Draw Unto Him

Kamusta, mga family at friends!

Wow. We have seen miracles in our area both large and small! But we met an interesting guy this last week! We were just walking down the street trying to find some new investigators in part of our area, when we hear this peculiar voice coming from one of the homes. He said "Hey dude, wats up man how ya doin?" in like an Italian accent! This was strange 1) because you do come across a whole lot of pure english speakers here and 2) why was it Italian? So we come up to the door and start talking to him. Turns out he grew up in Arab and is a Muslim, but got married to a Filipina. He invited us in and was just the funniest guy in the world! He goes off just saying how he knows more about God than us and just all this funny stuff telling us his whole life story.. (which is really sad!) but then I could tell he enjoyed talking to another english speaker. He accepted a pamphlet and we were on our way. I dont really know why I'm including this but it was just a really funny experience in the moment so I asked to take a picture with Uncle Sam.. That was his name. Anyway.

The Macarubbo family has been doing awesome! One thing I remember was talking about the Holy Ghost with them. We explained how the Holy Ghost testifies of truth and guides us to do the right thing and then Sister Macarubbo's eyes just lit up and she jumped in and said that was so true. Then she shared a powerful testimony of how she had been feeling His influence as she'd been learning about the gospel and going to church! Then Tatay has really been concerned about repentance and how we know when we are forgiven... His faith is so strong in the Atonement and all he wants is just to be forgiven of his mistakes! Its been amazing because he's been so faithful in fasting and giving up his vices like drinking/smoking as well as a ton of other things that he has just straight up given up! Which is nothing short of a miracle in itself! But its such a privilege to know them! Aaaannndddd they've fed a time or two.. which isnt too bad either :)

 

Also we had interviews this week with President and Sister Rahlf which is always a spiritual experience! He gave me some advice that really hit me to exactly what I needed to improve on. He talked about really burying yourself in the scriptures especially when us as people need and ask for divine assistance in a more than human work. "If we draw unto Him, He will draw unto us" he counseled. And so that is what I've really been focusing on this week... Just immersing myself in the scriptures as much as I can. And I have faith that the Savior of the world will help all those who seek to "draw unto Him."

 

Another miracle, real quick has been the Pastores family. They've all been less active in the church for years, except their daughter Lyka. And we've been visiting their family consistently ever since I've gotten here in Tuguegarao. But for some reason just last week Brother Pastores decided to come to church! And he was a RM and a seminary teacher in his younger years so he knows a lot about the scriptures and the gospel! But he just felt like he needed to come back to set a good example for his family. So he came with just him and his daughter Lyka and just yesterday his whole family was at church! Oh man how good that felt! And he even asked for a calling as a home teacher. Then I looked at our Ward Mission Leader and he looked at me and we just did a silent celebration as we heard that!

 

But this work is true! I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and is a big way, along with the Bible, that all of us can "draw unto HIM." He will help us and we will be showered with the Lords tender mercies. (1 Nephi 1:20)

Mahal ko kayo!

Elder Navarro

 

Happiest Sunday Thus Far!

Hello family and friends!

 
The Lord is so good to those who have desires to serve Him! Yesterday was one of the happiest Sunday's I've had so far in the mission. We know that there is always an opposition that comes up whenever people are really starting to make a change in their lives for good and to follow Christ. Elder Claudio and I have seen that happening with so many people. But we've also seen how they've reacted in a positive way to strengthen even further their testimony of the gospel.
 
So we were a little worried about the Macarubbo family just because last week they had a lot of things to do at the house and decided not to come to church. Elder Claudio and I decided we were going to try and pick them up just so they would feel comfortable all coming together and entering the church. They rejected the offer saying that they would just meet us there, which made us a little more worried because you never know whats going to happen. But we were sitting in our PMG Class for our ward missionaries when 2 of the Macarubbo kids walk in! I immediately asked them where their family was and they said they were just outside! We left the class to see if they were really there and when we came out of the church THERE THEY WERE! Including Sister! They were in their Sunday best and waiting to come in! Many reasons why this was an awesome experience! 1) it was the first time that Bro. Macarubbo's wife had come! 2) They were all their as a family! 3) They were in Sunday best! 4) it was the first time they made it in time for Sacrament Meeting! And we have investigators come to church pretty often but this was just soooooooo incredibly exciting because it was the Macarubbo Family all together! All 6 of them! :) They had an awesome experience at church and this family is the buzz of the whole ward! :) Tatay Macarubbo even said he really felt something different in the sacrament meeting that he had never felt before. And as I looked over at him while they were passing the bread and water, he had his head bowed and I could tell he was praying! Oh I was prayin too that everything would fall in place for them to be baptized and eventually make it to the temple!
 
