Abbey in the Philippines: Sister Abbey Hafen // Week Sixty // "The 12-week has begun"

So I just looked at my blog (august 2013 posts) to see "kung pumangit o gumanda ako" (to see if i have gotten more beautiful or more ugly) and dang, my posts were dang long and had so much detail before. I am sorry! I just have no idea what to even tell you guys anymore- it's just getting to the point that I feel like I've just accepted there is no way for me explain what is happening here, but I promise I'll do better. :)

We just got the transfer list... and sister Carbaquil is transferred :( She's been here for 6 months, so I guess it was about time. I will be getting a new companion this Wednesday! pray that she will laugh at my lame jokes!

This was another great week. This was the first week of the 12-week Addiction Recovery Program. We had such an awesome experience. Elder and Sister Morgan taught it, and are leading this, and me and sister Carbaquil are there for support and to translate. It was honestly such a cool experience. Our recent convert, the 2 members, and our investigator have all committed to attend every week and have cleared it with their jobs. Even though the Morgans don't speak Tagalog, the spirit was SO strong, like incredibly bold and tangible, so hard to explain; and the times the boys attending understood their English, you could just see it in their faces. we didn't even have to translate those times. they felt it and understood it by the spirit.

At the end of the session, Sister Carbaquil and I did a small activity. We gave everyone a piece of paper, and everyone wrote their vice on it. Underneath the vice, they wrote “What will happen to me if I don't get rid of this". We thought for sure, our 20 and 24 year old addicts would just not take it seriously, but boy were we wrong. They wrote and wrote. and wrote. They really evaluated themselves and wrote what really would happen to them. We then lit a candle, and all of us burned them in the flame. The flame of the candle represented our Savior and His Atonement. It was honestly one of the most spiritual experiences I have had, and the "addiction" or "vice" that I wrote down.. it really is starting to go away as I really think about it every day and pray for strength.

I almost forgot a very important happening that happened this week. I found Dr. Pepper and I drank it. and it was HEAVEN... ahhh. its been a solid 14 months since I’ve had that!!!!!!!!!!! And I missed it!!!!! but don't worry, of course I miss you guys more than i missed that wonderful heavenly thirst quenching soda.. :) hahaha.

Love you!!!!!

-Sister Abbey Hafen