HAPPY BIRF-DAY ANNA!!!!

Hey!! Man Was this a great week! So much stuff is going on lately time just flies! We have had some great experiences this week, I had the opportunity to go to a few different places in the mission for exchanges this week. We went to Carissa, then San Pedro Laguna, and also here in Molino. It get pretty crazy with exchanges because we have to do 10 exchanges in 6 weeks, plus all the other stuff. But its super fun to work with all these  great missionaries, and to see all these cool places! 

      We have recently been teaching another potential priesthood holder, who should be baptized this April the 25th! His name is Brother Silverito, He is a great man. He is the uncle of one of our Recent Converts, he's about 60 years old. His father is actually a member down in Davao, his father is 85 years old and still an active member. He has had a crazy past, he's been homeless at times. But before we had even met him he had been to church a few times and really wanted to learn about the gospel. He has very little knowledge of Christ and his teachings but is so humble and willing to learn. He is truly a great example of Christ's words, " Humble yourselves as a little child", He is such a humble man. All he tells us is he cant wait to tell his father that he is going to be baptized. I am very excited for him. 

   Another cool experience just happened earlier was our newly baptized convert brother Raymond has been doing great, and just been preaching the gospel to everyone. He was so excited to give us referrals. Well he gave us 7 referrals earlier that we taught and we were expecting like a family and stuff, haha the only problem is they were all children!! Like 8 years old to 13. We taught them of course because of all the trouble brother Raymond went through to set it up. Well we just taught them the simple principle of praying to our Heavenly Father. Well as we were teaching I kind of just got the feeling like there was no use cause they are just children. But we decided to invite each child to say their own prayer one by one. Well they did, and I was touched. These humble poor children were praying for things like, " Please help my mom and dad to stop fighting, it makes me cry." And " Please help my father to be healed from his sickness, " please help my dad to stop drinking" it was then that I was touched by their spirits. These children have hard lives, really hard. But they are still so humble a grateful for everything. The gospel helps anybody no matter how big or small. And I know those small prayers will be answered.

This past general conference was just amazing! I was spiritually full my spiritual buttons were popping. I loved every talk given, it really answered all the questions for me about the future, and right now in my mission. It helped me to evaluate, and to make new goals for improvement. A specific talk that I just keep reflecting on again and again is the talk by Elder Nielson of the seventy about the Prodigals son. He told the story of his lost sister, and how we just need to watch and wait, and pray that they come back. That's what the father did, just waited. What he said was something that I never have realized before about that story. He said the whole time he related to the other son who stayed home and his sister was the prodigals son. But at that moment he said "I realized that in some ways I was the prodigal son. All of us fall short of the glory of the Father. (see Romans 3:23). All of us need the Savior’s Atonement to heal us. All of us are lost and need to be found. This revelation that day helped me know that my sister and I both needed the Savior’s love and His Atonement. Susan and I were actually on the same path back home." It blew my mind, we all are the prodigals sons, we all fall short of him, but every day our Father just watches and waits for us to come home. And when he finally sees us approaching him, he will run to us and hug us, just like the father did in luke 15. So amazing and humbling to think about. 
I also liked Elder Hollands and Uchtdorf's talk on the Grace of Christ. To always be humble and grateful for his grace no matter how big or small our sins are. Just like the lord told Simon in the book of Matthew. It was all so amazing. What a great week. That was my last General Conference as a missionary. Man time is going way to fast, we have to slow it down somehow! 

Love,

Elder MC

P.S. Happy Birthday Anna! Girl I hope you have a good one! Your present will have to wait till July! I Love You!!!!

This is our recent convert that got baptized last week, Brother Raymond. He got all these kids rounded up and wanted us to teach them :),   so we taught them this morning after our studies.