2/8/11

Siggi so this week has been AMAZING!!! Yesterday I got to see everyone in my batch!! Yes...even Elder Johnson, what a nice reunion but it was only about 10 minutes long b/c he had to leave and go back to his area.I didn't even remember to ask him about his shoulder...I was just soo overwhelmed!! But I told him you love him Mom and I know he needs some kind words, sounds like his mission is super hard, he was soo grateful to finally see us!!! Just pass it along that he is always in my prayers. We all had to go down to Cebu to be fingerprinted yesterday for our visas but the Negros missionaries were earlier. It was really hard to only see him for 5-10 minutes but at least I got to see him. And I got to see my mama (my trainer) I almost jumped out of the taxi I was sooo excited!!! She says I have a little bit of an accent..I miss her soo much, she was also a Negros missionary and I only got to talk to her for about 2 minutes. Very hard...but thats the mission and at least I got to see her. Plus I got to come back to cebu again (tons of traveling) today to go to the temple and who was there? S. Falculan!!! I have missed her soo much, I am always blessed with good companions and she told me S. Mamming and her daughter Janice will be baptized this week!!!! I just jumped for joy...I love them soo much. Oh and Jenelyn and Marlon (last baptism) they had their house get flooded. Oh no!!

I got the package from Chelsea with her bears so I gave them to S. Falculan to give to Jenelyn and Marlon's two kids. I know they will love them. OH AND I AM SOOOOOOOOO EXCITED ABOUT CHELSEAS CALL!!!! I JUST SCREAMED FOR JOY!!! I got her package and I love and miss her soo much and know she will be amazing gyud!!!!! Her package was just one of the very best things ever!!! I absolutely loved it!!!

So my area is amazing...we had community service with our district and picked up trash on a beautiful beach!!! As we were riding the three hour bus ride to the temple I was just looking out on the coast and the palm trees and the green rolling sugar cane fields at a beautiful sunrise and just in awe of God's creations and how lucky I am to be here. It was breath taking...I don't think I can leave. Hopefully I can extend too!!!

So we have 4 committed to baptism for the 26th...well see if they all push through, we werent able to work this week soo much b/c we have had to come down to Cebu twice, but that just means we have to work extra hard. We have some pretty cool things happening in our mission, apparently we have to become experts with mormon.org and so they are giving us two hours a week to explore that. We had 6 investigators come to church, 3 were by force almost...haha. We are not taking no for an answer....soo funny. But they enjoyed it. And then we had a half day mission soo the ward went out and visited inactives. I wouldn't say our areas are flourishing as much as the other parts of the Philippines...I mean we have probably about 900 members and maybe less then 100 come to church....oops!! That is the problem with the Philippines eager to be baptized but the retention is very difficult. Luckily all of my baptisms are still very active. I received letters from a lot of them and they said they are continuing to endure even though I am not there. Which I made sure to tell them everyday before I left they had to...haha. They are keeping their commitments..yay!! So heartbreaking when a convert goes inactive. Marlon and Jenelyn said they hope I can come to their sealing next year...too bad that is almost impossible, broke my heart :(

Just want you to know I am not a perfect missionary, far from it, BUT I am trying my best and Heavenly Father is blessing me more than I even deserve..haha. I love you all your support helps soo much and means the world to me, but don't tell me I'm almost half way through...I'm not ready!!!! haha Naghigugma ko kaninyo!!!

By the way I probably won't be doing anything for valentines but this valentines I have learned more about love than I could ever have known before, the love of God and the love for your neighbor and how connected they really are. Remember love is the motive and Christ is the reason we do everything we are doing, and that should be the motive for our actions everyday. I didn't realize you could come soo much to love God through loving others (his children). And I didn't realize I could love you all soo much more being soo far awaay!! Love you all!!

Love,

Cari