I didn't think the Philippines could get
any greener, but you would be amazed what a little (hahaha) bit of rain
each day can do for the greenery. And we are not even in the rainy rainy
season. Now that I have done my weekly weather report....
So the exciting news for this week (there is
actually a lot of exciting news) is the we had Elder Russel M. Nelson
come and speak to our mission. He came to rededicate the MTC here, and
do a bunch of firesides. I got to shake his hand! Cool huh!?! Do you
remember that talk that he gave where he showed the pictures of his
daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter? And those intense blue
eyes they all had? Well, they inherited it from him. He has the most
intense, piercing blue eyes ever! It was a cool experience. Instead of
giving us a talk, he had missionaries come up and practice teaching him,
from the very beginning. And he gave us tips and ideas of how to do
things better. Can you imagine teaching an apostle about the first
vision? I wasn't brave enough to volunteer. But it was still good, and
of course he had really awesome ideas and insights.
Because we have so many Less Active families in our
area, Sister Afu and I decided to block out a whole afternoon for
finding less active families. Now you have to understand in the
Philippines they don't have addresses. And only once in a while does a
street have a name. So you just have to ask... everyone. So we did.
Puwede po ba magtanong? I am getting really good at that phrase. We were
having no success. We were finding the houses but there were either no
people or they were not, how should i put it, interested. Finally we
decided to move on to the next closest area. The first family we ask
about. Boom home. Boom interested. Boom there were offended along time
ago, but know the church is true and want us to come back. Yeah! They
are a great family and with a lot of love and work will come back. We
set up a return appointment, at which they fed us (here that means you
are family). We moved on to the next family on the list Manalo. Turns
out every one in that Baringay has that last name, and i mean everyone.
We had the WHOLE Baringay trying to help us find this person. It was
like a circus. We had about 40 people trying to help us at once. People
would just find the closest Manalo they could find and pull them over to
us. Once they realized they were not the right Manalo, they would go
find another Manalo, and this process just kept going and going. We were
all laughing so hard. But there was one lady, that had the most
beautiful smile, and I was like, "I want to talk to her." when she came
up to us, and said that she used to be a member. She was not the one we
were looking for but she said we could come back (she of course had
married a Manalo... so that will be fun trying to find her again). It
was just a cool experience. And someone said I sounded like a Filipino,
which of course made my day. But then I realized he asked me one
question and I answered it. Boo, oh, well.
Tatay Godofredo, is so excited to get the
Priesthood. And he payed his tithing yesterday. He didn't think anyone
was watching, but it was so cute to see him struggle to fill out the
form. And he was basically glowing, when he handed it to the Branch
President. And his tie was tied wrong. But one of the members helped
him, it was just so fun.
Irene Tutol has returned! She was the one that
didn't go to church, so her mom would go. She is active now, and is even
one of our fellowshippers for the new family we found last week. She
sat by her in Relief Society and everything. I basically did a happy
dance!
RJ has been working with the Elders twice a week
now. He loves it! The Elders say he is one of the best people they have
worked with. He shares scriptures to answer the peoples questions
and introduces and explains the scriptures like a missionary. The Elders
said at one point they didn't know what to say to this one
investigator, and RJ just jumped in with a scripture that shot the mans
argument right our the window. He is going to be baptized next week, and
it will be so exciting.
It's festival again, which means fireworks and radio trucks all night long. And parades.
It
is such a good feeling when the members say that they want this to be
my only area on my mission. Aww, they love me. I really do have a
Filipino family here. But don't worry, I still love you all, and I might
come home some time...
Loves,
Sister Lyons
PS
So mom, I live next to these really funny, crazy Elders, and one of
them is obsessed with pink ties. He only has pink ties. And he is sure
that you will send him one if I only ask. He thinks that you love him or
something. Anyway, I had to included this, because he did something for
me, and in return I promised to ask you. There, I asked. Random, I
know, but you have to remember who my neighbors are. :)
