This week was great, all though I did get sick for the first time here. I had a fever, then it dropped to 100.5, then 95.6, then back up to normal. It was so crappy. I had a sweet rash over my body, and it was so itchy. I had a back ache and chest pain, and my eyes were so tender/sore. But now I am fit as a (crap i forgot that phrase. fit as a whistle? ..crap i really don't know haha). I really am fine now, and it didn't interfere too much with the work- we had such a great week planned, that I couldn't get myself to stay in and not work, so we worked anyway. This week was awesome.
Monday night, we had a family home evening with the Visperas family. It seriously was so fun. We sang, had an object lesson, played games, and had a merienda (snack). It was honestly so fun, I have come so close to this family. i feel like they are my family now. The little 8 year old got baptized last night, and now they are offically "returned" and not less active anymore. They are so happy living the gospel and doing their best. It is so awesome.
We got a referral from Pres. Abuan, the counselor in the District Presidency who feeds all 9 alicia missionaries every saturday. It is such a golden referral, she got taught like 8 years ago but then they moved, and now she is just like way open to being taught again. It's so golden because Sister Abuan is at every lesson, and she is an RM, so she's just like a champ at being a best friend AND a good missionary teacher in the lessons. She said she would come to church on sunday with S. Abuan, but she didn't come, so i was way sad, but I have high hopes for her. She is so sweet, and just so humble. Their house is one of the smallest and she is one of the poorest I have seen. She has this attitude that I love. We walk in the doorway, and there's just this little room, with a tarp down, and a little area the size of maybe a queen bed, where they sleep. and then another area about the same size, where all four of us sat cross legged and barely fit. she apologized for her house, but did it in a confident way, like, this is what i have and i am grateful. It was so cool.
Another one of our investigators, Benjamin, is 11. He is the previous pupil of Brother Arnel, 24 year old in our ward. Arnel got active again about a year ago, and him and this pupil became close, and now he stays at arnels house every weekend while his parents go for work. So we've been teaching him. He's so cute, and I love teaching kids. I don't get as nervous, and he is getting close to us and loves us sisters. Arnel really wants this gospel for Benjamin, because he knows how it helped him through highschool and college. He's the only member in his family too, so he's really just rooting for Benjamin. It's super cool, seeing Arnel testify of his conversion experience, and seeing that light come back to him.
Sunday was great. I used to dread sunday's, because 1. i didn't understand anyone so it was pretty much 3 hours of trying to stay awake and smile at everyone. 2. since i couldn't understand anyone, the only thing i looked forward to was investigators coming, so if they didn't, that's all i could remember from church that day. But now, I can understand what's going on, so I can feel the spirit more during the lessons, and I actually am remembering how much I love church service. Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting, and Michael, the 22 year old in the Visperas family bore his testimony. It was so cool. He literally is so shy, but he did it. He talked about how he's so grateful people keep visiting them and helping their family, andhow their life has changed because they are active again. He was crying and you could barely understand him, but it was so cool. We attended a funeral last night, and i played the violin. People always video and take pictures of me, haha, but i honeslty am so grateful i have my violin. it just brings something else to where ever i get to play it, especially because they have never heard a violin or seen one in real life. Funerals are hard for me, because I can't imagine if I lost a really close family member. This guy was the uncle of a super active family in our ward. He was a police officer and got shot when a robber came in. It was so sad, but the message shared about the plan of salvation was perfect.
On saturday I was feeling pretty off. so at our weekly dinner at the Abuans, I asked for a priesthood blessing. I was so excited to ask, and as soon as he put his hands on my head, I felt like i was at home. I seriously know the power of the priesthood is real, and that if it's my own dad, or someone else's dad, the power is still that from God. It was really cool, because he gave the blessing in tagalog, and it was almost more powerful that way. He blessed me to recieve the answers to prayers and questions I have, and blessed me to learn the "yung mga salita ng filipino." (words of the filipino). I just began to cry and was so thankful for him. It was a powerful moment for me and I'm so grateful I am being taken care of here in the mission.
I am feeling very inadequate to train, and feeling nervous that I won't be what the people need here. I know how to be obedient, I know how to study, but i still am learning how to be a missionary, and how to be there for people while i am still getting used to the language. I feel too young to take this on and realize that I only have one option- and thats to rely on the Lord. In reality, a 19 year old who doesn't know a lot about the gospel, didn't grow up here, doesn't know their language, sometimes misses home, is really terrible (like, really terrible) with directions and places.... is given a responsibility to help someone ELSE learn to be a misisonary, and help someone else who is new to all of this... yeah. I can't do it. But I have someone much bigger and greater on my team, and thats the Lord. HA. More than I know, he knows I can't do this alone. I need him so bad, and he knows that. I am excited for this opportunity, and I am going to continue to thank Heavenly Father for trusting me here on a misison. If I were him, I wouldn't trust myself, haha. seriously. every day i say this in my prayers: "maraming salamat po ama, para sa trust po ninyo sa akin bilang misyonero dito sa philippines cauayan mission" - thank you father, for your trust in me as a missionary, here in the philippines cauayan mission. It really is crazy to me that he trusts a 19 year old girl.
I studied temptation one morning in personal study, for one of our investigators. It was seriously, exactly what I needed, it was so cool. I was studying prayer and how that helps us over come tempation. I looked up Alma 37:37, counsel the lord in all they doings. And then the footnote was to Jacob 4:11.
So, I realized that I need to stop "counseling the Lord". Stop telling him what I want and just start reporting for duty. And in vs 13. Preach for understanding, for these things really are made for understanding. They are made simple for us to understand. If something as important as SALVATION was made complicated, not everyone would be able to partake. But it's simple. Through Jesus Christ, we can recieve salvation. And that we aren't ALONE in this journey.. there are other witnesses of these truths. Ah, I wish i could explain my whole study but its really hard through typing. Anyway, this part of Jacob really was cool to me.
Thats all for now. Love you. Peace out. Be good. Know that I am so happy and safe.
10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to acounsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in bwisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.
11 Wherefore, beloved brethren, be areconciled unto him through the batonement of Christ, his cOnly Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a dresurrection, according to the epower of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the ffirst-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.
12 And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not aspeak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come?
13 Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men; for the aSpirit speaketh the btruth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really care, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us dplainly,for the salvation of our souls. But behold, we are not witnesses alone in these things; for God alsoespake them unto prophets of old.
And in vs 13. Preach for understanding, for these things really are made for understanding. They are made simple for us to understand. If something as important as SALVATION was made complicated, not everyone would be able to partake. But it's simple. Through Jesus Christ, we can recieve salvation. And that we aren't ALONE in this journey.. there are other witnesses of these truths. Ah, I wish i could explain my whole study but its really hard through typing. Anyway, this part of Jacob really was cool to me.
Thats all for now. Love you. Peace out. Be good. Know that I am so happy and safe.
Love, Sister Hafen
Mary Grace Visperas, Jasmyn, MJ, me.
Policarpio Fam
Me and Sister Policarpio.
The Augustin fam.
FHE at Augustin. YES thats a sweater. it was cold!!!!! haha
Visperas FHE.
Visperas FHE. maria conception
Visperas FHE. haha, trying to get the cookie from your forehead to your mouth.
RJ, Michael.
No comments:
Post a Comment