Conference and Training

Kumusta lahat!

Um, yeah mom I could say there is someone we need to pray for right now.....ME! Haha, found out today that I am TRAINING!!!! I am going to have a child :) Super excited, not that uneasy or nervous yet. I kinda felt it coming the last week. I am not sure if there are American sisters coming in this batch, if so that would be so exciting to train an American to help her get adjusted and not have a hard time like her nanay :) At the same time, very challenging if she is an American! Still not fluent in conversational Tagalog, just gospel related stuff. Also, all of my filipina comps have been the ones to cook cause I'm lazy and they love it......lots of experimenting if she is an American! It's almost impossible to make American food here (that i used to make at least) cause all you have is rice, meat and vegetables. We'll see how it goes! I am going to Laoag tomorrow morning for trainer's training and then Thursday night i will meet all the new arrivals and Friday morning President will pair us up and ship us back to our areas!! It's so exciting! I really really really hope I can be a good trainer and example to my anak (child). Please pray for me haha! Sister Casas is getting transferred completely, she is very sad--a bit like i felt 6 weeks ago. None of us are going to Magapit--so we worked there and rode around in a brand new Corolla for 3 days for no reason :) At least we had a Corolla... which only made me tired. I much prefer walking from house to house.

I am just loving being a missionary right now, can't really put it into words--actually I would love to use scriptural words and verses because they seem to capture the emotions I am feeling, a bit cheesy though if I use them as my own. Phrases like "rejoicing exceedingly" and "all the energies of my soul" stuff like that. Every fibre of my being is just filled with a desire to do this work. I sure have noticed it this transfer like none other! This week too has just been amazing, we are finding choice spirits and I literally feel direction and words given to me when I need them. I am not afraid anymore it's just the coolest thing! I just love life right now!
If there is anyone for you to pray for it would probably be Chari Atayde (uh-tie-day) she is ready to be baptized and has a solid testimony but lives with her not-yet-husband and they have a kid. They want to be married but there are so many problems with birth certificates and money right now. We need a miracle. She asks us every time we teach when she can be married and baptized!

That reminds me, the birth certificate thing here is nuts! Like everyone's birth certificate has a wrong name or spelling and it causes problems with marriage and baptism. The husband of Chari always thought his name was Glenford so that's the name he was baptized under....once he got his birth certificate, turns out his name is really Clifford......how in the world does that happen? So many things like that, it's crazy. Also, lots of cases of people being baptized and then not confirmed the next Sunday. What in the world?

Um, that is hilarious that you met the mom of Elder Hansen.....I seriously have to meet him when I get home just to tell him that we always read his emails and loved them and didn't even know HIM!!

And yes, I remembered our temple day!!! So exciting, one year!!! Gosh, I miss the temple so so so much! I think about it ALL the time and I am so grateful that I went 22 times before leaving cause the words and everything about it are like embedded into my brain, they always pop into my head! LOVED general conference....but then again, when is there a time that you don't?? It is so re energizing! I really like the talk by Elder Holland--gosh his words just go right into your soul, he speaks with such emotion. I also like the talk by Elder Bednar--we all need reminders of how the Lord really speaks to us, and that we are all normal! I wasn't able to hear or I guess fully understand the first 3 talks on Sunday morning--which included Elder Uchtdorf because, it was in Tagalog haha. At first I was super bummed when I heard the Tagalog and almost started crying because I NEEDED to hear their voices and wanted to understand. Then I realized that I was being selfish because of coarse I'm in the Philippines and what language do they speak?? Yeah, I was humbled and saw it as an opportunity to learn by the Spirit and not by the words. But after those 3 it switched back to English and I found myself wishing it was Tagalog....honestly.

So that is life over here, it's amazing.....so many blessings. I must encourage EVERYONE who is even considering serving a mission, to JUST DO IT!!! There is nothing greater. I remember back in high school there was no way I wanted to serve, I would rather do everything else in the world before going on a mission. I could now not imagine life without all I have gained here. There is no doubt this is the only true church on the earth.....and that is not being presumptuous, that is the truth. Only here will you find a living prophet, the gifts of the spirit, the Holy Ghost itself as a constant companion, and only here will you receive a complete forgiveness and fullness of joy. I know every word spoken at conference came straight from our God and through our obedience to the counsel we received we will be preparing a place for us in the highest kingdom of our Father.

Love you all and hope you consistently working on becoming who you want to become :)

Sis. Carroll