In case you didnt know we had a little typhoon come into our area of the Philippines this last week, but we are ALIVE! :) This whole last week we have been receiving warnings and making preparations for a storm that was coming in. So this last few days we've had a lot of rain, wind, and clouds! But glad to report that we are all OK!
This last week was awesome! Got to go on a few exchanges with different missionaries! The first was with 2 brand new missionaries fresh from the MTC. Elder McCauley (my "grandson" in the mission) from California and Elder Igleski from Arizona. We had an awesome day of splits and I learned a lot from them! They are such humble missionaries and has really really strong testimonies of the gospel! Its always humbling to be with brand new american missionaries because I can totally relate to so many of the things they are going through as a new missionary in the Philippines! Got to really get to know them and have a good time working with them. Even though what they said was very simple just because the language barrier, it was powerful and from the heart!
The next day, we got to go on splits again. And this time it was with none other than... ELDER CLAUDIO! (my "anak" in the mission) Gosh that whole day was just a blast! Just getting to talk about Tuguegarao and how the members were doing, how our investigators were doing, how HE was doing, it was just a great time! Also had a great day in terms of the work! One of the most productive days I've had! While we were teaching that day, I would look over to him and hear him teach and my mind would just flash back to when we were together in Tugue! And another cool thing, one of our investigators has had a lot of questions about the church and we've done well, I believe, in answering them, but when Elder Claudio and I visited them, they were able to speak bisaya together (her native language) and it was a divine interaction for sure!
But after the worst part of the storm, Elder Villalon and I went out to check on members and on our investigators, especially the less-fortunate ones. And thank goodness, all of them were safe from the storm... there were however some damage and many things to clean up from some trees that fell down.
The Natividad family is also doing really well! We taught them about tithing and fasting this last week and turns out that they already knew a ton about it because their active mother in law had already spent a lot of time talking about it and testifying of the power of paying an honest tithe. We had planned to share a story about an apostle's family paying tithing and receiving blessings, but after she shared that powerful story of her mother in law.... there was no need.
We as members of the church have the most important thing that we could ever obtain in this world! More important that all the wealth of the kings and rulers! Thats our testimony! The knowledge of the plan of salvation and the restoration of the gospel is PRICELESS. As the Lord said in Doctrine and Covenants: "Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments" Let us share this knowledge! As well as our testimony of the Savior... which is a "Sure foundation a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall"! Many typhoons and bagyos come into our lives! Let us prepare for them! :)
Love you all!
Elder Navarro
