San Marcelino, San Antonio Zone
Companion: Sister Hynes
Family and Friends!! Kamusta po kayo! (Hello)
Another week down here in the Philippines. I’m
feeling a lot better about things here, I’ve started to adjust to the whole
culture shock thing which is a great feeling because I was very concerned last
week. So as for this week, so much has happened so I will just update you on
the random things first and then have a little story about one of my
investigators later on. So for some of the cool things this week:
So I have seen a tremendous amount of blessings
the past week coming my way, I think it’s my Heavenly Father’s way of showing
me that I’m not in this work alone. From the littlest things to the biggest. On
a regular day out in the field if we don’t have dinner appointments, then we
don’t eat until we get home at 9. Three times this week that has been the case,
and I kid you not every single time, someone has invited us in off the streets
and has fed us, which is seriously such a blessing because we walk far and wide
along these rice fields and trails so food is the best thing in the world ever.
Also, most of the investigators that we are teaching here are from my companion
and her companion before me and they have found them so I am just replacing her
last companion and helping to teach them. However, we found a new investigator
the other day, we taught him the first lesson, and then I got the courage to
ask him to be baptized, and he said YES! That was hands down the best feeling I
have ever had since being on the mission. He also showed up for church on Sunday
which NEVER HAPPENS, we have so many investigators and maybe three or four will
show up for church. So I was extremely excited about that.
I have also felt the blessing of having the
gift of tongues. My companion is such a good trainer for me because she knows
all my weaknesses, I’ve gotten too comfortable at letting her do all the
talking and I just sit there and smile, so this past week she will all of a
sudden just turn and look at me and stop talking and force me to start saying
things. It is so scary because I really don’t know a ton of the language, but I
just try my best to listen to the Spirit and say whatever comes to mind. After
one particular lesson, my companion goes, Sister Pilkington, do you know what
you just said in there when you bore your testimony? I told her I had no idea,
I was just saying what the Spirit told me to say, she then repeated to me what
I had said, I kid you not I don’t even know half of the words that I said, and
she told me that I spoke perfect Tagalog. What a blessing! I have never
experienced a miracle such as that in my life, it was so awesome. The gift of
tongues is REAL, and the Spirit is such an incredible guide. I challenge each
of you to be worthy of the Spirit at all times, he will guide you and direct
you and give you the words that you need to say in the time that you need them,
I know it, and I have experienced it.
Another blessing, I was having a really rough
week here out in the field, I was questioning all of my motives for coming on a
mission and wondering why the heck I wanted to go foreign. I prayed that I
would run into Elder Gorringe this week (a senior Elder that is here with his
wife, they live two hours from us so the chances of running into him was rare).
Well guess what, he showed up at our dinner appointment on Friday, (such a
blessing!) and he was able to give me a blessing of comfort and peace in
knowing that my family was going to be okay, they are being watched over and
protected during the time of my service. What a blessing that my Heavenly Father
listened to my prayers and was able to answer them almost immediately.
Some of the funny things this week, I totally
butchered my Tagalog in a practice with my companion. We were reviewing a
lesson that we were going to teach one of our investigators that afternoon, I
was trying to say that God has a body of flesh and bone, (Mayroon ng Diyos ang
katawan ng laman at buto) pero (but), I said God has a body of garden and
children (Mayroon ng DIyos ang katawan ng halaman at bata). My trainer bursted
out laughing and still has yet to let me live that down. I also was trying to
say the Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon (Nagsalin si Joseph Smith
ang Aklat ni Mormon) pero (but) I said The Book of Mormon translated Joseph
Smith (Nagsalin ni Joseph Smith ang Aklat ni Mormon). Yeah, that’s pretty much
how life out here goes, I’m having a blast nonetheless, butchering the language
and all. At least I make people laugh right? Ha.
