While we're on the subject of eye tests... This was the best one yet.

Ohmygoodness where do I even start this email???

Wait... I need to yell.... IIIII LLLLOOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEE LLIIIIFFFEEE :) 

I can't help it Mom!! It's so cute I have to hug it!

Okay, I'm sorry for all those who couldn't hear that, but now everyone in the internet cafe is sufficiently scared. 

Man, we had such an awesome week this past week.

I'm pretty sure I mentioned in an email or two that we are really focusing on "Miracle February".... I know it's not the best alliteration, but I promise I did pass AP Composition in high school... 

This month is SO AWESOME. For those that remember Siclo, our recent convert in January, he has a daughter that lives with him who is 11yrs old - KC or "Kissy". The whole family was Iglesia ni Cristo and when Siclo joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints it made lots of people start thinking. 

At first, Kissy was firmly adamant about not being baptized - therefore, she wasn't baptized with Siclo. 

Since then, she has been going to Primary and other church activities  and got to the point where she wanted to be baptized as well. 

Long story shorter, she was interviewed last night and will be baptized this Saturday. She has been taught as long as her father - about 5 months - and is super awesome. The best part is, Siclo will actually be performing the baptism :)

On Saturday (Happy Valentines Day!!!) and Sunday we had Stake Conference in Talisay! It was so awesome for many many reasons. Matt, Edu, Tatay Villaser, and Tatay Lapinid all received the Melchizedek Priesthood!!! And Siclo came and observed as well!!

Okay, Monday we went out to the city a little bit earlier than usual because I was told to get a Philippines Driver's License.

My awesome companion!

The Land Transportation Office was supposed to be closed at 5pm and .... we all know the usual government organizations .... Rules are rules.

 We got there at 5:02pm AFTER running around for 20 minutes getting everything the office asked me to complete for the drivers license.....drug tests, urinating in cups (I'm supposed to use dignified language as a missionary ;)...) , eye checks, etc. 

Wait, while we're on the subject of eye tests... This was the best one yet. I sat down, the government employee  pointed to the usual eye chart thing on the wall with letters on it. 

Word for word, this was our exchange, Lady- "Can you see the letters on the chart on the wall?" 

Me- "Yes" 

Lady- "Wow you have great eyesight..." 

Hahahahahahahah I think in years past, if I'm not mistaken, I have been asked to read the letters out loud....

Anyways, we got to the LTO at 5:02. The guard said they were closed. 

Okay, what to do? English. That's always the answer. "What? It's closed? Really? What time will they open? Later tonight? Tomorrow? I really need this soon.. Can you help me?" 

Usually, speaking English works miracles. BUT I guess this guard had a dose of grumpy medicine early in the day - he wanted nothing to do with English. 

Haha I love grumpy people. They just need something to laugh about ;) 

After 30 short seconds of English, I decided to switch it up and see if he'd ever met an American that could speak Bisaya as fast as I could. Not gunna lie, he stood there with his mouth open for like 5 seconds!!!

Then I asked if I could ask a favor of the manager and the guard immediately let me in :) Inside, they were all workers - no more regular people. Just me and E. Consigna. As everyone stared at me, I just asked the manager if I could pleaseeeeeee be the last one to go that day - after all I was only two minutes late.... They said sure and, after 9 minutes, I was out the door with a driver's license :) Whew!!

Next, Zone Conference! We had an awesome Conference yesterday!

 We watched Meet the Mormons!! It was AMAZING! That was so good! I loved it. 

What was even better, happened after the conference. As I was in the Patron House across the street, I noticed a group of people that I recognize from over in the Dumaguete Stake. Turns out, they were on a temple trip with a few recent converts! Rosita was there!!!!! 

