January 13

Dear family and friends,

Wow I can't believe that 10 months ago today I entered the MTC! That is so crazy how the time flies! This week like always has been really great. There is currently a low pressure system over the Bulan right now, which actually has made it slightly cold.  I know that is crazy, but yes I am cold here.  I think that I am just too used to the warm weather for 10 months. My companion says I am crazy because she is still roasting in the heat and here is Sister Richins shivering in the cold just like the philippinos.  Actually, I pulled out my cardigans from the MTC yesterday and was like wow this is weird.  I really want to know what the temperature is because I am sure that it is not very cold. Also I had to buy a blanket because I was getting cold at night.  I am pretty sure I am going to die in the states, so I might as well stay here forever.  

Anyway though, this week has been really great.  Of course Christian is still progressing.  He is so great. When we visited him this week he was waiting for us and we had all the chairs set up he had a sister their so that we could teach him and told us about all the new things he had learned from the BOM.  He is great, I think I mentioned last week that Rodel and Christian both came to church last week and they both knew each other outside of church.   We asked Christian how he knew Rodel and he started laughing and said that they met each other one night when they were drinking.  We started laughing so hard.  We asked Rodel and he said that they are now changing together.  It is great.  And actually there baptism date is set for the same day, so hopefully everything will work out and they will be baptized together.

Ceriel is also doing great.  He came to church again and when we taught him about the word of wisdom said that he would stop right then.  He is so sweet when he prays it is something that he has really been working on.  He is always so nervous, but you can tell it is coming from the heart.  Pray is so important and it is so cool when people realize that they can literally just say anything they want to our Heavenly Father.

Brother Rodrigo has also really been working on his prayers he was so nervous to pray in front of us, but finally did and it was so great.  He is so funny when we come to visit.  He loves it when we come, and I am started to understand his bicol more, so it is good. He is such a different person than when we started teaching him.  He is slowly working his way off tobacco and he believes that he can do it.

We also found a few new investigators this week, so it will be exciting to see how they all enfold.  The work is going forth.  And the Lord is in this week.    We started teaching the aunt and uncle of brother Rodel this week, they have a really sweet family and the kids are really exciting to read the book of Mormon.  We taught his one new investigator, Jinkie,  whose uncle is a member, she is 16 and really wasn't interested as we were teaching, until we got to Joseph Smith and then something changed in her and her eyes were like glued on us.  I am excited to continue to teach her.

My companion and I were noticing that almost all of our investigators are boys and we were like that is weird,but we need good solid priesthood holders to help build up this branch and become a ward one day.

Well this is the life.  I love this so so much, I would never ever trade this experience for anything in the world.  The things I have learned, the people that I love, and the lives that I have seen change are the most precious things in my life.  I know that God answers prayers and that he hears every one of his children.

-Sister Richins