Miracles

Maupay na udto ha iyo ngatanan! 

This past week has been crazy busy! We had 2 exchanges here in Catbalogan and Sister Prudencio and I have been killin' it. Surpassing our goals and breaking personal records! Some things that happened this week: 

-We have 7 new IBDs (Investigators with Baptismal Dates) 

-The Bustillo family are going to be future leaders in the church and brother was able to pass the sacrament for the 1st time yesterday!! It made me so happy to see how happy brother Bustillo was being able to serve. 

-We had a baptismal interview for one of our investigators!! :D 

And a miracle I wanted to share with all of you: 

Our RCs (recent converts) the Bustillos have this relative that comes to their house sometimes late at night to visit and eat dinner. He is Brother's uncle and is 60+ in age. He is an old deaf, single, catholic, pedicab driver, who has strong faith in Jesus Christ. He has a speech impairment (is that what it's called) and it is hard to understand him. His name is Nono. We have taught him a few times in the past, he just joined our lessons with the Bustillo family if he was there but he couldn't hear us very well unless we shouted and we couldn't ever understand his response. Four weeks ago he came to church for the 1st time, and during church . . . he could hear. He said that it was as if his ears were cleared and he could hear the speakers clearly and understand what was being taught. After the 1st time he went to church he said that for 1-2 hours after church he could still hear, but then the deafness came back. He has now been to church every Sunday since then. We have taught him many times after that and he is speaking clearly and can hear us even in the lessons. On Saturday he accepted a baptismal date. I am so thankful for this miracle and for the faith of Nono. The church is true. In the past month I have seen it make such a difference in this old man's life. 

I love missionary work. We need to raise our voice of warning! Share the good news! Because this restored gospel and guidance is for everyone. It really does change lives. I love you all and hope you have a great week. Pray daily, count your blessings, share the gospel. 

Love, 

Sister Healey

 View from our roof top. you can see the church.

One of our exchanges (Sister Garcia assigned in Borongan),

Great things are happening :)

Maubay na Kulop! 

This week has been one of the most tiring weeks so far of my mission. I'm still in Catbalogan and Sister Prudy and I are still companions! The work continues! I'm am so thankful that we are still here. There are so many amazing people and investigators that we have to get baptized!! :))) 

Sister Prudencio and I have been working hard this past week to break those false limitations and have been seeing the blessings! Basically our recent converts are future leaders in the church because they are SO amazing. They have come so far and have the light of Christ about them! We have a few Investigator families right now that are really progressing and I have just seen so many lives change through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Some fun/ funny things this week:

- we visited that deaf Lolo again and I helped him pray, but if he couldn't hear exactly what I said he would say whatever he thought I said or make up a word, and it was probably the funniest prayer. It was so hard to finish because we were laughing. He is still the cutest old man. 

- we were walking on this side road and a pedicab driver came by and sideswiped me. My skirt got caught in the wheel and I flashed all of Catbalogan (really only like 4 people) but it was still super embarrassing. haha

- some little kids called Sister Prudencio 'Mama Mary" 

- I climbed a mango tree this morning with this old nanay and picked mangos with this stick mango catcher thing

- 13 investigators at church! 

- Exchanges with the San Joaquin Sisters: Sister Fajardo

- I met Bob Marley (not really) 

And . . . that's all I can remember. I love it here in Catbalogan! Hope you are all doing fantastic and I will talk to you all next week! Take Care! 

Kamarayawan, 

Sister Healey

(Maddie included this link in her email. It is very inspirational and worth watching :) )

https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/the-hope-of-gods-light

So beautiful!

Sister Prudencio and Sister Healey

At church with investigators

Visiting the deaf tatay

Climbing the mango tree :)

Happiness

Kamusta kamo ngatanan! 

This past week has been awesome. We are killing it out here in Catbalogan. And by killing it I mean helping people a lot . . . haha . To start off with, Monday (4th OF JULY) we had the best Zone Activity in Calbayog! We did an amazing race around the city but it all had to do with missionary work. For example: getting an on the spot lesson, then making at least 5 contacts on the street and taking selfies with them, then a scripture race. It was so fun and definitely helped us reach the goal given by the area presidency for 30 contacts a day. We ended with over 40! Then to finish the day we had an FHE at a members home, Brother Nikki. He took us to the fanciest Hotel in Calbayog and bought all of us dinner. It was by far the BEST 4th of July ever! Tuesday we had our Zone Training Meeting. 

