tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73961715377616280372024-03-05T12:30:09.380-08:00Sister Lockwood in Philippines!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-74430703039289208732015-12-26T08:30:00.000-08:002015-12-26T08:30:03.709-08:00Invitation to Homecoming Meeting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sister Lockwood is home now and will be speaking in church tomorrow morning (December 27th) at 9:00. All are invited to attend! Many have been following this blog over the last 18 months and we would love to see you at the meeting tomorrow where Kayla will be speaking in person about her experiences in the Philippines. The address for the church is: 4411 Windfall Rd, Medina, OH 44256.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-11468037452913067732015-12-14T03:47:00.001-08:002015-12-14T03:47:43.301-08:00I hope they call me on a mission...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">This was a band going around in our area last night playing Christmas songs for everyone! I love the Philippines!!</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">The whole mission was there (at the mission tour) so we took a picture with our MTC batch! That was really fun..until one of the Elders started doing the haka in front of EVERYONE for us sisters who were going home. Hahaha. Good times living with islanders!</span></span></div>
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I love my companion!! She is a sweetheart. I have been helping her prepare to take over the area. She reminds me a lot of Nathan (: </div>
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Kay Ocsin's baptism! </div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">Dear Family,</span></div>
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This is my last pday! I cannot even believe it. I feel so many emotions. I am overwhelmed with excitement to see everyone again but at the same time I feel so so sad knowing that I have to take off my name tag and not be a missionary anymore ):</div>
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As I enter into my last few days in the mission field, I can't help but reflect on the past 18 months and my past life experiences that brought me to this point. It is unbelievable that these days of walking the streets of Manila to preach the gospel are coming to a close. </div>
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My whole life, I have dreamed of being a missionary. I remember sitting in primary, feet not even able to touch the floor singing, "I hope they call me on a mission, when I have grown a foot or two." We would say "When I grow up, I want to be a missionary in...fill in the blank." Of all the times I dreamed of being a missionary, I don't think I ever expected to serve in the Philippines. I recall youth conferences and efy's singing with my fellow youth, "We are as the army of Helaman. We have been taught in our youth. And we will be the Lord's missionaries to bring the world His truth." I prepared and waited so long for the day the call would come.</div>
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Then, last February, the white envelope finally came! I remember carrying it around with me all day wondering what could possibly be inside. Would I go Spanish speaking? Stay in the USA? Maybe I'd go to a visitor center. Never did I think I could possibly get called to the Philippines. </div>
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I'll never forget opening my call and reading those words:</div>
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"Dear Sister Lockwood:</div>
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You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Philippines Manila Mission.... You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Tagalog language."</div>
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That day I didn't even know where the Philippines was on a map! Let alone how to speak a single word of Tagalog. I had absolutely no idea what was ahead of me. But the Lord knew. </div>
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I remember leaving my family in the Cleveland airport.. And arriving in Manila for the first time. Everything was so new.. The smells, the sounds, the people, the language. It was such an adventure and I was completely terrified! I couldn't help but wonder during those days in the MTC...Looking outside of my window at the sky scrapers and wonder if I could really do this! But the Lord knew.</div>
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In my first area, I was sent to the island of Palawan. It was there that I really started to learn what it meant to be a missionary. It was then that I really just fell in love with the people. The Segovia's, the Lopez's, Sister Chua, Joy Custodio. These wonderful people became my family! As did follow in Makati and here in Las Pinas. </div>
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Now, 18 months later, I know how to speak Tagalog. I'm used to the city traffic of Manila.. I survived all of the crazy food and adventures of living in the Philippines. But that isn't the biggest miracle. </div>
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Many people think they serve a mission to help other people come unto Christ. I have been blessed with so many opportunities to do that. I have helped families and individuals make covenants in the waters of baptism and then help them along the path to the temple. But even that hasn't been the biggest miracle.</div>
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In the MTC Sister Bowen taught us, "The most important convert you will have on your mission will be yourself." The biggest miracle of my mission has been me! I have been changed. I am a different person than I was 18 months ago. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, He has turned the experiences I have had here into opportunities for me to grow and to become more like Him. He has filled my heart with charity for the people here. He has blessed me with the Holy Ghost and helped me to repent and to change. </div>
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I will be eternally grateful for the choice I made to serve a mission. I feel so much gratitude for every primary teacher, bishop, and leader that helped get me here. The blessing of being raised by goodly parents and in a Christ centered home shaped me into the missionary that I am today. I love my parents so much and am so grateful for every sacrifice they made to help me to be here. </div>
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I love Jesus Christ. I know He lives. He is truly the reason behind all that we do as missionaries. I am so grateful for the chance that I have come to know Him better.</div>
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I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. We are His children. I have testified of that truth every single day since I have come here. That was the first sentence I learned in Tagalog. He truly does love us and answers our prayers.</div>
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I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. He saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and restored the same church that Christ established when He was on the Earth. </div>
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I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet that leads us today! I love him.</div>
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I know with all my heart that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is Christ's church on the Earth today.</div>
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What a blessing it has been to be an authorized representative of Jesus Christ and His church. The days I have spent declaring His name have changed my life. I will never be the same because of it.</div>
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I know that God knows us! He knew all along that I needed to come and be a missionary in the Philippines. He really does have a perfect plan for each of us. </div>
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I love you!! I cannot WAIT to see you in just a few days! </div>
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For the last time....</div>
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XOXOXO</div>
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Sister Lockwood</div>
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ps. This week we have the Christmas party tomorrow! That will be fun. The whole mission will be there again. Then I will have a going home interview with president either Wednesday or Thursday. They haven't told me the plans yet for Thursday night but I know that I'll have to be at the airport by around 6:30! So with the traffic here I'll have to wake up at like 3 or 4! I'll definitely get lots of sleep on the plane.I might try to call from the airport in Detroit if I have time..but if not I'll see ya in Cleveland!</div>
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Our last trip to the temple as missionaries </div>
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All of the missionaries going home in December </div>
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Going home packets </div>
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An early Christmas present...mission aprons!!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Don't forget to be grateful and happy! Even when hard times come, there is joy and gratitude to be found in the gospel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Love you!! See you on Friday!!</span></div>
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<span id="goog_399393950"></span><span id="goog_399393951"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-11802730190823150612015-12-06T20:21:00.000-08:002015-12-06T20:21:52.337-08:00To be a Sister<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">This is Christian! We taught him the plan of salvation.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">This is Nanay Santos who gave me a necklace (:</span> </div>
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Saying goodbye to Sister Veras. She got transferred to Palawan. <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">I'm now with Sister Terabwena from Kiribati. (pronounced kitty-bes) She will take over the area with a new companion when I leave. She's been out about 10 months. She's a sweet heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">It was Kay Ocsin's 8th birthday this week! She'll be baptized this Friday! Her family was reactivated earlier this year. We celebrated with a birthday cake! She was so happy (:</span></div>
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Dear Family,</div>
My heart is so full today! Its so hard for me to believe that I am entering my final days as a sister missionary. This week as we worked and taught I started to see things differently knowing that it is all about to be over. I wish I could just carry around a video camera all day to really just let you feel what this has been like for me! Before I came out on my mission, I knew it would be hard, but I honestly don't think I ever could have imagined the blessings that were in store. As I reflect on the past year and a half, I am just filled with gratitude for the experiences that I've had here. </div>
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To be a sister missionary is to be filled with the Holy Ghost. As a missionary, we live a very different kind of life than we normally do. We don't listen to fun music or go out with friends. We make lots of sacrifices for the reason that we need the spirit to be with us. For the past 18 months I have lived in such a way that I have had the spirit with me almost all the time. I have woken up every morning and immersed myself in the scriptures and words of living prophets. We study for 2-3 hours every day and just do everything we can to have the guidance of the Lord. Even though I have missed music and movies and normal life things.. The peace and direction that I have been blessed with because the Holy Ghost has been so close has been such a blessing. It has amazed me at how many times we have been at the right place at the right time just when someone needed us. It is because of the Spirit that is with us as missionaries.</div>
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To be a sister missionary is to be a teacher. This has been one of my aboslute favorite parts of being a missionary. Here in the Philippines, the majority of my day is spent in the homes of others teaching them the gospel of Jesus Christ. We teach and preach about the Restoration of the Gospel, the Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We teach commandments and help our investigators to really understand and live the gospel. This week I had the most amazing experience teaching the Plan of Salvation. It is through teaching that we help others to understand and feel the truthfulness of the gospel. We were teaching our investigator Christain the Plan of Salvation. We asked, "What do you feel your purpose in life is?" He said, "Sisters, that is what I have been praying to know. I don't know what my purpose is." I just lit up and tears came to my eyes as we opened in the Book of Mormon to read about what our purpose is in life. I just thought to myself, "what is my life going to be when I don't get to do this everyday?" Being a teacher of the gospel has brought me so much joy.</div>
