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?

Happy Boxing Day!

happy boxing day!

Amazing, happy week! We had our christmas temple tour, our branch christmas party, and our mission christmas conference! And two family home evenings! We've been passing out 'The Living Christ' to everyone... (http://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/36035_000_25_livingchrist.pdf) And we've done lots of caroling!

I talked to my family on skype and ate taco soup with the couple missionaries. It's been a good day.

mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

Here's some pictures...

1. all the people we brought. the jeepney was packed... laarni and her cousins, dexter &vanessa w/ yanni, DeVillena family, and Randy and Jhoana San Juan's family. i love these people..

2.temple at night w/ lights <3

3.with president and sister delamare after christmas conference. president sang 'o holy night' and it was soooo good!

4.on the way home from christmas conference, we were 3 of the 7 who were still awake. the rest of the zone was oooout. all 11 of them... i have pictures of them, too... haha..

5.christmas eve visit to the castillo family. and of course puppies!!! yay!

6.staying up late on christmas eve to make the perfect tree... :/

7.first visit on christmas morning to chrisper and john paulo! rona worked with us because she didn't really have anywhere to go for christmas.

8.christmas night with the other san juan family. sister alice gave the lesson. it was great and topped off with sopas and ube cake. masarap!

9.my children in the mission (sister biggs shares the sons with me). i won't take the time to explain, but it's just something silly missionaries do with who is oldest in the zone/trainers.

10.at the jensen's playing music on the musical crackers/whistles!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas!​!!!!!!!!!!​!!!

Pangalawang Christmas sa Mission! Holy Cow!

We just had our zone Christmas activity. We went caroling in a hospital and it seemed to bring smiles to a lot of people's faces. Sister Harston said she noticed some people crying. Afterward we had a potluck feast and gift exchange and games, and a reallly random talent show. We sisters sang a girls camp song. Sister Biggs has video footage... :) We did some coloring of christmas pictures and a little bit of soccer, too. It's been a good P-day.

We had our zone conference this week, which means we went to the mission home and learned lots. President DeLaMare promised us that people have been prepared, and I feel like with our hope in that promise we've been finding some amazing people. There's Len and August, who I mentioned last week. They're relatives of a recent convert and an investigator that's about to be baptized. They came to church again, and Len received her answer about the Book of Mormon. I loved the way she described it because it goes along with what I just learned a little more about recognizing the spirit this week from my kabahay, Sister Repollo. Mabigat = no/hindi tama. Maluwag at magaan = yes/tama. And when you all translate that it's going to seem really obvious, but it helped me a lot. And it was so cool to hear Len describe it in the same way.

Then we were tracting last week and talked to this one lady who was not very interested at all, but we felt like going back and she gave us two referrals, and we contacted those referrals, and one of them seems so prepared, and we had a great first lesson with her--Mila. She really needed to hear about God's love, and she had a lot of good questions about the differences of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from other churches.

We also had kind of a miracle of a member present in some of our lessons. Sister Jonah has always hid from getting callings and from the missionaries, but she worked with us twice this week and was happy to do it. The members that we passed laughed about it because they were so surprised. It was happy.

There's all kinds of miracles happening around Christmas time!! I won't be e-mailing again until the day after Christmas so Maligayang Pasko sa inyo lahat.

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

1. Kabahay at the mission home. We always seem to match in subtle ways... Purple w/ White/White/Purple w/Black/Black :)

2. Jeepney home! I love Sister Harston!

3. I love Sister Repollo! ... as for Elder Ferrer... I hurt him while we were playing soccer, but it was an accident...

4. I love Sister Biggs, too! Siyempre! MTC companion, and kabahay for 5 transfers (7 months)... She goes home for school in January!!! Ahh! It's so close!

5.  The best gifts in the gift exchange--elephant and leopard hats. Elder Sommers had just stolen the Leopard hat from Elder Aungon, but when Elder Aungon picked out his next gift... it was the elephant hat! We laughed hard.

6.  Stolen again by the winners of the hats!! Elder and Sister Jensen. (They were stolen from them, but they stole them back at the right time.)

7.  We're kids again! This is a great zone :D

8. recycling gift bags from my family's birthday package. salamat po!!

9. puppies!!! at the DeVillina Family <3

10. FOOOOOOOD!

11. Morong Zone is awesome!!!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time...

It's the Most Wonderful Time...

It's been an awesome week. The epic family home evening we had last week led to us teaching three of those that attended--Len, August, and Shei, (and hopefully softening and preparing the hearts of others). We've taught them twice and two of them came to church with Alice, the recent convert and host of the original FHE, and to the Christmas Devotional with Laarni, th daughter of the recent convert and daughter-in-law of the Elder's Quorum President. And Len in particular just looks like she's hungering and thirsting after righteousness in our lessons. She's so open to feeling the Spirit and learning more.

The less active father came to church again! And I know he will continue to do so. He has this different resolve in his countenance now. He's preparing to baptize his son, who turned 8 in September. And the husband and wife have said they'll work with us and introduce us to friends that are ready to hear the gospel and other less actives they know!!

We had this other really special lesson with the couple missionaries this past week. We had a plan and it didn't work out, so we followed the spirit and ended up teaching about temples, and then they opened up about their concern about tithing, and everyone shared powerful testimony and experiences about tithing. By the end the husband turned his wife and said, "Are we going to put our money together and pay a full tithe?" Not only did the wife commit to that, but she has bad eyes and piped up without us even asking, "And I'm going to start reading the Book of Mormon again even if I have to force myself!" And I know with God anything is possibly and if she has the faith, she will be able to read. Miracles did not stop in the time of Christ. They are still happening... everyday!

