Magandang gabi Wednesday I went on exchanges with Sister Demonteverde in Santa Fe. They had gotten a referral from the Elders a couple weeks before that so we decided to go looking for him. Along the way we almost got attacked by multiple dogs but we found his house in a rural area they had never been before. His wife was there and didn't seem surprised to see two sisters outside her house because her husband had told her missionaries would be coming. Not long after that Brother himself showed up and was so excited to see us at his house. We sat down and asked how he came to find the missionaries. Brother said he has been working construction for years. One day they were working on a house and in the house he found and picked up an abandoned Book of Mormon. He took it home and started to read it everyday even though it was an English Book of Mormon. He continued until last week he saw to Elders in a Jeepney and approached them asking if they had a Ilonggo Book of Mormon he could read. They must have been pretty shocked but they asked if he wanted missionaries to go to his home, he said yes and then a couple week later we were there sitting in his home. They were so receptive and I know God has been preparing them to receive the restored gospel. This week Sister Garcia and I also met a young man named John Paul. As we were searching for a person we had met and talked to the day before, we stopped at a little house thinking that it might be his. There was a young man standing in the door way leaning on some crutches. Thinking that he had a broken leg or a twisted ankle I abruptly asked him what happened? After asking he came fully out of the doorway of the house with a big smile on his face. What I realized then that I had failed to recognize earlier was that his whole leg was actually gone and the one leg he did have was shriveled and struggling to support his body. Even though I felt bad after accidentally asking so bluntly, The huge grin he gave us made me feel a lot better. He then sat us down and told us his story of being severely burned as a child on both his legs which later lead to cancer in his right leg, to stop the spread they amputated it last December. Despite all that and other challenges, I have never met anyone so happy and positive about the future. Something I've realized here more than anywhere else is that we can choose to be happy no matter what our circumstances are. It really depends on us. We are here to have joy. He continued saying he just finished college and is now looking for a job. We were both amazed. He looked at us and said, "Hey, may kamot pa"(I've still got hands) Now when ever there are hard times or we feel completely exhausted, Sister Garcia and I look at each-other and say, "My kamot pa kita, padayon lang ah!" The Jara family is still doing great. This week we were shocked when Rodney told us he wanted to be baptized...no longer clear in 2022 and hopefully with his family. For now we pushed back their baptismal dates for oct 19. His family all agreed they will help him stop smoking. This Sunday they all came to church again as a family. They make me so happy.
Well that's pretty much it for my week. Love you all! Halong kamo! Sister Adams
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Sister Emily Adams
Philippines Bacolod Mission April 18, 2018-October 2019 Mailing Address
Sister Emily Adams
Philippines Bacolod Mission Galo St. between Lacson & Mabini Brgy.22, Bacolod City 6100 Negros Occidental Philippines Archives
January 2020
Companions Provo, Utah MTC
#1 Sister Anna Wilde From Dallas, Texas Taylor, Arizona
#2 Sister Jamie Stuart (trainer) Pleasant Grove, Utah & #3 Sister Kendall Richards Idaho Falls, Idaho Show Low, Arizona
#4 Sister Brooke Casebolt Roy, Utah Manila, Philippine's
#5 Sister Perry Serving in the Iloilo mission from Fiji Sagay, Philippines
#6 Sister Lauren Schenk (Trainer) Syracuse, Utah Sagay, Philippines
#7 Sister Ashley Ellis Highland, Utah Pulupandan, Philippines
#8 Sister Andrea Camille Sales Isabela, Philippines Hinigarin, Philippines
#9 Sister Castillo Sta. Cruz Zambalis, Philippines. Hinigarin, Philippines
#10 Sister Natalie Miner Pleasant Grove, Utah Cadiz, Philippines
#11 Sister Kate Blakeslee Meridian, Idaho Bacolod, Philippines
#12 Sister Kalyx Christensen San Diego, California Bacolod, Philippines
#13 Sister Stephanie Garcia Pangisan, Philippines Bacolod, Philippines
#14 Sister Santa Barbara Marikina, Manila, Philippines Bacolod, Phililppines
#15 Sister Eliza Clark Corvallis, Oregon |