December 23, 2012

Malipayon nga Paskuwa!! 

Hey fambam!

Merry Christmas! This last week was great, we have really been focusing on finding. This last week we found 11 new investigators, and the week before we found 10! It's really been a miracle, and we are really focusing on finding the rich and noble like it talks about in D&C 58. It's been sweet. Elder Malit's tight, me and him laugh all the time joking around with each other its so fun. Yeah haven't gotten those packages yet, but it's all good they'll get here one day. But today i actually got a small package from the Erekson family! It was SO awesome! It had pictures of their fam, candy, and a sweet card. Ah it made me so happy. ANd a sweet purple tie! They must know thats my favorite color :' ) The Garbison family also sent me a package! It was so awesome! THey sent some really really good chocolates and a picture of their family. Its so nice to know that families from the ward are still thinkin about me way out here in the Phillies! Yeah fam for tomorrowskyping maybe do what the ward family did when they called colton, write down some questions you have for me so you won't waste time thinking about them while we're skypin! Cuz we only got 30 minutes, and when it hits 30 minutes i don't wanna just hang up on you so maybe prepare some questions or anything you want to know! I should too haha. Yeah tonight we got a bunch of dinner appts, Pinoys really know how to eat when it comes Christmas time. We ate at our ward christmas party last week, oh boy, lets just say i was full. Tomorrow we also have a couple of appointments, we're excited for that. We're still out workin on Christmas eve and day! President says this is the best time to bring the Gospel to families because the Spirit of Christ is so abundunt around, i couldn't agree more. Not gonna lie though kinda weird it being the first Christmas away from the fam haha. But no worries at all, I got some work to do here in the Philippines :) Clysol Joy's date will actually be January 5th, and we're way excited for her! We also started teaching our Ward mission leaders son Joshua, and he is wayyy humble. His heart is so soft, and he really believes everything we teach him. He said he wants to know that he's ready for baptism, and his date is Jan 19th! We really gotta work hard to keep these investigators progressing, and i know we can do it with Heavenly Fathers help. Finding families is really the greatest, because then youre not only changing one persons life but you see how the Gospel blesses their whole family. I feel like theres so much to say right now i just can't put it into words haha, im learning so much each and every day, i'm so grateful.

This week i kinda speeded up in my scripture study, i'm currently in 2nd nephi 2. There were so many things that I loved! Especially in verse 14, when it talks about there are things to act and things to be acted upon. This is such an interesting and true verse. Of course, us as natural people are shy, sometimes scared, tempted, a little bit nervous, etc. But we must be ones to act, and overcome this natural man. If we just stay complacent each day, and don't seek to become better, we will fall, because the world is constantly getting worse, the adversary is constantly tugging down on us, so if we don't do something everyday to repent and become better we are suffering! In verse 26 it talks about the law of punishment already being affixed, and unless we act, it will have full claim on us. We must come unto Christ! We have to repent, read the Book of Mormon, pray, serve, magnify our calling, perform missionary work, so many things we can do to come unto Christ and escape the grasp of the law of punishment! We must be ones to act. I invite you all to re read Elder Robert C. Gay's talk this last conference, it really explains well about what we must do to accept the Atonement in our lives. I love you all so much, and i cant wait to talk to you tomorrow! Send my love to the rest of the family and friends, and may this Christmas be the best one yet :)

Elder Doane