Oie Pamilya Ko

Family!

First, THANK YOU!!!!! Thank you so much for all of the beautiful cards and letters and the package full of such wonderful and delicious stuff! I am soooooo excited to eat mac and cheese you have no idea. Also those packets for white sauce and TACOS!!!!! Oh my man. That alone would have been enough to celebrate my birthday! And guess what! I was so excited about the seasoning that I told the sister mccord about it (the senior missionary) and she got me beef and taco shells and some sort of lettuce type thing when they were down in the city!! (I don’t know who told you that we can get anything here because that is definitely so not at all true. Haha. Maybe its just this area, im not sure but … really… you cant get any of that stuff you sent here. SO THANK YOU!!! ) And the clothes are perfect. I especially love love the pants/shorts (oh yeah ;) )- I cant believe they are long enough!

Thank you really so much. The day was great- we started the day with sugar pancakes and ended with my first dinner appointment with Filipino spaghetti.  In between was all good stuff too J Thank you! Someone told me that this is the one year of my life that is completely dedicated to the Lord. Completely. In everything I do. I really liked that thought.  I am going to try my best to give Him all that I have (and more J) this year.

Okay quick break. I JUST MET A TEXAN!!!!! THIS IS REAL LIFE!!! And guess what!!! He lives in our area and he said we can teach him and his wife!!!! AND HE SPEAKS ENGLISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited! Haha! He just walked into the computer shop and an elder said “hey, it’s a joe!” (joe=anyone who is white) and immediately I was like YEAAAAAHHHHH!! It was the best thing! Ill be sure to let you know how our next meeting with him goes! Pray for him!

Alright, im back J The point of the first half is THANK YOU!! And if you ever send a letter ,send a packet of chesses from mac and cheese box, Mexican seasonings, pasta sauce, or really just any packet of goodness with it. Mom- that was the best idea ever. Thank you!

Also one other thing I cant forget- Heather or mom- or anyone- will you send me my simple pedigree chart? Just via email. I can print of here I think. Mom, I love all the pictures you are sending me of grandma and grandpa- its made me want my pedigree chart J

The work here has been going well. For some reason we are having a lot fewer lessons then the first month or so I was here. I don’t know why that is exactly. If its we are not working as hard or if its something else. I don’t know. Part of it actually is that each of our progressing investigators live on a different  end of our area so we are doing a lot of traveliung I guess. Hmm.. not really sure. We have some good goals for this week though.

Right now our investigators for august are Aiza, Liza, 3 different JPs, 2 Mercys, and 2 Jefferys. I don’t know how God orders the preparation of his children to hear and accept the gospel but it seems like here in baler He does it according to names. Its quite funny.

Liza is probably my favorite. She is 23 has 2 kids, and was really prepared to hear the gospel. Actually she is the one I told you about. How the spirit prompted us to go to her house- and when we introduced herself she said she had been waiting for us. She is progressing really well, she accepts everything we teach her AFTER she is able to ask all of her questions and ponder about our message for a little bit. Also, she is a very good example to me in the way she prays. Like it talks about in alma 37:36 “let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.” Everything she has done and felt in that day she tells God when she prays. And she does it with such optimism, hope and faith in God. For example she will say, Dear God, we live by the water, and we are grateful for that, but please bless us and protect us from the storms that will come. Dear God, I love my husband but sometimes he is very hardheaded. I pray to understand him. Dear God, even though life is hard and things happen that I don’t understand, thank you. Thank you for everything.

Really she lives in such humble circumstances. Her entire home smaller than laurels bedroom- with dirt floors, and one hammock for a chair. But I love the way she prays. She knows that her life is hard, that she is worse off than most of everyone around her. But yet she is so grateful for the things she does have and knows that her life is the way it is for a reason.  She knows that with God she can do anything.

I want to be just like her.

Continuing with this topic of prayer… I am trying to make my prayers more personal and to have formal prayers more often. (Formal just as in opening by addressing God and closing in the name of Jesus Christ) I have no doubt that I can do anything with God. No doubt at all. I know that when I need Him and His help, He is there. I think sometimes I just forget to ask specifically. I just go on as if he already knows what I need and that he will help me- because in all honesty he does know and he will help me if I am worthy. But I know as I take the time to kneel and to ask sincerely for help or comfort or whatever it may be, I know that my relationship with Him, with God, will grow. I will learn to rely on him more and I am guessing too that the things he will bless me with will be greater and of more help to me and to those around me. So I am going to focus on that this month.

Okay so now that this letter is forever long and I still haven’t told you about any of our investigators I must be going. I haven’t started the progress report yet.. opps.

But guess what. A week from today is transfers. Lots of Rumors but president told me that if things go as planned sister and I will be here for another transfer together. Tell you why later J It also sounds like ill train after that here in baler (after I kill sister evangeslita in September/she leaves). WHICH….. means I would be here until the middle of december! I would love that! But will know more next week. Oh but I guess it will be 2 weeks for you guys. Sayang. Oh well.

Okay I sure love you guys- I hope that you are each doing well. I love love you. And love hearing from you J

Sorry i didnt get to respond to the rest of you, but thank you so much for all your biurthday wishes and emails. ill be better next week about rsponding :)

I LOOOOOOOVE you!!!!