Puerto Week 7: Blessing and being blessed

Strange enough, I got a little nervous at transfers because I just did not know what would happen, but they are gone now and I am still with my favorite companion in one of the best areas. The language is coming, and it will get here when it gets here. There are many other skills that I need as a missionary to be effective so I have got to get at those ones now.

One of the greatest disappointments as a missionary is so see someone who believes in the restored gospel, not come to church. We have a fair bit of people that we are teaching; the spirit is present; they know what they must do, but they do not, as if it is easier not too. The families are the hardest to see. It is easy to see how easy families can fall apart when not built upon the teachings of the gospel. I wonder how people make it through. But they have to know that something better is out there. We just have to show them.

This last Sunday, I knew I wanted to fast, but I was not quite sure what to fast for. There are so many blessings I could use right now – gift of Tongues, greater faith, a slice of cheese. We were at a baptism Saturday evening of this awesome old man, Dacuan, who we were teaching when I came. To give an example, he closed is testimony “in the name of God, in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, Jesus, Amen” and then continued to shake every ones hand on the stand and a couple of people on the way to his seat. He is so enthusiastic for an old man, but after the baptism we went over to the neighboring hospital to give an infant of a member a blessing. It is hard to see children with IVs sitting on small benches in the corner and other sick people out in the halls. The baby was only a couple weeks old and the parents we so young as well. We blessed the baby, my companion and I, and I counted myself fortunate to be there. I thought about this child and then some of our investigators. If the infant dies, it will return to God, but if one of our investigators dies he may not get that chance. So I decided to fast for an investigator and the child.

I know who I was fasting for and thus I though about them a lot. The investigator, Bro. Helido, was on my mind all Sunday during all the meetings in my studies. He finds it hard to accept another book of scripture and has consequently not put the faith he needs in to get an answer. My fasting, my thoughts, and my prayers, were answered from all that I personally learned that can help him. I wish I could explain more, but the more I think about those that I am here for, the greater portion of the spirit I feel in helping me doing this work.

I fear that the Tagalog language is already affecting my English. It is so easy to link ideas so I fear that it is making my English confusing.

This work is God’s work. I can see it every day in the prayers that our answered the love that God shows to His children through us. My gratitude is great, and becoming greater.