May 27, 2013

Kumusta,

wow...everything that happened last week is a little hazy...it was a challenging week, because since we are a new area, we are struggling to find new investigators... so we spent part of the week tracting and doing all that we could to find new people to teach. talk about being exhausted...but there are many other blessings to be found. We had many opportunities this week to go out and serve those around us...such a great way to feel the love of Heavenly Father. We also had a baptismal date set for one of our investigators. We are really excited,but it is a double effort, because his father is a less active. My companion and I are doing well...I am trying to get through everything and trying to figure out how to help the people...and my companion is thinking about transfer day. It started about....what....three weeks ago. So nothing new, but makes it hard sometimes to work, when they are worrying about what is on the other side of the rainbow and not what you have on the side you are on...but you know....sometimes it happens. So transfer announcements are this saturday...so Monday I will let you know if I am being transferred or not.

The pictures are from out activity today as a district....I am eating a coconut...sobra masarap! it was fun, but hot!

I am sorry that this email is going to be short...I am trying really hard to think of what to share with you...there is so much,but so little time.

I will have to write more next week...but thank you so much for everything and I hope you know that I love you all so very much and I always have you in my prayers.

Ingat lagi,

Sister Pace

May 19, 2013

A day after I spoke to you, I received your package. Thank you so very much for everything! I was so happy to receive it :) And thank you so much for everything inside...perfect!

This week has been a lot of learning. We had Zone Conference...so I got to meet a large amount of the American sister in the mission. It was a great opportunity to learn about being obedient and striving to help those that we are teaching, through the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.I am so very grateful to have the opportunity to be a missionary. We have come to the point where there are no longer any investigators that will listen to our message....so this next week is focused on finding new people to teach.

Everyone here is getting excited because Transfers are coming in two weeks...but as my companion says...birthday mo muna! Birthdays are celebrated so differently here...the birthday person pays for everyone's meal if they go out to eat. So we will see what I will be paying for...;)

We had a one day mission with the branch....it was a great opportunity for the members to find those that have been lost along the way...I hope to play a big role in missionary work, even after the mission.

I am sorry that I don't have much to write about this week...maybe I will have more next week,with some pictures.

One last thing...a scripture: Mosiah 4:6-12. It talks about our salvation through Jesus Christ. We have no other way that we are able to enter into the kingdom of God. We must have trust in God that He has given a way for us to receive eternal life, and that Jesus Christ has suffered for us. "...if ye shall do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins: and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true." I know that as we strive to live the gospel and put our trust in God and His Son, we shall find the way to gain greater knowledge and become even as He is.

I hope that you all have a great week and I will try to have more next week.

Mahal na mahal kita!

Sister Pace

May 6, 2013

What a crazy week again. I am really learning a lot from this calling as a trainer. And the hard part is feeling so tired from constantly doing something...even on p-day. It was nice this morning to go jogging....but it was a slow jog, because the sisters couldn't keep up with me. My companion is great. She is a wonderful teacher and really great with the people. She is helping me to learn Tagalog, but there always seems to be little time to study.We are working with a lot of the members here. Our difficulty right now is the less actives. We are having the hardest time getting some of them to come back to church. But i have really come to see the sorrow that Heavenly Father has for His children, when they choose not to follow the path that He has given them. We have many less actives that have told us that they do not want us to return...but how great has been the power of he Spirit as we have shared with these LAs the importance of the gospel in their lives...the Spirit works so greatly in our responsibilities as missionaries. I know that the Book of Mormon is a Another Testament of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that the gospel has once more been established on the earth, through Joseph Smith. I have had the opportunity to share with the people here, and I have gained a greater knowledge and understanding of the importance of the gospel in our lives. As we work with some of our investigators, it is great to see their desire and hope in the gospel. And to know that we are able to give them the happiness that they have always wanted. I thank you so much for the statement that you sent to me weeks ago, when I first arrived in Iriga..."I think you were placed in Iriga to plant a seed into the hearts of those who are ready to hear the gospel, but don't be discouraged if they are not being receptive. Things will happen in the Lord's timeline, not our timeline...we are so anxious to have those fantastic moments, but it's those small moments that add up to become that fantastic moment. We just need to be the Lord's instrument & trust in him to do his work for our fellow brothers & sisters. You are right where you need to be, to be teaching those who may or may not be ready to take that step towards a better life. None of us are perfect & if we were, we wouldn't have need for this gospel...simple & true! We work on our shortcomings every hour, every day, every week, etc...just remember that we are here to help others realize their potential."

 

There is a reason to why I am here in Iriga...and I realize it little by little each day. I try not to think about the little amount of time that I have in this opportunity...but it is crazy to see the time go by so fast. I am listening to the CES fireside and I love how Elder Walker states about President Thomas S. Monson that He gave himself to everything that the Lord called him to. Not because he was concerned of other's thoughts, but because He knew it was the Lord's way. The Lord truly does call and qualify those that work in His kingdom.

 

Mahal na Mahal kita!!!

Ingat palagi,

Sister Pace

April 29, 2013

GrAbE!!! What a week!!!! Transfers were on Tuesday. I stayed in Iriga and I received Sister De Leon as my companion (picture attached).She is from Tarlac, Philippines. Sobra mabait siya! I was so excited to have her as my companion :) I was called as the Senior Companion...it was fun while it lasted...she was teaching me Tagalog and I was teaching her how to become a better missionary....it was such a great combination! And it was so much fun teaching with her, because I knew what she was saying and I knew that we both knew what we were going to teach...

