Slowing Down.....

I mentioned this, I think, last time, but our mission president is always telling us to slow down in our lessons. I've been watching Sister Daclan during the lessons (because she is very good at this), and as I've applied it, I've noticed so much more guidance from the Spirit. In a couple lessons I just thought, "Wow! That did not come from me." It's lessons I've taught hundreds of times, but the Holy Ghost has given new ideas on how to explain it.

And I feel like Heavenly Father is really trusting Sister Daclan and I because we finally met the husband of one of our less actives who is always working. We taught  them about temples and introduced the Restoration and have an appointment which we're praying will become regular. Also on our way from district meeting our tricycle driver asked us about judgment and had these other great questions and his interest and sincerity are just this different level. He told us some of his expectations so we're going to really prepare because these are one of those people it says in the scriptures that are searching for the truth and know not where to find it.

Temple tour was a great experience as well. We were able to get there earlier, and it was very reverent. We brought one of our less active families. Their son isn't baptized yet, and they're preparing to enter the temple next year. They've become very active, and Sister works with us and is always reading her scriptures. Sister Sarmiento gave them a picture of the temple before she left, and when their son saw the picture he said, "If I get to go there, I'll start listening seriously to the missionaries." So he played games on their cell phone for a bit of the tour, but as it progressed, he listened more and asked us about the inside. The Spirit is always very strong there on the temple grounds. I think it strengthened the mother's desire to help her family get sealed.

And this one less active family that hasn't gone to church the whole time I've been assigned here in Pasig finally came. And the daughter brought her boyfriend who is investigating the church. He has a baptismal date in September. It's exciting. Heavenly Father is answering our prayers in behalf of these people.

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

7 Minutes!!!!

So I spent my e-mail time looking at pictures of my new companion in Mindoro... But my new companion isn't actually new. It's Sister Daclan!!! We were kabahay for three transfers in Antipolo and companions for 2 weeks when my trainer, Sister Siufanua, went home. She is amazing and is exactly what Heavenly Father knows I need at this time. She brings a calmness to the work and a spirit of love for the people. Our mission president keeps telling us to slow down the lessons, and I'm learning so much from her about that.

There's been this one family that, to be honest, I've had a hard time loving. Sobrang makulit ang mga bata, pero we were able to invite the Spirit kahit konte. There is a big difference in taking the time to teach and not rushing from principle to principle in teaching. (And being patient and understanding of the situation. Even though I'm about to hit my year mark, there's still a lot of learning to be done.) But it's like the article from July 2012's Liahona, "The Lesson is in the Learner." It's not about covering material, it's about helping people feel and know what is true. It's hard to do. It's easy enough to say words in Tagalog, but to help people be truly converted in their hearts and understand the gravity of the Restoration, it takes the power of the Holy Ghost. It can't be done by just the missionaries. A lot of people will believe the words we say, and we told one of our investigators, "We're worried when people don't ask questions!" The events that provided for the publication of the Book of Mormon and the return of the Priesthood, the power that literally comes from God, are miraculous. You can't figure it out logically; faith is required... And a confirmation through the Holy Ghost after sincere prayer.

Whether you are a member or not, read the Book of Mormon, ask if it's true, and God will tell you. All of us have those moments where our testimonies get weaker, but if we regularly read and ask, there won't be doubt. Saligang bato siya. (It's the cornerstone... of the Church.) We teach tons of less actives that don't have testimonies, and this is the key. Even I, as a missionary, am in the process of doing this.

Tapos, speaking of priesthood earlier, we were able to teach one of our investigators about priesthood blessings and offer a blessing for her baby. Two of the return missionaries in our ward went over there after church to administer the blessing. We'll check up on them tomorrow, but I know that if it's God's will, the baby will be healed because that power and authority from God is real.

Mahal ko kayo,
Sister Cope

P.S. Pasaway ako... I extended my time to finish writing what I wanted :)

More than a transfer...

So I'm blessed to stay in my current area longer than just one transfer. Sister Sarmiento will be leaving me, though. She's been here four months, and this was her first area when she first arrived in the mission. She's ready for a change, but I'll be sad to see her go. She's a really hard worker, humble, and brings the power of the Holy Ghost when she bears her testimony.

