9/4/2016

Sometimes it's hard to focus on what I'm going to email because there are always 20 kids around me screaming while playing Leauge of Legends and Dota... Haha but i'll try my best right now.

First off, we've got another baptism coming up! This guy named Lauro Gabriel... he's like 60+ and has strong faith in Jesus Christ. He also has a strong belief in the Restoration of the Gospel, in Joseph Smith, and it always intrigued with what he reads in the Book of Mormon. He told us that he's been wanting to try to come to church, because the church is literally right next to his house... but he's been too shy to enter because he doesn't know anyone there. Another tender mercy that we found him, talked to him, and now he's preparing himself for baptism.

What else.

We've been doing a lot of finding this week... and man the blessing have come.  For example, we found a couple the other day, and we were like "Hey can we share our message for like 20 mintues?" and they were like "Yeah sure thing come on in!" and it turns out that they've been taught by missionaries in their province before! So we're looking forward to hopefully seeing them progress.

I guess random thing: So all my white button up shirts are super baggy, so I got them all tailored, and people have been like "Wow Elder Ahn! You got skinny!" So I guess all my white shirts made me look fat before. Hopefully I don't get too fat here because man it's easy to get fat here. #ricefordays

We taught one of our Less Active members the other day, and we shared about the Atonement, the Sacrament, and Keeping the Commandments. Elder Jovita shared that because of Jesus Christ's infinite and atoning sacrifice, the least that we can do to "pay him back" is to keep his commandments, especially by going to church. After that, the LA member cried and said that he'd never heard or thought of it like that before, and yesterday he came to church... So that was awesome. It's such a blessing seeing the power that the Atonement of Jesus Christ has on all people if they willingly accept it and His love.

This is all I have right now.

I'll send pictures next week probably.

Let's all press forward! Ingat kayo lahat!

-Elder Ahn

TAKE THAT SATAN

aaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAANNNDDD BAPTISM. Take that Satan.

Andrea Torres was baptized last Saturday and it was a marvelous day. Her desire to change and follow the Lord is amazing to see.

Needless to say, a number of things happened that day.....

So we'll start here. The former Ward Mission Leader left on his mission last Friday, so there was no one to create the Baptismal Program for Saturday.... and we were like "Oh dang, the baptism is in 4 hours and we have no program and no one knows how to do it" So i was like "Okay I'll try to make something that looks pretty" so we went to a nearby computer shop and I made the program. But when we finished, I went to the front to pay.... aaaaannnddd all my money was gone. Stolen. Ha. Some *insert rude name* stole my money while we were inside the church. I left my bag on the couch outside the clerks office, WHILE WE WERE IN THE CLERKS OFFICE, and that's when my money got stolen. So that was fun. But all is well.... I'll survive until the next support  fund comes in (2 days)...

But other than all that... we're super happy about the baptism. We're looking forward to a couple more within the next few weeks, so stay tuned kids.

What else.

So yesterday night as we were heading to our last appointment... and Elder Jovita stopped to talk to someone, and I turned my back to a little hole filled with really dirty water and garbage and an assortment of other things, aaand I back-stepped right into it. It was super delicious. So I can check that off my list of things I've done in the Philippines: stepped into dirty sewer water up to my knee. I don't know, I think I'm just clumsy.

Oh yeah! Transfers! That totally didn't come to mind because me and Elder Jovita are still chillin' here in Paranaque, so yeah! Elder Macanlalay has a new companion, Elder Dao-Ayan. He's super kind and speaks like 4 different languages.

That's about all I have to say right now. It was a good week!

The rain has finally started to slow down and it's been sunny the past few days... so we'll see how long it lasts. Haha!

Sige, Ingat kayo lahat, mahal ko kayo!

-Elder Ahn

INCOOOOMMINNG BAPTISM

This upcoming saturday will be the baptism of our investigator Andrea Torres! WOOT.

She's great. Her absolute desire, willingness, and humility to follow God's commandments and accept the Gospel is amazing and humbling to see.

Ha so funny story, last saturday was her interview and we told her that it would be at the church, then an hour before the interview she texted us and was like "Can we have the interview here at our house? I'm preparing food so we can all eat and stuff" and we were like "uhhh..... hindi pwede sister ('no can do' sister), it needs to be at the church." and she was like "oh.. okay." But everything worked out because Elder Jovita and I were able to go over afterwards and eat.

Last week was a little harder than others...

I now have first hand experience and a firm testimony that missionary work DOES NOT WORK unless there is COMPANIONSHIP UNITY.

We struggled being open with eachother, but earlier today we discussed everything and fixed everything, so things are back to normal and OK.

