Dear Family and Friends,
So I am sorry that you guys were all anticipating an email yesterday. We kind of had a crazy schedule yesterday because we you had to travel to Legazbi for our trainer trainee meeting today. We were just going to email when we get to Legazbi, but it took a long time and we didn't have time. So they told us to email today after our meeting. We are in Legazbi for another night and we have our big Christmas Zone Conference tomorrow. All of the Missionaries in the entire mission will be here tomorrow, so that is really exciting.
Christian is doing alright. He is working to overcome an addiction of smoking. He wrote down a plan and has a lot of support from the member family that he lives with. We had a great lesson about how he is not alone doing this work that he can do it with the Lord's help.
We also had a great lesson with Rodel this week. He is really so prepared. It was funny we were reporting in our coordination meeting and they asked what his concerns were and I was like there are none. He really has just been waiting and prepared for the truth.
We also found some new investigators this week. It was actually a really interesting experience for me. We taught one new investigator who was a former member of Inglesia ni Cristo. Which is one of the most common religions here in the the philiippines and actually the founder was a member of the church. But anyway their belief in Christ is a little different because they believe that Christ was just a man not God. It was just interesting for me because as we were teaching it I just wanted to testify and testify that Christ is more than just a man, but it is by him that makes salvation possible. It is just so sad to think that people don't know the good news that we have a savior-the savior of the world to save us from sin. I also had an experience this week with another new investigator, Jese. She is the wife of an less active in the branch. Her Husband wasn't been to church for a long time, but has a strong testimony. Jese is from southern philippines in Mindona?, but anyway she is Muslim so they also believe that Christ was just a Prophet. We got to watch the Christmas Devotional and I couldn't help but think of these two individuals and think how sad that they didn't know about Christ and his role. That they don't know that Christ is born. It just brought me back to my purpose to invite others to come unto Christ. That is our purpose to help them come unto Christ by living the gospel of Christ. Our mission is to testify that Jesus Christ lives. This is the good news that we bring, just as the angels in Bethlehem shared to the shepherds so long ago.
It still doesn't feel like Christmas here, something about there being no snow and stuff. But they play all the Christmas music from america in all the stores about Frosty and White Christmas.
Anyway I don't have too much time today, but I promise I will include more next week. I love you all and am thinking about you all at this time.
-Sister Heather Richins
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
December 9
Dear Family and Friends,
Well this week has been good. We had a good week and I continue to learn more and more. We had some really great days and then some hard ones too. But that is okay, that is how missionary work is. We were able to find a couple new investigators, which was good. It was interesting because for the past two weeks I felt that I had talked so many people and no one wanted to hear our message, but we had a couple of great miracles this week.
The first one was Rodel. So we were tracting in one of our areas and we saw one of the less actives that we teach. This less active we see him all the time, but he never wants us to teach him, but we was with his friend and he told us we could go and visit his friend Rodel. We set up an appointment with him for the next night. I am not going to lie. I was a bit apprehensive about the appointment I felt that he really wasn't interesting in our message, but instead interesting in the two white americans speaking Tagalog. But it is not that way he listened intently as we talked about Joseph Smith and invited him to pray. Also his two sisters listened too. When we came back, he said that he had prayed and felt so good about Joseph Smith, he said that he couldn't come to church yesterday, but next sunday he would be able too. So hopefully he will continue to progress.
The second miracle was Maricar. So there is this one street that we walk down everyday and all the kids on that street know us and always run up to us to give us hugs and high fives. We were walking down they street and starting talking to one of the pedjack drivers. He is like 19 years old and we started talking and we asked if we could visit him. He said that he lived on that one street. We went to the house and we taught his sister, who is married and has three kids. She said she had always watched missionaries walk up and down that street, but they never stopped to teach her. It was such a powerful lesson and by the end we were both in tears.
So Christian is doing good. He is working on giving up things in the Word of Wisdom. Yesterday he just kept on sayin that he couldn't do it, that he couldn't make it, but we testifyin about the atonement and that if he relied on the Lord, he could give those things up. He has so much desire he wants this so bad and through Jesus Christ he can do this.
So these were the highlights of the week. Of course there are stuggles too. We are still do hours and hours of tracting and street contacting. It is just so different becuase for the past two transfers we had so many appointments that we almost never went tracting and now I feel that is all we do. But it is good. I really do enjoy it. You get to meet so many people and share what we teach. There is a lot of joy in finding. We are still working to bring up our teaching pool and finding those that will recieve us, like Rodel and Maricar.
We had a great zone training this week, it was good to hear from our zone leaders. We talked about increasing the number of total lessons in our zone and extending baptismal dates early within the first or 2nd lesson, and continue to find people to teach. President encouraged us to teach 7 lessons a day-it is a lot, but It is good, we just have to reach higher and plan and teach effectively.
