Did I just see my MOM???

HeLLoO to all!!

Wow, what a week. This was seriously one of the craziest weeks of my life. Haha I feel like every week I say that; but it's true every week!! We had a great last minute meeting with Elder Shane M. Bowen of the Area Presidency, a wonderful baptism, Stake Conference, and lots of work!

Imagine my surprise when I saw my mom's car over here. For a split second I was homesick...but only for .45 seconds!

What the??? Really??? My MOM is following me???

Last Thursday we had an amazing Cebu Mission Conference with Elder Bowen. It was an unbelievable experience. I felt his strength and dedication and I know he has been called of God to teach the Gospel all over the world.. We had a great workshop on the four topics I mentioned last week. It was fun and enlightening to hear from a general authority the truths of this wonderful gospel. 

A small Army of Helaman....

After the conference, Elder Bowen called a last minute meeting with all of the Zone Leaders.  

We talked for about 2 hours on the keys of the Priesthood and the organization of the Kingdom on Earth - as found in D&C 107 and 124. 

I am so grateful for the pure, simple, straight forward instructions that The Prophet received in relation to building up this true church of Christ. As we were discussing, I couldn't help but marvel at the fact that a young man, Joseph Smith, under the direction of Jesus Christ, put forth the exact order and organization of the church.

Every possible thing that could happen is discussed in these revelations. I can't help but to laugh at the thought that there are so many in the world that say Joseph could have just made this up from his own mind with his third-year elementary school education. 

I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.

On Friday we held the baptism of Cherrybeth Gantuangco! It was great!! It was even better because her friend and fellowshipper, Gaveriel was able to baptize her. She will be confirmed this upcoming Sunday - due to Stake Conference last week.

Saturday and Sunday we had Stake Conference and Elder Bowen and his wife and President and Sister McCurdy attended. It was so great for our members and investigators to experience.

Last week I mentioned the awesome Family that is going to be baptized soon. Their babag (obstacle? something holding them back?) has been marriage! Hero and Riza have three beautiful little children, but they haven't been legally married yet. 

The Cebu Temple

Elder Buque and I decided to get that fixed this transfer AND.... they have all of their papers ready and signed, they have a wonderful member to sponsor the cost for the judge, and we are all meeting at the church tonight with our Bishopric to discuss what day they can be married. It will be held at the church, but they are so amazing because they 100% understand that the true marriage won't happen until they are sealed as a family in the Cebu Temple in one year! 

I love this gospel!

I had an amazing personal study on what it means in the scriptures when Christ says that He is IN the Father, the Father is IN Him, and that we need to be one IN  Christ as well. 

Many many many people in the world today take this to be literal, however we know and understand that, because both Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have bodies of flesh and bones, it would be impossible for them to literally be inside of one another. 

This is a tactic the Adversary uses to confuse billions of people. If he can get them to create a false image of God in their minds, he's got them. 

We read about something called Divine Nature in 2 Peter 1:4 (the only place you will find those words) as being something we partake of - meaning we put inside of us. When we study about this "Divine Nature," or God's Nature, we learn that it is every characteristic, attribute, and quality of God. 

So, in essence, what I learned was this: As we come to gain these Christlike qualities and become more like Him, we are putting Him inside of us - therefore, becoming ONE in the Father and the Son. I love Moroni 10:32-33 because it literally summarizes the entire theme and purpose of the Book of Mormon in two verses: To "come unto Christ and be perfected IN him." I know that as we do this, we truly will come to know who we really are and what is really waiting for us if we make and keep our part of these sacred covenants. I love the scriptures.

I love the Gospel and I love coconut!

Thank you so much for all those who email every week.

 I really am so grateful to have all of you to support me. I love you all and pray for you all by name every day. 

Let's continue to do all that we can in our individual callings at this time in our life. Let's be happy and let's make others even happier. Promise to make someone - even a complete stranger - happy this week through an act of service. Promise? Good.

Love you!!!

Elder Jacobs

This sign is so funny...it basically is a warning not to "Hang out" there between the hours of midnight and 7am!!

Hahahahaha....don't worry about the dog....

You have no idea how your gift of reading glasses answered prayers!!

Hello to all the coolest people in the world! (2nd to the Filipinos, of course...)

