Blessed on Blessed

Highlights:

Zone Activity at the beach early Pday Morning. Good thing we will be getting more sisters in our zone! 

Soooo this was an awesome week and I have once again been taught by our investigators about the true meaning of faith, humility, and the power of the Holy Ghost 

-Sister Hazel (the one I met while running on the beach and has three kids) was progressing SO great for her baptism (sana last saturday) and then Satan just gets super magaling and throws all these trials. Her husband crashed their tryke and now they have no source of income, she can't work as a mom of three little children, and is just grateful for any food we can bring her, and we will be fetching her water from the well for every time we go because it's really hard while she carries her baby. You would think that would be the point she would quit but instead she invited her sick parents to read the Book of Mormon because it will heal them and promises that she will always come to church. The ward has been awesome and offered to help out a ton too. "O women, there has not been so great of faith in all the Nephites" - just like what Ammon said to the wife of King Lamoni. Please pray for her. 

- Brother Villanueva will get the priesthood this week and we will now be focusing on their grandchild Carl who is 16 so hopefully he can join them in the waters of baptism! (And so he can go to their Youth Conference in Bulakan haha that's what the bishop's wife told us) 

- We had some awesome first lessons with people this week where they would just glow as they smiled, rubbed the goose bumps of their arms because they were feeling the holy ghost, wanted to learn the entire first lesson in one sitting, and accepted a baptismal invite. I love finding new people!! So grateful for the spirit. We couldn't do anything with out it. 

-My companion is Sister Dennis from Wyoming and we both thought we were going to get a filipina companion but here we are! And she is INCREDIBLE. We click super well and I am learning a lot from here about happiness, hard work, broader perspective, and love for the gospel. 

New companion, Sister Dennis from Wyoming

She is AMAZING!!!

Salads because no more filipinas in the house 

-So I had finally come to terms with this new calling of being the CLS instead of a sister training leader anymore because we the only two sisters in our zone...and then the AP called and said they will be realigning the zones and calling me as STL again..so that will be interesting balancing those two callings. BUT I love those sisters a ton and am know that the Lord will help me. I really love teaching Tagalog! 

When you walk all the way home will fasting and pass out on the floor 

Missionaries Can Laugh Too:

The relief society women got into a little bit of a quarrel about a church topic and it got kind of awkward and then my favorite sister raises her voice and says really sharply- Lets just leave it to the prophets okay? And Tagalog please? The sister missionaries don't understand Ilocano." hahahaha we DIED. I love her. 

My favorite YSA, the Abenojars!! 

You Know You're in the Philippines When:

As you are riding in a tryke little children run and follow you our stick their hand out so they can touch you as you pass by like you're a celebrity. 

My FAV is this huge group of children in this one neighborhood that see us coming from across the street and start sprinting and screaming SISTER WALTTTEEERRR and they all carry their book of mormons with them :) 

This is a fruit called Chico it's soooo good (like a mix between papaya and pumpkin flavor) 

Tagalog Word of the Day

Madalal- talkative. They say I am very madaldal haha oops 

Spiritual Thought:

"Steadfast and immoveable" is what our bishop mentioned in his testimony. He said he hopes that his testimony is gold because no matter how you bent or twist it it is still gold and will never give up it's purity. I know that as we stand fast clinging to the rod of iron even when the mists get darker, that THAT's when we will truly see how faithful we are to our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ, and his gospel. That's when we can show our unchanging faith and I know He will shower blessings on us that we couldn't have received any other way. 

Mahal ko kayong Lahat!

Sister Walters