To be a sister missionary is to be everyone's sister. Literally, I feel like my name has been "sis" or "sister" for the past 18 months. Everyone-members at church, little kids on the street, or guys riding by on motorcycles all call out "Sister!" every time we pass by. Sister in Tagalog is "kapatid na babae" or "ate". To be someone's sister means to be their friend, to guide them, to help them, to teach them and to love them. Here in the Philippines, I have been everyone's sister! Even though I may not know them at all, the people treat me like family because they know who I represent. They know that I'm a missionary. Every single day, strangers let me into their homes..but they don't treat me like a stranger. They open up to us about their lives, their families, and their struggles. Often they give us food and a place to rest. They listen to our message and just love us. I could share countless experiences with you of people who have just loved me like I was their real sister from the first moment they met me. I think of Nanay Montilla in my first area. My first week in the mission field she had me over to teach me how to eat fish and rice with my hands. I think of the Segovia family who treated Sister Teo and I like we were their own daughters. I remember the Berdin family helping me when I had bed bugs and lice haha. Even just this week, a sister in our area found out that I was going home soon and so she gave me a necklace from Cebu. Or a sister we met on the street invited us into her humble home and shared about her experiences in typhoon Yolanda last last year. It has been absolutely incredible just being a sister to everyone. </div>
To be a sister is to come unto Christ. My purpose as a missionary has been to invite others to come unto Christ. But the biggest person that I have truly helped has been myself. I have come to understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ in a way that I never would have been able to had I not been his representative. I have changed into a new person. I have grown in love for others, and have grown to understand His gospel better. I have felt His love and His tender mercies showered upon me. I have struggled and felt alone, but have gone to my knees in prayer to be able to feel His grace. The price that I have paid to come to know my Savior has truly been a privilege to pay. </div>
To be a sister missionary has been one of the greatest joys of my life. I can't even believe how much Heavenly Father has blessed me. I am so thankful for this opportunity and experience. </div>
I love you, family! I can't wait to see you NEXT WEEK!</div>
XOXOXOXO</div>
Love, </div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">Sister Lockwood</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-48366656472760066242015-11-30T03:26:00.001-08:002015-11-30T03:26:15.693-08:00SO Thankful!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Visiting a family with Sister Mata and Sister TuaTonga </div>
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With Sister Mata and Sister TuaTonga</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Thanksgiving! There actually is no Thanksgiving here in the Philippines..but I really took some time this week to think about the blessings that Heavenly Father has blessed me with over the past year and a half in the Philippines. I think that gratitude has been one of the biggest lessons I have learned here. Before I served here, I always thought of gratitude as something that we felt because of our blessings. I was grateful for my family, my home, my country, my health. Of course, that it a big part of gratitude. But what amazed me when I came to the Philippines was meeting people who were filled with gratitude who had none of those things. There are families here who live in homes with no electricity.. who all sleep on the floor crammed next to eachother. There are missionaries here serving with me whose families have disowned them for choosing to serve a mission. So many people are just living from day to day, praying that God will give them a way to eat that day. But yet these people are the happiest people I have ever met! They give thanks to God everyday and are grateful to be alive! The Filipino people have changed me. I hope that I have become a little more like them since I have been here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of the blessings that I was especially grateful for this week was my companions! As missionaries, we are always assigned a companion. We stay with them 24/7. Even if we come from different places or are different ages, they become your best friends. This week Sister Veras got sick and so I was assigned to be with Sister TuaTonga and Sister Mata. They are just such a blast and they have made me thankful to have the opportunity to meet so many different sisters from all over the world. From Fiji to Canada to Singapore, these girls have truly become my sisters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another blessing this week was our new investigator Christain! Missionaries are happy all the time (well, except when people don't come to church...), but we are most happy when we have investigators like Christain! He has been wanting to become a member of the church, and he has been like ward hopping for weeks trying to figure out where he was supposed to be! This week I attended Sister Mata and Sister TuaTonga's ward where he showed up and told us that he lives in St.Joseph! That is my area! We introduced him to the bishop and are so excited to get him started on his path to baptism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is SO much to be grateful for. Always. Even when it feels like our world is falling apart... I know that we can always chose to be grateful because I have seen that example in the people here, and I have learned it for myself. We are so blessed to be living at this time.. I am so thankful for the knowledge that I have of a loving Heavenly Father. He showers down tender mercies upon each of us every day. We just have to be humble enough to look for them and recognize them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love you! I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving! I am SO looking forward to having a Merry Christmas with you!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">XOXOXO</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sister Lockwood</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">ps. This week will be good! Its transfer week... And we have going home activites tomorrow. So you can look for me on the mission blog!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then next week we have a mission tour.. so Elder Bowen will be coming to talk to us.. and then the next week we have the Christmas party and I come home!! Eeee I'm so excited!!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-48094634746098590472015-11-23T04:37:00.000-08:002015-11-23T04:37:00.667-08:00A special invitation for you...<span style="font-size: large;">Kayla will be speaking in church in Medina to give a report on her missionary experiences in the Philippines on Sunday, December 27th and everyone is invited to attend. There are many people who have followed her blog over the last 18 months who Kayla would be so excited to see and to meet. The meeting starts at 9:00 am at our church building at </span><span style="color: #555555; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">4411 Windfall Road Medina, OH 44256. All are welcome! </span></span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-78190883456708597732015-11-23T04:28:00.002-08:002015-11-23T04:28:29.643-08:00Families are Forever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Amacio Family Sealing</div>
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Eden and Precious</div>
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What a memorable day at the temple!</div>
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Happy 21st Birthday to me! Thank you, Sis Veras for the cake! </div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">I did know that Obama was here because ALL the roads were closed!! It took us 4 hours to get TO and then 4 hours BACK from the meeting where Elder Maynes spoke (and our entire zone was squished into 1 car with no aircon!!) This is just a peek at how crazy our car ride was because of President Obama!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dear Family,</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This week was fabulous! It was my 21st birthday, and I only got fed 1 weird thing for dinner! Here in the Philippines, if they love you, they feed you. And if you love them, you HAVE to eat their food. When you don't, it basically sends them the message that you think they're a bad cook, and that you hate them and their entire family! Its a very personal thing. So, I survived the night! And Sister Veras got me a little cake from Goldilocks bakery (: It was so much fun to open your card and hear your voices!! I can't believe I only have 3 Pdays left before I actually get to hear and SEE you! :D </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The highlight of this week, though was the Amacio sealing! It was the first live sealing I have ever been to, and it was such a special day for everyone there. 4 of our recent converts were also endowed before the sealing, and so we all were in the sealing room together. We got to help their daughter Precious get ready and then bring her into the sealing room after the endowment. It was something that I will never forget. I am so thankful that I got to have that experience before I leave!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just to give you a little background on the Amacio's.. Eden comes from a member family, but has been less active for most of her life. A few years ago she married Novel, who wasn't a member. Novel's family is catholic. They live here in Las Pinas as well as Novel's sister Analiza and her family. Just over 1 year ago, the missionaries taught and baptized both Novel and Analiza.. And so the Berzo and Amacio families became an active part of the Las Pinas 1st ward! Eden and Analiza are now actually serving as 1st and 2nd counselor in the primary presidency. Some Sundays I just think to myself, what would the ward be like without them?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Even though 1 year ago was one of the biggest and greatest days of the Amacio's life.. This week takes the crown. For most people in the world, they love and cherish their families, but do not really know what will happen after this life. They get married, but say the words "until death do us part." Novel and Eden had been happily married and lived a happy life with their daughter Precious, but it was only temporary. It was only until death. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, we believe that families are forever! Through the power and authority of God, families are literally bound together in temples all over the world. When Novel and Eden were married the first time it was for this life only. But this Wednesday, they were sealed with their words "for time and all eternity."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My favorite part of the sealing was when Precious came in. She is 3 years old and was dressed in a little white dress. I also just loved the look on Novel's face as he looked at his 2 girls. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It made me think about what it must have been like to be in Mom and Dad's sealing.. or Marmee and Grandpa's. I wonder what it will feel like when it's me! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I feel SO blessed to be a missionary. Families can be together forever through Heavenly Father's plan. The first part of the plan is baptism. But baptism is just the first step towards the temple. It truly is the house of the Lord. I am so thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where my family is made a forever family, too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Anyway! I am really doing my best to be grateful and love every minute I have left here. I really will miss the sunshine and blue skies almost every day. I mostly will miss the people. I have learned so much here. I really wouldn't trade this experience for anything. I, too, love that I have had such a well rounded mission experience. I have lived the island life and the city life.. I have had slow times, but also been blessed with really really wonderful investigators and families. Physically, I have been more healthy than I could have hoped for! I expected much more sickness with throwing up and such... I have lived with people from all over the world! I understand cultures and people in a whole new way. But of course, I wouldn't trade all of this because along the way, I have come to know Jesus Christ in a whole new way. I love this gospel. I know the Book of Mormon way better than I ever did before. I know that it is true. This is a gospel of hope and faith and happiness! There are lots of hard times along the way, but it is those times that lead us back to our Father in Heaven.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great week!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">XOXOXO</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Love, Sister Lockwood</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-4522323348182951292015-11-15T20:05:00.001-08:002015-11-15T20:11:17.080-08:00The Field is White!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRjhitKahD7ILW0k01h5rqR22n68b5poDtO72KdofYnMO5wu5s_TWQQnLOeFcRbhkL_ILzOPMYhk1UXxY4wXNud3-RXWoB9jDYes-9QUJEcyrjnW5OCl4jGEJ_YhnVCR_h5skCRKz5JI/s1600/DSCN2702%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRjhitKahD7ILW0k01h5rqR22n68b5poDtO72KdofYnMO5wu5s_TWQQnLOeFcRbhkL_ILzOPMYhk1UXxY4wXNud3-RXWoB9jDYes-9QUJEcyrjnW5OCl4jGEJ_YhnVCR_h5skCRKz5JI/s640/DSCN2702%255B1%255D.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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This is Jennifer! Isn't she cute? She is the daughter of one of our investigators.</div>
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This is Weng! <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">We went and got ice cream with her this week because her rebond didn't work haha (: </span></div>
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My favorite kids in the Philippines!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">We ran into Sister Teo at subway this week! She and Sister Veras and Sister Vaka are seriously my mission best friends (:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Dear Family, </span></div>
