Maupay nga Confrence tanan!! (Happy Conference everyone!)
I'm kind of jealous that all of you have already gotten to watch conference! But it's this weekend! I feel like I'm 6 waiting for Santa to come on Christmas Eve! Like for reals! I think I've really really grown to cherish conference as the Words of God on my mission... I know... It's like, "duh Sister Bingham, of course God talks to his prophets and this is all inspired of Him for your benefit..." But that's just sooooooooo cool that Heavenly Father loves us, His imperfect children, so much that he will give us an opportunity to hear His voice and receive His instruction 2 times a year. I think it's also taken me an earthquake and two devastating typhoons to realize that conference isn't just like helpful optional suggestions for our lives to have a little more happiness in them. They are instructions from the most perfect and powerful being in the universe in order for us to receive eternal life.... Better than Christmas?! Yes! I would definitely think that eternal life is way better than a Barbie dream house any day of the year.
Speaking of children, me and my companion have started teaching quite a few of them. We are really trying to focus on families... it just so happens that the parents aren't really interested yet while we had 7 investigators (all between the ages of 10-12) walk two miles to get to church yesterday. I really love these children. 2 of them, who are the nieces of a member of our stake presidency have a baptismal date. They are so great. They read their Book of Mormon every day, they go to church every week (most of the time they walk), and they pray. They were even in the primary program a couple weeks ago. We are taking it really slow with these children because we want to make sure that they actually like church and not just like the cool white sisters teaching them the gospel. But, we have an appointment with one of the girls, Jean Kaye, and her whole family (miracle!!) this week. I'm super excited about it! We actually met her dad the first day we were here. He helped us get our luggage through the door/Narnia hole in our front gate.
I really really enjoyed the women's broadcast on Saturday! I know this is like all old news to all of you, but it was soooo good! The coolest part, though, is that we walked with our little girls to the session (sometimes running so we wouldn't be late) (People might have thought we were violating the hand book and kidnapping them....ooops....). They all loved it sooooo much! And they don't even understand English! But when we were walking up to the front gate of the church, one little girl we were with was like, "Oh look! It's the true church! I used to be Catholic, but now I'm Mormon. Now I'm happy!" She's like seven. Haha it was really cute!
I think my favorite thing that was talked about during the women's conference was that the only boundaries we have with people are the ones we make up in our mind. I know, that was such a horrible paraphrasing...that's why I didn't put quotation marks... Haha. But, it's so true! I tell people all the time that even though I look different than them, and am from a different country, that we are all children of God. We really do have more things in common than different.
This week has also been super great because me and my companion have been going on member splits so we can get to know our area, and teach more lessons, and do more finding. We really didn't have much of an investigator pool (besides all of our kids...) But we have been finding some super cool people!
There is one lady, Sister Mary Ann, who is due this week with her first child. She was an investigator of the last sisters that were here, but she is sooooo golden! She lives with her boyfriend, so now they have a date to get married in May! I'm so excited for them! And this week, her boyfriend wanted to listen, too! We just so happened to be talking about the Plan of Salvation. He liked it, and agreed that they needed to get married. It was such a powerful lesson.
I really love Catarman! And I'm super excited to start doing exchanges next week with the sisters in my zone! Since Catarman zone is so far away from everything else in the mission, we are the STLs for this zone only, and that is only four companionships. But, I'm soooooo happy that I still have the opportunity to Be an STL and have a really progressing area! To me, this was an answer to my prayers.
I love Catarman! I know that the work really is progressing in this little corner of the Philippines. Thanks for all your love and prayers!
I know that this church is true, and through our obedience to instructions we receive at General Conference, we can live with our Father in Heaven once again. I also know that more than anything, He wants us back there. Because we are His Children.
In the name of our Savior, and brother, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love,
Sister Bingham
Weekly Challenge: Go back and watch at least one talk, then set some goals to apply it to your life. :D
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