This is so applicable with any relationship; whether it be with family, friends, or above all, with a spouse. If both sides are not open about everything, then there is no progression and anger and resentment just builds and builds until it eventually explodes. Last week I often thought to myself "Hm. So this must be kind of what it's like to fight with a spouse" because as companions, we're always together. Haha I guess God is just sending me a foretaste of what the future might hold. XD

Needless to say once again, things are alright now. I love Elder Jovita. This little guy is teaching me so many priceless lessons, and it's great.

I can't think of much else.

Ummm......

Yeah that's it for now. I'll keep this one short and sweet. I'll find a better way to organize my thoughts so that when Monday comes, I'll be able to say more.

Transfers are in two days so yeah, my mind is just everywhere right now.

Alright peace. Mahal ko po kayo lahat.

-Elder Ahn

Rambutan and More Baha

So first.... check out that picture down below. See that spiky thing? It's this awesome little fruit called rambutan and it's super yummy.

Oh yeah and it's still raining a lot. Woot!

So let's start with... Adrea Rodriguez. So she's awesome. She's so ready and willing to accept the Gospel, to read the Book of Mormon, and to enter the waters of baptism. She's awesome. Her cousin, who is a member, was telling us "yeah ever since you guys started teaching her, she doesn't drink or go to bars and do all that stuff anymore". It's so amazing to see the light in her eyes and her hunger to learn more every time we teach her. Truly a blessing, and we're looking forward (shooting for it!) her baptism within the next few weeks! We still need to finish some of the lessons.

Another tender mercy: Last saturday we went from appointment to appointment and no one was there or they were "busy" and it was raining really hard... so needless to say it was a little discouraging, so while walking I said a silent prayer and asked Heavenly Father "Please guide us to someone who will be interested to hear what we have to offer" and literally 30 seconds later, we met some person named Jam who was very kind and seemed interested to hear our message! We scheduled to visit them a different day, and even if they don't end up progressing, I know that Heavenly Father was just trying to let me know that my prayers, or all our prayers, are not wasted or in vain. He listens and will respond according to His time. So that was awesome.

Ahhh a lot happened this week. Zone Meeting... Stake conference... But yeah, it was all a joy. :)

I love this work and I love Heavenly Father and I love our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ.

This is it for now!

So enjoy some more pictures because it's been a long time since I've sent pictures.

Mahal ko kayo!

-Elder Ahn

-RAMBUTAN

-Spider Fighting because... yeah I don't know. Spider Fighting.

-One of the members that works with us likes to take pictures of us while proselyting. Enjoys these beauties.

Baha. Baha Everywhere.

I swear so much happens in the week, but when it comes time to email, I just literally have nothing to say.

Also "baha" means "flood". Yeah it's rainy here.

It's been raining like EVERY DAY and it's not just like "aw this is cute little sprinkle", but it's like "WHOOOSHHH" and then 5 mintues later the street outside our investigators house is flooded. Ha it's actually super nice because it's not super hot right now! And I'm starting to use a blanket at night time because I'm actually starting to get cold when I sleep; sign that my body is adjusted to the weather here.

Concerning our work, it's really on fire. We have a lot of progressing investigators and we're looking forward to a baptism coming up within the next 2 weeks. Hopefully next week I'll be able to update more.

This week I took the time to read a talk given by Elder David A. Bednar at BYU-I title "The Character of Christ". This paragraph especially stuck out to me.

Perhaps the greatest indicator of character is the capacity to recognize and appropriately respond to other people who are experiencing the very challenge or adversity that is most immediately and forcefully pressing upon us. Character is revealed, for example, in the power to discern the suffering of other people when we ourselves are suffering; in the ability to detect the hunger of others when we are hungry; and in the power to reach out and extend compassion for the spiritual agony of others when we are in the midst of our own spiritual distress. Thus, character is demonstrated by looking and reaching outward when the natural and instinctive response is to be self-absorbed and turn inward. If such a capacity is indeed the ultimate criterion of moral character, then the Savior of the world is the perfect example of such a consistent and charitable character.

If we are to become like our Heavenly Father, we need to strive to become like Christ and gain a "Christ-like Character". Ultimately, my understanding of such a character as said by Elder Bednar is absolute and complete selflessness. This little excerpt from his talk has really impacted my view of the work here, but also how we should always strive to live.

So you know how we always hear "What would Jesus do?"

Well... This is what he did, would do, and will always continue to do. And we must strive to emulate such an amazing character as best we can.

Love you all. Thankyou for the prayers and for your faithfulness to the Lord!

Ingat kayo lahat!

-Elder Ahn

Still Couldn't Think of a Title. Sorry.

I'm not sure what to put as a title for this email. So I'm just going to write it first.... then put a title that best fits my thoughts here.

First of all: MIRACLES. Yes.

