"Timing Kaayo!"

Maayong palis!

This week was "Holy Week" in the Philippines so...lots of processions, lots of people flooding the Catholic churches. Lots of people passing out crosses and setting up candles and statues of saints. And lots of people at the beach or at relatives homes. We got yelled out by a Catholic father for being non-Catholic, but we also had a friendly chat with a friendly nun! haha

Funny Story: For 3 days we had no water, not just our balay but the whole baranguay! We had to borrow and drag buckets of water from our neighbor! The water was a slight brown color.... On a hopefully unrelated note, the next morning, we were late to District Meeting because I spent the morning throwing up!

Carla wasn't at church for the 2nd week in a row and no has seen her, so we were really worried! She still has no cellphone!

During sacrament,  I was reading in Enos how he "poured out his whole soul" in prayer for his brethren once he had received remission of sin for himself. I thought- can I even DO that? Pour out my whole soul? That thought was with me all day.

After lunch as we prepared to go to work for the day, I was still silently praying we would be able to find Carla. I suggested we kneel to pray instead of standing. We all felt that we should go visit Nanay Edith in Loay, even though it's VERY far. We took a bus and headed out. They were all asleep. So we felt that we should walk to another members' home, even though we knew they weren't home. As I was walking- sun beating down, sweat dripping- I was thinking, "WHAT are we doing right now! We made all the wrong decisions!" Then the song came floating into my mind, "Pray, He is there. Speak, He is listening." and so I prayed as I walked and I felt so confident in our direction. I felt like we were headed in exactly the right direction, even though we were technically LOST haha. Then I hear, "Sister!" And before I know what's happening Carla is wrapping her arms around me and apologizing for not being at church. And she was in awe, she said, "wow, timing kaayo Sister!" I told her it was no coincidence that we both happened to be in the same random place at the same time. I told we had been praying about her all week!

We ended up teaching her and then teaching one of her friends and then setting up return appointments with both of them. We also got Carla's paperwork in so she can go to Youth Conference this April :) Then we were able to get back to Nanay Edith just as she woke up.

Yesterday was the best Easter Sunday ever. Because Easter is about celebrating Christ's resurrection. As a missionary, I know that Christ lives, that He loves us, and that He leads His living church. I also know that He leads us personally. And I am so grateful for that!

Love, Sister Bertoldo

Carla's Confirmation

Carla was confirmed yesterday as a new member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! It was such a happy day for her.and all of us.

There's not much to report, kay mao ra ang mga adlaw sa mga missionary haha. BUT we're enjoying introducing Sister Pulotu to the area. She is the sweetest Sister ever.

Cebuano fun fact: "baklay" means "to walk" so "Baclayon" essentially means "place where you walk" and so it's a fitting place to do missionary work since we just walk around and around Baclayon all week, haha!

This transfer is going to be great, we are going to see tarsiers, chocolate hills, floating restaurants, the Bohol Bee Farm, and other such P-Day adventures.

It's also going to be great because we get to continue teaching and nurturing both Carla, our recent convert, and Sister Pulotu, our trainee! I'm so excited to see them grow and progress, and to learn from them too :)

Read Alma 37:37 and "counsel with the Lord in all your doings, and he will direct thee for good"

Love,

-sister bertoldo

Padayon Baclayon

This week, I read a Liahona article about how waking up early helps us receive more revelation. So I've been waking up 30 minutes earlier than usual. This week was SO cool. I go to bed with questions and wake up and find answers. I also noticed a pattern of God preparing me daan for experiences. Pananglitan:

1. I studied in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: "we have to comprehend the character of God to fully comprehend ourselves and to know how to approach Him....God sees the secret springs of human action, and knows the hearts of all living." And so I was thinking how to discern others (like we do all day in missionary work) we need to look to God....He is our Guide in discerning others. Later that day, we had Carla's baptismal interview. Some things came up in her interview with the Zone Leaders and then had me come into the office. The Elder who conducted the interview looked me in the eyes, told me the situation, and asked me, "What do you think we should do?" I froze for a sec, like, I don't know! I only have know this person for a month and a half. Then I remembered what I had studied this morning- I may not know, but God knows if she's ready for baptism. I paused then told the Elder exactly what came into my mind- that I felt she was ready. He nodded his head and said he agreed. After we decided that, I felt just warmth and peace in my heart and I was so grateful for the Spirit's guidance. Talking to Carla later, I felt her desire and willingness to follow Christ so strongly and her baptism yesterday was....the. BEST. day. of my life.

