Aug 15: Hiding from age

It seems that a slow down button is always wished for in retrospection. There is just much to want and be had that it is hard to keep up with everything and everyone. About my birthday, I just fasted the entire day and the sisters texted me "Happy Birthday" that night.

The Philippines is a fast moving mission, especially Dasmarinas. On August 4, I am not sure if I mentioned that baptism we had of a part member family, Llado, two teenagers – Jayson (16) and Mary Ann (15). That was a blessing to the ward because we are low on worthy priesthood holders (I don't know of too many places that this is not the case), so while teaching Jayson and Mary Ann, we also reactivated the father. And now their nonmember mother who lives far away visited and came to church last week.

Kling Juada (21) is a smart young guy that we have been teaching for a while off and on, and he just now has really started to progress. We actually found him near a member, Tomilloso family, while teaching their cousin. It is an all girl house so we always need another male with us. One night a while back, we went to teach Gracel without another male and we just saw him sitting outside texting and talked to him. He knows the Tomilloso family pretty well and listened. With a crazy school and work schedule, we taught him sporadically, but now have got him coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon consistently. He is such a nice guy I actually wondered if he just liked us as friends, last Sunday, his text made is sound like he was not coming to church so went he came it made me so happy. He is scheduled to be baptized in the next week or two.

I believe I told you a bit about the Sanez family. The father has split and has another family, the mother just returned from Hong Kong where she was baptized so we started teaching her two daughters who live here. Leng (21) works nights half the week so was chronically tired when we started. Beng goes to school and has a boyfriend and has not stopped listening and coming to church. Lorita, the mother, has now moved to Paranaque for her new job so it has show Leng's dedication by coming to church by her self. She actually would be baptized on Saturday, but missed church last week because of a headache or something. Thus, we pushed back her baptism another week. This is better because her mother should now be about to come and she will be baptized with Kling.

Last week we did not have the church attendance we (or maybe just I) expected, but I felt before church that the Lord just wants us to work hard. The harvest is his. I really believe that. I know that it is the spirit that converts and I just do my best to help them invite it into their lives'. I know that the spirit is more abundant in my life now because of this service. That is one of the greatest blessing from missionary service.