This week it has been raining a ton and it rained for about five days straight without stopping! My clothes are hand washed by a lady in our ward and we hang them outside to dry, but when it rains they don’t dry. The rain seized and they were able to dry and now I have clean clothes to wear! Since it has been raining so much here, there has been a lot of flooding. Some of the people that we teach have had to evacuate their homes because their homes were flooded with about three feet of water and they had to sleep at the church. Finally, the storms have left for now and they were able to return to their homes. Also, since there has been so much rain it has been hard to find people to teach but that’s okay cause we still manage.
Spiritual experience:
Last night we taught my favorite person Sister Jocelyn. Our ward is going to the temple on Saturday and she is planning to go with us to explore the grounds. When we got home last night, we received a text from her that she is very thankful to God and she loves God and is she so happy that we were able to find her and bring her the gospel. She also told us that her husband (who isn’t a member) accepted to go with her tot he temple on Satuday. She is so happy because she wants her family to be together forever! Hopefully, this will be a step in reaching that goal. I have seen the changes that she has made in her life and I’m so happy that we could bring this happiness to her. I hope my companion and I will be able to accompany them to the temple on Saturday too!
I love you all and have a good week! My favorite quote of the week is: "When we give our whole self to God, He gives his whole self to us"
Love,
Sister Wheat
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| Manila Temple |
August 18, 2013
Hello everyone! I am doing great and it has been a great week! I am having success but it has been raining quite a lot. Just so you know, I wasn’t affected by the typhoon but we got some pretty heavy rains so don’t worry I’m fine and safe!
Spiritual experience:
So this week we have been trying to have almost everyday contact with our investigators. So the investigator I talked about last week, her name is Myleen and she is 19. I love teaching her because I feel like I’m just teaching my friend (because she is my age). We taught her the plan of salvation which is my favorite lesson to teach. As we were teaching it, it looked like a light bulb went on in her mind for the first time. She had tears in her eyes and we asked her how she felt. She told us she finally felt like she has a purpose and that she belongs somewhere. I was so happy to be able to be the one to show her that light and her purpose. I know that we all have a purpose here on this earth and what a blessing it is to know what that purpose is and have that knowledge. I know that if we do our best here on earth we can fulfill our purpose and return to our Heavenly Father’s presence and live with him and our families forever.
I love you all and I miss you! You’re in my prayers always! Stay close to the Lord in all you do and He will bless you! I know he will.
Mahal Kita
Sister Wheat
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| Just singing in the rain! |
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| Sister Missionaries |
August 11, 2013
Well, just to let you know... my week has been great and I have seen my teaching and Tagalog has been improving which makes me happy. I love teaching the gospel! Being a missionary is the greatest thing ever, (at least I think so)!
Spiritual Experience:
We had our zone meeting and they challenged everyone to pray for a challenge. This was a very scary and intimidating assignment, but I decided to take it! I was soooo scared because I already thought I had enough challenges, but I did it anyway. I prayed for a challenge and let me tell you, we sure got one. On Friday, we were stood up!!! We got stood up five times in a row. One appointment after another fell through, people were either too busy, sleeping, or hiding from us. We had walked so much and my legs felt like they had turned to jelly. At the end of the day, my companion and I were a little discouraged because we had very few lessons we could teach. I went to bed so exhausted and dead. The next day, we worked so hard to not be stood up. We had back ups for our back ups! And guess what! We found a new investigator and she is really great! She is really a seeker of truth and she is eager to learn. I know it was a blessing and through challenges and submitting our will to God’s, miracles will come to pass! Through our challenges, all I could think of was... "I prayed for this, now what can I learn from it?" It was a really cool experience though and challenges only make us stronger. It’s an amazing feeling just submitting our will to God’s and trusting him fully. So, I challenge you to try it, it may be scary but I know it will make you stronger if you do it.
Downside of the week:
Probably just being stood up so much and it has been raining a lot, because their is going to be a typhoon. If it rains too hard or there is flooding, we have to stay in our house. But don’t worry I will be fine. It shouldn’t hit us too bad cause were not really close to the sea!
Upside of the week:
We were at church yesterday and in Relief Society, I was asked to bare my testimony on missionary work and, of course I did, but I did pretty much the whole thing in Tagalog and everyone said my Tagalog is so good! Of course I still need to improve, but I am also understanding the people when they speak more and more each day! Yay Sister Wheat!