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Thank you so much for all of the birthday emails! It is so crazy that I am going to be turning 21 this week. I am so filled with gratitude for the experiences that I have had here in the Philippines, and also throughout my entire life. Heavenly Father has been so good to me!</div>
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This week was a good week! Weng is really progressing and excited for her baptism in December! We taught her about the Plan of Salvation yesterday, and she just loved it (: She asked so many questions, and we can just see it in her eyes that now is her time to accept the gospel. She is such a blessing to Sister Veras and I!</div>
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Right now, Sister Veras and I are preparing for what our mission is calling a white Christmas! We have a goal as a mission that every missionary will have a baptism on the day after Christmas. Even though I'll be gone by that time, I am really trying to set this area up to reach that goal. We fasted yesterday as a mission, and Sister Veras and I were really praying for Tatay Virgillio and Kuya Arnold. They are both fathers, and the only nonmembers in their families. This week when we taught Tatay Virgillio we really testified of Eternal families. We had them imagine what this Christmas would be like for their family, and then what the next Christmas would be like as they would be preparing for their sealing. Christmas time is not an easy time to be away from our families, but it is the sweetest time to help other families become eternal.</div>
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Speaking of... the Amacio's are getting sealed this week! They were baptized/reactivated last November and we are SO excited for them. Kuya Arnold is actually the brother in law of the Amacio's...And so he will be coming to the temple and waiting outside. We plan on teaching him and are really praying that his heart will be ready for the gospel. He comes to church every Sunday, so please keep him in your prayers!</div>
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It should be a great week! I am so lucky to be in this area and be a missionary in the Philippines. </div>
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I love you!</div>
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Sister Lockwood</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-31123689054616780372015-11-09T03:48:00.002-08:002015-11-09T03:49:16.535-08:00Another Week!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a picture of the name tag I wear everyday</div>
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Putting the star on top of the mission president's Christmas tree because she is the tallest. By American standards, they are about a month early putting up the tree but by the Philippines standards, they are about a month late!</div>
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Fun with companion, Sister Veras</div>
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I will be home for Christmas!</div>
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Dear Family,<br />
This week was good! Sister Veras and I really love this area in Las Pinas. We are working a lot in all of the stages of the mission vision. We are working really hard to find, and we have lots of new investigators taking their first steps towards baptism. We have recent converts and less actives that are working towards full activity, and also recent converts who are preparing to go to the temple next week!! The Amacio's family sealing is set for the 18th! Sister Veras and I are so excited that we will be able to attend. It is such a blessing to have the opportunity to be a missionary in an area that is progressing in the different phases of the mission vision!<br />
One miracle we saw this week was with Apple! We have been committing her to work on her MyFamily booklet, and she attended a family history class at church a couple weeks ago that helped her get started. This week we went to her home to help her find the final information she needed and print the names of her parents. She told us that before we came she had a dream about her mom and her dad and her whole family together. She told us that she had never had a dream like that before, and that it was a testimony to her that her parents were waiting for this important work to be done. We are so excited for her to take their names to the temple in the coming weeks for baptism!</div>
Well I don't have too much time this week! I hope you have a great week!</div>
Love you!</div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; line-height: normal;">Sister Lockwood</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-48353842925554417802015-11-02T03:27:00.000-08:002015-11-02T03:31:35.700-08:00We are not Alone in the Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cute kids that we gave candy to on Halloween</div>
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Camille and Liezel doing their family history</div>
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The Bufete Family </div>
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Sunset at our apartment last night </div>
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The one next to me is Weng</div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Dear Family,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love being a missionary! This week was soo good for Sister Veras and I! We worked a lot with our recent converts. We did some family history, visiting teaching and lots of reteaching. The recent converts in our area are doing great and we are just having so much fun working with them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lately, Sister Veras and I have been praying and fasting to find new, prepared investigators. The longer I have been a missionary, the more I have come to realize that every investigator that progresses, and especially every investigator that progresses to baptism is a gift from the Lord. As missionaries, we teach so many people every day, and we talk to even more. We can work and work and teach and teach, but unless we are teaching those who have been prepared by the Lord, nothing really happens. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well this week, the Lord led us to those who are prepared! We had a family home evening planned at the Santos home with 3 of our investigators. When we arrived, Sister Santos had invited her neighbor, Weng, to join too. We taught and testified about the Book of Mormon and mostly focused on our 3 investigators. But when it was Weng's turn to share or ask questions, she bore her testimony that she knew the Book of Mormon was true! She told us that she had been taught by the Elders years back, but had never been baptized. She agreed to have us back to teach her again, and she came to church yesterday! We cannot wait to see where the coming weeks take her!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another person that the Lord prepared for us this week is Tatay Virgillo. He is the father of 6 and is the only member of his family that is not a member of the church. The missionaries have tried again and again to teach him, but it has never really been his time. He has always left when they tried to teach, and has yet to attend church with his family. However, this week things changed! His 2 daughters had come back home from the province, and we visited them a few times. We taught about eternal families, and committed them all to come to church. You should have seen Sister Veras and my reaction when all 7 of them walked into church together!! We are SO happy for the Bufete family, and cannot wait for them to continue to experience the happiness that comes from the gospel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I know with all my heart, and this is the Lord's work. He prepares people, and He touches their hearts to help them accept the gospel. Even though I have worked hard over the past 16 months, I really have just been the instrument. I feel that I have done so little, and the Lord really has done it all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I feel like Ammon in the Book of Mormon in Alma 26 when he said, "11. I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> 12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I don't have too many more days left in the Philippines, but I am so thankful for every person that I have had the opportunity to teach and love. It really has all been the Lord. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love what President Eyring said in the Priesthood session of conference, "When you do your part, the Lord adds His power to your efforts. He has called you and me into His service knowing our capacities and the help we will need. He will bless our efforts beyond our fondest expectations as we give our all in His service."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love you! I hope you all have a great week!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">XOXOXO</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sister Lockwood</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">ps. Guess what! I got your package! Yay! And your letter, and also a letter from Kathryn, and Grandpa (: Thank you!! You are the best!! Ahh.. I love you and I am getting so excited to come home!! Luckily we have the best area ever and things are really great, which is keeping me focused. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-35401518230103742022015-10-26T05:22:00.003-07:002015-10-26T05:22:55.920-07:00Feed My Sheep<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: large;">Dear Family,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">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 (: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">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." </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">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. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Luke 15:4-7 read </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">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?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> 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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> 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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">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."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I love you! I hope you have a great week!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">XOXOXO</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sister Lockwood</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-54702851988021743122015-10-19T04:22:00.002-07:002015-10-19T04:22:36.788-07:00Alam ko po na Ang Aklat ni Mormon ay totoo.<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Dear Family,</span><br />
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Hello from Las Pinas! It was a crazy busy week for Sister Veras and I! We had our temple day, a finish strong meeting for those who only have 1 transfer left, and service projects in the ward! We are so busy, and the weeks keep flying by. </div>
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Usually on Monday mornings in personal study, I think a little bit about what experiences I had that week and what things I could share with you. Today as I was reflecting over the week, what really stood out to me was the role that the Book of Mormon has played in the lives of those who we teach, and in my own mission experience.</div>
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In the introduction to the Book of Mormon we read, "The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel." As missionaries, the Book of Mormon is our greatest teaching tool. We believe that through the power of God, Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. Because of this, it is literally evidence of the message that we as missionaries share every day. If one comes to know for themselves that the Book of Mormon is true, they thereby discover the truthfulness of Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, of priesthood authority, and of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, led by living prophets and apostles. </div>
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As a missionary in the Philippines, I have invited hundreds if not thousands to read this book, and to come to know for themselves if it is true. </div>
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This week Sister Veras and I were teaching one of our investigators named Rose. She lives in a humble home, and as we were teaching, her neighbors began to gather and listen to what we were sharing. One by one they either came and sat on the floor, or stood outside the window and listened to us teach about Jesus Christ, and His church on the Earth today. As we were closing, we gave Rose her own copy of the Book of Mormon. Her friends and neighbors quickly told us they wanted one too! When we returned with their own copies, they excitedly accepted and told us they would read. </div>
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Of course, this is so exciting for us because this is the first step that they take to come unto Christ and His gospel. We know that if they will really read and pray with real intent, the Holy Ghost will testify to them of its truthfulness, and their lives will be changed forever. I have had this experience myself as I have read in the Book of Mormon, and prayed to ask God if it was true. Every time I read in it, the Holy Ghost testifies to my heart that it is not a book written by man, but the word of God, written by ancient prophets.</div>
