Abbey in the Philippines: Sister Abbey Hafen // Week Thirty // "not transferred... again"

So yep, i'm still not transferred, and I'm still in my first area. I'll probably get transferred after I'm done training Sister Atienza, and that will mean i will have spent 7 months in one area. And a few weeks after that I will be halfway done with my whole mission, and only in my 2nd area. Holy COW. I love Alicia, and can't believe the real "count-down" to leave begins now. That day is going to be sooo hard, I'm so in love with this place.

We just got back from Madela again, the cave place with water falls and the big ole river. so dang fun. I actually entered the caves this time, despite my claustrophobia (thanks lori) and it was SOO fun. I loved just dumping water out of the sinking canoe and laying on my stomach to get through the caves. so fun. YOGOAMO (you only go on a mission once.. but i'll probs go again with my hubby but thats not important right now) I love my zone, all the missionaries are so awesome, and I love PDAY so today was just the BEST.

Brother Pol is a member in our branch for lots of years and just had his 50th birthday. I don't know if you can see in the pictures, but he has lots of body deformities. He is so faithful- he home teaches, plants and harvests rice, works to support him and his mom, and is at church 45 minutes early every week. We celebrated his bday this week and met his mom. (They actually were featured in some story for the church, try googling Pol Faira in the Philippines). Anyway, the whole experience was just so spiritual. We talked with his mom (us girls) and honestly, they live the simplest lives. They are so grateful and just keep it real every day. It was such a cool experience for me, one that I really just can't put into words. But there are some cool pictures, not very good quality, but hopefully you can get a feel for what their living circumstances are. They are so solid and I can't even explain how grateful and humbled I was that day.

The little incident that happened last week actually had a bigger effect on me than I planned. I ended up really just getting eaten up by Satan and had a real rough first part of the week. I let Satan get in and just take up my confidence as a daughter of god, a foreigner, a missionary, a trainer/senior companion, and a servant of the Lord. Tuesday (the day after) I could NOT speak tagalog. i literally was tripping over my words, as if I actually had a speech problem or had a stutter. Wednesay I was in the mission home all day writing the new mission song with about 10 other missionaries and Pres. Rahlf and his wife, so that was a way spiritual experience, and then Thursday was just bad. I don't really know what happened, but I just was so anxious and was really starting to worry about every part of my life here- Whether we were working hard enough, whether i was doing my part, EVERYTHING. It was a horrible feeling. I recieved several priesthood blessings and the rest of that day was fine. I am 100 percent now, and have realized that honestly, when I let Satan think he's got a place in our lives out here, I can't do it. I really found strength this week i didn't know I had. Prayers were answered and i know that if we let Satan in, he'll snag up that invitation sooo fast.

I was invited to go to the mission home to write the new mission song. It was SUCH a spiritual experience working with other musical missionaries and President Rahlf and his wife. We studied scripture, prayed, and then really just used the spirit to write the song. It was so cool and President and Sister Rahlf actually left when we actually wrote and put the song together, so when they came back hours later, we sang it for them. President Rahlf was smiling so big, and then began to cry. It was a soft cry, but so sweet. It was one of the highlights of my mission, and it's cool i got to be a part of that and be a part of something that will be here in the mission for a long time.

I have thought a lot about my mission this day, and why I came and what the heck it is I'm doing. I had a lot of thinking time at the beach today in madela and just talked with some of the sisters. I am just so glad i came. I'm so glad my family supported me. I'm so glad that my friends supported me and that I've been supported so much since I've been here. I've learned so much. SO MUCH. Take away the spiritual side and I've learned so much about this culture and people. My weaknesses. My faults. Patience. Hard work. Honesty. Love. Simplicity. Take away the culture part and I've learned what this gospel really is. What it is that I really believe in. I've learned more and more of who my Savior is. So really, put those two together, the culture of the Filipino, and the most perfect gospel there's ever been... and I'm really just in the best place I could ever be right now. I said something to Grant earlier that I really am striving to do.

I said: "I love our Savior so much and am trying so hard to be like him, so that the people here will recognize me as His servant and try the things we ask them to do in order to come closer to him" That really is the goal. Take all the love the Lord has given me, and is giving me, and become the person the Lord needs me to be. and THEN, then, give these people that same blessed opportunity to feel how much their Savior loves them and what the He needs them to be.

I'm so happy and so grateful the Lord trusted me to come here as a full time missionary. I have honestly asked for forgiveness for my lack of preparation in serving a full time mission for him. Maybe because I wasn't prepared, I wasted some of His time. But. He knew that I would come unprepared and he blessed me with companions, leaders, members, and people that would understand and help me while I'm here. I love my Savior, I love this work. I can't believe I hit my 7 month mark this week, and I know time is just going to keep flying by. Thanks for everything. the work is so good here in Alicia, the gift of tongues is real, and the God of Israel leads the Philippines Cauayan Mission.

Love,

Sister Hapen

(Madela Zone Activity) inside the jeepney we rented to get there

Madela Zone Activity

i wish words could describe this... so pretty

Madela Zone Activity

davis, allred, ____, volpe, perkins, maddock, stabenow, datario, warr, hafen, young, pavino, matatiou, hawlader, atienza, daelo, tenepere, brocheza, costalis, lotoaniu, pareja, renada, hall.