Abbey in the Philippines: Sister Abbey Hafen // Week Seventy-Five // "Another GOOD Week."

We have had such a solid week... and instead of just Sister Saragoza and I.... we are now THREE :) Sister Villanueva joined us this week and we will now be a threesome for the remainder of this transfer. How lucky am I to have TWO awesome missionaries be my last companions? I am seriously loving it. It has been a great week. We sent a christmas picture to our mission president's wife (for their blog) and this was our message: All good things come in 3's- the Godhead, the Wisemen, and the 3 sisters in Penablanca Ward. " :) Haha, it has been a great week, I love both of my companions so much.

Where to start??!? ahh.

This week was another successful week for the work, and also for the ward. We were able to visit so many people this week, have lots of lessons, contact lots of part member families and teach them together, find 7 new investigators again, help our new investigator gain a testimony of joseph smith, and commit ACTIVE families to faithfully hold family home evenings. The attendance went up even HIGHER this week... 215! They haven't seen that in months, and that was for Ward conference- so before that, it has been almost a year since it has been that high in the 200's- we are literally seeing miracles.

We have a new family we are teaching, well a husband and wife. Not sure if I told you guys about him, but they really have been prepared by our Father in Heaven. (the Contapay Family). Every lesson is full of the spirit and they really believe God sent us to them. Nanay (the mom) came to church yesterday and had a wonderful experience- she said this to us right before she headed home - "Sisters, I can't wait to get home and tell my husband about what I felt today. I'm coming back every week". Love it!!!!!

Her husband just got back from Manila from having kidney failure, and underwent a pretty heavy surgery, so he can't really shove his body into a tricey or get himself in and out of a van for church for the next few weeks. Sister Saragoza met him on a tricey once, and got his information, we contacted him, and boom. they have been prepared.

I have really gained a testimony of PERSISTENCE in street contacting. Not only have I seen it in my own work here in the Cauayan Mission but Sister Villanueva... she was a street contact. And because the missionaries set a return appointment and actually WENT BACK when they said they would... Sister Villanueva is now serving a full time mission for the Lord and is effecting more people than we could ever count, me being top on that list :)

I love this work and am coming to love this transfer a lot. It is becoming one of my favorites, for sure. We are working so hard and really seeing the Lord's hand in everything we do. We have those downs, no one can escape that in missionary work or in any phase of life, but because we are giving our all, as Preach my Gospel says, "No Effort is Wasted". We don't have to be discouraged about things that don't work out, because we know we are giving our best, giving our ALL. Everything.

I really love this work and love my Savior so much. He's helping us in everything we're doing here, I can see it and feel it. I am so happy I know and understand the first 2 principles of the gospel, faith and repentance. That is what has helped me the most as a missionary, those 2 things right there. I love my life.

Love,

sister hafen