I got my hair trimmed today.. Not going to lie I was pretty dang scared. But it all worked out and my hair looks pretty again. (: I also bought a basketball today so we can play in the morning for exercise. Hopefully Sister Alpino will actually enjoy playing so I can play often. (:
We also got to teach J and J’s oldest brother today which was a total surprise and blessing. We’ve always invited him to join in our lessons but he never does. Anyway.. so we were teaching J and M out in the front of Johnathan’s house but then it started getting dark so they asked if we could move to the porch to have more light, then they were like.. Nah, we don’t like it here either. So.. we just went inside because D was like.. Guys! Just come inside. So we moved inside to the family room and as we were sitting down D pulls up his chair and joined the lesson! Yeah baby! :D He was so awesome! He was so commentive and would make sure he understood things right. He even started talking about how Sunday is the Lord’s day and a day of rest because Christ created the world in 6 days then rested on the 7th. Oh my word, that made me so dang happy to know he realizes the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy. He even accepted his baptismal date for July 30 which makes me super happy. Hopefully he continues to listen to us and be acceptive to the Spirit.
And.. My funny line of the day was pretty good today. (: I was helping Sister Alpino with her laundry and she handed me a shirt to hang up and no joke it was tiny! The first thing that came out of my mouth was “Dang! I’m pretty sure my build-a-bear has bigger shirts than this!” Haha, I was pretty proud of that line of the day. (;
6-7-16 (Tuesday)
Today was such a fun day! It even started off super great because I got to actually run around and play basketball for exercise this morning. No joke I was so excited to play I woke up at 6:00 and couldn’t fall back asleep. I guess I really do miss my high school basketball days.
Nothing really noteworthy happened today.. But I did realize today how much I really do love being a member of Christ’s church, and knowing/understanding His gospel and doctrine. I’ve reached the point in my mission that I truly just want people to understand the importance of religion and being part of the TRUE church.
Alejandra’s baptism is this week and I am SO excited, and noon [then] that was the only thing I would be thinking about all week. But.. I honestly just can’t stop thinking about how I can help all of my other investigators be more converted to Christ and understand the importance of our message. I just want people to find the happiness they are looking for. Whether they realize it or not, all these people are looking for the happy message we as missionaries are trying to share. I truly love this gospel and church. I want everyone to accept our message so baaaaaad! I love sharing the gospel, I really do. Even when people reject us and break my heart.. I’m still the happiest I’ve ever been. (:
6-8-16 (Wednesday)
Today was super different for me emotionally. I just kept getting heart broken by everything that was happening with the people we are teaching. Like we went to see M and he’s been one of my favorites from day one. He wants to be baptized so bad, but he’s still having a hard time overcoming his smoking addiction. I just love him so much and want to help him quit so dang bad! I just know how hard it is to overcome and addition, but I do know it’s possible and sooo worth it! I just love these people so much and it breaks my heart seeing them struggle. It’s hard to see people’s families falling apart when I’m doing everything I can to help them be together forever but they just won’t accept the gospel message I am here trying to share.
And.. It sucks that I can’t go play basketball in the morning for exercise because my companion doesn’t want to. It’s stupid because when we just do exercise here, we sit around and “stretch” for exercise..
But on the bright side, J is the best and already read all of 1 Nephi 17 which is 55 verses before the end of the day. He’s so cute. We saw him, M, and C as we were opening our gate and when Sister Alpino told them to go read the Book of Mormon J said he already did and started telling us all about Nephi’s family. It made me pretty dang happy! He really is the best! I hope these guys stay this awesome even when school starts again.
6-9-16 (Thursday)
Today it rained pretty hard. I like when it rains, I really do. Even though it’s kind of annoying, I still think it’s fun. I really enjoyed today! It wasn’t the most wonderful day for missionary work, but it was still a fun successful day. Especially because this morning we texted M reminding him not to smoke and that we know he is strong enough to resist the temptation. And then later sa hapon [In the afternoon] he texted us saying he hasn’t smoked and how happy and grateful he is for our support. Oh my word, I just love him! I really hope he can continue to resist the temptation. Alam ko na kaya niya iyan! (: [I know that he can!]
6-10-16 (Friday)
Today was probably the most heart breaking day of my life. Even though today was actually pretty great, and I mean I’m perfectly fine and happy now, but for a couple hours I was pretty down. After teaching J, J, M, and G about the Word of Wisdom, when I asked J if he would stop drinking coffee he’s like “probably not.” So I pointed out that before they can be baptized they have to live the Word of Wisdom. Then.. I asked him again if he would stop drinking coffee so he can prepare for his baptism and he just said “ayaw ko” [“I don’t want to”] while shrugging his shoulders. I’m not joking, when he said that I literally felt my heart break. After I could finally breathe again I asked why and he just said he doesn’t want to be baptized… We aren’t even dating and he literally broke my heart! He says he still wants us to come over and loves our lessons, but he doesn’t want to be baptized because his lola [grandmother] doesn’t want him to leave the Catholic church. It made it even worse that I couldn’t talk to him like I wanted to because I still can’t speak Tagalog. AHH! But then when I asked them all if they were going to come to church on Sunday they all nodded their heads and said yes. Hopefully he’ll keep coming to church..
Anyway.. I was pretty heart broken for a couple hours after that, but I cheered up a lot because M texted us and said he didn’t smoke today! Woo! That’s two days in a row now. I’m proud of him. (:
6-11-16 (Saturday)
Today was completely full of ups and downs. Oh my word, it was insane how often I went up and down emotionally. But luckily I cheered up when we started working and 3 of our new investigators accepted their baptismal date.
