Fwd: Week 9 :)

Legazpi Mission Rising Up

Sige po! So this week was another incredible week! I'm seriously loving life. It's not easy, that's for sure, especially as a missionary, but it's SO worth it. This Saturday will be the baptism of April Joy and boy am I excited! She's the first investigator that I actually found. I've been there since the beginning. She's 9 years old and she's the cutest. She and her cousin Realyn really want to be friends with Jayda. I've shown them pictures of her and told them about her and they want to meet her! She's SO excited to be baptized and she can hardly contain herself every time we mention it. Ah. So cute.

So this week we had Zone Training and we had our third week with 50 lessons (yay for consistency) and I spoke in Sacrament Meeting with way better Tagalog than before and basically life is speeding by but I'm loving it.

We started teaching Sofia and Sunshine, two sisters that are about my age. We tracted their house when we were on exchanges and we met their mom (who spoke English!!). When I went back with Sister Tarantan we taught their Lola. The third time back we met them and they're super interested and progressing! They didn't come to church yesterday though because their mom is recovering from something with her eye and they were taking care of her. But there's always next week! haha agency man. We've had to drop a few investigators this week because they just weren't progressing and keeping their commitments. That's always the hardest. Especially when you've grown to love them.

Ok this is the shortest email so sorry. But I love you all and I love hearing from you even if I don't have time to respond. I love my life and I love being a missionary! The church is true! Mahal na mahal kita!

P.S. I finally fulfilled my lifelong dream of owning rainboots. They were like $3 US equivalent. THey are a necessity though because man, it's been flooding. okbye.

Sister Wilkins

Fwd: Week 8 weekly photos

Kapayapaan

ATTENTION ALL: I am no longer the only white person in my zone!! Hooray for transfers! There are two new american missionaries, Elder W..something and Sister Hunt. Basically it's nice to have people who understand what I'm saying. Plus it's not so lonely not being able to speak the language. haha..

anyways. This week was fantastic! Week 2 with 50 lessons! we're trying to be consistent with that for the rest of the transfer. It's been raining like crazy over here! It's very hard for me to not dance in it.. it's bawal to do that so we don't get sick... hmph. But I seriously love rain so much and it's so beautiful here. There were two earthquakes in the Manila area this week and we were expecting it to send a baguio our way but thankfully they didn't!

SOOO this week we met a sister named Rionie. We went to her friends' house who is a member and she was there and we taught her a lesson. She was so receptive and asked questions and she truly wanted to know. She accepted our baptismal invitation and everything. Thennn we went to her house a few days later and she was still so receptive but she didn't want to accept a return appointment. We were asking why and she said she knows it's true. She said she prayed and received a witness, but she's a very active member of the Catholic church and she teaches a class and she feels obligated to stay. So we gave her a book of mormon and asked her to call us if she wants to learn more. People's agency, man. But it's all good! I've said it a million times - a huge part of missionary work is planting seeds. She's heard the message of the restoration and she knows it's true. She just has to submit her will to the Lord's. It might take time, but we'll be gladly waiting. I've learned a lot of patience while being here. Everyone grows and learns at different paces and not everyone is ready now and that's okay. All that matters is that we are doing our part in helping them be prepared.

In church yesterday I was sitting with this little girl named Jazmin - she's the daughter of a member. She leaned over to me during one of the testimonies and asked me what the Holy Ghost was. AND THE HEAVENS OPENED UP AND I SPOKE PURE TAGALOG AND EXPLAINED THE HOLY GHOST PERFECTLY AND SHE SAID SHE NEVER UNDERSTOOD BEFORE BUT SHE UNDERSTOOD MY EXPLANATION. Holy heck, people. I have struggled so much with this language it's ridiculous but I know that the gift of tongues is real and that God gives answers to His children when they ask. I have progressed in the language so much this week. I still have a long way to go, but I also have lots of time to learn. God is good.

I love you all so much! I hope you had a good 4th of July! I was annoying my companion all day with singing patriotic songs. This Land is Your Land never gets old.. haha.

Mahal na mahal kita!

Sister Wilkins

Fwd: Weekly Photos <3

FHE, the Nares Family, our power went out (that happens a lot and we're not allowed to proselyte during a blackout) so companionship study by candlelight!, the Niemo Family (the referrals from Elder Cervantes)

Fwd: Zone Conference Pictures

Zone conference photo

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