Feb 10, 2019

Week 18 - nobody uses tagalog numbers so I've kind of forgotten them 

It's getting hot again here in Tuguegarao. We find out who transfers where tomorrow. I'm now finished with my follow up training. As for the week:

Monday: We dropped Mike and Jocel which was really sad but we taught Lisel (a new friend) and she's pretty awesome. She wants to be baptized but her husband wants the kids to be baptized first- they're under the age of 8 ... we haven't been able to teach her husband because he's been gone but we read from Moroni 8 in hopes that she'll pass along the message. 

Tuesday: My companion and I planned an awesome FHE that FAILED miserably. We taught about baptism to a family of less actives and I was so excited for the visual aid. We had a container filled with water we added soy sauce as the sin and then said through baptism we are made clean again and used Bleach - these are the only things we have - and well the water didn't go quiet clear again. I poured just about half my bottle of bleach out. It was so embarrassing. And yes I had tried it before hand but it worked so well and I wanted a greater affect so I added more soy sauce and it ruined it all. This same day I opened my pringles can which was a treat I had gotten for myself the day before (American snacks are way expensive) I got the bigger can too and opened it to find it half empty. 

After writing about my Tuesday it just dawned on me theres a pattern this day that more is really less. And I need not be greedy about such things. 

Wednsday: Coorination day - kids here in the Philipinnes dress up as kings and princesses and there is a parade I don't know much more than that but it was awesome and a prince asked for my picture so I asked for his. 

Saturday: We went to a place we call "Narnia". I wrote about a place with a pool a few emails back and this is the same place. I came up with this name because its a super nice town hidden from everything else it's split by a chained gate nothing fancy and boom fancy. We tried contacting here and it went super well. I saw a guy in a Mariners shirt and told him how I was from Washington he didn't know much about the team but he and his wife invited us in and we shared a message and had merrienda. That night we ate with members and they had a turtle in a bucket attached to a rope attached to a Tricy. Wild. 

Spiritual Thought: (from my journal) 3 Ne 14:20 - by their fruits you shall know them. What are your fruits? Bannanas? Apples? what? and Why does it matter what fruits we bear? Our fruits are our works and by our works we will be judged. So make sure your fruist are delicious. Ne 15:33 Filthry fruits, filthy works can't dwell in the kingdom of God or the kingdom would be filthy. Elder Anderson said in a talk at the mtc (about the temple) "holiness to the Lord" holy means a place set apart for special purpose and nothing is of commonness. I felt these all connected. And I'm not sure what fruits are mine but I hope that mine are holy, that they're uncommon, and clean. My parents told me our thoughts turn into our actions so maybe where the seed of our fruits start is our mind - may we all try to be cleaner in thought and in action. 

Love and miss you all 

Feb 3, 2019

Hi family and friends! I'm on week 16 or 17 now, crazy!

We're hoping for a transfer this February 13 but we'll see if I'll be moved. 

Short time again, so here's a few shining moments this week:

- I ate chicken foot for the first time. Not worth the 5 pesos hahaha! No, it just tastes as one would imagine. Just like your finger and toe nails :) masarap! (Delicious)

- A girl sang over us during our opening song (we sing before each lesson), but it was the wrong tone/ tune so my companion and I were off the rest of the song. I had to stop singing to prevent myself from laughing. 

- We got 2 Part member referrals. 

- We lost our phone on a tricy but all is well. 

Spiritual thought:

I've thought a lot about prayer this week because, as a missionary, I pray often - imagine that! ;) 

And so sometimes I feel really repetitive and I'm sure Heavenly Father doesn't like the repetition just as much as I don't like the repetition. I read in PMG (Preach My Gospel) and here are some of my thoughts. Jesus Christ isn't the backup plan, He is the plan. Meaning we need to seek Him always. In PMG it says, "we pray as if placing an order". If prayer is only done in crisis it's selfish and we come to think of God as a repairman. I think of the saying, “it’s easier to prevent then to repent and repair”. That’s not exactly it, but just that it’s easier to be saved if we always have our life jacket on. We pray and read to avoid temptation.  See Alma 34:39, 3 Ne 18:15, Alma 31:10.

If we're praying and doing the things we're supposed to we're building our foundation on Christ and leaving no room for the tricks of satan. See Helaman 5:12. I encourage all of us to avoid "praying as a heathen" (idk where that reference is) and to be sincere in our prayers and studies. 

Love and miss you all, 

Sister Crawford