a home for a family that was being moved by the government to a new area. I may have gotten some blisters from shoveling and digging up the earth around, but it was so worth it! I miss doing yard work, and helping with Rural Housing Development at BYU Y-Serve. People here build their own homes a lot of time, and it seriously is so amazing to see how they do. I swear every Filipino is so talented, and can create anything from scratch.

Thursday we celebrated Sister Pal's birthday with her ka-birthday (a little daughter of an investigator, who has the same bday as her). This is the mother who is pregnant and her husband left her not too long ago for someone else. She is so welcoming, and we love teaching her. She has been through so much, and really is ready for the good word of the Gospel.

General Conference on Saturday and Sunday was seriously so awesome! If you didn't get the chance to watch all the sessions you should go and do it now. I feel so blessed to know we have a living Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, who helps lead and guide the Lords church today. I know he is just an instrument in the Lords hands, and wants nothing more than for us to all make it back to live with our Father in Heaven. I was touched by Sister Stevens talk when she said, "The gospel is not a weight, it is wings". We should not be burdened down with the gospel, with church responsibilities, or commandments. They are what help us soar through the trials of life. Sin, and not following the commandments (church, praying, reading, etc..) is what weighs us down. We are so lucky to have the Restored Gospel here on this earth. I testify and I know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, God calls Prophets in these latter days, and we must hearken unto their voices in order to be saved in these last days, and gain eternal life in the world to come.

Watching General Conference is not an option, it’s a commandment (:

I love you all, follow the commandments, and show the Lord you love Him.

April 7th 2014 He will guide us, if we put our trust in Him

This week has been an eventful one, and very busy. The days are long sometimes, but the weeks fly by fast, but sure are jam packed on the mission.

Tuesday we had MLC, and that was so good. We ate salsa and chips... I about cried with excitement hahaha. I miss Mexican food. I really thought with all the Spanish influence here I would eat more burritos, or tacos... nope, but its okay.. rice all day everyday (:

Wednesday we had exchanges in Pili, and I was with Sister Ghori again (she use to be in Naga and we were together last exchanges). She is from Pakistan and we came to the Philippines on the same day so we are "batch", (that's what it is called here). We had 2 members work with us, and we went to one of their really far areas. It was a good day. There is one family there, the wife is a member and the husband comes to church but isn't a member yet... he is a little hard headed.. but I love teaching him. I have gotten a lot bolder in the past few months haha. We got him to pray and challenged him to doubt his doubts, not his faith, and really truly pray to know if the church is true. He did at the end of the lesson, and the Spirit was so strong!

Thursday we met this woman who said she use to go to church in Iriga sometimes with members there, and we have been teaching their whole family lives right in the same lot. The daughter, Roseanne came to church yesterday (: She is so cute! We are having FHE there later tonight so I am excited to keep teaching them the gospel.

We have been having a really hard time getting people to accept baptismal invitations, as in every one! But we are doing our best and trying to be positive no matter what.. (I may or may not have started sobbing when a use-to-be progressing investigator hid from us yesterday.... haha but the Lord keeps leading us to others, it may just not be their time ).

We also have this Nanay that calls us her daughters, and kisses my cheek every time she sees us. She sleeps on her table she sells stuff on in the palengke (market place). She is so sweet and we were able to teach her how to pray this week. She did, and it was so sincere!

Friday, Junabelle, one of the Elders investigators was baptized so we helped out. She is 15, and the only member, but her testimony is so strong. She started coming with a recent convert who lives by her. The font water was literally green, so we emptied it, and tried again..... light green haha. We do what we can (:

That night we for some reason stopped by an investigators that sells food at night, and I normally just say |okay next time... we'll come back another day", but we sat down, the Nanay gave us some food, and not too long after 3 men who were working near there stopped by. The one said his family is being taught by missionaries in Daet (up north), the other was had been drinking, so I gave him a word of wisdom pamphlet (:,hehehe  and the other one started asking us about tithing. The one who asked about tithing, Victor, we ended up teaching, and I felt prompted to give him a Book of Mormon, telling him it would change his life... He seriously got so happy and started telling us how he needs to change, and he feels he is drowning in trials/sins, etc.... He prayed before we left, and it was amazingly heartfelt, and sincere. I know the Lord placed us there at the time He needed us to be there. We felt weird when we sat down, and started eating snacks... not like both of us to do that hahaha.

Another lesson on Saturday... was a little long, but we taught all of the Restoration to a Brother who was referred to us from another investigator. He used to want to be a preacher and is very well versed in the Bible, in the House of Israel... things I am not always well versed in. One thing I have noticed though is I really don't fear lessons like this anymore even if they have more knowledge then me, because I know the simple basic truths. I always want to study more, but I am not converted to the Gospel because I have verses memorized, but because I have FELT it is true through the Holy Ghost. We cannot be truly converted on knowledge alone. It is important, but not what really converts us. He told us he will read the Book of Mormon and that he believes in Joseph Smith. I am excited to continue to teach him. He said this is the fourth church he has investigated... he has found the one (:

Sunday, I learned a lot. I learned that everyone has challenges far worse then me, and I need to stop crying when someone hides from us. In the morning we taught an investigator we met last week, and that came to church, but he doesn't remember coming to church....... He was in an accident and has some sort of memory loss and is saving up money for a catscans. He remembers us, but really does not remember where our church is, or that he went there. We have a challenge there..... we will have to figure out what we can do about that. Then we were punted after church, and it is Holy Week here so there were mobs of people walking around with a float of Christ carrying a cross, kind of like a parade that everyone just joins in, so working will be a little tough this week... but we will find those who we need to. We found people last night though! Their challenges: the one woman's family's house burned down with them all inside of it and her sister saw it happen from outside and is having a hard time coping after years, another woman's husband left her 7 months pregnant with 3 little children for another woman down the street.... So I have no room to complain. I seriously realized so much last night that we each have individual trials, we cannot compare, but we must realize many people have it far worse than us at times. I know the Lord visits us in our trials. I saw these to amazingly strong women doing all they could to support their family, despite the hard things they have/are going through.

