Hello Most Wonderful Family

Greetings! Happy Thanksgiving! Sister Young and I are getting together today to make Thanksgiving dinner for our companions later on, so they can have the American experience. We're going to have to improvise a little because of lack of pumpkin, stuffing, and the usual makings -we're use chicken instead. Jerrene was baptized on Saturday! She bore her testimony afterwards - she really has a great desire to share the gospel with as many of her friends as she can. It's great!

This week, my companion and I taught a workshop about how to begin teaching. I've learned that teaching is not so much filling people's minds with information. It's more about creating a feeling in their heart. This week when teaching a wonderful family for the second time - we followed up their prayer (praying to know if Joseph Smith was a true prophet), and unfortunately they didn't keep their commitment. The mom even laughed a little, and said she forgot. Well, it would have been so easy just to go along with their lighthearted attitude and say "oh that's ok - just pray tonight about it, will you?" but that's not what Elder Holland said we should. He said we should be devastated. This is eternal life, and we're too casual about this most of the time. And I knew that So we showed them that we really were devastated and testified boldly about the first vision. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ actually appeared to Joseph Smith! That really happened! And they restored the one true church of Jesus Christ back on the earth - the only one and true way to return and live with our Heavenly Father after this life. This is the most important message in the whole world. Either it's true or it's not. And we can know the answer, from God himself. But if we don't pray and ask God to know if this is true, we will never know. Anyways, it was a really neat experience, because right as we said that and set the right tone - not fearing what they would think, and not trying to go along with their casual attitude - The whole atmosphere changed. Their was a heavy silence, and the spirit filled the room and testified of the truthfulness of the restoration, and they felt our love for them. It was one of the most powerful teaching moments I've had yet.

On Thursday, we went to an FHE at a member's house, and they had us eat the very native Filipino way - with rice, whole fish, and meat all piled up on a big table with banana leaves laid out. No plates, no utensils. Everyone just crowds around the table and digs in. hehe! yesterday was a special day because our new chapel was dedicated. President Jensen and Elder Edwards came and spoke. Both of their talks were amazing! Elder Edwards talked about the danger of "gospel drifts" and corrected some false traditions/doctrines that have been spreading around - such as not taking the sacrament with the left hand (which is fine to do) and some other things. He talked a lot about "looking beyond the mark" and how we should not focus on form more than substance. The worldwide leadership training was also excellent! We got to watch it on Saturday morning!

I love you very much! Thanks for being so wonderful!!! This gospel is true! Heavenly Father loves us so much, and we are so blessed! Strive always to do what you know is right, even when it's hard, because blessings are always poured down on us when we keep the commandments. Love you lots!

Rebecca