With Sis Narag at the Manila Temple
This is Margie and in the Philippines it is culturally acceptable to touch a pregnant woman's belly!
With Sis Bernadetta!
This is the Ho couple that worked with us to teach Jerry! On Saturday, the Ho's from the 4th ward took me and Sister Narag to seriously the nicest restaurant I have ever been to in my LIFE! Its called Buffet 101. It was this huge buffet that had the NICEST and BEST food! Oh my gosh... who would have thought on a mission to the Philippines, I would go THERE?!
This is May with her children
She is also pregnant so of course....
The best zone EVER!
Dear Family,
Hello from MAKATI! I found out yesterday that I get to stay here another transfer!! I am so excited and so relieved! All week, I was just praying asking for another transfer to stay. I didn't think it would happen because Sister Narag is done with her training and she has been here a shorter time than me, but I am being blessed to stay! I will be getting a new companion on Wednesday.
This week was another really great week to be a missionary. We saw so many miracles, and we have really been able to see the Lord working in the lives of those we are teaching.
The first miracle was JERRY! He is our new investigator from China. We taught him and he accepted the invitation to be baptized! Our first lesson went really well, but there still is a language barrier with his English. Luckily, though, we were able to teach with Brother and Sister Ho, and they worked as kind of our translators. The spirit was so strong as we listened to them learn together in Chinese.
The next miracle was May!! A couple of months ago, Sister Narag and I went to teach the Berdin family, and we started up a conversation with their neighbor, May. After a few minutes, she said "I was Mormon before." Of course-we were all over that! She was baptized as a kid in the province and her family was actually sealed in the temple, but since she moved out she hasn't been back to church. She has 3 little kids and another on the way, and the Lord really led us to her. But, over the past 2 months, she hadn't worked up the courage to return to church. We continued to love her and visit her...and yesterday.. she came!! I seriously don't know that anything makes me more happy than seeing a family come to church for the first time. And, she brought Nellie with her! Nelly is the mom of Tom Berdin, who has been less active and hadn't been back to church yet. Seriously, Sister Narag and I were on fire.
We also have been continuing to work with Bernarditta, and a member referral named Carol! Tita is doing well, and we are just loving life!
I'm so happy to hear Nathan's surgery went well! I was praying a lot for him, and felt really great peace in the temple last Tuesday. Nate and TJ are both keeping me updated on the NBA! Go Cavs!!
We haven't had any flooding yet! But...it will come. The city floods super super bad.
Even though I am SO excited to be staying in Makati.. I am a little nervous because I was just called to be a Sister Training Leader. Sister Training leaders are like the zone leaders, but just for sisters. So I will be going on exchanges with other sisters, and helping out with zone meetings and things like that. When President Ostler first texted last night.. I was freaking out. I barely slept just thinking about all that I am going to have to do, and how our area is going to need to change and how I really need to step it up... I was just overwhelmed and feeling pretty inadequate. Then, this morning in personal study, I started by reading in the white handbook all of the attributes leaders are SUPPOSED to have...but that I didn't necessarily feel that I had. As I continued to study though, I was lead to a talk in the last general conference called "Good without Guile." The talk reminded me of the leaders that I have had to set examples for me. My heart turned in particularly to many of my leaders when I was a youth. I remembered their humble example of kindness to me. All of the leaders that came to my mind, had one thing in common, and it was love. They weren't necessarily master gospel teachers, or leaders with any sort of amazing statistics. But, they had what really counted and what made a difference to me: love.
Tears came to my eyes as I remembered Heidi Klein, my beehive adviser. Shortly after we moved to Ohio, the day of basketball tryouts, she came over to our house with a plate of cookies and cheerfully asked, "Are these for congratulations or condolences?" I remembered Bishop Bingham at my tennis matches, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Heck yeah, Kal ya!" Hahaha. I thought of Tanya Headrick, always only a text away no matter what hour of the night. Until today, even a thousand miles across the world, I still receive letters of support from Sister Herron and Sister Larson. These leaders were never after having a perfect ward or seemingly perfect lessons. They just loved me, and I have been changed because of them. I am so filled with gratitude for all of them plus so many more, who taught me what it means to be a real leader.
My area may not be perfect, I still may not speak Tagalog fluently... But at least I know one thing I can do.. I can love! And I know that if I just try my best to love these sisters with all my heart.. and love our less actives and investigators.. Heavenly Father will make up the rest.
I love you!! I am beyond thankful for you! I pray for you always! Keep our investigators in your prayers!!
Love, Sister Lockwood
No comments:
Post a Comment