WEEK 95 - June 10, 2018 (Santa Ana, Cagayan Valley, Philippines)

Hello Everybody!

WooHoo!! This was a greeeat week. It has been smoking hot and raining off and on, but we are really really happy, and so are the people here. Right now is the Santa Ana Festival, so there are tons of events going on here in Centro. This is the only time of the year that there is a "night life" here in Santa Ana. People will go out at night and stay at the perya (fair) until midnight. They just eat, enjoy the rides, gamble, and go watch little events and performances in the gym. They love it so much. There were also rumors that Coco Martin (big celebrity here) would be coming. Not sure however if it's true or not haha. And then just this last week there was an international beach volleyball tournament. So there are lots of people here and a lot of fun happening. 

So on Tuesday, we got a text from one of the members to stop by at her house for a minute and have a snack. When we got there however, to my surprise there was a huge feast set up and a bunch of people saying "Happy Birthday". It was so much fun, I was so happy. Also I didn't have to spend a bunch of money and buy a bunch of food for other people, so that was nice. (Here in the Phils, when it's your birthday, you buy everybody else food). Was a great Birthday surprise! 

On Saturday evening, we had 3 baptisms. One of them was our investigator, Tatay Rodolfo. He has absolutely quit smoking and decided to be baptized. Lots of people attended, including Tatay's family. So we did the quick program at the church, then walked over to the beach to do the baptism. The weather was great. Overcast, not too windy and not too hot. However, when we reached the sand and got a look at the ocean, the waves were huge. So the baptism took a little more effort on our part to fight the waves and time it perfectly, but it worked out great. Also because of the volleyball tournament on the beach, we had a lot of extra spectators. 

Sunday was an incredible day. Tatay was so excited to be confirmed that he was at the gate at 7:45am waiting for us to open up the church. Just before the meeting was about to start, people started piling into the meeting house. The place was getting so full, we almost had to open up the overflow. We had a total of 110 people at church! The members were so happy to see the place so full, and it was a really good spiritual service. 

Wow, after all the success we've been having here, I look back and see how much The Lord has guided our work. The other day while thinking about a less active family and how we could help them come back, I felt prompted to draw out a  picture on a little scratch paper. It was a kinda drawn out map or timeline of the steps that the family has made in their lives to draw closer to The Savior. And then the steps that they took that brought them down and further away from Him. Then, the other night as we were teaching them about the Atonement, I decided to pull it out and show it to them. I showed it first to the Father and explained it to him, and then the Mother said she wanted to see it. She looked at it, and decided right then that they will go to church on Sunday and begin their comeback to church. On Sunday morning, as I stood up to begin the meeting, all 8 of them walked in and sat down in Sacrament Meeting together for the first time in 5 years. I felt so happy, and felt the Spirit real strong. I know for a fact the the Lord communicates to His children through revelation and will use us, if we let him, as instruments to help others come unto Him.

Love  you all, have a nice week!

-Elder Jenkins