Then Sister Alpino and I came back for lunch and 12 weeks training which was great. But while watching some of The District videos it made me remember how different the members are in America and here. People’s lifestyles are just so different here so it’s harder to have the member missionary work/help. All-in-all, it’s just not as organized here like it is in America. Maybe just because it’s a branch and not a ward. I don’t know. But! My thoughts and feelings were kind of verified when Sister Alpino and I showed up at the church for Nanay Alejandra’s baptism..
When we first got there I was so excited to see that Nanay’s grandson J actually was staying to watch her baptism! He always just drops Nanay off and leaves or when we’re teaching Nanay he never joins (and I personally have been teaching her since January). But yesterday I asked if he was going to watch Nanay’s baptism and he said he would if he wasn’t busy. So I was pretty dang happy he stayed to support Nanay.
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| Sister Alpino, Alejandra, J, ako. |
But then when we all walked into the church it was insane! It was about 3:45 and NOTHING was prepared for her baptism! NOTHING! Her baptism was supposed to start at 4:00! It was insane, I’m telling you. The other branch was having some kind of activity and we all know how ward activity/party things are. They’re not the most reverent or spiritual. Anyway.. so at about 3:50 we start to fill up the font.. Luckily it doesn’t take hours like it does when dad always had to fill the font because 1). There’s no water heater and (2). It’s so hot here we want the water cold. (; So after we started filling the font we went around trying to find a jumpsuit for Nanay but we couldn’t find one because there were NO priesthood holders from our branch at the church yet! What the heck! Her baptism was supposed to start like 10 minutes ago! But when I saw President Villanueva from branch 1, I asked him if he knew where the clothes were and luckily he was able to help us with that.
So we got Nanay all dressed and more people showed up, but we ended up having to sit around for over an hour waiting for someone to show up that could preside. Finally our D was able to show up at about 5:30! Her baptism was supposed to start at 4:00! It was super awesome that she was baptized and all but I was so frustrated at how unorganized everything was and simply just was not a beautiful experience. We always talk about and teach how wonderful and sacred baptism is, but today it was just a complete train wreck. I hope her grandson doesn’t think our church is a joke from his first experience at the church. But I do think he had a good time and enjoyed seeing that we’re normal people that like to visit and joke around with each other. And even though it was crazy for me trying to get everything together, it was all worth it because Alejandra was baptized and her testimony afterwards was complete spiritual power.
Then after her baptism I was all excited to go work again and teach M, because I was so excited to tell him how proud I am of him for not smoking in a couple days, but when we got there.. He was drinking with his friends.. Once again, my heart was broken. He did say he was sorry and that he’s going to come to church tomorrow (which is great!), but my heart was just so sad. This is the hardest part of missionary work.. Loving people too much.
So.. After M’s it was time to head home. We got home and unlocked the gate and door. But when we opened the door, all the drawers in our desks were opened, the stuff on the desks were all a mess, our chairs were knocked over, and all the same in the other room where the other sisters study. Oh my word, I was so freaked out. I was like “someone was in here.” But it was crazy because we unlocked the gate and the door ourselves, so I was freaked out how someone could get in.
Then M and J knock on our gate to give me back my basketball I let them use today, so we ask them if they saw anything or anyone come in and they said no. So Sister Alpino and I were kind of freaking out a bit and then Sister Alpino sees through the window that someone is still in the house! So I’m straight up worried, I didn’t know what to do. And we’re by the gate with M, and J runs to go get his older brother and stays with us to make sure we’re safe. And he’s like “let me go in and check it out for you.” And Sister Alpino was like “no, that’s bawal [taboo, against the rules].” (Good for her because in that situation I didn’t care, I was so scared!) Then Sister Alpino and M see someone move through the window again, and then the front door opens and freaking Sister Arquiola jumps out yelling “Gotcha!” Oh my word, I’ve never freaked out and screamed that bad in my life! Then once I realized it was Sister Arquiola I died! Oh my word, I laughed so dang hard! Sister Miller and Sister Arquiola got Sister Alpino and I sooo good! Once my heart rate finally went back to normal I was honestly just so impressed with that prank! It was honestly just pure genius. ;D And what makes it even better is how worried M and J were for us. They’re so cute. It’s nice to know they’ve got our backs. (; That prank was the perfect way to cheer me up and end the day as happy as ever. I’m glad I have such fun kabahay [roommates]. (:
6-12-16 (Sunday)
Today ended up being pretty good. Sister Alejandra didn’t come to church so she obviously wasn’t confirmed. I’m sure she didn’t come because it was raining so hard. Something about how if it’s raining, people don’t come to church.. That doesn’t exactly make sense to me because 1. It’s always raining here and (2). It’s not like church is outside..
But! M came to church again and brought G and A with them, so that made me super happy! Then after church we went to go visit M which ended up being good, but I was still pretty heart broken about him drinking. We talked about it and he kept apologizing so I just looked him in the eye and asked if that was true. I asked him if he really truly was sorry and when he said yes I 100% believed him. He wants to be baptized, he really does. GAHH! It’s so hard loving these people so much! I just want them to have the happiness I have and experience every day because I have an understanding of this gospel and its importance.
LOVE YOU!
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| So.. Because I'm training sister Alpino and I have an extra hour of studies. And on Sunday's we have so many meetings that we technically don't have time for lunch. So I asked Sister Arquiola and Sister Miller to make enough food for us so we could eat something before our PEC meeting. Sister Aruiola said she would only if I wear mascara.. And we all know how much I love food so she won.. ;D Also.. This is the best picture I have for you to see my haircut. |
