Week 75: La Rosa

It's been another miracle-filled week in La Rosa!

Last Tuesday, we were able to meet the Galoteras. They are the first Filipino mission leaders to be assigned outside of the Phillipines, fulfilling apostolic prophesies from decades ago that the Phillipines would one day be a missionary-sending Nation. They sold or gave away all their belongings and arrived here with three of their boys, Matthew, Jacob, and Gray (the oldest, Caleb, is serving a mission in England). They are literally a modern day-versión of Lehi and Sariah (except for all their children are obedient haha). I was playing the piano when they walked in and I felt a sweet confirmation from the Spirit that they were called of God by a prophet to lead this mission. I am excited to learn from them!

Miracles:

-We street contacted Ericka, who is from a part member family. Her mom and sisters are baptized and she went to church when she was little, but she never got baptized. She's about 23 or 24. We've visited her family a ton with no luck. But this time we met her outside and she says she has actually been thinking about going to church and reading the Book of Mormon and she is interested in being baptized! So we've started meeting with her once a week.

-We took over the Seapoint elder's bible study because only Cathy showed up. We talked about the Resurrection and she ended up having lots of questions about the spirit world. Since her mom has passed away during covid, she's had a lot of dreams about her mom that made a lot more sense after hearing about the spirit world.

-We had a great lesson with Lucas about the covenants (promises) he will make when he is baptized. And he is willing to live the 10 commandments! So that's exciting. Sadly, he didn't come to church on Sunday because he said he wasn't feeling well BUT he says he will come next Sunday. Please keep Lucas in your prayers as he prepares for his baptism!

Miracles with Noel:

Noel's miracles need their own section. We taught Noel three times this week. I'm convinced he's going to be the next branch President. He's a sincere seeker of truth.

-He has had a hard life that causes him to at times doubt his worth, but we taught him about his divine identity as a son of God. At the end, I bore my testimony and said "I know that I am a daughter of God and that He loves me." He was deeply touched by the testimony and said he wants to be able to say that for himself.

-The next lesson, we taught him about the the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we share with him Joseph Smith's first vision, he started to cry! The Spirit was tangible. And he recognized it.

-At the end of the lesson, we invited him to church. He said that he was offered a temporal job the same time as church. He is in between jobs right now and needs the monry to be able to pay for rent. He looked at us and said: "What do I do, hermanas?" We invited him to act in faith and turn down the job and promised him that if he would do that, God would take care of him. The very next day, he told us he had been offered a job! Friday-Sunday that starts right after church finishes. Answer to prayers! So he was able to come to church again this Sunday and had a great experience!

I know that the church of Jesus Christ has been restored.

After the death of Jesus Christ, people full away from the pure doctrine of Christ and rejected the apostles.

God removed his priesthood power and the earth fell into a period of confusion. Hundreds of years passed without prophets and apostles to receive revelation (truth from God).

There were lots of different churches, and Joseph Smith wanted to know which of all of them was Christ's church, so he asked God (James 1:5).

What happened next was a miracle. In Joseph Smith's own words, he said:

"I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. … When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him."

As I testified to Noel this week of Joseph's vision, the spirit reconfirmed to my heart that it was true.

I know that Joseph was called to be a prophet of God. He was given priesthood authority and all the missing peices of the doctrine of Christ.

God still speaks to us. God still works miracles. He lives.

And sharing this message is the best thing I've ever done.

I love being a missionary! I'm excited for another miracle filled week!

Hermana Dudley

1. Cathy

2. Spanish missionaries after a baptism

3. Tacos!

4. Sky

5. Mi compa y yo

6. Galoteras