The Other Side of the World: New Investigators

Kumusta kayo, ang pamilya ko?

I have so much- so much to write this week! Wow! I hope I have enough time!

First off, We found 7 new investigators to teach with 2 new referrals from our ward. They all seem very promising and we are so excited to finally have people to teach. 5 of our new investigators come from one family. Here is the awesome story of how we found them!

So it actually goes all the way back to Sister Williams days. We have an investigator close by their house and I would think almost every time we passed their house, "We need to talk to them!" But we never seemed to have time to do it! So what does Heavenly Father do? Give us time.

Haha, remember last week when we didn't have any appointments? Well, this week started out pretty much the same. We were tracting, tracting, tracting. We had one appointment that we were really excited about- the investigator next to "their house." Of course, our investigator cancelled on us. So we look at each other and say, "Tract." I admit, I was just a little upset. I wanted so badly to actually be teaching people! But of course, Heavenly Father knew better- and led us exactly where we needed to be. The first house we went to was their house.

We start telling them that we are missionaries and our purpose- and we didn't even get a chance to ask for a lesson. They jumped up and said, "Oh! Come in! Come in!" They were so excited for us to share our message. I kept thinking- what is this? Are we about to teach a lesson? A real lesson? To investigators?

As we began teaching, I prayed harder then I ever had that they would accept our message. And the more I prayed... the more I loved them. And the more I felt, truly truly felt, that I knew them and I was supposed to teach them.They were so receptive. The father would take time to internalize each part of our message- reading scriptures over and over after we shared them to really get the message. The Lola (grandmother) kept saying, "Yes... true. That's true." I couldn't believe what was happening! We gave them the Book of Mormon and immediately after the prayer, the father started reading it.

We went back to teach them the next day- and the father wasn't there. But his brother was! We taught the first lesson to him and to a friend of their family. He was just as receptive. He said he would always see us walking by and feel so good about us. He would always ask himself, "Who are they? Why are they here?" And then four days before we started teaching him he said he felt so strongly that we were "messengers of God." He said that he called out to us because suddenly he felt the need to speak to us! But because people are ALWAYS calling to us, we didn't stop.

But then, four days later we taught him. Wow. He was like a sponge- he just soaked it all in! He said he couldn't wait to read the Book of Mormon- "The word of God" as he said. We checked up with the wife from our previous lesson who said her husband spent all night reading! And she was reading too!

I seriously feel that I don't realize the magnitude of what has happened here- but I am so grateful and humbled to be apart of it! These people are so ready!

So now, for my brothers who might be a little too young to appreciate that part of my email- some funny stories.

First, some stories about my companion. She truly is the greatest and I love her so much! She is also, down right hilarious at times!

There we were, studying quietly- when suddenly, she started pounding the table. I looked up and said, "Um sister, are we okay over there?" But she didn't answer, she just kept pounding! After one final smack- she exclaimed, "Ants!!!!!!! Don't come back to this place!" I laughed so hard! She had been smashing ants! (In case you didn't know, ants pretty much crawl over everything here. Including us! We always have ants- everywhere!)

Another funny story about her. For the first week and a half- she was always super early to everything. She would start personal study early and wake up early... I just thought that she was extremely dedicated. But then, at 7:50 am one morning as she was kneeling to start her prayer, she suddenly looked up and said, "Sister can I ask you a question? What time is it?" I looked at my watch. "7:50." "Oh, that makes so much sense!" She said and got up off her knees." My watch is ten minutes ahead!" Ha, for a week and half I thought she was being really early and she thought I was being really late! Too funny!

Now, one about me. Remember those Johovah Witness missionaries we ran into that one week? Well, we saw them again on a Jeepney coming home. They had another missionary with them- another American. We chatted on the way home- asking questions about how learning tagalog was going and everything. But then we pulled up to our neighborhood and had to get off. As I got down off the jeepney, I turned back and said, "Good luck!" And then my mouth fell open. I turned to my companion with big eyes and said, "I just wished other missionaries good luck! What's wrong with me?!" We laughed forever!

During a lesson this week, a little boy came up and started combing my hair. It took me by surprise and I quickly said, "Hindi! Hindi!" But now I feel so bad! All he wanted was to brush my hair! It reminded me of my siblings too and made me miss you all! However, it was probably good I said no because that comb looked a little sketchy.

Last of all- bugs!

First, the soup. I made egg drop soup again this week- which was super tasty. But it's been sitting in the fridge for two days- no one daring to eat it because as I was pouring it into the container to put in the fridge, we found a worm! It was only about as big as your pinky nail- but it was enough to make me dry heave and take every pill you ever sent me with!!!!!!!!!! Ewwww.... I still am traumatized by it!

And, the cockroach. As we were studying one morning, I reached into my desk drawer and pulled out my pencil bag. And then suddenly, the cockroach crawled off my pencil bag and onto my finger. I freaked and started screaming, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY DRAWER?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!" I jumped to my feet and still screaming, took off my flipflop and smashed it. It was more fun than traumatizing but still! I hope the picture does him justice!

Anyway, got to go now. Love you all!

Till next week,

Sister Beaumont