Two by Two: Philippines Week 42

I saw several miracles this week. The first was rather powerful for me. Joseph has been less active for 15 years. He was the Branch President for 4 years. He went super Less Active- like word of wisdom and all. I have never met anyone in my time here that has been so hard. I remember my first week here in Abucay (last April) when I met him he just said “no, I’m busy.” One of the blessings that I have seen during my 5 months here was the softening of this man’s heart.

It started with a “magandang umaga” every time that we passed him. Then after about two months, he came up to me and asked for a lesson 1-The Restoration pamphlet. I thought that this was strange but I simply complied. The next week, “Sister Raynor, Lesson 2”. Then “lesson 3!!”. All the way until about the 6^th pamphlet when he asked me if I would recommend a chapter for him to read in the Book of Mormon. At that point, I just kept thinking “I’ve got to share with this man.” Eventually, he allowed us to share with him. We felt prompted to share about the repentance process and the story of Alma the younger. By the end of the lesson, he asked us to leave. We were really confused because we had really felt the Spirit. But as we were about to turn the corner, we looked back one more time to see tears rolling down his face.

We had a really rough day on Friday. The whole day and only one lesson. I was so frustrated. I felt like I have been in this area FOREVER. But as we walked by his house, he yelled “Sister Raynor!”. We turned and went to say hi. He was crying before we even shook his hand. In a 20 minute conversation, that man changed my whole day. He told me that he was coming back to church because the church is true.

On Sunday, for the first time in 15 years, Joseph went to church. He got up in the gospel essentials class and told everyone that the church was true and that as he was going to share it with everyone.