Converting with the Scriptures

Dear Family and Friends,

So it has been a fantastic week here in the philippines and once again i got some great stories.

First we will talk about the best, Lino. Those of you who remember his story he was the one who came to church from the hospital with no sleep because he brother had a stroke.  we in the hospital he was really worried for his brother he didn't want him to die and so he said that he had this thought that he needed to read the book we gave him and so for 3 hours he read the book of mormon and said that right then his brothers blood pressure went down.  his testimony immediately grew and he said that he knew it was a true book because he felt it.  then his brothers condition got worse and they moved him to manila.  lino was so worried and we went there and decided to share a verse with him.  he said that he felt the spirit and he was grateful for our prayers.  he took us to our next appointment for free and then said that within minutes he received a text that he brother was talking.  since then his testimony has just kept growing and know he knows with a surety that it is true and this is the true church.  he wants his family to come with him the next time and we are so excited.  we gave him a baptismal goal date and at first he said when he was done with the book of mormon but we said that he will still be learning and that this was just a date that he could work toward.  he then immediately said that he would force himself to be ready.  AHH then last night he actually bore his testimony to his friend, Eric, and got them all excited to start to read the book of mormon AND WE DIDN'T EVEN TEACH THEM ANYTHING! it was so amazing the spirit we felt when he bore his testimony, best way to get  people to believe.

then another of our investigators, ruby came to church even though she wasn't with her husband and she loved it.  her children loved it and her husband was busy with a job but he actually came to the church and just said hi and said he would come next week.  I felt the spirit so strong and i knew that they both felt it.  it was so amazing to see them walk up to the church and know that they had made the biggest step and i was so excited. 
then lastly and kind of the spiritual topic for the week was about the atonement. one of our investigators was suppose to come to church and didn't so we went to him and he actually had questions about the atonement about how christ atoned for our sins if he lived way back when and how that all worked.  i thought about it to as we taught him and i just prayed the lord would help us answer his question and teach him about the importance of coming to church because he now has a baptismal goal date.  then 2nephi 2 came to mind and it was all good from there.  he got it and the best part was we taught from the scriptures and i really saw the difference in teaching from the scriptures and teaching from our words.  scriptures is better.  he got it and then we connected it to church because that was our topic in gospel principles and it was good.  he was mad he missed out because he actually quite drinking because he came to church and loved the knowledge he gained. he now knows the importance of church and he knows how important the atonement it. 
the atonement.  from what i learned it is something that was really hard and christ wanted to get out of it because he said "if it be possible let this cup pass from me?" but then he knew that the atonement was the only way we could be given the choice to repent from our sins and change.  we need the atonement so that we can continue on in life changing and becoming more christ like and he did it so that he would know how to help us.  its kind of like you going through the same experience as someone else so you empathize with them that is what christ needed to do and in the end he was left alone on the cross, because god knew he could do it, and because he needed to feel the emptiness to choose to continue to follow the fathers will and feel like those of us who have felt that emptiness.  amazing and there is so much more too it but that is what is the most important.  he loves us and i know it because he went through all of that for us.  never forget he loves you. and i know these things to be true in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen,

Take care and i hope you all know that i love you. until next week,

love,

Sister Snow