On A Roll!

We are on a roll with having great weeks here in Libmanan! The work is moving at a fantastic pace and we are doing our best to keep up with it. We are still working hard with those Priesthood holders and in finding families. It has been a very fruitful week! We are working with a couple families in particular whom are showing great desire and progress in the gospel. :) 

Yesterday at church we had 24 less-actives/recent converts at church! Many of whom had not been to church in years! It was a truly miraculous day! One young man in particular had just texted us Saturday night to ensure us that he would not be coming back to church, that he simply could not live up to the church's standards, but thanks for our efforts to help him..Well that was a bit discouraging, but nonetheless we prayed fervently that his heart would be softened and desire to live the gospel again..you can imagine my great delight and surprise when in walked this 22 year old young man who had not been to church in over 10 years. He later texted us saying that he had not expected to go to church, he doesn't know what happened, but somehow he went to church. Wow. Truly a miracle! :) So happy!

This week was also week 11 of training for Sister Falcon meaning she was to lead in all planning and teaching, and that she did. She said she didn't really feel or notice a difference, but boy did I. It was a great learning experience I think for her. She is improving so well! It was hard at times for me not to jump in when she struggled a little but she handled every situation just fine with little prompting or help from me. Our teaching is more powerful and unified. :) Good week.

Transfers are next week. Almost positive I will be transferring and spending my last 2 transfers in another area but who knows what could happen, we will find out on Saturday night.

I ate octopus this week. It was rubbery. Not the favorite thing I have ever eaten before but hey, at least I can say I tried it right. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :)

-Sister Roderick

2 Weeks Strong

I feel good! So good! I am happy and healthy and loving life! Everything in the work has changed since I have gotten all better from being sick, it is a complete difference from before and I LOVE IT! So happy to be better again :)

So for the longest time I have been saying, we are focusing on Priesthood holders and families..welp it's taken a few weeks now to really get the ball rolling with that but now things are rolling faster and faster and it is just dandy! :) We have one family in particular that we are teaching whom I absolutely love! We just met them last week BUT I already feel so close to them and am so excited for them to keep learning and growing in the gospel. A family with 9 kids (woo hoo!)..we've met mom, dad, and 5 of the kids so far plus a couple of their cousins. AND its even better because its an older family, meaning not a bunch of little kids, these are kids from the ages 16-27 that we are teaching..5 young men, with good morals, high standards, desiring to serve God and follow Jesus Christ. They are ready. God truly does prepare people to accept His gospel. Nothing better than teaching families..especially when they are just thirsting for the truth..we walk in, the Spirit teaches, they recognize, and lives are literally changed, all while I get to sit and watch the change take place. The true blessing and joy of being an instrument in the Lord's hands. :) 

We had exchanges this week again in Pamplona with the Sister Training Leaders. Had exchanges with my batch, which was fun. A sister who came with/will go home at the same time as me. We were both able to reflect on our progress and all the things we have learned on the mission. Cool experience. :)

We also had zone conference this week where President and Sister Reeder plus the Assistants came and did a whole day training about the Priesthood! It was great! It was a fantastic discussion in which I learned much, and my testimony was most definitely strengthened about the great need for, blessing, and importance of the Priesthood power, and likewise worthy Priesthood holders, in our lives.

*Mom, you would be so proud. I played piano for the zone conference!! Yep. I was scared out of my mind, shaking ferociously, and all but it went okay. The first 3 verses at least went alright haha then I kind messed up, but I just kept pushin through and it all worked out. I would count that as a success though for my first time to ever play for people to actually sing! haha :) yay for chances to use our talents and be pushed outside our comfort zone! 

Love you all! Take care this week! :)

Mahal ko kayo!

-Sister Roderick

Pics:

Rock on for being the only American sister in my zone for the past 6 months! :) 

and that's me scraping the inside of a coconut. I don't know what that's called in english. haha

I feeeeel good da na na na na na na na!

I knew that I would! 

YEP. All better. 

Meds kicked in, rested a day and back to work! Woo hoo. :) It feels so good to be back to my normal self again!

We are doing well this week. 

Working hard as always. and likewise seeing lots of progress. 

Still focusing on working with the fathers to help the families. Going well. 

Lots of members getting callings and becoming more truly active and converted to the gospel. :)

This week we are putting a special emphasize on finding families, with lots of great goals and plans to help with that. 

Already last night, we were able to find a new family, 9 kids, who were very receptive, lots of questions, and anxious to learn. Miracle! I love teaching families! Can't wait to go back to teach them again!

That's all for now folks. No more time. But love you and miss you all! Take care this week and keeping striving harder to not only LEARN the gospel but to APPLY it and LIVE it. The blessings will come. :)

Mahal ko kayo!

-Sister Roderick

If Ye Believe These Things, See That Ye Do Them

And the growing just keeps on keepin' on, it's the best!

We have seen many challenge in our area this week but accompanying those many challenges, came many blessings and beautiful, little miracles.

I've struggled a lot on my mission to know exactly where to focus my efforts because the need is different in each area and sometimes when we try to focus on too many things at once, the end result is usually much less progress or improvement than if we had focused more on the center of the target and just attacked it with all we got..

Welp, last night we had the great opportunity to watch a Philippines Area Special Broadcast in which Elder Oaks, his wife, and other general authorities spoke to us...one of the main things that Elder Oaks discussed was those things here specifically in the Philippines in which we, as missionaries, and all need to be focusing our efforts...Obtaining more worthy, full-tithe paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders and centering our families on the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ-including praying, reading the scriptures (Book of Mormon and Bible), and attending church services, with special emphasis on partaking of the Sacrament, as a family.

THAT is EXACTLY what we have been working on here so diligently these past many months. It was such a blessing and relief for us to hear those words come from a living apostle of God, that we are helping in some way. shape, or form, to help build our Father in Heaven's kingdom on earth, in this time. 

That is still our focus here in Libmanan and in the whole Naga Mission and boy are we seeing change. :) Elder Oaks also mentioned how a true gospel culture means that we are WILLING to CHANGE.

In Mosiah 4:10 we read that "if you believe all these things see that ye do them."

 It is not just enough to believe, we must ACT. and Act Now. 

Saw one of our focus priesthood holders bless and brake the sacrament for us this week-with clean, white button-up shirt and all. It was a glorious sight. 

Found many members and new potential investigators this week, answer to our prayers.

Caught a jeepney last night (completely empty-never happens at night) on our way home from the broadcast in Pamplona!! M.i.r.a.c.l.e. 

Many wonderful things happening here. I know this is the Lord's work. I know He loves His children, that's US! I know He is here for us and will NEVER leave us. Choose the right. Turn to Him. and Do as He Did.

Mahal ko kayo. Happy Halloween! :)

-Sister Roderick

P.S. I have been trying to have a bit more fun on the mish (don't worry, nothing too crazy) to help my companion learn better, enjoy the work, not get so stressed (like me..), and of course for us to bond and become more united in our work...soooo late Friday night we decided to show a bit of how we really feel inside after a longgg, hard week and we became ZOMBIE SISTERS!..haha fun stuff. not usually my idea of a good time but ya know it turned out to be fun for us I think..also, it started raining while we took pics and videos..and being the smart me, I clicked the self-timer thing on the camera then ran to where she was..outside the front door...soaking wet from the rain..stepped right on that nice wet tile and biffed it..you bet, right in time for the camera to snap a pic of me sprawled on the ground! hahaha couldn't stop laughing bout that one for a while.

Have a great week, laugh more ah! :) It helps.