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The Book of Mormon has also been a huge strength to me for a very different reason. It does act as proof of our message, and as evidence of the restored gospel. But it also is my source of comfort of peace, and the way that I have felt my Savior's love. The past few weeks have been some of the hardest on my mission, but the Book of Mormon has continually brought me the peace I need to keep going. </div>
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Along with the Bible, the Book of Mormon helps me understand who Jesus Christ is, and more fully comprehend the sacrifice that He made for me. "The Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ and confirms the truths found in the Holy Bible. Far from undermining the Bible, the Book of Mormon supports its testimony of Jesus Christ. One passage says that the Book of Mormon “shall establish the truth” of the Bible “and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father, and the Savior of the world; and that all men must come unto him, or they cannot be saved” (1 Nephi 13:40).</div>
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In its more than 6,000 verses, the Book of Mormon refers to Jesus Christ almost 4,000 times and by 100 different names: “Jehovah,” “Immanuel,” “Holy Messiah,” “Lamb of God,” “Redeemer of Israel,” and so on." </div>
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I love the Book of Mormon! I love getting to share it with everyone around me here in Las Pinas. I know that it is true. I know that Joseph Smith translated in by the power of God. I feel so blessed to have it as a power source of my testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. For the remaining time I have here in the Philippines, I will continue to invite others to read it and to let the truth they find change their lives.</div>
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I love being a missionary! I hope you all have a great week and really let the Book of Mormon change your life as it has mine.</div>
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Love, Sister Lockwood</div>
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(Kayla did not send any pictures this week.)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-74020758287059790502015-10-12T03:33:00.000-07:002015-10-12T03:36:39.460-07:00Planning for the future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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(No explanation given about this photo. I don't know who she is but this appears to be a family history form that can be taken to the temple to do work for deceased ancestors.)</div>
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Dear Family,</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is going to be short because <span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I just spent the last half hour or so figuring out what class schedule I am going to register for in a couple of weeks. I am super excited! And pretty nervous, too.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: large; line-height: normal;">This week was really good. Sister Veras and I are working hard. We are preparing recent converts to go through the temple, and to start doing their family history work and stuff. We also found some really great new investigators this week too. So life is good!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Conference was definitely the highlight of my week. I LOVED LOVED Vern Stanfill's talk. That was such an answer to my prayers. I felt like it was talking exactly about my situation. Its okay to have to rely on other's light for awhile until you are strong enough to get back to how things used to be. I also really loved Elder Hales, Sister Marriott and President Uchtdorf. And of course, Elder Holland's talk made me cry thinking about you, mom. </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">(General Conference is a world wide broadcast of inspirational talks given by the leaders of our church. It takes place the first weekend in April and October but is aired in the Philippines 1 week late due to the time zone difference. Recordings of the talks can be viewed or printed at lds.org.)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I also am "ponderizing" a scripture this week! I chose. "To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" Romans 8:6. Are you ponderizing a scripture this week? I chose that one because I felt like I keep getting the prompting that I need to clean up my media when I get home. I watched/listened to way too much crap. All media that we intake does have an effect on us whether we like it or not. So that's really a commitment that I am making to myself and to the Lord!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another favorite quote I had was from President Uchtdorf "We don't need to be more of anything to start to become the person God wants us to be." (:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"> I'm also doing my best to take dad's advice and "finish joyfully!" Don't worry about me, just keep prayin for me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sister Lockwood</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-33096517872306615482015-10-05T03:31:00.002-07:002015-10-05T03:33:36.887-07:00Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">Dear Family,</span><br />
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Hello! This week has been super tough. I actually really considered not writing a letter this week, but I think that it is through the hardest parts of our missions that we learn and grow the most. I think there is value in recognizing that missionary life is really hard sometimes!</div>
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Before I served a mission, I knew it would be hard. When I got my call to the Philippines, I knew it would be really hard! I already knew in my head that I would have hard companions, that I might get head lice, bed bugs, hundreds of mosquito bites. I thought that I'd probably get homesick. I knew at some point the food would make me sick. I expected bucket showers, long hot days of rejection, big spiders, flying cock roaches, washing my laundry by hand.. I had heard almost every returned missionary testify that it was the hardest 2 years, but the best 2 years. I knew it was going to be really, really tough. But- I was willing to do it. It was an opportunity for me to show my Savior how much I love Him. It was a time for me to help others have the joy and blessings that I've had my whole life. I knew it would be hard, but that I would have heavenly help, and would learn and grow in the process.</div>
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And, for the past 15 months, that is about what has happened! Almost every trial that I expected would come, came. Of course, it wasn't easy, but I was able to look at it like an adventure, and it was what I had mentally prepared myself for. I was able to find things to be grateful for and overall maintain and really happy and positive perspective.</div>
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This past week, however, a trial came that wasn't really in the plans! Give me lice, bad food, crazy companions- whatever. But this particular trial-heck no, no way, no sir ree. And, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was not in the ideal mission Sister Lockwood had planned. </div>
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So for the first few days, I just prayed and prayed that it would be gone. I thought, okay, if I have enough faith and determination, it will go away. I struggled and cried...and for the first time in my entire mission, I began to wonder if I could go on. I thought, maybe this is too big for me. Maybe I can't actually do it. I tried to be strong, just talk my way out of it, but I just literally could not move forward!</div>
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Finally, after hours on my knees, and after quite honestly feeling pretty sorry for myself, I realized that I needed to give in. I needed to be humble and figure out what the Lord was trying to teach me. I had to let go of the ideal mission that I had planned for myself.. and accept the mission that Heavenly Father had planned for me, whatever that might be.</div>
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And, of course, that is WAY easier said than done. At first, I thought, "Wait a minute? I just want to be a happy and healthy and hard working obedient missionary! Is that not the Lord's will for me? You want me to be happy right? Well, just in case you haven't noticed this isn't makin me so happy!" And right there... is where the lesson begins..</div>
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"Know thou, my daughter, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than He?"</div>
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Heavenly Father does want each of us to be happy. That is His greatest desire! But He sees a bigger picture than we see. He wants us to be happy now, but, what is MORE important to Him, is who he wants us to become, and how we can be happy for eternity. And sometimes, the only way to become that person, and to reach that happiness, is through trials. Its through those tests and times of despair that we start to reach that divine potential.</div>
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I am still trying to be humble and learn what the Lord has to teach me. But I am so thankful. For the first time in maybe my whole life- I really began to understand just a tiny bit of what the Savior felt when he cried out, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."</div>
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For all of us, for every missionary, and for every person on the planet, we will have times when we feel we cannot go on. We will wonder if we have the strength to move forward, and we do! We always do. Because the Savior of the world came before us. He is our source of strength, and He is there when nobody else is. </div>
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I know with all my heart that Heavenly Father loves us. We are His children. His love is unfailing, and He will help us through every trial that we face. I am so thankful to be a missionary. To face trials that I never thought I would, and to come to know my Savior a little bit better.</div>
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Lots of love,</div>
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Sister Lockwood</div>
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(Kayla did not send any pictures this week but I am pulling these off of the mission blog and Sister Teo's blog. Kayla got a new companion this week, Sister Veras, from Hawaii. Sister Veras used to be Sister Teo's companion.)</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #6f6f6f; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px;">"Christmas is coming, so we are already wrapping presents for missionaries. (You have to start early when you have over 200 children! ) :) (Thank goodness for wonderful Sisters who help me with this project!)" Sister Ostler</span></div>
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Missionary Leadership Council</div>
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Sister Veras (before she was Kayla's companion) </div>
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Sister Veras from Hawaii</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-79909796227918023092015-09-28T03:22:00.000-07:002015-09-28T03:22:33.207-07:00Temple!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With Sis Arif at the temple. What a very special day for her!</div>
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President Ostler did the work for her father. I have the best mission president!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;">This is my district! It was sister Gallano's birthday so we bought her a cake</span></div>
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Sister Arif sprained her ankle</div>
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Dear Family,</div>
I don't have too much time today so this will be short!</div>
It was a good week in Las Pinas! We had the privilege of going to the temple to do the baptism for Sister Arif's father. She is from Pakistan, and they don't have a temple in her country. She had told President Ostler that she wanted so badly to do the temple work for him while she was here in the Philippines close to the temple. President Ostler did it himself! It was such a wonderful experience. I felt so lucky to just be there. Sister Arif said, "Now when people ask me how many members of the church are in my family, I can say 3! Me, my brother, and now my Father." </div>
I love being a missionary! It is such a blessing to help people not only here on this Earth to accept the gospel, but on the other side of the veil as well.</div>
I love you! Have a great week!</div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Love, Sister Lockwood</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-20105675323487855702015-09-21T03:20:00.000-07:002015-09-21T03:20:17.475-07:00The Ups and Downs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUbFFCoAwmN3q_7ou0czzqGeEQ980y0UMXZhEwhgcW4szpe4GrNyArpdRST0s7Cy0eCJhx_mUdWSatrJGuH2mhbvljvhFSW9VPma0PZ00Et9xHWX1VnMZ-Txacx44fIkXQX0tFpKDVPw/s1600/IMG_9803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUbFFCoAwmN3q_7ou0czzqGeEQ980y0UMXZhEwhgcW4szpe4GrNyArpdRST0s7Cy0eCJhx_mUdWSatrJGuH2mhbvljvhFSW9VPma0PZ00Et9xHWX1VnMZ-Txacx44fIkXQX0tFpKDVPw/s640/IMG_9803.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Hard to stay dry when it is pouring rain</div>
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Meet the Mormons activity at church</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;">This is a picture of the Berdin family. I got a letter from them this week! Sister Teo says that they are still going to church every Sunday! Yay!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Dear Family,</span></div>
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This week was a good week! It was super busy. We had interviews with President Ostler, choir practice, and our ward had a Meet the Mormons movie night! </div>
