May 18, 2014

Family,

So... it's going to be another busy week. We thought that after finishing MPT's this past week, it would settle down for a while... our mistake! We had a meeting this morning with President Lopez and we planned out the month of June. (I don't think I would ever be able to be a mission president's wife.... I don't know how they do this for three years!) But this week, we have the departing batch, arriving batch, and transfers! And the Rasmussen couple is still out of town until Sunday so we're busy and stressed, but President says that is what makes it exciting haha. But we'll survive! It throws things off a little bit, but that's okay, for example it's already 2 in the afternoon and we just started emailing. But even though we're busy, we still have time to proselyte. Last week, we were able to proselyte at nighttime, and we had all weekend, and even this week with everything happening, it shouldn't affect our proselyting time too much.

 

I'm running out of time, but I hope you know that I love missionary work. It truly is the most rewarding work here on the earth. Yesterday, our ward mission leader came and worked with us in one of our areas. He's around 50, separated from his wife, has two ysa-aged kids, and was baptized about 5 years ago. He's the only member is his family, but for the past year has been called as the ward mission leader. But he called us "angels" and how's he so grateful that we have missionaries who are serving. He told the story of how last year, he was starting to go less active, hadn't been to church in three months, but then the Neff couple (couple missionaries who are old, i think Elder Neff is 70) who doesn't speak any Hiiligaynon, and travels everywhere by jeepney, came and visited him at his house. He said how that changed everything. They only visited twice, but he said they are the reason why he came back. He calls the missionaries angels because they share the good news of the gospel. But it's not just missionaries who have the power to be angels to others, all of us as members have that opportunity. Helping others find that light that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most rewarding thing I've done. I love it.

I'm sorry, out of time!

I love you all!

Hopefully next week we'll be back to a somewhat normal schedule and I'll have more time.

halong kamo!

xxx,

s. fitzgerald

May 4, 2014

Dad, Mom, and family,

It has been an amazing, spiritual week. Not because it was my birthday (even though it was fun as well), but because we had MLC with Elder Ardern, who will be the next Area President this August. It's kind of exciting the reason he came. So Bacolod Mission is the highest baptizing mission here in the Philippines, and the reason he came was that the Area Presidency has been studying our mission, the statistics, etc, and they want to know what we have been doing that has caused so much success. He was only here for a couple of hours, but during our meeting, he put up the statistics of our mission, compared to the Philippines average from last year to this year... the difference is crazy. Last year, the Philippines average and Bacolod average of key indicators were basically the same. But this year, the our average doubled and even tripled in some key indicators, while the Philippines average remained practically the same. (The funniest thing is that the Philippines average is basically what Sister Canimo and I our getting each week, even with our limited proselyting time). But regardless, it gave us the opportunity to reflect upon what we've been doing as a mission, and personally I think it comes down to our vision.  Our vision is divided into three parts- exact obedience, becoming PMG scholars, and weekly baptism. It's the center of everything we do because our vision is what helps us achieve our purpose, which is helping others come unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. He interviewed a few companionships, and President Lopez had Sister Canimo and I be one of them. He asked us a couple of questions, but his last one he asked was along the lines of, "what do we think personally is the defining difference between us and the other missions." I personally think it's because of our faith in Jesus Christ. Through President Lopez's calling as mission president, he received the revelation of our mission vision, which includes weekly baptisms. That means that it's not just from President Lopez, but that it's from the Lord. And if it's from the Lord, that means that weekly baptism is our potential, it's what we can achieve. So it all just comes back down to our faith in Jesus Christ, because our faith is the confidence that through him, we are able to accomplish all that he is requiring of us. It's kind of one big circle, but I've realized that my whole mission, I haven't had that faith required to achieve our mission vision. I always thought that it's just some big goal that's hardly possible. But this past week, I've had the realization that it's my lack of faith and hope that's been holding me back. So, that's what I'm working on these upcoming weeks. But back the whole MLC, it was one of the most spirtual meetings I've been in, the Spirit was so strong. Even President Lopez said that it was one of the best out and that we should go home and write about what we've felt and learned those days. I feel so blessed to be assigned to the office. Even though it adds additional stress and takes some of our proselyting time away, I would never been  in some of these meetings in which I've learned so much. Our testimony is continual growing, and I'm grateful that I have all these opportunities to help it grow.

In other news, my birthday was good :) I'm now 21! It was simple, but what else can you expect while on the mission. Sister Canimo made me chicken pesto pasta, all the sisters in the apt left a ton of balloons and letters on my bed, and we got lots of happy birthday texts from other missionaries. Also, I'm still in the office! Friday afternoon after MLC, President Lopez asks us jokingly "are you fired?" We haven't heard any news so I'm assuming he approved us to be there.

I love you! Thanks for the birthday wishes! Enjoy the cool rain (it's getting hotter here... at least we're in the AC for part of the week :)

halong!

xxx

Sister Fitzgerald

 

Missionary Leadership Council

 

April 27, 2014

Family,

This past week and this week is kind of all jumbled together in my brain. The next two weeks are filled with mission president trainings for each zone and then missionary leadership council (MLC). This MLC is a little different, and there's more pressure because two weeks ago, President found out that a general authority will be attending.... This morning we had a meeting at the mission home to prepare, and it sounds like from President, that he's coming to figure out why the Bacolod Mission is seeing so much success. He wants to know what we're doing, etc. because Bacolod is one of or the highest baptizing mission in the Philippines. But it should be really exciting because MLC is when all the sister training leaders and zone leaders meet to get training from President and the AP's, but this month it will be from the GA as well.

But this past week, we've seen so many miracles. Missionary life is stressful, especially because even when we're not in the office, we still have to deal with missionaries' problems... we never get a break. But despite of all that stress, we are seeing miracles. I truly believe that Heavenly Father is blessing Sister Canimo and I in our area. We have limited hours for proselyting, yet we're seeing so much progress in our investigators and in our recent converts. The members are so supportive which I think makes a lot of difference. This past week, we witnessed the baptism of Sister L. She was taught last year for a couple of months because her sister is a recent convert. But the missionaries stopped teaching her because her husband wouldn't allow her to go to church. But our first day in our area, we were able to meet her and her husband. Her husband wouldn't listen to us that night, but we were able to quickly share our testimony and leave a prayer before we left their home. That weekend is when the miracles happened. That Sunday morning, her husband was the one that reminded her that it was Sunday and that she should go to church! And every Sunday since then, he's the one that reminds her! And now, almost a month later, she was able to be baptized this past Saturday. It was one of the more spiritual baptisms that I've had here on the mission- one where you saw firsthand all the prayers and fasting that was required for her to be able to get to the point. There were so many obstacles and trials that kept appearing, yet her faith and testimony were her anchor. She was able to overcome all of them and with the help from Heavenly Father, we were able to witness her baptism this past week. There's nothing better than knowing you're helping Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ hasten their work here on the earth.  I love missionary work and I love the gospel.

Anyways, the church is true. It should be a busy week, but it should be exciting.

Enjoy the spring weather. I'm sure it's beautiful

I love the mission. and I love you all.

xoxoxo,

Sister Fitz