Monday, August 11, 2014

Lift Where You Stand

Beloved Family, To a wonderful week in the Philippines, I love the work of Salvation. Roxanne was baptised and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. It was a wonderful baptism and the yw had a special musical number for her. We had the baptism on sunday morning before church and then she was confirmed right after that. She glows with the spirit inside her. I know she will become a leader in the church. She asks such thought provoking questions. She is converted to the gospel bc she knows the BOM is true and has received several witnessed for herself. Sister Rosalie is really progressing. her blessing from church is that her husband came back. She is so agrateful and happy. She said at church she felt like Joseph Smith and felt the light open her heart. That Christ was welcoming her, She keeps saying that the light bursts from her chest. We had a lessons and taught her the doctrine of christ. She finally understood. We drew it out and she said, i finally understand sisters, i need baptism in this church to be saved. We also taught her the GOd head., I guess its a blessing that i am a visual learner bc it really clicks for her when i teach her like that. I drew her a picture of the god head and she started to cry. she said, i though thats what it was. I was to tell my family and all my friends. That pure truth just came to light of her and made her cry, the precious truths have been taken away but have been restored through our church. I know that the gospel blesses families. Sister Irene a LA that is ALMOST reaCTIVETED said, My family was a mess, until we all became members. All things that are messy can be made right through Christ and His atonement. One of our referrals the Derrdas family, their heart is so hard. Sher thinks that she is perfect and doesnt need baptism. She says she has no sins. The Doctine in the BOM helped her to realized that she does need it, bc Adam fell. We had MLC this week and were instructed by president. 6 hours of travel and 6 hours of meeting. We are helping ot come up with the training p[lans. We are helping sister gandia retuen to church. She is soooo close. She has social concerns with her family. We were teaching her the Tree of life and everything came out. She just needs to strengthen her faith. We had exchanges with the sisters from Lopez, I really enjoy working with the sister. yen lang. we are doing our best to strengthen the units in which we serve. Love you! Mahal kits! Sister Reed

Come Unto Christ and You Will Find Eternal Life.

Dearest Family, Well, this was a good week! I love the work of the lord. I am finding as I give my self to the lord and sacrifice all that i am, I am becoming 1 with Christ and His will. I love my Savior and feel myself lifted up to His work. We had exchanges in Barra. It is the poorest area I have ever seen in the philippines. It is dirt and bamboo. The people are really dark and only have ripped clothes to wear with barely enough food. We worked 2 days over their to help the sisters in their area. We found some promising investigators. Roxannes mom signed the papers for her to be baptised! It is a miracle that she softened her heart. God knows who he wants part of His church. her baptism will be on Sunday :))). One more on Gods children will be a candidate for the celestial kingdom. Ever since the strom in our area we have been giving service and focuing on the Gecale family. The father has had a hot head to the church for years and years and years. FINALLY we have penetrated his wall! We taught him for the first time. He has a desire to follow Christ back to the Father. He wants to be baptized. He will be the last one of His family so that they can be together forever. He has a problem with the word of wisdom but we will help him with that. He said he wants to baptised in December, but i felt the words of the HOly ghost to tell him now. I told him brother, i feel that this is the time for you. I know that this is the time for you to change, to repent and follow the example of the Savior. He was quiet. Everything was entering his mind and the spirit was so strong. I have a strong feeling he WILL be baptised. That was my feeling after we walked out. I am truly humbled from the example of Sister Rosalie. She statred crying and said that her husband has not came home for 2 weeks. All her family has no food. They are starving. The children had to drop out of school and now they sell bread in the morning. Sister has a desire to come to church. She said she feels it is truye. THey have no money for traveling so we offered to walk with them. We come on sunday and she is selling coal outside her door. They dont even have enough to buy rice. When we came, they didnt use that as an excuse to stay home. They brought it in and walked 50 min with us to church. 3 nephi 13:33. This is the promise i gave to her. Heavenly Father will bless her with spiritual and temporal blessings. I am so humbled in the work of the Lord. I feel my Saviorsw love all around me, lifting me up to accomplish what i cannot do on my own. Mahal Kits Sister Reed

When you walk into the STORM, you WONT be the SAME as you walk out.

