Called to Serve in the Philippines: WEEK 71: "BAGONG TAON, BAGONG BUHAY, BAGONG ASAWA!"

HELLO!!! I HAVEN'T EMAILED YOU ALL SINCE LAST YEAR!!! IT'S BEEN SO LONG!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA

I love New Year because I love all the jokes that you can make. I've been saying all these New Year's jokes to the Filipinos and they just laugh and laugh because people don't joke like that over here. Hahaha love it.

"NEW YEAR. NEW LIFE. NEW WIFE." - Said by our Recent Convert that is like 60 years old and on his 3rd wife. His name is Lindo. This is the man that had the sore knee last week that I was talking about. Hahahahaha yeah we laughed SO HARD. Then he told me since I'm going home soon, 2015 will be my year to get married. Hahaha oh man. Good times.

Well this week was good as always. Full of lots of food, exchanges, some family history, lots of jumping pictures, and sharing the Good Word of course. I just love my life.

On New Year's, we had a breakfast appointment, two lunch appointments, and two dinner appointments. Filipino's are extremely hospitable and really love feeding people. Works out great because I love eating the awesome food they prepare so basically its a match made in heaven.

This week we also had the opportunity to attend a really cool family home evening with a really awesome and strong family in the branch that I admire so much. They are all members, and their father is still pretty young, but his body is suddenly getting really really weak and he was really close to losing his life this week. Well, one of his requests was to have a family home evening with all the missionaries in the branch. So we got permission from our Mission President, and were able to all attend. The Spirit was so strong in there. They are a type of family that just by being around them, you are just strengthened. They bore strong testimony of the Plan of Salvation, about the great plan that Heavenly Father has for each and every one of us. That there is hope for eternal life. As I listened to then, I tried to put myself in their shoes and I honestly really felt like I couldn't do it. See someone that I loved so much go through so much pain and getting closer and closer to passing away, and through this families tears, they all bore such powerful testimony of the gospel. I am grateful to them for giving me a "big picture" perspective and helping me see how much we can really trust in the plan of our loving Heavenly Father.

#NEWYEAR
"Old things are done away, and all things have become new. Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." 3 Nephi 12:47-48

Christ is perfect. Our Heavenly Father is perfect. The gospel is perfect. Every day is a New Year if we are living the gospel. "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behaviors." Let the gospel change us!

This week we had a really cool experience with our investigators. We taught them about the Restoration and asked them at the end to pray about it to know. She said yes, then she said, in the sweetest voice, "Sister, I know it's true. I just feel it. It's true. All you are saying is true."

Everyone, life is so good. The gospel is what we all need, whether we realize it or not. Let us apply it every day of our lives!

I love you all. I love this work. Let us make 2015 the best year yet!!!

Nagmamahal,

Sister Ray-ah-two-gee

(they just really can't say my last name here hahahaha)

pictures:

Tatay Lindo.

#exchanges. LOVE SISTER ERICKSON.

also love this family. The Jeramos family!

#jumpshot

#familyhistorynight with Melfa!