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Sister Arif and I are working hard, and we really love this area. Our recent converts are still doing great! And we have some new investigators that we are starting to get excited about. One of the investigators we really focused on this week was Nanay Amacio. She is the mother of 2 of our recent converts.. They were baptized last year, and one of them is preparing to be sealed to his family this coming November! The missionaries have visited her for awhile, but she has been really hestitant to get baptized. She comes to church frequently, and listens to us when we come visit, but has not been able to really progress towards baptism. This week Sister Arif and I taught a lesson about temples and eternal families. For the first time, she really opened up to us. She began to cry as she expressed her sorrow for her husband that has passed away. We bore testimony that families can be eternal through the temple. She came to the Meet the Mormons activity and to church on Sunday. Keep her in your prayers!!</div>
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My companion, Sister Arif was baptized in 2012. She and her brother are the only members in her family. Her father is passed away, her mother is still living, and is Catholic. Her family is all pretty much Christain, either Catholic or LDS. They do have missionaries in Pakistan but only Elders from Pakistan. Its okay to post her picture. One fun thing-she is actually engaged!! Her fiance is a member too. They often have very long engagements. Dating is not really allowed in her country. Its fun to be with her because Pakistan is not Westernized at all. She doesn't really speak English super well, but is just the cutest and sweetest thing. I just love her. </div>
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Another highlight of this week was hearing about the people in my old areas!! I saw a Sister who just got back from Palawan who was serving in my old area in Santa Monica. She said that the Segovia's are preparing to be sealed!!! I am SOO excited for them. I also got a letter from the Berdin family! Sister Teo said that they are coming to church every week and that Baby Arianne was just blessed. Also, when I saw Sister Teo, she told me that Robert is still doing great, and that Carol is preparing to be baptized!!! I don't know if you remember me talking about her.. Sister Pamesa and I taught her together. When we first started teaching her, she was pretty closed. She told us that she wasn't really interested in being baptized, but that she just wanted to learn more. My very last day working in that area, Sister Pamesa and I taught the Plan of Salvation. We talked about the reasons Heavenly Father sent us here to Earth, and what things we have to do to be able to return back to Him with our families. After that lesson, I left the area, and Carol went out of town! But this week when I saw Sister Teo, she said that Carol is progressing towards baptism!! She said that Carol shared how after that lesson Sister Pamesa taught about the Plan of Salvation, she went to the gym and just started crying. She couldn't explain why, but it was then that it all changed. Nothing is more exciting for a missionary than to get news like that (: (: </div>
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So, life is good! But of course, life isn't perfect. Last night, ALL of our lessons fell through, including our back ups. We were trying to OYM and look for new investigators when it started POURING. We were outside and had no place to go. Everyone punted us, in the pouring rain. Even though these aren't the things I email about, things like that happen all the time. Such is missionary life. But, I love the saying that even though our good days may not outnumber the bad days, the good days will always outweigh the bad days. </div>
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I love you!! Have a great week! The church is true!!</div>
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Sister Lockwood </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-70231269591593600722015-09-14T03:18:00.000-07:002015-09-14T03:18:30.632-07:00Another great week!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpn2kQDPJ6fdp1FbAqPmGlIbFQYMwY1BG8Tsm-z3tM2lXCacjzKJkaDdIsxrRY44ti31OdoXpoQ-EA6TbNt1JlWprCcrwIwuh3oMNBCyKguzubf1xOmDFrEgJzMi3IJ53XW6_rQTbCVQ/s1600/IMG_1898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpn2kQDPJ6fdp1FbAqPmGlIbFQYMwY1BG8Tsm-z3tM2lXCacjzKJkaDdIsxrRY44ti31OdoXpoQ-EA6TbNt1JlWprCcrwIwuh3oMNBCyKguzubf1xOmDFrEgJzMi3IJ53XW6_rQTbCVQ/s640/IMG_1898.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">This is my new companion, Sister Arif! It was her 1 year this week so we ordered pizza.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;">These are our new Indian investigators!</span></div>
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Outside of our apartment in Maganda</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Dear Family, </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This week<span style="color: black;"> was transfers! I got a new companion, Sister Arif! She is from Pakistan. <span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.8999996185303px;">She is so wonderful and is just full of light. I think it will be impossible to be sad at all this transfer because she is always smiling and laughing. That was an answer to my prayers and I am so thankful for her. We are very excited for the work that we have to do together this transfer. I already know that Heavenly Father is preparing souls for us, because we have already found some of them!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.8999996185303px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">This week, on what I think was our very first day working together, we were rushing to our last appointment with some recent converts at 8 PM. On the way there, an Indian woman called out to us and stopped us in the middle of the street! She started telling us that she knew some missionaries before, and invited us into her home. It wasn't long before Sister Arif discovered that they speak the same language! I didn't understand much of what was being said, but I just felt the spirit testify to me that Heavenly Father is so involved in our lives. I didn't even know that we had any Idians that lived in our area! Yet, God knew, and He knew that Sister Arif would be the perfect missionary to start teaching them. They are Hindu, and aren't interested in getting baptized yet, but they want to learn about Jesus Christ. It was such a faith building experience for me to watch how the Lord works.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.8999996185303px;"><span style="color: black;">For me personally this week, I am working on building my trust in the Lord. I read a few talks about Gordon B. Hinckley (a previous prophet in our church) that talked about his optimistic attitude. President Eyring shared how President Hinckley would be faced with big problems, but that he never seemed to worry. He had an attitude always of "things will work out." What I love that President Eyring said was his optimism and happiness came from an unwavering trust in Jesus Christ. That is one attribute that I really want to obtain. I love and believe and have great faith in my Savior. I want to be able to have deep trust in Him, and not worry so much. Sometimes I find myself worrying and stressing and trying to do things on my own. But I know that as long as I do my best, I don't need to worry! There is no need to stress because the Lord is on my side. Now, saying that and putting it into action are 2 different things. Over the months I have remaining in the mission field- I want to trust. I want to do all I can, and then not worry and stress, but be optimistic in all things.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.8999996185303px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.8999996185303px;"><span style="color: black;">One super fun thing that happened this week.. We were at Buendia for transfer day, and so of course we had to go to Subway! (There is only 1 Subway that I know of in all of the Philippines, and it's next to the Buendia chapel.) It was Subway's 50th anniversary, and so the 50th customer got a free meal. Guess who was the 50th customer? ...This girl! And anyone who knows me, knows that if anyone deserves a free meal at subway, its me. (: </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16.8999996185303px;">This coming week will be lots of fun! We have interviews, zone meeting, and choir practice, PLUS we get to work in our area, which is probably the best area in the mission. Sister Arif and I are the Sister Training leaders, and so we will be teaching in zone meeting. We will probably start our exchanges next week, too!</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16.8999996185303px;">Life is so good! I am so happy to be here, especially in this area. It was a blessing this week to get to start re-teaching the families that were baptized last weekend. The Doloroso family is so amazing. Apple is already seeing and feeling the blessings of the gospel in her home. They are having family scripture study and family home evening! Ah- I love them so much. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16.8999996185303px;">Well have a great week!! </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16.8999996185303px;">XOXOXO</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16.8999996185303px;">Sister Lockwood</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-86804547886633237602015-09-06T20:01:00.001-07:002015-09-06T20:01:44.931-07:00My purpose as a missionary.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Arias Family was baptized on Saturday, Sep 5th!</div>
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The Deloroso Family was baptized on Saturday, Sep 5th!</div>
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It is officially Christmas season in the Philippines! September 1st is when trees go up, and when music starts playing! They call it the start of the "ber" months (SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER, and DecemBER). We also are starting practices today for the Christmas choir, which I somehow ended up as the director of.. So, Merry Christmas from the Philippines! (I'll be home for Christmas! :)</div>
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Missionary Leadership Council</div>
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Sister Te'o! Friends and roommates from the MTC! </div>
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Hello from a very happy missionary!! This week was just wonderful. I just can't even believe how much Heavenly Father has blessed me. When I left my for my mission last July, I couldn't even have imagined how many amazing experiences waited for me. I knew that my mission would be hard, but I didn't know it would be this joyful, too.</div>
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Of course, this week was so happy for Sister Lagrimas and I because the Arias family and the Doloroso family were baptized! They both have been on a long journey to this point, and it was so much fun to just watch their faces fill with light as they finally made it here. But, I was most happy not because they finally made it to the finish line..but rather because they finally made it to the start! As I watched Apple receive the Holy Ghost, I thought of the guidance and help she would now have in raising her children. When Y'vonne was confirmed, I listened as they promised her amazing blessings, a future filled with the gospel. It made me ponder all of the baptisms and confirmations that I have changed my life. If Dad had not made the decision to be baptized when he was in his 20's... I know that my life would not be what it is today. If Grandpa hadn't joined the church, I definitely don't know how I would have the gospel in my life. Both of their decisions not only changed the course of their lives, but the course of the lives of all those who would come after them. The day of a baptism marks the day of a new beginning, a new life as a follower of Jesus Christ. It is just the beginning for Apple, Yvonne, Liezel, Camille, and Michelle, and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for them!</div>
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As I have written these letters home.. I have often thought about what people who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints think when they read these letters. Most people think of missionaries that go to foreign countries as missionaries who help build houses, and who bring people clean water. However, readers of these letters soon figure out that my work as a missionary has a lot more to do with helping people come to church on Sunday! While helping those in need and doing service projects has been a part of my missionary service here, my purpose as a missionary is to invite others to come unto Christ, by helping them receive the restored gospel, through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. I am here to help children of God make the steps they need to return back to Him one day.</div>
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I remember in my missionary preparation class at BYU, Brad Wilcox talked about our purpose as missionaries. He said that others may be confused why I would go to a place like the Philippines, and not spend my time helping the people temporally. He said that we have a higher cause. What I am bringing to the people here, is the ONLY thing that I can give to them that will last forever. Any other help- food, shelter, money, is temporary. Of course, they are so important, but my work helping others to enter into the waters of baptism, is even more important. </div>
