Mablis ang Panahon (The time is so fast)

Mabilis ang Panahon! (The time is so fast)

That week seriously flew by! Probably cause we got fed this week! We actually got like 3 dinners I think, it was awesome. The food here is so good. This week was another great one, sorry if I sound repetitive but the life of a missionary is just so fun :) Granted it is tough. This is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I am constantly reminded that even my best efforts 100 percent of the time are not sufficient. But then I am constantly reminded of the power of Christ's atonement in my life and the strength it gives me. It fills the gap between my weaknesses and the expectations of this mission. I see miracles every day as I speak a language I never imagined myself learning, adapt to cultural changes I didn't know existed, and help people grow closer to a being they didn't feel the fullness of His love and blessings in their life before. 

A highlight of this week was missionary exchanges! I was SO scared and nervous the night before. When you go on exchanges you proselyte with and are companions with a Sister Training Leader for 24 hours. Sobrang magaling sila. (They are so skillfull/talented) So obviously I was nervous to pair my week-long missionary self with them! But my testimony grew so much of prayer and obedience. I prayed so fervently for my love for the people and desire to be the missionary God needed me to be that day, was enough to teach more powerful lessons than I ever had that day. The STL I was with pushed me. She would just tell me to start the lesson, teach a principle, expound on a scripture, so on. I literally would just open my mouth and the spirit taught. It was the coolest feeling! Later during planning, she said to me that she hadn't seen her investigators open up that much ever before. I testify that that had nothing to do with me, it was a gift from God that day. 

Bucket laundry!  Pretty fun Actually! The Filipino are crazy good at this squat position, very strong!

Another highlight would be WE GOT WATER AGAIN! Of course it came on after I finished a wonderful, freezing, bucket shower. Oh actually another highlight, I ate isaw. (Chicken intestine.) That was super great for my stomach LOL. 

Okay shoot one more highlight, probably the most important, GENERAL CONFERENCE! Sorry, I know I'm late but hey I am all the way over here in the Philippines. Conference was so amazing wasn't it? Seriously like Christmas as a missionary. 

 

You Know You're in the Philippines When...

There are no such things as addresses, specific directions, street numbers...it's always "Saan ka nakatira?" (us asking: Where do you live) Their replies: "oo, gin lang" (There lang) "sa baba" (lower) "Sa itaas" (higher) And there you go. 

My companion uses my umbrella to keep her skin fair and I am hoping for a Filipino suntan!

The address to our chapel is a an area of town close to the police station 5. Hahaha

 

Missionaries can Laugh Too...

P day is highlight and going outside to run is awesome...

One of our investigators is like buntis na buntis (so pregnant) so we were visiting her and touching her stomach, the works. Then for some reason we were just patting each others stomach (Filipinos are so funny and weird. Like talaga. (really)" Sister Lani (our investigator) said "Oh you have ABS sister! I do too you know, A - Big - Stomach." Hahaha we all died. She is one of my favorite investigators. (If I am allowed to say that) 

 

Tagalog Word of the Day: Ano nangyayari? (What is happening) I use this a lot. 

The sisters faces are so funny when I eat my vegetables and they eat their meat. 

So I decided to see what I looked like as a brunette, thanks to my companions help!

 

 Spiritual Thought:

I always feel like conference has a theme to it, or a couple. For me, I noticed that a lot of the speakers emphasized the principle of "Don't be at ease in Zion." They spoke of always remembering our sacred ordinances, especially the sacrament. Many mentioned realizing every step we make takes us in a certain direction. This direction should always be towards the temple and therefore closer to Christ. We need to not just taste of the fruit and love of God once, but partake continously. Baptism was not a destination, but a entrance to the path we must always walk on. And if we stray from this path, never give up on yourself. The Lord will always reach out to those that are reaching to Him. I really liked how direct Elder Bednar was with the significance of baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the sacrament. Become worthy of the blessings of these ordinances. They are not given based on when we take them, or the ordinance itself, but by how we take them. Think of your baptismal covenants every day as you prepare to worthily take the sacrament each week. 

 

This may seem a daunting task to always, always, always do the right thing. It is easy for the 3 hours at church. Or maybe the week after conference when it is fresh in our minds. But the Lord asks for always. In one of our lessons we were inspired to share the story of Christ at Gethsamne. He asked his apostles to stay awake for 1 hour. He asked them to watch and pray for Him. Not at the beginning, then wake back up at the end upon His arrival, but the whole hour. It seems incredilous to us that his loving apostles failed to stay awake, even three times. I'm sure all of us, if asked by the Savior himself, to stay awake for one hour long, would do all we could to not shut our eyes for a second too long. 

Brothers and Sisters this life can be compared to that hour. It is so short in God's eyes. It is a little speck in the plan of salvation, yet a crucial and deciding point for us and our eternal destiny. The Lord is asking us to watch and pray for Him, our whole lives. He is asking you as personally as He asked those apostles- as our brother and our friend. Let us show Him our love for Him and appreciation for His suffering for us, by turning to him always. When our actions fail, let our hearts always desire to come closer to Him again and repent. For this hour long. 

 

MAHAL KO PO KAYO LAHAT!

Sister Walters