Hello! This is Sister Dilag. I am currently serving in the Philippines San Pablo Mission, San Pablo Zone. I am waiting for mission changes on my original assignment to the California Sacramento Mission.
I will give you weekly updates on my current mission. I will also attach interesting attachments! I hope this finds you entertaining!
Heads up! I had a productive week! We were able to receive referrals, answered a few attempted phone calls and an invitation for baptism! But, a twist in the line, I bet you’ll be surprised too, as you are reading this!
Report: Teaching Appointments
We had a great week of teaching bunch and munch of people on our Teaching Pool using our Area Book App. My companion and I had been working alongside together as companions and finding people to teach and help them to come closer to Christ. It has been fun working with Sister Arbutante. I had been blessed to have a good companion like her. Our work has been great, especially Christmas will be running soon! I had so much to talk about, but I have to choose the best out there, we taught.
• An Interested Person not from our Area.
Quick Story: On the 1st, we had the chance to talk to Brother Donato for the second attempt. We talk to him the first try, but he wasn’t into us. After a month passed we attempted to call him again. He was able to respond to us, and he was willing to listen more of the Gospel. We were surprised by his interest and we are looking forward to send out a message to him of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We were hesistated to ask a few direct questions on his feelings of the message. I think every missionary needs to ask the person’s feelings, so they could identify if the person felt the Spirit or not. While talking and teaching with Brother Donato. I asked a direct question (that kinda ticked him a bit, kidding, lol). I asked to him, “What made you decided to listen to us and to be interested to the Gospel of Jesus Christ?” He was surprised, and by a few minutes of thinking to the question, he responded, “I want to know if ‘what’ you are saying is true.“
I got excited as I heard it! We are setting up appointments with him every lunch time. So far things are getting good, we had two lessons with him. We haven’t asked for a soft invitation to get him baptized, but we want to take things slow for him to understand the message, clearly and not simultaneously or he might be overwhelmed by convincing messages of truth. I hope it makes sense. I personally, would take it slow for him.
Our concern, he does not live on our area, but in the Elders’ Area in San Pablo 5: Elder Justaga and Elder Socorro. I was sad to find out, because we are getting Brother Donato to the lessons, and I think it’s sad to think of giving him to the Elders’ to teach. But! There’s another teaching family we taught too!
• A family of five, golden!
I’ll be continuing the story above as said –
Quick Story: On the 29th of November, we received an email from our teaching area email. We had a referral send out from a different missionary, outside our mission. I was pumped to find it out. I got excited to phone call the number, but to my surprised there was no response. I attempted to call several times, but nothing responded. So I thought, ‘maybe it could be a non-working phone’ I began to murmur abit. I was expecting grand and all of a sudden nothing comes out on the phone. We reported on our Area Book, we attempted to call but nothing responded.
We did not go back to the number. I thought it was a non-working phone number, but I was wrong. The next day, we got a phone call from our Referral Secretary, Sister Rapanut (she was my former districtmate from Lipa Zone). She asked a report to the referral send out to us. I immediately responded, “No, wala po kaming natanggap na sagot sa kanila.” And then she said, “Sige ayos lang yan.” She added a few things to make sure we contact the person.
I was ticked, I got a feeling I should attempt to call the number, again As I swipe the call, a man responded! I was surprised, and began talking with him exclaiming, “We are missionaries!” And, the saying goes on. The man was surprised, he was waiting for missionaries to come over to his house, meet the family and listen to the message.
We inmediately provided a lesson for them, it was great! Oh forgot to mention the name, they were the Almario Family. Brother Melvin was the first to be taught in the family of the message, then slowly to his wife, Sister Lorie and their two kids (the other kid, left a few times but was taught by his dad of the gospel, pretty cool). They are a family of 5, they used to be visited by the missionaries since 1998. It stopped, and I don’t know what happened since, Brother Melvin did not add up, but he was hesitated to listen more!
