Last summer, I received a large influx of friend requests from the Philippines. I decided to start talking with some of them in the hopes of sharing the gospel. I began messaging a girl named M. It was pretty much small talk until she unexpectedly asked if I wanted to share anything with her. Although I wasn't exactly sure what she meant, I decided to look up a scripture in Tagalog for her. She loved it! We were then able to talk about the Savior and how we both felt about Him.
Later on, she asked me for some advice. She had experienced a disagreement with a family member and I helped talk her through it. I sent her a quotation from The Family: A Proclamation to the World and she again loved it! I told M. that missionaries in the Philippines could help her family grow closer and offered to introduce her to them.
She said yes! M. got in contact with the missionaries and started taking the lessons. But then everything seemed to stop. She messaged me and told me the missionaries hadn't had time to meet with her. I thought for sure they had stopped teaching her. Eventually, months passed from the last time she had been taught according to the area book. That's when I finally got another message from her: 'Hi Elder!'
M. said she was sooo happy and I could sense something was different about her. Pretty soon, she said, 'Guess what, Elder? I was baptized with my best friend!' She then sent me a picture of her and her best friend together at their baptism.
I am so grateful that I could have an impact on Marge's life and that she felt the need to reach out and let me know that she had made this sacred covenant. Every effort is worth it. I don't know the exact details of her conversion story, but I do know this: Heavenly Father cares about each of His children and is reaching out to them in ways we haven't seen or thought possible before. For example, a missionary in Slovenia was able to help a person in the Philippines without ever setting foot there. Isn't that something? The Lord truly works through small and simple things and each small and simple thing we do adds up to miracles.
Elder Dillon Marsden
Adriatic North Mission