Maligayang Tanghali!!

(Happy Noon!)

Elder Tabbilos, My district leader and favorite

I have so much to say but I have no time.  This week has seriously been incredible.  First off, we had zone conference on Wednesday and it was so incredible.  I absolutely loved it.  The spirit was so strong and I left ready to become the best missionary that I can.  Unfortunately, President Peterson couldn't be there.  We were all surprised that he wasn't there because he would never miss for ANYTHING.  But apparently, the day before he was at another zone conference and he gave his talk and then sat down and threw up in a bowl in the conference.  He woke up planning to come to ours but was not physically able.  Our district leader said he is in the hospital so we are all pretty worried about him.  We'll see...

Anyway, we talked more about how to become a consecrated missionary, and our training focus right now is getting our investigators to come to church. 

We talked about the significance of the sacrament and what it actually represents, and I feel like that sacred ordinance will never be the same for me.  Of course, we go to church to learn and fellowship, but the apostles have said that Sacrament meeting is the most important meeting in the church.  We talked about what it truly means as we partake of that little piece of bread and water.  Siemprye we are symbolically partaking of the blood and body of Jesus Christ, and as we partake, he becomes a part of us.  We take His name upon ourselves.  The more that I have pondered about it, the more I have realized that as we partake, we commit to align our will with his.  The Atonement: at-one-ment.  As Jesus Christ atoned for us, he was aligning His will, with the will of the father, as we too much align our will with His.  We are constantly striving to become one with Him, in our desires, our thoughts, and actions.  Our leaders challenged us to pause before we stick that piece of bread in our mouth, and really think about the covenant we are making.  Really consider how it renews our baptismal covenants, and what we must do to make sure we are worthy and clean to partake.  It is all one eternal round.  So I challenge you as well, think a little bit more about the sacrament before you partake this week.  What it means for you and your relationship with the savior.

Zone Conference - I absolutely loved it!

Earlier this week we were walking and ran into this sister.  She was so prepared.  Her and her husband have been really searching for the truth and we had an incredible lesson.  Ahhh I'm so sorry I have no time!!!

We also had a similar experience last night as a member worked with us and so we are excited about them.  I will follow up with you.

Jason is getting baptized this Saturday!!  Marylin will be waiting two more weeks because she is still a little confused about the doctrine, but it is ok because we really want to make sure she is prepared.  And by that time, Jason will have the priesthood and be able to baptize her.  So excited!

I'm sorry, no time, but I love all of you and you're all in my prayers.

Ingat po.

Sister Rasmussen!

Magandang Tanghali!!

Family!

Well, I am sitting in a computer shop and it is pouring outside, but I am sure that this is nothing compared to the raining season.  This is only my second real rainstorm here so far... but I love it. I actually love the rain.  I don't know why, but it is just sort of calming to me.  Plus it cleans out all the smog from the air.

 I Love the weather here.

I also experienced my first... umm....ash storm?  Some might have thought it was snow, but no... it was pure ash.  Haha Sister Ott and me went out to run a couple mornings ago and ash was just falling from the sky.  I think that someone was burning their garbage or something far away but the wind carried it over into our subdivision.  Pretty crazy! 

To answer your questions, we have a refrigerator and a stove.  That's it.

We have a nice shower with a shower head but it is just cold.  I have gotten used to that though, and it makes it easy to take quick showers :) 

Haha and the next morning we went out and our neighbors had a giant tent set up in front of their house... I thought it was for a wedding or something.  It had bows and flowers everywhere and they invited us over for lunch later that day.  We asked for what occasion and they said it was their 7 year old's birthday party!!! Haha crazy.  So as we were finishing up our comp and language study we could hear the birthday song playing over and over, so we went for our lunch hour and it was so extravagant! I couldn't believe it.  Haha they had sooo much delicious food and this huge display of their daughter with all of these beauty shops, adorned with little sausages on sticks that had pink marshmallows on top and bottom.  So funny.  We figured it would be a good place to meet some people and OYM (open your mouth).  We made a card for the little girl and she was sitting in this chair with the biggest poofiest purple dress you have ever seen and make up on.  Haha she looked a little bit uncomfortable.  Anyway, we were grateful to be able to meet some of our neighbors, and have free food of course, but I could not believe how elaborate of a party for a 7 year old. 

This is in Noble, a subdivision where a lot of members are and I just thought those chairs were ridiculous so I hurried and had Sister Hingano take a picture of me in them.  They were just in some random person's yard so I hope that they don't care:s they were just outrageous!!!  

There is so much poverty here, but we do live in a nice subdivision and it's interesting to see the contrast.  It's those same neighbors that let us go and pick malungay from their tree, this nutritious, vegetable/leaf that we make in a soup with vegetables and ginger.  So delicious:)  We also found out that the bakery is moving that was right by our house, so we are a little bit sad about that.

