pag-ibig sa kapwa

Hello friends and family!! Another great week here in the San Pablo mission. This week was full of about 200 Tagalog mistakes, 4 people grabbing my arm and touching my skin because I'm white, and 1 albino Filipino who I thought was American. I started speaking English to but then he looked so scared and said "Filipino ako! Filipino ako!" Haha but then we started speaking Tagalog and all was well. I love being a missionary here in the land of the Philippines!

So sadly, R wasn't at church this week so his baptism is pushed back again. Because there are so many less actives in our mission, we are really focusing on making sure our investigators are super strong in their church attendance before we baptism them. So sweet R will have to wait until he is really ready. But I know that with some more time and some more teaching, R will become the strong latter-day saint he is meant to be! But please, please pray for him. 

The struggle of Pakil is definitely our church attendance. We have some great investigators but none of them are coming to church. What I've come to realize is that they just don't understand the importance of church or they are very, very Catholic. It's a little discouraging when we pass by the Catholic church on our way to church it's hopping with people (sometimes we see our investigators and in-actives) haha but I'm not giving up on them!! I have faith that someday the little Pakil chapel will be hopping with people too. Small and simple means. 

This week we had an amazing zone conference all about pag-ibig sa kapwa tao at Ang Pagbabayad-sala ni Jesucristo or charity and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am feeling so spiritually strengthened!! I love, love, love President and Sister Mangum and I learned so much from them. Something I've really realized here on my mission is that without charity, we really are nothing! It is the 1st and 2nd great commandments to love God and to love one another. I know that the way we show love to our Heavenly Father and Savior is through obedience to the commandments. The commandments are there to bless us and save us!! Follow them! I encourage all of you to read John chapter 14 and ask yourself how you can better love God and your fellow men. I have learned many ways that I can improve and I am feeling more determined to love and serve the people around me. Also everybody go check out the new Easter video on mormon.org!! I love you all so so much. Have a great week!! 

Love, 

Sister Giles 

With President and Sister Mangum and former roommates at zone conference.