Sisters Plain and Tall

Mga mahal ko,

Musta?!  Hope life is treating you well :)  It sure is giving me everything I need these days haha!  Sometimes good, sometimes bad!  First off I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas!!!  Looks like it's that time of year again....we sang 2 Christmas songs yesterday at church :) gotta love this place!  Tis the season.

So, let me just explain the subject line....My "roomies" and I had a funny conversation last night (which I've had before with lots of other sisters) about the Laoag Mission sister missionaries.....we are different from the other mission's sisters lol, let me explain!  We feel we are the haggard-looking sisters who don't take care of themselves haha...and we're not joking either, we look at pictures of the sisters from other missions and they are all cute and done up while we are the plain and simple ones....it's almost impossible here to keep yourself up, I don't know how they do it in other missions.  I guess most of the mission presidents wives teach the sisters how to wear makeup and look presentable, while we are just told to get to work!  No problem there, it's just funny that we all know it.  Definitely gonna appreciate myself more when I am home and can actually get ready for once and take longer than 10 minutes! 

As for my stomach....I don't feel nauseous anymore, but bloated....that's all the time.  I don't like to think about my health really.  I'm just gonna let that take it's coarse and worry about it when I get home!

That tatay who is 87 unfortunately didn't come to church yesterday, he went to his church, The Church of Christ, but we are still moving forward with him, I can see him fully accepting the gospel after he gains his own witness of the restoration.  I'm excited for him!  Another family I am excited for are the Tarampi's....they are a less active family and have been for a while.  We visited them weekly when I first got here up until sis Whitley was here but they weren't progressing :( They said they wanted to go to church (and live right next door to it) but weren't doing anything about it.  The dad would drink at night and their 2 sons were ashamed and it was always kinda depressing walking into their home.  Like hopeless.  Well, we stopped going there until 2 weeks ago I decided it was time to return and due to some current trials they were facing it looked as if they had been humbled and were ready to come back.....and they did!!!!  They went to church last week and when we visited them afterward, the whole mood of their house had changed, it was like night and day difference...they were all together and happy to have us over then they went to church again yesterday!!!  I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK!!!!  And please let me emphasize that this is NOT just for missionaries....I really urge you all to be involved more in the activation of others.  There is no greater joy than helping someone come closer to Christ and especially RETURN to Christ...

We had an AWESOME zone conference this last week and what really pressed upon my mind was just how powerful our influence really is on others.  Just by living faithfully the gospel principles that we are all aware of we can show others that this is important and we NEED to be obedient in order to receive God's approval.  We don't need to use words....just live it!  I like the saying "to know and not to do, is not to know"  Let us not be hypocrites, let us live what we know and what we are learning.  In this we will have a fullness of joy because we will experience the sweet promises of God.  I know it's a work in progress and change will happen little by little, let us not get discouraged but trust in the grace of God, not our own strength. 

I truly love you all and only want to see you receiving ALL the blessings of the gospel, let's do it together so we can rejoice together :)  Do you know the meaning of succor?  President said it means "to run to"  so when Christ is referred to as succoring us it means he is running to our aid when we need Him and call on His name.  I've no doubt about that, I can almost picture Him running, it's so beautiful.  They love us so so much, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. 

I challenge you all this week to pray for missionary opportunities....they are ALL around, do not let one pass you by.  All of our brothers and sisters deserve a chance to hear the beauty of the great plan.  Refer a friend or a family member to the missionaries....do not fear what their reaction will be, they will thank you later :)  And go out and WORK with the missionaries....they really need you!! 

Galatians 1:10  "For do I now ^apersuade men, or God? or do I seek to ^bplease men? for if I yet ^cpleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ"

Now let us go forth and serve GOD!!!

Love always,
Sis Carroll

And just a little scripture I seem to be applying quite well these days.......
Proverbs 28:25 "He that is of a ^aproud heart stirreth up ^bstrife: but he that putteth his ^ctrust in the Lord shall be ^dmade fat."

....at least I'm trusting in the Lord right?!