Kumusta pamilya!
Wow! We’re in the last week of this transfer. Time is certainly going by fast. This week was really good, although we were punted for several days. But we found some new investigators and we are really hopefully about a few of them. It is still too early to tell, but I think that one family will be baptized in December. Hopefully!
We had one really funny day this last week. We went to an investigators house and the adults sent the little kids out to tell us that he wasn't there (even though we knew he was). So we left and went to the next appointment. The next few appointments weren’t at their houses and so we did street contacting. We ended up walking past his house again. I guess he felt safe that we weren’t going to come back that day because he was standing on his front porch smoking. When he saw us walking down the street, he RAN into his house so fast. All of his neighbors starting laughing and said “Oh, he just ran into the house!” We weren’t even going to him! But yeah, he is definitely avoiding us. I guess he’s not interested…haha
We also went to the mission home this week for follow up training. It is always so happy when all the missionaries get together, especially in the mission home because the food is so good! They separated the trainers and trainees. With the trainers they asked us how the training was going. I realized in that meeting that I was blessed with an amazing companion. She is so humble, always applies my suggestions, works hard, is willing to walk all day in the sun without any appointments, loves the people and tries her very best to teach in Tagalog. I realized that not all the trainers were so lucky as I was. And we get along personality wise, which is probably the hardest challenge of all if you don’t get along. So I made sure I thanked my Heavenly Father for such a great companion…especially because we are opening an area! That is hard enough without having a hard companion.
Also, when we went to the mission home, I was talking with one of the Filipino elders who has been out for 8 months. He is from Tacloban (the place where the super typhoon hit) and his mother, father, aunt, cousin, and pretty much all his friends died. Me and another sister were listening to his story and we couldn’t believe that he is still here on his mission. He really is so strong. I don’t know if I could do that and have the faith and the desire to keep working as hard as he is. Also, we heard the story of the sisters during the storm and couldn’t believe that. I was very grateful that I was assigned to the Olongapo mission. I can’t even imagine what that experience would be like.
Also, I gave my first talk in church yesterday. It was kind of stressful to have to give a whole talk in Tagalog. It’s very different than teaching a lesson. But, I was able to speak Tagalog the whole time and I think I got the message across. Who’d have thought that after four months here I’d be speaking in church? My topic was on Christlike attributes and I chose to talk on Hope, patience and diligence. Basically the Christlike attributes that I have been trying to develop here on the mission. That’s the fun thing about giving a talk... You learn way more than the people you are speaking to. And, then afterwards, the teacher for gospel principles was gone so they asked me to fill in. Again, a little stressful because the lesson wasn’t one of the missionary lessons that we’ve been studying and of course, I was winging it. But I know that Heavenly Father is truly helping me here. He has definitely given me the gift of tongues and I know that there is no way that I could do this without His help.
Well, I am loving my area and I am going to be so sad when I am transferred. Transfer day is next week but I am pretty sure that I won’t be transferred because I am still training. So safe until January! But I love the people here and there is nothing like the feeling that you get when you see someone accepting the message and being excited about it. And nothing like the feeling you get when they tell you that they feel like our message is true. Alam ko po na totoo ang simbahan na ito at ito ay ang gawain n gating Ama sa Langit!
Mahal ko kayo!
Sister Sirrine
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