January 26, 2014

Hello Family!

Thank you for the emails it's so good to know that you're all doing so well!




Elder Perez & Elder Doane having fun with Mark Decena's family!



Last week was a very successful week in Cauayan. We're so busy every single day with teaching and finding people to help them progress towards baptism. The Lord is really helping me to understand what it means to have hope, and to have charity and love for Him. True charity is the pure love of Christ, which if attained we will avoid all negative thoughts and feelings. That's something that I've really been battling with here, and so far been victorious! With every area that I've been assigned in

, I could find the negative in all of those areas, but I just choose to not look for it.

Here in Cauayan, I could find all the negative things I wanted to, but I just choose to find the positive things. Every sunday when we see the members, my companion and I just smile and are the happiest people in the world, complimenting members and supporting our branch leaders, because that's what Christ would do. Jesus Christ did not seek out the negative in people, He did not focus on our weaknesses, but He saw the potential in people, and brought that out of them! It's something the Lord is really teaching me here, and I know is going to be a blessing to my life.

Mark Decenas Baptism!

The Lord has been providing so many ready people for the Gospel here, one of them being brother Mark Disena. His baptism is on Demi's birthday, February 15th! He's a son of a recent convert. His testimony and desire to share the Gospel is so great, and he's not even baptized yet! He's even came to other appointments with us and shared his testimony, it's so amazing. Last week he fell off of a 13-14 foot coconut tree when he was climbing to get down coconuts. He landed on his feet hard, and his right foot swelled up really bad the night before Sunday. When we visited him, he said, "Cgi lng Elder ah! Masimba man ko gihapon ah!" Which means, "It's alright Elder, I'm still coming to church!" 

Come Sunday, he comes in hopping on one foot, with his member fellowshipper next to him helping him in. Mark showed his desire to follow Jesus Christ, no matter what the natural man inside of him said, or what others said, he followed his Savior.

As members, even non members, we can always find excuses to not keep the commandments. We can always find a way to sneak out of attending activities, miss meetings, etc. But a true saint, always finds an excuse to keep the commandments of God, to always attend activities, to always attend meetings, etc. We need to "put off the natural man, and become a saint (Mosiah 3:19), submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him." There are emergencies, and the Lord will understand those situations, but may we always find excuses to keep the commandments and choose the right, even when the opposition states otherwise!

Family I love this mission, being in the Lord's service has changed my life so much! I've come to know better my Savior Jesus Christ. Being 19 months now just motivates me to move faster, work smarter, and build my faith more in the Lord. Never doubt yourselves! Ye are divine offspring of the Almighty God! I love you all!

Elder Doane