Sister Rhea Walters

Sister Rhea Walters

Monday, May 23, 2016

service and jeepneys

Week Highlights: 

-We had another lovely rain shower but this time I got to experience it without an umbrella haha! I had left my umbrella at an appointment apparently but the work must move foreward! I was soaked to the bone and looked pretty sad but it helped some people have pity on a soaking wet, looking very out of place american, so they gave us some shelter and we met some new potential investigators! I might as well just through away my umbrella now ;) 
-The Philippines has National Day of Service and we were able to serve with our ward painting the railings and cleaning the street in a section of the city! It was so much fun and three of our investigators came as well! The same sisters that walk to church every sunday together with the pregnant mom that we started teaching first. 
-Those sisters are so cute they don't really have the most modest sunday clothes but they try with tights under their skirts and sweaters even though it's so hot! The YW leaders are awesome though and gathered clothes to give to them for church! MEMBERS BACK HOME: PLEASE HELP INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH. Missionaries need the support and friendship of members every step of the way. 
- You never know what the ward is going to need you for as a missionary and I had the lovely opportunity of speaking in church yesterday! At least I had more notice than the first time- the first sunday you are here they invite you from the stand to bear your testimony haha! I spoke on the power of the Book of Mormon as that is a huge focus in our mission right now. And mom here is the moment you have been waiting for....I am sorry I didn't keep up piano lessons and appreciate your persistence to continue because yes the stake choir needed me to play until the pianist showed up hahaha 
-We held a stake missionary fireside on sunday night about how the members play such a huge role in the conversion and maintaining of members. I really hope it helped because missionaries love their investigators so much but we can't do all that the members can. We are here to teach and to help lead to the waters of baptism but members are there to bear their strong witness of the blessings of the gospel in their life. They are there to friendship and provide support when times get hard to be a member in the world we live in. Missionaries have to leave the investigators we love when we are transferred so we just pray and pray that the members love them as we do. 
-Overall just another awesome week full of ups and downs like the stair in Baguio :) 

You Know You're in the Philippines when... 
You ride a Jeepney into town which looks like a hippie but on stereroids crowded with people hahaha look up a picture online! Also there are so many people and you just pass your payment up the row to the driver so there really isnt a way to be totally sure if everyone pays their fare. But apparently there is a guilty conscience because one jeepney had a sign inside that said "GOD KNOWS HUDAS NOT PAY" hahahahaha I love Filipino spelling. 

Missionaries can Laugh Too...
Alright mom this one is for you too...the Miranda voice came out to our investigators. Tagalog Miranda might just be more funny than English Miranda. They did enjoy the Miranda dance as well. It was the same day that I was soaked to the bone so if you can imagine a dripping wet Sister Walters speaking an aian/spanish language will doing some weird monkey dance and talking like miranda with only one side of her face...you might just laugh as hard as we did :) 

Tagalog Word of the Day: 

"Gusto kong masarap na pagkain" I like delicious food 

Spiritual Thought: 
I have had the chance to read Our Search For Happiness by M. Russel Ballard during my personal study for the past couple weeks and I strongly encourage everyone of us to read it. The book is written for those who are not as familiar with our faith so it is amazing to go back and read from a fresh perspective how simple the gospel of Jesus Christ is. It just makes sense that God would have a plan for all of his children and that that plan is for us to achieve lasting happiness in this life and in the life to come. This plan doesn't provide worldly happiness, it is lasting,a higher happiness, so clearly his standards are higher. It's like shopping at the pharmacy for medicine when you have a cold. You can buy the cheaper medicine with less money, but it might only heal your symptoms for one day, or leave a little bit of your headache still there. Or you can pay a bigger price but feel completely renewed, refreshed, and free from the weight of your sickness. God has laid this plan for us to have all that is unfair in life, all our trials, all our questions, answered for and give the strength the endure, but he asks us to pay a higher price. Brothers and Sisters let us not look at the standards of the church as a burden or restrains. They are our life jacket, our railings on the cliff, our map, our flashlight to safety and happiness. The Bishop spoke on sunday about never lowering our standards for any occasion and invited the members to reread For the Strength of Youth, as it is not for just youth. That was such a good reminder for all of us that I want to extend it to you at home as well. Every decision we make has a consequence and will either draw us close to Christ or farther away. There are no "free bie" choices that have no effect on our eternal progression. 2 Nephi 2:27 God has given all that is expedient to man to judge good from evil. Let us use these standards and our knowledge of God's plan for us in every decision that we make, trusting in his promise that we will experience greater blessings and greater happiness, greater self-confidence and and understanding of Christ as we follow his simple commandments. 

Mahal na Mahal ko po kayo! 
our Mission presidents wife

Sister Walters 

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