It was June
13, 2015 when I received a call from the assistants to the president telling me
that I will be emergency transferred from Gubat, Sorsogon, to train a short
term missionary, Sister Ramada, in an open area in Bulusan, Bulan. However, the
AP’s told us that we would be staying in the Legazpi apartment with the Sister
training leaders, Sister Jemino and Sister Dizon, until the end of the transfer
since we were only halfway through that current transfer. As the weeks went by
in the transfer, Sister Ramada and I felt prompted that while we are here in
Legazpi waiting for the transfer to end we should help the ward out and see if
there was anything we could do to help. So, we went tracting with some of the
members of the ward to see if anyone would be interested in hearing the message
of the Gospel.
One rainy
Sunday night, about 8:30 at night, Sister Ramada knocked on a cute yellow and
orange house inside of a Barangay, and a sweet little girl answered. The little
girl was about 10 years old and had the hugest smile on her face. She quickly
grabbed her mom and told her “two girls are outside the door and one of them
looks super white!” Sister Ramada and I chuckled. The little girl said her name
was Chelsea Gonzales, then her mom, Odette, kindly asked us to come the next
Sunday to share our message with them. Gladly we accepted, and also invited
them to attend church.
The next
Saturday comes around and Sister Ramada and I were so excited to teach the
Gonzales family. We taught Chelsea and Odette that families can be together
forever through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ .That following Sunday,
Chelsea unexpectedly came to church! Sister Ramada and I were so shocked at how
willing this little 10 year old girl was to come to a place she had never been
before and how well behaved she was! We all sat next to each other during
sacrament meeting and President and Sister Guanzon decided to go to church in
Legazpi and so we all sat together. President Guanzon kept looking at us
sisters and Chelsea during sacrament as we whispered what was going on and what
the speakers were referring to.
He told us
that his heart was breaking knowing that he would be sending us to another
place while we felt so much love for this little girl who attended our
sacrament meeting. Odette and her other daughters, Denise and Miley, ended up
coming to Sunday School and Relief Society as well, and Sister Ramada and I had
no idea they’d be coming! Our hearts rejoiced exceedingly! Sister Odette and
Denise sat right next to the one and only Sister Guanzon and felt touched by
the powerful testimony and insights she gave during the Relief Society lesson.
Sister Guanzon wasn’t familiar with Sister Odette and Denise so she introduced
herself to them and bore strong testimony of how the Gospel changed her life.
Sister Guanzon was actually confused as to why we were in the Legazpi ward
because we weren’t the assigned missionaries that she normally saw and how we
already had investigators going to church. We explained to her our situation
and that we had found this family through prayerful tracting. She immediately
told Odette that none of that, or this, was a coincidence, and that her family
needed to listen to our message. Sister Odette then told us that we could come
to their place later that night to share the rest of our message to her and her
family because she was looking for something that could truly help her and her
kids feel more guidance in their lives.
Although we
knew that Legazpi wasn’t going to be our assigned area, we couldn’t stop
thinking about the Gonzales family. The thought of leaving them and this city did
not feel right at all. It was the most unsettling feeling I’ve ever had on my
mission. Sister Ramada and I decided to fast and pray for the rest of the day,
inquiring of the Lord what His will would be for us and for this family. We
needed to know whether or not to stay for this family or whether to just leave
and pray the other missionaries would help them. Since Sister Ramada and I had
only shared the first few principles of the gospel, we had not mentioned the
book of Mormon to them or any detail about the Restoration. So we thought that
if that night (Sunday) Odette would allow us to teach this family and would
accept the challenge to read the Book of Mormon and come to church next Sunday,
this family is the family the Lord needs us to focus on.
It was
pouring rain yet again that Sunday night and Sister Ramada and I relied on the
Lord more than we ever have before in our entire lives. Odette let us in and
the Lord guided us with the Spirit in what to say and do to help her family
feel the divinity and truthfulness of this message and how it will change and
help their lives for the better if they would let it. They accepted to read the
Book of Mormon and to come to church the next Sunday. Sister Ramada and I left
their house with tears in our eyes; the Lord had answered our specific prayer
and made it clear what we needed to do. We called President Guanzon and he told
us before we could really even explain what had happened that we are to stay in
Legazpi City, open our new area there, and do all we could to help the Gonzales
family enter into an everlasting covenant with God through the waters of
baptism. Now after a transfer of teaching the Gonzales family about the
Restoration, Plan of Salvation, and Gospel of Jesus Christ and His commandments
with sister Ramada, the ward members of the Legazpi ward were heavily involved.
Through the direction and guidance of Bishop Francisco, the ward members, and
the stake President, became very involved in through full fellowshipping and
helping them to feel loved and welcomed. Through the ward council and the
mission coordination meetings we had with the ward, family home evenings with
the Gonzales family were planned, member present lessons happened, and
designating members from the ward to fellowship them during various church
activities were deemed successful. None of the members who fellowshipped and
loved the Gonzales family ever failed to bear powerful testimony and how the
Gospel of Jesus Christ had changed their lives tremendously and the
overwhelming influence of God that they felt so strongly in their lives. The
Gonzales family actually had many connections they made between their social
lives, school, and work with the members; which made them feel all the more
like family. Sister Ramada and I couldn’t believe our eyes with how well they
all clicked and how the members unwaveringly gave love and charity.
