Companion: Sister Lim
Area: Mandama
Sister Training Leader
Monday, August 18, 2014
Good Morning!!
Transfers have come and
gone. I spent 10 hours at the Victory Bus Station waiting for my cute
companion, poor thing had to go from the very top of our mission all the way
down South to Bataan. Her name is Sister Lim, she is from Ilo Ilo, their
dialect there is Ilongo. We were housemates in San Marcelino for 3 months, anak
of Sister Wagner. She is 26 years old, short, quiet, and as cute as a button. Since Sister Lim is quiet and reserved, it is definitely a drastic change from being with Sister Rossberg, but who ever
said change isn't a good thing? Our focuses for this 6 week transfer are exact
obedience, focusing on the Spirit, and talking to EVERYONE. I am very excited
to be able to work with her, it has already been helping my tagalog improve now
that I am speaking it 24/7 again.
 |
| Chelsea and her new companion Sister Lim |
With new companions come
lots of changes. We have experienced lots of ups and downs, awkward moments,
seen miracles, blessings, and everything in between these past 6 days together.
And the story goes on..
Two of the families I
would like to focus on telling you about this week are the O'Campo Family and
the Estabillo Family. I'm pretty sure I told you about Arnold and Leslie
O'Campo last week (the husband is a member-inactive, wife a former
investigator). Well the O'Campo family for this week is actually the mother,
Milagros, and sister, Alma, of brother Arnold. They live way out in the bukid,
we call it upland. Sister Gemma Nivera used to teach them back when she served
a mission here in Olongapo. The family has been inactive for almost 20 years
now. So we walked out there into the boonies to teach this cute family. Now as
any family that has gone inactive, they have their concerns. We were able to
establish some trust with this family and the concerns all came out on the
table. Nanay Milagros has the desire to come back to church, we will just need
to push her a little bit to put her words into actions. Same goes for sister
Alma. We are very excited for this family because sister Alma has six kids that
haven't been baptized, as well as her husband. We are looking at lots of
baptisms and some less active returns here hopefully this coming September.
The second family is the
Estabillo Family. Their humble little home is tucked behind a big compound of
houses that I have walked by over 50 times not ever knowing there was actually
a house behind that big cement wall. Thanks to the help of a ward missionary,
he took us back there one rainy night. We met the father Nelson and his son JR.
Through the help of the Spirit and some inspired questions, we were also able
to get them to bring forward their concerns, and rekindle the happiness they
felt way back when they used to all go to church as a whole family.
(unfortunately the wife and other brothers weren't home). They expressed a
desire to come back, and said there are a few things that are keeping them from
coming like work on Sundays, and some word of wisdom issues. However, the
desire is there, we can work with that! The ward missionary that was working
with us was gleaming when we left that lesson. He turns to us and tells us that
he has taken almost every pair of missionaries down to that family and everytime,
nothing seems to happen. But this time, he felt there was a change in them. He
started to thank us, and we just looked up and said no, thank Him. Maybe now is
just their time, and we happened to be the lucky ones to witness it.
No week would be a good
one without some awkward moments. Other than the fact that I seem to trip over
every single rock in the road and almost face plant every time, we had a funny
incident happen last night. Sister Gemma Nivera (shout out to the hardest
working ward missionary I know), was taking us around our neighborhood
introducing us to all of her friends. One family in particular let us in, it
was sunset time so the sun was just starting to go down and get dark. The girl
that let us in said she just had to go to the bathroom really quick and would
be right back. (she's pregnant by the way). So sat down inside, well 10 minutes
passed by..she still wasn't back...then 15 minutes..then 20 minutes..by now you
would think we would be a little curious as to where she is..then Gemma throws
out that maybe she's having the baby right now..then her little kid runs in
soaking wet and naked so we were like oh she just made him have a shower..so we
still wait for her..then the kids leaves..then 30 minutes went by..now it's
pitch dark outside...and she never came back. We sat in a house by ourselves
for 30 minutes..and eventually got up and left. That was the weirdest thing
ever, we still have no idea where they went haha.
One of the many blessings
of the week was last Monday..I was so excited about the magic bullet that my
mom sent me that I ripped it open and made a smoothie in my study room. I
plugged it in and while it was blending it started to smell like smoke. (turns
out you can't use american made items without a converter) well I look down and
there is fire coming out of the bottom of my magic bullet and my hand is
completely black, but somehow, even though I had just been like burned and
electrocuted..I felt nothing! Turns out missionaries are protected haha. Sorry
mom..I broke my magic bullet..but on the bright side I'm okay!
Spiritual Thought for the
week comes from 3 Nephi 12:13-16. These are my favorite missionary scriptures.
We all have the gospel(light), don't hide it, let it shine for others to see.
Don't be embarrassed because you are different. You never know whose life you
will change through your example and your testimony.
13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the salt of
the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor wherewith shall the
earth be salted? The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but
to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the light of
this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
15 Behold, do men light a candle and put it under a bushel? Nay,but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house;
16 Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in
heaven.
Have a good week everyone.
Look for missionary opportunities.
Sister P
xoxo
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