I Love Baptisms! - March 8, 2010

So we only had two baptisms not 5 but it is okay! It is actually a good thing. So I loved the pictures! They were amazing! They made me cry I miss you all! Don’t worry though I'm doing great :) tell Abby congrats and that I love her and I know that this Church is true.
We had 4 people baptized on Saturday. One was a little eight-year-old boy so cute and his baptism reminded me of Abby because his family is members and he just turned eight so it was cute! Then the Elders had a baptism her name is Tina and she is so sweet just like all the youth in our branch! She is the cousin of one of my favorite youth Harris. I have a picture with him and Laiza he is super super skinny! Haha. Then we had two! One was Sister Corazon Revadulla and it took three times because the water here is always very cold and she was scared of going under but it finally worked haha. 

Then we had Julie Fe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yay!!!!!!!! Haha I am so excited because it finally went through and her dad said that he wants them to go to church as a family. I cried I know it is so surprising haha. But the spirit was so strong. After they all bore their testimonies and they all cried and Julie Fe got really emotional and she just cried and said I know its true! The spirit was really strong and then we sang Lord I Would Follow Thee and I was leading but I couldn’t sing because I was crying it was amazing! Then after Sister Revadulla said I have such a great feeling! And Julie Fe said thank you so much I told her we didn’t do anything. 

I know that the spirit truly does testify! And that the lord has a plan for his children. Julie Fe has been taught for a long time before her baptism and Sister Revadulla’s husband is a member and she always said she wouldn’t listen to the missionaries until now. She said thank you to us because it was us that she finally wanted to hear the message from but I know it is just the work of the Lord. His hand is in the lives of all his children and he is ready to guide us when we are willing to listen. It is all in the timing of the Lord. Speaking of the timing of the lord I think that is why three of our baptisms didn’t go through.

One of them is Reymart. The son of Sister Revadulla and he is awesome however we went to go teach them the last lesson before the pre-interview and Sister and Brother Revadulla said he didn’t want to be baptized anymore. So he came in and we talked with him. Sister Macabenta asked him if he had read and prayed and he said he had and she asked if he had a desire to be baptized and he said yes. Then she said between one and ten where is your desire and he said 9 and she talked about how we can grow closer to the Lord through faith. And bore her testimony. Then she turned it to me and I was going to bear my testimony but I asked him if he wanted to say something or had a question and then he opened up and asked if after he was a member if he had to obey the Word of Wisdom and we said yes then he said that he had alcohol at his cousins wedding. So then we talked about the atonement and being prepared for baptism and it was so great! The spirit was so strong. I know that he still has a desire to drink sometimes so we postponed his baptism and told him that we will work with him and that through the atonement all things are possible! So he went to the baptism of his mom and I think he really does want to change it is just harder for him so we will work with him more to get him ready in the Lords time.
Then we have the Suarez family. So I just want to say I love them so so much!!!!!!! Sister Olivia is so sweet! We went for the pre-interview and she told us that she and her family didn’t have anything to put on their rice for dinner and so the put coffee on the rice because they didn’t have any food because they don’t have a lot of money. We talked to her about the Word of Wisdom too and set a new goal date and she was really sad. She asked if she could just be baptized anyway and she wouldn’t do it again. Of course I wanted to say yes because I'm so excited but I know that our Heavenly Father loves us more than that and I need to love her the same. It is about being prepared and worthy and doing what the Lord wants. We also talked to her about the atonement and about being prepared and she was sad but she understood and I know that she needed to understand more that no matter what the situation we need to always seek first the kingdom of the Lord. That is one of the scriptures I was able to share with her. When we left she was very happy and she is still excited. And even though no one was being baptized from her family she still went and watched the others. Oh! And her oldest son Bernard never talks and I always have to hold his hand to shake it. Then the other day I held my hand out for him to shake it and he did!!!!!! Wow! I was so shocked! Progression!!! Yay! Then I saw him at church on Sunday and I asked him where his mom was and he answered me!!!!!!!!! It is so amazing for 4 months he has never said a word!!!! Yay! He told me she was on her way. Then I saw her coming towards the church and I looked again and realized there wasn’t just a guy behind her but her husband finally came to church too!!! 