As for our work in the area it is going well.  We have really built a good relationship with the members, which is crucial, and I just love the people here.  Jason and Marylin are getting married on the 28th and so we are excited about that.  Jason's brother Jerry and his girlfriend Rodelyn want to get baptized as well, but they need to get married first so it will take some time. 

 Last night, we had a cool experience where our tricycle driver, as we were getting off and paying him... he just randomly said, "Can I ask a question?  What if I were to die tomorrow?  Where would I go?"  Haha so perfect.  I had a plan of salvation pamphlet with me and so we explained a little bit and we are meeting with him tonight to share our message.  It is crazy to see how the Lord will put people in our path, and us in their path.  It really is His work.

 the Cantos family

I have learned so much this week about how we need to become.  As a missionary, I really need to apply the things that I am teaching.  I decided this week that the first Christ-like attribute that I really want to work on is charity.  Charity never fails.  It is the true, most purest form of love, true Christ-like love for others.  I know that I have a long way to go, but I really want to develop it.  When we have true charity, there isn't room for pride or selfishness.  It doesn't seek her own. 

Sister Ajeda and me, she is one of the members who is so active and istig!!! We are really trying to reactivate her husband and one of her son's girlfriend is our investigator.  Her name is Baby Ajeda.  I love her.  Super sweet and always willing to work with us.

Being on a mission, it seems like your weaknesses become glaringly obvious.  But I am just so grateful for this time that is set apart, so that I can truly try and become.  Surely it takes a whole life time, with consistence, to make those big changes.  But I am grateful to get a start.  I know that charity is a gift from God.  We must constantly ask for it in prayer, and through our faith in Jesus Christ we can become.

We all know these scriptures but I just love them. 

Mosiah 7:45-47.  Charity never faileth:

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is 

not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; 

and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

 Anyway, I love you all and miss you and nagaasa ako that all is well.  You're always in my prayers.

 Ingat po.

Mahal na mahal na mahal na mahal kita.

Sister Rasmussen

Minamahal na aking pamilya, Kumusta po kayong lahat?

(My beloved family, please Hello all of you?)

This week has been good but the days seem to blend into one another and I don't really know where to start.  A couple fun facts: I found out that my birthday is Independence day here in the Philippines so that will be fun to see how they celebrate.  Apparently they love to play with fireworks - mensan makakakilabot ito.  

They also have the most delicious bread here.  We live in this quiet neighborhood but a street over they make the most delicious bread so sometimes we will go buy it for lunch or something like that.  I will definitely miss that when I get home.  Well actually, I am hoping to learn how to make it before I go home.  They also have these little chocolates called haney's that are my guilty pleasure.  It's basically just like ground up peanuts and chocolate.  I will have to send some home to you.  

The snacks here are so funny, and everything you eat is packed with MSG.  I don't know what kind of effect that is having on me but hopefully nothing too serious.  I think that I already told you this, but we have to burn our garbage every week.  And this week, I decided to hire one of our investigator's to wash my clothes because she offered to do it for basically $1 and it would save a lot of time so we'll see how it works out.  

We also got through our first Transfer Day with no transfers in our apartment.  We were so grateful.  I love all of the sisters in my apartment so much and I am so grateful for them.  I know that it won't always be like this so I need to enjoy our friendship while I can:)  

Sister Ott is so funny – we have the same sense of humor.  Sometimes we will speak in Tagalog to each other, but speak in a New Jersey accent (you know that is my favorite…)

Last night, I woke up at 4 am. And was scared because I was half asleep and everything is enhanced when you’re half asleep.  But I heard some running and chewing noises and I thought there was a mouse in the cupboards in my room.  We turned on the light and looked and couldn’t see anything and I was still freaked.  We turned off the lights and got back in my bed but my leg touched my alarm clock and I thought it was the mouse and I screamed and jumped in my companion’s bed.  Then I just started laughing my head off because I knew that I was being so ridiculous.  Luckily, I didn’t wake up our house mates. 

We get our chicken and pork from the market and it is the SKETCHY-est looking place ever.  Full pig legs hanging from the ceiling and blood everywhere.  We asked about some of the pork we were buying and he killed the pig that morning so I mean it is really fresh.... haha but still it just looks really gross.  But maybe it is more fresh and safe than the meat in America?

Last Saturday, we went to this big Relief Society activity in Lipa with one of our investigators and it was CRAZY.  Magulo.  So many women haha and it was just crazy.  Very different from the activities at home.  They had all the wards stationed around the walls and so much food haha but you could hardly move because there were so many women and chairs everywhere.  We also had to go after our studies in the morning so we didn't get to try much food but it looked fun.  Then afterwards they had all of these funny games but the host was speaking really loud and fast in the microphone directing people around and so I was pretty much lost the whole time.  But, our investigator seemed to have fun for the most part.