Recently Sister Prudencio and I have really been focusing on Prospective Elders, Contacting Less Active or Inactive Families. It really works. As we have contacted them and shared with them, they have been so receptive. There was one sister who hasn't been to church in years and just felt lost, like she wasn't important. Forgotten. As we shared about our savior Jesus Christ and how He doesn't forget anyone, tears came to her eyes and the spirit testified of it's truthfulness. Every single human being alive is important. Whether friend or foe we are ALL children of God and are loved. 

Sister Prudencio and I also reached our goal of being in the newsletter 3 times!!! 

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 July 2016 newsletter.pdf

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Something funny: the other day my companion thought she knew a short cut to get to one of our areas and we ended up taking over an hour hike out in the middle of nowhere. haha 

My roommate Sister Arais is going home now because her mission is over! Today is also transfer announcements! And tomorrow transfer day, so we will see what happens! 

In general this past week has been so crazy busy. We reached almost all of our goals! 12 investigators came to church yesterday! That has been the most investigators who attended church in my entire mission! We have a lot of progressing investigators and in church yesterday I was just SO happy. I was sitting in sacrament meeting listening to the speaker, sitting next to an investigator family, the Adina family. Sometimes the father would lean over to me and ask questions about the talk that was being shared and I helped them find reference scriptures so they could read them. In this family, specifically, I have already seen a big change in character. The Father has already become happier and I have seen just a glimpse of how the gospel of Jesus Christ changes people's lives. One of our other investigators came in late and sat on the other side of me with her little girl. Her name is Riza and she has already become a happier person as well and has been sharing her testimony with others. That feeling I had I can't even begin to explain. I couldn't do it justice. That feeling is why I served a mission. I felt like I was fulfilling my purpose. It is not even anything I have done, it is just the Light of Christ touching these peoples lives and I have been blessed enough to be a witness.

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the same Church that Jesus Christ himself established that was lost but was restored in the 1800's through the Prophet Joseph Smith.Through this restored gospel our families can be together forever, not just in this life, but for eternity. 

I know that is true with all of my heart and no one can make me think otherwise. I love you all and hope you have a great week. Always look at the bright side, because if we spend to much time being negative that is all that we see. Everyday is a good day. It is all about attitude. Look up, pray always, and keep on keepin' on. 

Love, 

Sister Healey

Dinner at the fancy hotel in Calbayog

 Part of the zone

Family Home Evening (FHE) 

Look, a shortcut!  (Our hike)

Happy 4th of July!

Maupay na aga and happy Independence day ha iyo didto ha America! 

Sister Prudencio and I (being 2 Americans here in the Philippines) have been making the most of it by singing the Star-Spangled Banner and America the Beautiful, even in a few lessons. hahaha We are also wearing Red, White and Blue and being really obnoxious and Patriotic.  Later today I'm sure we will go buy some BBQ chicken intestine and eat some watermelon. It will be a great Pday. 

This past week we had MLC (Missionary Leadership Counsel) in Tacloban where all of the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders meet in the mission home. It was fun to see some of the other missionaries  as well as further discuss what we learned from Elder Bowen the other week. 

This past week we have been applying the principles taught by Elder Bowen and have started talking to a lot more people every week and have seen miracles! This past week we got 26 new investigators!! And a lot of people committed to baptismal dates! It has been a great week, even though it has been pouring rain here every day... haha and every time it rains our bathroom floods because a pipe is broken and we have to bucket the water into the toilet so it doesn't get into the other room. haha but it's ok!! It's better than the drought! Count your blessings right?!

Basta, that's all I have time for this week! I love you all! Celebrate America for me. Take a few of those cliche vids of the fireworks and post it on the internet! Take care! Don't drink and drive! (Actually don't drink at all...) sigi bye! 

Love Sister Healey

This old man is the deaf tatay that we have to yell at to teach him. He only has his two front teeth left but was too shy to smile. After we took the picture we showed him and he was in awe because somehow he got inside of this little box. I love him so much. 

The DelaCruz Family on exchanges with Sister Angeles

FHE with the Balarasa Famil