I love you all so much!!!!
Thank you so much for everything! I love you so much.
So no news about the fish :( but I think at this time things will start getting better. So this week we were not in Barra for about 4 days!!!!!! That was a killer! I don’t know what I am going to do when I have to transfer! I just love it so much! Anyway, the training was amazing! There is a new curriculum and it is completely inspired from the Lord! And I love it like crazy! We had training in the morning and worked in the night but we went to a different area and I got to work with Sister Spjute!!!!! An American, that is something I never thought I would experience not to mention she is pretty much one of my best friends in the mission! Side note: she is going to live with Sister Smith when she gets home, who lives in California, so when I am not at school we are going to hang out and that will be amazing. Okay enough of that! It was so great to work with her! Their area is so hard and it reminded me of Calamba and she said that she is struggling and I was so glad that I had my experience in Calamba so that I could really say I understand and I think it just made us both happy and positive as we tracted in her area. I think we both really learned a lot. The trainings in the morning were so spiritual and I just can’t get enough of the spirit that the Lord gives his missionaries! It is so amazing! I don’t know why he blesses me so much but I am thankful for it each and every day! I love the work and I know that there is no better thing to do than this! We also had a testimony meeting and the spirit was amazing once again and I can’t help but just beam with joy!!!! I love my Savior!!!!
Then we came home on Thursday night and as we walked the path back to our house on a cool night surrounded by palm trees I couldn’t help but feel at peace and be glad to be back to my island. Hehe I call it mine because I love it so much!!!! Then we worked in Talao Talao and everyone was busy but it gave us a chance to meet new investigators who are amazing!!!! I love it!!! ahhh! We also worked in Dalahican and Ranzohan and I just missed our investigators so much!!!!! Some people don’t like to say my or our investigators they say they are the Lords and that is true, we are all the Lords, but at this time he has allowed me to feel of his love for them and just like the Lord says that we are his they are mine not because of anything I have done but because of the love I have for them and I am proud to say that the Lord has allowed me to teach and love them! ahhh! This work is amazing! We also taught in Barra and we had so many branch missionaries work with us that we could split and it worked well and I think that we will be able to start splitting a little more to teach more people! I hate being away from my companion but I love that we can teach more people!!!! Awesome!
Then we had stake conference and president came so we were able to see him again which was awesome! And he gave one of our members a blessing and one of our investigators an interview! We all cried and the spirit was so strong and our investigator is so ready for baptism! I love that the Lord just softens the hearts of these people and I can be an instrument in his hands and reap rewards of the work of the Lord!
I also have a story, it was simple but it just built my testimony! One of our member’s Sister Remy told Sister Andrea that they would go together to church in Lucena, which is further away. So the night before I got a message from Sister Remy and she asked if she could work after so that they would have money because they wouldn’t be able to pay to go and come back from church. I asked her if she had enough to get to the church in the morning and she said yes. It is sad because everyone in Barra went together and the branch budget paid for it but the people in Dalahican need to go a different way so it was hard for them. So I told her if she could pay to get there I would help them get home. She said that she didn’t like that and didn’t want me to pay she would just work after. I told her not to and that the Lord would provide. I don’t know why I just promised so quickly not knowing at all what would happen. Then the next day we all went to church and as we were getting ready to leave I figured that I would just end up paying even if she didn’t like it. Then right before all the Dalahican members and investigators were about to leave we saw our branch president and he said wait let me give you money for all of them for the trip home!!!!!! The Lord did provide and it was so simple but it just made me realize he knows each one of us he knows our needs no matter how small and he wants to show us his love and his miracles if we just trust in him, sacrifice a little, and exercise faith he will do his part and we will see his hand in our lives!!!! I love it!
So about the baptisms last week! They were amazing and I can’t upload pictures but I will next week! It was so spiritual and exciting because it was in the ocean! We went on a boat and then we reached a part in the middle were the water was low and the sand was high and the boat got stuck; yet we were in the middle. So Brother Joshua, branch mission leader, gets a large wood stick to help push us out of the sand so we can start driving again, but he was the one who preformed the baptism so he was wet and as he pushed with all his might to get us unstuck, he slipped and fell into the water it was scary at first and then so funny after we knew he was okay. Then he and the boat driver got in the water, Joshua was already in the water and completely wet at this point haha, and they pushed the boat to the point that it would move freely in the water, it was an experience :) hehe. I love our branch everyone is so supportive and helpful in the work and with our investigators I love it! Especially the branch mission leader! I have had other branch mission leaders but they weren’t returned missionaries and we had to work really hard just to talk with them and get their help with baptisms but Joshua is a returned missionary and he is always ready to help the missionaries and our investigators, it is great and our branch president, President Suaybaguio is the same way! He even works with us! He is so helpful and really cares about the missionaries! Actually we have a lot of Suaybaguios in the branch and stake they are all family and amazing!!!! I love them. They have adopted me, but it is just a mission adoption! Don’t worry mom! I love you! Just as long as I am here they have treated me like family! I will take pictures of them all and tell you who each of them is, I love them! I love Barra! I love the members! I love our amazing investigators!!!! They are progressing so much and I know it is because of their open hearts and willingness to follow the Lord! I love you so much! I am so grateful that you have raised me with a love of the gospel and love of my Savior! Thank you!!!!
So one quick story and then I have to get going. I missed Barra so much when we were in Lipa, Sister Spjute's area, and the people that drove the tricycles and jeepneys were not very nice and thought we were so stupid because we were American, it was so sad! Then I went back to Barra and we went to ride a tricycle to Dalahican where we always ride and the tricycle drivers know us. And we had to ride on the side and all the tricycle drives that weren’t driving told the one that was drive to "be careful with our sisters" it was so cute! Even though they aren’t members all the people here are so nice and so loving and I am just full of gratitude that the Lord has allowed me to experience such love!!!!!!
I am so grateful for the message of the gospel because it is all about love, the love of our Father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ!!!!! I love the gospel and I love you all! I pray for you always! I might not comment on everything you say but I love it all and I miss you I think about you when you have a birthday and when you tell stories of the family I laugh and smile and it just warms my heart to know that even though we are far away you are still mine! Just as we are all the Lord’s he has given me investigators and he has given me you all and I am proud to call you mine! my family! I love you dearly!
With all my love,
Sister Andreasen
P.S. I am so excited for our upcoming baptism! The daughter and sister in law of Sister Remy!!!! yay!!!! I will tell more next Monday :)
No comments:
Post a Comment