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Jesus Christ taught, "Except a man be born of water, and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." I love the people of the Philippines! I LOVE the Doloroso family and the Arias family. I want them to be happy.. and most of all, I want them to be with their families, and their Heavenly Father forever. I want them to be saved in the kingdom of God. </div>
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This is what I know to be true. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that He is our Savior. He came into this Earth to give ALL of us a way to get back to Him. That way is through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. His gospel was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that it is true, because I feel the peace and joy every day as I embrace this gospel in my life. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that families can be together forever. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints truly is the Lord's church here on the Earth. </div>
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I am so blessed to proclaim HIS truth to all the world. Jesus Christ's last words to his apostles were:</div>
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<b>19 ¶Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:</b></div>
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<b> 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.</b></div>
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That is what I am here to do. I love it! I am SO thankful to be a missionary. I will forever be in debt to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to have such beautiful experiences here. </div>
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I love you! Have a great week!!</div>
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Love, Sister Lockwood</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-71014989033708023592015-08-31T03:20:00.000-07:002015-08-31T03:20:35.146-07:00Because I have been given much<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Ocsin Family</div>
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The Arias Family</div>
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Dwight and Dwayne</div>
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My heart is so full this week!! I am the luckiest missionary in the world. We had so many great lessons and ,of course, so many great adventures as well. Last night there was a big storm, and so the power went out in the city. It's pretty fun for about the first 5 minutes when we light candles and take pictures...But then you realize that there is no electricity, which means no electric fans..which means it's HOT. But, luckily the power came back on before we had to go to sleep (: I also tried chicken liver for the first time! It is about as gross as it sounds. </div>
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This week we were really focusing on the Doloroso family and the Arias family, who are both scheduled to be baptized this Saturday!!! Liezel, Camille, Michelle, and Y'vonne all had their interviews this week and it went well! Apple still has hers coming up on Tuesday. We are just having so much fun preparing them, and getting them excited about becoming members of the church. Each one of these individuals is so amazing. Liezel has been taught by the missionaries for over a year now! She was able to quit smoking just after I entered the area, and so is now qualified for baptism with her daughter and her neice. Apple and Yvonne are a part of a part member family. Brother Doloroso is a returned missionary, but went less active before he met Apple. We love their family SOOO much. They are wonderful, and I am just dreaming of the day they will send me pictures of themselves at the temple. Apple is totally a future Relief Society president, and Dwight and Dwayne are future missionaries. Its the best.</div>
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This morning I was reading in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah. This is the beginning of King Benjamin's address. As I read, today 2 verses stood out in particular. King Benjamin talks a lot about service. We always remember the verse that teaches that when we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God. I loved the verses that taught...(21) "I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants. (24) And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?"</div>
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In my very first interview with President Ostler, he asked the question, "Why did you decide to serve a mission?" I responded that I felt that I had been blessed SO much. Everything good in my life has come from being a member of the church. I felt indebted, and that it was time for me to give back to my Father in Heaven. He replied "So, you feel that you need to try to pay God back for all that He has given." "Yes." He then smiled and said, "That is never going to work." </div>
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At the time, I was kind of confused. Wasn't it time now for me to sacrifice? Wasn't I going to be sacrificing a lot? Warm showers, my family and friends, my time for 18 months.. At the time I could think of A LOT that I was giving up. President Ostler taught me that every time we give anything to the Lord, he pays us back even more than we gave. Now, over a year after that interview, I am starting to understand. True, I have sacrificed a lot. But, I have seen Heavenly Father showering the blessings on me. I have learned so much from these experiences that have changed me. I have made eternal friendships with people who I love so much. I have learned discipline, and come to better know my Savior Jesus Christ. I have become someone new. </div>
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In the talk "The 4th Missionary" by Lawrence Corbridge, he describes it this way, "Some blessings you wait for; others are immediate and invariable. One way that you are immediately blessed, is that you are changed. And that change may be the greatest blessing of all. When you willingly obey the principles of the gospel, you are changed to become more like Him." </div>
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I have been given so much. But my time here in the Philippines isn't so that I can give back and get even with Heavenly Father. I'm just being blessed even more! I am so thankful for every experience that I am having here. I love being a missionary and I am eternally indebted to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with this opportunity. </div>
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I love you so much! Have a great week!!</div>
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XOXOXO</div>
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Sister Lockwood</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-24946014194631909622015-08-24T04:52:00.001-07:002015-08-24T04:52:30.367-07:00It is Wonderful to me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;">This is liezel and michelle and camille! It was her birthday last week so she invited us over for a small party (: Liezel is the mom.</span></div>
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The twins are Dwight and Dwayne..aka my bffs.</div>
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This week was definitely a test for Sister Lagrimas and I. It rained and it rained and it rained!! And-its not going to stop raining because its rainy season! I love rainy season because its not so hot, and I actually get to sleep with a sheet (: But, its also pretty rough sometimes because even though its raining, we still go out and work every day. Its different than last rainy season on Palwan, because it floods. Our area floods pretty bad.. But we do our best to work around it. In one part of our area this week, the floods were up to people's wastes!! And this wasn't even a bad typhoon like will be coming as the months go on. </div>
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There are mangos here!! I am suprised I haven't told you about them.. I am borderline obsessed. Its not mango season anymore, but we still buy them all the time. Ah, they are so good. Did they have mangos in Paraguay? My favorite dessert is Mango float.</div>
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My shoes are doing good! I only wear my nice brown shoes to church or zone conference, etc. We wear rubber shoes every day. You really have to because it rains so much. I just got a new pair of rubber shoes before I transferred. </div>
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Even though we are thankful for the rain, it was a test this week because with the rain, we experienced a lot of rejection. Its really crazy! In my whole year here in the Philippines, I have experienced so little rejection. And usually, when people reject us they just are nice and lie and say things like "we are busy" or "I am about to go somewhere". This hurts a lot less than, "Ayaw namin." Which literally translates to "We don't want that." Hahaha, but for some reason, our test this week was to see what we would do when rejection came with the rain! So, what did we do? We just kept going! We just walked around in the rain, soaking wet, OYMing people and going to everyone we could think of to listen to our message. </div>
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And, we were blessed. We saw miracles happen, and we ended up seeing the rewards of our efforts. We have been working with the Arias family and Doloroso family to prepare them for baptism. Sister Lagrimas is probably about to get transferred, so we have been trying so hard to get them ready before she leaves. In order for the Doloroso to be qualified for baptism on the 5th, they HAD to come to church yesterday- and guess what?! They came! They were out of town and sick, and so we weren't able to see them hardly at all this week, but our efforts came through and they made it. Sister Liezel (Arias) also lived the Word of Wisdom another week this week so she is so close too!! We are praying for 5 baptisms on the 5th...the Doloroso family (Yvonne and Apple) and the Arias family (Liezel, Michelle, and Camille.)</div>
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Another miracle that happened for me this week happened during sacrament meeting yesterday. As missionaries, sometimes sacrament meeting can be one of the most stressful hours of the week. We are always rushing around picking up investigators before sacrament meeting, and then when we get there we are greeting everyone, talking with the members, and sometimes attending meetings with the bishop. Then, especially here in the Philippines, after sacrament starts, we hold our breath and pray and pray and watch the doors to see what investigators will come in late. I'm sure its funny to watch us as we turn excitedly every time the door opens. Haha, but yesterday Sister Lagrimas and I set the goal to have a spiritual sacrament meeting. We wanted to try to focus more on the Atonement and the Savior and feel the strength that we need. As we began to sing the sacrament hymn, "I stand all Amazed" I thought to myself, "Doloroso isn't here yet. They have to come today." I then said a little prayer, and tried to focus on the words. As we closed the first verse, I saw Dwight and Dwayne out the window running in the parking lot towards the doors! The joy was so real. I then was able to really ponder about the meaning of the sacrament. As I passed the bread and the water to the investigator sitting next to me, I thought about what a privilege it is to get to share the blessings of the atonement with others. That is really what I am doing. And even though some days are hard, some days are stressful, and sometimes sacrament meeting isn't as spiritual and calm as it is when I am not a missionary- I love it. I am SO thankful to be doing this work. I am literally handing the body and blood of the Savior to others. We read in Doctrine & Covenants (scripture) that it is in the ordinances of the gospel.. like baptism, sacrament, and the temple, that the power of godliness is manifest. I am the luckiest to get to help people experience that power as we help them partake of the blessings of the ordinances of the gospel.</div>
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I love you all so much! I love being a missionary! Have a great week!</div>
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XOXOXO</div>
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Sister Lockwood</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-83464676717884555342015-08-17T04:55:00.000-07:002015-08-17T04:55:13.983-07:00Families can be together forever!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Amacio Family</div>
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Half of my companions in one photo!</div>
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Mission Leadership Council</div>
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Helping in the kitchen at the mission home </div>
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Zone Conference</div>
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Dear Family, </div>
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It is HOT. We survived this week without water! Last week after filling up every bowl and tub that we had, we were able to make it until the water got turned back on again. </div>
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But, despite the heat, this week was good! I am so blessed to serve in a place where I always have lots of people to teach. I particularly love this area because we have so many families that we are working with!! It is so much fun to teach families, because as missionaries we help them embark on their journey towards the temple. As missionaries, we teach the lessons up until baptism, and then we work with our recent converts for at least one year after. We re-teach them the lessons and help them stay active. Part of that includes helping them get involved in callings, the Priesthood, home and visiting teaching, and ultimately, the temple. </div>
