January 5, 2014 Sobrang masaya kami!!!

One of our investigators Lizel Franche

This is what we are always doing....studying.  Or walking....

Hello family!!!

WE HAD FOUR INVESTIGATORS COME TO CHURCH!!!!!! needless to say, we were happy.  Mario came to church!!!!! We were so super excited.  His lessons are going so well and I know that he will be baptized.  I think he was really nervous to come to church because he didn't know anyone and he doesn't have formal clothes.  We told him it was fine to wear blue jeans and of course everyone is friendly here.  We told him that we would meet him in the plaza and then walk to the church together.  At 8:45, he still hadn't showed up so we left for the church.  Then a few minutes after we got to the church, we saw him walking down the road towards the church.  Sister Hausia and I were so so so happy.  We thought for sure he wasn't coming but he showed up!! He is our baptismal goal for January and I really think that it will happen.

Our other baptismal goal for January (Mary Ann) also came to church.  Even though she is just 16 she is super smart and really knows what she needs to do to know if it is true.  Then, halfway through sacrament meeting, in walked two more investigators.  We were shocked!  We thought that family wasn't really serious. They just wanted to talk to an American and they just want me to marry one of their four sons.  But the wife came to church with their 18 year old son.  So, I guess they really are interested. And, I was so happy because the branch was really welcoming.  Everyone we introduced to our investigators talked to them and asked them lots of questions and was super friendly.  In the past, sometimes when we introduce investigators, the members just say "hi" and then walk away.  But we had people sit by them in all the classes and all the members said to come to church again next week.  It is so helpful when the members are friendly and welcoming and THEY invite our investigators back to church.  All of our investigators said that they would come again next week (Let's pray that that really happens).  So, everyone back at home, if investigators come to church or you see a new face, BE FRIENDLY to them! Make them feel super welcome and do it on your own initiative! It's so nice when we don't have to introduce our investigators but the members come up and introduce themselves.

Lessons with Mario are going super well.  He has definitely been prepared by the Lord.  He is living the Word of Wisdom (he's only had coffee once!) and he is already living the law of chastity.  Lots of people here aren't married but they were married, so that's nice.  And he is reading the Book of Mormon and praying.  From what I can see, he was already a good person when we got there and living many of the commandments.  We are just filling in the holes and giving him explanations as to why he felt his whole life that it was wrong to swear or drink or break the law of chastity.  It has been really really neat.

And, we found a new family this week that I think are really interested.  So now we are officially teaching four families!!!  And, in all of them, the father is present.  We are really trying to focus on fathers because they are the head of the household.  It's a lot easier to get the wives to listen but the fathers have the power to change the whole family.  And, we are in desperate need of Melchizedek priesthood holders here.  So we've been excited to get families and they are progressing families too.  They are doing their reading assignmetns and really interested.

Also, New Years is way big here.  Like super.  It seriously sounds like a war here when it is new years eve.  Everyone lights of fireworks and parties all night.  The kids are definitely way more excited for new years than Christmas.  Sister Hausia couldn't sleep at all that night ( I luckily had earplugs...I offered some to her but she didn't want them).  And the fireworks are way louder than they are in America.  They sound like guns here.  Louder than guns.

This is the last week of the transfer and then Sis Hausia will be done with her training.  Wow.  12 weeks goes by super fast.  So, next week one of us will be transferred and I'm pretty sure that it will be me because I've been here for 6 months now.  I love this branch and we are finally starting to have success.  I don't want to leave!  Especially because I'm pretty sure that our investigators will be baptized this month.  But I will go where the Lord wants me to go. I know that the transfers are inspired and that is the place where we are needed.

I hope you all had a happy New Year's and that you all have great new year's resolutions.  I know that I want to make this the best last 12 months of my mission and become an even more consecrated missionary for the Lord.  I know that this work is true at alam ko po na totoo ang simbahan ni Jesu Cristo.  Walang iba.  Isa lang ang totoong simbahan.  And we all need to be like Alma in Alma 1-9 where he worked tirelessly and went from place to place to tell the people the gospel!

Mahal ko kayo! Ingat!

Sister Sirrine