Abbey in the Philippines: Sister Abbey Hafen // Week Thirty-Three // "It's SAVING my life I think"

This week was so awesome. Tuesday was so hard (and so crappy) because nothing worked out. I started feeling so out of control as a missionary and trainer, and it was just so lame. We had plans to teach this one referral of our investigator, and then she left, and a million other things fell out of place. Tuesday night during planning, I thought, hey let’s tract tomorrow in some of the areas we never really go to. Why the HECK i thought of that, i don’t know, because i do not like tracting. We usually have so many people we could see, less actives, investigators, former investigators, members, RecenConv, potential inv,so that we never have to just straight up tract. But we planned to do some tracting.

Wednesday morning i literally just felt sick because i knew we were going to tract and i did not want to! (hahaha sooo lame but it was true, i'm just being honest) I went in our back yard, sat on a stool and just prayed. I prayed so hard and just told heavenly father that i am going to completely trust him and do this thing i don’t like, but do it with all HIS strength. We left for the day and seriously, it was AWESOME. We got tons of potential investigators, found some less actives (which are now part member), did some awesome BRT, etc. It’s so funny because Tuesday people literally were avoiding us, and Wednesday, they were literally flocking to us as we sat on the front yard of this lady’s house talking and sharing about jesus christ and families.

We left that barangay (neighborhood) and taught some of our recent converts, headed back closer to home, and went to our investigator/dinner appointment (Pablo) at 6. They invited their brand new babysitter (Mae) to come listen because she came to church last sunday with them and wanted to be taught. We taught her that night and it was AWESOME. She opened up about a dream she had about a man wearing the same outfit as Jesus on the front of the restoration pamphlet, just telling her to "come back"- hard to explain to you guys in english because she told the story in tagalog, but just know it was stellar. She iss so awesome. Teaching is so fun when you just are 'in sync' with your comp 100% . Mae is devote catholic but when we asked her if she did find out this was the true church, would she be baptized, and she said yes. She is spiritually driven and our discussions were so cool. She really has been prepared came to church again this week. She is AWESOME. Then as we left, our investigator’s (Pablo) sister in law referred us to our new investigators brother (Mae’s brother). So overall, Wednesday was just SO FULL of blessings.

.......Its so funny because EVERY time that I tell the Lord I am going to trust him, every time that I just try and do something out of the ordinary or out of routine, it ALWAYS turns out to be such a good experience. We always get blessings and my testimony is always strengthened so much. I just hate that I have to go through the same process of deciding to humble myself and rely on the Lord. I want the day to come that I am just that way naturally.

Then of course, our Zone Conference was incredible. I always look SO forward to those- President always shares stories or use examples i used to know, or that i’m only kind of familiar with, so i love adding it to my knowledge. This time he used the story of Joseph in Egypt. Our mission president is so smart as is so Atonement based. I love him and LOVED zone conference. Seeing Sister Meinzer was the best thing ever too, and of COURSE my nanay, s. acoba. Still one of the biggest influences of my life, S. Acoba.

Saturday and Sunday always seem to be the the hardest for me to face mentally, but EVERY TIME they end up wrapping up the week so completely and perfectly. We had an awesome lesson to our investigator family (Tungpalan Family-referral of 2nd counselor in the branch presidency) and we found out at coordination meeting our branch president and him are good friends. President Soriano (our new branch president) and his wife fellowshipped for us and it was so incredible. The Tungpalan Family have been coming to church and are blooming in the gospel already. We set up a family prayer schedule for them, and its going well so far. They are so awesome.

This week rocked. I love Sister Atienza- I love being her companion- This training has been such a good companionship. I love training because I’ve never been so obedient and never seen so many miracles or felt so good as a servant of the Lord. This upcoming transfer i just really have no idea what is going to happen, but because i know our Mission President is called of God, because of past experiences i have had with where i’ve been placed and who my companions have been, i will completely submit to whatever and wherever i am sent.

One cool experience I've had, or am having, is realizing how much more my mission doing for me than I ever thought (and being so young still, i STILL don't know all the effects it will have on me). For example, the power of scripture reading. If I'm being totally honest, I really never read the scriptures on my own before my mission, but yet I always had questions, wondered why my questions in prayers weren't being answered, etc. I would read in Seminary, Institute, or when preparing for lessons, but never just a normal reading. I read last week in D&C about the condemnation the Lord has on those who "do not use the things they have been given, like the Book of Mormon." I seriously realized that my mission is saving my life. The things I am learning here are helping me repent and honestly, I have never repented as much as I have here on the mission. I love my Savior, and I just tell Heavenly Father every day how grateful I am that although so unprepared, he still trusted me to come and be a servant for Him. It's so awesome, missions are so awesome. This gospel is perfect and I am so happy to be here. I have had to really repent in order to tell our investigators and less actives to trust in the Lord and Keep the Sabbath Day Holy and to trust that if they put the Lord first he'll provide, because before I never really did that myself. I am so happy for the gift of repentance and am so happy we're never not worthy for the Atonement.

Jesus is the Christ, and he is the head of the Church. His gospel is perfect and I love the Philippines.

-Abs

some randoms:

rode home on top of the jeep on the highway in the Philippines

had LBM again this week

laughed so hard during weekly planning, i fell on the floor

one recent convert told me "you're prettier with straight hair". haha thanks, good thing its naturally curly.