A dog stole Sister Villanueva's shoe

Yesterday we were teaching a lesson and there was a little window behind us and I saw this little rat poke his head through... and then like 5 seconds later he launched himself through the window into the room!!! Ratatouille lives on! 

Also a dog really did steal Sister Villanueva's shoe and she wore the flip flops of the person we're teaching with socks for like the next 5 hours it was great. 

Also Nicole is the best member missionary ever and she's 9. She's been inviting all of her friends to join every time we teach her dad Randy! Also she made him pay for all of them to come to church with her yesterday hahahha. But Randy is a champion because he doesn't mind that we teach him with seven 9 year old girls :) His baptism is getting closer and closer!! He's my favorite ever his conversion has been the best to witness. PLUS!! One of their sons finally came to church this week! We taught about the priesthood yesterday and are hoping that Randy will be the one to baptize his son! Oh so exciting. 

We found this super awesome family two weeks ago and we went to teach them on Saturday and their mom told us how she knows the church is true because she can feel the power of the Holy Ghost and her children have been reading the Book of Mormon together and now they want to spend more time together at home as a family! Their motorcycle broke last week and they live super far away so that's the only thing keeping them from church right now!! Their dad actually drove us home one time and basically begged us to come teach his family and turns out they're miraculous! 

I love all your faces. Have a happy May Day!

Sister Zollinger

Sister Z got a package from home... it took 5 months to arrive.  I think she likes it.

Repent! And find rest in your soul.

Conference was the greatest. I cried in the pew. It was a wonderful message of repentance and peace. I know there's a direct correlation there.  

John 6:

66 ¶ From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Peter's right! There's no one else to follow if we want eternal life. Christ taught us the way and He said we need to have faith in Him, repent, be baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.  

No matter how hard you think it is don't 'go away' no one but Christ can lead you to eternal life... We'll all be resurrected and we'll all return the presence of Heavenly Father. How well we follow the gospel of Jesus Christ will determine how comfortable we'll be and how long we'll want stay there. If we don't repent we're not going to be comfortable in the presence of Heavenly Father. It'll be us that will 'go away' from Him. 

Heavenly Father loves us so much. He's trying to help us see that repentance isn't supposed to be scary. He wants you back and He's doing everything He can to get you back. Like the speakers said Let Him in. :)

This week Sister Villanueva trained in Zone Conference about how using the Book of Mormon in this work can lead to a faith, repentance, and a change of heart in those we teach and then they will be free! (Helaman 15:7-8) 

Bea and Shachia passed their baptism interviews! This weekend will be a White Easter! 

The other day I bought some water and I put my bible down to pay and accidentally left it there. The next day I realized it was gone and remembered where it was so we went back to get it. Turns out the girl working there that gave me back my bible was the niece of the Patriarch here! But she's not a member. We traded my Bible for a Book of Mormon and she said she would read. There's no coincidence. 

There's like 100 other miracles from this week and I wish I could share them all but that'd be crazy.

I love you all .

Sister Zollinger

Sorry I didn't take any pictures this week.... oops... too pisan gid ;)

Happy Easter

Here's a conversation I had this week with Nicole. It's been a few days and I'm still laughing about it.

Nicole: "Sister what are you? American?"

Me: "Yeah what are you?"

Nicole: "A person!"

wahahhaha I love her. Also we went to her house to teach her dad- Randy- and when we got there she jumped up and yelled "I didn't read! We have to read now!" and then she ran and grabbed her Book of Mormon and started reading to us out loud. It was the best! That's the power of constant commitments and follow up! 

We trained in the Cadiz district councils this week about becoming a consecrated missionary and especially thinking about how everything you do will affect your companion before you do it. Remembering the sacrifices they have made to be here serving the Lord. It was good the spirit was strong. 

Shachia was baptized this week! After 5 months of being

taught by the missionaries! It has been a joy to see her growth and progression. And now we're teaching her sister too! It was wonderful to have all three siblings together this Sunday at church. 