Well we have to work hard this week because next week we will be in Legazbi for two days for training and our Christmas Zone conference.
Thank you all for your prayers to find those that will recieve us here in Bulan,
-Sister Richins
Well this week has been good. We had a good week and I continue to learn more and more. We had some really great days and then some hard ones too. But that is okay, that is how missionary work is. We were able to find a couple new investigators, which was good. It was interesting because for the past two weeks I felt that I had talked so many people and no one wanted to hear our message, but we had a couple of great miracles this week.
The first one was Rodel. So we were tracting in one of our areas and we saw one of the less actives that we teach. This less active we see him all the time, but he never wants us to teach him, but we was with his friend and he told us we could go and visit his friend Rodel. We set up an appointment with him for the next night. I am not going to lie. I was a bit apprehensive about the appointment I felt that he really wasn't interesting in our message, but instead interesting in the two white americans speaking Tagalog. But it is not that way he listened intently as we talked about Joseph Smith and invited him to pray. Also his two sisters listened too. When we came back, he said that he had prayed and felt so good about Joseph Smith, he said that he couldn't come to church yesterday, but next sunday he would be able too. So hopefully he will continue to progress.
The second miracle was Maricar. So there is this one street that we walk down everyday and all the kids on that street know us and always run up to us to give us hugs and high fives. We were walking down they street and starting talking to one of the pedjack drivers. He is like 19 years old and we started talking and we asked if we could visit him. He said that he lived on that one street. We went to the house and we taught his sister, who is married and has three kids. She said she had always watched missionaries walk up and down that street, but they never stopped to teach her. It was such a powerful lesson and by the end we were both in tears.
So Christian is doing good. He is working on giving up things in the Word of Wisdom. Yesterday he just kept on sayin that he couldn't do it, that he couldn't make it, but we testifyin about the atonement and that if he relied on the Lord, he could give those things up. He has so much desire he wants this so bad and through Jesus Christ he can do this.
So these were the highlights of the week. Of course there are stuggles too. We are still do hours and hours of tracting and street contacting. It is just so different becuase for the past two transfers we had so many appointments that we almost never went tracting and now I feel that is all we do. But it is good. I really do enjoy it. You get to meet so many people and share what we teach. There is a lot of joy in finding. We are still working to bring up our teaching pool and finding those that will recieve us, like Rodel and Maricar.
We had a great zone training this week, it was good to hear from our zone leaders. We talked about increasing the number of total lessons in our zone and extending baptismal dates early within the first or 2nd lesson, and continue to find people to teach. President encouraged us to teach 7 lessons a day-it is a lot, but It is good, we just have to reach higher and plan and teach effectively.
Well we have to work hard this week because next week we will be in Legazbi for two days for training and our Christmas Zone conference.
Thank you all for your prayers to find those that will recieve us here in Bulan,
-Sister Richins
December 2
Dear Family and Friends,
Wow I can't believe that it is already December! Time just flies by
really truly. I am glad that everyone had a good thanksgiving over
there. Of course they don't celebrate Thanksgiving here, but after
district meeting on Thursday we went to Jollibee, where they have a
new special Mashed Potatoes. So we had our fried chicken and mashed
potatoes and we went around the table and said everything that we are
grateful for.
This week has been okay. We are really trying and trying to find
those that will receive us. Sometimes it can be a little frustrating
because we feel that we are trying to be everything in our power, but
we just haven't seen the results of our labors and efforts. But we
can't let that weaken our faith. We just keep on talking to everyone
and visiting members and encourage them prayerfully seek refferals. I
remember one day this week we had been talking and talking to people,
but we just were not seeing very much success and I started to think
about all of our recent converts and said all of them came from
refferals from members-member refferals are SOOO important. Pres
Guanzon said of every 200 street contact you will get 1 baptism, of
every 5 refferals you will get 1 baptism and if you have an
investigator with the right fellowshipper you have a 1 to 1 ratio.
Members are sooo important!
Training has been good. It is really humbling for me and I have
learned so much from Sister Flake. It helps remind me what is the
most important in missionary work. And it is just so heartwarming to
hear her sincere testimony in broken Tagalog. It is so cool to see
how that sincere testimony can really speak to the hearts of the
people. It is weird because I remember when I was at her stage, I
kept on thinking, I am not making any difference here. But now I can
see that those simple heartfelt testimonies make a huge difference.
It is so cool and I love it.
So we have been teaching one investigator, Christian, who is 22. He
is one of the most humble people I have met. He drives a pedjack and
lives with the Llantino family who just recently started coming back
to church. We have been teaching him for a while, but he was
struggling to recognize his answer. This week on Thursday we went to
visit him and much to our amazement he said he felt something.