E. Rowley and I found Rosita and taught her for a couple months in Siaton! Her baptismal date was two weeks after I transferred, last August. Right when we saw each other, we got SUPER EXCITED. It was awesome. E. Rowley and I got a picture with her :)

I wrote in my journal last night that I was able to taste once again a fragment

of the true JOY that we receive from this gospel. I don't think anyone can really understand how happy I was to see Rosita come so far across two islands to just visit the temple and perform vicarious ordinances. I was speechless. I know that this is how Heavenly Father teaches us. He gives us parts, little taste testers throughout our lives of Eternal Joy. This is one of the purposes of the Holy Ghost in our lives. (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bd/earnest?lang=eng) 

I feel like so much has happened this week I don't know if I was able to even share a little bit of it. I hope you felt even a little portion of what I did this week. I love you all so much and pray for you constantly. Please go serve someone today! Yes, our lives may be hard, but many others are a lot harder. Let's help them first :)

Love,

Elder Jacobs

Basketball anyone!?

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What is a covenant and why is it important?

Hello Everyone!

We had a zone temple trip this afternoon and so we are completely out of time to write! Don't worry, I still do love all of you and will type fast!

This makes a great umbrella!

Last week was awesome! We had MLC on Thursday and it went well! The best part about it was that we went to the temple that night as well :) That's right.... TWICE in less than a week. I love life.

My companion, Elder Consigna, have been super busy doing everything we can to teach people about what brings true peace and happiness in this life. It's not hard. Life is so so good.We just need to understand certain principles and live them!

A thought that I have been having recently has been about our "Covenant-Relationship" with Heavenly Father. 

So poor and yet so happy.

For many people in the world, they would ask the honest question: What in the world is a covenant? A simple answer is that a covenant is a two-way promise... In this sense, between Man and God. 

Why is it so so so important that we have this type of relationship with God? 

Why do we make promises?

 That is one of the most common statements we hear as we teach people. 

This is a typical end of our conversations: "Brother, so that you can find out for yourself if our message is true, will you pray and ask your Heavenly Father?" 

"Well I'm not going to promise. You can sin when you promise because if you don't fulfill it, you are a liar."  The people here are good people. They do not want to sin so they do not promise.

Many people in our generation see no need to promise anything. Or in other words "no need to commit."

Many people see safety in NOT promising things. 

I not only see safety in making covenants with God,I see eternal blessings in the covenants I have made with God. Many people would rather not make promises in fear of breaking them. I make promises to my Heavenly Father, knowing all the while that He would so much rather have me try, fail 100 times, and then succeed.

 Sometimes we forget that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have PERFECTED the attributes of patience, love, and kindness (among all others). They will love us. They will be patient with us through everything. Especially as we fulfill the covenants we made with Them. 

How many missionaries can you fit in one of these!? TEN!!!

Covenants with God have been 100% mandatory since the foundation of the world. 

When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit, a Savior was provided for the world and they were promised the reality of living with God again IF they promised to be faithful from that time forward. 

So many in today's world will say things like, "As long as I live a good life, I will be saved - regardless of my religion." But then we are faced with the question, "How are two VERY GOOD people saved that believe in completely opposite doctrine?" One believes that Christ is a God, another says He's only a person, but they are both the nicest people in the world! The answer is in the covenants we make. God is not a God of chaos, but a God of order:

D&C 88:119
"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;"

Does that sound like He is saying, "Do whatever you want, just make sure you're a good person!" .... No, it doesn't :)

D&C 98:15
"For if ye will not abide in my covenant ye are not worthy of me."

Acts 3:25
"Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed."

Mosiah 18:10
"Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?"

It's interesting to note: Whenever we read about covenants with God, the Man is never the one to create the requirements or the blessings. It is up to Heavenly Father to set the terms. We either accept and follow, or reject and say that we know better than Him.

D&C 14:7
"And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God."

I know that this is what we all need right now. I know that we may say, "No religion is going to save us - it's all personal anyways," but I would seriously invite anyone to ponder upon the teachings of Jesus Christ since the beginning. We need covenants. It's how we are given the power to fulfill EVERYTHING He asks of us.

Helping the doctor register patients for free surgeries.

I know that this is true. I know that there is only one church on the face of the earth that understands the covenant-relationship that we need to build with our Father in Heaven. I hope something that was mentioned here sparked your interest. If it did, stop ignoring it and saying to yourself, "that sounds good" and then convincing yourself that it's the same thing every other church teaches. It's not - and I invite anyone and everyone to learn more about it :)

I love you all so much! I am so grateful for the support you all give! Have an awesome week and make someone else smile!

Love,

Elder Jacobs