Thanks so much for all your emails, I love hearing stories and stuff they really give me a good laugh. Tell Devon I love him, and I'm sure he'll come back even skinnier than he is from his mission. Haha. But no dad I'm all good, I'll let you know if i need somethin thanks so much!
This last week was just, i don't know i don't have words for it. It's been like a roller coaster here this last transfer in Manapla, with areas we're going to, members we're working with, trying to switch things around that have happened in the past, we've been so busy and so challenged this transfer! But I just want to tell you about a miracle that happened this last week.
Sister Merlie Arcano is one of our investigators, who is just on fire. And the reason is, she loves the Book of Mormon. She says she can not live a day without reading the Book of Mormon, and she's currently in Helaman with her reading right now. Every lesson we have with her is just so powerful, its like Heavenly Father has already revealed the restored Gospel to her through her own personal study rather than we having to teach it to her. This last saturday the 20th of July was her scheduled baptism. But her husband has been having some serious health problems, and they were extremely concerned with him. The last visit we had with them she said she was going to take brother to the hospital, and she was scared it might disturb her baptism on saturday because no one else could stay with brother. But she said, "I will be there Elders, i won't let anything stop me."
So we were still faithful that the baptism would go through. We went saturday, set up the room, filled the font, and were so excited for Sister Arcano to make this sacred covenant with her Heavenly Father. After we set up, we went over to her house to check how she was, because we hadn't seen her in a few days, and she wasn't home. Her daughter was there, and told us that brother is in terrible condition and sister arcano was the only one watching over him. She said she was so sorry, but the baptism would not go through for that day.\
Walking away from that, I had no idea what to feel. We had been working so hard, trying to give it all we had in every aspect of our work, and yet another thing fell through? We went back to the church, and talked about what we could do. It was about 1pm, and the baptism was supposed to be at 3pm. Sister was 2 hours away in Bacolod watching over brother, and we didn't know whether to take it all down, or leave it. So we got down and prayed to Heavenly Father and really asked for guidance. After our prayers and scripture reading, we felt that everything would work out, somehow, whether the baptism fell through or not.
3 and 330pm came around, and not even one member besides the speakers showed up, neither did Sister Arcano. So we decided to take everything down, and just reschedule for next week. But the thing is, we were okay with it. The Spirit of the Lord really comforted us and just said not to worry. So we went back home to finish our studies and proselyte for the rest of the day. Until around 530pm, the phone buzzed, and i got a text that said.. "Elder, ari di c sister.. gusto ya magpabunyag sbng.. dali na kay gahulat sya." Which means, "Elders sister is here, and she wants to be baptized. Hurry and get over here because she's waiting on you." We jumped up from our study tables, and hurried over to the church, and found Sister Arcano there, crying with her face in her hands. There was also 2 or 3 members, sitting right next to her comforting her and really 'mourning with those that mourn' like in Mosiah 18. When we sat down and talked with her, she told us about her crazy day, with brothers condition being terrible, with no one else there to watch over him. She called brothers siblings, and told them they needed to get over to bacolod because she was going to be baptized that day, and right when they got there, she booked it to Manapla. There was so much traffic, and she said she really felt like something was trying to stop her from being baptized that day.
So we set up the baptism again, sister got in her baptismal suit, and she was baptized on july 20th, 6pm. As the baptism was going on, I was in tears, could not believe with my mortal eyes what was happening. I saw a miracle as a consequence of the faith of one of Heavenly Fathers' daughters, and her choosing to act and not be acted upon. As she shared her testimony, she said she knew that this is where she needed to be, she knew the Book of Mormon is true, and she prays that she can bring her whole family into the church.
God is a God of miracles. I testify of that, because i witnessed it on Saturday. I know He loves us all, because He speaks to us through His prophets in these latter days. And He will prepare a way for us to keep the commandments. Don't believe me? Ask Sister Merlie Arcano.
I love you family. I pray for you every night. Keep holding to the rod of iron, the words of our beloved prophets.
Elder Doane
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