Miracles happen once in a while when you believe (to be sung)

OKAY who'd like to hear about a miracle that happened? Like I still can't believe it happened. oh man. SO for this to make sense we have to go back to when I was in the MTC. There was a Filipino elder in the Mission Recovery Center and he got to join our district for about a week. Anyways, he emailed me a few weeks ago asking me how I was and what not and I told him I was in Bulan, Sorsogon and he told me he has nonmember family here. So he gave me their names but he didn't have their addresses. You have to understand that there are like 10 areas in Bulan. SO one day this week sister Tarantan was looking through the area book of the area we're opening and found someone with the same last name as the referral. We started asking around and found out they were related to the referral Elder Cervantes had given me. We tracked the house down after many wrong turns. There aren't doorbells (or sometimes doors to knock on) here, so when you come to a house you say "tao po!" which in essence means "people!". So we do that and a man comes out speaking English saying "yes, sisters what can I do for you?" and we immediately recognized him. He's been working on our apartment building's renovations for the past who knows how long. He's even asked us about our beliefs before. It was surreal. Just the fact that they ended up living in our area. I can't. SOO we committed them to baptism after an incredible lesson that was completely by the Spirit. The Lord's hand is in all things. Seriously. There is no way that there wasn't some divine intervention in this. And now I know why they changed my assignment to go to the Manila MTC instead. Holy heck I love my life.

Other than that, this week has been FULL of happiness. We reached our goal of teaching 50 lessons this week. It was hard, but we did it! Last monday we had FHE with the Tanada family and it was the best. That's April's family. The Spirit was so strong. The gospel is really all about families. Everything is better when we improve the family unit. This transfer ends tomorrow. I can't believe I'm already halfway done with my training. Time flies, man. I ate a coconut this week! we went to a less active member who lives in the middle of the jungle. He greets us and proceeds to grab this really long stick with a hook on the end and grabs two coconuts out of the tree and cuts it and hands it to me. I was definitely new at it and we were all laughing at me. Typical American. You drink the juice and then cut it more and eat the coconut inside. It was great. haha

Life is amazing. I know with all of my heart that the Church is true and that Jesus Christ is at the head of it. I know that missionary work is a very important thing, but we don't have to be set apart as a full time missionary to be a missionary. So I invite you all to share the gospel this week. Whether it's a simple testimony or giving them a book of mormon. We've been given literally the most amazing thing on earth - the Restored Gospel- and we NEED to share it.

I love you all! Have a great week!

Sister Wilkins

Fwd: Sister Home Evening

Fwd: Zone Pictures

Fwd: Random Photos :)

Katotohanan

It's already p day again? Time goes by too fast.

Anyways this week was FULL of greatness. As they all are. On Wednesday I went on my first echanges with Sister Tavita. She's from this little Island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean that I cant remember the name. But I seriously learned so much. We were in my area, SOO that meant I had to lead the area. If anything I realized that I know more than I give myself credit for. About the people, the language, my area, how to teach, etc. You're usually better than you think you are.

On Saturday we had Zone Conference in Sorsogon. It was seriously exactly what I needed. President and Sister Guanzon both spoke about things that were exactly what I needed. Have I mentioned that God's timing is perfect? also GOOD NEWS! One of our investigators, Nenita, has been investigating the church for over a year but hasn't been baptized because she's not married to her asawa and she doesn't have a birth certificate or money to apply for a marriage license. BUT at zone conference, we found out that under Filipino law, if they've been living together for five years, they don't need a marriage license to be married. Which meanssss Nenita is getting married and will be baptized soon! I'm seriously beyond happy for her!! I can now see that she's the reason they gave us that second area.

Today we had a zone activity (which is why I'm emailing so much later than usual). We went to this lake and basically had FHE. It was so much fun! Bulan Zone is the best zone. The lake was beyond beautiful and we just sat in this little wooden building thing floating on the water. Yeah, I'm a master at describing things. But yeah.

Life is good! Magandang Buhay! Our Father in Heaven is so perfectly aware of each of His children. I love you all! Ingat!

Sister Wilkins

Fwd: Zone Training / Zone Conference

Keep On Keeping On

HEYOOO! Another busy week gone. Time won't slow down, man.

On Wednesday we went to Legazpi for our Trainer's/Trainee's Training (lots of training went down..) We rode a bus for 4 hours and made it to the chapel. It was a long day and I was so tired. The office Elders had to drive down to Bulan so we got a ride back with them. Before we left for Bulan, they had to go to the Mission Home so we got to sit and talk with President and Sister Guanzon for like 30 minutes in the mission home. I've said it like ten times, but President is a Filipino version of dad. It's hilarious really.

Another cool thing from this week: we were tracting (we hardly do that here because there are so many referrals and investigators) and we walked past this old lady. She started saying something in Bicol about us, thinking that we wouldn't be able to understand her. But, luckily we've got Sister Tarantan. Basically, she was impressed that she knew Bicol and we then proceeded to her house to teach her. We started the lesson and then my kasama asked if she had a bible. She gets up to go get it and comes back with a Book of Mormon. It was yellow and torn and dusty and had two elders names written in it and a date from 1999. She thought those missionaries were from another religion and she kept telling us that the Book of Mormon was the bible. It was the weirdest experience, but it was so cool that she had that book. She said she couldn't understand it when she reads it. It ended up being a really good lesson and she's willing to hear more. We invited her to try the book one more time. It's just cool how the Lord prepares people!

We had a relief society activity and I taught some kids how to play a song on the piano. The kids love me. The adults are nice but the language barrier is more real with them. With kids we can just play and it doesn't matter what language we're speaking. plus they have school english and they teach me words so that's nice. Rhealyn, July, and April are all cousins. Rhealyn and July are less active, but they've started coming since we have been teaching them and April has a baptism date next month. I love these kids!

On Sunday we had a multi-stake conference that aired from SLC. Elder Brent H. Nielsen, Elder Ian S. Ardern, Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, Elder Craig C. Christensen, and Neil L. Anderson all spoke. It was aired throughout all of the Philippines, for the Philippines. Basically it was amazing and I cried several times. It was all in English, so count me grateful. It was exactly what I needed to here. There's an English phrase that everyone says here, "I will be the one", and that was discussed. It's basically the Filipino way to give service and to put other people before yourself. I love it here and I love these people. They are seriously such special people. After that, we got to watch Meet the Mormons! So it was a good day.

Welp, that's about it. I love my life! The Lord is so mindful of us! I love you all! Ingat po!

Sister Wilkins