Feed My Sheep

Dear Family,

It was a really good week this week! The typhoon passed with not much to report on, but I did survive my very first earthquake this week!! It was like 10 oclock at night and I was sitting on my bed when all of of sudden my bed started shaking. It was super mild.  You could barely even tell it was an earthquake, but now I can say that I've experienced one!! Now I just pray that it will be the last. lol (: 

Sister Veras and I are in finding mode! And for anyone that has been a missionary before, knows that that is probably 75% of all missionary work is, and isn't always the most fun! We unpacked our area book, went through all of our potential investigators and former investigators and just went out looking! It really takes a LOT of finding efforts before we actually find people who are ready to accept the gospel. Luckily, here in the Philippines, people listen to us all the time. But its sometimes hard to find people to listen because they are truly interested rather than just because I am a white girl is speaking to them in Tagalog about Jesus. 

But, with the help of the Lord, this week we had some really great experiences finding! I'll share one of them. One afternoon, we had planned the WHOLE day to look for new people to teach. One of those who we were looking for was a sister named Rowenna who is a friend of one of our investigators. She had given us her address, but it wasn't complete. So we went to the street where she lives and started asking her neighbors if they knew someone named "Rowenna". Sadly, we didn't get the last name either so we had no luck! But, after practically everyone who lived on this street came out to help us find Sister Rowenna, someone said. "Mormons ba kayo? May mormons doon!" Which means, "You guys are mormons? There's some mormons who live over there!" We didn't know any members on the street, so we went to the house. After "tao poing" at the door, we met a sister named Mary Fay! She was baptized in the Province as a teenager, but has moved here to the city with her husband and 1 baby. Her husband is not a member and she has been less active since she was back in the Province.

Sister Mary Fay let us share a message with her, and we testified that Heavenly Father had led us to her! She talked with us about how she really had the desire to come back to church, but didn't quite know how. She cried as she shared her dreams of being married in the temple and raising her children in the church. As I sat there, I just thought to myself, "There really is nothing better than this." 

This week I have been studying in Jesus the Christ about the parables that Jesus gave. 3 parables that I studied this week were the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. All of them talk about how when even just 1 is lost, Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, goes to find the one that is lost. Each of us is so precious to Him, and He is always reaching out to us to bring us back into the fold. I know that Mary Fay is known personally by her Savior. Even though she moved to Manila, and the church did not know where she lived, God always knew. He was always aware of her and waiting for the day she would come back. 

Luke 15:4-7 read 

4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

I am so blessed to be a servant of Jesus Christ. I love being an instrument in his hands to help find those sheep who are lost. That is the call He gives to those who truly want to be His disciples and follow Him. "Feed my sheep."

I love you! I hope you have a great week!!

XOXOXO

Sister Lockwood