Remeber Elder Pakers "20 Mark Note" talk? (2/3/13)

Dear Family and Friends,

The pictures are currently being attached to the email. I guess I'll just do pictures when we get to be here in Laoag once a month for email. It really is nice to be able to come in to Laoag once a month for shopping and everything. It's the one chance to get some stuff that isn't in Bacarra, like Jiff peanut butter and milk. And with the new Pday schedule that President Barrientos is implementing, we have even more time on Pday, since we do laundry before studies starting at 8. There has also been talk from President that either this coming transfer or the next Bacarra is going to have four missionaries and the area will be split. That will be really nice. Bacarra is massive and it's almost too much for two missionaries, Elder O and I have done well, but the work will move much faster when there are twice the missionaries.

On Thursday we had exchanges. Since Elder O is District leader, I got to be with one of our zone leaders, Elder Od. He's been in the field about twice as long as i have and he is an awesome missionary. It was such an awesome day. We found a bunch of new investigators, including the B captain of Libtong, kind of like the mayor of a section of Bacarra, and A. A was just sitting outside his house, so we went and talked to him and shared about the restoration,. He doesn't have a specific religion, but he has tried out many. We shared a scripture from the Book of Mormon about the apostasy and after reading it he told us that the Book of Mormon was true. He had only read two verses and he was already saying it was true! We are going back out to him this Saturday and we are excited. 

Sh has a baptism coming up on the 16th and he is really very ready. He is participating much more in the lessons that ever before. On Thursday we taught him the end of the plan of salvation and about faith and repentance. It was lots for him to take in, but he followed all that we told him and we could tell that he understood. Much different than when we first taught him and it took him an hour to agree to listen to us.

Part of our Zone and District goals have to do with finding new investigators and we have found a ton mostly through our own efforts, though we have gotten quite a few referrals to. One referral came from M's mom. She referred to us a friend who got excited when she saw the pictures from M's baptism. She said that she wants to learn more about our church since the way we baptize is the way that Christ was baptized. I have seen great examples of how the Lord is preparing people to accept the gospel as I have been searching for those of God's children who are prepared.


I want to share with you an experience that I had on Saturday. I don;t know if you have ever read President Packers talk 20 Mark note, but this experience that I had is similar. On Saturday we were trying to get a fellow-shipper and finally managed to contact Bro. Re, the uncle of one of our investigators and he came to work with us. As we were walking to met him. I decided to stop by the apartment and get a 500 pesos note that i had there so that we could get some snack after we worked. I had thought about bringing it before I left, but I had decided not to. Now though we went back and got it. I thought we could use it at this little store not far from the apartment after we returned. We didnt use it right after we got back, but we did use it later in the night. We went to the little store and bought some ice cream. As the lady who owns it was getting me change, she commented on how good mt Tagalog was. I started talking to her and found out that she investigated the Church in the 90s, but didn't get baptized because she had some word of wisdom problems. From the sound of it the Elders who taught her and did the interview didn't handle the situation very well. She told us that she had some great memories of learning and of going to church. We talked with her and she said she would like to start the lessons again. We are going to go back to start teaching her sometime when her store isn't busy, which is basically whenever we have time.

I share this experience because I realized after that it was not my idea to go and get the 500 peso note. It was the Spirit that prompted me to go back and get that note and even use it at that store. Elder O told me that he had had had the same thought of going to that store to use is. I know that the Lord guided us to be able to find this lady who is prepared to accept the gospel. It is interesting that the Spirit works in so many different ways. I f you can, look for Pres. Packer's talk. It was a devotional talk at BYUI, so it should be on the internet. It is about a similar experience of Elder Bednar and Pres. Packer.

Well I hope that you are all doing well as this February begins. Thank you for your prayers and faith. Keep praying and looking for missionary experiences and the Lord will bless you with opportunities to help others. Mahal Kita! God Bless!


Elder R. Wood