I know the Lord is there for us. I know He knows each one of our circumstances. No one can truly know what we are feeling, but Him, so we MUST turn to Him. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

He will guide us, if we put our trust in Him (: I love all of you! Have a good week! xoxoxo

March 31st, 2014 - I am grateful for what the Lord has shown me, for the miracles I see daily

I have a new companion, Sister Pal, and she has 5 more weeks left on the mission aka I will kill her off on the mission. She was the Sister Training Leader in Daet with Sister Adkins, and now her last transfer, last area is here with me (: 

We had transfer day on Tuesday and we were able to eat at the Sm, which is the mall is Naga, and I saw two of my investigators from Canaman! Brother Rolly and Sister Vanessa. I was so happy to see them! I seriously wish I could tour all my areas again before I leave and see all the people I grew to love.

It was hard saying goodbye to Sister Bersola. I know we will be lifetime friends. She is so sweet, and gives so much. I learned a lot from her. Then... I got to see my aki, Sister Marzan... I saw her across the parking lot where all the missionaries were, and she came running! "Sister Webster!!!!" ahhh it was seriously the best reunion. I haven't seen her since we were transferred! We couldn't stop hugging! She is transferred now to Daet. I have come to realize I seriously have made so many lifetime friends here. God has blessed me with amazing companions.

Wednesday, our first day as companions, 3 of the 4 lessons we taught were new investigators that we tracted that day. It was awesome! One we met in the morning when we were punted. There was a funeral service at this home the week before for a mother who had passed away after childbirth, and I felt we should go there last week, after the funeral service was over. So we went up, shook hands with the women sitting there, and one of them said we could share with her, so she led us to her space around the back and shared with us how she had moved out of her last place with her mom, who didn't like visitors, so that she could not host missionaries, and visitors like us. She said she always saw us teaching her neighbor and she wondered, "why don't they come visit me?” The Lord really guides and directs us. She reminded me so much of my mom. She said everything she does is for her children, no matter all the challenges she has faced. She is a really good mom, and I shared that with her, and we all were crying. We taught her how the Gospel blesses families, and I shared how it really has blessed mine everyday (:

Then we had an amazing experience that night. We were punted from an appointment and Sister Pal said to me as we were walking away, "Saan na tayo?" (Where are we going now?), and my body literally turned a 90 degree turn and I said, "Ditto" (here). We were welcomed by a 19 year old girl and her cousin. She started to talk, open up, ask us about heaven and hell... and she shared with us her life story. She faced a lot of trials when she was young, her parents separated, she had to stop going to school because they had no money, and she tried committing suicide. She said she felt so alone and wondered why all this has happened to her... and we shared with her the power of the atonement. I was crying with her and shared with her how we felt prompted to turn to her house that night, and that the Lord is so mindful of her. He sacrificed His life for every one of us, and the worth of each soul is so great in His sight. I know the Lord led us to her that night, and I am excited to keep teaching her about Gods plan for all of us, and His restored Gospel. 

Another family we visited this week was one we met a while back and haven’t been able to teach, but we were able to this week. Just happened to be the daughter’s birthday so we gave her a Book of Mormon. The best gift you could ever receive (:

Saturday we helped a mother pack up, and fold her clothes, because they will be moving. She has the cutest baby in the world! (I wanna hold a baby so bad!). I also miss service projects, so I am going to try to look for more around her since we are supposed to be serving in the communities we serve here. 

Sunday, ahhh Sunday (: We taught Hermina in the morning, and her friend Don Don joined in and he came to church! It was great! He is really involved in his church, but said he would like to come again next week! We also have been teaching the sister-in-law of a member and at first she was so hesitant to even listen to us, but she told us she prayed to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet after she read the Introduction in the Book of Mormon, and she said she felt happy inside and that, that was her answer, feeling the Spirit! It was so awesome! She said she believes Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know the Holy Ghost will bear testimony to us truths, if we have a sincere heart, and act! I love the Gospel, because it helps me to know what to do, and what the right actions are. 

One last story I have to share with all of you. So last night, punted again ha-ha. Every day here in Nabua. We tract a lot here, but I have become so much more comfortable with it (: But anyways funny/awesome story. I saw a house number "043" and said okay... gotta go to this one.. number 43.... hahaha. And they were not going to let us in haha. So then we went to the next house. Started talking to the girl through the window and then a Nanay, and a woman came up asking what was going on. It was a little awkward, but we told them we were missionaries and started talking to them. The Nanay told us her husband had just passed away February 18th, suddenly from lung cancer, stage 4. We asked if we could share with her a message about how she can see her husband again. We taught her all of the Plan of Salvation, and while we were teaching she said it sounded familiar to her. At the end we gave her a pamphlet about the Plan of Salvation, and she said she had one! That was why it sounded so familiar she had found one in her cabinet when cleaning things out. She doesn't know how it got there, but she had read the whole thing not too long ago (: We were grinning from ear to ear. They said we are always welcome in their home, and we made an appointment for Friday. The Lord really leads us to those who are ready, or have been prepared, and need His word at this very moment. 

I have come to realize more than ever that I am really helping plant so many seeds here in Nabua. It is one tough area, but I love it, and all it has taught me thus far. I am grateful for what the Lord has shown me, for the miracles I see daily, and I can't wait to see what is in store this week. Know I love you all so much, and the Lord is so close to us, make the time for Him (: He will bless you for it! xoxox mahal ko kayong la hat!