Week 16 - First Baptism

KUMUSTA PO LAHAT

Fantastic week here having my first baptism and conformation this week.

The persons name that I baptized is Edgardo Radam and his story is so great I am just going to write about that this week

It started about my second week where we saw this old Tatay pushing his bike up this huge hill and we offered to help and I thought we would push for just little bit later, but 3 kilometers later and lots of sweat we were at the very top, he was a nice man, but he wasn't interested in our message. I then said we didn't walk up here for no reason so Elder Amone and I just started walking down this random stone path at the top of the hill and we walked down that for a while, but there were no houses in sight. I then said "ugh ok the first house we see we will teach and then leave." The first house we found was Edgardo Radam. This was still my 2nd week here in the Philippines so my Tagalog was super basic and I had to rely completely on the spirit. When we finished our lesson he said that through the spirit he knew that our message was true and that he would be willing to do anything to be baptized. (key Investigator)

Through more lessons we learned that he had a bad heart problem and he had to take medication and when he even just gets up to walk for a little he has to sit back down to take a break and also he hasn't even left Mabini for 4 years because of it, but he was so so respective to our message and love learning about our church. Teaching him and seeing his willingness to learn and grow was way humbling and this spirit that was felt in every lesson and so strong.

Because it is difficult for him to travel far we were planning to baptize in the river, but it is rainy season and the river was becoming too strong and muddy so the day before the baptism Elder Barredo and I talked to the ex. Mayor of Mabini, who actually owns a resort 2 mins from Edgardo's house. He was way nice and said we could all come for free because it was for such a good cause. so he was baptized in a pool at a resort.

Baptized Edgardo here at the resort

Edgardo Radam at the church just before the baptism( the bag is for his heart problem)

It was such a great experience getting so close to one of my investigators and seeing him progress made me so happy. Blessed to have met him and to learn so much from him. These are the experiences that just make the mission so amazing and the feelings are truly indescribable.


Pretty view near the Resort

​I lived the vine where I went to flip the egg but the handle broke and this is the result :D

​So That's my awesome week. Excited for this upcoming week with two more baptisms coming and one of them is the daughter of Edgardo

Love, Elder Terry