So I went to jail this week...

Area:  San Marcelino

Companion:  Sister Rowley

STL and Trainer

                                                                                    Monday, January 13, 2014

But no seriously I went to jail this week. Who knew that it could be so easy to get in! Their jails are so much different than they are in America. As is everything I guess! If you remember me telling you about the Sevillaga's and the court case that they had, their friends are still innocent and in jail..it's almost been two months now..so we decided to drop by and visit them just to share a little scripture with them. We literally walked right in. Weird. Anyways, it was good to uplift their spirits a little bit and give them some hope about their  case.

Anyways this week was GREAT! Sadly I'm pretty sure it was my last week here in this cute little town of San Marcelino. However I must say, as sad as I am to leave behind all of these amazing people and this cute town, I'm way excited for a fresh start somewhere new! It will definitely be a breath of fresh air.

So we had three baptisms this week! One was Wilma and Davilyn Gonzales. Wilma is the sister of Nanay Sevillaga, she was my first lesson here in the Philippines and my last baptism here in San Mar, there's something poetic about that :) And then Davilyn is the cousin of the Sevillaga's. I'm not kidding if we converted all the Sevillaga's aunts and cousins we could make a ward with just them alone, they are everywhere! haha. Then we had the baptism of Ella Dy, her husband is a member and he never thought the day would come that they would be baptized. Her family is very strict Iglesia (they are like the rivals [if there is such a thing] to the mormon church). They would disown her if they find out that she got baptized, but she decided she was a big girl now and isn't going to let her family control her life forever. She has a new sort of glow about her now, I know it's because she has the gospel in her life now. Both baptisms went absolutely perfect and beautifully. Ella was baptized Wednesday and the Gonzales' on Saturday. Love baptisms! 

So we went to the cute little old lady, Remedios this week. She is an Ilicano speaker, so I have been learning some Ilicano, it makes her smile when I try to speak it to her, not only do I butcher Tagalog, but now Ilicano too, haha! Anyways, she really wanted an Ilicano Ti Libro Ni Mormon, so I found her one and we brought it to her the other day. Her face lit up and she just opens it and looks at every single picture, petting the book, and just had this little moment for about five minutes. Sister Rowley and I just sat there and watched her, it was so cute. The only bad thing, somehow the cover got put on wrong. So not only is it backwards, but it is upside down too. As if the poor 76 year old lady isn't already confused enough, now we gave her a messed up book of mormon, good one sisters. Regardless, she loves it. I attached a picture of her birthday party yesterday, we partied with a bunch of grannies, I felt like I was at a book club, it was awesome. 

Sister Rowley and I were teaching lesson one this week to some of our recent converts, I tried to apply what I learned from one of the Preach My Gospel videos we watched this week. One of the missionaries used this analogy about the priesthood-Priesthood is the power and authority given from God to act in His name. I tried to relate it to a ice cream man. Saying if an ice cream man gave you a ticket for speeding what would you do? Throw it away right? Because he has no authority. But if a police man gave you a ticket what would you do? Oh yeah, pay it, because he has that authority to give you the ticket. The same is with the priesthood. I thought I was super cool using this analogy, until I look at our recent converts who are staring at me with blank stares and smiles in their eyes..they go, "what is an ice cream man?? does he give free ice cream or something?" Oh my...America problems. Turns out there's no such thing as an ice cream man! Yeah that one ended in pointing and laughing at the dumb white girl. haha good one Sister Pilkington.

Sister Wagner and I got to go on exchanges this week which was an absolute BLAST! I'm going to miss her so much, we have been together since day one, and the week has finally come home where we will most likely be split! Sad day. Anyways, we had a very good day together, and my favorite lesson was when we went an visited a less active, Hanz Jensen. His father used to be the Branch President here in San Marcelino, and the District President. His entire family of 5 siblings and parents were all baptized and sealed in the temple for time and all eternity. Eventually all of his family migrated over to the states, his father died shortly after, and all of his family went inactive. When he was growing up he went to Catholic Highschool and used to be persecuted all the time for being the only Mormon, but he was proud to be Mormon and never let it get to him. But now, he has resorted to alcohol, smoking, gambling, and all other sorts of things and hasn't been to church in over 20 years. As we were sitting there, I had no idea what to share with him about, so I flipped open my scriptures and read the first verse I saw. It happened to be about choice and accountability. We had a very long deep discussion about things in life, and all of a sudden I noticed I was literally calling him to repentance. He was saying that he knows his family is sealed so he will be together forever with them as long as he is a nice person. Now of course I knew this wasn't true, yes we have this promise of eternal families, but that is only if we keep our half of the promise, which is to live worthy of this blessing. I straight up told him that his family would NOT be sealed if they didn't all come back to the fold and get their act together. Of course I said it in a loving way, but a bold way as well. I told him that we didn't even have his name written in the plans for the day to come share with him, but that I felt impressed to come visit him. I then told him that we have stopped by over ten times and have never been able to contact him, but he was finally here, and I knew it wasn't a coincidence. I told him that I KNEW that everyone has a time in their life where they will come back to the fold, and that I knew that this was his time. With tears in his eyes, he looked straight back at me and said, "you're right sister...maybe this is my time..January 18, I will be at church." This conversation reminded me of a quote by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Sometimes a single phrase of testimony can set events in motion that affects someone's life for eternity." Nothing that I said, nothing that Sister Wagner said, and nothing that AJ Sevillaga said was anything out of the normal, but we bore our testimonies, which that in itself touched this man's heart, and hopefully will change his life for eternity.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve. I see miracles in the lives of the people here everyday, I know that serving God and others persistantly with full heart and soul, turns testimony of truth into an unbreakable spiritual strength. After all of the things I have witnessed and experienced thus far on my mission, my testimony has become a part of who I am, I will never let anything break me. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve for three months with Sister Rowley as well. I have learned so much from her, we are so similiar which was great, we were able to push each other, see our weaknesses and fix them together, and best of all, bring many souls unto the fold of this gospel. Missionary work is the best kind of work we have ever been given the opportunity to do. "If only we could feel the reality of what it means to be called into the vineyard to labor with Him, He could replace our self-doubt with courage to go forward." Take these words of Henry B. Eyring, cast out your fear, and share the gospel with those who mean the most to you. I know this gospel is true. I love you all, have a great week!

Sister Pilkington

xoxo

p.s. It is my half birthday on Wednesday, feel free to send me some shoutouts & treats, I won't be offended :) hehe love you!