Quezon City; 12:12 PM Mon (PH); 9:12 PM Sun (US)
Hello there family! Happy 2014!! I can't believe that it's already January! The time has really really FLOWN by! It's truly amazing! In just a week I'll hit my 5 month mark! FIVE MONTHS!!!! That means that I only have a year and a month left! What the heck?? That's crazyyyy. Sometimes it seems like I've been away from family and friends and home for soooooooo long but then sometimes I look back and I can see how time really has gone by so fast! It's a good thing that missions keep you busy because otherwise this would be a very very very long time. It's kind of nice not to have any time to think too much about family and friends and home. Keeps me focused and honestly it keeps me happy!
Anyway, this week was a really really slow week because EVERYONE went out to their provinces for New Years and so no one has been home! It was still really fun though! So on New Year's Eve, we had to be in by 6:00 pm because it was too dangerous for us to be outside because of the crazy fireworks that were taking place EVERYWHERE! And they're not like the cute little fireworks that we always do. They are LOUD. They sound like a bomb went off somewhere and I jumped ten feet in the air every time we were walking somewhere and one would go off because it would scare me so bad.
So we came home at 6:00 pm and we wrote letters and Sister Tibungcog got us all talking about scary horror stories and crime stuff because she loves that stuff. Haha and then we had sparkling cider and did some cheers and things. Ya know, the usual New Year's Eve happenings. And then went to bed at 10:30 pm like good obedient missionaries. I fell asleep to the sweet sound of fireworks exploding all around us. And then was awoken when World War 3 happened at midnight! It was CRAZY. It seriously sounded like a war was going on! I couldn't believe it! And I thought, "Oh yeah, this will probably just be for like 10 or 15 minutes. NO. HOURS. It was insane. Sooooo walang tulog para sa akin. Haha it was kind of fun though. And then New Year's Day happened. Good heavens I have NEVER been so full in my entire life! There's only one family in the ward that gives us dinner appointments but on New Year's, we were fed by three different families and they all had very delicious food and by the end of the night, I never wanted to eat ever again. So that's how that went! It was a good day.
Thursday! Thursday we had MTC exchanges! And I really really liked it! I always do SO much better at teaching and my Tagalog when I'm doing MTC exchanges because I'm forced! I was paired up with a Tongan girl named Sister Fetu'u. It was really fun! We were able to teach my little children, Robin and Gio, and another investigator Virgie. I just really loved it because for some reason I just have more confidence when I'm with someone who's relying on me instead of me relying on someone else! So maybe I'll train sometime in the near future? Haha who knows?
So a MIRACLE happened this week for a recent convert! She got married a couple years ago and had a baby and then her husband left. After he left, that was about the time that the missionaries found her. And she investigated the church for a whole year before she was baptized. And this whole time she's been praying that one day she could have a complete family again. She never lost faith in Heavenly Father though even though nothing ever really happened for her and she couldn't find a job and it was really hard to support herself and her baby. And then recently, she's just really really been praying SO hard that a miracle would happen and guess what?? On Christmas Eve, her husband came home!! The first thing that she did was tell him about the gospel. She told him how she took the lessons and was baptized. She taught him how to pray and now they have family prayer every night together and he had his own little miracle! He texted his boss and told him that he couldn't go back to the province because he needed to stay with his wife and his son. After he sent the text, he knelt down all by himself and said a prayer to Heavenly Father. Immediately after he finished his prayer, he received a text back from his boss telling him that that was okay and he can just work for the branch that they have here near their house! He was so grateful! And then! She told him about the temple and that they could be sealed for eternity and that she really really wants that more than anything else. And he said that he would do anything to get there. So she told him that he needed to listen to the missionaries and he said that he would! And yesterday, HE CAME TO CHURCH!! For the very first time, she didn't come to church alone! She was able to bring her whole family and she was SO happy! She was glowing!!! It was so amazing and we're so dang excited to teach him!! Please pray that he'll feel the spirit and have a desire to be baptized so that they can go be sealed together as a family! And if he gets baptized before February 11, I could still be here to see them be sealed!! :)
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| TODAY! |
Anyway, this month we have 5 baptisms happening FOR SURE on the 18th! Their names are Jordan, Jhun Ray, Angela, Zeniff, and Levard! They're baptismal interviews are this Saturday! They're all younger kids and they're so excited! We can't wait! We're still working on everyone else though! Just pray for everyone! Haha everyone needs it!
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| Sister Tibungcog TODAY! |
Transfers are on the 29th this month. I don't know if I'll stay or go but I know that if I do go, I will have left this area so much better than I found it! This area has progressed SO much since when I first got here and I feel so blessed to be here and to have met the people that I've met. I love being a missionary so so much! The time I have here is so short and I can see that more clearly every single day! Thanks for all the love and support that you give me! You're all my heroes!! I miss ya like crazy! But don't worry, I'll be home soon enough! Good luck with the second half of the school year! I know you'll all be great! You're all always in my prayers! I Have a wonderful week! LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!
Love, Sister Andersen
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