Week 6: Tallies, Donny Osmond and Elder Masters (5th Cousin 5x Removed?)

Hello everyone!

This week went by so quickly. "The days are long, but the weeks are fast" when new missionaries enter the Missionary Training Center (MTC) they ask if things speed up and this is what we "older" brand spanking new missionaries say to them. I have been in the MTC learning how to better and more clearly teach the restored gospel and share with people in the Iloilo Philippines area the message that Christ is our Savior and the Book of Mormon testifies of it in the Ilonggo (Hiligaynon) language. I am so excited to get to the Philippines. I fly from Salt Lake City this Wednesday the 28th and I arrive in Manila Philippines on Friday after a few long layovers in LA and Hong Kong. In Manila I will be at the Missionary Training Center for 5 days until; I will be flown over to the island that my mission is on.

So a few highlights from this past week:

1) We had "In-field Orientation" yesterday where we learn how to do a lot of things... but the one thing I learned most from this orientation is just how very important it is for people investigating the church to have someone they can go to for questions and discussions about the gospel besides the missionaries because we wont be there forever. Everyone, it is SO important that people make friends and feel welcomed in church. Although people are not what we should ever base our testimonies on (People make mistakes and are not perfect), the gospel is. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect and friends make things easier to live and keep those gospel covenants (or promises we make with God through the priesthood).

Side note:
If someone you know needs this message of the joy the restored gospel brings, please talk to them (I know each of you had someone pop into your head, maybe it is even YOU) and get the courage to bear a short testimony of the simple truths we are so blessed to know as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and ask them if they would like to learn more and get them in contact with the missionaries :) If you want to know more about what makes me so happy and who you truly re, why you are here on this earth, where you came from, and where you are going, please ask me questions (lydia.masters@myldsmail.net) or get on mormon.org and I can PROMISE you that if you read the Book of Mormon and pray to know its truth, you will receive the answer that it is true, that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and through the restored gospel you can find the answers to those questions of your soul.

2) In class this week we were able to get our teacher to tell us more jokes that the Filipinos love. I am so excited to get to the Philippines and just become friends with anyone who will let me. I love everyone it is so incredible to think that EVERY SINGLE ONE of us are children of God and brothers and sisters of our beloved Brother, Jesus Christ. They said that as Americans, we will be stared at a lot and Sister Judd even described it as "the closest you will ever feel to being Taylor Swift" just because it is so rare to be there ESPECIALLY speaking their language which apparently has never even been an idea that would cross their minds haha :) Im excited to share the message with everyone and LOVE THEM :)

3) Donny Osmond the singer came and spoke to us on Sunday. I was truly so impressed to hear his testimony of this restored gospel and see his down to earth, silly personality. He said words like "sweet" and he accidentally messed up speaking to the large number of us who are usually about 18-22 years old and he was so good at just laughing it off. He was fun and I think my favorite thing he told us was to tell everyone of the gospel and to trust in the Lord. And then he sang to us an awesome song he wrote for his son called "Are you there?" it is about a son and father and I think we can easily relate it to our relationship to God, God just wants to hear us and He wants to grant us blessings and give us answers to our questions, we just have to ask with real intent (meaning faith to receive an answer and planning to act on that answer) and He will answer through the Holy Ghost and through the instruments he has here on earth (other people, the bible, the Book of Mormon and more).

4) I leave SO SOON. Happy happy happy day :)

I just wanted to tell you something I have been learning a lot this week: Prayer is such an incredible tool. It is our way to communicate with our Heavenly Father who we lived with before we came to this life of things we are grateful for, ask for blessings and seek to understand His will. I am learning every day that it is important to not "counsel the Lord" (Jacob 4:10) but to take counsel from Him. He has a plan for each of us an He wants to grant us blessings according to His will and all we must do is ask for them with real intent wishing to act as He desires you to. Through praying for others and my family each of them individually for specific things and coming to the Lord in constant gratitude, I have had so many of my questions answered by God as I discuss with my teachers and read the Book of Mormon. I hope you want to pray lot now haha :) I do all the time as I think of the Lord and thank Him for the beauty He gives us all around and the people He has placed in my life.

If you have any questions, please write me and let me know :)

I LOVE EACH OF YALL. GOD LOVES YOU.
Thank you for your letters :)

Love,
Sister Masters








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