Week 13

Maupay na Kolop bison mga tawo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Good afternoon everybody)

Well, this week has been awesome! And I loved hearing all the amazing emails from everybody! You are all truly amazing!

Something truly amazing happened this week! I have told you of the Solayao family before I believe in an email talking about Shera. But they have truly grown so much! Brother Solayao last week when we went to visit them on Saturday after I was better said "Guess that tomorrow is?" My first guess was his birthday, but that was the wrong answer. "No, it's fasting testimony meeting!" Sure enough, the next day he was the first to go up and share his testimony to our tiny congregation! It was about 50 that week, this week was a little less. and don’t forget, we are a ward of 600 members. So It is always sad to see people who made covenants, even in the temple, and them not coming to church. Even when inviting them and having them say that they will be there and they never show. But back to Brother Solayao! His testimony has truly strengthened my own. He shared again with every one of his inactivity form the church since his mission in Naga seven years ago and how he could tell his family has been missing something the last couple of months. He knew exactly what it was and was eager to find the missionaries to bless his family. He reached out to the bishop and asked for us to come to teach his family, especially his wife, Myrna. They both have grown so much in the gospel! The day after our first meeting with them, Sister Myrna told us of her experience with receiving a sure answer that this is truly the Lords church. And ever since has been striving even further to follow Christ. His testimony last Sunday though...... made me so happy! His family has received so many blessings in the past month since his reactivation and their coming unto the gospel. And they REALLY want all the gospel has to offer in their lives. So much that they have made ginormous sacrifices! They sold they phone, which with how distant everyone is here, is vital for most families. they have sacrificed something even bigger.... food. All for their marriage papers! So that they will be able to find Sister Myrna's records and they will be able to get married and she will be able to be baptized...... How amazing are they?? They make me cry all the time! Hahah, they have the biggest testimony of faith and love for the savior I have ever seen and I am so grateful for them and having them be my first actual family I have been able to teach. They have already blessed my life immensely and truly mean the world to me!

I love it here! This week for some reason has finally made me love the Philippines! Heat and all! Even being in an air con for 10 minutes makes me freezing now! So coming home to Utah in September I may be in a sweater and sweats a lot Hahah :) But I truly have grown this week in having a love for everything that the Philippines has in store for me and for all the people here. I wish I could share every piece of this with all of you, but tying so much really cramps up your hands! So I will share every bit of it with all of you when I get home!

I Love you all and wish you the very best of weeks!

That Picture is of the sunset as it was raining! Rain season has started this week and every night it looks just like this! GORGEOUS!