Companion: Sister Raguilab
Monday, December 1, 2014
Hello Friends & Fam!
The weather cooled off for a couple of days here in the north which was amazing. Not having to use an umbrella and wipe the sweat off my face every two seconds made for a good day. We hit some road bumps this week with our investigators and less actives, but no worries, Heavenly Father is on our side.
Sunday: We had five investigators and six less actives at church. I was shocked when I got a shout out in the middle of Sacrament meeting. President Ravana said, "I think of everyone in the room right now, Sister Pilkington is probably the happiest, she gets to spend Christmas with her family" (everyone turns and stares at me, hey everyone). Then, I decided to wear my hair down for the first time in ages, the two little girls behind me decided they wanted to play with my hair. I am not sure what they did but I had all sorts of knots and braids cruising down my back. It was all fun and games until the full-time missionaries were called up to the stand for a musical number and I was running my fingers through my hair trying to look decent haha. We saying "Sa Inyo Aking Diyos, Lumalapit", Or "Nearer My God to Thee". It went pretty well, acapella baby. We also had the opportunity to teach a combined Elders Quorum/Relief Society class. Our topic was Home and Visiting Teaching. I've never felt more passionate about the topic now that I understand it's importance. We put up on the board the actuals/potentials for stats in our branch.
ex) Members Active -- Actual 121---Potential 707
Families Visit Taught --Actual 3--Potential 422
Families Home Taught--Actual 5--Potential X
We tried our best to inspire them and help them come up with their own solutions to this problem. There are so many members in the Philippines, if only we could get them all to be active, the church might be stronger in numbers here than it is in America! I have a real testimony of fulfilling our duties as members. There was a story we shared about a mother doing her visiting teaching. Being a mother she was extremely busy, but she would go stop by her assigned sisters, take their clothes and iron them for them, bring them cookies, etc. At the end of her month she felt bad and said she couldn't check off that she did her visiting teaching for the month because she hadn't shared a message with them. One of the sisters she visited said she could more than check off that she did her visiting teaching, she was a true friend, with a genuine care and concern. Although she couldn't share a message, she served in more ways than one. Visiting and Home teaching are not about sharing a 15 message once a month and calling it a day, checking off that we did it. But rather about being there for our assigned sisters/families, being a friend to them, and helping to strengthen their testimonies.
Rodalyn and Jerom Pajomayo: Brother Jerom texted us this week saying he would like to refer us to his wife. Turns out brother Jerom is a return missionary, he got home from his mission in 2005 and married Rodalyn who was not yet a member. He continued to be active in the church and prayed the time would come where Rodalyn would be ready to accept the gospel, yet never once did he push her to take discussions, but was rather patiently waiting for her to say she wanted to do so. Sister Rodalyn gave birth to their baby boy Sean Adam three weeks ago. However, he has holes in his heart, so his life is very very fragile right now. It is an emotional time for the two of them right now, and in a way, a miracle at the same time. Sister has been looking for something more to help comfort her at this time, and brother knew exactly what that might be--the gospel. Sister Rowley and I happened to be on exchanges the day that we had an appointment to meet them for the first time. And wow, the lesson was beautiful. I have never taught a more spiritual lesson in my life. We taught about the restoration of the gospel, the restoration of the priesthood power, and the beauty and reality of eternal families. Brother bore an extremely powerful lesson which led all of us to tears. Sister accepted to pray about Joseph Smith, which she told us at our return appt yesterday that she knows he is a true prophet. We taught sister Rodalyn how to pray, then we knelt down and she poured her heart out to her Heavenly Father. We all opened our eyes at the end, full of tears and we embraced each other. She is so strong, she even bore her testimony to us telling us this is her time. Sunday afternoon Sister Raguilab and I followed up with them, she is still going strong, we taught the Plan of Salvation, tied in the Atonement and Temples, and extended a baptismal goal date for January 10, which she accepted. This family is the reason I am here in Santa Cruz. I can just feel it. The moment I met them I loved them so much. I cannot wait to get the email a little over a year from now that they have been sealed in the temple. Sister has been on temple grounds while brother did a session inside a few years ago, and she longs to go back to be sealed to her husband.
The gospel is so true. My heart burns to bear the truth to the people of the Philippines. I will preach until the day that I die. The Plan of Salvation is Real. Our Savior Lives. Happy December--and always, remember the reason for the season.
Mahal,
Sister Pilkington
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