Ah! And one of my favorite experiences this week was when we went to teach one of my favorite less active families, but they weren't home. The father's sister was home at the house next door with her husband who is not a member. Usually he is closed off, but that evening he opened up so much and committed that when he knows the truthfulness of the gospel he'll be baptized. Their baby had just been blessed and we shared from Moroni 8: 8 and 10 why we don't baptize babies in the Church. He understood it well and had his own insights. The Spirit there was wonderful, and he took the Book of Mormon to read while he is working out of town... And this was all unexpected. Heavenly Father really does place us in the right place at the right time!

AND church yesterday was great because Sister Harston made a good a point that all the talks in sacrament mentioned things we'd been teaching to our investigators and less actives. She's so positive. I love it!

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

Best Day Ever #937

Best Day Ever #937

That is a reference to Spongebob and childhood memories of walking home with Mary Fachet from school :)

But Sunday really was one of the best days ever because not only did we have an epic family home evening, but the less active father of one of my favorite families came for the second time in 8 years! I love their family and I love teaching them. They always have great comments and they really allow the Spirit into their hearts and it's just amazing. My mom and brother received more details in their e-mails, but I don't have enough time here and now... I have to write my mission president.

I just know that we can't ever give up on people. Everyone has the hope of changing through the gospel. We cannot hold on to old conceptions of people or else they can't change. Through the Atonement we can do anything and the rest of us have to accept what Jesus Christ can do for other people, not just ourselves.

One of my favorite Christmas-y scriptures... Mosiah 3.

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

1. So many of the people we visit have puppies!! Yay! This is the DeVillena family and the Jensens worked with us that evening. We had a good discussion about parents setting examples for kids and having family scripture study, and Marvin, their son came home toward the end of the lesson and we were just testifying to him about missionary work and encouraging him to go, especially Elder Jensen who took the picture.

2. We went to temple tour, even though the couple we were going to take cancelled on us. I ended up seeing members from my first area. These are people I haven't seen in 7 and a half months. I was so happy. Sister Patricio on my right worked with me and my companions in Antipolo Hills all the time and just always had such an enthusiasm about sharing her testimony. She's preparing to enter the temple and be sealed with her family by the end of this year or early next year. I'm praying that I'll be able to go with them before I go home!!

3. Sister Harston and I on the jeepney on the way back from temple tour with everyone sleeping around us. It's her first temple tour and about her fifth time on a jeepney :) Later this month we have the privilege of being the tour guides for the Christmas temple tour! December is so happy!!

4. We had an epic family home evening last night. This is the home of Alice Alonzo, she was baptized in June, I think, before I arrived to this area. She has a strong testimony and is trying to encourage all her relatives and the employees that work at her candle business to listen to us. She shared some nice closing remarks. Her daughter Laarni, who is married to a member that works abroad in China, will be baptized at the end of this month!!! She's pretty amazing and so is their family. Laarni's mother-in-law and sister-in-law came, too and helped out a lot with such a big group to handle :)

Away in a sabsaban in the Philippines...

I'm not sure where to start except that my new companion is great. Sister Harston is focused on her purpose and so willing to try new things. (In mission terms I just want to announce that Sister Siufanua now has a granddaughter and Sister Ball has a great-granddaughter :) She's so sincere and is trying to memorize everyone's name at the same time worrying about Tagalog (which she's way more fluent than I was when I reached the field). We had a fun bonding experience yesterday with fish and shrimp. We're both not huge fans of seafood, but were offered dinner by some of our new investigators. I was explaining to Sister Hurston that here a lot of people will feed us and not eat with us; she brought it up that maybe that was a good thing in this case... And it ended up tasting pretty good. (By the way, when traveling from U.S. to the Philippines, you skip a day; she ended up skipping her birthday!!)

We have this one awesome investigator. He is retired military and he always has his own little parables to explain his beliefs to us. The Spirit was so strong at the beginning of our third lesson with him, but by the end he said if we invite him to become a member he will ask us to not return. So first we have to help him feel of the truth of the message and then his heart will change...

Church was a miracle with people coming that I didn't expect to see because I've been in Morong for three months now and this one  family and another individual have never come since I've been here. But they did this Sunday! It just reiterates the power of always having hope and never giving up on certain less actives.

I've been stressed about the training thing because I was silly thinking it was all on me, but I've felt the Holy Ghost guiding the lessons so much more. We had this interesting experience yesterday where we I'm pretty sure Satan was trying to keep us from watching the Restoration DVD, but finally after trying three or four DVD players and two TVs, we shared with Nanay Nora and Nanay Juanita, and they are both now preparing for baptism in January.

The Church is true. I guess I've gotten used to be in the Philippines, but Sister Harston helped remind me how organized and perfect the Church is as she bore her testimony on her first Sunday here. The gospel is the same whether you're in California, Maryland, the Missionary Training Center, or the Philippines. This is Christ's Church on earth restored through the prophet Joseph Smith.

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

1. Thanksgiving last Wednseday with the Millers was delicious complete with homemade mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, chicken (because you can't get turkey here), and maraschino cherry sauce (because there are no cranberries). They also made brownies, banana cream pie, and chocolate cake (request of Sister Suarez).

2. With Sister Harston this morning at the temple! Her first time, of course, at the Manila temple <3

3. With my MTC companion (we're still kabahay!) on the way back from our Thanksgiving lunch and admiring the sunset in the province... Happy times <3

4. Saying goodbye to my kambal (twin) at transfer meeting. She went back to her old area. She was so happy because she's not being transferred to a completely new area for her last transfer, but with people she already knows and loves :)