Week 25

Monday, August 10, 2015

Hi Mom!

So This has been a crazy last week.... Like I have grown so much in one week, that it is crazy, well, I have recognized the growth at least!

I am not in Naga today, I am in Goa, and I will be here until November 2. Because..... drum roll please!!!!!! I am training a new missionary.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cried a good 30 minutes about it this morning.... before and after the phone call.... I am petrified. Like, no words to describe how I feel. Because, there are a lot of foreigners in this batch, and yeah..... I think sister Araja and Sister Balasta were trying to make me feel better, but that only made me more worried... Ok lang yan. The Lord qualifies those who he calls, and he called me.... I got this these next two transfers!

Garry was baptized on Saturday, and it was amazing! He was baptized with a member of the ward, and so there were many members there, and the sisters had an investigator there, and so they were there, and it was so pretty! Garry's dad was even there! He is a less active, and hasn't come to church in so long! Then, Yesterday at church, Garry wasn't there to be confirmed before the sacrament, but, he came late, first he came, then his brother who is 7, then Brother Edgar came! Even though he walked in during the sacrament, he came! I wanted to go outside and jump for joy! I thought that it was going to be a really bad sacrament meeting with attendance at least, but it was amazing right at that point! Bishops face was so happy when he saw brother Edgar! So Garry was baptized and confirmed this week!

Julie Ann and Tatay are amazing! They are still active and every time we go see them, we always are fed Buko juice, and santtol, and other masarap food! I love them so much! I hope that they continue to stay active the rest of their lives!

So yesterday, Sunday, like I said I was worried about the attendance of Less-Actives and Investigators. Well, Brother Edgar made up for a lot of it! but!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After the sacrament, Sister Lorna and her neighbor walked in with their children! OH MY GOSH!!!! I wanted to go dance and celebrate how happy I was that they came to Church again! Sister Saua spoke yesterday, and said that sister Lorna looked so happy as she sat there in church! I know with all my heart that this church is true and that we have a loving Father in Heaven that has the greatest desire for all of us His children to be happy here in earth while we are away from Him for a short time, and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can have the happiness that He desires for us! He knows us inside and out, and He knows what we need when we need it, and He is ready to give it to us when we allow him into our lives! He love us!

So this week has been a trying week for my faith.... I have felt so...... worried that I didnt make any progress in the language this transfer, and in anything.... Like there was no change or hope for this next transfer. Like last Sunday to yesterday morning. I have prayed more this week than I ever had in my life.... Because I felt like I had failed myself and my heavenly Father, but no one knew this is how I felt but me and Him. I prayed for strength, and I prayed for forgiveness, and I thanked Him for every little blessing that happened that day, that minute, for the strength that I felt after I read my scriptures and studied Chapter 6 in Preach my Gospel (Cool story on that latter...)

So I have just been holding on to the hope and faith that everything will be ok and that it is all in His hands as I really try to do my best this last week of sister Saua! Well, I knew that the phone call I got this morning was coming, I knew that the 28th of July, But during the transfer I lost hope, and doubted that thought. Then, last Sunday, the Zone Leader was talking to me and he was like, are you ready to train? And I was like... I don't really know. So that tipped me off, that there was a huge chance for me to train, because that Tuesday they was Missionary Leadership council, and interviews with president and then all the other more experienced missionaries are being transferred, because they just finished with their akis, so yeah! I then got the phone call this morning, and Yeah. I am soooooo worried, but like I said up above the Lord qualifies those who he calls and He has called me here to the Philippines to be his missionary, and to train right now! AYAYAYAYA

So on Friday we had Zone Training, and that was fun! The Zone Leaders said that President wants the faith of the missionaries to become stronger, he has asked that the first 15 minutes of our personal study be focused on chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel: Christ Like Attributes. President said hat no one can read that chapter and not have their faith strengthened. It is so true! I know that is how it works. I have tried it these last couple days and it is amazing how much he loves us and how much room we have for faith.

Well, I love you all tons and tons! I love being a missionary, and being the daughter of a king! We are all children of God! He loves us more than we can understand! I love you all! Have an amazing week!

Love Sister Emma Nelson!