15 September 2013

I will try and get to all your questions.
  Ready?
I am doing soo, soo, soo good. I love my life so much. I feel like I am living a fairy tale. I love my area. It's different for sure, but I love it. The people here are so kind and loving and friendly. I love, love, love my companion. Sister Sousa and I work so well together. She is relaxed and optimistic-- something I so very desperately need. We are working hard and striving to improve and open or mouths and it's just wonderful! Nothing too exciting- there are not a lot of storms here. Just lots of religions and lots of American music-- talaga distracting! I am glad I do not have to worry right now about the world - other than trying to pull people out of it, haha.
   YES! We have investigators... oh my goodness. This week was terrific, so one of our investigators is getting baptized this Saturday. She is super tight on money and normally only has enough money to make it to church once a week, which is about 20 pesos there and back which is about 50 cents for us. And she had to come to church for her baptismal interview and so we were all on edge about her finding money to come to church the next day in order to keep her baptism date. But she was full of faith. Sister Sousa and I waited and waited for her but she did not show. We were both giving talks so we went to the chapel and right after the sacrament - Sister Luzviminda (our investigator) walked in! Oh my goodness we were sooo happy! We pretty much had an internal screaming party and just ahhh, so happy! So we are preparing for that now .
   AND THEN this last Tuesday we were tracting and decided to stop again at a house of a sister we had met before. We get to speak English with her and she is really good. She is GOLDEN!! Oh my goodness! I love teaching in English... I feel so connected as if there is no end or limit to what I can say or express! It was a nice break... but wow she is incredible! Before we even asked her she said she wanted to come to church with us and when we invited her to baptism she was so excited and said that was what she wanted. She even went further to tell us that she would be moving in a little over a month but that she would find a church near there and attend. I felt the spirit so strong as we taught. It all flowed and she understood and ahhh!! It was incredible! I love the Gospel! We are so excited for her progress. Oh her name is Angel! (19years old)
   AND THEN!!! hahaha, right after Angel we went back to Raul (49 years old) and no English this time haha. But wow again! He asked such good questions and was just soaking up the Book of Mormon and he is just thirsting for the truth. And he keeps asking me why I can't stop smiling and why I am so happy when he asks certain questions, especially right after he told me that he was looking at a lot of religions and trying to see for himself. After he said that I just wanted to cry I was so happy and I just had this huge smile... because I have NO Fear what so ever. I know without a doubt we have what he is looking for. And it's just going to take time and patience and pleading with the spirit to testify to him. I'm so excited for him! He is going to attend the baptism this Saturday. Ahh, I love him! He is so great and such a good Dad.. I know the gospel is going to change his life!! (= I have really felt the spirit as I have taught and bore my testimony and it's the best feeling ever! Ah! I love it!
   I finished the Book of Mormon this week and am so excited to change up the way I have been studying. Personal study is one of my favorite hours of the day! I have been studying hope this last week and gave my talk on it as well. It's a Christ-like attribute that I'm not really good at but I am excited to work on it. It's all about being optimistic and enthusiastic and patient and knowing that it's through the atonement that we can hope for a better world, a better life. I don't know haha right now my life is pretty solid- I can't imagine what the next one will be like.
   Ok so also this week I taught the Law of Chastity for my first time without the help of a Philippina speaker, hahaha, oh my goodness, hahahahahaha. It was terrible, hahahaha. I am so grateful for the pamphlets, hahah because I really can't even express to you how bad it went...just in the sense of my teaching. I will have to leave it at that haha. I just had a good laugh after, that's for sure. I had exchanges this week. Super fun! Sister Finai a Samoan from Utah was my companion so we had a lot of fun together. I learned a lot from her. She served in this area before and so she knew everyone and so we just had a blast. I got to do CSP (community service project) for real this last week. We went to a High School and painted the roof. I got burnt yet again, haha, but I loved it. I love working outside, we just had a blast. And the students were all there because they were doing a parade and so ALLLLLLL of them stared at us so we played haki sak with them while waiting for the paint. It was a lot of fun! I'm terrible at haki but they kept clapping for me haha. That was pretty much my week. Lots more good happened but I don't have time to give all details. But I want to paint a picture of the Philippines for you. Just imagine a lot of people holding roosters and laughing, hahaha, that is the Philippines. With lightning in the sky and music blaring, hahah, oh how I love it! I love you all! Am so grateful for each of you and pray for you always!!
   Love
       Sister Ralph