2. I read in James 1:1-4 about how we ought to face trials of our faith and "count it all joy" because patience, in her "perfect work", enables us to become "perfect, wanting nothing". I also read that "while we may be ready to move on, having had enough of a particular learning experience, our continued presence is often needed as a part of the learning environment of others" (-Elder Neal A. Maxwell). Then later that day, we had transfer calls. I felt ready to transfer, but it turns out I will be staying here in Baclayon another transfer (Padayon Baclayon!!!) with Sister Smith (yesss!!) and we are team-finish-training a new Sister. Later, Carla told me she prayed all night that we wouldn't transfer, and the new addition to our companionship has been having a lot of homesickness and physical sicknesses, and so I felt that....my "continued presence" is needed here in Baclayon for the learning environments of others, even though I felt personally fulfilled here.

I'm so excited for round 2 with Sister Smith and round 3 in Baclayon! I get to spend more time with Nanay Edith (she has now been hospitalized), I get to continue teaching and nurturing Carla's testimony as a recent convert, and I get to train again! And I am back to the trisome life....!

"Patience is not indifference. Actually, it means we care very much, but being willing, nevertheless, to submit to the will of the Lord and to a "process of time". -Maxwell

As for me, I am so happy to continue to SERVE IN MY SPHERE and COUNT IT ALL JOY!

Some fun things:
1. community service project, we built a house out on a mountainside overlooking Loboc river for a less-active family in our branch!

2. Sister Smith and I bought some fabric, took it to a tailor, who drew a sketch, measured us, and sewed a dress perfectly fitted to us! It was so fun, I have to do it again.

Amping mo kanunay!

-Sister Bertoldo

Count it all Joy!

This week, I read a Liahona article about how waking up early helps us receive more revelation. So I've been waking up 30 minutes earlier than usual. This week was SO cool. I go to bed with questions and wake up and find answers. I also noticed a pattern of God preparing me daan for experiences. Pananglitan:

1. I studied in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: "we have to comprehend the character of God to fully comprehend ourselves and to know how to approach Him....God sees the secret springs of human action, and knows the hearts of all living." And so I was thinking how to discern others (like we do all day in missionary work) we need to look to God....He is our Guide in discerning others. Later that day, we had Carla's baptismal interview. Some things came up in her interview with the Zone Leaders and then had me come into the office. The Elder who conducted the interview looked me in the eyes, told me the situation, and asked me, "What do you think we should do?" I froze for a sec, like, I don't know! I only have know this person for a month and a half. Then I remembered what I had studied this morning- I may not know, but God knows if she's ready for baptism. I paused then told the Elder exactly what came into my mind- that I felt she was ready. He nodded his head and said he agreed. After we decided that, I felt just warmth and peace in my heart and I was so grateful for the Spirit's guidance. Talking to Carla later, I felt her desire and willingness to follow Christ so strongly and her baptism yesterday was....the. BEST. day. of my life.

2. I read in James 1:1-4 about how we ought to face trials of our faith and "count it all joy" because patience, in her "perfect work", enables us to become "perfect, wanting nothing". I also read that "while we may be ready to move on, having had enough of a particular learning experience, our continued presence is often needed as a part of the learning environment of others" (-Elder Neal A. Maxwell). Then later that day, we had transfer calls. I felt ready to transfer, but it turns out I will be staying here in Baclayon another transfer (Padayon Baclayon!!!) with Sister Smith (yesss!!) and we are team-finish-training a new Sister. Later, Carla told me she prayed all night that we wouldn't transfer, and the new addition to our companionship has been having a lot of homesickness and physical sicknesses, and so I felt that....my "continued presence" is needed here in Baclayon for the learning environments of others, even though I felt personally fulfilled here.

I'm so excited for round 2 with Sister Smith and round 3 in Baclayon! I get to spend more time with Nanay Edith (she has now been hospitalized), I get to continue teaching and nurturing Carla's testimony as a recent convert, and I get to train again! And I am back to the trisome life....!

"Patience is not indifference. Actually, it means we care very much, but being willing, nevertheless, to submit to the will of the Lord and to a "process of time". -Maxwell

As for me, I am so happy to continue to SERVE IN MY SPHERE and COUNT IT ALL JOY!

Some fun things:
1. community service project, we built a house out on a mountainside overlooking Loboc river for a less-active family in our branch!

2. Sister Smith and I bought some fabric, took it to a tailor, who drew a sketch, measured us, and sewed a dress perfectly fitted to us! It was so fun, I have to do it again.

Amping mo kanunay!

-Sister Bertoldo