I literally cannot express my feelings right now. I think I might be breaking mission rules because I feel like I just emailed all of you like yesterday. It is the next week, right? This week has FLOWN by and I don't know what's going on!!! Missions are crazy.

First of all, I want to thank ALL of those who gave reading glasses for my mom to send. You have no idea how many prayers have already been answered just because of your huge desire to give a simple pair of glasses. 

I actually want to share one story really quickly.. 

Elder Buque and I have an investigator right now whose name is Sunny. He is about 45 years old and he and his wife really weren't progressing at all - until this week! 

Literally, the day after I received that package of reading glasses last week, we visited them and taught another lesson on the Book of Mormon. The first thing out of their mouths were, "I can't read, my eyes are bad." I immediately thought of ALL OF YOU and I was so grateful that I had put a pair of glasses in my bag earlier that morning... Don't you love how the Spirit works? 

Anyways, after explaining some things, I let him try on the glasses. He said it was magic.. That everything was clear on the page. 

We had a great lesson and at the end, I did my best to help him see that the glasses didn't come from me, but from his Heavenly Father. His Heavenly Father wants him to be happy and to do what he needs to do to understand this wonderful message. I told him he could have the glasses and there is no payment necessary except to commit to follow our Savior, Jesus Christ. Sunny had never been to church.....until he walked into the chapel this last Sunday. 

I am so grateful for all of you and for the love that you have shown the people I am working with. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and his watchful, loving eye that keeps us doing what we need to do. I gave out the rest of the glasses from that package to my zone. I advised each companionship to have one pair of glasses at all times. I know miracles will continue to happen in this zone and it's because of you! I love missionary work.

On Saturday, our stake - Central Stake - had their Youth Roadshow!!!

We told the zone that they would be able to attend if they kuyoged (accompanied?) an investigator. It was so awesome!! 

Our ward got 2nd place overall, but first place in almost every other minor category. It brought back so many memories of our Roadshows!! 

I would LOVE to work with the youth of this church. They are such examples to all of us.

 

 

We also had one of our investigators, Cherry,

We keep very careful records.

be interviewed Saturday night for her baptism this Friday!! She is 28 and is a great example of a determined daughter of God set on making her life the best it can be. We have a few other baptisms coming up as well, but we are still finalizing some marriage plans for a young couple before they can get baptized. I love working with these amazing people. 

We also had an opportunity this last Monday to go on exchanges with our District Leader, Elder Musgrave. He is from Gilbert, Arizona. I worked with him and it was amazing. 

I am so grateful and feel so humbled in the work I am doing right now as a Zone Leader I am so humbled and grateful to be able to work side by side with the quality and caliber of missionaries that we have here. 

My companion, Elder Buque, is phenomenal and I have learned so much from him every day. I love opportunities to go on splits with our DL's because, although technically I am supposed to be training them, I have learned more from them than they could ever learn from me.

Someone lives here.

The past few days, in preparation for a conference we are having tomorrow with Elder Bowen (Area Presidency), I have been studying four topics: 

The Baptismal Covenant, The House of Israel, The Abrahamic Covenant, and The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. They are each individually AMAZING studies, I highly recommend the adventure ;) 

Today I focused on the phrase "Many are called, but few are chosen." 

I realized that, even though we are all adopted into the House of Israel when we are baptized and confirmed, we  we are called, but not yet chosen for Exaltation. I love Matt. 22:1-14, Alma 5:37-38, and D&C 105:35. 

I know that Jesus Christ calls each and every one of us. Those not baptized are called to be baptized in the true church. Those baptized are called to go to the temple and make covenants with God. Those who have made the covenants already, are called to continue on in faith and righteousness unto the fulfilling of their covenants. 

I know that, no matter how you feel, Christ is ALWAYS calling out to YOU. Let us all answer the call and be worthy of Exaltation.

I love you all soooo much! I know that I am doing the right thing. 

Sometimes it's hard for us to know with 100% surety that our walk of life is pleasing to our Heavenly Father but I can testify that if we are doing our best every day in the things we know we need to do, in all obedience, we can be confident before the Lord. I hope we will all continue to experience this confidence in the presence of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Keep on serving others and making sure that they are as happy as you :)

Love you!!

