July 19, 2010

Patience is a Virtue

MABUHAY!!!
Haha, mom the weeks go by way fast for me too....so don't worry about writing me a few days late!  I can't believe that I leave 2 WEEKS from today!!!  We should be getting our flight plan this week!!  I am so so so excited, I just want to go talk to everyone in the Philippines!!  And I can't wait for the airport too, I want to pass out Books of Mormon and pass along cards haha, it will be so awesome to get out of this bubble!  So for Binabae...Tagalog really doesn't have any stresses, but if there were to be one for that word, it'd probable be been ah BAH a ??  My two fav missionaries names are Elders Christensen and Hand, they are going to Quezon City.  Only me and sis leanhardt and elder arrott (one of ben standage's friends) are going to Laoag.  That's good to hear that the mom likes my mission pres....let me know if she says anything else about my mission, me and sis leonhardt really want to know!  I am pretty sure that we will get to take a plane from manila to laoag!!  no 12 hour bus ride lol!  Um, I did not hear about the typhoon this week haha....if anything that makes me more excited ha!  I cannot wait to rough it in the jungles of the Philippines....minus the bugs, i really don't know how i'm going to hold up with that one!  So how are the wedding plans coming....so weird to ask that question!  And have you sent my package yet??  How's work coming for dad?  So have the kids got jobs yet?  Dad mentioned he talked to Bish Judd about having alec work for him.  And what's goin on with coco?  Getting ready for the big college life?!  I can't believe it's almost  August! 

So this morning we got to clean the temple--that was way cool!  The sister's job was to put together and clean the chandeliers....they are sooooo beautiful!!!  The new crystals all came from Italy, it was a really neat experience to see the behind the scenes of the temple!  The temple finally opens again next monday...I have missed it so much!!  It's like being away from home--I kinda know what that's like :) 
So the Tagalog has been coming along, I can't believe how much has been stuffed into my head in the last 7 weeks...hopefully it all comes out in the right way and at the right time!  Our lesson last thurs night was amazing!!  Again, we had to teach the first lesson in tag and it was to 3 ppl my age, which i thought was going to be awkward but it went so well, the spirit was so strong!  Only one of the guys spoke tag, the other 2 were just his friends so he would translate for them.  We were able to teach to their needs (all 3 of them, and they all had different beliefs in God) and I think they all responded well!  I get so pumped after doing that, it makes all of the struggles and hard times worth it!  This week we have to teach lesson 2 (plan of salvation)  which will be a little harder because our scenerio is a recently divorced family who drinks, but went to church and liked it.  haha, wish me luck!!

So let's see, what did I learn this week....my 2 comps and I had to give the lesson in our district meeting yesterday, it was on patience and i learned A LOT about patience that i really didn't think about before....first of all, Pres Uchtdorf's talk on patience this last conf is amazing!  And as I studied patience I was able to see how much it is related to hope.  If we are patient in things we are going through or with things we want, it means that we have a hope in what the future holds for us.  And if we aren't patient in our sufferings/hardships that is showing our Heavenly Father that the future isn't worth it or it's too hard and so we really don't have hope.  We can find joy in our trials and hardships because of how they help us to learn and grow (Romans 5:3-4).  We have so many great things in store for each one of us...both in this life and in the life to come, and if we can be patient through our sufferings and trials now, no matter how hard or long they are, the end is going to be that much better.  The Lord knows what we are going through, these trials we face are for our perfecting.  The purpose in this life is not just to make it back to God again and live with our families forever, it is to BECOME like God and if we give up at any sign of difficulty, we are not doing what we came here to do.  This earth was created for us to go through experiences and for us to be molded and shaped into the best possible versions of ourselves; we are here becasue we chose to come here, because we knew it was the only way to prove ourselves worthy to live forever in happiness.  I firmly believe with all my heart that we have a loving Father in Heaven who gives us many opportunities to work perfecting ourselves, He wants us to have ALL of the blessings that He has and so He WILL help us get there, just trust Him!!
Mahal ko kayo nang sobra!!!!!!
Sister Carroll

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