We've been finding so many awesome people who are searching for the truth and interested in coming to church and accepting the gospel... it's amazing. I mention "coming to church" because that's one of the hardest things here in the Philippines... People are always either working, or washing clothes, or cleaning, or cooking, or working more, or sleeping (tsk tsk).... that they have a hard time sacrificing just 3 hours to attend church in the morning. But these last few weeks, investigators have been coming to church, and we are so grateful for them and their willingness to come and worship the Lord on His holy day. Yay for Progressing Investigators.

Another Miracle: We've been teaching a part member family, and the mother is less active.. aaaand yesterday she totally came to church. YES.

Another One: We met a couple the other day, and we asked if we could share our message with them... and they were like "Yeah sure! Missionaries taught our family in our province a few years back and we almost got baptized!" and we were like "AWESOME. Now's your time to get baptized!" So we're super excited for this family.

This is all that comes to mind on the recent events.

I just want to bear a short testimony that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church of Jesus Christ restored upon the earth. The prophet Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and God's instrument to restore this beautiful gospel on the earth again so that all of God's children could return back to his presence. The Book of Mormon is true, and just like Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's (great?) grandfather said, "No wicked man could write such a book as this... and no good man would write it, unless it were true, and he were commanded of God to do so."

Heavenly Father loves us. He wants us all to return to Him. We literally came from his presence and we are of heavenly and eternal heritage... and we need to do all that we possibly can to return back to Him.

Mahal ko po kayo lahat.

-Elder Ahn

Ward in Philly

Dear Elder Ahn,

Greetings from Philadelphia! It has been a loooong day.  We left Salt Lake Airport 11:59 on Sat 7.30.16, arrived in Philly at 0600 Philly time. Sat at the airport a little while, got a cab and came to our hotel, could not check in until 3pm so just changed to Sunday clothes in a restroom checked in our luggage only, ate breakfast, wandered in the lobby dozed a little, then got a cab searching for a LDS church. The first address did not take us to church but the second place did. Went in right as the congregation was singing the Sacrament hymn, the service started at 0930 not at 10:00. We called multiple times to ask for the start time but to no avail. The meeting was unique, lots of people of African ancestry with a Anglican race. We were the only Asian. As meeting ended we walked over to the back of the chapel to locate Sunday school and low and hehold we ran intex-Governoror of Utah Mike Levitt, who served as the Secretary of EPA(Environment Protection Agency) under Bush era shaked his hands and told him we were from Utah and asked is remembered Cherie Lyon, who served as a Head of Republican Women during his governorship, he said of course he remembers Cherie and appreciated her work. Philadelphia temple open house is from the 10th of August and he is here to help out with it. 

After 3 hours of church, we took the cab and went to the temple site, the rain came so took cover at the entrance of  temple parking garage, could not find any other place to take cover, there were many huge old buildings but none offered a place for a cover. When the rain weaned a little, we saw the temple from outside the perimeter of the temple, took few pictures then started walking towards Logan Square, then towards our hotel, which took a lot longer than the actual distance. We got lost but thanks to Iantai's phone with GPS, we were able to locate our hotel, Hyatt at Bellevue. We checked in changed into comfy cloths and crashed for several hours. Woke up, walked to Philadelphia Convention Center where AACC conference (Scientific method and Clinical Lab Expo) will be held starting tomorrow 8.1 to 8.4.2016. Then walked more to look at what is around where, went to a Persian restaurant, ate  delicious dinner, then walked around some more and came back to the hotel.

During the 36rd hour of church instructors gave a lesson on the Philadelphia Temple, covered history of Pensylvania,  started out by sharing the story about William Penn the founder of Pennsylvania, who was a Quaker, who demanded freedom of religion  and about Joseph Smith and new church historical restoration sites in Harmony, Susquehanna county, Pensylvania. Susquehanna river is where Joseph and Oliver Cowdry's baptism took place and place of Aaronic priesthood restoration, correct me if I'm wrong. I felt like we were right in the middle of where the story began! Amazing! and yea the lesson in Sunday school was on covenant, whchich is our topic in Highland as well. The gospel is real and as we were driving around looking for our church and the temple, they stuck out, I could not help to think what  a  "peculiar" this church actually is!!! God has plan for everyone and He is the Father of all of us, red and yellow, black and white!!!

Take care children we send our love and prayer to all of you!

I'm glad to hear you're safe and over there on the East Coast!

I had no idea that you were planning to go there. Are you just vacationing over there? Who is with you?

Either way, I'm glad you've been able to tour some of the Church Historical Sites. I'm reading "Our Heritage" about Joseph Smith and how the Church grew from just a few members, to all the members of the church we have today all around the world. This church and all the works of salvation will only continue forward during this Last Dispensation. I find great joy and peace in that promise and knowledge.

Love you! Take care always!

-Elder Ahn