I love having a brand new planner. YES. New cycle. Yay.
We had splits this week with the STL (sister training leaders). An answer to my prayers. It was so fun going with Sister Gardoce. I lead the area, lead all the lessons, and just AH. It was a confirmation to me that I can do this whole mission thing. I am not perfect, but I am capable. Since none of the people here knew her, I kind of had to take the lead in everything. She is filipino so of course they could talk, but for once, someone was relying on me. Things I learned from splits;
-I appreciate my trainer so much. Its a big burden to lead every lesson.
-People understand my broken tagalog- I need to stop being so afraid to mess up and just speak it more.
-Being fearless is so fun. I was so brave this day, talking to tons of people, and leading the area.
-I learned that "following up" on commiments is so important. I related it to violin. If Bonnie would have given me a all these assignments and tasks each week to do, to improve and become better, and she NEVER asked me about them... then I would feel so shafted!!! Haha, seriously! Its the same thing as a missionary. If you give an assignment, you better follow up. It is a sign of love, and that you truly believe that assigment can help them.
-lots more.
The STLS's after the splits told us things they learned and us 4 talked about how it all went. I was the only native english speaker (both the STL's now are filipinos) so I was speaking a lot of tagalog. My trainer is SO good at english, that its so easy for me to just speak english to her, but i know that is hurting my progression in the language. Anyway, the STL's talked about our companinoship and what they noticed. They said we were such a humble companionship, that they rarely see companionships like ours, etc. It was so cool to see and hear things from others perspectives. There are so many other things I could go on about, but all I want to say is that I received so many answers to unanswered prayers that day. I just cried to the Lord in thanks. I am so blessed and watched over as a 19 year old girl in the Philippines. My problems may be small to someone else, but if its important to me, it is also important to the Lord.
That night we got in a tricee in the pouring rain, all 6 of us in one tricee (so hard) and we went to a Recent converts for a FHE. I honestly wish I was better at writing and describing, but their house is just this stone house/ cement, and then tarp for the whole front half. All 8 of us squoze around a card sized table, and squished together and ate. her husband was leaving for manila the next day and he isn't a member. We taught about the plan of salvation and after, when they dropped us off, he said that as we taught, that was the happiest he has ever felt. It's so funny, cause I thought I felt the spirit, but sometimes I doubt if it is the spirit or not, and I get confused. I am still learning how to follow the spirit, but during this lesson I kind of thought, dang I think I felt the spirit but I don't think he did. But then when we got home and Sister Suay said he said that, I just was so grateful the spirit was there. It's still hard for me to read people here, because of the language and culture, but I am SO grateful for the spirit. Our AP told us that you should never worry if the person you are teaching is feeling the spirit, becuase if you feel the spirit testifying in you, then the spirit is there. It's up to them to open their heart and accept what the spirit is making them feel.
We entered Mary Joy's (investig) family compound (like people here live with their inlaws and cousins all on one piece of land, with just like 4-5 houses, a water tap, gardens, and then a main grassy area in the middle, the whole compound fenced in) and there she is, sitting on the hammock with her two babies asleep next to her, and she's reading the book of mormon. she read 17 chapters in 6 days and is just a CHAMP. she should also be getting her birth certificate soon, which means she can get married and then baptized!!!!! AH. She is so sweet, and really one of the most humble and beautiful filipinos I have met. She wants to be baptized so bad and has been getting taught sinc 2011. Talk about patience.
The visperaz fam (less actives), one of my faves, ah. We visited them, and it had been a little while since we had been there, cause we have had so many things to do this past week or two with National Family Week coming up (this week) and so we havent seem them in a while. The sister just expressed how she is reading every day and praying and how thats the only place she can feel okay. She said "don't get sick of visiting us okay?" They came to church the next day and it was so beautiful.
Also, one of our less actives, Sister Arsenia. We visit her RELIGIOUSLY ever week (haha punny) and she never comes to church. They own a bukid (rice field) and so they work sunday. This past time we visited her, I asked her if she would come to church. She gave some excuses and I just promised her blessings. SHE CAME TO CHURCH. I REPEAT. She came. She came!!!!! It was so beautiful seeing her there in the congregation. We were so happy. sister policarpio, our recently returned member, is just a stalwart member now. she invited her and came with her. she is the best and despite the realy really really crappy things that have been happening to her, RIGHT after she started coming back to church, she has been still been faithful. The people here, ah. I know I keep saying it, but I am just amazed.
We have been having choir practices for Family week the past few weeks, and that has been fun.national family week is like the NFL in america. like HUGE DEAL. I am playing my violin for the choir and AH it has been so great. I am so grateful for the talent I have been given, especially here. they have never heard or seen a real violin in real life. After one choir practice, i just bore testimony... of my testimony of music. i explainedthat is how i first gained a testimony. I realized that there was something so different when i played in church, versus when i was competing and playing in front of a judge. there was something so different about a judge telling me how talented i was and raving on about the performance versus after sacrament, feeling someone grab my arm from behind, teary eyed, and saying "thank you"
I played in sacrament meeting yesterday, (just me, no accompaniast) and boy it was a different experience, but one that I will never forget. I was praying so hard the entire meeting while sitting on the stand that the spirit would be there. since the chapel is tile and the benches are wood, it gets SO LOUD in there. and there are a zillion kids. and everyone is filipino. that combo is loud! haha. so as i was playing, people in the congregation were softly singing, completely off tune. at first i thought what the heck, thats sorude! but i realized when i looked up that they were all smiling. i felt the spirit so strong as i played and thought of the words of the hymns i played. after the meeting, a return missionary talked to me and he said "wow your gift is amazing. as soon as you began to play every one listened. no one was talking and all the kids stopped being loud. they all watched you. and that is a gift. it was beautiful, sister."
I am so grateful to be here and AM SO BLESSED. i love it here and every morning when I wake up, I just am so happy. When I feel tired, crappy, alone, or anything I just think about how fast time is going. And I am runing out of time. One thing Grant told me before I left was "this is the time where you really can be that one person you have always wanted to be. so just do it. be that person."
I really am trying to do that. I want to be that one person. I have realized so many things about myself out here. I can't believe so many things I never knew about myself before; good and bad. I am so grateful for my trainer, and have been praying for her since the MTC. I love her and honestly, she is perfect for me. She is everythign I am not; humble. patient. quiet. simple. and so beautiful. I am learning so much from her.
We got a new investigator this week and sister acoba extended a baptisimal invitationthe first lesson! he is 11 and is part member family. he accepted and the lessons have been so good sicne. he is so cute and really just like, way cool. WAY cool for an 11 year old. AH. I love him. And am excited to teach someone from the very beginning and see them progress.
I am obsessed again with the book of mormon. I want to know everything about it and am loving reading it. sister suay has been obsessed with the bible, so when you walk into our apartment as we are waiting to shower or waiting for something, we are all noses in our scriptures. haha its so funny.
I am done writing. my back is cramping up. But i just want to say that I have never known so SURELY that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World. Joseph Smith is a true prophet. Answers to prayers come often times through PEOPLE, so that being said, WE can be the answers to people's prayers. I am so different than I was before my mission. i can feel the change happening. I love being here and I love this gospel more than anything.
Peace out, homeslices.
-Sister Hafen
Haha best sticker ever!
Visperaz kids and some from their neighborhood :)
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