It was his first time and during sacrament I started to cry I know that the Lord loves them so much and is blessing Sister Suarez for her faith and helping her become an eternal family. After church she came up to talk to me and told me that her husband was talking about baptism so now we are going to put even greater focus on him to make sure we teach when we his home even though it will be hard! It will be great so I think they will be baptized in April. We might baptize Sister Suarez first because we have to wait 30 days because Brother Suarez has a drinking and smoking habit. But with the Lord I know that they will be an eternal family one-day! I am so happy for them. Even though they have to wait she received blessing for being honest and coming closer to the Lord! I love this work! So speaking of baptisms in April I will be here for them because I'm not transferred!!!! Yay. I love this area! No one in our district is transferred. So we will just keep the work moving forward. Me, Sister Macabenta, Elder French, and Elder Dela Pina here in the Pakil branch! Yay!
We have so many people that are coming unto Christ here and I know that the Lord is so proud of the people here in this area! I love them all so much! We had baptisms for this week but they missed church so it will be the following week if they come to church on the 14th.
So the pictures were amazing and I am sending pictures too. The baptism and some of the youth that like when I take pictures of them. In the blues that is Jen Basuel she was baptized right before I got her she is the sister of Ronnie. 

The face we are making in the last pictures I downloaded is from a show here called Boys Over Flowers. I'm not really sure I've just seen the face and she likes to make it haha. With the finger on our chins. There are two pictures with Bajeck and me, her family is so sweet! They always want to cook for us! 

She is in yellow and she works with us on Sundays because she is putting in her mission papers next month! I also have two pictures with a little boy who has cute chubby cheeks that is Dexter one of Sister Olivia’s sons. 

And then Sister Olivia’s baby in another picture.  There is one with a young girl in read we are teaching her and her sibling she is Margarita. I'm so happy to be serving it is sad that I didn’t get to see Abby's baptism but I know that it was wonderful and I get to see many people come unto the fold of Christ and for little sacrifices the Lord is blessing me! I am so blessed to be here and to be serving I know that my Savior loves me and I am grateful for his love and I hope that I am being a good example of his love because he has given it so freely to all and to me especially! I love the work! I know that this is the true church and I know that by putting the Lord first in our lives he will always provide a way for us to accomplish all the things we desire to do! I know that he loves us and that he wants us to grow and that the simple things are what allow us to do that!
The scriptures are so amazing as I read them each day I realize how much the savior has a plan and if we will heed the promptings of the spirit we will be guided and be happy! I love the gospel. I am so happy to know that I can be with you my family forever and that that is possible through the temple! I love the temple I miss being able to go I know that that is the goal for us to receive the covenants of the temple and then endure to the end. The youth here always want you to tell them what is you "quote" and I always say endure JOYFULLY to the end! It is about finding happiness. 

Elder French gave a district workshop about blessing and counting our blessings it is great to think of even the little blessing we receive. Right before that meeting Sister Macabenta and I received a simple yet great blessing.

Random story: so we have to take a jeepney to the Siniloan church building which is far from us so we ride the jeep as far as we can but they have a stop before the church so we walk the rest of the way. Sometimes we go a little further because they stop at a gas station. Anywoo, this time we stopped at the gas station. So we got off and started our walk towards the church then a couple minutes later the jeepney driver pasted us and said get in and he took us the rest of the way to the church without payment! So nice! I know that little blessings like that a truly tender mercies of the Lord and I'm so grateful for them! I love this work and know that I am in the right place! I love you all! Stay strong and remember the Lord is always here for us we just have to reach up and take his hand!
I love you!
Love, sister Andreasen