Elder Zesiger in Manila: "Let Me teach her"

Elder Zesiger and Elder Mangaoang with the Mayor of Makati!

Tell them to work on the TRANSAM we are into the 5th month now and they haven't done anything! It needs to be done by the time I get back! hahaha I got the Valentine's and St Patrick's packages, but while I was eating one of the caramel suckers part of my tooth fell off :( I'll send you a picture. I went to this place called Cartimar last Monday. Before we left we ate at this little restaurant thing and these three kids came up to me with their hands out. They were all super skinny and super dirty. They had old ragged, stretched out clothes and dirt all over their faces. I told them I didn't have any money, but that I did have food. So I bought them a meal of porksilog with my personal fund of course so it wasn't illegal haha and don't worry it was only about a dollar, then we started talking to them. They were 12, 12, and 13 years old, they were all friends and their parents had all abandoned them about two years ago. I asked them where they slept and they said "kahit saan" which means "anywhere" this made me feel really bad.... when they finished eating and it was time for us to go, I shook their little, blackened with dirt hands and told them it was nice to talk to them and good luck. They said "salamat kuya!" which means "thanks big brother" :))) It was amazing and gives me a different reason for wanting to get rich. I don't need to get rich to just buy tons of cars and stuff, but to help these kids here, they are everywhere and they have nothing and we have so much. All I spent on them was a dollar and it made them sooooo happy...:)

I had two super spiritual experiences this week. My first one came while teaching R. She was the very first person that I taught on my mission and her more than anyone else I want to baptize. She was really progressing super well until she got a job about a month ago and works on Sundays sometimes. She had 7 church attendences in a row but is now hit and miss and she ended up missing two in a row. The other missionaries told me that she had to start over, so I searched and searched for where it said that because I didnt want to believe them haha. I found it in the blue binder of rules that it was true, it they miss 2 in a row, you have to start counting again. We went to teach her and I was still determined to baptize her no matter what the rules said. I asked her if she wanted to get baptized and she said yes and I thought in my mind, in the Book of Mormon they baptized people like this all the time! I even told her that I would text President and ask because she was a special situation. She said the closing prayer and during her prayer, I prayed and asked Heavenly Father why she had to wait four more weeks and I told him that I was mad and didn't understand the purpose of the rules. I then heard these words, very clearly in my mind- "Let me teach her". It was crazy. Up to that point I had never recieved an answer so clearly, like I acually heard it. I started to cry and testified to Rose that this was really what Heavenly Father wanted for her and that by waiting these four extra weeks, she could show her faith to God and her testimony would grow exponentially. It was amazing and I know this work really is directed by God. Most of all, I learned that this is not my work, it is his and it is to be done in his way.

My second experience happened in Sacrament meeting. None of our progressing investigators came. Even though I fasted for it and prayed for it like crazy! Our 1st councilor bore his testimony on how to obtain happiness in this life. He began by sharing an article he read recently on what severely depressed people regret most about their lives. The number one thing was not spending enough time with their families. He said that we should do everything we can to spend as much time as we can with our families. Since I was already discouraged, I began to wonder, why am I here instead of home with you guys. Right as I was contemplating on this dismal thought, a memory popped into my head from about 4 years ago. It was of our scout camp at Goblin Valley. One of the nights we had a testimony meeting around the fire and I really felt like I had to bear mine, but I didn't want to because I was a brand new teacher and none of the others had. Finally, I overcame my fear and did anyway. After the meeting I was walking back to our tent and I remember that you hugged me and with tears in your eyes, you told me that you loved me and how proud of me you were. I hadn't thought about that for a very long time. I started crying right there in sacrament meeting. I know that Heavenly Father sent the Holy Ghost to remind me that you are proud of me and that he is too. It was awesome. It's still hard to see how I can have the success you did. I have a lot more weaknesses than I realized when I left. But I love serving the Lord, even though it is very hard.

I'm almost done with Jesus the Christ and the Book of Mormon again.