November 15, 2010

Family,


Wow this was so extremely fast! I suppose I'll tell where I'm at! I'm in Batangas again with my Tongan bud Elder Lotima, I'm here till friday then I'll go back to Mindoro with my new companion! Transfer day is friday and yesterday Elder Etcitty and I left church after Sacrament in Calapan traveled on a boat and a tric and a bus and ended up in Lipa, had lunch with the Elders Laudato, Olsen, Toleda, Lotima, Etcitty and Sister Smith and Spjute then Etcitty left to the mission home with Tuazon and they were gone. Now I'm working in Batangas till Friday. Other than that I feel really good. I feel so hopeful I love you guys!!!!! but I really love the work! We met this AMAZING family here the other day. They are the Lucerno family. The Couples Missionaries Elder and Sister Jones always say this guy at the gas station at his work..so they befriended him and one day they took us out to dinner and then brought us to the station to meet this guy. So when we met him he just seemed like such a humble and wonderful young man. We set up a schedule and here is where it totally became a golden investigator. We get to his house and find out his Father is the Elders Quorum President at the Baco Branch...a town about 20 minutes outside of Calapan. So that was a good shock. we talked to his Wife and we asked if they had read the pamphlet I gave him at the Gas Station..and he did! I asked his wife if she read it too, and she said she didn't but she liked to read stuff like that...I asked her what kind of stuff and before I knew it she pulled out Liahona's which is .. The churches magazines...and sometimes she reads the Book of Mormon....my jaw just dropped...I said "Uhh, yeah that's great you see that blue book that says Ang Aklat Ni Mormon....yeah read that thing!" So then I got the impression to share about temples. They have the cutest baby girl 1 year and 1 month. So we started the lesson, it was so powerful...I asked if she read the new liahona with all the temples...and she said "Yeah! I love that one! actually when i was in manila I'd always go to the temple over there I just didn't know it was the mormon church...im a catholic and I go to church every sunday with my daughter" "I really love going to the temple its so peaceful there" at this time my jaw hit the floor and bounces back about 4 times. So we taught the lesson on Eternal Families and how spouses are able to be sealed for time and all eternity so the family can continue after this life..it was so strong..and we asked them after the lesson if they had anything to say...to which they replied "That was such an amazing, explanation and we both want that..we think it would be amazing to be together forever"
So then on the first visit...Elder Etcitty and I looked them both in the eyes and I said...Brother Marc Lucerno and Sister when you find out that this is The Lord's restored church and that he reached out again in love and mercy towards us and called a Prophet and through this Prophet revealed his law pertaining to eternal marriage...will you be baptized...they both looked at eachother and said...yeah we will...I then replied... we will you follow the example of jesus christ and be baptized on Dec 11th? when I first said this they didn't seemed shocked....and replied well we haven't been to church yet we're not ready we still have to decide...and I said brother and sister I promise you in the name of jesus christ if you read all the things we assign you, go to church, and pray you will come to know in every fiber of your being that Jesus Is the Christ, Joseph is His Prophet, and This is His Church. Then they both said...we will.

That was probably the greatest 1st lesson I've ever taught!

I love this work, I love the feeling I get when I see peoples lives change, I love you guys so much I hate i'm coming home in 8 months....I love skateboarding...I love you guys so much! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! i LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH


YOUR SON,


JOSH