I lost all my pictures from before but I have a few pictures this week...I bought a new SD card
I'm SO HAPPY and SO STRESSED AND HORMONAL!!! I just want to talk to you. ..
This week was lots of meetings. We had zone conference and so President Maurer came and spoke to us. He asked me to give a talk on PMG (Preach My Gospel) and the theme of the meeting was the Book or Mormon. I was not worried because this talk was in English... I can handle that, haha. But so many blessings came from this experience. I just really wanted to express to the missionaries how much I LOVE the Book of Mormon and how it has, through my mission, become the rock of my life and it means the world to me. I did my best to express that to them in other words. That night while my companion and I were getting ready for bed I just was following up with her, asking her how she felt, how her mission is going up to this point etc. and she just BAWLED and cried an cried.... I was so nervous. I didn't know if I had done something wrong or if I had missed something or what. She went on to explain to me that she had never read the entire Book of Mormon but when I gave my talk earlier in the day she could see how I was so sincere and how it is part of who I am and I loved it so much. She cried and said she had never felt that way and hated that so much. She wanted to feel the same way about the Book of Mormon that I do. I did not know what to say... the only thing that came to my mind was ...I remembered. I remembered how before we were companions I fasted. I had fasted and prayed so very strongly that I would be able to be a blessing to my companion and that we would have a successful companionship full of love. I know that my prayers and fasting were answered. We are learning so much from each other and inspiring each other. I love My Heavenly Father. He is sooo soo good to me.
Panciano, our recent convert (RC) attended the mini MTC which really helped me realize HOW IMPORTANT it is that we as missionaries LISTEN. PMG is soo right... and Elder Bednar and well all of them I guess... listening is more important than talking. We have to LISTEN to our companion, to our investigators and to the spirit. Missionary work mechanics-wise is not that hard... but these parts of the work.... "listening" ......takes work. It takes your heart. We are helping them get into missionary work. They are big into sending missionaries out into the field, but they're just starting the work of fellow-shipping and member missionary work.
I'm SO HAPPY and SO STRESSED AND HORMONAL!!! I just want to talk to you. ..
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| This is a picture of me breaking the rule of holding children but keeping the rule of service, haha. Sorry but this tiny little pregnant lady crossed the river carrying her child and was going to cross back to pick up her 2nd child... there was no way I was just going to watch her struggle... I picked up her kid and brought him across the river. I love the Philippines. |
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| This is me with the kids in the ward that I LOVE! We play basketball sometimes. You will notice the lack of shoes on my feet. Welcome to the Philippines (= |
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| This is what happened after the farewell party for one of our members. I brought the cupcakes and they LOVED IT! Elder P got me so good right after this picture. Yummy but sooo messy!I had NO intention of smashing cupcakes... they were delicious. But elder got me soooo good that it just started a huge food fight and we all got nastied. |
This week was lots of meetings. We had zone conference and so President Maurer came and spoke to us. He asked me to give a talk on PMG (Preach My Gospel) and the theme of the meeting was the Book or Mormon. I was not worried because this talk was in English... I can handle that, haha. But so many blessings came from this experience. I just really wanted to express to the missionaries how much I LOVE the Book of Mormon and how it has, through my mission, become the rock of my life and it means the world to me. I did my best to express that to them in other words. That night while my companion and I were getting ready for bed I just was following up with her, asking her how she felt, how her mission is going up to this point etc. and she just BAWLED and cried an cried.... I was so nervous. I didn't know if I had done something wrong or if I had missed something or what. She went on to explain to me that she had never read the entire Book of Mormon but when I gave my talk earlier in the day she could see how I was so sincere and how it is part of who I am and I loved it so much. She cried and said she had never felt that way and hated that so much. She wanted to feel the same way about the Book of Mormon that I do. I did not know what to say... the only thing that came to my mind was ...I remembered. I remembered how before we were companions I fasted. I had fasted and prayed so very strongly that I would be able to be a blessing to my companion and that we would have a successful companionship full of love. I know that my prayers and fasting were answered. We are learning so much from each other and inspiring each other. I love My Heavenly Father. He is sooo soo good to me.
