Tuesday, October 7, 2014~Week 60
Cainta; 1:26 PM Tues (PH); 11:26 PM Mon (US)

Greetings loved ones. {Isn't that like the first line in California Girls by Katy Perry? Sorry... it's just that when I typed that, I heard a creepy voice in my head saying that line and I'm pretty sure it's from that song.}

The view from underneath the payong.
{payong=umbrella} {#tagaloglessons}

Anyway.... hello!! So first of all, it's transfer week. Good news! I'm staying in Cainta!! Bad news. Sister Wiradi isn't. She's headed to Morong.

My cute kasama.

Her new companion is Sister Sanders who will be dying after this transfer. My poor little companion has been with missionaries who are going home her entire mission! She's had 2 kabahays and 2 companions that she's only spent one transfer with before they died. And this will be her third! She's so kawawa! But it's okay. There has to be some sort of hidden purpose. I'm really really sad though that we only got one transfer together. I was hoping for at least two.

#wearesoprecious

Hello

I LOVE Sister Wiradi so so much. I learned sooooo much from her. She has the most amazing gift of truly loving the people that she serves. She has the capacity to love the whole world! She's soooooo sad to be leaving. She's been here for three transfers and this is only her second area. So I completely understand how she's feeling. But I know that the Lord has a purpose for everything and I know that she will work miracles for Him there.

 What does one do when all your groceries explode in the elevator?
 #selfie #selfies4lyfe

Yeah so this happened....our grocery bags broke
 and everyone's groceries fell. Haha #ithappens 

MY new companion is Sister Fewster! She came into the mission the same time as Sister Wiradi so she's still fairly young. And from what I've heard, she doesn't have the greatest self confidence. I was told by Sister Garcia that she needs a little bit of love. So I'm super excited becuase I met her for the first time like a week and a half ago and I already l o v e her!! PLUS!! She's from England!!!!! SHE HAS A BRITISH ACCENT AND I'M SO BLOODY EXCITED!! This is only a dream come true! No big deal! It's gonna be greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat. :) 

 So there's a subdivision in my area and I'm obsessed with all the street names! They're all like this!!
(Cycling, Relax, Tennis, Marathon, Bowling Lane...)

 So I just wanna share a few things from this past week. On Sunday, Sister Wiradi and I were feeling awfully down because NONE of the investigators that we had worked with came to church. Not. One. And we were so confused because they ALL said that they were coming and there was absolutely no reason as to why they wouldn't be able to. I was a little upset and hurt and I didn't understand it. But I testify that the Lord does not leave us comfortless or fruitless if we have been laboring. So like I said, not one of our progressing investigators came to church. But, by the grace of our loving Heavenly Father, five new investigators showed up to church. What in the world?!?! Blessings come when you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. That's all I want to say. {And we found out that one of our progressing investigators actually DID go to church, just to the wrong chapel. Haha so that was a blessing as well since his baptism is coming up this month.}

Sister Doucette, Sister Garcia, Ryan {our Gospel Principles teacher},
Sister Wiradi, and Me  #owls #inhonorofme 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!
Thanks for the date ;) #hershey

The Polidario family!
One of my FAVORITE families in the ward! They are soooo amazing!

 A member gave us a cake last night.
 #theywereexcited  #andtheyenojoyedit 

One more thing that I want to share from this week. Last night we were teaching an investigator who is really struggling with something. And he keeps praying for Heavenly Father to answer his prayer and give him this thing that he desires so badly. And we had THE most powerful lesson EVER about humbling ourselves before the Lord and giving our desires up to follow His will for us. He was being stubborn and saying things like, "Why doesn't God give me this? He gives so many other people the things that they pray for and they're doing bad things. I'm just asking for this little thing. If He really loves us all so much, why isn't he giving me this? You said I'm His child and He loves, but that's hard for me to feel when He won't give me what I'm asking for." And then Sister Garcia looked him straight in the eyes and said with SO much power "GOD LOVES YOU. Stop questioning Heavenly Father's love for His children. He. Loves. You. He is not deaf to your prayers. He hears every single one even though your prayers are just on repeat and not entirely coming from the heart. You think you're the only one who hasn't had their prayers answered? Have you asked the people on your side if they have unanswered prayers? I have prayed for twenty five years that He would let me meet my real father and to this day I have never seen my father's face. But I will not lose hope, I will not stop praying, and I will not EVER question His love for me. He hears us. He hears you. He loves you. Don't ever question His love again." It was SO powerful. And then we committed him to pray to have the strength to let go of his desires and accept the Lord's will for him. It was the BEST lesson ever. 

TODAY

I love them.

#threesome

And that's all I want to say before I go. I testify that Heavenly Father loves us all so much and will not ever leave us. He hears every single one of our prayers and in HIS time and HIS way, He will answer them. I know because I experience this every single day on my mission. I can't tell you how grateful I am to be a missionary at this time. I watched my kabahay leave as she finished her mission and it was hard for me because I can feel that my own mission is coming to a close. I still have three transfers left and I'm going to give everything I have. I'm going to come home dead tired. And I will come home with the absolute knowledge of our Heavenly Father and His love for each and every one of us. Don't ever forget that you are His child. Rely on Him for EVERYTHING. Don't ever let yourself believe that you don't need Him. I promise you, you do. Give yourself to Him and He will take your life and who you are and make a masterpiece! A work of art like nothing you've ever seen before! I'm so grateful for my Father in Heaven and my Savior Jesus Christ. I'm so grateful for all of you. Thank you SO much for everything you do for me! I miss you all but I'm so happy here and wouldn't want to be anywhere else! Have a great week!! LOVE YOUUUUUUUUU!!!

Love, Sister Andersen