As Sister
Ramada left her short term mission and Sister de Hoyos and I became a
companionship, we prayed to the Lord to help us know what else the Gonzales family
needed in order to enter the covenant of baptism.
As Sister de
Hoyos and I prayed and fasted for them, many challenges were coming into the
lives of this is precious family. Although they felt in their hearts that they
wanted to commit to God and His restored Gospel through baptism, doubts arose
unlike before and Satan was working his hardest to make them feel that what
they would embark upon would be a mistake.
Denise had a
set baptism date for Wednesday, September 9, 2015, in which we were all so excited
for. But after the baptismal interview of Chelsea and Odette, they told us and
Elder Raven that they were not going to be baptized the following day with
Denise.
Well, I know
you all want the truth.
Sister de
Hoyos and I were devastated. We were shocked, confused, and wondered where in
the world did we go wrong. Had God forgotten why He even sent me and my
companions to Legazpi City? Had he forgotten how much this family needs this
Gospel? Why did we even open this area, had it not been for this family? My
heart had never felt so heavy or saddened than on that Tuesday night on
September 8. The confusion and strife felt within our hearts was an
understatement because of our love for this precious family. The thought of us
lacking something that we should have said or done differently for them was
haunting.
The next day
when we told Bishop Francisco what had happened, he of course felt devastated
as well. He himself had questioned God if there was something more we could
have done to help them, the whole ward did.
Then as
President Guanzon spoke, he understood our sorrow and great love for this
family. He spoke simply, yet lovingly and powerfully. He said it’s simple. Just
trust God. Trust that this is His plan, and that He loves this family more than
we know. We accepted his remarks and decided to just fully trust in God and
understand that the Gonzales family needed something only God himself could
give them that would strengthen their faith.
So on that
Wednesday afternoon, it was pouring rain. We were preparing for Denise’s
baptism and were praying for a miracle to happen and for better understanding.
As 6:00pm approached, the Gonzales family came ready for Denise’s baptism. Then
suddenly, Chelsea whispered in my ear, “Sister, I change my mind. Momma and I
want to be baptized with Denise.” Odette said that during the hours of that
day, she was praying for a sign from God telling her whether or not this be the
right choice for her. Even though she felt it was true, it was still hard to
make this decision that would change her life so drastically. She said during
her prayer, that if God would stop the rain by the time she got to the chapel,
it would be His will for them to be baptized. The rain stopped as they entered
the gates of the chapel.
Odette
received the Lord’s answer seconds before she entered the chapel.
My heart
dropped! The members were filled with joy and tears were instantly filled in
every eye in the room. Chelsea, Denise, and Odette quickly got their
baptismal clothes on and hurried back in the sacrament hall. I called President
Guanzon and told him a miracle was about to happen so if he wanted to see it he
better come back to the chapel!
As everyone
settled down, the baptism program began and each one of those precious souls
were baptized and confirmed the following Sunday. They all bore such sweet
testimonies about their love for the Lord. They expressed how the feeling of
baptism was something that they have never felt before. How pure they felt. How
they’ve never felt so much closer to their Savior by following His example.
If there’s
anything that is to be learned from the entire experience, it’s that the Lord
is absolutely in charge and we need not to worry nor despair. If as
missionaries, we do our part in allowing ourselves to be simple instruments for
the Lord, we must rejoice. Every single second of our lives is carefully
planned by our Almighty Creator. As members of the church and as missionaries,
working together can bring about miracles we can’t even fathom. The Lord is
hastening his work. May we have enough faith to seek His will, and be willing
to simply trust enough to do it.
Love,
Sister Delgado
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I witnessed the biggest miracle on Wednesday of my whole mission...
The Gonzales family was baptized and confirmed into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Sister Ramada came back from Bacacay to see the miracle... Such a glorious day!!!
|
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Bishop Francisco, Stake President Pangan, Sister DeHoyos, Odette Gonzales,
Chelsea Gonzales, Denise Gonzales, me, Sister Guanzon, and President Guanzon. |
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The Legazpi ward members and their newest edition to their ward.
This is quite possibly the best day of my entire life. |
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| My beloved children on the mission field. Sister DeHoyos and Sister Ramada. |
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| Sister Hunt at trainer's training! |
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| Sister Dizon at trainer's training! |
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| Our investigator Rowena. She loves the Book of Mormon |
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| "Sister! Wear this you'd look so cute!" -Chelsea lol |
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| Happy Birthday to sister Mary Jane Tarantan!!! |
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| happpppppy Sister DeHoyos and Sister Delgado :) |
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| Having fun at depatio Legazpi! |
