Answered Prayer

Answered Prayer

D&C 123:12 For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, wherebythey lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth becausethey know not where to find it.

So lately our mission president has been really focusing on the promised blessing in the scriptures that people have been prepared. We've been praying really hard to find them, and lately I feel like Heavenly Father really has been leading us to them. Back when Sister Harston was here, we were leaving an appointment to a less active family and she felt we should approach this one man on the street. We started talking to him and two more people joined us outside of the tindahan. I felt particularly drawn to the last arrival, but we wrote down contact information for all three of them. With Sister Racaza we made plans and returned to the third arrival--Gerry. He wasn't home, but his sister, Nanette, invited us in. We taught her for the second time last night. She's been reading the pamphlet we gave her and waiting for our next visit to receive the Book of Mormon. She realizes she needs to read that to find out if the gospel is true and if Joseph Smith is a true prophet. It was a normal lesson about the Book of Mormon in the way it was taught, but her responses were so different. And her prayer that she gave at the end was so sincere. She commented as she was reading verses from the Book of Mormon how she felt, and the Spirit was strong. She admitted there's something missing in her religion, and we were able to promise her that what she is missing is in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. On the tricycle, as we rode to our next appointment I really felt the Spirit testify to me that this is the promise being fulfilled of finding prepared people. And there was another earlier this week, too. I met the husband back when Sister Roper and I were finding two transfers ago. We were in the right place at the right time, and saw him again. His wife was home, too, and she said she invites all missionaries in, but there was a difference in our sincerity as we shared. She was excited to start reading the Book of Mormon, too. God keeps his promises. And He takes care of each of us, but we have to do our part and pray for those experiences to happen. It's like Elder Ballard's talk on the small, but important contribution of each honeybee. He talks about service, but we can apply this to asking for missionary opportunities... "In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of His precious children. Then go throughout the day with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help. Stay focused, just like the honeybees focus on the flowers from which to gather nectar and pollen. If you do this, your spiritual sensitivities will be enlarged and you will discover opportunities to serve that you never before realized were possible." Words from an Apostle. It's real.

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

Instrument lang...

Instrument lang...

I'm not sure what to say about this week except that it had it's downs, but then they went up and I just have such a testimony of God's timing and where He places us and who He places us with. One of my favorite investigators is moving with her asawa to the next town over. There were plans for them to be baptized and married by the end of the month. If all goes well, the elders in that area will pick up where we left off. She cried when I told her we're not allowed to go to other areas to witness baptisms, but we taught them one last lesson, and they've just been prepared. Us, the missionaries, didn't do anything... Heavenly Father prepared them, and it's been a privilege to know them and be a part of it.

And then this one couple who we taught in December who were not interested at all before had read the pamphlet we gave them and seemed to have open their hearts. We really are just instruments in God's hands to bring people unto Christ... " Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." (Alma 26:12)

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

Testimonies and Priesthood...

Testimonie​s and Priesthood​...

I bore my testimony in our last transfer meeting... it was my last one with just two months left. I shared what has become one of my favorite scriptures. I learned on my mission that it was a favorite of my brother's after sharing it with him in an e-mail, and then I shared it in a lesson with Laarni the afternoon before her baptism... 1 Ne. 11: 16-17  And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God? And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things. We don't need to know everything. We just need to establish our testimonies of a Father in Heaven that loves us more than we can comprehend. That's why I'm here doing what I'm doing.

And I have a new companion fresh from the Philippines MTC and fresh with the Spirit.. Sister Racaza. She's sweet and enthusiastic about the work, and she's got style :)

Last night we were able to help out our returning Melchizedek priesthood holder, Randy, give a blessing to his wife with his Dad. We borrowed oil from the branch president and gave them the handbook on how to give the blessings. They were a little nervous, but it was amazing to get to see two active Melchizedek priesthood holders in one family worthy to give another family member a blessing. (Sorry this is kind of deep for those who are not too familiar with the Church, but in short we believe that God's power to bless the sick is on the earth and only those given the authority and that are worthy to use it can give those blessings. It's the pinakakaibaan (biggest difference) in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And I know it's real. Because I've seen that power work multiple times in my life.) It's exciting because our theme for the mission this  year is Priesthood Power Establishes the Church and I'm getting to see that happen.

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

1. Sister Harston and I with Laarni at her baptism last week.

2. With the Jensens and the San Juan family. This is just one of the best things ever to see them all in white, and I hope to see them again when they go through the temple...

3. The whole group. Two children of record and two convert baptisms. And two fathers and a father-in-law that was able to baptize them. Amazing...

4. Saying goodbye :( to one of my best friends, MTC companion, and kabahay for 7 months... Sister Biggs!

5. Finding out if we're being transferring or not... We had to lick whipped cream off plates with either a smiley face or a frown face. I stayed :D

6. New companion... my size. Haha...

Tender Mercies in the New Year...

Tender Mercies in the New Year...

Yesterday we had a bit of an off-start to our day with our first appointment not going quite as planned. We went to the hills to pray so there would be no one around and plead for the Spirit to abide with us for the remainder of our day. We had passed one of our member couples on the way to where we chose to pray, and as Sister Harston was closing our prayer, we were interrupted by "Sisters!!!" The members saw us pass and thought we had forgotten they were working with us. In their enthusiasm they had followed us into the woods. We included them in a second prayer, and went to work. Most people weren't home, but it was happy to spend the first of the new year with them, and they did some great fellowshipping with those we did visit.

Saturday were the baptisms of Laarni, Paul, Lordy (Brother Randy's son), and Mark Ivan. Almost all of them were baptized and confirmed by someone within their family so it was really special. And so many people came to the baptism to support them. Standing room only! I was most surprised by some of our investigators who showed up, including Laarni's father who pretty much had said he wasn't coming before. We were singing the opening hymn, "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" and I turned and saw him and smiled real big and he had a little smile like "Yes, I did actually come." Laarni bore a powerful testimony, and was just a little sad that her husband couldn't be there to witness it, but if all goes well they can be sealed for eternity within the temple when he comes home from working abroad and after a year of her being a member. President DeLaMare (our mission president) came to our sacrament meeting and was able to meet those who were baptized and witness their confirmations. My MTC companion, Sister Biggs heads home this week and bore her testimony in sacrament and shared this scripture that I'd like to include today... Alma 36: 24-25...Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

 25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors.

It's so happy to see people change their lives and we have the privilege of rejoicing with them.

Mahal ko kayo, Sister Cope

P.S. Sister Harston is already transferring :( I'll miss her and her strong spirit and dedication to her purpose. And because there is kulang in sisters (with 16 going home and only 7 entering the mission) we're going to be spread thin... Hmmm... Ano mangyayari bukas?