Every single night, we taught them messages. We send out videos and it gets interesting as they scroll over to the church website: comeuntochrist.org. In the back of my head, I was impressed to this family they are, “Golden!” I jumped a few times whenever they’ve done the assignment given to them and share their impressions to us!
I think I should share a lesson we had. We had our fourth lesson with Brother Melvin and his family. We asked on their reading on the Book of Mormon. To our surprised Brother Melvin read 1 Nephi 20: 1, and it talks about, “Baptism.” I was surprised (for real), I asked him, “Bakit nyo napili yan?” He said, “Hindi ko po maunawaan bakit may connection ako dito sa verse na ito, pero alam ko para sa akin ito eh.” Immediately I was hesitated to talk about two principles included for baptism were, “Faith and Repentance.“
We messaged it thoroughly to them as a family. As the family started to asked a bunch, I shortened the message to the whole lesson of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As they listened, they felt impressed on their feelings as they listened to it. It was theirs too, to received the joy into their lives. I had to be real honest, it was real. I felt it, and it was the Spirit testifying them. We felt prompted to ask for a soft invitation to baptism, and they accepted it. I jumped like a yipee in a dock!
I send out a video of Prophet Russell M. Nelson on the Message of Gratitude. They were able to watch it, and they loved the video so much. I felt prompted to asked them a question, “Would you like to be a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints?” They answered, “Yes!“
Holy cow! I love them so much! They are receptive, willing to apply the teachings given to them and attend church too! I was real surprised! It added my testimony on finding the elect. I got me pumped to search and find out more, in need of listening to the message!
Events: Service
On the 5th, we had a whole day service with the District on the San Pablo 1 Sisters’ Area. We went to ‘definitely a bukid.’ It was definitely farm look and lot of grassy grass. We went to a kubo house, we were able to clean their homes, feed ‘black pigs’ and taught children their modules. I had a fun time working alongside with the District, with the Nagcarlan: Elder Sumiran, Elder Epat and San Pablo 1: Sister Ocfemia and Sister Liam. I had a great experience of feeding black pigs (my first time to feed pigs). I love pigs! I was able to hold and carry (not to the fullest, but slightest) and they are the adorablest animals ever! I was able to see goats too (my favorite) and a bunch more of animals. We had the chance to cut coconuts, it was cool, I wasn’t able to do it, but I love to see cutting down coconuts! Farm is nice! It was worth the experience.
Also! We went to another family house for service. We went to the lake to help up filling up water in a bottle. We did not swim, no no! I love to see my district getting into the lake. I don’t, I haven’t maybe I’m not used to it, but I wore pants so I couldn’t dip myself into the lake. Hehe! I promise next time. I was able to take pictures with them.
Interestingly! I found a family of my name too! The Dilags’ are all over the area too. We talked to a man, and he asked to where my family name was, and I told him and he was surprised! He was happy to see me, I was a Dilag descendant and he exclaimed with joy and excitement to see me. My District was surprised, and I too! I covered my name tag, but too late on it. He talked about my heritage and the family name was very prominent, rare and scattered all over. I was surprised as he was talking way too much of the family name and it sounds so cool to find it out from him. I was also invited to his home and his family, and the whole area! I was happy, and I would love too!I have a feeling he could be my relative too! Good to know from them! Hehe.
Mission Updates: Nearly Getting There.
Any plans for December?
We have a Member Lesson Appointment Calendar! Lol, we call it the meal appointment, kidding! They made up and signed it up for every member in the Calendar List. We get updates to it and we are excited to visit with them celebrate Christmas time with them. I love the Members of San Pablo 3, and we will be singing Christmas Songs and watch devotionals. On occasions, we will be having Devotionals with the Ward! Things are getting better as well planned and coordinate. It was fulfilling and everything is getting better!
It is getting way too long, but this is for now. More to come, as promised! I do hope you find this entertaining and interesting. I would love to receive updates on you! ♡
Love, Sister Dilag
Sacramento • San Pablo
