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