Another amazing miracle was at church as well! I saw a man all dressed up in a suit and thought this guy must be from Church headquarters or something! (because no one wears suits....#mainit.) He was teaching in the classes and just seemed like a regular guy! When I heard who he was it shocked me! It was Brother Pastores! A less active man who hadnt been to church in years! And we've been trying to get in contact with him in vain since I got here in Tuguegarao! But thanks to the prayers of his active daughter, he felt inspired that he needed to come back to church to be an example to his wayward son... miracle.
 
Yesterday was just an amazing day because just a ton of people came to church that we werent expecting! People we have been visiting for months with no results until now! It was an exciting day for sure!
 
Wow! Other than that we've had a lot of opportunities these past couple weeks in doing service projects! The cool thing about these service projects is that its not just for members but its for the actual Barangay! (or little towns is probably a close description) So people will walk by and ask us why we're cleaning up the place and who we are. And of course we are sooooo happy and proud to say, "We're Mormons!" :) Its brought up a lot of interest for many of the leaders of the Barangay!
 
And then today we had a zone activity to the Callao Caves again! You know you've been in an area a while when you have an activity in the same place 3 times haha. But was just a really refreshing experience! This country and this world is absolutely beautiful! God's creations are all around us and the beauty and complexity is breathtaking! Just like Alma's encounter with Korihor, I've come to know and feel that his statement is true, "Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." Another really cool thing we got to do was BOATING! WAHOO that was super fun! And the cool breeze and the cool water and the blue sky and the gorgeous mountains was just the best medicine to any kind of stress or mental fatigue! And also it was super fun to have an activity with some of my best friends in the mission!
 
I love the work of the Lord! I testify that The Book of Mormon is true and that it is the evidence to the truthfulness of the gospel in the Latter Days! The Lord will prepare a way for those who are seeking to know the truth and nothing will stop the work from progressing! :)
 

Hope you have a fantastic week! sorry this was long!

Tender Feelings and ants

Kamusta mga family and friends!
 
I'll just start with the ants! I woke up one night feeling a lot of discomfort! It must have been 1 or so and I started feeling these really strong itches! And when I scratched it I felt something! Found out a bunch of ants had infested my bed and were having a nice midnight snack with my blood! Haha Good thing I have an amazing mom who packed bug spray in my suitcase! Haha had to dig that stuff out but it came in handy! :)
 
Aiza's baptism was awesome! She has been waiting for this day for over and year and we were just the missionaries lucky enough to be here when it finally happened! You could definitely see it in her face after she had been baptized the amazing calmness and peace that she was feeling! Afterwards we asked her how she was and she just expressed how light she felt and how free from all the mistakes and worries in her life! It was a rewarding and very spiritual experience!
 
No time so I'll give a quick recap. Angel Curioso is doing amazing! We gave him a white shirt and tie and he is a missionary in every sense of the word already! He's inviting a ton of people around him and even visiting and inviting less actives to come to church! Which one, his neighbor, came this last sunday! He's also a natural teacher. He related the restoration of the gospel to a brown out in a house. And even though people lit candles to try and recover some light, it wasnt enough. He connected that back to the apostacy and the restoration of the gospel. That God has opened the windows of heaven to us again! His conversion is nothing short of a miracle. I have no doubt about that!
 
I am out of time... I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! Jesus Christ lives! He is our Savior! I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true! It is the word of GOD! This is His work and we are on His errand!
 
The God of Israel Leads these missionaries!

Elder Navarro

Being A Man

Sorry this one is not going to be very long....
 
But Wow! I love being a missionary! This last week we had an Elder's Conference in Cauayan with President and Sister Rahlf! They talked to all the Elders about what being a real man is. Its not growing huge beards, chopping down trees... (even though we did do that last week in our service project!), or wrestling bears to the ground, but rather it's how you treat women. Its how you magnify your calling as a priesthood holder. Its how you show the Lord your love for him. Its doing the right thing when no one is watching or when everyone around you isnt. That's what being a real man is. Serving God. We also spent a lot of time studying about Ammon and how he was a real man! It made me reflect a lot on the real men I've been able to be in contact with in my life! My dad is a real man. My leaders in youth growing up were real men. President Rahlf is a real man. I hope and pray I can become a real man and continue to improve and change every day!
 
I honestly have no more time... But next week I will give an update on the people we are teaching and how they are doing! :) which is good! :)
 
I've been studying about the Brother of Jared and in Ether chapter 2, the Lord says a phrase that I absolutely love "GO TO WORK"
 
I love this time and I love you! The God of Israel Leads This Mission!
 
