Monday, April 3, 2017

Just BELIEVE!!

Nainbug nga aldaw!!! (Ilakano for Beautiful Morning!)
Maraming maraming salamat for everyone's prayers and emails this week!!!! They seriously help me so much knowing how much you believe in me and have faith that I can do this!!!! I love you all!!! 

So, what happened this week? Haha funny story I had my first exchanges!!!!! One was with my kabahay (roommate) Sister Condie. Americana siya. I was supposed to lead my area (what?!?!?! I was scared haha to be honest) and of course I got a little lost. At one point we were on this dirt road -- no one else on the street. Then this teenager just walks by and starts singing a song by Ed Sheeran at the top of his lungs. After he left we burst out laughing. Two Americans speaking Tagalog on the top of this mountain in the Philippines and a boy is singing Ed Sheeran. Bizarre hahaha. Earlier today we chased down this jeepney because meron ang vendor selling lumpia (like a veggie egg roll but way better). 
I met this sweet recent convert tatay this week. He only speaks Ilakano but when I spoke in Tagalog about serving God and showing our love for Him because He loves us-- he told me he understood perfectly!! I was so excited! A miracle talaga. He said my accent is pretty good for an American haha. Although I have a really hard time speaking my mind still and understanding what others are saying, miracles do happen!!!

So, I just want a shoutout to all the nanays everywhere! (mothers) All my investigators are mothers who tell me that all they want is the best for their kids and they want to help them be the happiest they can be in this life and the next. Mothers are so so so so Christlike and have so much faith!!!!!!!!!!! Reminds me of all the mothers in my life back home (Especially my own mom). I just love them with all my heart and I know that's how our Heavenly Father feels about them too. Most of these mothers I have talked to have had the hardest lives EVER!! Oh my gosh I cried when I saw the circumstances of one of these mothers. I won't say it here because it might be too sensitive. But she has the strongest faith I have ever seen. Another mother Sister Raquel reminds me of Joseph Smith. All she wants is to love her kids and to know God. She's talked with maraming religions and even though all the missionaries of other faiths are really professional looking, richer, and older (like in their 30s and 40s), she chose to listen to two girls (one who can't even speak much) because she is sooooo in tune with the Holy Ghost. I just love her to death. 

There are so many people in my area and it's so frustrating when people don't want to listen or I feel like I can't talk to that many people. I want to learn this language and help as many people as I can. But I'm so weak and for sure an unprofitable servant. So many things come up that are not in my control and it's so frustrating. But I'm so so grateful to be a missionary. I just have to trust that God makes up for what I can't do. I have had to learn a lot of patience in the last month with others and myself. Someday I hope I can get this language hahaha. I want to so bad.

Ether 12:4 -- Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with a surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

Just believe! We can't see how things will work out! But someday it will! Good always wins because God always wins in the end and so will we because He shapes us into what we can be everyday if our desires are there and we try to be better everyday. That is repentence. Repentance is being better everyday and becoming more like Him, not just forgiveness. If we think this we will always want to keep doing good works!!

So, I met Sister Walters this week and we talked a lot. She has a blog you all like a lot right?? She is so good at the language, super sweet, and she gave me lots of jumprope workouts that are killer!!! I've struggled with finding ways to exercise because I love it so much but you can't really run in Baguio City (too dangerous with traffic) and I found some really intense workouts! I love them!

Photos:
Views of my area tapos a picture with my new favorite kids in the whole wide world! They found me and just swarmed me and I love them! They took me to her mom who had been given a book of Mormon when she was 9 years old by a missionary! Newest investigator! 
Mahal ko kayong lahat talaga! Maraming salamat ulit para sa inyong mga prayers!!!!!! Know that I love you all!!!
Sister Porter










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