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Monday, October 26, 2015

Transfer 10 begins!! :)

October 18th

 Dear Family
    Yoo haloo!!! How is life back on the farm! I am so proud of your hard work in those applesauce canning, dad is a trooper! I miss applesauce. Here apples are expensive. But they have cool fruits, so that makes up for it I guess.
 

 How is everyone? Is it getting chilly over there? We had a bagyo again, maybe you heard. But it didn't hit much here, just very windy and a bit of rain. We are very blessed. It is so close to Halloween, do you know what you are going to be for Halloween? They don't celebrate halloween here, just All Saints Day on November 1. They visit the graveyards and stuff.

    This week has been another special week with lots of miracles blessings and learning experiences. One thing I really treasure is the promptings that I receive as small thoughts, and sometimes blindly following, without knowing why. then finally seeing why Heavenly Father wanted you to do that prompting. It is so special, Heavenly Father is really there at our side, guiding us through the Holy Ghost. The picture I sent, the G family,  came to church! Even though there was a bagyo. We were so happy :) and we are teaching his wife, so now she has support in her coming to church.  We are also teaching a mother(who was referred by her best friend that is a member) and her 3 sons, all of them committing to baptism. After we shared the First Vision, she told us that she got goosebumps. We testified of what the Holy Ghost feels like.
       Thank you for your prayers, I know they make a difference. I am so grateful to serve a mission and I know that if we read and pray daily it makes a world of a difference to our personal conversion and happiness in life. Hope you all have a great week and realize how important you each are to our Heavenly Father. And love others as you have been loved by God, and continue to share with them what we have! 
        Love you all!
              Sister Andelin 
 
 

Ang Makapangyarihan na Pananumbalik!

    October 11

Hello dearest Family!
It sounds like you are all doing well and busy and happy.
       This week I finally watched conference! How cool about the new apostles. I loved conference. It's different to hear the gospel in your native language, that is why I am working so hard to learn Ilokano. The Spirit can touch better in the native language. I received a great renewal of Spirit. 
        This week we also had a great training from our mission president. . The Restoration is powerful, and it brings the Spirit so much. .
         I love you all, and i hope you all continue to be the amazing examples you are. Thanks for your prayers and love,
           ingat!
              Sister Andelin

We  had a great community service project ridding our investigator's yard of weeds

ISANG TAON NA AKO.....

 October 5

Hello my dearest family and friends! How are you all this lovely october week? Is it getting chilly there? I loved the pictures of temple square, and that is so cool you attended conference! 
    How the apples!? Everyone in the Philippines loves apples. They are really expensive here.
     So as the title says, I am ONE Year in the mission this last week. It is hard to believe!! Man. Our sweet apartment mates surprised me with the cutest little cake and empanadas for my 1st birthday in the mission! They are the sweetest. 
        We found a lot of people this week, even families, so that was great. There are a lot of people he has prepared. The most wonderful thing I have seen in this area is how present Heavenly Father is. Even though sometimes its discouraging, the Lord sends little tender mercies to remind me that He is there by my side. One night I was feeling really discouraged, and I prayed, saying "I can't do it, I just can't do it, all that Thou expects of me." And then I felt a quiet thought come into my mind, saying "Yes, you can't do it. You can't do it on your own. But I am here, and with me, you can do all of this." It gave great comfort to me. 
     I know he is aware of us and will always be there for us. I am way excited to watch General conf this week. I love you all so much!  Have a great week :)
         Sister Andelin



Merryyyy Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

September 21
 
Hello and merry christmas! Did you know that it is already christmas here? Once we hit the Ber months... September, OctoBER NovemBER and DecemBER, it is okay to sing Christmas songs and say merry christmas.
    I am actually here in Cagayan right now. We made the 7 hour bus ride this morning, because tomorrow I am teaching the missionaries here the new mission song. So it is a privilege, and a bit weird to come back, even for a few days.
        This week was a great one for us. Man. I see miracles every day I tell you. This area is stretching me but it is so fun to take an area and ward and love it and mold it and see the progress. I am excited to keep digging in. 
Even though we had daily miracles I will just share 1. We were working with the bishops wife and we had no idea where to go. So I thought, lets find in Brgy 3 Lusong, because we have not yet gone there. So we were trying to find it. But we were given wrong directions and ended up in the middle of this ricefield, with no houses. But in the middle of the ricefield there was one old lady. We asked her for directions and walked with her. The Spirit whispered to walk with her to her own house. So we did it. And as we walked she told us that her children were members. We said, really? And then we arrived at the house and realized that she was the referral her member daughter gave us! Haha. we didn't even know where she lived, but we met in the middle of the ricefield in a different barangay. The Spirit is great. Her son bore his testimony after we shared and thanked us for finding them and teaching their mom, because they have been praying and fasting that she'd be taught and baptized.
I have no doubt that this is the work of God. I know that He is always guiding us, and if we make the effort to see His hand in our lives, we will see it. Daily. I know that He is the one guiding, and preparing people for us to teach. I am so thankful for the privilege to witness God's hand and be His instrument in any small way. I love you all, and i know that we all have a purpose for living where we live and meeting who we meet.
          I love you all! Hugs and kisses from the Philippines!
                   Sister Andelin
P.S. Thank you so much! I finally got my package of amazing letters and pictures. It was a treat to read, made my day :)

