Pinakamasayang Kaarawan!

November 5, 2018

Hello!!! It has been another MAGANDANG week sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ!! :) :)

Thank all so much for the birthday wishes!!! :) I love you all! :) My birthday was really great, because I got to spend it serving the Lord! My birthday is November 1 which is the same day as "All Saint's Day" or "Day of the Dead." This is a big holiday in the Philippines. While we were proselyting we passed a cemetery and it looked like a park on the 4th of July before the fireworks start! One tradition everyone does on this day is put candles out on their doorstep for each of their loved ones that have passed away. I kept joking that everyone was celebrating my birthday and that I should blow all the candles out haha ;)

The people here are seriously SO kind! On my birthday, one of the people we taught was one of our recent converts. When we got to their home they were making spaghetti for me and bought ice cream! My heart was so full! :) The next day, one of the recent converts we visited made me dinner too and bought me a cake!! They made my favorites: Tinola and Adobo!!! It was soo good :) I was so so thankful! It was a really happy birthday :)

I seriously can't express how much I love the people here :) I especially love the kids! Whenever we have time and see a group of kids I always tell them we have a story for them and then we share about Jospeh Smith's first vision and The Book of Mormon. I hope all the kids remember that and maybe it will help lead them to the church later in life :) Since I've been in the area for a while most the kids know me and always say hi! I always hear "ATE DURRANT!" while I'm proselyting. One of our investigators told us that the kids outside her house asked her when "Ate Ganda" was coming back hahaha :) I love them! :)

We have this new investigator that is from Mynmar studying here in the Philippines. He doesn't speak Tagalog! Only his native languages and English! It's so weird teaching in English haha He came to church this Sunday and we had a great lesson afterward! He had some awesome questions! I'm excited for him! :)

Sunday (yesterday) was amazing! Fasting and prayer is so powerful. One of the things I fasted for was to find more people and God literally them to us on a silver platter yesterday! I don't have time to explain, but just know that God really knows the desires of our hearts and hears and answers prayers!

In the Book of Mormon, this phrase is in their a lot: "according to their faith"

I know that Faith fuels Miracles! 

I love this quote by Elder Bednar from conference: "Having faith in Jesus Christ is TRUSTING in Him, relying on Him, following Him, and pressing forward in Him."

Here on the mission I've really been learning how to have great faith through having greater TRUST. When we trust our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, there is no fear and we can do all things :)

I also loved this from conference :) "Heavenly Father knows how to exalt you. TRUST HIM. He wants it more than you do" -Brian K. Ashton

I know if we put our trust in God and our Savior, keep His commandments, and continue in faith to the end, we will receive the kingdom He has prepared for us :) Mosiah 4:6

I love you all so much! Thanks for all you do to show your love and support me!! :) Have a fantastic week!! :) :)

Ingat po kayo! :)

-Sister Durrant