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One of the families in our area who was baptized last year is preparing to enter the temple right now! The Amacio family. They are amazing, and yesterday Brother Amacio received the Melchezidek Priesthood! Even though they are still relatively new, they are making such a huge contribution to the ward and especially to their family. I feel so lucky to help them prepare to be sealed (:</div>
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We also have lots of families who are just making the first steps towards baptism. The Doloroso family is my favorite. Sadly, though, their kids got really sick this week and we weren't able to teach them at all ): So now we are goaling for baptism in early September. </div>
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Our other investigators are doing great! Sister Liezel is living the word of wisdom!! Yay!! Its been a week now, I think, since she has smoked! So, life is good!</div>
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I don't have any other news really! I just love being a missionary! It is so much fun for me to help families no matter what stage they are at. I am so thankful for MY family. Even though its been a year, it still isn't easy being away from them. But it is the families here that we are working with that help me continue running! </div>
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I love you!! Have a great week!</div>
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Love, Sister Lockwood</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-50800247558579650342015-08-10T02:49:00.001-07:002015-08-10T02:49:52.833-07:00Just keep swimming<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Dear Family,</span><br />
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Hello from Las Pinas! It has been another really great week, and I am just so blessed to be in this area. It is almost like a suburb of Manila. No tall buildings, but still lots of people around to talk too. There's more grass and trees and even some neighborhood goats (: Yesterday we found out that all of the water for Las Pinas is getting shut off this week! So we filled up all of our buckets and are looking forward to bucket baths this week. Actually since coming here, I've actually found it preferable to a shower because the water is so cold. </div>
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The work is going really well. This week we worked with the Doloroso family! They are the family with Dwight and Dwayne. Sister Apple is soo progressing, and we had some powerful lessons with her this week. Her husband is a member, and so she has been coming to church and taking the lessons with us, but really just been searching to know for herself. When we taught her about the Book of Mormon on Friday, she told us that she is starting to feel something different when she reads. She says that every day she is excited to read another chapter, and that she is starting to recognize what we mean we we talk about feeling the truth through the spirit. She and her daughter, Yvonne, are preparing to be interviewed in a couple of weeks!! Their family will be SO blessed by the gospel, and I am already dreaming of the day they are all sealed. </div>
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We also had a cool experience this week with the Ocsin family. They are probably my favorite. They save up money every week just so they can get transportation to church. The missionaries have been working with their family for awhile now, and this week we went visiting teaching with Sister Ocsin for the first time! It was so much fun! It was powerful to watch Sister Ocsin teach and testify and get to know the less active sister she was visiting. When they shared stories to eachother, it just reminded me of the importance of home and visiting teaching. I love getting to be a missionary and just helping people embrace every part of the gospel!!</div>
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A super funny thing that happened this week was when we were teaching Brother Efren. He is another one of my favorite investigators. He gets up early every Sunday and rides his bike to church. Haha, have I ever told you about how Filipinos seriously LOVE kareoke? Haha, well this week we went to Brother Efren's house and were going to watch the restoration DVD with him. But before we start every lesson, we sing first. So we were like, "Before we watch the DVD, is it okay if we sing first?" Then, Efren gets up and leaves the room and comes back with his microphone to connect to the kareoke machine! He goes "kakanta muna tayo?" Or "We'll sing first?" Oh man, it was so hilarious. He is also making great progress with the word of wisdom! Keep him in your prayers.</div>
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For me, this week was a great week but also provided opportunities for me to learn and grow. Sometimes for me, the routine of missionary work gets hard. Every day at 6:30 AM, we wake up and pray. Then at 8 oclock, personal study... At 12 oclock we leave the house and start proselyting. The schedule goes on and on and continues to repeat itself, and to be honest, sometimes I just think I might go crazy! At home, I loved not having every minute planned, and just sleeping when I felt tired. But, one morning in personal study I realized that that is just going to be a part of life. Even though I won't be a missionary forever and have to live on this schedule, there for sure will be things that I do not feel like doing. Sometimes, we don't want to read our scriptures, or maybe go to church. But I think it is in those times, that Heavenly Father just cares that we keep on trying, that we keep doing what's right, even when we don't feel like it. There will always be light and happiness waiting ahead, if we just hold on to what we know. I have for sure seen that in the mission field. I may not skip down every hot street, or hop out of bed every morning full of sunshine, but because I keep doing those things and keep doing my best, I am showing Heavenly Father that I love him. Just keep swimming! Sometimes, that's all that Heavenly Father wants from us. </div>
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I know that God lives. I know that He is our loving Father. He is real, and He is involved in the details of our lives. Even though we may not always feel it, He is always there. Step by step, day by day, it is the choices that we make that we lead us back to Him one day.</div>
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I love you! I hope you have a great week! Keep praying for the Doloroso family, Efren, Liezel, Camille, Michelle, and the Ocsin family!! </div>
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XOXOXOXO</div>
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Sister Lockwood</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-55080495526281314562015-08-03T04:44:00.000-07:002015-08-03T04:44:26.567-07:00Hello from Las Pinas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Transfer day at the office</div>
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M<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">y beautiful new companion outside our house!! Sister Lagrimas (:</span></div>
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The outside of our apartment </div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;">Sister Lagrimas made me this sign for when I arrived (:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Dear Family, </span></div>
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Hello from Las Pinas! (It actually has a tilde over the n, so like las pinyas). I LOVE it here!! It was such a crazy week, and so hard for me to say goodbye to Makati, but I really just feel so blessed to be in this new area. </div>
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My last days in Makati were a bit crazy.. Turns out I am severely allergic to squid. Apparently, my body developed an allergy for it! After eating dinner at the bishops house, we had quite the crazy night of rashes and stomach aches and breathing problems. But, of course, Heavenly Father never leaves his children, and especially not his missionaries, alone. Everything turned out to be okay, and now I get a cool epi pen just in case I accidentally eat it again! Then on Tuesday my companion, Sister Pamesa, got sick, so we were stuck in the apartment all day. It was so sad because it was my very last day to work in that area. I felt like Makati 3rd/4th was my baby! I remember back in February, when Sister Dewan and I shot gunned that area. I'll never forget my first Sunday going to church for 6 hours and being totally stressed and lost when we would try to find investigators houses! Then, after 6 months of working hard every day and praying and fasting and just falling in love with those people, it was just such a heart breaker to leave. The last prayer Sister Pamesa and I said together for Robert, Jerry, Carol, Berdin, Mary Ann, Melonie and Chris, Aisha... I just bawled. I never knew it would be so hard to say goodbye to those people!</div>
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But, on the plus side I get to see Sister Teo and Sister Pamesa frequently and they can keep me updated!! I saw them last week and they showed me a text from Robert. He went to the temple for the first time this week!! Ah, he LOVED it! I literally could not be more happy for him. So even though I'm not in Makati, keep praying for those amazing people!</div>
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After the emotional roller coaster of my last few days in Makati, I have just been falling in love with Las Pinas, and especially my new companion. Sister Lagrimas, who is an angel. She is so obedient and hard working and is so kind to me. I can just feel that we're gonna have a great transfer together. She's been out in the mission for about 10 months, so we are about the same age in the mission too, which is fun. We're STL's together, so we will be going on exchanges with all the Sisters here in Paranyaque. </div>
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So- the new people in this area!! Ah- we started teaching a family this week who is SO AMAZING. They are the Doloroso family.. literally the coolest. They have twin sons who are named Dwight and Dwyane. And yes, that is as in Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade. Their mother is not a member yet, and Yvonne is their 10 year old daughter. Dwight and Dwyane are 6. They started coming to church a few weeks ago, and just have so much faith! They are amazing, and I am so pumped to keep teaching them.</div>
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Some of the other amazing people are Sister Liezel and Brother Efren. Sister Liezel started being taught by the missionaries last April! She has been coming to church on and off, but has had a smoking problem. When Sister Lagrimas first came here 4 months ago, she said that she was down to 6 sticks a day. But-my very first lesson with her-we committed her to ZERO! Ah- it is amazing! She has been working so hard for so long and is now finally there! I love to think about the Sisters who started teaching her last April. If only they could see her now...</div>
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The ward is also so awesome! The bishop is so on top of things and I just feel so at home already.</div>
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Well I am almost out of time! I love you so much!! Have a great week!!</div>
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XOXOXOXO</div>
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Sister Lockwood</div>
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ps. These are pictures taken at the mission office and posted by Sister Northrup, who is a missionary who works in the office.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-82347101399134205222015-07-27T04:24:00.000-07:002015-07-27T04:24:17.758-07:00The best is yet to be!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Robert's baptism with Brother Ho! Happy Day!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFwHcjqcnXZFNpjC6rfmwRGQYzI07ESjQ6mlArickmOtTHqyuhrsyAPbFjMXP7GK2SWmqzwLnSApwi2uTaDZX87qe89d1x46K4oTGIyWQhjgK4ewnr6cH4VQBN46N_mbb8bcPshZEMco/s1600/IMG_1693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFwHcjqcnXZFNpjC6rfmwRGQYzI07ESjQ6mlArickmOtTHqyuhrsyAPbFjMXP7GK2SWmqzwLnSApwi2uTaDZX87qe89d1x46K4oTGIyWQhjgK4ewnr6cH4VQBN46N_mbb8bcPshZEMco/s640/IMG_1693.JPG" width="640" />Robert with his mom and brother, James.</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFwHcjqcnXZFNpjC6rfmwRGQYzI07ESjQ6mlArickmOtTHqyuhrsyAPbFjMXP7GK2SWmqzwLnSApwi2uTaDZX87qe89d1x46K4oTGIyWQhjgK4ewnr6cH4VQBN46N_mbb8bcPshZEMco/s1600/IMG_1693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNsXfcE6rX44SMHUSDv1u2b_doD0ckRo9iwnumCwIHiBzUAvzw0_LDbFc00AR-pMSB9jD4_Pm1_dSgtCHKAQ9dkSywA3c146NrdOQE7qfQm3n9ZkNND6JFolgWiLFZurt2378OpcCS5w/s1600/IMG_1704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNsXfcE6rX44SMHUSDv1u2b_doD0ckRo9iwnumCwIHiBzUAvzw0_LDbFc00AR-pMSB9jD4_Pm1_dSgtCHKAQ9dkSywA3c146NrdOQE7qfQm3n9ZkNND6JFolgWiLFZurt2378OpcCS5w/s640/IMG_1704.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><b>My last lesson with the Berdin Family. :(</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Dear Family, </span><br />
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Hello, and for the last time, hello from Makati!! I got news this morning that I will be transferred! To be honest, I feel really really sad, but at the same time, I am just overwhelmed with gratitude for the experiences that Heavenly Father has allowed me to have here. </div>
