21 Candles

Gusto ko lang nagpapasalamat muna sa lahat ng mga loved ones ko - aking pamilya at yung mga kaibigan ko. Maraming salamat sa birthday wishes ninyo at lahat ng mga regalo ibinigay niyo sa akin! I'm amazed that despite the distance, you've all made the effort to show your love and support for me (and although I probably won't be able to reply to all of your emails this week) I want you to know that i'm so grateful that you cared enough to think of me this week! A very, very special thank you to my family, who were amazing enough to send me enough food and stationary and other household items to provide for a city of people (my kabahays also send their thanks, seeing that half these things will be sustaining them as well ahaha) and for the love I felt from home! 

I thought my birthday would just be another normal day, considering i'm in a new area where I don't know the people very well...but it was full of blessings! We literally spent every hour of the 26th celebrating. My kabahays woke me up exactly at 12 to open the box from my family (which they rewrapped with a bunch of liahona articles and topped with a huge red bow) and they made the sound effects (the "oohs" and ahhhs") necessary to make any good gift great as I took apart my balikbayan box ahaha. I thought that was it for my birthday surprise...but then they woke me up again at exactly 6:30 singing happy birthday with cake and a huge poster they stayed up all night making. We went out with the Elders to a Korean restaurant, and then had back to back dinners with the members. It was honestly so much fun, I couldn't help but thank God for being so merciful and kind enough to make me feel special and loved.

Don't think me to be naive - I am fully aware that God's love doesn't always come in the form easily seen blessings. This last week has been a week of testing for my testimony - a week in the refiner's fire. But I know that this test has been a gift as well, for God had seen me fit enough to grow and become more Chirst-like than the person I was before. 

With every trial that comes our way, we are given the opportunity to allow it to define us and defeat us or to learn and grow from it. Let us each be refined by the God's fire - it will put us under pressure and challenge us to be better, but in the end, we will be much closer to the best person this world has ever known - Jesus Christ. Let us accurately self evaluate ourselves, give credit to God for all of our achievements, and be understanding of others, because they too are struggling to become purified. Don't we all wish to receive support and love and understanding from others around us? We don't know the full depth of anyone's backstory, so let us seek to improve our own imperfections first, before we start to point out others. 

My prayer for you is that your love for God grows enough to not only avoid sin and temptation...but to despise the idea of anything that would separate you from returning to His presence again.   

I love you all and am so grateful for your willingness to serve your fellow brothers and sisters. I know that God loves you, and wants the very best for you. Please don't ever doubt that. Everything we do, we should do with the motive to be closer to Him. He lives, and heaven is rooting for your success.