Because the last time we talked about the fruits of the spirit from
Ephesians and he was like, I feel love, peace, and I just want to guys
to come back every day and teach me more. I was so excited for him.
He is so great, he said that he doesn't just want to get baptized to
get baptized, but he wants to get baptized and stay active his entire
life. I am so excited for him.
On Sunday we had a special district conference to sustain the new
district President. So that was exciting to see Pres. Guanzon and all
the missionaries from the zone. President Guanzon is so great. He is
also so humble. He talked about the importance of callings in the
church and how every one should have a calling and magnify that
calling. He said that he hoped after his calling as mission president
he is called to clean the bathroom in the Church house, and he will be
so happy to clean that bathroom every week. He also talked about
tithing and about a humble pedjack driver that said he couldn't pay
tithing, but his branch president told him to "prove the Lord" and he
did. Now he has a pedjack business and can support all of his
children through school. I learn so much from President Guanzon.
I remember when President Nielson the area president in the
philippines was here and he said that a lot of times we are sent to
missions because the Lord knows what mission president will be the
best for us. He said that when the apostles call missions they talk
more about the mission presidents that we actual mission. They say I
think that this missionary needs to learn from this mission president.
That was an interesting insight, and I am trying to learn everything
I can from President and Sister Guanzon.
Well I hope everyone enjoys the Christmas season over there. It is
weird all the stores play Christmas music, but it is American music
singing about snow and then I walk out side and there is no snow. Oh
well.
-Sister Richins
Wow I can't believe that it is already December! Time just flies by
really truly. I am glad that everyone had a good thanksgiving over
there. Of course they don't celebrate Thanksgiving here, but after
district meeting on Thursday we went to Jollibee, where they have a
new special Mashed Potatoes. So we had our fried chicken and mashed
potatoes and we went around the table and said everything that we are
grateful for.
This week has been okay. We are really trying and trying to find
those that will receive us. Sometimes it can be a little frustrating
because we feel that we are trying to be everything in our power, but
we just haven't seen the results of our labors and efforts. But we
can't let that weaken our faith. We just keep on talking to everyone
and visiting members and encourage them prayerfully seek refferals. I
remember one day this week we had been talking and talking to people,
but we just were not seeing very much success and I started to think
about all of our recent converts and said all of them came from
refferals from members-member refferals are SOOO important. Pres
Guanzon said of every 200 street contact you will get 1 baptism, of
every 5 refferals you will get 1 baptism and if you have an
investigator with the right fellowshipper you have a 1 to 1 ratio.
Members are sooo important!
Training has been good. It is really humbling for me and I have
learned so much from Sister Flake. It helps remind me what is the
most important in missionary work. And it is just so heartwarming to
hear her sincere testimony in broken Tagalog. It is so cool to see
how that sincere testimony can really speak to the hearts of the
people. It is weird because I remember when I was at her stage, I
kept on thinking, I am not making any difference here. But now I can
see that those simple heartfelt testimonies make a huge difference.
It is so cool and I love it.
So we have been teaching one investigator, Christian, who is 22. He
is one of the most humble people I have met. He drives a pedjack and
lives with the Llantino family who just recently started coming back
to church. We have been teaching him for a while, but he was
struggling to recognize his answer. This week on Thursday we went to
visit him and much to our amazement he said he felt something.
Because the last time we talked about the fruits of the spirit from
Ephesians and he was like, I feel love, peace, and I just want to guys
to come back every day and teach me more. I was so excited for him.
He is so great, he said that he doesn't just want to get baptized to
get baptized, but he wants to get baptized and stay active his entire
life. I am so excited for him.
On Sunday we had a special district conference to sustain the new
district President. So that was exciting to see Pres. Guanzon and all
the missionaries from the zone. President Guanzon is so great. He is
also so humble. He talked about the importance of callings in the
church and how every one should have a calling and magnify that
calling. He said that he hoped after his calling as mission president
he is called to clean the bathroom in the Church house, and he will be
so happy to clean that bathroom every week. He also talked about
tithing and about a humble pedjack driver that said he couldn't pay
tithing, but his branch president told him to "prove the Lord" and he
did. Now he has a pedjack business and can support all of his
children through school. I learn so much from President Guanzon.
I remember when President Nielson the area president in the
philippines was here and he said that a lot of times we are sent to
missions because the Lord knows what mission president will be the
best for us. He said that when the apostles call missions they talk
more about the mission presidents that we actual mission. They say I
think that this missionary needs to learn from this mission president.
That was an interesting insight, and I am trying to learn everything
I can from President and Sister Guanzon.
Well I hope everyone enjoys the Christmas season over there. It is
weird all the stores play Christmas music, but it is American music
singing about snow and then I walk out side and there is no snow. Oh
well.
-Sister Richins
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