Happy New Year ya filthy animals
(if you don't get the movie reference...don't be offended. i'm sure you're actually decently clean)
Starting out the new year in a different part of the world was a crazy experience. I felt so extremely blessed this year, and was SHOWERED in love from a ton of people, and I couldn't be more grateful for all the good that's been happening to me and the people around me. I wish you all could've been here, haha Philippines during new years is the LOUDEST place to be. People drive up and down the street honking their horns and fireworks go off EVERYWHERE - the kids set them on the streets, people blow them up in the sky - i'm not gonna lie, i was pretty scared because it was like standing in the middle of a war zone! hahaha but it was a ton of fun. My companions and I stayed up and danced in the rain while singing "have you done any good in the world today" at the top of our lungs, and screamed happy new year to the world when it reached 12. It was a million times better than i ever thought new years could be away from home.
Because one of my goals this year is to be more optimistic/ be more aware of all the blessings/ opportunities to grow i've had, i've decided to start a blessings book from one of the journals my friends from back home gave me. It's only been a couple days since i've began, but it really makes me reflect on my day and i go to sleep a lot happier because i'm more focused on the tender mercies i'd encountered. I'd really encourage all of you to start one! it doesn't have to be long - a sentence, or a paragraph, or a page a day- it's up to you! i just think it's so much easier to realize exactly HOW AMAZING life is.
My trainer is leaving in a couple days, and i'm really sad about it. She's allowed me to grow at my own pace, and though it kills me to watch her leave, i'm so happy for her to head back to Cebu! I'm sure her family misses her a ton, and i know she's so ready to go home ahaha. I'm excited to tell you all about my new companion *crossing my fingers that shes not too crazy*
But lucky for Sister Pacquiao and I, we're going to end our companionship with a baptism! The investigator getting baptized has such a beautiful soul! haha she doesn't know very much english, but I teach her in as much tagalog as i can, and just mime the rest and she kinda sorta seems to understand...i guess? haha my companion fills in the gaps LOL. but it's okay, she's still so lovable and everytime we see her, she screams GROUP HUG!!! and we get all wrapped up in each other's arms - it's great. haha i'm so excited to send home pics about it next week - so keep your eyes open!
In closing, i just wanted to start the year out right by sharing a couple verses I read during my personal study the other day. They really hit me hard, and i thought maybe you'd like to hear about it. I was reading in the Book of Mormon, Mosiah chapter 14, verses 4 and 5 (for those of you without a Book of Mormon, go to mormon.org and get one because they're toats free and i'm probably going to reference some verses from here or the bible LOL sooooo it'd probably just be easier for you to read along)
It's speaking about Christ,
the message behind these verses really made me reflect on all the pain i've felt or the guilt that still dwells from the mistakes i've made thoughout my life, and how, just like it says in verse 4, "He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows". How amazing is it that someone loves you enough to make sure you never have to suffer alone? i know that some of you, my friends, have started out this new year with burdens still upon your shoulders. but just like verse 5 says "with his stripes we are healed"... He felt the pain so we wouldn't have to alone. He's made up for all of our mistakes so that there would be a way for us to be forgiven of our wrongs. All Christ asks is that you take your pains to him - he may not completely remove them from you, because you still need it to grow, but He will make you strong enough to carry the weight you've been given. Heavenly Father gave His son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from our wrongs. He gave the world His son to show us what REAL love is, so that we could try our best to reflect the love we've felt from him to others.I know that Heavenly father and Jesus Christ knows you and loves. I know this is all so true, and if you pray about it, you can know of the truth of their love too! I say all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
SOOOOOO just to (hopefully) add a little joy to your day,
here are some pics of me and my companion/my #couplegoals/ special people out here on the mission/my new years/etc etc
i hope you all had a wonderful New Years! please send pics and updates on your life. your stories are always super important to me. i love you all, and wish you the best <3
Your missionary
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