Elder Navarro

Work Progression

Hey Family and Friends!

 
Sorry, we havent really had that much time on email these past couple weeks... But I didnt get transferred this week! The zone leaders played a little prank on us and texted us saying that I had been transferred... Ha but yeah I'm here in Tugue at least another 6 weeks! :) Thats actually really what I wanted because the people here are so awesome! And the area is progressing so fast its unbelievable! These people are undoubtedly prepared by the Lord and Dad's letter is so true! And I'm still here with Elder Claudio! But its extremely rare that the trainer stays with the trainee for 4 cycles, so honestly its like these next 6 weeks are my last here. But we are working hard here and that what kind of stinks... you work so hard in an area and see the people progressing and you grow to love the people and then you have to leave. But I guess the will of the Lord has other plans :)
 
But the Macarubbo family is doing really really really really well!!! We met them again a few times this last week and the progression keeps coming from them! They are a special family for sure! Prepared by the Lord! We watched the Restoration video with them this last Saturday and we felt the spirit for sure!! When we committed them to come to church, the daughter was like, "ayy! I have a review that day!" Then the Tatay said, "well, I guess you dont want to see God!" Haha it was in a joking way of course and then the nanay mentioned about their business and the tatay came back and said "We can move it to another time... We need to put the Lord first!" WOW!!! I was sooooooooo excited for that! Gosh and then he is always telling us how he wants to change his life and come together with his family! Even the mother and family (who before were already okay with us coming) expressed their shock in how they've seen a big change in their father! This family is a miracle.

We were a little worried, however, that they wouldnt be able to come to church because last week their motor broke down and weren't able to come... But ohhhhh the joy it was yesterday seeing them enter into the House of the Lord!!!! :) Their baptismal date is the last week of August! :)

 
Another one of our investigators who is another miracle is Christopher! I think I told you about Christof, but long story short, he was a miracle referral from a member in the ward! We teach him every sunday after church, and he is also a very special person! He is really in tune with the spirit and is like a sponge just taking in as much as he can! He's already read all the introduction, he's memorized the names of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, and he's reading and marking and writing down questions as he reads and he's already in 1 Nephi 8! Sometimes he even stumps us with his deep questions of the Book of Mormon!!! Haha but its been a miracle teaching him and his desire is huge! He came to the baptism in Cataggaman and said he is excited to be baptized as well! He's a little nervous about sharing his testimony at the end though! :)
 
And then Lovelyn Villamore and Denmark Natividad! These are two part member youth who are also very mature in the gospel! They both have a strong desire to become members and are actively coming to church and meetings! Lovelyn is struggling just a little bit with the word of wisdom as she is used to drinking coffee... but we're helping her work through that! Its such a blessing to work with these people!
 
One of the biggest things I've noticed with all this excitement in our area is that every one of these investigators is consistently reading out of the Book of Mormon. I dont have much time left, but I now have a firm testimony that if any man or woman will read that divine Book with a firm determination to know if its true with real intent... they will know of its truthfulness! Nephi's purpose is true and is being fulfilled when he said, "For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved." And Moroni's powerful promise at the close of the book "And by the power of the Holy Ghost, you may know the truth of all things"
 

I love this time as a missionary... I know Christ lives! The book of Mormon is true!
 
Mahal ko kayo! Namamahala ang Diyos ng Israel!

 

Elder Navarro

Nothing short of miracles!

I really wish I could just tell every little detail of what happened this week, because there was a TON! But its impossible. 

So we've seen some real miracles in our area especially this last week! So the Macarubbo family is so amazing! We were able to visit them this last week and the Tatay had read the assignments we had given him in 2 Nephi twice!!! And before we were assigned in that area, the two daughters would have been baptized a long time ago if he had given permission... but right when we first got there the first thing the father said was "Anak (daughter) I now give you my permission to be baptized!.... And I give myself permission to be baptized as well!!" Haha he wants to be baptized as well! It was so humbling to see how the Lord can change people's hearts for the good! And Elder Claudio and I keep saying its nothing short of a miracle!
 
Another miracle has been Christopher! He recorded himself reading the introduction and the witnesses of the Book of Mormon so he could listen to it while he was working and when we met with him yesterday, it was one of the most spiritual lessons I had ever been in! The spirit testified to all that were there that our meeting was anything but a coincidence! He is really an awesome awesome guy! Then his aunt, who was there in the lesson right after church bore powerful testimony of her own conversion that I think really was just perfect for Christopher! We have a baptismal date with the Macarubbo's and Christopher and a few others I havent even mentioned in August and September just because a few can only meet with us once a week just because of scheduling, but I'm so excited for this!
 
