Noticed how powerful Satan is

Kmusta Family!
     Man I can't believe that August is just around the corner.  Time flies!  Before we know it, I'm going to hit my year mark which just blows my mind!  But we won't talk about that.

     So this week was kind of a crazy week!  I told you that we went to Sabang last week, but Monday night after we e-mailed, I actually ended up getting really sick!  My stomach was throwing fits, and I threw up. I'm pretty sure it was something that I ate in Sabang.  We ate at a buffet so who knows?  It was not fun:(  And then for the rest of the week, I had to be really sensitive to what I ate, and my stomach still kind of bothered me.  But I'm alright now, thank goodness.  So man that's twice now here in Palawan I've gotten sick from food.  And that's the last time too, I decided. 

     So yesterday at church we had an exciting thing happen.  We had two members that we've been working with, Brother Angel Manabat, and his daughter Princess return back to activity!:) That's always so excited when the 4th Sunday comes around, and you can start calling them active instead of less active!  We are actually doing an FHE with them later today which I'm really excited for. 

     Yesterday at church we actually had a lot of less actives come to church, including some that came to church for the first time!  It was really awesome.  Especially this one, Melinda, because we've been working with her for a while now, and she has told us that she goes to church at the Catholic church now.  Well it was really out of the blue because we didn't even get to visit her this last week, but she was at church and we were so excited to see her! 

     Then with our investigators, Maryjane and Nic, are still just coming along.  The baptism will have to wait until Nic has given up his smoking, and once he does that they'll be set!  Maryjane and Renz could be baptized anytime, but we want their whole family to do it together. I'm guessing it will happen in August. 

     We have this couple, Salome and Ruel, we've been working with trying to get them ready for baptism, but their problem is they're not yet married (and they have a cute little boy, Jeffery).  Well yesterday Sister Binetez and I went and visited them when we were on splits, and man they opened up and told me ALL of their problems and why they're not yet married and man they have a lot to figure out!  It was so much more than we thought.  And let me just tell you, I've noticed more on my mission how powerful Satan is.  He's throwing all different temptations at families to weaken and destroy them, and it makes me so, so sad.  As I was sharing with them yesterday, I couldn't help but just break down in tears as I felt a little bit of what our Heavenly Father feels when he sees what Satan is doing to families and sees his children suffer here on earth. I've seen so many different situations here how families can be attacked by temptations, and it's just really so sad.  It just makes me really grateful for the strong family that I have and all of your testimonies.  It makes me so happy to know that we're all active in the church.  I'm lucky to have such good examples from each of my brothers of the families you are all raising in the church.  Man, it was just quite the lesson, to say the least.  So yeah that's probably my story for the week. 

     The sisters in Bayan had a baptism this last weekend that we went to because I've gotten to know the mom, Jessica, and her daughter Ella from different activities, and they are just so sweet.  Actually Jessica's mother and father-in-law are actually two of our investigators and have a baptismal date in September.  There’s also the Bombases that I told you about, the older couple.  The only problem there is Sister Bombase has been in Manila for about a month now so that puts a hault to progression... But the baptism was so neat!  Sister Jessica bore just the neatest testimony, and I was happy to be a part of it.  So yeah that's about all I have for you today.

     Life is just as crazy here!  We never have enough time for all the things that we need to do!  I have a to-do list a mile long and just never have the time:(  But that's life!  I love you all so much, and thanks for the e-mail and support palagi.  Take care and hopefully this week will be a little calmer for you.  Happy Pioneer Day:)

Mahal ko kau lahat!
Sister Stromberg

-Oh and the picture of the manikin, I don't know if I've told you this already, but very often people tell me that I look like a manikin... I don't know if that's a compliment or what to think of that.  So I decided I should start taking pictures of my look-alikes:)  haha.