Happy December 17th!

Hi family!

This is what I wrote to President this week:
"My spiritual highlight for this week was kind of interesting. On Saturday night we went to the house of an LA family to teach them, but before we could start teaching, a pastor from another faith came in and started talking to us and to them, and then one of our investigators also came in, and he started talking to the pastor and asking him questions. The pastor went off for about 15 or 20 minutes, and it was obvious he was very educated about the scriptures, but the spirit wasn't there to back up his words, and the whole time it just felt really tense in there. It doesn't sound like this would end up being a spiritual highlight, but after the pastor left, we taught the less active family, and we opened with a hymn, and the spirit was there very strong, and I could really tell a huge difference in how it felt when the pastor was preaching and when we started teaching. It made me really appreciate that I don't have to be very eloquent, and I don't have to know the answers to everything off the top of my head, and I don't have to speak Tagalog perfectly in order to teach. I only have to have the spirit with me, and the people we teach will be able to feel that we are teaching the truth."

Yesterday was a great Sunday! We had an LA family come to church who we taught for the first time on Saturday. They didn't really understand why this is the only true church, and so sometimes they would go to a different church, but we taught them the Restoration, and then they came to church yesterday! We were so surprized and happy! The mom and dad of the Guillermo family also went to church yesterday! This is the second time for the mom since we've been here, and the first time for the dad. I'm so happy! And Tatay Alfonzo came to chruch again too! I really think he really will be baptized.

Oh, and Sister Mimi passed her baptismal interview yesterday! So her baptism will be this coming Saturday! I'm so happy!

Being a missionary is so great! It's super duper hard, but it's sooooo worth it when people accept the gospel and change because of it. I've noticed that Sister Mimi's countenance has really changed since she started learning about the gospel. I love seeing that happen to people.

I love you all! I love the gospel! I love the plan of Salvation! Don't ever stop reading the scriptures, or praying, or going to church! Those things are SOOOOO important!!! It is really true that "by small and simple things, great things come to pass." I know if we will keep reading the BOM every day, and praying every morning and night, and going to church every Sunday, it will keep us on the path that will lead us to eternal life.

Love, Sister Boekweg