Try Again

So Nanay and Tatay Quintos both passed the baptismal interviews. Aside from having Sister Maroket as my "anak" in the mission field, having the Quintos couple get baptized next Saturday would be one of Heavenly Father's biggest gifts and miracles I have in the field. Rhodalyn, their youngest daughter even returned yesterday and volunteered to work with us missionaries. I hope and pray she would serve full-time mission too, and get sealed in the temple with her parents, soon. Just picturing out it in my mind gives me the purest joy.

I think the lesson I learned this week is to always get up each and every time I fall. My LTP last week was all about, well, my failures. I really liked our specialized training with President and Sister Rahlf this week. President Rahlf shared about Thomas Edison, and how he was able to invent the light bulbs after a thousand of failures.

Sometimes, we people stop trying again after we experienced a failure. This is best illustrated by Elder Bowen's object lesson of "baby flies". We are sometimes like the baby flies who will just jump just beneath the lid, over and over again, not reaching any higher than that. Some of us never reach our divinest potentials because we won't ever try again... once we experience a failure. We get hurt and embarrassed, and will never dare to try again.

I am grateful for the knowledge about the gospel, which teaches us to get up each time we fall. President Rahlf said: "The Lord loves it when we start over and try again. The whole plan of salvation is based on trying again after we fail."

While traveling through the Banaue roads this morning, I was thinking why did the Lord had me serve in my first area for 9 months, and an STL for another 9 months? And do you know what answer I received? 

Because He wanted me to learn something, and I couldn't get it ... only until after 9 months.

It was the funniest answer ever. I laughed and said a silent prayer: "Thank you, Heavenly Father for being really patient with me." And I almost cried when I said "Sorry, for the times I had failed Thee." ... 

"But yes, thank you for giving me your Son.. I can start over and try again."

I am just so grateful for these wonderful experiences I have as a missionary. I love EVERYTHING -- the ups and downs, and of course everything in between.

I love being a missionary!

Exchanges with the sweetest Sister Wiri!