Another crazy event happened Monday night, we
were going to teach some of our less active members and they live out by these
rice fields, we decided to go out there late at night for some odd reason, and
it started pouring rain. The whole way back the trails were all flooded, so
amidst the darkness and the pouring rain, we were trying to dodge the puddles,
All of a sudden I run right into something HUGE and its ALIVE. I had no idea
what it was and I screamed. Turns out I ran into a kalebow, they are HUGE cow
looking things, it scared me way bad. Luckily for me, they’re nice.
We also fit SEVEN people into a little trike,
now keep in mind these trike carriages are made for little Filipino people, not
seven big tall white girls. Oh the adventures of the Philippines, it never gets
old! Another exciting thing was that there are all sorts of wires coming from
houses connecting to random poles, well we walk at night a lot and my companion
and I weren’t aware that there were wires connected to this house, so at the
exact same time we are looking down trying to dodge puddles and both completely
slam into this wire. We start laughing and two steps later it happens again.
Gotta love it!
Now for the greatest story of all, Jenny
Sevillaga. She has been an investigator for a couple months now and is
extremely diligent in the entire gospel. She has a desire to be baptized and we
set her baptismal date for August 31, she is ready and completely prepared and
excited. Her dad just got baptized the week before I came here and he is an
awesome example for her. However, she has had so many trials come into her life
since deciding to be baptized which is scaring her a little bit. She is the one
that I told the story of last week that got into that trike accident but said
the traffic was literally frozen so that they didn’t get hit by oncoming
traffic. Well, the next day her little brother was bit by a cobra snake and was
close to death, but by some miracle a doctor was close by and was able to stop
the venom from spreading by giving him two huge shots into his leg. Then a few
days later her parents were driving their trike home when these two drunk guys
asked for a ride, they said no because her dad had a feeling that it wasn’t a
good idea. They got into the next trike after them and ended up stabbing the
people, another blessing for her family that they decided to follow the
promptings of the Spirit. Then the next day Jenny texts us and tells us to come
over because she is really sad. The only reason she isn’t baptized yet is
because she is living with her boyfriend and their two kids but they aren’t
married. We have a wedding planned for them at the church next weekend and
everything was good to go, but turns out his parents are not too thrilled of
the idea. The reason being, Filipino people are EXTREMELY superstitious and
have all these weird superstitions. Well his brother was married in February,
and apparently they believe that there can only be one marriage in the family
per year or else they are cursed. So now Jenny might have to move her baptismal
date to December because she can’t get married until then. So we are all
combining our efforts and sending lots of prayers and fasting her way. She
still has a desire to get married right now so she can get baptized but has
lots to talk to her asawa about. (her boyfriend). Anyways, I helped her realize
yesterday that although there have been many trials for her family this week,
they have actually all turned out to be blessings, because everything ended up
okay. She quickly came to realize that was true, when we were leaving our
lesson I gave her a mint (Filipino’s love this candy that I bought so I always
give it to them, especially the little kids). The mints have little messages on
them, I didn’t even look at the mint that I gave her, she’s convinced I did,
because it said, “Go For IT!” She is convinced that it’s a sign and that she
should follow through with the wedding. We are super excited and hope that she
can convince her asawa. J
Last cool experience of the week, we were
walking looking for one of our investigators, and we walked past this lady in
her mid 30’s, we walked by her and smiled, then she turned around and came back
to us. She says “I don’t know what it is, but I feel like I’m supposed to talk
to you guys, you have this light and happiness about you.” My companion and I
both smiled and immediately set up a time to come visit her and talk to her
about this “light” that she sees. We talked with her yesterday and we have lots
of hope and see lots of potential in her, she is extremely interested in the
church.
Sorry
this letter is super scatter brained! But I love you all, I love this gospel,
and I know that I am nothing without the help of my Heavenly Father. The Church
is true, and I love it with all my heart. Thank you family and friends for all
of your love and support, you are the greatest!
Mahal Kita! (I love you)
Sister Pilkington J
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