Monday, November 2, 2015

November 2, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYKER!!! Big shout out to Ryker turning a big 15 years old and I am sure will be on the road quick with his momma in the passenger seat!:) That is too hard to imagine Ryker driving!!! What in the world happened??? Have a great birthday!!!

Wow yesterday was amazing! We had a beautiful family come to church for the first time this week. The Alifaro family! We have only taught them a few times but their desire is so amazing. The ward was so excited to see them show up all dressed up! Their family really loves each other and I just love them so much! They have progressed really fast. And we are just so excited for them! Their kids already have a part in the Primary program in two weeks:) So ya we are so pumped and so happy for them. We have nothing but PMG (Preach My Gospel) to thank for their progression. The PMG conversion is beautiful!

This has been our big push. Doing everything exactly how the PMG says to do it! Wow is it beautiful! It really brings true conversion! This is something we have found in our area and are trying to spread to the whole mission. So twice a week we go wherever we want on the Island and go on splits with them and show them how beautiful this is. Last Tuesday we went to Guimaras for my first time which is a small island south of Iloilo. I will send pictures. What a beautiful place! 

O ya Chris Maravilla the guy I told you last time that has kind of a "bad guy" look to him is doing awesome!!! He has a great family with 5 kids. Since the first lesson he hasn't smoked or drank. Not because we told him not to but he felt something that told him he needs to change. And his desire is pure. At the same time I have never met a more funny guy in my life. He still has a ways to go in his conversion process but he has made some real progress in the last 2 weeks! So good that we are inviting him to our meeting on Thursday where we give training's to the Zone Leaders. So he is going to be our investigator where we practice teach but it won't be practice because he is still an investigator! We are so excited! He is going to be great and he will share with the missionaries what he felt when he heard the Restoration and the change that it has brought to his life! That is the coolest thing in missionary work!!! Seeing the change!!!!! I love it!

Alright 1 more cool experience this week. So we had a family the Centino family where the dad is a retired military guy, that told us after we extended a date that they were never going to leave their religion. We said that was alright but said just read the Book of Mormon and see what happens. So we came back and didn't teach them anything just took turns reading 3 Nephi 11 and wow there was a shift mood that was in that house and they changed. They were so excited to read after we left and asked us when we were coming back. We didn't give up on them because they love to read. The whole PMG conversion is centered around a testimony of the Book of Mormon. That is what we are focusing on and it has proved to be so beautiful! I don't know what will happen to the Centino family but I have a firm testimony that if they truly read the Book of Mormon there will be a change!!!

So ya we are working hard but at the same time having some great fun. This morning we had some elders buy a live pig......We killed, roasted, and ate it on the beach for lunch today!:) Only in the Philippines!!! Livin' the dream!!! 

I cannot express how awesome this is! PMG is so beautiful it has helped me feel so much joy in missionary work. We are having so much success and so much fun doing it! I love you all!!!!

Love,
Elder Jackson Erik Craythorne