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| Alay family, Brother Lapid, Esoy, and Mighty (Mary Grace Alay's best friend) |
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| Alay family |
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| Sister and Brother Lapid |
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| Orlando, he is the nephew of Sister Jamera and has been living with her since the age of three. |
Hello Family!
It has been a very rewarding week and so full of true conversion and faith that it is hard to even think of where to start.
I'll just start with the baptism of the Alay family and others from Siwahon, namely Brother Lapid, Esoy, and Mighty (Mary Grace Alay's best friend).
On our way to Siwahon I looked back and saw that it was raining back in Colonia, and looking like it would be heading our way. Of course I became a little concerned since this was a pretty crucial time for the Siwahon group and rain would put a bit of a damper on the baptismal service (as it was to be held at the river), so I remember praying something like, "You're going to need to take care of that Heavenly Father..." and kept moving on.
As we got closer to Siwahon the rain got closer and closer to us and even started to rain lightly, but as we got to the river and got everyone dressed and ready, it just stopped where it was, and even started to get clear in the sky with the sun shining on us during the service. Call it a coincidence or not, it was a very sweet and tender mercy for me.
After the service we went back up to the Alay family home to hold the special sacrament and confirm everyone, and something that made me very happy was that Mighty's father, who we had just recently met this last Friday attended, as well as Sister Jamera's husband. The latter had been avoiding us because he has "a lot of vices" and I think he feels uncomfortable with church and those kinds of things, but he was sitting out on their porch after the baptism (I think he was just waiting to be invited even though he didn't show it) and right before we start we invited him to attend the special sacrament and he did! Sister Jamera had a very sweet and satisfied look as her husband came in and sat next to her that made me smile.
After the confirmation of those baptized and after the sacrament all those who were just recently confirmed were able to bare their testimonies. Almost everyone used the same word to describe part of what they were feeling which was "mag-an" in Ilonggo which means "light" in English, as in a light weight feeling. And what I thought was interesting was that they described how the feeling was "amat-amat", meaning gradual, and how every time they were taught, and read, prayed, attended church and so forth, how that weight they felt was gradually taken off and after confirmation they knew for sure that the Spirit was with them.
It felt like almost everyone was in tears, or tearing up, after the testimonies, and my heart was just so full of gratitude for being able to be a part of these very special peoples lives. Then President Mahilum got up and gave a very powerful "sermon" you might say on the gospel and his own personal conversion and the blessings that came to his family because of it. And since this day I felt like I was being sensitive to words, the word that kept coming out at me that he repeated several times was the Ilonggo word (and possibly Spanish although I don't know since I'm no expert there) "segurado", which means "sure". As in a sure foundation, the surety of the truth, and the surety of the judgement of the wicked and the righteous.
So from this whole spiritual feast that was the special sacrament meeting in Siwahon I learned these two points:
One, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will set you free and relieve your burdens. Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is LIGHT." The world will make you feel heavy, overwhelmed, and burdened down, but when you live the fullness of the Gospel you are freed from this depressing burden and you take upon yourself the burden of Christ, which by no means is easy, but it is LIGHT. (Both in the meaning of weight and luminescence). And that light and truth is discernible, real, and can never be faked or fully reduplicated by any other means.
Two, that partaking of the Gospel gives you surety. A solid foundation. Jesus is compared to a rock because a rock is sure, steadfast and immovable, and is not blown about by the wind and waves of worldly philosophy. The beauty of the Gospel is its consistency. While the doctrines and beliefs of the world fluctuate and change daily as the face of the sand on the sea shore changes with the tides, those who stand on the rock enjoy the security and safety of truths that will never change. Satan loves complexity and does all he can to cover simple eternal truths with "what if's" and "why not's" and "what about's" until the basic principles are so confused and unrecognizable as to cause despair at ever finding any kind of answer. Nephi delighted in plainness, and Jesus prayed to the Father, "And this is life eternal, that they might KNOW thee the only true God..."
Well, I think I went into sermon mode as well, but I guess it is was it is.
The wonderful thing was that we taught Mighty's father afterwards and he said that he shed tears in the sacrament meeting and really felt like he wanted to support his daughter (his wife had left him for another man and their family has been broken ever since) and make a change in his life. He then committed to be baptized this next month.
Also Brother Jamera afterwards was actually smiling and laughing, something which he has never done during any religious thing I've seen him near, and now he comes and joins us every time we teach his wife the new member lessons and I can just see his layers melting away.
Also all of our newly baptized men or young men were immediately interviewed after the special sacrament meeting to receive the priesthood and they will be ordained this coming Sunday.
My heart is just so full of gratitude and love, and I know the Lord’s hand has been involved in every step of these wonderful conversion experiences, and many more conversion experiences to come.
I love you all! And I hope you are all feeling strong in the faith.
~Elder Butler
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