On Saturday I received a call from President Bliesner. It was a call for an emergency transfer and I was being asked to receive the new companion in my area. So Sister De Leon and I packed her stuff and left the next morning to receive our new companions. My new companion is Sister Tumagoy. She is in the middle of her training. So I went from being a senior companion for four days and then became a trainer in four...so it has been a lot of adjusting to try to train a new sister. Sister Tumagoy is a really great teacher and has the potential to become a great missionary. I am excited to train her...I have already learned so much from being with her :)
This week has been busy with traveling and exchanging companions, so very little appointments. But from the appointments that we have had, there have been some really great miracles and blessings. We had one of our investigators progress in their prayer....it may sound so small...but as it says in the scriptures, "and thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things". It was such a blessing to us to see her pray and I felt the Spirit as we shared with her the Book of Mormon. We also had one of our investigators attend church...she really enjoyed it and the members were really supportive in our work to bring her to the branch.
The weather is hot as usual here...there are a lot of concerns of dehydration among the missionaries and so it has been a goal of mine to avoid it. But it has struck many of the missionaries already. The new batch of missionaries that came in this Tuesday were filled with 18 yr old Elders and 19 yr old Sisters. It is so amazing to see the Lord working in this to bring about the salvation of His people.

April 21, 2013

What a week....it went by so fast. We had a lot of events occur and a lot of preparation for a national service day, here in the Philippines. On Saturday we went to cut bamboo in order to prepare to make fences for trees we will plant this saturday. we have a member in the branch that had cancer and has been really sick for a long time...we went to visit him and with time he has gotten better...but this week, when we went to visit him, He was walking around. It was such a miracle to see him moving around. It truly was by the work of his faith that he has gotten better and now will be more able to worship his Heavenly Father. We also went to visit an less active in our area...she was open enough to tell us about her past and her desire to return to church. We are hoping that we will be able to help her to make her way back. When she told us about her past and the concerns she had, you could see that the Lord had prepared her and softened her heart to be ready to come unto Jesus Christ. The weeks are all filled with trying to find those that are ready and prepared and helping those who have fallen to return back to the joy and safety of the Shepherd's fold. Saturday we received transfer announcements and I will be staying in Iriga. I am temporally with Sister Paguigan for a day and then tomorrow I will go to see who my new companion is. It is exciting. Well....hopefully I will have more to tell you about next week :) ps. here are some more pictures :)

Ingat palagi and mahal na mahal kita!

Sister Pace

 

jeepney

traveling on top of a bus

how they drink soda

 

Brother Oronan

 

April 15, 2013

Pamilya ko,

This week has gone by so fast....and transfer announcements are coming this next weekend. But there have been some really great experiences this last week. We had the opportunity to start an English class in the Iriga Branch. And the teacher is...well...the only fluent English speaker. I am hoping that I am teaching them well and helping them to become confident in their English. I have learned so much from this class so far and I am excited every Tuesday and Thursday to help the members and others to progress in their skills. I have especially felt the blessings through some of the members and I am hoping to continue to be a support and a blessing for them.

We are continuing to strive to find new investigators...the work is difficult. But I feel that the Lord doesn't give it to us easily, because He loves us and wants us to help others....but as we do so, He wants us to learn too. I only wish I could express to you in words what I have learned about this since I have been in Iriga. I am only hoping that I can continue to bless this area and prepare the people to receive the gospel more fully.

I had the opportunity to listen to General Conference at the Branch building on Saturday and Sunday. I didn't get to listen to the whole conference, but from what I have listened to, I have felt the love of my Savior and His guidance in my life. I hope to use and apply and live what I have received through His servants.

I know that the Lord lives and that this church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the true church on this earth. I know that the Lord guides and leads His people now as He did through His Son, Jesus Christ. I know that the Lord is hastening His work and has a great work ahead of all members. I hope that you all had a wonderful time learning of the gospel and the blessings that it can bring into our lives.

 

bedroom in Iriga

 

study area

 

stairs to a church in Iriga

 

the view at the top of the stairs

 

 

 

April 8, 2013

Pamilya ko,

Masaya ako na gusto po ninyo ang pictures ko. Sorry that I haven't taken any other pictures...the weeks are so busy...but I will try to get some more this next week and share them with you. We live in a house. The house we live in here is really nice. There are three bedrooms in the house...I will take pictures this week and send them next week. It is in a really nice area too...away from all the noise, looking out to the rice fields.

This week was a rough one...of all the work, we had an average of two lessons per day. kawawang araw (sad day)...We are trying so hard to find new investigators and meet with all our less actives. There is a lot to do, but we are struggling to do the missionary work (bringing in new members)...so we had a One Day Mission, with the branch. This is where the branch works together to go out to visit the less actives. We had a really great turn out of members and there was a lot of blessings that came from their efforts. I hope that we can really get the members to work together to reactivate some of their members, so the missionaries can focus on finding new members...but with time. We also had a baptismal invitation accepted this week. But it will take time to help them reach the baptismal waters...but we are excited to have a progressing investigator.

Easter...it was really great...I will tell you about the only thing was watching all the excitement with the Catholic church. And of course we went out to share the message about the Savior. But the holiday "Easter" in itself is not celebrated here...but the birth of Christ is.

 

I think that is everything...thank you so much for everything you do. I am extremely grateful for you all and for the love and support that I receive from you spiritually, mentally and physically. God bless you! Mahal na mahal kita!

Ingat palagi po,

Sister Pace