Have our hands full in Novaleta

Magandang Umaga:)

Maryann, Axel, Vincent, and Mark

      Another week has flown by, and I'm here again in our little computer shop writing you all another update. We've had another great week here in Novaleta. And yes, the baptism did go through this weekend, and we have 4 new members in the Novaleta ward:) It was such a fun baptism. It was fun seeing our little eight year olds, Vincent and Axel and how excited they were. Little Vincent when he was bearing his testimony, he talked about how he hopes that he can grow up and be a missionary like us. It was the cutest testimony. Then Mark and Maryann also shared a simple strong testimony that was so neat to hear, especially because these kids are SO quiet and shy. We really had to work with them to talk and get involved in the lessons. But they have grown a lot and now have made friends here in the ward, and it's been so neat to see them change.

      And another neat thing to see was Brother Ben, our last convert, baptized them! It was so cool! And Brother Ben also received a calling last week of secretary in the YM. Janeth told me earlier today that brother Nic in Santa Monica received a calling to be 1st counselor in Sunday School!! It's so great to see them already progressing so much in the church! YAY!!:) 

      Oh and, Mom, for the musical number I played the piano (of course), and Sister Richardson sang one of my favorite primary songs, "I Like to Look for Rainbows:)" So yeah it was a neat service. 

     Then our other investigators are just coming right along.  Maricris and Mark right now are just trying to save money so they can get married.  We have another 18 year old, JohnMark, who is a stud!  He works out at sea each day catching fish and then cleans them all and dries them and packages them, and it's hard core.  They start at like 4:00 in the morning and go’ till night time whenever they get finished with it all.  Well he asked his boss if he could leave work just long enough to go to church, and he agreed to!  Then in Sunday School he shared how he does the same thing at work each day and how he knows that the most important thing he could be doing with his life is going to church on Sunday so he just explained that to his boss, and he let him go!  So yeah I'm super excited about him!  We taught his mom before, but she actually moved to Dubai a couple weeks ago. These boys are on their own now.  So yeah this is what he needs right now.

 
     Then I told you all about Analie, and she's just as excited as ever for baptism. We're just working with her husband.  But the thing with Analie is last week she told us that they have to move.... of course (It's not like that's not happened before.).  But she asked us to help her ask around for available housing here so hopefully they'll just move somewhere here in Novaleta.  We'll see what the Lord has in store for them! 
     Then we also have the Sumilang family who when we go to teach them we feel like we're playing 20 questions.  They have so many questions about the church and the restoration and the Book of Mormon!  haha But that's great because we can tell that they really want to learn and understand everything and are interested. 
    Then we also have Khaycie who will be baptized for sure in November.  She's a niece of one of our active members here who has been coming to church for about a year, and her older sister is already a member. Now she also wants to be baptized so it's just manner of teaching her all the lessons.  She's 13 and also a little quiet.  Before she never wanted to listen to the missionaries, but now she really wants to learn and prepare for baptism.  So it's really fun helping her!:)  So yes we have our hands full in Novaleta, and we're loving it!! 
     We met a new investigator this last week Tatay Teodoro who is such a neat guy.  I was so impressed with him.  He told us that he died before actually but that the Lord brought him back to life because he knows he has a purpose here on earth, and it wasn't his time yet.  He doesn't have any legs and is just really humble and excited to read the Book of Mormon.  We actually just started talking to his wife as we were walking down the street, and she took us back to her house and introduced us to him.  It was really neat, and I'm super excited to go back to him this week.  He knows a whole lot about the Bible so it's really fun to teach him. 
     So yeah that's the update this week.  That's neat the things you told me about Maria.  She actually did tell me all about her Filipino convert in one of her letters. I just thought that was so neat.  I'm excited for her in her new stage of life:)  She's great!  Thanks for the updates on her talk since I couldn't be there myself.  Pretty soon you'll be able to go to homecomings of my companions maybe:), Sister Dyer and Siser Stonick. 
     Well hope you have a great week!  Kip, you asked about Halloween here, and they have All Soul's Day on November 1^st. They say that EVERYONE is in the cemetery and that no one is at home, so you get no lessons on that day.  Everyone just spends the day there, and some even camp out there.  Brother Wilmar wants us to get permission to have a movie showing at the cemetery of "A Man's Search for Happiness" and then hand out a bunch of plan of salvation pamphlets that day in an attempt to find new investigators.  haha So who knows? We'll see what the zone leaders say to that idea.  
     Later today we're having a zone activity and all playing volleyball and basketball, so I'm sure excited for that!:)  So yeah good to hear that you are all doing well!  Mom and Dad, it’s good to hear that you got your heater fixed. I can't really relate when you said that you froze for a few days because I think I've forgotten what that would feel like:)  But I'm glad you're all prepared now for good ol' Cache Valley winter!  Love you all so much and have a great week!

Mahal ko kau lahat!
Sister Stromberg