March 17, 2014

Hello there everybody!!
Well we get through the most stressful week ever, transfer week! There is just so much you have to do when it comes to transfer week but everything actually went super well! There actually weren't a whole lot of big problems which means everything went successful! We had going home activities for the going home missionaries and it was my first experience with that. All of those missionaries were great and I am sad to see that they are gone now. this going home activities went a little different though. The temple was closed and that is usually part of the going home activities so we went to the Ayala Museum instead. It was super fun and the best part was I learned a lot about the Filipino people! There was a part of the museum where there were a ton of dioramas which just showed the history of the Philippines ever since the first people were here in the country up until today. it was cool because all of the little figures were sweet and it helped me know a lot more about the heritage of the Filipino people! Transfer day itself went really well. There was a bit of a mix up with some of the incoming missionaries, and so last minute Elder Belnap and I had to find some part-time missionaries. It was great because right away the Lord answered our prayers and we found everyone a companion and everything went well! It just helped me know that the Lord really helpes us when we really need it! We also had a baptism this past week for brother Christopher! It was an amazing baptismal service and I could really see how happy him and his family were now that he is a member of the church. His father in law was the one who baptized him and he did it like 5 times because Christopher is a pretty big guy and tatay Nilo is not too big. That fifth time was done right through so it's all good! I got to speak on the Holy Ghost and I just felt the Spirit so strong and I was grateful I had the blessing to be a part of his baptismal service. Brother Christopher is awesome and I love him so much. Yesterday in church he told us his wife could not stop crying because she was so happy that he was baptized and she had partook of the sacrament the first time in 18 years. I love the Mongonon family so much and they are so awesome. They already have plans to get married in the Temple in a year! Stoked for them. This work is awesome. I love it so much. The Lord is so involved and does so much for all of us if we just put our trust in Him!

Elder Stephens