There is one interesting scripture that I really liked that I read this week.  It is Mormon 4:8.  The reason it is interesting is because it says that the Nephites went forth 'in their own might''. Now compare that to the many times in the Book of Mormon where they went forth 'In the strength of the Lord'.  We sometimes find ourselves living our lives in our own might relying on our own strength.  There isn't any reason to, we can always go forth in the strength of the Lord if we are humble enough to accept it and of course ask seek and knock.

      This week went well.  Yesterday we passed a huge house.  One of those houses that you walk by and just know those people are rich.  We weren't going anywhere so I told my companion lets go there... he thought I was joking.  Well we started to walk toward this house that has a huge driveway, where they can see you coming from what seems like a mile away, and as we walked up there seemed to be no one there.  Right as we got up to their porch area someone came out and I (having nothing better to say I guess) said 'We are missionaries and would like to share a message to about Jesus Christ' (That is my first 'door approach'.  I talk to everyone I meet on the street but I haven't ever  gone 'tracting'  It's different talking to people on the street) Well he looked surprised but said that was fine.  We taught a short lesson to a young couple on that porch about the Atonement and they just loved it.  At the end of the lesson they went inside and asked us to wait a moment for their return. Upon their return they offered us money and thanked us for teaching them about Jesus.  They were even more shocked when we didn't accept their money but told them all we wanted was to sincerely help them.  It was fun.  I am excited as well to go back to that big house to teach again.  

   I found out this week that one of the investigator families in Lingayen was baptized.  This is what I said about finding that family    We have an area in Lingayen that I don't really like to go to.  We have very few people progressing over there and it is far away.  We were down to only one family over there that was really listening at all and we were going to go visit them.  They weren't home, and then we dropped by 3 or 4 other people we knew in that area who also were not home.  We were walking with still an hour and a half before our next appointment and I was thinking that if we didn't find someone to teach right now, I would probably never come back to this part of the area.  There seemed no reason to ever come back as it is the least productive area.  Well we saw a group of people and decided to talk to them.  We started talking to them and they all ran away except 2.  They turned out to be great.  We taught this investigator and she agreed with everything, then she gave her opinions and insights that were exactly right.  We taught about the Book of Mormon and she got it immediately.  She said ' Oh so the Bible has 2 testaments the New and the Old and the Book of Mormon is the 3rd'. Then she started reading the Book of Mormon.  When we went back she said she only read a little bit and then proceeded to give the summary of the entire section we left for her, and then read to us some of her favorite verses, which I would mention were near the end of her reading.  She prayed about it and said she's knows it's true.  That is just a great story.

  What I didn't mention there is that I was actually praying very hard and saying to God if there is anyone here that needs to be taught help us find them now or else I am never coming back to this area.  And of course the prayer would have been worthless if I hadn't opened my mouth to talk to the mother of what became an amazing investigator family.  

    This week we delayed another religions prayer meeting.  We met a nice woman on the street who agreed to let us teach her, but said that there would be a gathering at her house soon for a prayer meeting.  We  started teaching her at 3:30, the prayer meeting was supposed to start at 3:30.  As they weren't there yet we decided to go ahead and teach, but to make sure we taught a 'short and powerful' lesson.  As we were teaching the rest of the prayer meeting arrived, but unlike my expectations they didn't come and start talking to us or try to stop us.  Rather when they saw us they stopped about 50 meters away from the house and just stood there.  When we saw them standing there we were nearly finished so we finished up.  They didn't even approach the house until we had reached the point where they were standing.  I thought it was amusing.  Cristina, the person we taught, even invited us back to her home, next time we will probably avoid going at the time of the prayer meeting.  

   We are doing pretty good here in Mapandan.

                                                                           Elder Nathaniel J. Merrill

                                                                         Philippines Baguio Mission