Almost a month

And I love it here so much. I have recovered from my heat stroke and from the slope on the roller coaster. This week was really busy so we didn't get to teach quite as much, but the lessons we taught were definitely guided by the Holy Ghost.


We had this one lesson where the investigator had already been taught about two years ago. Sister Siufanua and I did not know where to go, but some how she opened up about her concerns and we were able to address them. And there's this one woman we've been teaching who's ready for baptism she just has to get married, and we were trying to teach her asawa (it's their word for spouse, but they also use it for those they live with because marriage is so expensive here), too. But he had some negatively influential friends and did his best to avoid us. Miraculously he has since sat in on two lessons, and he asked us a great question about the Book of Mormon in relation to the Bible, and Sister Siu knew exactly what scriptures to share for the moment (the first paragraph of the introduction and 2 Ne. chapter 33). I know the Lord's hand is in the work that we're doing. He's there with us every step of the way. And! This other really miraculous thing that happened was we were getting ready to go to the temple again for temple ground tours with our investigators, and the security guard at our neighborhood gate asked us about our religion and how can he become a member and if he can come to our church. Sister Siu says people who approach her about how to become a member always end up being baptized at some point. It was really cool. So I shared a brief testimony and gave him some pamphlets.


Tad R. Callister (of the Presidency of the Seventy) came and spoke to us at our mission conference this past week. He talked about becoming a consecrated missionary and I feel so motivated to do better. It's hard to keep going sometimes. The work is very draining, but I know that exact obedience brings miracles, and I just have to keep pressing forward--just like what we tell our investigators. We're asking them to change their lives; we have to be willing to do that, too. So I'm trying.


And the importance of members was reaffirmed just because we've had some awesome members come with us to our lessons and they were able to share experiences and testimony that were exactly what our investigators needed to here. It's so amazing how aware of us the Lord is.


I know that Joseph Smith did see God the Father and His Son and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has the priesthood, or the power of God to act in Christ's name and bind on earth and in heaven. It's so important in following our Savior. I know that if we put God first, He will take care of us. And He is so patient, and many times He'll take care of us even if we do forget Him because He loves us.


I love you all and I hope things in your part of the world are going splendidly. Please write me :) You can even e-mail. I'm just not allowed to e-mail back... but I will write! So now you don't have postage expense as an excuse... Haha.


Mahal ko kayo!
xxxooo
Sister Cope


Pictures of the week:
1. Me on the back of a jeepney! This is posed, but I actually rode on it that evening on the way home from our mission conference. This one Samoan elder that was also riding on the back was teaching me how to properly holler. Haha... It was fun, but not very reverent so I probably won't be doing it again, but I asked my President if we are allowed so we'll see. But apparently I'm the first Sister who has ever done it... I guess it's not typically a girl thing. I need to be more lady-like apparently :)


2. L-R: S. Segovia (my MTC companion's trainer), S. Siufanua (my trainer, or nanay :), Me, S. DeLaMare (the mission president's wife), and S. Biggs (my MTC companion). I also had the happy occasion of seeing all the Elders that were in my district. We were finding out who has tried balut and who still needs to... Ha.


3. A poorly composed picture of these adorable puppies and their mom. They're owned by a family who lives in the same compound as the DeJesus family (see post from two weeks ago, I think).


4. Temple tour with S. Siu, Mary Ann and her baby Joanna, S. Madelo (an awesome member missionary), and me. We go around the temple grounds, and investigators and recent converts get to learn more about what goes on inside and the sacredness and qualifications, etc. It's happy. Mary Ann's really excited about the temple. (By the way... if I look bigger, it's probably because I am. I try to eat only a satisfying amount, and the members always tell me "Kain pa," eat still. Sobrang rice, pero masarap... with the right ulam.)