Monday, June 13, 2011

Dear Family,
This was a good week. We had a very spiritual baptism. Our investigator bore a sweet testimony, that strengthened my own testimony. Isn't that a great trade off? I get strengthened every time I meet with my progressing investigators and seeing their faith, and their hunger for this gospel. Its a great reminder how special the restored gospel is.
Princess Arana is the sister who to baptized on Saturday. I have written about her previously, and the struggle she once had deciding if she should be baptized now, or wait. (Due to her schooling at the School of Marys, and Catholic Family.) After a lot of spiritually guided lessons, she knew with her whole heart she wanted to be baptized into the true church.
After her baptism, she testified that after studying 4 years in a Madre School, she never once felt the presence of God. She felt God Spirit in every lesson we taught her, as if it was God speaking directly to her. She learned more about Christ Gospel in the 2 months we taught her, then she had in her entire schooling at the School of Marys. She said before our lessons, she never understood the commandments, but when we taught her each commandment, it deepened her understanding, and moved her to repentance. She has never felt this close to God ever in her life, and she is in deep gratitude. It really was quite a miracle how she came into contact with us. She had jut finished her ministry schooling, and was about to commit to being a Madre. Meaning, her entire live would involve being closed off from other religions, partaking of family life, and any avoiding social situation to hear the message of the restored Gospel. Right before she committed, she had a strong prompting to take a job offering here in Naga. She thought she would only be here a month, to earn a little money to help out her parents, then commit to complete nunnery. Well, it just so happens, that the job she took was nannying for a member family. She closely watched this family interact with one another. Nightly prayers, and scripture reading. Then she noticed the scriptures they were studying. It was the Book of Mormon. This book was very familiar to her before. An elder gave a copy to her family years back, and before going off to the school of Marys, She grabbed the Book of Mormon. She wasn't familiar with the Book of Mormon then, but for some reason she decided to bring it along. Her school was very strict on books being brought in, so she hid the book. Occasionally she would bring it out of its hiding spot and read it. There were only few times she would read it, although it always sparked her interest. So then there she was, in a members home, watching them read this book together as a family. As time drew on, she decided to go to church with them, and take care of their child there. That's when I first met Princess. She told me she came along to take care of Zander the members child, but she had always wondered about our church, ever since she was a child, and the missionaries stopped by. The missionaries didn't teach the family for long, but enough to leave a copy of a Book Of Mormon. We told her we would love to come share a message with her to help her understand our beliefs, and how the Book of Mormon could benefit her life. She accepted. Then 2 months later she would find herself in a completely different pathway she had ever expected. Although she knows she joined the only true church on the face of the earth, and it was wrought together by a prophet called of God.
Seeing peoples conversions, and helping then resolve concerns if such and incredible experience. I am indebted to my Lord for all the many people I have met, as we add to each others life.
Sister Hancock

No comments:

Post a Comment