Merry Christmas

Maray na aga po sa indong gabos at maligayang pasko!

It's September now which means the Filipinos are busting out their Christmas songs. Christmas is a 4-month evet here and I love it. 

I am so grateful every day to our Father in Heaven for assigning me to this amazing area. It feels so great to be out of the city. We are teaching many amazing people and are having so experiences that I can't even begin to tell.

fresh guavas are our favorite

We had one cool experience as we were planning for the day. Sister Haviland said we should teach a Plan of Salvation review to one of our progressing families. I thought it was strange because we were in the middle of teaching a different lesson, but didn't feel I should say anything. When we got to their house later that night, we saw a small casket in their living room. A10-day-old baby had died. We were able to help the Plan of Salvation become real for their family, reading in Moroni 8 to assure them that their baby was alive in Christ. The 19-year-old mother, Ana, hadn't eaten for a few days but after our visit, she began eating again and felt her son was happy. It was wonderful to help bring hope to this family through my companion's prompting. I know God is in the details of our lives and He is directing us every day through the spirit to know what to teach, where we should go, and who we should talk to. 

We went on a hike to the top of our mountain by our house, this is the view of our area.

We have been helping our small unit grow and have been strengthening less active and part-member families in the ward. We have seen many miracles so far and it feels good to declare repentance and bring all to Christ both member and nonmember. 

"[We] speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church [we] speak by way of invitation: come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the tree of life." -Alma 5:62

I love you all

-Sister Gray

A karabaw taking a relaxing mud bath