SISTER MAROKET!! MY ANAK!!

Ok! So I am training a new missionary! Actually I am not “training” her. She came here well-prepared! When I opened my mouth inside the van as we went to our first appointment (her very first teaching appointment), she did the same thing STRAIGHTWAY to the woman sitting beside her as well.  She’s the one who led our first teaching appointment together by sharing a scripture verse to a less-active, and it was powerful. She’s one of the speakers in our sacrament meeting yesterday (about Eternal Families) and it was powerful. She speaks from the heart, and she teaches by the Spirit! I am so proud of my anak that I want to introduce her to everyone we meet and tell them “BEHOLD! THIS IS MY BELOVED DAUGHTER! IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED!!!!”

Few days together with my anak is so precious and spiritual. I’ve seen the Lord’s hands working in this area and in our lives. In hundreds of missions around the world, and thousands of areas around the world, the Lord has sent us in this particular area to be companions as His authorized represenatives.

I hope I could properly describe the feeling I had when I saw her picture in March 2015 Liahona – something cold wrapped me from head to foot. I do not know what it was, but it was a wonderful feeling. The next day, Elder Pandaog told me that Sister Maroket (the one in Liahona!) has been called to serve in this mission and then he said “I think you’ll be the one who’ll train her.” And I was like “I do not know why. But I felt the same thing too.” Yes, I knew she would be my anak even BEFORE the APs informed me I’ll be training!

And could I just tell you how we’ve known each other? Before we went to mission, I’ve been stalking her on her facebook account. And yes, she’s been stalking me as well. We’ve been liking each other’s posts but we never communicated. So yup. We’ve been each other’s stalkers before we came here! Hahaha.

 And one more thing! Before I went to mission, I loved going to Manila temple alone early in the morning.. And that’s also her favorite things to do: going to the temple alone early in the morning! And! And! I have seen her MANY TIMES in the temple all alone,  and there was one time we were the only ones who were at the comfort room and I was about to talk to her but I was too shy, I still do not know how to OYM.. So yes!!!!!!!!! And now, we’re together!! She kept on telling me that she has been praying for her trainer in the temple, and told me that I am an “answered prayer”. But to me, SHE IS MORE THAT WHAT I HAVE ASKED FOR.

I love her so much. And I will do my best to be the trainer, companion, and a friend to her that the Lord expects me to be.

In hundreds of missions around the world, and thousands of areas around the world, the Lord has sent us in this particular area to be companions as His authorized represenatives.

This is not an accident. I know it.

We’ve been called by a prophet of God. I know it.

The God of Israel leads this mission. I know it.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! 

Sending off my companion to Philippines Butuan Mission!

Waiting for the coming of our trainees!

Her first Sunday!

When You Save A Girl, You Save Generations

This has been the busiest cycle I've ever had in my mission. Yet I NEVER felt busy because I've always been happy. Sister Berganio is a wonderful companion and a friend. Her positive attitude is the main reason why she develops skills so quick. In fact, she's the one who led our planning this week. I let her lead this week and she has been very good at it. It is not difficult for someone to love her. Yes, I love her, I am going to miss her.

We had 40 lessons this week, and 19 of those are with member present. I love this ward. They have always been supportive. In fact, they are the ones who ask us to work. They volunteer, EVERYDAY. I love this ward. I am grateful I was born here, and it would be okay for me if I'd die here as well. Haha.

Saturday has been a very special day. Genalyn, Rosario, and Vanessa have been baptized. I love these three young women. They have been confirmed yesterday, and it was a beautiful sight to see them all at the pulpit. Three YOUNG WOMEN have been saved. Three generations are going to be saved.

Saturday night, we had FHE-sort of in Vanessa's house. I asked the young women counselor to introduce Personal Progress to Vanessa and it has been a spritual fun. One may ask, why Personal Progress -- it is not part of missionary lessons. But when you look at the cover of personal progress, you see temple. You flip it, you see temple again. 3 more flips, and you see temple. You look at the personal progress journal cover, you see temple. And even in the medallion itself, you see temple.

The Lord doesn't want these young women just to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. He wants them to enter His house someday. And personal progress would be a great temple preparation course for them, just as how it did to me.

