Last week, my prayers
were answered! And it was so great. I was really happy when I went to the
eye doctor last time and he said I could go to Dumaguete and work but just come
back every few months but I always had this fear in the back of my mind of what
will happen if I need to go back to the eye doctor my whole mission? Will that
stop me from being chosen to return back to Tacloban Mission because my eye
doctor there no longer exists? Of course I'm fine going back whenever I need
to, according to God's will, but that would just be the worst if if was BECAUSE
of my dumb sicknesses. So I went to the eye doctor in Cebu for my follow-up
appointment and I was thinking about that but didn't say anything. He said my
eye was doing so much better and I had run out of drops before I was able to
come back so he gave me like a ton so it would last and he sent me on my way. I
walked out then realized, he never told me to come back! 1 month? maybe 3? I
asked him. "Oh you're all set for a long time! Like 6 months!" Wait,
I hit my year mark in 2 weeks... aka I'll be going home in 6 months! Aka I'm
done with the eye doctor for the rest of my mission! Aka If they call me, I can
go back to Tacloban mission without any problems and no restraints. Isn't that
the best! Miracles. We kinda lost two days of work from traveling to Cebu but
it was fun! We traveled on a bus for 7 hours each way but we were with all the
district leaders going to a meeting and I got to talk with my companion, Sister
Forbush, who is so awesome! so it was so fun.
And then, another miracle! We met this lady on the street who had been taught
by missionaries before but she couldn't understand them because their
"slang" (american accents) so we said great! We'll come back and
teach you so you can understand. So we went back and we asked her who else was
in the house so they could join too and so she gets her 38 yr. old son who is
covered in tattoos and has the most extreme mullet you have ever seen. We
thought he might just be annoyed that we pulled him away from his TV watching
but we taught the full restoration and was so focused and so intently listening
the whole time, it was amazing. The woman was in and out and not really caring
at all but he was so great! Saturday was our third lesson with him and we
taught about church. Explaining the priesthood and how there is only one true
church on earth with the authority of God is a really hard principle for people
to grasp here so we basically taught it over and over and over until finally
they understood and then committed them to come to church. It's amazing how if
people really understood all the commandments and why we need to do it, they
would totally do it! The next morning (Sunday) was soooo rainy and I've
mentioned it before, people do not like the rain and they think it's a more
than valid excuse not to go to church. Even long time members! it's such a
weird concept to me. So Leogie came with her family (she's getting bapitzed the
25th hopefully) and we were so happy. Then, The elders were standing in the
doorway and yelled, Sisters your investigator! And we were just confused
because how would they know he was our investigator? And they said something
else but I didn't really hear, then we went to the door and it clicked, they
said, "it's the mullet guy!" That's how they knew! And he came to
church! By himself, in the rain, after teaching him for like a week. MIRACLE!
And he loved it. The members were so good to all meet him and talk to him and
he was so happy he saw, Bro Ken (husband of Leogie who is a recent convert) who
is his neighbor! And Ken instantly became the perfect fellow shipper and took
him to all the classes with him and was just a great friend! It was like the
coolest thing ever to see-usually it's so stressful to make sure their
experience at church is good but the whole branch did such a good job without
our help even- they are so incredible! And then sacrament started and Sister
Forbush said, " hey, even though we didn't work very much this week, all
we need is Adriano to come and all the people will be here that we visited
yesterday. And then during the sacrament, I look back and He's there! Adriano
came! Which means he can get baptized on February 8. Success. It was such
a great day.
So it's just been a
really good week and the work here is just so good! Best branch literally in
this mission and probably in Tacloban too... so organized and on top of things
with good, trained leaders, it really makes such a difference. I love my life and
I love being a missionary. Ronaldo (mullet guy) is just so great and so humble
and teachable, I'm really excited to see his progress. And we're teaching his
sister Crystal and her friend Georgett and it's been going really well,
hopefully we'll get them to go to church soon too:) Thank you for all your
prayers and support! I know that miracles are real and prayers are answered
because it has happened so many times just this week!
Sister Pike
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| Pics from Christmas time! |
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| Our Nativity! |
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| From our New Year's Eve Party! |
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