Elder Lambert's Adventures in the Philippines Manila Mission: Week ~ 11

FIRST BAPTISMS!

Wow what a week ladies and gentleman. WHAT A WEEK. Monday thru Thursday were actually super lame to be honest. Nothing interesting. Brother B came back from Baguio finally. He had lost about 20 pounds, his nanay (mother) told us he was basically being starved. I felt so bad for him. He told us he missed us so yeah that's good aha. We taught Brother J on Friday night, his wife went and got us balut! Again... hahaha. So I found myself eating a duck chick thing in an egg hahaha. So gross. Good thing I had some coke to wash it down. Its been officially almost 4 months since I have had a DP. That's a long drought so please, everyone drink some Dr. Pepper in honor of me. Anyways, it was an awesome lesson. I brought a picture of the Manila temple to give to them. The lesson was supposed to be about Enduring to the End, and part of doing that is going to the temple! I told them that it doesn't stop there, next stop is the temple! So I told them to hang it up in their humble little house. He then shared a spiritual experience with me, he is a guard at Starbucks Coffee, every 15 days of working 12 hour night shifts he gets a day off. He said he went to his officer in charge to ask him if he could have this last Saturday off for his baptism. He said that his boss completely ignored him. So he told us that he walked away and said a silent prayer. After his shift he told us he went back to his boss and asked him again for the day off, his boss said IT WAS ALREADY DONE. Holy cow. Such an amazing experience. With tears in his eyes Brother J told us he knows that this church is true. And that prayer works. Even for simple things. The next day was Saturday. We got to the church and were ready to prepare the font and stuff, but we got there and a brother in the ward was already cleaning! He told us that the baptismal font was filthy dirty and he had mopped and scrubbed the whole thing. Such a flippin stud. So the baptism started and all 5 candidates got to the font. I baptized the M family, they are in the sisters area. Still super awesome. I baptized the daughter first. Then the son. And then the nanay. She didn't tell me her maiden name, so guess what, we had to do it again. And then, the second time she had a hair thing on her wrist?! I thought That was allowed, especially since it was white! So we had to go a third time and it was all good... I felt so dumb even though it wasn't my fault. Then tatay M was last. Super awesome. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to baptize Bro J, a member in the ward baptized him. He actually found Brother J 9 years ago when he was on his mission here. So I guess it was alright. First baptisms done! After the service, we were asked to give a blessing to the M families youngest daughter. She was sick, literally right after all the people left she started puking all over the tile in the church, it just kept coming. Shes like 2 years old but I guess she has a big stomach. We got her calmed down and blessed her. Elder Sacay started the blessing, and then I realized that I was right in the target zone if she was to puke again! I had a very sincere prayer in my heart that I wasn't gonna get thrown up on... She didn't so that was good.

Yesterday we had the confirmations for all 5 of them. We got to participate. Really super awesome. Brother J gave me a big hug after. Church was normal and all that. After church we had ward council meeting. I was sitting up front just chillin like a villain, and then all the sudden the ward clerk comes rollin in with 4 pizzas and 6 bottles of soda for everyone! I couldn't help but laugh hahaha. They went and bought it because I guess people were hungry? hahaha I wasn't complaining cause I was hungry too ha-ha. After ward council meeting we went to the S family and taught them about charity. After the lesson Elder Sacay told me that we should take them on a church tour! So we did, we all piled on 2 motorcycle tricycles and went to the church. We took them and showed them around the church. The bishopric and their families were all there still! So they met the ward and it was a super good experience for them. I'm glad we did it. That was my crazy week! So awesome! I hope all these pictures I attached work. The one picture is the S family, the sister next to me has a crush on me and it's kinda annoying hahaha. Anyways. The other picture is me and Elder Sacay and Elder Warner partying it up on exchanges. That's all for this week!

Love, Elder Lambert