"I'm going to starve in this church!"

Yay, General Conference!
     Thanks for all of your e-mails and responses about general conference. We're all really excited here to watch it. One of our members, Bishop Soleta, who actually has two daughters living in Utah right now filled us in on Sunday about the age of missionaries changing. Ahh, I just think that is so crazy but also SO neat! It gets me so excited to think that we can get more missionaries out there with this revelation. But yeah, I don't know too much about it because I haven't watched conference yet.

     So it's been another great week here in Novaleta. I really, each week/day, feel so grateful to be assigned here where the work is just progressing, and the ward is so supportive. We have our next baptism coming up Oct. 20, and that is Mark and Maryanne who will be interviewed this weekend. I'm so excited for them. Mark especially has just changed so much since we've been able to teach him. Even though they are both still young (14 and 16), I know that the choices that they are making now will affect their whole lives. They're both really shy though, and it's been a challenge to get them to open up and talk in lessons. But I can see that they're learning and getting excited for their baptism. I just hope that they will open up to our district leader during their interview and not just be silent and shy. haha So yeah, if you could just remember these two in your prayers this week. Mark is the one I told you about that before had some gender issues and had really long hair and wore girlish clothes, and it's just been so neat to see him change and get back on the right path especially at this stage in his life. Maryanne is the one that is really quiet and right now we're just really focusing on getting her friends at church to help her open up more, even if it's just to them. So yeah they're our focus right now. We actually have an FHE later tonight with them so that will be fun!

     Jhennalyn was supposed to also get baptized the same day, but she just went "missing" for a couple weeks. She left with a friend to work in a different city and didn't really tell her family a lot about when she would be back. It's really weird. I want to know more about what happened, but she just got back yesterday. We swung by her house last night for our last appointment, and she didn't say a whole lot about what happened. She said that she was okay and that she's back here for good, and we set up an appointment for Wednesday. She also asked if her baptism was still a go for Oct 20. But because she hasn't been to church for three weeks now, we'll have to move it. So yeah just one of those trials I guess that always happen before baptism. But she's awesome and has a strong testimony, so I'm not worried. It will happen when the time is right:)

     As far as Analie, she is still just awesome and golden as ever. This last week she read the Book of Mormon through 1 Ne 9 and then didn't understand it all so started all over and read it again. haha Then she said that she prayed about it and received her answer. She said it felt like "koriyente" (which is like electricity), but also she said that it felt so good. She was so happy, and she knows the Book of Mormon is true and knows this is the true church. Ahhh, it's so awesome. All our lessons are so great, and she asks so many questions. She is learning so much and is so excited. She said for sure she wants to get baptized, but the only concern here is she said that she wants to wait for her husband to also get baptized at the same time. We only met him once, when he came to church with her, but haven't had the opportunity to teach him yet. He's always at work in Manila, but hopefully this Sunday we'll get a chance. He also has a big problem with Word of Wisdom, they told us. So I'm excited to start teaching him to help this great family!! I asked Analie what he thought about church when he came that once, and it was actually really funny because the Sunday School lesson was about fasting so that's one of the first things that he learned; when his wife asked if he liked it, he said, "I'm going to starve in this church!" haha. I thought that was great, and I guess you can't blame him if that's the first thing that you learn about our church. So yeah those are probably the only updates I have time for right now.

     But life is great. We haven't really been able to visit active members here in this area and share with them since I've been here which I love doing that. I think it's just been hard with all of our investigators. But last Sunday we passed around a calendar of when members were available and got to do our first visit last week to an older sister, and it was SO good! I love visiting these sweet members. And yeah I don't know what else to tell ya because my time is about up.

     I hope you all have a great week. Bets, thanks so much for sharing in your e-mail. I love reading your e-mails and your insights and thoughts about your mission. My mission has already gone by SO fast, and yeah I'm the same way and don't want to have any regrets! Ja and Beth, how is your cute baby Aiden? Nicole said you all fasted for him and little did I know that, but I fasted for him also yesterday (along with investigators). I would love an update on him. Okay well, have a great week!:) Love you all so much!

With Love,
Sister Stromberg