Sister Dalley's LDS Mission Adventures: First baptism!

Week 11

Hello ALL!!!

Kumusta po kayo?! I hope you all had a good week!! I can't believe that I am already emailing you again!! Time flies when you are having fun!

HAPPY V DAY!!

I have learned soo much this week!! We achieved our goals this week and even went past the Standard of Excellence! We as companions have really been trying to be sanctified missionaries and the Lord has really blessed us because of our efforts! I mentioned before that we as a mission have a goal to get 2 baptisms per companionship for the Month of March. We have 8 set for March!!!! We just hope and pray that they will stick to their dates!!!

Our service project!

This week really was great! We had a CSP where we cleaned up an investigator's yard because it was COVERED in trash! The yard looks sooo much better! It really was fun. We got to know our investigator better and also his mom. They really are VERY special! They are very knowledgeable in the ways of gospel things. It amazes me what Brother Dexter knows. And whenever we give him an assignment he just eats it up, reads all the material that we give him and does more reading! He is loving what we teach him. It really is amazing. He keeps surprising us with his faith and diligence. He is soo excited to be baptized on the first of March! :)

So when I first arrived here my mission president told us that our mission would be a lot like girls camp. Boy was he right!! I rarely wear makeup, or do my hair because it is so hot and I am sweating ALL the time! I come home from a full day at "Girls Camp" and I am spiritually filled and exhausted. I am sooo dirty from head to toe. I smell of sweat, sunscreen and insect repellent. It is definitely like Girls Camp! Including the gross , scary bugs! PERO (but) what is different is that I am here for 18 months and I am teaching others!! 10x better than Girls Camp!!

So something really cool that happend this week! We went to teach a recent convert and he owns a vegetable stand at Palengke. So as we were chatting with him I noticed one of his workers was really studying each of our mouths as we talked and then as I watched him get someone's attention and he was SIGNING! I quickly got his attention and asked in sign language, "You know sing language?!" "YES!" he replied! "Are you deaf?" "YES!" I then got to have full on conversation with him!! I even interpreted part of our lesson!! So amazing! It felt so good to sign again! The Lord really does prepare us for missions throughout our lives!! So great!!!
So something that I have really had to learn a lot about is humility and I've really had to apply it into my life. Especially as I am having to learn so much and making so many mistakes. I have had to be humble as I am learning a whole new language. I have had to accept that I am going to make mistakes and that I need to be okay with being corrected. And I have made SO many mistakes these last few weeks. I have learned that I need to just swallow my pride and accept that I made a mistake, apologize sincerely, and go to the Lord in prayer and ask for forgiveness. Its amazing what humility can do for someone. I feel the blessings of being humble and I am feeling different and better!! :)

Two scripture thoughts! Mormon 3:16! I love this verse because Mormon is standing as a witness of God in ALL places and times!! The wicked people have asked him to lead them into battle against their enemies, but he refuses!! He refuses to help his people so that he can stand as a witness of God! What a sacrifice! BE like Mormon! Stand as a witness of God at ALL times, things and places!!

So in Alma 29:1-10. I've read this many times, but now I truly know and understand what Alma felt and meant when He says, "Oh that I were an angel and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!..." These 10 verses I can truly relate to! Sometimes it is so hard not to (in the middle of a lesson) just stand on my chair and CRY repentance unto these people! And with a voice to shake their hearts and bring them to their knees and repent of their pridefulness and wickedness. But just like Alma I need to be happy and grateful that the Lord has given me this opportunity to be a missionary! :)

Angelie, Johnson and me at baptism!

We had a baptism this week! Angelie De Guzman! I love her SO much! The day of her baptism was SO stressful though, both my companion and I ended up in tears at the end of the day because of how unorganized our ward is and the lack of true leadership. Our ward really struggles with being on time and people stepping up to their calling. So many things went wrong, but the Spirit was there. Angelie and our other investigator that was there felt the Spirit and now Angleie is a new member of the Church!! YAY!! Now her goal is to be sealed to her husband and soon to be baby next year!! and I will hopefully be able to go and be a witness of the sealing! So cool!! It is amazing how the gospel truly blesses people and changes their lives!!
I LOVE this work! Yes, the language is soo difficult and I STILL have no idea what to say and what is being said, but I LOVE IT!!! This truly is God's work and it cannot be stopped!! :) HUZZAH FOR ISRAEL!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! MAHAL NA MAHAL KO KAYO!!!

Love!!

Sister Dalley