Rain!

August 7, 2011


This week has been marked by a nearly unending downpour of rain. My companion and I have had a great deal of fun wandering through shin-deep water and a little less fun as we've had to cancel appointments because the floods are more than shin-deep. We've spent the majority of the week in a state of very wet, and all the rest of the time has been a condition of mostly wet. Today though is filled with sunlight that we are hoping still exists when we leave the internet cafe.

We used the extra time we had from cancelled appointments to visit members, we visited active members to ask for referrals and inactive members to help strengthen their faith and encourage them to come back to church. One of the funnest things we've done this week has been to share Helaman 5:12 to nearly every member (active or not) that we visited. The verse reads "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of miser and endless woe, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." Our members found the humor of this verse as rain beat upon their roofs with such force, we were nearly shouting to hear each other.

We asked each of them what storms the devil had brought to their lives. We asked them how they had overcome these storms. And we asked them what they do build a foundation upon Christ. One less-active sister answered quickly, "Pagbasa kag Pagpangamuyo" (read and pray) then she paused and laughed, "kag pagsimba man, di ba?" (and go to church too, right?) We eagerly agreed with her and she committed to coming to church that week if it wasn't raining.

This entertaining experience turned into a miracle Sunday, when it was not only raining, but pouring. We walked into the chapel to be greeted by this sister, as well as her less-active son and his wife. The whole branch was overjoyed at their attendance. I know Heavenly Father loves me, because he let me be a part of this miracle. And I know He loves this family as well, because he helped them come to church again. Isn't life beautiful!

Halong Kamo!

Palangga Ko Kamo Gid!!! (I love all of you a lot!)

ps- the great thing about the words ko and kamo when you put them together is that it sounds like Coco-mo from that Beach Boys song.