Abbey in the Philippines: Sister Abbey Hafen // Week Twelve // Crainal Nerve VII- Facial Nerve‏

This week I made goals.

and I kept the goals.

and I feel like I just won the US Open! (Too bad I

YEAH!

I realized in the MTC that I suck at goals. And so when I got to the mission, I decided THAT WAS GONNA CHANGE. So I've been working on it. 6 weeks later, I am finally getting the hang of goals.

Oh yeah! This week is transfers... and I'm not getting transferred! Neither is my trainer, sister bates, or sister suay! (our roommates). The 4some will be together until next cycle. General conf, sister suays bday, and christmas celebrations (christmas started sept 1st here. not even kidding. NOT EVEN KIDDING. its so great. christmas music errwhere. holla!)

Sister Acoba got sick this week, so we didn't work Tuesday. I had some time at home while she slept just to ponder and study. I won't lie, it was nice. But then by wednesday morning I was ready to get the fetch to work. Anyway- I really had a spiritual experience having that time alone- I recharged and really just.. ah. hard to explain. So I won't.

We also had a CSP (community service proj) on Wednesday. Seriously SDF (so dang fun). For real! We went to the Gumbauan elementary school and weeded and did some yard work. Its mine and sister acobas area, so we knew some of the kids and the lady who asked us to do it is a lady we visit every week- she is now a returned member.

The kids were obsessed with me and the other whiteys (americans). OB-SESSED. It was sooo fun. I taught them "pound it!" and it was so fun. Then, the next day we went to work in Gumbauan, and EEEVVERYWHERE we went "Sister Hapen!!!" allll dayyy longgg. it was so funny.

You wouldn't even believe the schools here. Man. We have it soo good in america. I don't even know what to tell you about it. Except that you would all just die. It honestly is weird for me becasue I am so used to it. I am used to spiders everywhere, ants all over the toilets, no toilet paper, eating rice every day, riding in tricees and old buses/vans, etc. The kids here in the philippines are smart. Like, people/life smart. They just know whats going on, I can't believe it. Lifesurviving-wise and street smarts, I am equivilant to maybe a 5 year old?

We taught Sherly- our progressing investigator who has no support from her fam in her decision to be baptized. Anyway, the lesson was so good. She had a question about Solomons temple in 2nd nephi, like she didn't know what a temple was. We taught about temples and it was so cool. She is so dang prepared. As we left, I just imagined Sherly in 5 years. She's 17 now, so when she's 22. She'll move out ahh I just imagined her baptism day. Her smile is so contagious and I just pictured her coming up out of the water. I just couldn't stop smiling. For the first time, I just desired and wanted eternal life for her. Who cares if I don't get to see her get baptized, I love her so much that I just am here for her now to keep her going. AHH. I wish I was a better writer so you could know what I am feeling, but ah. Just so good. Sherly is the best and I love her. Plus she told me in "Sis Hafen. You are the most beautiful girl in the Americas." Hahah. love it.

I use things Brother Case said and taught all the time as I teach lessons and as I talk with missionaries. Halimbawa (example)

"Raise your hand if you are going to the celestial kingdom!" Haha man he was the best mission prep teacher I could have asked for. Honestly, I love him.

Raquel. Man. I love her so much. 14 less active, mom not baptized and dad not supportive or active anymore. We had such a beautiful lesson, Lesson 3 principles 1-2. Being cleansed through jesus christ and faith. Man. I was leading this lesson, and we always ask her for comments cause she's so bright and smart. So before I asked her I followed the spirit and just said "Sana, alam mo na mahal namin kayo, sister raquel. Tahlega." which means "hopefully, you know that we love you sister raquel. " She then just began to cry and shared with us. It was so cool. She talked about how every decison we make is either brings us closer to satan or closer to christ. She's so on the ball, really. She just knows whats up. The spirit was so strong and man. I just love Raquel a lot.

Sister Abrigo is a new investigator. This is legitimately what happened. She ran up to us on the street, apologized for not coming to church, and then talked a little, and left. she came to church the next week and then we started teaching her this week. She knows mormons and was taught in another city for a little, and now wants to be baptized. she comes every week withouth her husband and her 3 little kids. Her house is literally the size of my bathroom at home. maybe. Dirt floor, a little fence they made to use as a baby gate, rice bags on the floor, she wearing a old ripped tank top, collar bones poking out and skinny legs, nursing her baby as we teach, and a big bed made of strips of wood. What great faith she has. the first lesson she was really struggling remembering and following with what we teach, but its so amazing how people can improve their learning ability when being taught gospel principles- that is something that my trainer pointed out to me. it really is incredible. just from our first lesson to the 2nd, she has improved so much. She rememebers, and her ability to learn is improving. We saw this with Joem (the one baptized last week) too, as we taught him.

