Baptism - for the living

We are being so blessed with the experiences that we are having on our mission, even though we are not quite at the three month mark yet.  Before our mission we asked our father in heaven to bless us with experiences not only in the Temple but in other ways as well.  Just after we arrived we had the opportunity several times to help put together food packages for those in Tacloban and other areas that were devastated by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyon).  We were able to bring Christmas presents to the "My Bonita Girls Home", run by the Catholic Church, and also have been able to serve individuals we have met.  This week we want to share an experience we have been blessed with of sharing the gospel.

In December, when we had been in Cebu only one month, the full time missionaries, Elder Milla and Elder Clapier, asked us if we would sit in on the discussions with a young man.  We had only met Elder Milla briefly before and were thrilled with the opportunity to assist with teaching the gospel but wondered why he had chosen us.  The investigator did want to be taught in English and that may have been part of the reason for asking us.  Elder Milla has such a strong testimony and in the first discussion talked about King Lamoni's father and that he was willing to give up his kingdom to know the truth of the gospel that Aaron was teaching him.  Elder Milla then shared that when he joined the church his father was unhappy with him and when he decided to serve a mission his father told him that he was no longer a part of his family and did not even want him using his name.  Elder Milla then bore a strong testimony that he was willing to give up everything because he knew the gospel was true.  His family have since been taking the discussions, including his father, and his father told him he can use his name again.

The investigator we were blessed to get to know is Rudyard Peter Tabligan Reloj, he goes by Dyard pronounced Chard.  He had been attending church for three weeks before a member found out he was not a member and told the missionaries, that was the day Elder Milla invited us to help with the discussions.  Dyard had not only been attending church but had helped load the truck with food the Sunday we helped with that, see our earlier blog post.  He told us that his ex-girlfriend was a member and he wanted to know what it was about the church that made her the way she was so he located the closest L.D.S. church and started attending.  Interestingly, we understand that he broke up with this girlfriend over religion.  He was Roman Catholic and had grown up reading the bible but hadn't done much the last few years, he is 27.  Currently he is a team leader at a call center for Chase Financial.

We thought our part in the discussions would be to comment as asked by the missionaries, they were the ones doing the teaching, and bear testimony of the principles being taught.  After the first discussion Elder Milla told us that he had been inspired to ask us to help with the discussions.  During the second discussion, after teaching for awhile, he turned to me and said, "Elder Sorensen will you teach about the apostasy?", It caught me a little off guard but I was glad to have the opportunity.  Elder Milla was transfered, when he was made a Zone Leader, and Elder Garcia joined Elder Clapier in teaching.  I was asked to teach about the Book of Mormon and was thrilled, imagine me teaching the Book of Mormon.  We were able to help with five of the discussions which included: The Apostasy, The Book of Mormon, The Word of Widsom, and Tithing and Fast Offerings.  Sister Sorensen added such a sweet testimony in each of the discussions and we made sure we had plenty of tissues with us, I'm not sure why the spirit so often brings tears.  We missed some of the discussions because we were in the temple during that time and also when we went to Manila.  We thought we were going to miss Dyard's baptism because it was originally set for the time we were going to be in Manila but had to be adjusted because of some discussions needing to be rescheduled.

There was such a strong spirit in all of the discussions and Dyard asked very inquiring and sincere questions.  When he prayed he not only asked for help in his knowing the things he was being taught were true but he also prayed for the Elders and Elder and Sister Sorensen.  Before the discussions he would read the pamphlets the Elders had given him previously and came with questions.  In our last discussion with him he said, "I had a question but it was answered when I was reading The Book of Mormon".  We were all amazed each discussion with his understanding of gospel principles through personal experiences he has had during his life.  His baptism was set for Saturday Feb 8, 2014 and we were able to adjust our temple schedule to be there.  Elder Clapier called and told us that Dyard had met with President Schmutz (the mission president) and he was ready to be baptized and had asked if Elder Sorensen would baptize him.  What an unexpected blessing.  We were thrilled that I was able to perform this ordinance for him.  When we were called to serve in The Cebu City Philippines Temple we didn't anticipate being part of someone's conversion story, but we did pray to be blessed with experiences in and out of the temple and we know prayers are answered, many times in unexpected ways.

Brother Dyard and Elder Sorensen before the baptismal service.

Elder Clapier, Elder Garcia, Brother Dyard, Sister Sorensen, Elder Sorensen

In front of the temple after the baptism.  The mission theme is "Dressed in White Twice".  We look forward to being in white in the temple in one year with Brother Dyard.

To be baptized and then walk out of the stake center and see the temple visualizes the next step for a new convert.