Week 86: Tatay Randy Got Baptized
Hello po everyone magandang umaga po saindong gabos
The work here in Polangui is progressing and the members here are progressing also. Especially the youth, they often minister to all their inactive youth and other members. Some active Relief Society sisters also minister by visiting the women and the other families every Sunday.
We did have a baptism last Saturday. We baptized Tatay Randy and he looks so happy and excited for the upcoming everlasting joy as he will continue keeping his covenants. He's living very close to the chapel and was so curious to know more and more but we told him as you keep your baptismal covenants, you will understand more and more as we will come back for new member lessons but don't worry. All the members have sustained you in raising their right hands to support you as well as the missionaries. He works at the Army and luckily we are able to help him to receive the gospel during lockdown, receiving the gospel and his faith in Jesus Christ and keeping the commandments at maipamuhay lahat po yung mga 5 Principles of the Gospel. Part of that includes baptisms with the Libon Elders, they also had baptisms and baptized three souls.
My companion and I are working hard to find more people and we are so grateful that we do have some new people that we received from the members. We often work with some members 1-3 times a week if we have free time. Sometimes we work with them through calling and it really works great for them. The leaders here are working hard to reach their goals to help each member to get them along the covenant path. They do have goals for baptisms each month and that's why we can see the progressing last Sunday.
I just wanted to share some of my favorite story in the Book of Alma in Chapter 17 about the sons of Mosiah who have the spirit of prophecy and revelation. They go there different ways to declare the word to the Lamanites. In verse 5, "Now these are the circumstances which attended them in their journeyings, for they had many afflictions; they did suffer much, both in body and in mind, such as hunger, thirst and fatigue, and also much labor in spirit". This part of missionary work is what I have been going through each month in walking long distances. Sometimes my legs are aching and fatigued. Those afflictions of mind and body are really hard but worth it and satisfying.
The best part that I love is in verse 11, "And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls". I want to follow the good example of Ammon to the people of King Lamoni. In verse 23, "And Ammon said unto him: Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die". So this desire really burns in me. I may not be like what Ammon does to the people of King Lamoni but I know if I reflect on my works from the first time I arrived here in the Philippines until this time, I am falling in love with the Filipino people whom I am serving and they are truly my family.
There are other times when I feel down but the words in verse 26 really help me in those times. Verse 27, "Now when my hearts were depressed, and I was about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted me, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success". We all know this story about the sons of Mosiah and Alma at the end of their missions. They had a successful mission and saw each other after their missions. We also know that they served for 14 years. In verse 4, "And they had been teaching the word of God for the space of fourteen years among the Lamanites, having had much success in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth; yea, by the power of their words many were brought before the altar of God, to call on his name and confess their sins before him". Unlike our missions, we only have 2 years but I will still be a missionary after my mission. That's another exciting journey. Haha.
I just wanted to close this with the Doctrine and Covenants 18:14, "Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people". This the first words that I never forgot as I received my mission calling at home in Kiribati. At this time, it's really confirmed to me the words repentance is not for all the people here but for me also. In verse 15, "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" The promised blessings is in our hands. There is no other rewarding work than helping in this gathering of the scattered Israel. We all know that Jesus Christ wants us to be saved as he said to Joseph Smith in D&C 18:46-47, "And after that you have received this if you keep not my commandments you cannot be saved in the kingdom of my Father. Behold, I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, by the power of my Spirit have spoken it. Amen."
Elder Bateiti
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