1 year mark

This week has been great! The sisters of Tuguegarao Sister are doing great as well. We had the opportunity to learn from Sister Ragasa and Sister Stokes last Wednesday on our companion exchange Sister Ragasa is a wonderful sister missionary and a trainer.

I had also the opportunity to work with Sister Manosig. It was great! Sister Manosig is really a hardworking, straightforward, fearless missionary. She's doing great as a senior companion of Sister Clarin. And since most of the sisters are now reaching the standards of excellence, I set a goal for myself to become a "purpose driven missionary" instead of being an "activity driven" one -- being able to achieve the standards of excellence without losing my very purpose in inviting people to come to Christ.

And the PMG helped me a lot! PMG said a successful missionary "loves the people and desires their salvation". So I tried to set a goal last week to truly love the people and desire their salvation. I was amazed on what love can do. Whenever I started to love these people, whatis important to them becomes important to me as well. Their hopes, dreams, and plans, become a part of me.. Whenever I started to love them and desire their salvation, my thoughts and words and every fiber of me changes. What I say, I ask, I feel, will be tailored according to what they need and what they are experiencing. I just can't explain how it is possible to love someone you just met along the street or who sat beside you in a tricy, but it is truly possible. It's a gift from God that if we would ask and work on it, we will surely receive.

And I have never loved the Book of Mormon as much as I do now! Sure, I would read from it before my mission but I learn so much more now than I ever did before! It helps me in answering my question: "How Can I Become a Consecrated Missionary?".. I still have a lot of weaknesses to work on, but I feel that my faith in Him is growing immensely. And I am surprised how some of the sisters in our zones started reading new set of book of mormon as well with their own one question like: "How Can My Eyes Be Single to His Glory?".. Someday, we'll all have our own bookshelves filled with Book of Mormons used to answer our different questions of our souls.

The Baccay Family is now returned! They are fruit of working with the Relief Society's Activity: Rescue The One. Miracles really happen when we work alongside with the members.

I just celebrated my 1 year mark last Saturday. It was a good time taking stock of my mission life and see where am I going, measured against the backdrop of where I have been.

And I choose to carry on. Because yes, I love being a missionary!

From zone meeting in the south zone, to zone meeting in the north zone. Pero traffic :(

Lunch with Nanay Barreo. This happens every monday. ;)

Sister Stokes. She's half filipina. We were both surprised when we found out that her mom and I have the same first names and almost the same middle names. Her mom's name is "Mary Lou Guinto Hipolito" Sounds like "Mary Lou Quinto Acosta". But we were more surprised when we found out that her mom and I have the same birth dates too! Well of course, except the year of birth. I am still young.