Elder Jacobs

As for me...I am feeling good and strong and don't want anyone at home worrying about me one little bit.

Hello All!!

First and most importantly.... thank you ALL who joined us in fasting and prayer this last Sunday. I truly felt the power of prayer and know the entire mission did as well. 

A quick update: Elder Ngungutau is doing GREAT! Everything worked out with his donor and he is recovering very well! He was released from the hospital two days ago and even did a little light work this week, showing his true desire to serve. He had Dengue Fever.

As for me...I am feeling good and strong and don't want anyone at home worrying about me one little bit.

After being in the jungle for six months,I now feel like I am

in New York or something. There are areas here in Cebu where the city is HUUUUGE. It really feels weird... haha

These primary kids in the picture on the left were practicing for the primary program that is coming up! I can't wait. It is going to be awesome.

This week we had our ZTM (Zone Training Meeting). That's where the Zone leaders  (Elder Buque and I) relay the information that was given to us by the Mission President to the missionaries in our Zone.

 It went really well and I am glad to get my first ZTM out of the way! We Taught and discussed the doctrine of obedience and the doctrine of Adversity.

This Wednesday we ate at a member's house!

They are awesome and the food was delicious! It is such a wonderful thing when members welcome us into their homes.

 I love the Spirit we felt there. We were able to teach a short lesson after dinner.

    John is 8 and his older siblings are all baptized. 

We had three (3) baptisms in our Zone last Saturday!!

This little guy was pretty excited about getting baptized! He is doing the "I'm getting baptized" dance! Of course, we joined him in that little jig!

 

John's older brother baptized him. Pure JOY!

In the morning on Tuesday, the sister missionaries in our zone called and said their stove was broken and it was "about to explode" which caught our attention.... We got there as soon as possible and........

Their left burner wasn't working... Hahahah sisters.... 

Anyways, we traveled to the mission office to pick up a replacement stove and got that situated in their apartment.

AND yesterday I think I had one of the oddest days I have ever experienced on my mission. Just read:

1) We came across a urinal. 

Sorry for the visual........i know...you want to vomit.....

On a wall.     In the middle of a not-so-populated street.      Many people will casually just stop and take a bathroom break in the middle of their journey or errands. How convenient............

2) We were walking on a VERY-well-populated street - the highway - and I noticed a very very old nanay (grandma) walking behind an electrical box type thing... She didn't even make it all the way behind before she pulled down her pants and started..   ????? going to the bathroom I'm guessing? 

Not too sure seeing as I looked away as soon as humanly possible. Umm... Yea.

3) I think this is my favorite...... 

We were at our investigators' house last night and Elder Buque was trying to teach a lesson.

Little Hiza (10 months old) who wasn't wearing her diaper at the time walked in and peed on the ground. But really?? Who can blame her? She's 10 months old!! 

We thought that was it, but then she walked over to Elder Buque and basically pooped on Elder Buque's foot. Hahahhahahahahaahahaha he was just sitting there and then randomly yells, "NAGPOOP SIYA! Nagpoop siya sa akong foot!" 

Hahahahaha it was awesome. I was dying from laughing so hard. Ahhhh memories for a lifetime.....

I'm sorry for the bathroom related humor... But it was an interesting day. It all happened in one day!

Anyways...back to serious stuff....Again, I am so grateful for the prayers of all those who helped this past week. I am so happy to be here on the mission and know that it has eternal benefits that I can only begin to understand. 

We all can do better at being obedient in the situation we are in right now! For me, it's the calling of a missionary, but it is different for all of us. Do your best, know you are accountable, and I can promise you that you will feel the confidence and trust the Lord will put in you.

I Love you!!!

Elder Jacobs

Please pray for Elder Ngungutau.

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was... different. With the transfer and the new assignment,

Elder Buque, my new companion.

Elder Buque and I have had just enough time to say hi, work twice in our area :(, receive training, and visit the hospital several times. 

Immediately upon arriving in Cebu, we dropped luggage off at the apartment and headed out to get repairs done on a few of the sisters' apartments. 

Elder Buque and I had fun taking apart a couple bunk beds with one, non-powered screwdriver and an electric fan.