Dear Family, You can take this literally or spiritually. After the storm your hair is gonna get messy and your clothes will be soaking wet. You are physically different than it started. But this is the purpose of the storm, to change you. Th purpose of the storm is to make you change your nature. I have seen many people begin to change their nature. They are beginning to ask soul searching questions. This is where we can answer what the purpose of all this happening. I know the Lord is preparing the people to com unto Him. He is fulfilling the signs of the times by the calamities that we are seeing. Sister Gaspar de Alba gave the workshop at zone training and then went on exchanges this week with the sisters. the ward knows us as the traveling sisters, its hard bc i would like more time to work in our area, but i know that the sisters need what i have to offer them right now. Everything is inspired of God. Roxanne is progressing and sang with the YW in sacrament in church yesterday. She even wore a skirt!! :) Before, sh would not dar wear a skirt. She will become a strong member of this church. The BOM is changing her life. She has th desire to follow the Savior.I love her so much. I know this is the time for her to recieve the gospel, I am grateful to beapart of the working of God to prepare her for eternal life. We taught Tatay Crispin and he asked why God took away his roof, i told him it was a blessing and he got mad at me and asked how, i told him, now he is ready to rcieve us and Christ in his life. When we go through hard things, the Lord softens us and prepares us to recieve HIm. Mahal Kita! Sister Reed

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

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Bagyo GLENDA

Dear Family, Wow that was crazy. The typhoon Glenda hit directly on top of San Pablo Mission. Things have been pretty crazy all week. My old comp went home and so i was in a tri-sum during the storm. It started at 9pm in the night and didnt stop until 9am the next morning. The sky was so dark, the wind was howling all night long, it felt like the roof would just pop right off! The rain was pounding, it flooded into our room and our house, tin banged against the house as things were flying everywhere. None of us could sleep because of the noise, we were so scared! But as i was laying there, I prayed to my Ama, Father in Heaven. I immediately feel the peace swell into my heart and i felt wrapped in a huge hug from him. He is there. For each of us. We just need to call him to come. He will come running towards us and wrap His arms around us. No worries we were all safe. There was just no electricity, water, or other things that we are just used to having. I actually enjoyed studying by candle light every night. The houses here bad. Lost are destroyed. The bamboo or wood houses are gone. People lost everything they poses. Walang material na bagay. We have been giving service this week in building houses, building walls and roofs and washing clothes. We served at some PM families. Hoping our service would soften the heart of the father so that they can become an eternal family. I have been praying for this, something to happen so the hearts of the people in this area will be softened. By giving service we can help others feel the pure love of Christ. They will feel the pureness of the gospel and this message. Roxanne is doing good and came to church this week. She is singing with the other young women in a musical number for ward conference next week. She is in Mosiah 1 of the BOM. When we follow up with her, she can remember all the stories she reads. We are applying all the stories to her life so that she can feel the power of the BOM change her life. We have been working with a less active family. nanay Matos. They were telling me their experience during the storm. They were sleeping, then all of a sudden the roof blew off her house. They were soaking wet. The wind was so strong. She remembered the story in the BOM about Nephi and when he prayed during a storm and the storm stopped. ( 1 Nephi 18:21-22). She feel to her knees and offered a prayer. She asked God to protect her family. Her house should have fell apart and into pieces. But becuase of her faith in the BOM and her prayer, her remembrance of God, she was safe. I asked her why God gave her this gift to her. She said, "bc He wants me to remember HIM. I am far from him now, he wants me to come close to HIm." I know that this is the desire of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. No matter where you are in your life. Come unto him and be healed. Oh yah, i have a new comp now! I am training her to be a new Sister Training Leader. She is from Texas, Sister Gaspar de Alba. :) The good news is that because the storm hit, it knocked down a lot of coconuts. Soooo me and my comp drank coconut juice at one of the members houses and will make buco salad mamaya. When i opened the cocnut it sqiured all over me! Pero, it was soooo masarap!!! Sobrang mahal ko yung gawaing ng Diyos. Ito po ang tunay kaligayaan dito sa mundo. Alam ko po na yung nais Niya kayo ay lumapit. At mararamdaman kapayapan habung bawat pagsubok. Ito po ang tanging totoong simbahan dito sa lupa. Mahal ko kayo! Sister Reed

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