Week 44 - Quarantined!

HELLO! Sorry I wasn't able to email you this last week. Here's what happened:

Last Monday, my housemate Sister Cortes started to get these weird rashes/boils on her body and kept asking us what it was. Of course we have no idea, even after looking at our missionary health booklet. Finally on Saturday she went to the doctor and he told her it was chicken pox for the second time! She then called Sister Mangum.  Sister Mangum called the mission doctor and then she called us while we’re out proselyting and informed us that we needed to go home immediately and stay in our apartment, that we weren't able to leave for 5 DAYS because we had become exposed to Sister Cortes. Since chicken pox is an airborne sickness, we had to be quarantined for those 5 days. Sister Cortes and Sister Aquino stayed at the mission home quarantined, as well. Filipinos are really scared of this illness because a lot of them have died from it--they can't afford to have vaccines for it. :( 

WHAT THE HECK! haha... it was so weird! So no Church on Sunday or P-day on Monday. She told us we could hurry and buy enough food to last us for five days and then just go home. So Sister Dadivas and I went to the market and stayed put for 5 DAYS in our HOUSE! It was really rough at first, but I am so grateful for the time I had! I think Heavenly Father really answers my prayers because I had been praying for a chance to just rest a little after lunch or something because I was tired...I also had fasted that Sunday to continue to be the missionary Heavenly Father needs me to be and even though being at my one year mark, to work harder and be better. And then He answered my prayers a week later by giving me 5 days to rest. Haha! But the sweet thing is he answered my prayers again by giving me to burning desire to be his servant that I maybe had lost for awhile. How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father for that answer I received only one day after I had fasted for it.  

Lesson learned: Watch out for what you think you need/want cause Heavenly Father just might give it to you and teach you a lesson/chastening and then give you another blessing to let you know he still loves you! haha especially having a chance to see maybe what my life will be like when I come home... BORING! 

So I got to study PMG and the Bible and the Book of Mormon and watch church videos...  So that's my week. :) It was kind of rough not being able to teach though, especially because we have Alex our investigator preparing for baptism and we needed to move his date since we couldn't finish his lessons in time... At first I felt a little frustrated at this but that quickly went away and I felt so grateful for the time I had to study and wash my clothes and study again. Sister Mangum is so sweet and kept texting us everyday and called us a few times to see if we were doing alright, or still alive at least, haha. She's the best. We were able to go back out to work again this last Friday. That was a bit rough too because we had missed out on the labors in the vineyard for a whole week... That Friday when we rode our tricycle to our first appointment I was reminded of that feeling was like when I was a brand new missionary again, just arrived in the Philippines, and didn't know anything! 

Sister Marsha came to church this Sunday!! YAY!! Finally after like a month of invites she came. And when we went to go get her, we walked all the way to church through the busy market. I just loved it. I was so glad that she came and loved her first experience at church! 

Other than that, that's been my life for the past while. It sounds like the family is doing well! Especially a BIG thanks to the grandparents. I know that I don't always write them but I will write a letter this week and send it in the post next Monday. Tell them thank you so much for thinking and praying for me. I can feel them. :) I'm glad you’re all getting back into school and things. I'm a lot like you, Mom - I love schedule! But I don’t miss school one bit! Anyways, I'm happy and healthy and still alive don't worry! I'm so glad to be here and love being on the Lord's errand. I am so glad I've been a missionary for one year this Thursday!! Yay! I will let you know how that day goes next week. I'm super excited for it. :) But I’m even more excited to be a missionary for 6 more months. I want to do my best and give it my all. I'm grateful for Heavenly Father and his mindfulness of me. I know he knows me and loves me. I love my trials. I love learning to be patient. There's a great quote that I read this last week that says: "Consecrated sacrifice is the only sacrifice in which there is a victory." I really love it. I love it so much I put it on my study wall. That’s my scripture for you! Anyways, it's good to hear summer is over and starting back into school. I love you all so much!!! Have a great week again :) 

xoxo,
Sister Seastrand

The Santa Cruz Zone - Best Zone Ever!