Great Mission Story

August 27, 2013

    So I found out that I am transferring back to my first zone-San Jose Del Monte! But it's a different area. I was trained in La Mesa with Sister Drio but now I'll be in Pangarap (which means dream in tagalog) with Sister Miner. So same region but

different area. I'm pretty excited because I've been on exchanges with Sister Miner twice and she is really fun to work with and really nice. She doesn't know a lick of tagalog but that's ok, I'll be able help her hopefully. She just got done being trained so I'm her follow-up. I've never done that before so it should be fun and I really like their area because it's not city but there are still a ton of people everywhere. So the surroundings are really pretty and it's SO hilly! So I'll pretty much be hiking everyday which will be a fun workout. :)

     Anyways, I'm super sad to leave Manggahan and Sister Nunez, It's been one of my favorite transfers and she is one of my favorite companions. Our district leader asked us to say something we liked about this transfer and we both said, "my companion" hahaha. We just got along and had such a blast together! Oh well, we will still see each other and she is actually moving to Louisiana with her family so I might get to see her at a reunion in the states or something. I am also excited

to not have to worry about traveling to all the other areas and scheduling exchanges. Like you said, I can just focus on our area and our people and Sister Miner.

    So we have this less active here in Manggahan that me and Sister Walker visited all the time but he never came to church. we even taught his step dad who isn't a member and it was good for about three weeks and then trickled off. So then sister nunez came in and we weren't teaching the dad anymore but we were still teaching JR (the less active) about once a week or whenever he was home (cause he's gone a lot hanging out with his other less active friends). So we've been teaching him for 3

months and not seeing any progress and we couldn't figure out what else to teach him. I always asked him when he was going on a mission but he kept saying he had to help his family financially and stuff. We had taught sacrament and keep the sabbath day holy and everything else we could think of. He kept telling us he just could not wake up on sunday morning.

      So I suggested we teach word of wisdom, focusing on not going to bed to late and sleeping in too late and that sunday he came to church! So ever since then he's come to church 4 times, is now returned, and is even working with us when we go and teach other investigators!! Last sunday he actually volunteered to teach the gospel principles class. I had to take out my contacts and clean them and put them back in again I couldn't believe my eyes!! SO THEN he comes up to me after church and is like, "Sister Garcia, what the heck? I just heard you were transferring?!" and I was like, "ya, sorry...i'm gonna miss your lesson and stuff" and he was like, "well i just want you to know that I decided to serve a mission". OH my gosh. I was so happy to hear that!  so then we went and taught him yesterday about the blessings of serving a mission (D&C 31) and it was such an

awesome lesson and he told us how he'd wanted to serve a mission for a long time but finally prayed about it and God gave him a clear answer through the members and a bunch of different signs and he said he feels so happy now that he is going back to church.

     Of course he has fears, but he's willing to take the leap of faith and he said for sure for sure. He's going to get really active again and then he's going on a mission. Afterwards he walked me and sister nunez and our other fellowshipper home and told me he wanted to thank me for helping him come back to church and for being an inspiration to him. It was the best way to end my time here in manggahan. Ever since I met JR I felt like he wasn't living up to his potential and I just wanted to see him do something, and now he is! And he just looks happier than ever. I am so so proud of him! The thing is, even though it's nice to

be thanked, I really don't feel like I did anything. I just did my job but he's the one who prayed and acted. It's just amazing feel like

even though sometimes I don't feel effective, you never know what the spirit can do through you to make a real difference in people's lives. I'm so excited for him because I know he can do this and it will change his life forever! 

Love, Age