June 23, 2013

Hey family!

Well last week I was transferred to another area within our same zone, Manapla B. I actually still live in the same apartment i just had to move study tables haha. But now I and Elder Borromeo are together as a zone leader companionship. It's funny, this is my 3rd area within the Cadiz zone! But it's been great. We have great visions for this area, the first day we sat down and just talked about what we wanted to see happen, and what more we could do to establish the Lords Kingdom here.

This area is actually in a part of Manapla City, out by the ocean. Right now we're trying to set up a group, as in, like we don't have a group, ward, branch or anything yet. We're just attending with the Manapla ward 2 sundays of the month, and the other 2 we hold out in Punta Salong (the part close to the beach) in a class room of an elementary school. Last sunday (my first sunday) we had 18 of us at church! We started late, and at first i was really worried that the sacrament meeting was just going to be cancelled. But people showed up, and a member of the Manapla bishopric presided over the meeting, my companion conducted it. Even though we were just a small group, gathered in an elementary school class, and really hot outside, I felt the Spirit so strong. Right when we opened up with singing the Spirt of God, the Holy Spirit of Promise really confirmed to each and every one of us that what we were doing was right. We also had 2 investigators at church! One is Brother Richer, he'll actually be baptized this saturday, and his wife just returned from being less active for a really long time. He's so great, has such a strong testimony and desire to follow Jesus Christ. And the other is sister Arcano, she just has such a strong testimony in the Book of Mormon. She says whenever she reads it she just feels the Spirit talking to her and telling her what she needs to do. The first time the missionaries actually came to her she said she wouldn't come to church, or be baptized, she was really not interested. But now she has a baptismal date for July 20th, and she was the first one to church yesterday, even before me and Elder!

It just showed me how powerful the Book of Mormon is. That's really what we're trying to focus on here in Punta Salong, every investigator, member, or person we talk to, it's all focused on the Book of Mormon. In Preach My Gospel it talks about how the Book of Mormon is our foundation of our testimony. Why? Because it testifies of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, and if we read that 

book we will draw nearer to God than by any other book. Also it says in the introduction, that the Book of Mormon is a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas.. and something I realized here on the mission, is this is my chance to be an instrument, or a witness of God's dealings with the people of the Philippines Bacolod Mission. How wonderful no? 

So we're really gonna keep giving it our all here in Punta Salong, as we're really trying to be instruments in the Lords hands in building up the church here. Finding, teaching, and baptizing! I love you family. I hope you're all doing great! Until next week.

Elder Doane

PS- remember to read the Book of Mormon, every single day. And really counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, through personal prayer to Him every day. I know it will bless our lives!