We had a District baptism this week! That means everyone in the District had an investigator be baptized. It was such an awesome day to see Conrado and Eugene be baptized, and then testify about their conversion and all of the wonderful blessings they’ve noticed in their lives as they have started to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have many investigators but only a few actually have the faith to try all of our invitations to them: to read, pray and come to church. I wish I could give it to them as simple as a math problem: Church + reading the scriptures + prayer + eternal happiness, and all the blessings we could need in this life and the life to come. Now we have started to teach them about the Plan of Salvation, about where we all came from before being born, what our purpose is here and how we will all be able to be joined with our families again in the Spirit world and eventually Heaven. 

I was shocked a little bit because we usually speak tagalog at the church mixed with a little bit of English, but when Conrado and Eugene went up to bear their testimonies they did it in Pure English! Eugene went first then Tatay and we always feel soo good to hear how we have been able to share the blessings with their family, even if right now it’s just the two of them. The older sister Kimberly said she felt the spirit very strongly at the baptism and is starting again to seriously investigate the church through taking the missionary discussions. I will probably leave the area before the time she is baptized. 

In the lot next to us there is a house being built.  They had just finished digging the foundations on Wednesday when I noticed one of them through the window grab a live chicken. I thought it was pretty normal and that he was gonna cook lunch, I saw him cut the neck, then go over to the side of the trenches and shake the blood in the bushes, Pretty normal right? So as to not get blood everywhere. But then he went around to all of the trenches and shook blood everywhere. I asked Elder Centeno why he did that and he sad to kind of "bless" it, to make it strong and long lasting. He also said that sometimes they will even put chicken's blood on (not in) new cars to "bless" it. This was a very strange cultural kind of ceremony, but it was neat to learn about. 

I was reading from the Liahona in my room. I was using my flashlight to read because there had been a brown-out (they don’t call it black-out here, funny Filipinos) when Elder Dosdos comes to the doorway and goes "psst, pssst!" to get my attention. I say what he says "did you hear that? I just heard a girl cry/ moan coming from the Zone leaders room" I hopped up out of bed grabbing my flashlight and got all tensed up. Elder Dosdos must be more intune with this stuff, or have better hearing than me, but I didn’t hear anything. And I probably only got chills because he spooked me. The next morning he told me "I wasnt joking about the girl crying last night, I know what I heard." I replied "I know you’re serious, I didn’t hear anything but I believe you, but I’m not gonna get too spooked as long as I'm not the one who it appears to haha" I have to chuckle because I don’t know if there was anything or not, but I've learned to trust my pinoy companions on stuff like that. Better to be safe than sorry. 

Love you all!!! Hope you are still feeding the missionaries. If you haven’t yet, it’s ok, I bet they'll be hungry again very soon.

Elder Hennessey

  

Pics

"Wacky" picture Kimberly, Me, Conrado, Eugene Elder Dosdos and Nanay Amy E.

Holding the chicken that Conrado's family gave to us last week. 

All of us in white at the baptism. Plus Bishop Baro

The biggest Mango I've ever seen, this one was at least 2 times as big as normal mangos, and a little more sour, but still maserap!