Called to Serve in the Philippines: WEEK 57: The work IS working!

Hello to all! Another busy week to report on and I have to say, it's impossible to give you all a sufficient report on everything that happens through out the week. But I'll do my best to give a good report :)

Monday - We had two family home evenings this week with two of our investigator/part member families!!!! The first one was for a birthday, and the other was just for fun. We were actually able to teach the family of two of our recent converts. In all missionary history, this was the FIRST time missionaries were able to share with their WHOLE family!!!! Wahoo!!! Since the focus of the mission is really on families, and not to mention the GOSPEL is totally focused on families, we have been focusing all of our efforts on FAMILIES. So, this was a little tender mercy in our work this week. Usually the father is drunk, but little by little, as we have been holding family prayer with them every few nights when we go visit them before we go home, he hasn't been drunk as often! And, last Monday, he was totally there and participated in our family home evening! And, 3 of his sons also were there! So the whole family was complete for the family home evening! And oh man, the Spirit was so strong in there. I know that families are eternal and Heavenly Father is just there helping us spread His message of hope.

Tuesday - We had exchanges this day!!! I got to go with Sister Vi, who is one of my favorite sisters here in the mission. She is so humble and there is so much I learn from her every time we work together. And we live in the same house so we are pretty close. We went to their area and our work was just so happy. There will be pictures in the emails to come after this one haha. It was a good day and we taught a lot and I got to meet a lot of really incredible people in their area.

Wednesday - This day we only taught 3 lessons which is pretty low for us, but the lessons were so powerful and the Spirit was so present in each one of them. It's crazy as a missionary because if you're really in tune with the Spirit, you can literally feel the love that Heavenly Father has for His children that we get to teach. It was really cool to see that on this day, even though we didn't teach many lessons, we literally walked ALL over our area and were able to visit with lots of people and even received a few referrals of families!

Thursday - HAAY NAKU I hit my mark of 5 months left in the mission...craziness. I don't like how fast it's going haha. We had District Meeting and that is always good and uplifting. We were able to tract and teach a few lessons as well to new investigators so that was good. Then, we were given permission to actually go into the Branch 1 area to visit the family of our investigator who is getting baptized on Saturday!!! We went to ask her fathers permission if she could be baptized. He originally told Fritzie that he didn't want her to be baptized since they are very devoted Catholics...but after many MANY prayers, guess what he said.....HE SAID YES!! She can be baptized! You guys don't even know how awesome of a moment this was!!! We were totally expecting a no. They have a long history with the missionaries and they were actually offended a while back. And he totes gave her permission to be baptized. WAHOO!!!! And I even think they will become investigators. We were able to share a little with them and it was a great night. Power of focusing on families = yes it's real. I love this work.

Friday - We had planning, and then we worked! We went and taught lots and we even went to Marina, who is now very happy because she has her house again! See pictures attached. At night we had dinner with the members, they prepared mashed potatoes and brown gravy and Cordon Bleu! WAHOO for American food!!! It was delicious.

Saturday - We went to our far area and taught a few families! We were able to teach one of our super progressing families. The father was even there! We happened to show up when he was just getting home from Manila and was about to leave again in just a few hours! He only comes home around once a month so that was a tender mercy also. We taught them and I'm telling you, the father is so stinkin' prepared for this gospel. It's awesome to see! He is really a truth seeker. We taught prophets and told him we have a living prophet now in our time! He was so shocked and looked at me and said "Ay thank you thank you Sister I didn't even know we had a living prophet!" Hahaha it was the best. Then at night, we taught one of my favorite families, the Federico family. The mom and one of her daughters are a member, and they have people there in the house that aren't members yet but that are so receptive. The mother has 12 kids so there is so much potential in that home!!! Love it. We taught them and invited them to church (of course) and a few of them came!! Wahoo for families!!!

Sunday - Another good Sunday. I love Sundays. Best day of the week. I was a speaker and shared about real religion. I'll share some of my thought about that later. Haha but this day a really awesome couple worked with us. The Brother is the old Branch President, and the sister that worked with us is a returned missionary. They took us to a bunch of members that we hadn't met yet in our area so that was awesome. Our lessons were so powerful and I really felt the Spirit strongly.

Well, I'll say it again, I love this work. The work is really working and I have seen so much progression in our area this week!

This week as I was preparing for my talk, I focused on religion. So I'll share some of my thoughts here :) Read it if you're cool.

Religion = the real definition is to tie back to God.

This is the question....where are we tied back to? Are we SECURELY tied back to God? How do we show that we are tied back to God? How do we show our religion? Do we just practice it once a week if we are at church? Or, is it a part of our lives every day?

I also shared in my talk Helaman 5:12, which says

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

If we are tied back to God and Jesus Christ, that is our foundation "whereon if men build they cannot fall." I know this is so true!!!!

I also shared in my talk Doctrine and Covenants 132:22-24

For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it, because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me.
But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation; that where I am ye shall be also.
This is eternal lives—to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. I am he. Receive ye, therefore, my law.

Read that scripture and ponder it and read it over and over again. Do we know Jesus Christ? The gate is straight and narrow is the path. Which means there is no confusion! There is safety in all things gospel related. I just love it!

I hope you all are well. You all are always in my prayers!

Nagmamahal,

Sister Reategui

pictures:

fritzie and her family!