Well I love you all and have a good week! Your always in my prayers!
Mahal Kita
Sister Wheat
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| "Yikes!" |
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| My Mission Group |
August 5, 2013
I’m doing well and today has been a great week! It rains off and on everyday, so I never know what to expect. The other day, my companion and I got stuck in a huge rainstorm with nowhere to go and her umbrella broke, so we only had my little one for the two of us! Let’s just say, we were soaked from head to toe and it looked like I had just went swimming with my clothes on. It was actually kind of fun! And we sang in the rain too, that made it that much more fun!
Spiritual Experience:
This week, we have been focusing on a less-active member, Jocelyn. She was baptized when she was eight (I think I have told you about her) but she is like a new investigator because she knows nothing about the church! She has such desire to learn about the gospel. We have been teaching her quite often and she loves having us over for dinner. We were teaching her about the gospel of Jesus Christ and she asked if she could be baptized, sadly we had to tell her that she has already been baptized so she couldn’t, but she understands why now and that she can be baptized every week by taking the sacrament. She told us that it was not by accident that we found her, and it was a miracle and a blessing to her life. Now, she is going to church every Sunday with her daughter and she is going to receive a calling this month. She is amazing and I was so happy to be able to bring the gospel back into her life. We are now working on teaching her husband who isn't a member. I know that God put her in our path and he prepared her for us.
Well, I love you all! Have a good week! Thank you for your prayers! I pray for you all every single day and I know that prayer works and that we always receive answers to our prayers. It may not come right away or in the way we want them to come but they will always come.
Mahal Kita
Sister Wheat
July 28, 2013
Magandang Hapon Po!
Well today has been a great week! Busy, busy, but it has been good. We have had many meetings and we have to take an hour bus ride to Tarlac where the meetings are, so it’s kind of exhausting but the meetings were good. Also, because we have had a lot of rain, in Tarlac city the streets are flooded everywhere like water up to my knees. It takes us al least two hours to get home because of traffic. But all is well, because my apartment neighborhood doesn’t flood that much!
Spiritual Experience:
This week we were able to have two baptisms, Narissa and Angelika. They are 14 years old cousins and are just so cute! I feel like they are my little sisters! Their uncle was able to baptize them so that was really cool. They were truly prepared for us. They had been attending seminary with their other cousin and we met them but their parents were inactive or non-members and not interested but now they are baptized and their family is becoming more active and their siblings and cousins want to be baptized too. So, we are teaching them this coming week.
And, on Saturday our zone had a stake baptism. All the missionaries were there in our zone and in total there were 12 baptisms. It was amazing to see 12 people in one day making the same covenants with their Heavenly Father and starting their new lives dedicated to our savior Jesus Christ. I felt the spirit so strong and the people who were baptized were so happy and just glowing!
Upside of the week (:
Yesterday, we were walking in a part of our area where we don’t really go and we were just exploring to find a less active. We walked by this HUGE house in the middle of rice fields and I was joking and said let’s go talk to the people in that house. My companion didn’t want to, but I saw the lady outside through the gate so I walked up to the gate and eight dogs came running! I’m so happy there was a gate but the lady came to the gate and we started speaking to her in Tagalog. It wasn’t making sense and she said, “speak English”, and asked us what we wanted. I told her who we were and we found out she just retired and she is from America (Florida). She told us she was busy right then, but we could come back and share our message with her! I was so happy that I had the courage to talk to her and that she is willing to listen to us when we return.
Well I love you all and thank you for your love and support and prayers. I feel them everyday! Have a good week! Keep smiling because life is just great! De ba? (right?)
Mahal Kita
Sister Wheat
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| My Companion and me |
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| Yum yum! |
July 21, 2013
Dear Loved Ones,
This week has been pretty great! I had my first baptism! Yay! it went really well. I was the chorister, even though I don’t really know how to lead. (But, I did it.) The boy we had baptised name is Erik and he is nine, and he was so exited! We went to visit him the day before his baptism and he told us he was scared he was going to drown. We assured him that he wouldn't and that his dad would hold on to him. Well, he didn’t drown and it went really well. After the baptism my companion and I and the other two sister missionaries sang "I Feel My Saviors Love". I felt the spirit so strong and it was amazing to see the tears in his parent’s eyes (his dad who was less-active for many years and his mom who isn’t a member). I know that the spirit touched their hearts and I hope that one day they can all be sealed in the temple for all eternity.
