"Beau !!! Happy Birthday !!!! Let's eat spaghetti !!!"
Well.
I would like to start by wishing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite, oldest,
brother: Beau!! Happy happy birthday!! Lucky for me it is already well
into the 12th here but it is still January 11th there. So I just want to
say that I love you so much! You are one of my best friends and I am so
grateful for your example of love and understanding to everyone. You are
so talented, musical, intellectual, and hilarious. There is never a dull
conversation with you and I miss you lots but I know we will see each other
soon. Please eat a piece of mom's German chocolate cake for me huh?
Love
you.
 |
| Sister K, me, Sister Kelleher, Sister To'a |
Hello my beloved pamilya,
Well, time works really weird
here. I was so shocked that P-day already came again, but then as I
contemplated the things that I wanted to share with you, and I thought back on
this week, it all seemed so long ago! Haha but anyway... it has been an
interesting week.
I'll start with one sort of trivial
detail. I have received some earrings from members/missionaries as gifts,
and so yesterday morning I decided to try some on. I haven't really worn
any jewelry here because everyone is fairly poor and I just feel weird and out
of place. The right earring slipped in just fine, but I tried putting in
the left one for about 3 minutes when I realized it has GROWN IN!! Haha my ear
is a little bit sore today... I guess that's what happens when you don't wear
earrings for 1 year? It looks like I'll be taking a trip to Claire's when
I get home... to be honest I am a little scared.
I like my housemates!! Sister Kelleher is really nice and
I like listening to her talk because she is from New Zealand. We are
actually batch mates. She is now companions with Sister Oldem.
Haha but as for the more important
and interesting stuff, Monday night was incredible. We went to
go teach a past investigator that we had to drop last November because he was
just too busy. Finally, he was the one to schedule with us and the lesson
was amazing. His wife is a member and he is so prepared. He has so
many questions and was listening so intently. We committed him to be
baptized on February 4, his wife's birthday. After that lesson,
Sister K and I ran all the way down his long street because we were almost late
for our curfew. Haha needless to say we were sooo happy and excited and
we probably were a funny sight: two white girls, running down the street in
skirts, with ginormous smiles on their faces. Haha when we went back to
teach him, he had read and one night had gone into a separate room to kneel and
pray and ask Heavenly Father if it is true. He said that he is not really
sure if he has been answered yet, but while he was praying he felt like there
was a light all around him. We explained the role of the Holy Ghost and
just told him to continue his search. Then Saturday night, they
almost cancelled with us because of this funeral that they were supposed to go
to and at the last second asked us to come because he wanted to listen.
We taught him WOW and he said that he had already been turning down drinks and
cigarettes because he wanted to change his life. He said all of his
friends make fun of him. The next day, they were supposed to be at the
burial at 9, but they sacrificed and came to church. He is so awesome.
We also had two interesting teaching experiences this week
with Bong and Nellie. While we were walking down the street, I had a very
strong impression that we should go teach Bong (a street contact that we had
months ago). We were right by their apartment, so we walked up to their
computer shop and they hesitantly let us in. The wife was very hesitant
because they hold callings in their church (she said she was an Elder in their
church) and she said that she wouldn't change religions. But, we clearly
explained that this message is for everyone and that it would bless their
lives, so they let us share a 20 minute message. We actually shared about
the gospel of Jesus Christ, and touched on Jesus' baptism. We asked them
why Jesus had to be baptized by John the Baptist, and they had no idea.
As we began to teach about priesthood, the spirit filled the room. I
could really feel the spirit working through both of us as we testified.
It was so powerful. Until that point, they had a sort of condescending
attitude and didn't really want to listen. They were confounded and
agreed to have us come back. They both really wanted to know who Joseph
Smith was. When we returned, we were surprised at the different manner in
which they received us - excited and eager to listen. We shared the
message of the restoration and the spirit was so strong. I could see
tears in Nellie's eyes during the first vision. But in the end, their
hearts became really hard and they wouldn't even accept the invitation to pray
and ask God if this is true. They didn't like the idea that there were
things that were wrong about their religion, and they weren't open to other
ideas. Honestly, I think that Bong wanted to listen more, but Nellie
definitely wears the pants in that relationship. She said that she didn't
want us to come back and that they had enough. It was such a weird turn
of events. Immediately, 2 Nep. 28:30 came to my mind.
30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the
children of men line upon line, precept upon precept,
here a little and there a little;
and blessed are those who hearken unto my
precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel,
for they shall learn
wisdom; for unto him that
receiveth I will give more; and from
them that shall say, We have enough,
from them shall be taken
away even that which they have.
Although they ended up not
progressing, I know that we were supposed to share with them. Everyone
has their agency, but our job is to do our very best to help them to make the
right choice and accept the gospel. I know that we were supposed to teach
them.
Lastly, we went to go teach this
less-active that we had randomly been running into. She really wanted us
to teach her and said that everyday at4:00 she would wait for us. So
finally, one day we found her house and it was so sad. It was the tiniest
little concrete, one-room shelter. No kitchen, no bathroom. They
have a little water spigot outside. The whole time we were teaching her,
her little 2 year old boy could not stop coughing. He was coughing sooo
hard (I could see the veins in the side of his neck). She explained that
he had asthma and that he had played too hard earlier, but he would be
ok. I really felt so sorry for them and their impoverished state. I
have really been humbled with seeing how some of these people live. We
truly are so blessed at home. We have never had to think twice if we
would be eating dinner one day.
But Sunday night was
perfect because there was a Philippines Special Broadcast where they talked
about the progress of the church here. They really focused on self-reliance
and helping people to be industrious, find work, and through obedience to the
gospel (including paying tithing and fast offerings) be freed from this
poverty. I know it is true - if we follow the commandments and do our
best, we will be blessed and we don't have to live like that. It is God's
promise. But it is sad because sometimes those poor people have such weak
faith that they don't see how it is possible to spend the money to go to church
when that money is supposed to be used on food. That's the test of our
faith.
Anyway, I am sorry that I am going
off on a rant, but I have just learned so much. I can't even touch on a
small part of it in these little weekly e-mails. But needless to say, I
am so grateful that I am here. I am so grateful for everything that I am
learning and the way I am growing and changing. Thank you for your love
and support. It means so much. You are all in my prayers.
I know for a fact that this is the
true church on earth. It is literally led, not by Thomas S. Monson, but
by Jesus Christ himself. I know that He lives and I know that through His
atonement that we can repent and change. I love all of you!!!
Love, Sister Rasmussen
 |
| Sister Eder (daughter-in-law of Sister Conching that we're trying to teach), Sister Conching, Sister Kelleher (from New Zealand, my new house-mate), Sister Ellen Garin, Sister K, Sister Oldem. |
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