Week One in SAN NICOLAS

 September 14

Dear Family, 
      How are you all?
     This has been a great week in San Nicolas! And I am loving my new trainee, Sister C. She is from Makati, near Manila and she reminds me so much of Catherine! It is crazy. She is very strong, coming from a family where all of them are less actives. So now I will tell you a bit about San Nicolas, it is 5 minutes from Laoag and about 10 minutes from the mission home. It is a big city for this area, and we have the only mall of Ilocos norte in our area! Robinsons! haha. We are opening the area of the last elders, so we have mostly male investigators... ay. But that's okay. I am really enjoying training and opening the area, its a great challenge and i really see the hand of God. We have had a lot of help from Him.      
   One of our coolest experiences this week was we went to teach a mother of a recent convert. This mom has been taught for maybe two years now, and has not yet been baptized. So we said, what can we share to her? And we felt like temples was a really powerful and good lesson, focusing on sealing. When we held up a picture of the Salt Lake Temple, she said. "Sisters, I've been there! Not in real life, but I had a dream that I went inside that building! And everything was so clean and white, it is beautiful there. And I wanted to go to the top floor, but the people wouldn't allow me in." And we were like "WOW!" It is amazing to see that this is God's work, it is just another testimony to me that as missionaries, we are not alone. God is truly preparing people and softening their hearts. I know that we don't have to be perfect, but we just have to do our very very best and be humble and recognize His Hand.
    I love you all, and thank you for your prayers and love. I have the best family EVA! and I know this work is so important that it is not too bad being so far away. I hope all of you have a great week and keep shining the light in the simple acts of service. Something that has really brought me the Spirit this week is through serving, and thinking what Christ would do if he were walking among the people. It is so joyful to serve, and others will notice the light in us.
             Ingat!!!!
                      Sister Andelin
My new Trainee/Daughter! Sister C
Feeding Marky with Sister Molino

PAGBABAGO! Goodbye Camalaniugan!!!!!

September 30

Hello family, how are you all??! Wow, all the nieces and nephews are so grown up!
       So guess what? I got transferred!!!! Very very hard to leave that branch, I have come to love them all SO much. Our fast and testimony meeting was a big crying session. I promised them I would come back so... I will do some money earning when I get home, or marry someone rich. haha joke. So my new assignment is San Nicolas! It is a 5 minute drive from Laoag city, so its like I just came back. And I am going to be training a BRAND new missionary from the mtc! I will meet her this friday! And also, I will still be an stl. This will be a big stretch for me, so I might need some prayers. But if we don't stretch, we will never grow into the person Christ needs us to be. I take a lot of comfort in Nephi's words, 1 Nephi 17:3, 50. It will be a great experience. 
        I also had a fantastic birthday, my aparri sisters are the sweetest and they surprised me at their apartment, with banners, handmade confetti and candy. And Sister C made me a cake. I was spoiled. 

          Highlights of this week :think one of the best moments was in relief society, when 2 returning less actives stood up and bore their testimonies. One of them has been less active for 13 years and is just now coming back, her daughter will be baptized in two more weeks. I also take great comfort in hearing the testimonies of our investigators and Recent converts. They are so deep and strong, and I know they will be fine with the 2 new sisters going there.
A few special experiences:
1. We taught a former investigator who had so many beautiful questions... she is just hungering for the truth, especially to know about her son who has died. 
2. The small thoughts you have that are actually promptings to go and visit people, then realize they needed you
3. Our recent converts sharing a scripture that really pierced their hearts,thow important it is to endure to the end and how straight and narrow the path is. in 2 nephi 31:14
4. Teaching a second lesson to the family member of our rc, and she came to church on sunday with her children!
5. Hearing how diligently our investigators are sharing the gospel to their neighbors.

