Week 57

So this week we talked about eternal families this week in Sunday School. They talked about the role of the mother. I sat there with our investigator, JEN cause she CAME TO CHURCH!! :) With her 4 year old son, Noah. I just love them. Maybe it's cause we're the same age so we can relate, but it was so good to see her and teach her this week. She loves King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah. I love that she loves the Book of Mormon. ANYWAYS...As I sat there listening to our teacher talk about the role of the mother, I thought of Mom immediately. There's a quote by a Prophet who said, "The most important work will be within the walls of your own homes." It says in the proclamation about the roles of husbands and wives, and Mom, you have fulfilled your role! Who can put a price tag on a mother who not only builds her home but builds the kingdom of Heavenly Father at the same time? That just reminded me of you, Mom, and what work you have done in our home to make our house a home. The mother is such a big role and I thank you for being MY Mother. :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mom. I love you to the States and back to the Philippines. 3,000,000 times! :) haha.

I love you SO MUCH Mom. 

I'm trying to exercise and sleep and drink water---everything that helps me be healthy again. I really love and appreciate Sister Galbraith--she's great. She has really helped me feel better. But I endured my illness and it's weird because I felt myself grow a lot. At first I was really frustrated and felt really discouraged. But it was so nice to go back out and proselyte. It's really one thing that I will miss so very much when I return. Talking to people about the happiest message in the WORLD is my favorite thing. I love being obedient, and I love learning and reading the Book of Mormon. I love that I wear a name tag everyday and get to be a witness of Jesus Christ. I truly can feel His love for me. 

My week has been great! I'm back in the work and feeling great. A lot of rejection actually. But it's ok. I endured :) And I LOVE being a missionary! The WORK it's the one thing I missed, while being sick. I love going out every day and talking to people and being obedient and doing the work. I just want to give it my all. I'll never have this time back again. Actually, on Thursday we taught a referral from a member. The referral is a Born Again Christian and LET ME TELL YOU we spent 2 hours in that appointment. Mostly she wasn't listening and I was getting annoyed because I couldn't feel the spirit and I didn't know how to teach her according to her needs, (maybe cause the spirit really wasn't there). BUT she likes to speak English and I could feel a little frustration start to well up inside me. Sometimes as a missionary you just want to shake the person and say, "Look, this is true! Just accept it! It will only help you." But you can't do that. You can't lose your cool because if you do, you're not being a witness of Christ. We read Moroni 10:3-5 about praying to know if it's true, and she said she was sad because it said to ask in the name of Christ, not to ask in the name of Jesus Christ. LIKE, WHAT?! After reading those 3 powerful verses, that's all you get?! Come on! I started to speak in English and just testify of the truthfulness of the message and I could feel the power in it. Honestly after we left I just wanted to cry and same with Sister Rafi. 

And THEN to top it off...No one really has wanted to listen to us! We've had a ton of chances to talk with people on the street who are the same religion and they just keep rejecting us and telling us that they worship Jesus by dancing and holding their hands in the air. WEIRD! It was a way discouraging day actually and Sister Rafi and I just wanted to cry. But we realized that these were just trials and tests of our faith and diligence. I could feel my faith in Christ grow--and my desire to serve better grew, too.  Trials are so great! They are chances for us to learn and to grow to our full potential.

It sounds like the weather there is changing from the warm Fall to chilly weather, (and you're not complaining at all, Mom). I am not too excited about the thought of coming home to snow, myself! AH! The weather here is still nice and warm and cooling off with typhoon season coming. We've had no effect from typhoons so far, so that's nice. We are so blessed like you said.

I know that what I am doing is truer than true and I love the blue book aka the Book of Mormon. Read it sometime, eh? :)  Heavenly Father just helps us reach our potential when we obey and trust Him. I miss you all and I can't wait to see you again, but I know I'm here for a reason. It's so important what I'm doing. And I don't get a second chance. So I gotta give it my all. :)  Let's all keep enduring to the end. Love you all.

xoxo,

Sister Seastrand