Greaaaaaaat week!
So one of my new all time favorite
talks: "The Challenge to Become" by Elder Oaks. Shoot it
is amazing! That has been my favorite topic lately, just coming close to
the end of the mission, figuring out how to "become" and
"progress". I want to be sure I apply all the things I have
learned after the mission too. I feel like I gain a lot from talks, so
thanks for sending your favorites to me!
An amazing skill I have come to
understand more, and am seeking to understand more of is Listening. I was
watching the Q&A session from Elder Bednar's book, "Act in
Doctrine" and he talks about when we "think" we are teaching, we
just talk and talk and talk. But we need to be better about listening.
He even suggested studying the New Testament and noting every time that
Christ is silent and listens. I plan to study that one day, probably when
I am home. But dang, I just aspire to become a master teacher like the
savior!
We were on a jeepney and then this
foreigner hopped on. Sister Wilson and I get all weird inside when we see
them because we don’t know how to act because we both see each other in our
whiteness and know we stand out like zombies at the doctor's. So then his
brown friend was sitting next to S. Wilson. And then she says,
"Kumusta" to him and he gives her a weird look, and says, "I am
from Thailand..." and we are all like shoot.... And then we start talking
in English and it was a grand ol conversation. But then once some other
people got off, his white friend scooted up and started talking like
Frankenstein, and come to find out he was from Poland! Warsaw to be exact
and the only city I know of in that country. How WEIRD. 2 Americans,
a polish, and a thai, all speaking english in the Philippines! But cool
thing was is that the Polish said our church was close by to him and he said
they missionaries over there have talked to him about Joseph Smith. Way
to go Polish missionaries! I love the universal gospel.
It is really weird and cool too when
we teach lessons that are like in an amphitheater and ten people sit at your
feet while you teach them repentance. That happened this week. It
is quite the spiritual experience to practically give a sermon.
Sister Wilson. We get along
way too well. SHE IS SO FUNNY. We laugh so hard. All the time.
I will miss her when I am transferred. But good thing she is so
excited to meet the Waldrom Clan, so we will all be seeing her again soon.
And we will probably sit next to each other on the plane ride home.
muahahha
Last night, we came across this
ooooooold women. She say she is 97, but she cant remember what year she
was born in. WOW. She lived through both world wars..... She
could barely hear us and she said she was baptized into the church 10 years
ago... as an 87 year old woman. WOW. And she just kept clapping her
hands and looking up at the Lord and saying, "I am so happy!" In
english too, and then we started counting, 13 times within our 10 minute visit
and she kept trying to feed us. And then when we said goodbye she gave me
the biggest hug and said, "You are my daughter. I love you!"
I was like, shoot, I love you too! She was awesome! And
sooooo losing it. I love fun times like that on the mission!
So I got to go on exchanges with one
of my favorite Tongans. Sister Taufa. I have been here with her for
3 transfers and she has only been in the mission for 4 transfers and it has
been amazing to see her progression! She desires so much to be a
consecrated missionary. She taught me a lot of how I need to just get to
work and save souls! They have 6 upcoming baptisms in their area and so
one of their investigators needed an baptismal interview and I got to be there
for it! Sister Taufa asked me to be the translator and man, I think I can
count that as one of my favorite experiences yet! I saw how I was given
the true gift of translating tongues! It was amazing. Their investigator
has been taught for 7 months and has done everything she needed to to be worthy
for baptism. She has such a strong testimony and watching the priesthood
check her worthiness was amazing. I cried. I haven’t had the chance
to be in an interview like that, it was so sacred and special to see this
Daughter of God come closer to her Father through this special ordinance.
So excited for her special day to come this Saturday!
Ok, so I have a strong testimony of
how effective referrals are. Dang! We got one from the office that
some other sisters met once. They are GOLDEN. The M family.
We taught them Monday night. Great lesson. We taught them
Saturday night. Great lesson again. Then the father came to church!
Amazing! They are progressing and the message of the Restoration is
already changing their hearts. It is so true! Oh and it was amazing
right as sister Wilson was about to share Joseph Smiths experience in the
Sacred Grove, the rain quieted on the metal roof and it was so spiritual.
Their only concern was, "Can we be baptized into your church even if
we were baptized in the Catholic church?" We resolved that concern quickly
with an astounding YES. Hoping October 4 really works for them.
Please keep them in your prayers!
Ok so I am definitely not trunky,
but I do only have 3 months left exactly. So at this point in time, I
would like to invite each of you to start playing "I'm coming home to
you" by imagine dragons and prepping yourselves for the exciting day.
I really am trying not to think about it, but for all of you, it is is
totally fine if you start now, so please do so. It will be a glorious day
and I do look forward to it. I LOVE YOU!
Hanggang sa muli,
Sister Waldrom
Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-27
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