I am truely blessed to be sealed to my family for all time and eternity. I know that I can be with them forever and I have such a strong testimony of the Plan of Salvation.
Yesterday, he was confirmed in sacrament meeting and three of our new investigators came to church. They texted us at 7:30 saying they were at the church, although church didn’t start till 9:00. They were willing to wait and we met up with them and showed the around the church. They liked church and even stayed for the whole three hours. Although they live pretty far they made the sacrifice. We are truly being blessed by the Lord.
Well have a good week! I love you all and miss you! WHEN WE PUT OUR TRUST AND FAITH IN THE LORD ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
Mahal Kita
Sister Wheat
July 14, 2013
Magandang Hapon Po! (Good After Noon)
I am doing well and I have had a great week! Its been raining a lot this week, so I’m walking in lots of water and mud all the time because it is Typhoon season! It’s either raining, or its super hottttt! Even more crazier weather than in Utah (I didn’t think it was possible)! So, we never go anywhere without an umbrella because we use it for the sun and the rain! We are having success and I am improving in my teaching abilities. Yesterday, I was talking to three girls who were on there way somewhere and I asked them if they knew anyone who would be interested in our message, and they said they would, So, we went back to where they live and taught them. It was truly amazing because we have been able to find any new investigators this week and now we have three!
Spiritual experience-
My spiritual experiences happened yesterday. We went to teach Julie, our investigator whose three year-old girl has cancer. We taught her about the plan of salvation and I taught pretty much the whole thing. I felt like I should ask her where she thinks we came from and so I did, and she said, "dust". I was so surprised! I couldn't even imagine thinking we came from dust. I taught her about where we came from, why were here and where were going. When I told her that her family could be together forever, tears started to form in both of our eyes. I had been praying this week to feel how my investigators are feeling, and I truly believe I felt the way she was feeling. She told us that even with the trials she is having at this time in her life, when she prays about our message, she is comforted. I know that the Holy Spirit is touching her heart and that she was prepared for us.
Downer-
Hmmm... well our investigator who is suppose to be baptized next week got a new job and has to work on Sundays but he requested for it off and is being transferred so he wont have to work on Sundays and can be baptized next month.
Happy thought-
I committed someone to baptism yesterday again and I have my first baptism this Saturday! His name is Erik and he is nine. His dad has been less active for a really long time and he is now re-activated and we have been teaching his son and who has chosen to be baptized!
Also, today we went golfing as a zone, on a military base! It was way fun, although I can’t really golf! Haha!
Well, I love you all and pray for you night and day! I know that the Lord is truely blessing me for my service and that if we put our faith in him, anything is possible. Have a good week!
Mahal Kita
Sister Wheat
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| Golfing on P-Day |
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| Just being silly! |
July 7, 2013
Hello! I am doing well and I am loving being an instrument in the Lord’s hands! This week has been good and guess what! I ate at a members house, FROG!! It was quite different but it tastes like chicken. I will never look at a frog the same though! All is well here, I am improving in my teaching skills and my ability to speak Tagalog. I try to talk to as many people as I can and they are always so surprised to see a white blonde American in the Philippines talking Tagalog. (It’s apparently very rare.) When I walk down the street, sometimes I feel like a movie star with the attention I get, haha!
Spiritual experience:
This week my companion and I started teaching these two girls that are cousins. They have been coming to church but we were hesitant to teach them because they are teenagers and their parents aren't members. We went ahead and taught them because of their desire to know more, and they are so great! They are reading and praying and coming to church. I had the opportunity to invite them to be baptized in Tagalog and they said, “Yes”! They will be baptized on the 27th of this month and I cant wait! I was so happy when they accepted. I have never felt so much joy.
Also, this week being fast Sunday, we fasted for 24 hours without food or drink and being so hot here with out water is really difficult, but it taught me a lot and I was so in tuned with the Spirit. I realized the importance of fasting and it strengthened my testimony that it really does bring about miracles.
We were teaching this one lady named Bernadith and she was doing great and keeping the commitments we gave her. But, when we went back she said that her husband told her not to listen to us so, we were leaving the apartment complex when we saw another lady which was her sister-in-law. Her name is Miracle but goes by Raquel (but she truely was a miracle). We are now teaching her and she is progressing.
Well, I hope all is well and I love you all. I pray for you every day!
Mahal Kita
Sister Wheat
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| A family that we are teaching |
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| Frog..."Tastes like CHICKEN!" |
