How many feelings can one person feel in just 7 days time? I'll tell you- one zillion. Seriously, one of the craziest weeks of my life but wow, its been so awesome. I honestly just sat on that little van, on the way to Bambang (the most southern zone in the mission), squished inside, turn after turn, all 4 hours of the drive, looking at everything around me, thinking in my head over and over "ano yung buhay ko ngayon?!" that means "what is my life right now?" I honestly just was thinking about all these new changes about to happen, and couldn't even handle it all.
My new companion is Sister Dasalla and she is batch with Sister Atienza, so this is her first cycle after Training. My 4th filipina companion. I'm so dang happy! She is super funny and is a hard worker. She is so good at teaching and loves the work. It's so fun working with her and I love her already. I live with 3 filipina's so that's way fun, because I'm with my own people :) Haha Seriously, I love it. They always tell me they forget I'm american-until they register that my hair is flaming red and my skin is white as snow. Hahaha. I sometimes forget too. Really though, Sister Dasalla is so awesome and we just laugh our bums off all day long, study hard, and work even harder. It's so fun.
This week has been SUCH a testimony builder, as in like, I am finding and being confirmed about strengths i didn't know, or forgot that I had. Or even things I thought hadn't progressed, but really have improved and become strengths. It's so fun to be in a new area, and after the "first day of school jitters" wore off (those feelings i felt when i first got here, so lost and sick to the stomach), I realized, wow. I am going to LOVE this. The area, branch, companion, housemates, and everything are just rocking my socks. (or chacos, i don't wear socks..) I have met some of the most incredible people and we have felt the spirit so strong while teaching. It's so incredible. I seriously can't even explain it. Gah. I wish I could bring you all here, but i can't. I have never been so sure that I'm in the right place before, have never felt so okay about life, and have never been SO grateful to Heavenly Father than I have this week.
some fun things/blessings:
- i found a new mom here, and found out hours later that her name is Lori-fel. Get out of town! LORI. I love her so much.
- i have played my violin several times already, it's so fun.
- i really feel like i'm in salt lake city with these mountains everywhere and coolish breeze
- i love the philippines
- the people here love God
- there are 5 different churches on the same street as our church haha
- a lizard fell on my lap during relief society
- we have a new investigator who is dating a christian boy who's name is jeff shaw from idaho. she is filipina and is the cousin of our investigator and recent convert. i invited her to sit in and as we were getting to know her, we bore testimony to her about the belssings of the gospel. we found out that he has a cousin or brother who served a mission and yeah. that was a cool thing! haha.
- i love my life and this work
i seriously feel like this whole letter is just like "yay" and "love" but seriously, that is what I am feeling. This work is so good and I love this country. I love being bold and sharing to people about the change they can feel if they listen to our message. I love not even caring what might happen but just saying that quiet prayer in my heart as i do things or reach out to people, or as people are expressing their concerns as we teach, just focusing in on them and then saying the things that need to be said without having to trip over the language. i love being 100 in sync with my companion and just having fun everyday. I love being a missionary and I love knowing that He trusts me here. I love my area and my branch, housemates, and my mission president. I love that I still have just half my mission left and have so much more to learn. and "higit sa lahat" (above all...) I love my Savior Jesus Christ.
With so much love,
Sister Hafen
Pimpin' tricee.
Tay Topic brought us rice... he loves the missionaries... such a strong member and he has a pimpin tricee.
almaguer apartment
kitchen
the nasty CR. haha. oh dear.. its okay though!
upstairs (2 rooms and ironing room)
front porch
Apartment! Orange as ever!
haha, being a goon during planning like always..
my new mom... and guess what? her name is Lori-fel.... get out of TOWN! she is so much like mom and we clicked the first ten minutes. she loves me.
FHE with the Callangyan Family... wow they are awesome...
sister teffeny, recent convert, wow she's sooo smart.
they loved my hair...so amazed.
this little guy fell from the ceiling during Relief Soc haha
pagod... (exhausted)
sobrang pagod.. grabe talaga... (sooo exhausted)
oh hey dead snake. OH MY BARF.
s.dasalla, nay gloria and son (recent convert) von, sister may (fellowshipper), me.
sister may, dasalla, and the wife of a less actiave (she's not a member) wow, our lesson to her was so spiritual, she's coming around to accept the gospel.
The heavens opened up.
across the bukid (rice field) from the Almaguer (our branch) chapel.
soooo pretty.
what up.
the almeguer church.
The street the church is on.
Our branch president hahaha.
sister k! we were zonemates in alicia.
marizel, s.dasalla, kyle, tino, and baby apple. (her names apple, its so cute.)
my cute comp made me pancakes.
they gave us free turnips. sister yoley, nanay sadueste
the good life.
hey what up nothern utah haha
the SA and Youth here are killer. jessie, tuel, mhai, s.dasalla and me.
Mountains!
Almaguer A and B sisters :) S.fugaan, barrill, dasalla, me.
hahah, this was at the Orlanda family's house. Haha, they are the pioneers in the ward.
sister shamea (investigator, referral of broter allen, recent convert), brother allen
The Librero Fam. I love them.
hahaha we are the same.
sister dasalla!
our new BML in alicia, he's so cool and made me this SR (special remembereance) he's suuuuper cool and i will miss him!
the lunch tay furuc made us..wow
last pday with s.atienza, us in the new mall in santiago
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