Parting the Red Sea

Maray na aga po sa indong Gabos!

This week was full of obstacles. I don't even really feel like writing what happened to one of our lovely PBD (person with baptismal date,) Angel and her mother Arlene. They were kicked out of their house because of their newfound faith and with be returning to Manila. We are absolutely heartbroken. Our PBds seem to be struggling with so many obstacles. One of our other PBDs RoseAnn was all dressed up and ready to go to church with her son when her husband (who is a member) refused to go to church and decided to go drinking instead. She felt she couldn't go to church alone. Then our other PBD Joana has been struggling with sleeping because of a toothache and didn't yet have money to go to the dentist because of her husband and son are out of work. Because of lack of sleep, she did not wake up in time get her kids ready and walk to our 8 am church. 

Like Moses parting the Red Sea, we are trying so hard to turn these obstacles into solutions. For example, our ward is starting a self-reliance class; we are going to commit them to attend so that they have means to take care of medical needs and their fare for jeep rides. We are also focusing on strengthening prospective elders with the elders' quorum so they can become worthy to exercise the priesthood; we must turn bad examples to our PBD into worthy priesthood leaders and worthy husbands. 

On weeks like this I ask myself, did I make myself available to the Lord, to go where He wants me to go, say what He wants me to say? How much time did we spend face to face with His children, teaching them the gospel of Jesus Christ on the streets and in their homes? Because if we did that, no matter the outward results of our efforts, we were successful. I know what were are successful because God uses us to tell His children that He loves them, no matter if they accept us of not.

I know God uses us to answer prayers. Before she left to Manila, Sister Arlene said that she had been praying to God that He would lead her to the truth. After a life filled with hardships, she cried to him "why me?" Then we knocked on her door and over the next few weeks as we unfolded the restoration of the gospel, the doctrine of Christ and the plan of redemption, we answered her prayers. "You brought me home," she said. 

I love this work. I know it has eternal effects. We will rejoice in the Celestial Kingdom with those who we have lead home to their Father in Heaven.

-Sister Gray