Monday, September 8, 2014~Week 56
Cainta; 1:35 PM Mon (PH); 11:35 PM Sun (US)

Hello there! First of all!! I'm okay! I'm going to live!

TODAY

I went to the doctor and it's just a small problem that can be fixed with some good ol' medicine and prayer! So all is well. And I promise you that I'm going to put some weight back on for two reasons! One, the medicine and stuff. And two, it is literally the goal of the members here to fatten me up. Ever since I arrived here, they're all just like, "Sister Andersen! You're so skinny! Why?? We need to feed you!! We will make you fat again!" So yay! I'm gonna leave this area fat! Haha {Let's all pray I don't get obese though because that would be just as depressing....}

 Chicken Feet! A Filipino delicacy!

BIG NEWS!! Our mission has a goal of hitting 100 baptisms every month and we've never been able to hit it all the way this whole year. BUT for the month of August...... 124 BAPTISMS!!! WOOOO HOOOOOOO!!! That's huge!! It's such an achievement! Miracles are really starting to happen here in our mission and I love watching it!! The Lord is hastening His work and I think our mission as a whole is finally starting to keep pace with Him! :)

AP pala ako eh.

#wearecute 

We love Family Home Evening games here. :)

Anyway! Two cool stories this week! First one! We went to teach this less active in our area named Alice. She's SUPER old and sooooooo cute. And she's blind. She can't see a dang thing anymore. She just walks around with her eyes closed. Haha anyway, it was our first time going to her and so I was introducing myself to her and we were just kind of talking and getting to know each other. And then when we were about to start the lesson, she stopped us and said "Wait I forgot to ask you! What province are you from here in the Philippines?" BOOMPANES! This adorable little old blind woman thought I was a Filipino Sister! I told her I was actually from America and she was like, "What?? I thought you were Filipino! Your Tagalog sounds so natural! You don't have any accent!" I promise I'm not trying to brag here. I just got a little bit excited because I feel like that's an accomplishment of some sort. Soooooo yes. I'm officially Filipino. Actually, I really do feel like a Filipino because I literally eat rice at every meal. When we go to McDonald's, I buy the chicken filet with rice while everyone else is buying burgers. {Partly because I can't eat the burgers.... but mostly just because I want to eat rice and chicken!} And yes, they sell rice at McDonald's. End every other restaurant here. McDonald's, KFC, Jollibee, etc. Filipinos love their rice!:)

Me and Sister Wiradi! 

Second cool story! So we went to another semi-less active in our area whose husband is not a member and I guess the missionaries have been trying to teach him for forever and he listens and everything but he still won't be baptized. Anyway, so we went over there to teach and he came to listen and we taught the Restoration and about Joseph Smith {which is obviously like my favorite thing EVER to teach}. And we get to the part where Joseph Smith tells about his experience. And I just sort of paused and waited a second until he was looking me in the eyes and then I recited to him the first vision without losing his eye contact ONCE. It was like the world had just paused for a whole minute. After I recited it to him, I bore my testimony of the Restoration and of the church and of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and we still had not lost eye contact. After I finished, Sister Wiradi bore her testimony too and then he started to talk and he said that he felt like when I was looking at him, I was staring straight into his soul. And then he paused and just said, "Nga nga." It's an expression here that just means you're absolutely speechless and you don't know what to say. And then he went on to tell us that it's just not his time right now and he feels something but he doesn't want it right now. I was SO sad. It breaks my heart when you KNOW that people feel the spirit and they still choose to reject the truth that's being offered to them. It's really really hard. But at least I know I've done my part for him. I brought the Spirit and testified with everything I had of the truthfulness of it. I can be disappointed and heartbroken, but I don't have to be discouraged. And ya know what, maybe it really is just not his time. Maybe one day, he'll finally open up his heart.

My view every morning when I wake up :)
 {It's only a little bit nerve wracking because we're on the
10th floor and I'm sleeping right next to the window.... }

Anyway, that's all for this week! Thank you SO much for all the emails and pictures and EVERYTHING!! I'm so grateful for all of you and all that you do for me! You're in my prayers daily! I miss you all so much!! Have a great week!! LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!

Love, Sister Andersen