THis is the HAPPIEST of allllll works. I am so excited for my new area, companion and opportnuties to learn and grow. I love you all and hope you have a great week!!!
              Love, 
                   Sister Andelin
Special investigators of Casili
 Our amazing gospel principles class

 Return with honor cake and the boodle fight

Going to lunch with the District President's wife

Eating sea snails

 

Surprise birthday party from the sisters of my zone



One member made me a cake! I am so lucky, and don't worry, I was really spoiled for my birthday

Goodbye to Camalaniugan


The S family

The T family

 August 30

Pinapabilis Niya Ang Gawain

  Dearest Family,
        First of all, I have to thank you all for your super sweet and hilarious letters. Man, I am so blessed to have all of you for my family. You are all so special to me and I feel your love and hugs and prayers from many miles. It is crazy to hear you had a crazy windstorm over there! I hope everyone is safe. And what fun you have all been having, trying to use up this final week of summer! haha. I can't believe it, school is starting for all of you this week! The summer flies when you are having fun. 
         All is well here in Camalaniugan. All is wonderful. It is the last week of Sister M! She will be going home next sunday. It is crazy. And this week has been a joyful one. I really see that the Lord is Hastening the work. This week, we were teaching in Casili. The people of Casili are great. When we start to talk to them, they say, "Kunin mo yung mga upuan!" (or get the chairs!) And they sit us down and are ready to hear the message. They are very polite. And this friday, we were just about to start our lesson, when two men came over to us and said "Can we join? What is your religion?" Man, heavenly father prepares people. And the funnest lesson this week to teach was at the neighbor/ relative of the M Family. For a long time they have wanted to be taught, but were shy because they don't understand Tagalog, only Ilokano. They were surprised to know that we speak Ilokano! haha and the M family came with us when we taught their family. These are the most precious lessons for missionaries... lessons with members present who are already close to/ friends with the investigators. The testimony and friendship of members does a TON!
     Oh and this week, the A parents and their cousin came to church! Also, Sister P, the daughter of a less active who has not yet been baptized. It is so exciting. 
       The miracles continue daily. I am so grateful as well for the Spirit that always sends us little thoughts that are actually promptings, and as we follow them, we see where he needs us. I am so thankful as well for my companion, who is so Christlike and patient with me. She is also very crazy. I will miss this crazy Filipina... Mom, she is like a mom to me. She is always cooking, cleaning, teaching me how to do things more effectively haha. She is special and will be missed. We'll see what this next transfer brings!
           I am so happy, and thanks again for all your birthday wishes. I am leaving the teens behind! Love you all.
                   Sister Andelin


August 16, 2015

Magandang hapon po sa inyong Lahat! 
 
Hello dear Family? How is the week!? The pictures are great! How fun to have  all the nieces, nephews and siblings around! :) Thank you so much for all your letters, emails and prayers.
          This week was fantastic, the C and M family was interviewed for baptism and they rocked it! :) And we celebrated their birthday with a fun family home evening. It was a one in a kind family home evening because our district president and his wife attended, and our MISSION PRESIDENT and his wife attended! I love them so much, I need to take a picture with them so you can see them. They are so good with the missionaries, and are always wanting to spend time with us, give us food, and joke with us. They are also hard workers, and we are seeing a lot of changes in the mission because of them.
      I was inspired this week during one of our exchanges. Sister B came and worked in my area. She is from Kiribati, a small island near Tonga and Fiji. When she came to the MTC, she didn't know any English or Tagalog. Even now, she still struggles with the language, but she is such positive, kind and strong person. I was really inspired by her conversion story. She is also an only member in her entire family, baptized in 2013! Straight to the mission. Wow. 
And in our exchanges we taught an older woman, and she told us that this blue house of their neighbor, there are mormons that live there, the M family. I didn't know that, so of course we went to investigate. When we came in, I recognized the old man who lived there with his kids and grandkids. This old man comes to church every sunday by himself faithfully. But I learned that he is very deaf, you have to yell in his ear for him to hear. And yet he comes to church weekly, he can't hear the songs, the speakers, anything. He apologized that he didn't attend priesthood, because he cannot participate. 
    After we left the house, I asked myself, why does that man go to church every sunday? He can't hear! And then it hit me... the Sacrament. That grandfather knew the importance of the sacrament.
     Here in the Philippines I have really come to love and appreciate and anticipate the sacrament. It is such a miracle that we can be forgiven of our sins, and receive the Spirit to be with us always. The Spirit is what sanctifies us and purifies us every week. It is our guide in every day. And because of the Atonement of Christ, the Spirit becomes available to us. I hope we can all consider and treasure our weekly partaking of the sacrament. 
        I love you all so much and have a fantastic week canning fruit and enjoying the cool sun! ;) 
      Ingat palagi
               Sister Andelin
Ad The beautiful aparri... this is the very top of the Philippines, the ocean. We went jogging early in the morning
Zone Activity

Still teaching piano lessons

 
Sagun family with sis Lucy and us... Cagayan river
Add One year party of Sister V