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| This other picture when I am on the floor is a mini MTC we threw that I ended up pretty much being in charge of but didn't know until 20 minutes after it started. YES! Love my life! |
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| Mom look at how nasty long my hair is... I need to cut it but I'm soooo scared to do it here hahaha. That's terrible to say but I really am. Mom, you are waiting for me to get home to cut your hair, haha, that's so funny. |
WE WORKED SO, SO, SO HARD THIS WEEK! I'm exhausted.... this month it finally hit in why missionaries come home and sleep. I never understood... now I do. Despite all the meetings we tried so hard to get to everyone and teach and I know we made lots of mistakes and balls were dropped but we did EVERYTHING we could all day every day and then some more. God is so good. We had 16 investigators come to church!!! 16!!!! We were sooooo happy!!!! We filled the back of the chapel with new faces and the members are finally seeing and helping and fellow-shipping and ahhh!! We are soooo so happy! Honestly I don't know if I could be any happier. I just feel like flying all the time! I'M DEAD physically but spiritually God is just Giving us wings! I love being a missionary!! I've never been so happy in my life!
Thank you for sharing Benjamin's reaction to our number of investigators. I feel soooo spoiled that is for sure. Thank you Benjamin... hahaha. WE ARE RALPHS!! haha. I love it. Mini MTC we just had the youth and YSA come and experience teaching etc ... it was fun!
Ok so guess what!! THE RAFAEL FAMILY!! They got MARRIED!!! WITHOUT TELLING US!!! I was sooooo sooo UPSET! Bishop told us at a meeting and I freaked out! WHAT! My favorite family just GOT MARRIED And didn't tell me! ah! SO RUDE!! BASTA we are sooo happy, they had their interviews and will be baptized this Saturday with Sister Nildie!!! CAN'T WAIT!!!! They are amazing!!
No cough just a runny nose (yucks) every once in a while. I'm doing much better. Mom I hope you know I am planning on leaving most my clothes and things here - just so you know. Yes I would LOVE a doctor's appointment when I get home. I keep getting these random things that make me nervous...
Yes we killed another rat in our apt this week... it was rough because the Elders were not being as Christ-like as before so we had to listen to it moving around while we ate and studied until it died in our cabinet. Last time they came over and killed it... I lost the picture. But this time we caught it in a cabinet and shut the door tight so he could not get out. Pretty sure we scared him to death though because it was not that long and he was moving around like crazy in there with plastic bags so we could hear EVERYTHING!
Haha, Everyone around me counts for me with mine time to go home, so it's hard not to think about it... not all the time just when we are at the apartment and I'm cooking or doing Laba or something that does not need much thought. I'm safe mom... other than the rats and snails in our apt, haha.
I tore through my shoes again and so I had them sewed again haha there is NO way I'm buying new shoes. So these will work. I will sew them until there is nothing to sew.
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| This is outside the chapel we did posses with our umbrellas to celebrate that the rain stopped so people could come to the activities.... when it rains here people stay home. |
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| They love their pictures taken. I took a bunch of her first then she wanted one of me. I took that from her camera and gave it back already but this is Panciano posing , he is our RC that went less active and is now coming back and preparing for his mission. |
Haha, Everyone around me counts for me with mine time to go home, so it's hard not to think about it... not all the time just when we are at the apartment and I'm cooking or doing Laba or something that does not need much thought. I'm safe mom... other than the rats and snails in our apt, haha.
I tore through my shoes again and so I had them sewed again haha there is NO way I'm buying new shoes. So these will work. I will sew them until there is nothing to sew.
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| This is a Filipino game the kids always play but apparently Sister Besiera has many hidden talents, hahahaha. |
"Ice Bucket Challenge???" ALS is part of what I study in speech therapy! Its so fascinating huh? I'm confused where this ice bath thing happened? And how do you not get bathed in ice?
YOU be safe huh? How many accidents have you had since I left?? Yeahhhh...
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| Those pigs are still alive for a little bit longer. |
Take care!
Love, Sister Ralph
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