Bearing witness in all the world

John Thomas McGuire

Well this past week was quite amazing!

I've told several people already that I've felt like a general authority this week. Basically I've traveled all over Samar and have had the opportunity to share my testimony with a lot of people in a few different dialects. So get your maps out and I'll tell you about my week.

Last Monday night we drove out to Borongan, Eastern Samar. The roads are horrible. It's a good thing we have a Ford Ranger. The minivan that we have would have been destroyed if we had taken it. I like driving my blue truck. The Borongan ZLs are awesome! Elder Banawan and Elder Santiago are some of the most Christlike leaders I know. They had some dinner waiting for us and breakfast in the morning as well. 

Tuesday we attended their zone training meeting. They gave a solid training on using the Book of Mormon in the conversion process. After lunch we had exchanges with them. I went with E. Santiago. We went to their investigator, Manny. He's been an investigator for 20 years. The first time he came to church was 20 years ago and the second time was 2 weeks ago. He has a desire to be baptized but wasn't sure why he had to come to church 4 weeks in a row. He understands the whole broken heart and contrite spirit as the only requirement, so we explained to him that coming to church is how he shows he sincerely has a contrite spirit. We started teaching that God is our loving Heavenly Father and we asked him if he believed he was a child of God. He hesitated. He asked why would a Father let His children to suffer so much. We answered from the scriptures with 1 Nephi 11:17 and then just testified of God's love. Elder Santiago committed him to pray on his knees right then and there and ask God if He knew him and loved him and if he was His son. So that's what happened. We closed the lessons and we all got on our knees. The first words out of Manny's mouth were, "God, are you there? Do you love me? am I your son?" and then he just paused for 20 seconds and the Spirit washed over all of us. Then he said, "Thanks for the confirmation" and continued his prayer. After he closed, I looked him in the eye and asked him, 

"do you feel what I'm feeling?" 

"peace?" 

"yes. That's the Holy Ghost telling you that you are a child of God and that this is true."

It was such an amazing experience! I'm pretty sure he has a baptismal date this August 30th. 

After exchanges we drove the zone leaders and the sisters back to Tacloban Tuesday night. Wednesday morning, we had the first Zone Conference here in Tacloban. Borongan, Carigara, Tacloban and Tolosa Zones came. 

It went pretty well. Elder Quinco and I gave our training about helping investigators gain a testimony of the Restoration through the Book of Mormon. I got to share my experience with Cian and the Book of Mormon. I don't know if I've ever wrote home about that, but basically, one day elder Quinco and I were teaching Cian about the Book of Mormon and we wanted him to get a testimony of it. So I shared with Cian my experience about reading 3 Nephi 11. I told Cian that I wanted to know if Christ actually appeared to these people. So I prayed and asked specifically and my prayer was answered. I told Cian that I got goosebumps all over and I felt this peace and warmth and every fiber of my soul was shouting, "YES THIS IS TRUE. THIS IS REAL.  CHRIST REALLY DID APPEAR TO THESE PEOPLE. WHAT YOU READ IS TRUE" And then we committed Cian to read 3 Nephi 11 and ask God for himself if it is true. A few days passed by and we were playing basketball with his friend Jerome who told us that Cian had something he wanted to tell us in person. So on Sunday we asked Cian what he wanted to tell us. Cian said that, "it's so true. I did it. I prayed and I got goosebumps and the same feelings and it's so so so true... Ungod siya talaga! (its so true!)" and the rest is history. Cian became the best recent convert in the world.

We committed the rest of the missionaries to be more specific in their commitments to their investigators and to read Moroni's promise again and ask if it's true and write down their feelings.

After Zone Conference we hit the road again for Catarman. We stopped by in Calbayog for a pit stop and saw all the members because there was a choir practice. It was a very warm welcome for both me and elder quinco. I saw Cian and I got to give him his quad in person. He was so happy he started to cry almost. I love that kid so much! We kept on heading for Catarman but we found out that the Lupe de Vega road was closed off because they are re-cementing the road. So we had to go the long way around up the coast and through Allen. We got in a little before midnight.

Thursday we went on Exchanges with the Catarman ZLs, Elder Rivera and Elder Mack. They are workout gurus. My pride got me into trouble and I got myself into a pull up contest and pushup contest. My body was hurting. I worked with Elder Mack. It was kinda tough because he was pretty new to the area and we didn't have any members to work with us to show us around, but we were able to teach a member. I tried a new technique for getting referrals. We had him write down the names of his friends while we sang a hymn. He thought of 3 friends and we copied them down and told him we will each pray for them and pray for him that he will have the courage to share the gospel with them. Thursday night we drove back down to Calbayog to be ready for the next zone conference.

Friday we had zone conference in Calbayog. Catbalogan and Catarman zones came. It went well also. Bro. Nikki provided the lunch. He goes all out for missionaries. It was like a wedding reception. We gave the same training as before but somehow it meant more to me because that chapel is where we taught Cian and where he told us that he got his testimony. Isn't it interesting that when we have converting experiences, it is often when we are alone seeking to commune with God and to know what is real. Friday night, the Lavezares elders missed their ride so we gave them a ride back and then went back to Calbayog to sleep.

Saturday we had exchanges with the Catbalogan ZLs (who live in Calbayog) We played basketball with Cian early in the morning. He was so stoked to play with us again. After that I worked with Elder Muir. Elder Quinco worked with Elder Trias. It was a bit easier to work this area since I knew it so well. People were surprised to see me again but it was a great way to get some of their time and share with them. It was a good day of work and to end it all there was a birthday party dinner for one of Bro. Nikki's nephews so we got free dinner.

Sunday we went to church in Calbayog. I love that branch so much! The members there are amazing! We left after Sacrament Meeting and came back to Tacloban. Both of us kinda just passed out in the office for a few hours and rested and regrouped. We had some companion study and then we went with the STLs and office elders to the 1st counselor's house for dinner.

Earlier today we played basketball and volleyball with the zone and I got a haircut and we cleaned out the apartment.

All in all I had an amazing week. I'm going to suggest that there should be traveling APs so I can do this all over again. I love the feeling so much. We get to have another week long adventure this time in the Leyte zones. I get to go preach in Cebauno.... Getting a whole new testimony about the gift of tongues.

Thank you for all your prayers and love and support and emails and everything else. Thanks especially for living the Gospel! That is a huge blessing to me. 

Love you all!