Yesterday actually we had a sweet experience of being the instruments in God's hands to answer the prayers of one of the families in our ward. We had plans to visit this one less active, but felt to go to another in a different area. She wasn't home, so we stopped at the home of a nearby family and left a prayer because they were eating dinner. Sister Sarmiento suggested to go to another family with that area. My initial thought was they have been reactived for a while. They have callings, they're going to church regularly, they're preparing to enter the temple, etc. But I'm so glad Sister Sarmiento suggested it because we arrived, and the mom said she had been questioning God's love for her because of the trials that had come into their life recently. We taught about hope and faith frpm Moroni 7 and how it's all about trusting in the Atonement of Jesus Christ to make things right or to help make us stronger, and in the timing of Heavenly Father. She was crying, and her son was really cute and chimed in, "Be strong!"

Tapos... Sister Sarmiento and I had been studying the talk of Richard G. Scott from April General Conference about receiving inspiration and revelation this past week. He talks about dreams being one way God answers prayers and He'll use people we love and respect to reveal truths to us within our dreams. So it was the coolest thing when we were teaching one of our less actives and following up on his prayers. We had invited him to pray to know that Thomas S. Monson is God's living prophet on the earth. He said he dreamed about his old bishop teaching about President Monson, and I excitedly pulled out the conference edition of the Liahona and shared that part of Elder Scott's talk. Ah! The gospel is so real. It's not just some religion that people created to have purpose in life. It's from God and if we apply it, we can be happier. I know this. I see it week after week. And I know that Heavenly Father has not changed, and still calls prophets now like He did in Biblical times. But we need to listen to them and follow their counsel or it's all for naught.

Mahal ko kayo,
Sister Cope

Lean not unto thine own understanding

God does not give us any thing more than what we can handle. I run into a lot of people who have given up--less actives giving up on the gospel when a trial is too big, missionaries going home early because they don't think they're helping anyone, active members not visiting less actives because they think there is no hope of them coming back to church. Heavenly Father has the eternal perspective. When we give up, we're trusting in our own knowledge and not relying on God and having faith in His timetable, His will, His way.

Also something I learned this week in my personal study from the depressing book of Ether (in the Book of Mormon), sometimes it is too late. One person decided to repent, but the rest of the civilization was destroyed, and he 'refused to be comforted.' (Ether 15:1-3, 19) But at the same time, it is never too late as long as the Lord of the Vineyard says there is still time. (Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2012 General Conference) The Atonement is real and has the beautiful power of helping us become new people. "However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don't have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ's Atonement shines."

Ah. Sorry for the soap boxes... I had some very happy news this week. First of all, I was exposed to TB, but not enough to get into my system. I had to go to the doctor's near the temple and church offices in Quezon City to be checked, and then Sister Sarmiento and I went and ate at the cafeteria in the temple patron housing. While there I saw one person from each of my old areas. The first told me more about Brother Pol (Quirino 1) and how many friends he had at Church. He's the one I taught and was transferred three weeks before his baptismal date. The second person was from the San Isidro Ward. (I served in the San Isidro Branch.) He told me that one of my converts, Brother Rey, moved into their area right after I was transferred out of Antipolo, but when I left he had gone less active. I was happy to hear that he is regularly attending church again.

As for my current area, we have been praying and fasting for the Borre family. We held a Family Home Evening with them, and I know the Bishop visited them within this past week. All six of them that are members (the mom and five children), made it to church yesterday. It was so happy. It's a different feeling to go to church for other people. Siyempre we take the sacrament to review our personal covenants with God, but then as missionaries, we're busy about worrying who made it, who didn't and why. It is the most heartbreaking part of the week when they don't come, and the pinakatamis when they do. And we had one of our returning members bring her non-member son and his friend! Masaya na masaya.

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

 

Head, Heart and Knees

Head, heart, and knees--the fundamentals of missionary work, i.e. knowledge, charity, and humility (from our district meeting this morning :)

Great week, but no time to tell about it so I'll pick my favorite part...

We had another temple tour this Saturday and our investigators that we invited almost didn't show up. We waited in 7-eleven, contacted a family, and on the way to go to their house, they passed us on a tricycle. So we were still able to go.

I had the opportunity to see one of the ward missionaries from Quirino, and she updated me on her mission papers that she will be sending in next week!!! I also saw one of my investigators from Quirino, Brother Pol, who Sister Goud and I took to temple tour when we were together. He told me that he would be baptized at 4 o'clock later that day, and that he would be participating with the Young Men in a musical number at the ward social later that night. Amazing. There really is no joy like that of sharing the gospel. Don't be shy to talk to your friends ("naturally and normally" in the words of one of the apostles that spoke this past general conference). We've been so focused on less actives that our mission president is reminding us to talk to everyone, and I was really scared at first, but it's been a really good experience. We know the truth so we need to share it. At our zone conference this past week, we did a practice teaching where we had to pretend that the two minutes we had would be the only time this person would ever come in contact with the gospel. It was powerful.

