Mountains to Climb

This week has been a week of learning for me.  I asked my district leader to give me a blessing because I was having a hard time with feeling disappointed with myself.  I knew I wouldn't be a perfect missionary right at the start, but I thought I would be doing better with the language and with everything else.  He blessed me with the ability to be patient with myself.  Then a couple of days later, he asked if I was praying for the gift of tongues.  I'd been praying for help with Tagalog, but not specifically the gift of tongues, so I started praying for that.  And in the first personal prayer, when I asked that, I felt my faith start to grow, just like is described in Alma 32.  It is amazing to me the power that prayer has, and that when we are receptive and listening, Heavenly Father will give us the things we need to accomplish the work He has called us to do.

This is a picture of my first trainer and first district leader--my mission field nanay and tatay :) I look so much like them, don't I?? ;D

And this is my awesome zone, during our zone activity :)

Another thing I've found that gives me a lot of guidance is my setting apart blessing.  We had a sweet sister in our ward copy it down as I received it, so when I want to review the counsel and promises in it it's nice to just be able to pull it out of my binder.  The power of the Priesthood is so real, and through it God truly gives us the direction we need.

I really am starting to love it here.  There are a couple of members, less actives, and investigators that truly have a special place in my heart, and whenever I look at them they remind me of different members of my family.  It makes it so easy to love them, and it gives me such a desire to bring them to the gospel, and help them realize the peace and blessings they can receive from living the principles of the gospel.  Seeing the young men in the ward makes me miss my brother, and want to be at home roughhousing with him haha.  I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he always let me win ;) lol jkjk James!!  But I do feel like I've gained some additional family here, and it's really cool.

My quote this week is from one of my favorite (not-mission-approved) songs, "Mountains" by Lonestar.  "I've been around and I've noticed that walking's easy when the road is flat.  Them danged ole hills will get you every time.  The good Lord gave us mountains, so we could learn how to climb."  Both as a missionary and just in everyday life, we are faced with mountains.  Sometimes it doesn't seem like we can get over the mountains, but when we put our trust in the Lord He gives us that extra little boost we need to get to the top.  And when we're at the top, we can look back and see how far we've come, and how much we've grown.  And those moments are some of the coolest.

My scripture goes along with that.  It's 1 Nephi 18:3.  "And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things."  When we are climbing those mountains, we are getting closer to the Lord, and closer to the people He knows that we can become.  I am so grateful for the chance I have to be here!!  I am learning so much, about life, about myself, about my Savior.  Being a missionary is by far one of the most difficult things I've ever done, but also the best.  I LOVE IT!!

Well I love and miss you all and I hope that things are going well.  Lots of love from the Philippines!!

XOXO

Sister Pectol