Monday, January 7, 2013

Our first week of the new year!

Kumusta po Kayo!
I hope that all is going well for you all! This week was a busy week and there was so much to learn.

We had the opportunity to go out and contact referrals and teach lessons to them. It became a little difficult when they started to disappear when they had told us to return at a certain time. Philippino people will just hide from you if they do not want to talk to you...or they send their children to come tell you a story about where their parents are. It is always great to take a opportunity to talk with new referrals, but it is hard, when you can tell that they don't want to hear from you.

This week my companion and I had a training workshop. It was a really great opportunity to see what we were doing good on as a companionship thus far in our 12 week training, but also to see where we could improve. It was a little difficult though, because the "batch" that I came with are all Philippino and they were speaking Tagalog during training, until the mission president made mention that I could probably not understand. It is so hard being the only American and not having any support or help in understanding the language and everything else. We had the opportunity to reflect on how the doctrine of Christ is something that we should include in everything we do. We should be driven to do this work, because it is what the Lord wants--"For this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39) Heavenly Father loved us so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son to die for us. To know that He loved every single person that much, really tells us how much we should love others.Through the Atonement of His Son, we are able to have a way to return back to Him--faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. I loved the story from 1 Nephi 8, with Lehi and the tree of life--in verse 12--"And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit." There are so many reasons why I am out here....I but I feel that this is my greatest drive, because of Mosiah 28:3 (click the link, for the scripture). I hope that through all of this, that I will be able to do this for some...so that in heaven I may have joy with them, over the salvation of their souls.

The people in this area are wonderful. I love going out and teaching...I wish I understood more of what they are saying, but I don't...and so I have to piece things together that I do understand. The children here are so cute and so precious, because they will sit there are try talking to me. I do not always understand them, but they are so much more understanding when I talk with them. In fact two of our investigators, two friends, came to church yesterday and during testimony meeting were trying to talk to me in Tagalog and then English. They were kind enough to translate and help me understand what they were saying. These two girls have been a focus for us and we are trying to find a way to lead them to be converted to the gospel and not to the missionaries that come through. They are making some progress and will hopefully be ready for their baptism on the 19th of January.

I am sorry if I write every week and it sounds the same. I am trying to share with you what has impacted me and the experiences I have had. The language is a trial for me and I feel that after I start to understand more of what the people are saying I will be able to tell you more about the people. For now the people are very closely cherished to my heart and I hope to start to understand them more so I can share with you the love I have for them....that may not make sense, but I will show you....

I hope you all are doing well and I can't wait to share next week :)

Ingat po,

Sister Pace
 
 

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