I have been talking to people on busses and on the streets more. It used to scare me so bad and I was just so prideful and nervous to use my tagalog to them, but I realized that you only are scared of something when you think you are doing it alone. If you realize that you have the greatest source of power on your side, GOD, then no need to fear. I love it now and just love their reaction when I speak tagalog. It's so fun.

Man Sister Acoba and I are just BFF's. I Love her so much. She's so dang funny. In a quiet little way. It's so funny I can't even explain! HAHAHA. I am sitting here just laughing to myself. hahahahaa. Man. We studied the cranial nerves as we had a long wait for a van one day. What they innervated, the numbers, blah blah. She's an RN btw. So fun to talk about that stuff. Except we were having major problems remembering some stuff. Ha.

We went to work in Gumbauan and had such great plans for the day. Then yeah, of course, like no one is home. I hate the harvest season! people are gone for days for work. literally, all our potential investigators there werent home! i then was just doing that "im-trying-to-be-happy-even-though-i-want-to-die" attitude. Haha. We walked to check on one more, saw our recent convert and told him we'd come back, and then saw, Jenny. our new investigator who really has potential. 31 with a little 1 yr old baby. We walked down the street, and she was across the street with her fam and friends. We thought dang she's busy. We stood there and were about to walk away but we just decided to stand there for a little. She saw us, walked over, we asked if she was busy. She said no, gave her baby to her uncle, took us across to her house, and sat down for the lesson. Seriously AWESOME. She really wanted to listen to us. I started the lesson and we were just planning on teaching 2 principles, but we both just felt to teach all the wayu through joseph smith.

MAN ALIVE. the spirit was soo strong. I can't even explain. first off, my trainer is a champ and just teaches so clearly and plainly, and then I read the first vision. I have most of it memorized, except the end. I just felt the spirit so much and for the first time, in that moment, KNEW that Joseph Smith was a true prophet who restored this gospel. The funny thing is, well not funny, but the crazy thing is, is that that whole week I had been really wondering about Joseph Smith. Praying about it and really just not feeling like I knew if he was real or not! I was kind of freaking out haha. Then in this lesson.. boom. I knew. And it was so cool. Man. Great lesson. I love my companion, she is the best. I have learned and have so much more to learn from her.

AFter her lesson, we Joem rode by on his bike and we told him we'd come back the next day. We luckily got a tricee (after 6 its really hard, and its dark. and we have to leave gumbuan by 6 because there are murders there at night all the time and stuff and its just super dangerous. haha) we got home, grabbed my violin, and headed to the YSA fireside. I played and the lesson was so good. I really am understanding tagalog a lot now. I can't say very much it seems like, but I follow peoples conversations.

Friday we had 7 lessons. It was awesome. Thats really all I have to say. It just rocked and we worked so hard. I don't know if thats alot to other people but a solid day here is 5 because we have studies until 1:30pm and have to come in at 8. plus travel time.

my companion had some bubble wrap and she held it up and said "do you want this bubble cup?"

HAHAHAHAAHH i literally had to try so hard not to die right there on the spot laughing. As i write this i am laughing so hard. HAHAHA. bubble cup. HA! bubble wrap, filipinos!

some other things:

-bday celebration for our investigators baby on saturday. pancit and juice- pancit and juice give me LBM (loose bowel moments) so I basically wanted to die when they brought that out to us. HA. I ate it anyway. PRAYER IS REAL. I didnt have lbm that night HOLLA!

-we got tons of limes and bananas from our recent convert

-we almost drilled a caribou in the tricee- the driver was honking, going like 35 mph thinking it would move and of course it didn't those things are slow as crap. so yeah we almost drilled it.

-filipinos burp whenever they want, mid conversation, mid meal, you name it. its so weird! but cool i guess. hahaha.

-filipinos are difficult. because they don't want to cause anyone any problems, or be blunt, they just beat around the bush and sometimes just dont say what they really mean. they want to be polite always, so sometimes that really causes problems. haha.

-we taught our fellowshippers and our companions " 'Murica" and it was so funny to hear them say it over and over. HAHA.

-everyone calls the branch president, pres. its so filipino and i love it.

I LOVE THE PHILIPPINES. i really do. i am so happy and it was a great week, really. i feel slow with the language at times, but man.

can i just say that prayer is SO REAL. I honestly use it more than is probably suggested. I love this work and love my Heavenly Father. Jesus is the Christ and I now KNOW that Joseph Smith restored the gospel through the power of God. I know that this is the true church. I know that it is the only thing to truly bring peace to this world full of so much heartache, pain, exhaustion, struggle, dissapointments, and sorrow.

That's all folks. Sorry its another novel, but yeah I'm not that sorry.

-Sister Abbey Hafen