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Yesterday, Robert was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and ordained to the office of a Priest! We are SO excited for him! His baptism on Saturday was such a sweet experience for me. He was so happy, and his mom and brother were able to attend. Yesterday in sacrament meeting, Bishop invited him to share is testimony and it was powerful. It was so cute. At his baptism we invited him to share his testimony and when he got up there and looked to us and goes, "So, I just like, testify right?" Then that is exactly what he did! He said, "I testify that God lives. I testify that the Book of Mormon is true! I testify that Joseph Smith and Thomas S. Monson are prophets of God. I testify that this church is true." It was amazing! Recent Converts have the most powerful testimony because its straight from the heart. Robert is almost done with the Book of Mormon, and is literally just full of happiness and light. I have seen the real change that the gospel has on people. It's a change that just fills you with hope and peace and positivity! The ward is so amazing in helping him feel welcome. He already has a calling and has all the support he needs. The bishop also spoke at his baptism, and he talked about how baptism is just the beginning. Its the first step to the temple. Its the very beginning of a life filled of service and trying to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I can't wait for the day when I get to see those I have taught enter into the temple for themselves. </div>
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The baptism was also really exciting because lots of our investigators came!! Jerry was able to come, and so was Carol. They are both progressing so much and I am excited for the day when I hear of their baptisms (: </div>
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After such an exciting week, finding out about this transfer was super hard. I have no idea what kind of ward I will be assigned to next, or who my companion will be. But, ya know, I am realizing that that is what faith is. Faith is when we trust that Heavenly Father loves us, and He wants what's best for us. Faith is when we are lead, step by step, just like I left my comfortable happy life in Provo to come all the way here in the Philippines. There were moments there in those last few weeks in Helaman halls, when I seriously wondered if life got any better! I just cried and cried with Cady and Erica and all of my other best friends, and just wished I could stop time! Now, I am learning that Heavenly Father leads us by the hand. The only way for us to grow and to learn is to let go of what is behind us. We have to move forward. </div>
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This morning I read a devotional talk by Jeffry R. Holland called "Remember Lots Wife." He talked about how when Lot and his family were called to leave Sodom and Gummorah Lots wife looked back longingly, and was turned to a pillar of salt. He said "In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future." He then reminds us that faith is pointed to the future! Our lives are ahead of us, and great wonderful happy things are ahead. </div>
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Sometimes, we have to be lead one step at a time. We may not know how things will work out, or what our future holds. But, we ALWAYS have the Lord's promise, that if we follow Him, He will keep leading us to better things, because ultimately, that path is leading us to Him. </div>
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I love you all so much! I am so full of gratitude for the experiences that I am having on my mission. I love the people here with all of my heart, and I am just loving every day I have to spend with them (:</div>
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Things will work out! The best is yet to be.</div>
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XOXOXOXO</div>
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Sister Lockwood</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-45213792211408725622015-07-20T04:16:00.000-07:002015-07-20T04:16:24.342-07:001 year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Look who was at church yesterday with her new baby!! Margie!! Don't they look great (: (: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">My kabahays suprised me on Saturday with my one year sign!!! They're the best (:</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1Wqffd_WaDpOWTcslU6Gn0aJKwt6YzAVvgkbdBSS6P3_ZIFZF7mir6gXT2lI5yFkVGRv4LiTYtZd9_iJdlXqq2O_Z_vixidD78RmwgUj8GmZ5ZtWmAw_SOLPZCiYlKrp-8Z6CfAvgF8/s1600/IMG_1729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1Wqffd_WaDpOWTcslU6Gn0aJKwt6YzAVvgkbdBSS6P3_ZIFZF7mir6gXT2lI5yFkVGRv4LiTYtZd9_iJdlXqq2O_Z_vixidD78RmwgUj8GmZ5ZtWmAw_SOLPZCiYlKrp-8Z6CfAvgF8/s640/IMG_1729.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;">This is Robert and Sister Kim! Robert is actually half Korean and so the Kim family has been super involved in helping us teach him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Dear Family, </span></div>
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It has officially been one year since I said goodbye to all of you and began my journey to the Philippines! It was crazy to think of how much has changed since then. Last time this year, I knew next to zero Tagalog, I almost never ate rice, and every night I prayed that no cockroaches would bite my eyes in the middle of the night. I barely knew the people or the culture, and I was absolutely terrified and pretty homesick. Now, I speak Tagalog! I eat rice everyday, and I pray and pray for our wonderful investigators and less active members and the amazing Filipino people. I am so happy here and I can't believe that one year is over!! However, the night of my one year, I did wake up to a cockroach crawling up my leg in the middle of the night, so I have added again the same prayers about the cockroaches that I had last year. </div>
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The biggest news for this week is Robert is getting baptized!!! This week was so amazing as we continued to teach him and really help him come to this decision. About a month ago, when he first came to the church, we extended July 25th as his baptismal date. It has been exciting for us as he has continued to grow and become more prepared for baptism. We have seen so many miracles. This week, we went over the baptismal interview questions with him, and he was a champ! But he said that he still wasn't sure if he was ready. We prayed and prayed for him, and when we were able to meet with him again, he told us of answered prayers that he had, and that he really knew that this was what Heavenly Father wanted for him. He talked about how at work they were starting to change people's schedules, and that he heard that many people were going to have to move to Sunday. He said, "Well, that's when I decided to do what the sisters keep telling me, pray about it." He prayed that he would still have Sundays off so he could go to the church. Later that night, he learned that there was a mess up in the computer and that he would still be able to work weekdays only. I have had SO much joy in teaching him, and he is just so ready!</div>
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Jerry is also doing great!! He came to church again, and this week we taught him the gospel of Jesus Christ. We also taught a new investigator who is from China as well! Her name is Aisha and she started taking an English class a few months ago from the senior couples and has been coming to church! Every week, when we teach, and then Brother and Sister Ho translate for us, I am just filled with the Holy Ghost. Brother and Sister Ho are from Houston, and are here for work for a few years. They are the only people around here that know Chienese, and I know that part of the reason they were brought all the way to the Philippines was to help these wonderful brothers and sisters hear and understand the gospel in their native language. </div>
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We also have some really prepared investigators in the 3rd ward. Deli, who we met at church last week, came to church again yesterday and is really searching for the truth. We taught the restoration and are helping her to recognize answers to prayers. Caizy is also doing great and the days are counting down to her wedding! Exciting! </div>
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I am just loving life in Makati!! We had exchanges again this week down in Las Pinas, and it was fun to work in areas with trees and fresh air and learn from the sisters there. </div>
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I can't believe one year is gone! Of course I have mixed feelings, but I am just so deeply thankful for the experiences I have had over the past year and the people who still lay ahead in the next 6 months. </div>
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I love you!! Have a great week!!</div>
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XOXOXOXOXO</div>
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Sister Lockwood</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03901218899968762447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396171537761628037.post-88271625952701031292015-07-13T03:59:00.000-07:002015-07-13T03:59:23.416-07:00I love being a missionary!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">On exchanges with Sister Mabeza!</span> </div>
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This is Jerry! </div>
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With Sister Pamesa</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Dear Family, </span></div>
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I love being a missionary!! In the MTC, our MTC president would always make us say that together, "I love being a missionary." It kind of became a joke in our district... Like we were in boot camp or something. But now, I can say it and really really mean it! This week was SO busy and crazy with exchanges and so many lessons. I'm super tired, but just feel great. </div>
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As far as updates go, Robert is doing awesome and we are hoping that his baptism will be going through on the 25th!! This week we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and about a lot of the commandments. He is my favorite investigator because he loves learning. He always reads so much and comes to our lessons with so many questions. He is already over half way through the Book of Mormon!! My favorite thing he said this week was when he told us about an experience he had when reading in the Bible. He was reading in the last verses of Matthew, and he said that he felt a feeling come over him that he hadn't felt before. He said "I think I know what you mean now about feeling the spirit and knowing truth." Ah! Those words for a missionary are just heaven. Keep him in your prayers!! </div>
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Jerry is also progressing super well. I think he should be baptized at the beginning of August! He just has so much faith. He comes to church every Sunday. He reads the Book of Mormon and he lives the commandments that we teach him! Even though it isn't always easy to communicate, with the help of Brother and Sister Ho, he really has come so far. </div>
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Our other investigator, Caizy is doing great too!! She has gone through so much in her life, and I really know that Heavenly Father led her to the place where she is now. Its amazing to see how the Lord never forgets us. </div>
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I am just so amazed at how many people the Lord has prepared for us to teach. Just this week we were at the church, and a family from Italy walked up because they are new to the area and were looking for a church to go to!! They are coming to church next Sunday, and are really excited to meet other foreign families! </div>
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Another woman met some Elders last week when she was shopping, and she told them that she would go to the church nearest to her on Sunday. She came to church yesterday and said, "I gave them my phone number, so I was afraid if I didn't come that they would call me and ask me about it." She is actually in our area and we taught her for the first time yesterday!! She has had so much exposure to the church and is really really prepared. Her name is Deli, so you can keep her in your prayers too!! </div>
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Our less active members are also continuing to merge back into the culture of the church!! Melanie and Chris came again, and so did Rey and another brother we have been working with!</div>
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We also had exchanges this week!! It was really fun because they were out further away from the city and I felt like I was on Palawan again!! There was grass and trees!!! ...These are things I havent seen in awhile. The sisters were super awesome! </div>
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I just really can't say enough about how grateful I am to be assigned where I am. We are seeing so much progress in our area, and I can honestly say that it is 100% all the Lord's doing. Every person that we are teaching was led by Him to us. We have just been His instruments, in being at the right place at the right time. </div>
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I LOVE LOVE LOVE being a missionary!! I hope you have a great week!!</div>
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XOXOXOXO</div>
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Sister Lockwood</div>
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ps. I got assigned to speak in church in the 4th ward on the 25th... pray for me lol. I will have to speak in front of my mission president AND the area presidency! Woof! </div>
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Matthew 28:19-20 </div>
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19 ¶Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:</div>
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20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.</div>
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