I've had a few "Followers" this week!

WEEK THIRTEEN

Just another day in the jungle....

 Hello to the family of a state champ! wow, how does it feel?

Madds congrats! I prayed for you all day long, so glad all those blood sweat and tears paid off. I'm so proud of you baby.

Family, we have some of the very best progressing investigators right now.  All of which have accepted the invitation to be baptized, and all of which are keeping their commitments (can I get three big cheers??)  There is absolutely no better work to be apart of than helping people find the truth for the first time, find the gospel for the first time, find their Savior for the first time.

xxxx is nineteen years old.  I love teaching her because I feel like I relate so well.  She just moved here to work and to help take care of her sisters kids.  She misses her family a whole lot (something I just might understand) She is lonely and trying to adjust to a lot of change. 

We taught her about the Plan of Salvation this week.  I wish you could have seen the look on her face when she was hearing of God's plan for His children for the first time.  She just kept saying, this is new knowledge to me.. this just makes sense.  I always walk out of the lessons reminded how lucky I've been to always have the knowledge of this gospel.  xxxx is so prepared, she reads all the pamphlets, prays, attends church, reads the Book of Mormon, and asks questions.  Since we've started teaching her until now I have seen a literal change in her countenance.  She is finding the joy and the peace that comes only from this gospel.  Oh family, I wish I could put into words just how amazing it is to be apart of.

This investigator helps her with her Tagalog

Brother xxxxx is half Chinese half Malasiyan.  His parents were Buddhist and then he had adoptive parents who were Christian.  He married Roselle from the Philippines after they met in Singapore, Roselle is a member.

I have learned so much through teaching xxx.  When we asked him if he knew what prophets were he responded no.. and so we've studied so hard to be able to teach our message simply and clearly- explaining the things we usually don't have to. (ps we get to teach him in English which is another bonus... :))

xxx has such a sincere desire to learn more.  He said his first prayer this week at the end of our lesson.  I cried as I listened to the most sincere, beautiful, prayer I've ever heard. 

A woman began crying during our lesson as we taught for the first time and she said that our message is exactly what she has been looking for, and waiting for.  

I love that I get to play a role in bringing others to Christ.  I love seening people FEEL this gospel.  My investigators teach me everyday.  They remind me just how life changing our message is.  They remind me what is truly means to be able to pray to our Father in Heaven.  They remind me that God truly does answer prayers.  I love feeling this gospel.  I love seeing this gospel in action.  I feel absolutely blessed to be apart of this work.  People finding the truth for the first time, people praying for the first time, people changing their lives for the first time.  People finding Christ for the first time.

Happenings of the week:

I've had a few "followers" this week. 
A little girl saw us walking on the street and started following me, she followed me into the grocery store, down every isle, through the check out line, and down a few more streets.. until I think she got tired- I kept trying to talk to her, but she preferred just following in silence :)

Last p-day two kids just sat behind my computer screen and read every single thing I wrote for my two hour span of time.

We've had to start going down different streets because there are a crowd of kids who love practicing their English on me, they're so so cute- but they make it difficult to get to our appointments on time.

A teenage boy actually followed us into three of our appointments this week- I think he wins for hanging on the longest :) three hours of work.  I was thinking by the second appointment we should have started giving him some assignments so he could add in to the lessons.

The xxxxx kids.. oh how I love them.  Dianne Makmak and Totoy will be baptized on March 1.  All of their friends have started to join in on the lessons.  We walk down a narrow maze of homes and one by one we hear "the sisters.. the sisters" as each kid pops their head out of their house, go back in grab their pamphlets and BOM and then follow behind us.  By the time we get to the xxxx home we have quite the group.

We went to pick up Dianne, Makmak, and Totoy for church and instead of our plan for three- we found nine others in their Sunday best.  I wish you could have seen them, so stinking cute!

The cute kids all ready for church!

There are always teenagers dancing outside of our appt. every evening when we get home.  Choreographed routines.. that are incredible.  I always think how much McKayla would love it.  It takes everything in me not to go outside and join them.  so much talent

The most incredible butterfly landed on me this week and just staid there for a good five minutes.  Bright yellow, purple, orange.. unreal. isn't it written somewhere that that's good luck?

The sweetest Nanay was talking to me, she was telling me a story about her brother, pointing to a group of people.  I had the idea that the group of people were gathered for some election.  And so I responded so excited for her, kept saying, how wonderful.. thinking her brother was running.  She finally looked at me with such concerned and said in English, heart attack.. come to find out her brother wasn't in an election, but he had just died.  I felt really sick and cruel that I was acting so excited about her brothers death. #notspeakingthelanguageprobs I had to apologize to the sweet Nanay.

The Sister Training Leaders worked with us this week.  They were so kind and I learned a lot going into each lesson without having Sister Sabiano there to rely on.  I love working with the sisters in the mission and getting to know them and learn from them.

I asked Jenna to send me a pic of her bed:)

Its getting hooooott again.. I think Heavenly Father knew how much I would miss swimming for eighteen months and so he sent me to the Philippines where I could feel like I was swimming everyday.

I love Sister Morrell.  Seriously love her. I'm so so lucky to have her. Who knew two girls from Bountiful Utah would live together in the Philippines..

I'm so excited for you to speak mom- and dad I'm so excited for youth conference.  sounds sooo good

I love you all! sorry this letter was a little all over the place.  But know I love you!!! xoxoxox

Love Always,

Sister Welling