6 Months! Training, Miracles, and Realizing How Truly Blessed I Am

Hey all!

Well my first week of being  a trainer has been absolutely amazing!! Sister Udarbe is an absolute doll, and we are having so much fun.  It's really cool, because seeing how hard she's working and how hard she's trying to learn the area and learn everyone's names has truly inspired me.  I think she's really teaching me more about being a good missionary than I am teaching her; it's awesome.  We had a really funny moment on Friday though.  We didn't have any rice in the house, so when we got some Sister Udarbe immediately got it cooking.  She's Filipina, so not having rice was very abnormal for her.  Well, she wasn't quite sure how to cook the rice.  So the American companion taught the Filipina companion how to cook rice!  It was very backwards lol.  And then when we were walking, a trycicle drove past that was blasting a great beat.  I'll admit, I danced a little bit.  Then I looked at Sister Udarbe and said "Anak, don't tell your tatay!"  Her 'tatay' is the district leader...and dancing is pretty bawal lol.

It's my 6 month mark tomorrow!!  It's hard to believe, actually.  Time is going by so fast.  I'm a little excited about that because I can't wait to see everyone again, but I'm also kind of sad because I absolutely love being a missionary.  We learn so many things, and I have seen so many miracles.  We had two big miracles just yesterday.  One of our investigators had her baptism interview on Saturday, and it went great, but she needed to come to church yesterday or we would have to move her baptism back.  Well, we were standing at the door greeting people like we usually do, and she didn't come.  We kept waiting and waiting, but she didn't show and she didn't show.  We finally went in for Sacrament, and we were at the point that we'd already started the Sacrament hymn, when I looked back and saw her walk in and sit with some members.  I was so excited I grabbed Sister Udarbe and said "She's here!!"  We had both been praying and had even included her in our fast, so we were so grateful.  I told Sister Udarbe that I had felt a lot of gratitude before, but it wasn't until my mission that I knew what it meant to have a heart overflowing with gratitude towards the Lord.

And if that wasn't good enough, we had another amazing lesson that afternoon.  We went and taught the mother-in-law of one of the high priests in our ward.  We had introduced ourselves to her last transfer, but hadn't taught.  So when we went back, we followed up if she'd read the pamphlet we'd left, and she'd finished it, plus had read in the Book of Mormon that her grandson gave her.  We taught the lesson and were teaching about the Book of Mormon, and asked if she'd prayed about it.  She instantly started to cry, and told us that she had prayed about it and that it was true.  She just grasped our hands and kept telling us "It's true, it's true, thank you."  It was amazing.  She was so ready to accept the invitation to be baptized, and it was such a tender moment for us.

We had another amazing lesson to a less active family about temples, and they told us that that's what they want to start working on.  They're starting the process to be worthy to go to the temple together!!  We were so excited!!  It is going to be such a blessing for them!

My quote kind of stems from that:  "When we organize families according to the order that the Lord has revealed, we organize them in the temples."  The family truly is ordained of God, and sometimes it's hard for me to be away from mine, but when I see somebody else's family strengthened because of something that I was able to do to help them, it's all worth it.

Alma 42:31  And now, O my [daughter], ye are called of God to preach the work unto this people.  And now, me [daughter], go they way, declare the word with truth and soberness, that though mayest bring souls unto repentance, that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them.  Alma the Younger people.  He's pretty awesome.

Have an amazing week!!

XOXO

Sister Pectol