So I gave my second talk on the mission yesterday! It was about missionary work! So its something that we're pretty familiar with so it was a lot of fun to prepare! I was thinking it was just going to be a short youth kind of talk because thats what happens a lot of time with the missionaries, but when I got there they told me I was the concluding speaker! Holy cow! And then when the meeting started, there was only 1 other assigned speaker that was there and she was a youth with a 5 minute talk prepared! Bishop looked at me and said, "Elder you're talk is going to have to be 30 minutes... or more..." 30 minutes! Haha talks in General Conference arent even that long! So when the sacrament was over and the youth talk was over there was 30 minutes... and that whole time I was praying for the spirit bigtime! So I got up there and wanted to loose a few of my nerves so the first thing I said was "Brothers and Sisters ALOHA!!" And then explained what they do in Hawaii.. And then after that I felt comforted that my prayer was answered. The spirit was really the one who gave that talk and I was so grateful for that guidance! I looked up at the clock at some point and realized that the time was up and it didnt even feel like it at all...
 
I know the Lord is guiding His missionaries. He loves each and every one of us and puts things in our path so that we will grow and learn to become more like Him. I know that "the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom He hath chosen to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance". I've seen this is so many of my leaders growing up and in my parents! I know this is His work!

 

Mahal ko kayo!
 
Elder Navarro

 

 

 

Happy 4th of July

Hello family and friends!

 
Its amazing how fast things are going! I dont even want to say how long I've been out! I dont even know! ha! But its been an awesome week again! So since the sister missionaries left our ward last transfer, we've been adjusting to a really big area and a ton of investigators and members that we need to visit and continue to help! And so Elder Claudio and I decided to go back and visit one of the names in our Area Book of an investigator who has been taught by the missionaries for a long time. Janna and Abby Macarubbo. We visited them and learned really quickly that they had testimonies of the Gospel! They even worked with the sister missionaries in helping teach sometime last year! The only problem is that their parents wouldnt let them be baptized. Elder Claudio and I prayed for them and how we could help them. And the obvious answer came to talk to the parents. But from what Janna and Abby had told us, they've never wanted to talk to the missionaries. But we decided to try anyways! Our next visit, the Tatay was obviously a little hesitant and even tried to hide, haha but I was determined! Haha I think I kind of ran into his backyard before he ran away, but we got him to talk to us for a few minutes. He's looks a little rough around the edges but he's a really really nice guy and he told us how he had been really shy around the missionaries because they were sisters, but that he was happy there were now elders coming! We set an appointment to come back and share with his whole family! The next week we came back and it was like he was a different person! He was constantly asking questions and wanted to know everything! It was crazy! We didnt get to share everything to him and his family but they even set the return appointment for us! Gosh I am soooo excited for that!
 
Another miracle was yesterday at church! Sister Balisi was shopping at one of the markets here and came across the son of her cousin who she hadnt seen in a long time! They had started talking and since the relief society in our ward had set a goal to "flood [Tuguegarao] with the Book of Mormon" as President Benson had said, they all have been focusing on giving away Book of Mormons! And so Sister Balisi brought it up with her... i mean him..(oh boy that tagalog curse may be coming upon me!) Then we were super bummed because we got a nice ol storm here, and they cancelled church.... then it died down a little to we just had sacrament meeting at 4pm. Usually our ward starts at 2 and that investigator showed up to the church at 2 even though it was pouring rain! Then when he found out it was 4, he just waited and came back at 4! Holy cow thats awesome! But anyway we taught him after church in the chapel and the spirit was incredibly strong! This guy, Christopher, is one of the humblest guys I've met! It was awesome teaching this guy because he honestly just wants to follow Christ! Sister Balisi shared a powerful testimony about how she didnt believe that it was a coincidence they had met up again at the market. Powerful, powerful moment!
 
I know this work is true! I'm a little afraid I might be getting transferred this cycle because Elder Claudio's training is almost over... But whatever happens I know the Lord is in it. But I love being a missionary. The experiences I'm having I wouldnt trade for the world! I feel close to my Father in Heaven especially when things are hard. I know He loves us... I know Jesus Christ is the Savior and the Son of God. The Book of Mormon is true and was given to change hearts and change people! It is the word of God. I know that we have a living prophet on the earth today! I know that Elder Perry and President Packer have been called from this earth to fulfill a better a greater calling on the other side of the veil. I sustain and support them!
 

Hope everything is going well for all of you! Love ya!
 
Elder Navarro