How was all of your week? Those of you who wrote, thank you so much! If you haven't written me and you aren't an immediate member of my family, I don't have your emails. So send me a short email so I send you letters. (rachel.andelin@myldsmail.net)
This week flew
by! It was a fantastic week of glorious learning! We are now teaching 3
investigators: Marlyn, Daunte and a less active father, Brother Estrada.
I love teaching. It is scary, and difficult to plan lessons, because
you can't just make a script and read it, you have to teach from your
heart. You have to be flexible if the person has a need or question that
you didn't know about. There was one lesson that I was quite worried
about, Marlyn's second lesson, because the first lesson, we found out
that she didn't think God loved her, she had such a difficult life, her
father has bad health, and she was just so sad. I prayed so hard and the
Spirit just put thoughts in my mind and scriptures to share and she
really was touched. I absolutely can't wait to teach REAL people and see
the gospel and the love of Christ change their lives! It is a beautiful
thing. My favorite thing to talk about is God's love and the Atonement
(Pagbabayad-Sala) ni Jesucristo. It is so interesting to think about
what difficult lives these people have, and so exciting to think that I
can help be the messenger of the "good news": that Christ has truly felt
all of their pains and sorrows and will lift them and help them and
lift their burdens if they turn them to Him. I have felt that SO much in
my life, not just on my mission. I know that the power of the Atonement
is real, and that Jesus Christ loves us ALWAYS and will not forget
about us. If you ever question the Saviors love for you, or just aren't
sure if He knows you, read Isaiah 49:14-16. Love this scripture!!! And
there are many more, make a study of it! ;)
My
companions and I are doing well! I am coming to see so many different
sides of them and learning so much about myself. I thought it would be
easy, coming from a big family, but it hasn't. I am so grateful though,
because in this way I will lean on the Lord more and grow rather than
stay on sameness levels.
As for language this week,
we have been working on conjugating Um verbs, I verbs and IN verbs. It
is interesting to see how Filipino's minds work! In ever sentence, they
have to either put a focus on the actor or the object or the location.
They can't just say: Jenny read a book in her room. They say JENNY read a
book in her room, or Jenny read THE BOOK in her room or Jenny read a
book IN HER ROOM!! or more correctly formatted, Read Jenny the book in
her room haha. It is cool and gives you a choice on what you want to
emphasize when teaching the lessons. We had some absolutely INCREDIBLE
devotionals this week! On Sunday for Relief Society, Sharon Eubanks, the
Director of Humanitarian Services came and spoke about identity and who
we really are as women, as well as gospel laws. It was something I
really needed to hear, and it lifted my spirits SO MUCH! P.S. I will be
singing One Voice in Relief society tomorrow in front of all the Sister
missionaries here! Woo! Also, the Missionary Dept Media director spoke
to us about social media and the incredible reach it has in spreading
the gospel throughout the world. IN just one day, because of the
#becausehelives movement, there were 44,976 new visitors to mormon.org,
896 people who hit the chat button, and 323 referrals! It makes me
think of Moses 7:62 :) And then Elder Larry R Lawrence of the 70 came
and spoke about Satan's tactics that he uses on us, that we need to know
the enemy's plan and fight against it. We often forget that we are in a
battle every day, a battle between good and evil. Prayer is one of our
most powerful defences! Never neglect it! He said Satan uses Direct
temptation, counterfeits, contention and discouragement. He also said
"If our spiritual eyes were opened, we would see that we are never
alone" that the righteous have greater forces than Satan. We can get
help from those living and those who have passed. I truly believe this.
I know this gospel is true. I know that we have a loving Heavenly
Father who will and does help us. I would like to challenge of you to
pray, pray often, pray sincerely and then listen. No matter who you are
or where you are in your life, you always need to pray. If you don't
know what to pray for, pray to know what to pray for! Prayer is
incredible. I am awed by the fact that we can communicate with our
Creator, who knows all things. Sometimes its hard to recognize His
answers, but as we read the Book of Mormon and the words of prophets, we
will receive personalized messages. We are SO BLESSED! I love you all,
and I am praying for you! I am so grateful to be a missionary and so
excited to go to the Philippines in 3 and half weeks! There's nothing as
worthwhile and wonderful that I could be doing.
Mahal kita sobrang maraming!!!!!!
Sister Andelin