We had a lot of teary moments this week but I've never felt the Savior's helping hand more or relied more on the Spirit and really felt that it was given to me by the power of the Holy Ghost what to say. We didn't have the result we wanted but I know we trusted and did our part. There is so much power in being prayerful. We'll try again this week! 

I love you all. Happy Easter. He is Risen and Because of Him we can find JOY! 

Boy Bawang for president! (garlic boy)

OKAY SO THE POWER OF PRAYER IS REAL!!!!!

On Saturday we sat down on this ledge by the beach to breath for a second. There was lots of fish drying in the sun and there was also a nice breeze and it's been so hot lately. I said to Sister Villanueva wouldn't it be nice if someone just walked up to us and then we could teach them..

and then I said I'll say a prayer and ask Heavenly Father if he can send someone to talk to us

so then after my prayer I said and now we wait

AND THEN LITERALLY 2 SECONDS LATER A GUY WALKED UP AND INTRODUCED HIMSELF

turns out he was baptized when he was 15 and hasn't been to church in like 30 years. He asked us for a Restoration pamphlet showed us where his house was and then he left. 

OH my goodness I was so shook it my boots we could barely even talk to him we were just so blown away! I feel like I have the smallest glimpse of how the Brother of Jared felt when he saw the finger of Jesus Christ and then fell over because he was so surprised!

Tatay Randy came to church again this week!!! He's my favorite person ever. Also we taught him on Saturday and we had already opened our fast but he didn't know and he got us some juice.. and then we told him we were fasting and he was like "It's okay we have a roof! God won't see you drink it!" Palagpat gid hahahhaa.

We got to attend the Stake Bishops meeting this Sunday with President Sumagpao. He gave a training on their responsibilities in missionary work and stuff. They asked me to be the chorister and the thing was 6/8 and I thought I was gonna die of shame because I never actually graduated from the just spelling your name with your hand thing. Oh dear oh dear. hahaha

We found tons of new people this week and also we sang to a bunch of 16 year old boys on the side on the road while everyone in their neighborhood watched. I thought they were going to die of embarrassment but at the end they showed us where all their houses are and we set a return appointment so yay! The church is true!

Also we started teaching Isaiah's grandma and his sister! Yipee!! Also Bea is so golden and so elect she answers our questions before we even ask them I just love her.

This week was truly wonderful. I had exchanges too with Sister Capitulo and we both love to talk to random people in the road so that was a blast!

Hopefully you feel the happiness. It's really real!

Love your guts.

Sister Z

Sister Villanueva and Sister Zollinger

Sister Capitulo and Sister Zollinger

Bangon! Ngaa natumba ka? (Get up! Why did you fall?)

Sometimes I laugh out loud when we read the Book of Mormon with the people we teach because the translations are kind of hilarious sometimes. 

Anyways!!! This week was WONDERFUL! But also it was super busy and crazy and I can't really remember anything that happened :) But! So many new people came to church this week! It was miraculous! 

Also we taught Tatay Randy about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Spirit was so strong. I used an analogy from Jessica about leaving footprints in the sand- sometimes they're small and sometimes they're deep but when the waves come they're all washed away. That's what the Atonement of Jesus Christ can do for our lives. Everything can be made new again no matter how many footprints we've left in the sand. Randy is preparing for his baptism probably in the next few months :) It's been the greatest privilege and blessing to witness his change of heart so far! 

We're teaching more and more people in Kevin's family too and that has been so fun! It's so cool to see him help us with the lessons and encourage his siblings to pray and read. They're too shy to come to church right now but we have a lot of hope for all of them! 

Little kids keep making me little rubber band bracelets I have like 5 now. Whenever they see me wearing it they give me more! I feel so loved. Blessed are the children! 

My life and my heart are still changing everyday through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I love the analogy from last conference that all of us are like a leaky old house.

C.S Lewis explained God’s transforming power in this way: “Imagine yourself as a living house.  God comes in to rebuild that house.  At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing.  He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.  But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably… You see, He is building quite a different house from the one you thoughts of… You thought you were being make into a decent little cottage; but He is building a palace.  He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

Jesus is the Christ and He lives! Run to him.

LOVE YOU ALLLLLL!!! 

Sister Z