Kumusta pamilya!
Well, I survived my first week as a trainer....although there is a LOT of responsibilities put on the trainers. I got a little taste of what it's going to be like to be a mom. It means little to no time for yourself! Haha. Sister Hausia doesn't know how to cook so I've been teaching her all week, then showing her how to update the area book and doing teaching demos, etc etc. Lots to do! But it's been good and she is really hard working and that is a great blessing.
This week was a LOT of walking. A lot. Since we're opening an area, we don't have investigators and we're trying to find the houses of all the less actives in our area. I'm getting pretty good at finding people. And, street contacting is not my favorite thing to do but since I am the trainer and have to set a good example, I did a lot of street contacting. In some ways, it is easier for me to street contact because I am American and immediately get their interest. But in other ways, it's harder because they don't really listen to what I say, they're all just amazed that I can speak Tagalog! But I think that I'm going to get skinnier in this area because we walk all the time. Walk and walk and walk. Our stats this week were pretty incredible if I do say so myself: 21 street contacts, 18 new investigators. (for those that didn't serve missions....that's a lot of new investigators in one week) And 12 lessons about the restoration. By the end of my mission I am really going to know the Joseph Smith story well!
So we only have 1 investigator right now that is progressing. (that's the problem with street contacts...they're not all really interested) but we think that she is golden! She was taught a few lessons by missionaries when she was in high school but wasn't interested. We actually were teaching a bunch of kids and then we had to get permission from all their parents to continue and she was one of them. We asked if we could share with her and she let us teach right then. She then said that she knew what we were teaching was true and she felt like it was a sign that the missionaries taught her back then and then we showed up just after she had been watching sermons on TV this week and wanting to know the truth. When we came back for our second lesson, she had read the entire pamphlet that we left her (investigators never do that) and knew the whole lesson one for herself. Her only hesitation is that her husband is Catholic and she doesn't know how she'll be able to go to church. We told her to pray for her husband to be receptive to our message and she hesitantly agreed to let us teach him next Sunday when he comes home from work. I can tell she really wants to be part of our church and it made us so excited as missionaries.
Also, I had a break through with the branch president yesterday. He never has time to help us and although we ask him to do specific assignments they never actually get done (he is very busy). But yesterday Sis Hausia and I met with him and reported our work in finding less actives in our area (most of the members don't know them or where they live so it means that it's been a long time since they went to church) and he was very surprised. He asked me how long I've been out here and I said 4 months and he just shook his head and said he was very impressed with what we accomplished. And then he told my companion that I was 92% fluent (definitely NOT true...but a nice compliment). AND!!!!! He agreed to come with us to one of our appointments. As missionaries we've been praying for the last three months to get the leaders motivated to help out with missionary work and I think we are finally seeing the results of our prayers and hard work. It was a very nice feeling. I know that the Lord is hastening His work here in Gua Gua and helping to get the members more involved. That's the key to missionary work: members!
So, the work is progressing here and slowly we are getting investigators. I know that the Lord is definitely helping us and that this is His work. If it wasn't, it would be impossible to do what we do as missionaries everyday. And no one would believe our message. But I know that through the power of the Holy Ghost, people are converted to the amazing story of Joseph Smith and the restoration of Christ's church. I love you all and hope that you have a great week!
Mahal ko kayo!
Sister Sirrine
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