I love these three young women.
I love this ward.
I love Sister Berganio.
I love my soon-to-be anak (yihee! I am training a new missionary next cycle!)
I love being a missionary!

Vanessa, Genalyn, Rosario's baptism

Love, Watch, and Wait

So last Tuesday, Sister Berganio was sick. And for the next 5 days, I was the one who’s sick. It made me sad because my personal study had been terribly affected. Good thing we had general conference!  It quenched my thirst for gospel learning that I was not able to fully utilize for the past week.

So I am okay now: both physically, and spiritually. 

Despite of all the odds, we still had a good work. We had the youth work with us for the whole week (which makes me really happy) because the three baptismal candidates in the upcoming Saturday are youth! Vanessa and Genalyn have been interviewed and they passed! And Mark John Pabiona, is now a returned LA! In case the Lord would transfer me next cycle, I got no fear in leaving these youth ... because they study the BOM daily.

My favourite part of my everyday is looking at the back of their teaching records. Because at the back of their teaching records are their 6 month-stories of how they started to be taught, questions and concerns they raised, and how everything just fell into their proper place, now.

For 6 months: I loved. I watched. I waited. And yes, it was all worth it

I do not know what I cooked. Basta.

Turning 6 months old. This is crazy!

Safety first: No uploading of my photos on facebook! :) Haha

Dear Family!

Kamusta? I hope your'e all doing great. And I hope each of you have time to read my letters (especially to the most handsome Papang, Most intelligent Lola, Most beautiful Mamang inside and out, and to my talented and intelligent and beautiful sisters like me) Ay joke lang!

This morning I suddenly woke up at 2 am and had a difficulty going back to sleep until 4:30 am. I do not know why, but lately, I’ve been terrified by the fact that I am turning 6 months old in the mission field. It’s like I want to cry but I couldn’t.  All I just want to do now is to press PAUSE button in my “sacred time” as a missionary, but I can’t! There’s no PAUSE button! The time just keeps on going and going and it is going so fast!!!!

And now, I ONLY have 15 minutes left to tell you all that I’ve learned for the past week!! This is crazy!

1.We got zero investigators sacrament attendance yesterday.  I just hope it was because of the typhoon. Lesson learned: There are things that we can’t control: Agency of others and weather.

2.Another thing we can’t control: Timing of the Lord. Look, most of our progressing investigators are “former investigators”. I fully acknowledge Heavenly Father’s hands in these people’s lives. I know that they are progressing not because of “me”, but because God was already preparing them before I met them!

Take for example Jen Sartiga.. (former investigator). The first time I met her, she was in cohabitation with someone for six years. We taught her Lesson 1 Principle 1 when suddenly she asked us about Law of Chastity … and in response to what she asked I explained the Law of Chastity in the most unclear and awkward manner I’ve ever done in my whole life. I thought she’s not going to progress, because I did a terrible job in teaching her.  But two days later, she left her live-in partner. J She is now in the process of repentance even if I know I didn’t explain very well what Law of Chastity is!

3. Focus on things you can control: Keep on finding. Keep on teaching. Tell everyone the truth. We do not know whom the Lord softens the hearts. Okay. So during sacrament meeting yesterday, I was so sad for some reason that I do not know. Part of it was because of the weather and me turning 6 months old. I am sad.  And all of the sudden, there was this grandfather who stood at the pulpit, he looks familiar but I do not know him. And then he said : “Reading was difficult task for me. But when Sister Acosta told us to finish reading the Book of Mormon, I did it. And within 87 days, I am done with it.” AND THERE!!! My crying heart wanted to cry more. Not because of sadness anymore, but because of so much joy.

Okay. For all the things that happened for these 6 months, I fully acknowledge it was not because of me. The Holy Ghost was the true teacher, not me. I’ve seen UNSEEN God’s hands work in these people’s lives.

“ …the Lord God showeth us our weaknessthat we may know that it is by his grace, and his greatcondescensions unto the children of men, that we havepower to do these things.” Jacob 4:7

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I love being a missionary!

Evacuation because of Bagyong Chedeng.

With RS :)