Monday, November 18, 2013

November 18, 2013 Hello! Hello!

Kumusta!

This week was pretty good.  We are finally getting investigators and less actives to visit and so our week was actually full of appointments.  It was so nice after weeks of street contacting and days of having no appointments.  We also had companion exchanges this week and it was funny, the whole day I was so worried about my companion wondering if she was lost, how the lessons were going, if they were punted, etc.  But she was alright and only got a little lost.  Ha ha! I felt so responsible for her as her trainer!

Also, this week we had an interesting experience.  We were going to an appointment and a man stopped us and asked (in English) if he could ask me a question.  Of course I responded in English and he asked if I knew how to speak English.  He had grown up in New York although he is Filipino and had a New York accent and everything.  He was very curious and let us teach him right then.  And he wanted us to teach him in English.  I couldn't do it!  I couldn't teach the lesson in English!  I tried as hard as I could but I ended up speaking a lot of Tagalog.  He couldn't believe that I'd only been here for 4 months and felt more comfortable talking in Tagalog.  Over and over he said "Just speak in English!"  But I guess when you've taught the same lesson in Tagalog everyday for the last four months, it really gets ingrained in your head.  He was Born Again so they have tons and tons of questions and even if you can show them that what you said is in the Bible, they won't believe you.  Too bad.  I felt like he really was interested at the beginning but it became apparent that he just wanted to Bible study.  It's really hard to not argue and debate with people but that's the first thing you learn here.  DON'T DO IT!  You will never win and it only brings the spirit of contention.  Just bear your testimony because they can't argue with that.


These are the baptisms that happened yesterday!  Rica and Regine Tapiador


We also had a baptism yesterday:  two kids that I started teaching, and taught almost all the lessons to, but then my area was changed.  So technically they don't count as my baptisms, but I'm going to count them!  The elders only taught them for about 1 week.  But it was such a good baptism because their step mom is a member and she was so incredibly happy to see her children be baptized.  That is definitely what the gospel is about: families.  Of course, she cried during her testimony and it was just such an awesome spirit there.

Other than that, this week was pretty normal.  Lots of appointments, lots of street contacting and we had a lot of less actives in our area come to church yesterday.  It was exciting!  People that hadn't been to church in years came!  The branch here is really progressing and I feel really lucky that I've been here in the branch to see it progress like this.  The work is definitely moving forward!

Mahal ko kayo!

Sister Sirrine

Answers to Parent questions about Typhoon:

We didn't get anything here.  Just a little bit of rain.  One of the sisters in our apartment had family over there.  They are all safe but very hungry.  She was really worried for a long time.  And all the missionaries have been transferred to other missions.  We got 15 of them here in the Olongapo mision.  It's been all that anyone has been talking about for the last week.  So so so sad


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