I know the Church is true and there is no need to be ashamed. We should have desires like Alma the younger in Alma chapter 28 verse 1. "Oh that I were an angel!" to spread the gospel. But we don't need to be angels. As members we have the gift of the Holy Ghost. As we live worthy, we have guidance everyday (including guidance to know which of our friends are ready)!

Mahal ko kayo,
Sister Cope

Pinakamatamis na bunga

The "sweetest fruit" is the direct translation. My reference is to Lehi's dream, and the joy of the gospel and sharing it with others. This week has been really happy. We had the privilege of doing MTC exchanges again. This time my two companions were from Taiwan. When we rode to the area from the chapel on a tricycle, one of them was cheering as if we were on a roller coaster. It was delightful. But the missionaries fresh from the MTC have such strong spirits, and they showed a sincere love for people they are only going to meet once. It was amazing. 

Sister Sarmiento and I had some great lessons together, too.We have one investigator who was found by the OYM (open your mouth) efforts of Sister Sarmiento and her previous companion. Helen's heart is in the the right place, and she is intent on learning more. She always has lots of sincere questions to help her understanding, and so when we taught her about the Book of Mormon every question she had led to the next paragraph of the Introduction. It was amazing. We had great discussion and a quality fellowshipper present that bore powerful testimony. She came to church for the first time and brought her teenage daughter!

We had a significant number of less actives come to church, too, and that number is not because of Sister Sarmiento and I. It was the efforts of this ward I am in. They are really amazing. It was ward conference, and they wanted everyone to be there. They passed out visiting teaching assignments in Relief Society the Sunday before and asked them to contact them within the week. Then the Elders Quorum met together on Saturday night and they went out in pairs to pass out new and returning member progress sheets, and invite the less actives to conference. And then they came! I know the home teaching and visiting teaching program are inspired of Heavenly Father, and that really is the key to bringing back and holding on to our kapatid in the gospel. Now it's just getting that kind of effort and excitement every Sunday. Sister Sarmiento and I talked about every Sunday being a special Sunday and trying to be enthusiastic in our invitations every week. Because every Sunday is special. We get to participate in the ordinance of sacrament, and become clean. It's refreshing.

I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and the only way back to our Heavenly Father. I know there is an exquisite joy that comes from it and from sharing it that cannot be found anywhere else or in doing anything else. Sinabi ng mission president ko, "We have nothing to apologize for or to be ashamed of [in representing Jesus Christ]."

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Cope

A Baptism and a Funeral

On the same night last week, actually. The baptism was a child of record in the ward, but we went to support the building up of Zion, of course. Then we packed into a jeepney from the church to a cemetary. As we were listening to the speakers at the funeral I had some revelation for some of my less actives. They don't go to church because they literally can't afford to make it there. But I know that if they show God their faith and their willingness to sacrifice, God will show them miracles. (Ether 12:6)  They just need to know it's worth it. At the funeral there was a lot of talking about the Plan of Salvation, and I realized it's all about perspective. One of those poorer less actives said "Huwag na lang" to the temple because it's too hard. I know Satan is trying to keep them from getting there to be sealed as an eternal family. But I remembered at the funeral an object lesson of sorts that one of my Sunday School teachers (Brother LeMaster, I think) used to tell us. Picture a rope that doesn't end; it just keeps going. It passes through our classroom, in one door and out the window, and it raps around the world a couple times, visits Paris, the Philippines, Hollywood, and then it goes past Jupiter and Saturn, and even Pluto and beyond! The portion in the room is our earth life. The infinity on either side is our pre-mortal existence and our eternal life afterward. Is it not worth it to do our best in this little bit of time we have to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father and with our families forever? This time is hard. But God didn't say it was going to be easy. It's our testing ground. Are we worthy to dwell with him? No. Not yet. But through experience, we are refined. And through the power of the Atonement, we are sanctified.

And it's short. Sinabi ng Diyos sa 3 Nephi 2:7&10, "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. For the Mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."

I know that promise of peace is real. I felt a portion of it as I attended a temple session this morning. So kaya natin yan! (We can do it!) Haha... But seriously. And it's sulit (worth it). And I know that the Plan of Happiness is only possible because of our loving elder brother Jesus Christ, and His willingness to submit Himself to the will of Heavenly Father.

Mahal ko kayo,
Sister Cope
Pictures of the Week (Courtesy of S. Sarmiento's camera)
1. Sister Sarmiento and I at the temple this morning :)
2. Trying to lick my elbow during a game at the Bolo Family's Home Evening... Ha.