Friday we worked in our area in San Nicolas and it was great! Big and very cityish, but it's great.

Friday night, one of the newer missionaries in our zone was in the hospital due to an odd swelling of chest muscles causing loss of feeling/pressure on his heart. We went on exchanges on Saturday so that they could get some work done in their area and his companion (District Leader) could conduct a baptismal interview.

Sunday was great! A solid 164 in attendance in Sacrament - that was an amazing sight. I love being in a ward.

Monday, however, brought even more news. Elder Ngungutau (another Elder in our zone that has been sick since last week) was taken to the hospital due to non-stop bleeding, nausea, and fever. We met them at the hospital and got things situated. After taking blood tests and all that, they said he was free to go home. I went back with him to the house and Elder Buque and Elder Archibald went out to get some work done in their area. It went fine and Elder Ngungutau got some rest. We thought he was starting on his recovery process.

On Tuesday, we met in Lahug at the Mission Offices

MLC

for MLC (Missionary Leadership Council.. I think?) at 9am.

When we arrived, we could tell something wasn't quite right with President and Sister McCurdy.

They were very emotional and President made an announcement that Elder N was taken back to the hospital late Monday night and, due to loss of blood, was undergoing a transfusion at that moment.

That set the mood for our day. We contacted the entire mission to include him and his donor in their prayers, and we knelt in solemn prayer many times that day.

Yesterday at MLC we focused a lot on obedience and The Adversary.

The Cebu Philippines Mission has been known for the past three years as one of the most obedient missions in the world. This was much due to President Schmutz and the many wonderful changes that he brought in. The culture of the Cebu Mission is unmatched anywhere.

 Having said that, we have noticed that, in the past few weeks or so, we have been the target of some of the Adversary's strongest attempts. This comes in the form of temptation, sickness, homesickness, etc.

I know that temptation, pain, and sickness is a 100% crucial part of our life on Earth. It is necessary in order to develop the faith unto life and salvation. We are put through a constant refiner's fire because Heavenly Father truly knows what we can become. It is important to know and understand that, the moment we are tempted.....at the exact same time....we are also being encouraged and prompted by the Light of Christ or "the Spirit". We need to use our agency (2 Nephi 2:14,26) and CHOOSE to follow the Savior (2 Nephi 2:27).

As we were studying about this and receiving revelation in this light, I was reminded of a book I read called "The Screwtape Letters", by C.S. Lewis,

 I do not remember that exact quote, but C.S. Lewis teaches an eternal principle when he teaches something along the lines of, "If Satan can prolong the trial [or temptation] just past what we think can bear, he's got us."

I know this to be true. I know that if we just hold out faithful, be firm in our testimony and try to understand the big picture, and reject Satan, he will flee (James 4:7). I know that trials are a time given to us to prove whose team we are really fighting for.

 We know who will win. Let's fight hard, with all we have,  and be on the winning team.

In closing, President McCurdy invited us to invite our missionaries to a mission-wide fast this Sunday, August 10th.

We were encouraged to invite anyone who was willing - including family and friends. I realize this is contrary to a phrase in the white handbook, however, President has received revelation that this is what needs to happen. There are missionaries struggling, and prayer and fasting is what will solve this.

 I read in Isaiah yesterday and had an interesting thought. Isaiah 58:6 talks about fasting and putting off all unrighteousness. I realized that, because Satan can ONLY get power as we make wrong decisions, and that power is limited to the will of the flesh, when we fast, we are completely putting off the will of the flesh - giving Satan zero power over us.

I hope you can take this seriously and join with us in our Mission Fast this Sunday for the Philippines, Cebu Mission.

We are fasting and praying for a miracle to save the life of Elder Ngungutau. We are fasting and praying for greater strength for the missionaries to battle on and conquer the trials facing us here and discouraging feelings that can accompany trials.

President closed MLC with one phrase that I would like to repeat:

 "This week, let's pray like we have never prayed before. Let's be obedient like we never have before. Let's fast like we never have fasted before."

Brothers and Sisters, I know that this is the true church of Christ. I know that we are entitled to call down the powers of Heaven - and that is what we are going to do this week. I love you all and LET'S BE STRONG.

Love,

Elder Jacobs