10th week training

So Sister Maroket and I are now on our 10th week in 12 weeks training. And yesterday, we studied Chapter 4: "How Do I Recognize and Understand the Spirit?" I love our 12 weeks study yesterday because it summed up all the things we have experienced last week.

And as we were studying PMG Chapter 4 yesterday, we were so happy that we could relate our study to what we've experienced this week. We've learned how to really "study things out in our mind -- then ask Him if it be right".

Also, this week I've come to understand better the Lord's counsel in D & C 121: 43:

Reproving betimes with sharpness,
when moved upon by the Holy Ghost;
and then showing forth afterwards an
INCREASE of love toward him whom thou hast reproved,
Les the esteem thee to be his enemy; 

President Eyring said that the word increase in this verse suggests an increase of a love THAT WAS ALREADY THERE. The “showing forth” is about the increase. He said that before someone receives our correction, he or she must have felt of our love EARLY and STEADILY. They must have felt our genuine praise before they will accept our correction. (The Preparatory Priesthood)

I love my anak. I am the luckiest trainer in the whole world. She is the best of all the best. I love being a missionary!

This nanay bird really touched my heart. She did everything for her anaks.

Some Food Poisoning and Some Hastening.

I am grateful the Lord has allowed me to serve full-time mission. He showed me my weakness, and now slowly He's turning them to my strengths.

Yesterday, Sister Maroket and I weren't able to come to church because of some food poisoning which kept us awake the whole night because of stomach ache in cold sweat. :)  But I am grateful how the Lord sustained us all through the night with a calm and quiet spirit. :) Haha.

About the work:

Last last week, we had zone conference yet we still had 35 lessons.

Last week, we had exchanges and yet got 70 contacts!

This is new life. Doing my best without worrying!

I love being a missionary!

Zone pic. Okay. So I've been in this zone for almost 9 months.

Exchanges with STL.

Email me the moment you receive the pouch. :)

On Elevators and Escalators

So in my last week's letter, I told you that I was introspecting myself what I did wrong why baptisms are falling through. I realized that during my past cycles with Sister Solis and Sister Berganio, most of our time were spent to "harvesting".. Yes, we did "some" planting, but not that much. And that "some" planting we did didn't grow enough to be harvested this cycle.

I should have known better. I should have done better if I planted much while harvesting much in the past. It reminds me of what Elder Bowen said in the mission tour -- about elevators and escalators. It's just now that it made sense to me.

Missionary work should NOT be like putting someone in the elevator cubicle to help him land on the next floor. And then WAIT for that elevator cubicle go back and "emptied" before putting another one inside.

Missionary work should be like escalators : continue having someone ride on it while others are getting near the next floor.

Harvesting and Planting should go together, everyday, all day.

I am brokenhearted. I should have done better.

So in my next remaining months, His children will be riding on escalators. No more elevators.

Anyway, we have baptism this coming 18th July. She's a daughter of the golden family Sister Maroket and I found at the very last hour of our "all panted" day. I cannot forget that moment and the Spirit that we've felt in our first lesson with them. Every teaching moment is a spiritual feast. I am always edified.

That's one of the things I learned in the mission about the Spirit. We can know that we are teaching by the power of the Holy Ghost, if we teachers learn something from what we speak. "he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understandone another, and both are edified and rejoice together" (D&C 50:22)

I love the Spirit so much. And speaking of the Spirit, I love the the zone conference so much! It was a spiritual feast -- too spiritual that on the night of that day, I went to bed at 9:30 pm. That was the earliest time I went to bed on my mission. I do not know, but I felt that every fiber of my spirit and emotion has been used way too much on the conference that I felt like Lehi who "cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen" (1 Nephi 1:7)

I love President and Sister Rahlf so much.
I am grateful for their example.

My anak's first zone conference.

Unstoppable

So after Sister Sanchez introduced herself in the testimony meeting yesterday (her name, where she came from, her last area, etc), I stood up and also introduced myself to the ward.

“I am Sister Acosta…”  The ward laughed.

” I am from North Cotabato”. The ward laughed.

“My first area is in Alinguigan Ward”.

“And I am still here in Alnguigan Ward”.

And they couldn’t stop laughing.

 ‘Twas a beautiful sight talking in front of all these beautiful people I have loved in the first months of my mission. I remember the first time I introduced myself to this ward and the testimony I bore.

I still bore the same testimony yesterday: That Heavenly Father lives, Jesus is the Christ, the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true and living church upon the face of the earth, and we have living prophet: President Thomas S. Monson.

Nothing really changed in my testimony, if there is – it is only that I’ve got a stronger conviction of it than ever in my whole life.

I do not know, but this week, I’ve been pretty quiet. I was sad, very sad, because baptisms are falling through. We’ve dropped baptismal dates because investigators are not keeping their commitments.

I do not know but I’ve been introspecting myself if there’s something wrong I’ve done why investigators aren’t keeping commitments. I had been so sad. I’ve been quiet most of the time this week, because I kept on thinking what I need to improve and overcome as a missionary.

We had 12 new investigators this week – and still finding,

Still strengthening the RCs and LAs.

And my goal this cycle is to introduce Sister Maroket to all the less-actives in the area. Because for almost 9 months, I have known and visited them all even the unknown address except for one “Manuel Apostol” whom we are still looking for.

I’ll make this cycle my best cycle, no matter what.

I. Am. Unstoppable.

I love being unstoppable missionary!

Anak eating Halo-halo

Ether 12

As a missionary, I have the front row seat of the greatest miracle of all: the effect of Christ's atonement on individuals, on families, and on me.

I haven't talked about Tatay George for the past weeks. Remember him? The one we met because of coconuts rolling? For a month, he wasn't able to attend sacrament. He couldn't stand or sit for long because he has been sick. That's why he started having special sacrament in their house every Sunday.

The ward loves him. Everyone in the ward knows and admires and loves him so much. Once a member reported to us how their visit to Tatay George was, he said "It's a spiritual moment every time I visit and teach the Morales Family." And the same is true for me. Every time I leave the Morales house, my faith in Him strengthens. I am always edified.

Last Thursday, we were led again to their house after being punted for so many times. Before we began the lesson, Tatay shared his spiritual experiences for the week, like how Heavenly Father has never failed him in his prayers in providing food for them to eat, fare to go to church, and the like.

As I was listening to Tatay, I wasn't sure about what to share since it was an unplanned teaching opportunity. But I had this prompting that we should share about faith, but I wasn't sure what kind of faith: Faith to Obey (1 Nephi 3:7) or Faith Precedes Miracle (Ether 12).

I. WAS. NOT. SURE.

And so I turned to my companion and asked her if she would like to share something and then she said she had no idea and that she would still look in her scriptures too.

So we both skimmed through our scriptures with a prayer in our hearts. I felt we should share Ether 12. After turning my scriptures to that chapter, I looked at my companion's scriptures and then I found out she also turned to Ether 12! We looked at each other surprised! The Spirit confirmed it was the right message to share. And as we talked about verses 3-6 of that chapter to this family, the Spirit more confirmed that it was the same verses our Savior would share if He were the One teaching the Morales family.

This week I have learned the importance of discerning the needs of His children in this area. I can never do this work alone. Even if I will teach and teach, if it is not by the Spirit... it is useless.

And I know that there is no price too high, no struggle too hard, if at the end we enjoy the Spirit of the Lord.

I love being a missionary.

Had an operation for my ingrown. :(

My anak took care of me. :)