Two more baptisms!

Area:  San Marcelino
Companion:  Sister Rowley
STL and Trainer

Family & Friends,

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I cannot believe how time keeps passing us all by, crazy! I have officially hit my six month mark and already have less than a year left. How does this happen?! So I am soo anxious to skype my family that my heart is thumping out of my chest and my thoughts are super scatter brained, so sorry in advance for the shorter letter this week! 

Thank you to all those that wrote me and wished me a merry christmas! I am printing out all of your emails and will read them tonight, sorry I don't have enough internet time to write all of you back but I will get back to you eventually I love you all thank you thank you! 

We had an awesome week here in San Marcelino. John Lloyd & John Clarence Sevillaga were both baptized on Saturday by their bigger brother Michael, he was baptized in September. It was a very beautiful program and Nanay and Tatay were just radiating, almost the entire Sevillaga family is baptized, out of all ten of them there are only four left! Yay! 

AJ Sevillaga is the oldest of the seven Sevillaga brothers, then Jenny is the only girl and she is the oldest of the family. AJ has a baptismal goal date for January 1, but he is just GOLDEN. He always wants to work with us and share the gospel with his brothers and friends, he's awesome. The other night he told us that he had a dream that he was wearing a nametag that said "Elder Sevillaga", he wants to serve a mission so bad, almost makes me teary eyed, so excited for him! 

We had an interesting Saturday night..Sister Rowley and I both felt prompted to go visit the Ballena family, (this is the family where that one night where sister rowley and I didn't know where to go, they jumped out of this dark alley grabbed us by the arms and took us home to their families). Anyways we were feeling pretty stoked that we both had the same impression to go there, hoping we would have some sort of spiritual lesson. Well we get there, and their dad was there for the first time EVER. So we were super excited, until he started talking..he was super drunk. Before we can even start the lesson he starts crying telling us about his family in Manila and how he has no money to go see them and keeps asking us if we can help him. I felt really bad but awkward at the same time because as missionaries we aren't allowed to give people money. I tried to explain this to him and tell him that what could help him even more than money is the gospel. Well that went in one ear out the other, he kept begging us for money, crying (we think he was faking it) and then his wife joined in with the tears..we didn't know what to do. We were kind of trapped..eventually I got up and told them we had to leave, the situation was just getting a little bit out of control..

We have been DYING to find some new investigators this week, and just that has happened, we have found some incredible people this week, the most exciting one was this super established family that was apparently taught by the missionaries 10 years ago, they said the missionaries came over EVERY Sunday from 4-6 for one year. We are super excited to start teaching them, the best part is that they are ESTABLISHED. That is something rare to find when the families are so poor. The second we walked onto their porch I knew they were established because they had SHOES, most families just have flip flops, it's funny the ways you can tell things about certain families. Anyways they are way excited to have us come back on Sunday, they made us home made peanut butter, and all this food, they're the best and we are way excited. They are the Sanchez Family. 

We had a 9pm miracle. Sister Rowley and I have been doing everything we can to be EXACTLY obedient. One night we finished a lesson at 8:45 and were like well we could walk home and be home by 9 (that is the earliest we are allowed to come home), or we could try to teach one more lesson. We were hesitant at first but decided to go teach this less active whose house we were by. We were worried we wouldn't make it home by 930 because there are NEVER trikes at night in this area. But we went and taught anyways. As soon as we walked out to the street after the lesson, there were no trikes to be found like we thought, if we had to walk all the way home we would not make it by 930, two seconds later, no one else but TATAY SEVILLAGA pulls out onto the street drives up right next to us and says 'HOP IN!" Miracle, small but significant. 

Lots of other amazing things happened this week but I would like to close with my testimony. Of course we all know the real reason for the season, and that is the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so incredibly grateful for the perfect life that he lead.  He is an example of how each of us should strive to lead our lives. I love this quote by Neal A. Maxwell

"Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus."

I challenge each of you to evaluate your lives and determine whether you have made room for Jesus in your life. If not, there is no better time to start than the present. He gave us the ultimate priceless gift, that is the Atonement, and the opportunity for us to repent of our wrongs in order to become worthy to return to our Heavenly Father and obtain eternal families. We are forever indebted to Him for all that he has given us. I ask you - Do those who know you, but don't know Him, want to know Him because they know you? Let us lead our lives in such a way that those who don't know Him, would want to because of the example that we are to them. May we remember the real reason for the season as we think about what more we can give to others, rather than receive for ourselves. Turn outwards, serve others, focus on the things in life that really matter, spend time with your loved ones, and always remember the Only Begotten Son, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your families! I love you all, miss you lots, and thank you for all the love and support! 

Sister Pilkington

xox