As for my language, everyone keeps telling me they are impressed with how much I can say but I know that I still have SO MUCH to learn.  Haha but it will just take time.  And the thing is, I feel like I can say most everything I want, but to fully understand people.  That is my problem right now.  But I will continue being diligent and try and have faith.  I know it will come.  I can feel the gift of tongues in effect though because I am so surprised with myself remembering some words.  I have seen how it has helped my memory, but it is up to me to work and learn the language first.  But it is fun, and I have learned to love this language.

We are excited for Jason and Marylin.  We went to the municipial with them on Thursday and they have everything squared away so they will get married on the 28th and baptized the following week.  They are really excited and I can see the change that has happened with them.  

Also, this last week we got punted and so one of the members said we check out some apartments by her store.  We met Loida and she told us that she was Born Again and wasn't interested in another religion but she still invited us in.  She let us share a message with her and surprisingly accepted a baptismal date.  She asked US if she could come to church, which is unheard of here.  That is the hardest commitment to keep - coming to church.  Anyway, one of the members picked her up and everyone was so good about fellowshipping.  She had a really good experience and said that she wants to come with her husband next week.  Anyway, I have just realized how important it is for the members to work together with the missionaries.  Without a fellow-shipper or friend, it is almost impossible for them to progress.  And I also realized that no matter what they say, you just can't judge a book by its' cover.

The work is going well and I am becoming more and more aware of my inadequacies but I know that over time I can overcome them through Jesus Christ.  I feel like Alma 26:11-12 represents how I feel right now in this work.  I love these people so much.  They are so humble and loving and just a beautiful people.  Despite how tired I may be, I just feel happy waking up in the morning.  I am learning so much and I am so so grateful for this opportunity.  I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't made the decision to come.  Thank you for your support.  Love you all.

Sister Rasmussen

Sister Ika, Me, & Sister Ortiola

 We go to the Lipa stake center for our district meetings which is about 45 minutes away.

Elder Wooden & Me.  We have been together since the MTC

Elder Pulido, Elder Tabbilos, Sister Ott, Me, & Elder Sinilong

In the pictures I am sending today you will see a pink shirt.  I bought it from this ukai-ukai in Lipa which is like a thrift store but they have sooooo many clothes.  It was almost overwhelming.  I got it for 100 pesos which is about $2.50?  Haha so good deal

Love Sister Ras

Random Posts

This was a FHE at Sister Parico's house and there was one investigator there.  It was the investigator's birthday.  

 

We played this funny game trying to illustrate obedience.  They turned off all the lights and had us standing in a circle all holding on to a plate.  On the bottom of the plate was charcoal and we didn't know.  Then he gave a set of instructions that we were supposed to obey where we would spin the plate around and then grab our nose and touch our cheeks.  Anything he said to do we did.  Then we turned on the lights and there was black stuff all over our face.  So funny.  And we had delicious food there!  Sometimes delicious food is few and far between.

This is at Jane Rose's baptism.  She has been going to church for 5 months (when you are under 18 you have to be going consistently for at least 5 months) and she lives in the other sister's area so they baptized her.  It was really sweet and a good motivation for me to keep working.  

Jane Rose & Sister Dicen

Sister Hingano, Me, Sister Ott, & Sister Dicen

Me & Sister Hingano 

Hello po!!!

How are all of you?  This week has had its' ups and downs but I am so grateful that I am here.  There is so much work and service to be done and I know that there is no other time in my life when I could completely dedicate myself to the Lord.  I can't believe how much I have learned the past couple months (with the gospel and the language, and just about myself..)  And did you know that next week I will have been on a mission for three months?  Crazy to think about.

Anyway, earlier this week we taught the Cantos family (which is one of my favorite families that we have been working with, that we have been reactivating) and their daughter who is about 4 was sooo sick.  She was just throwing up and lying sprawled so weak.  The next day we asked the bishop if they could go and give her a blessing but they had already gone to the hospital, which they didn't want to do that because they have no money.  They have 10 kids.  We asked the bishop if he could go and give her a priesthood blessing.  He didn't ask any questions and went with a couple of other priesthood holders to their house - which is pretty far away and across rice fields - but the daughter had already gone to the hospital and so they went directly there.  Apparently she had parasites.  The family was so grateful.  After four days, she was ready to leave but they literally didn't have any money.  So once again we contacted the bishop and he didn't hesitate.  He went there right after work and made sure they were taken care of.  He helps people all the time with his own personal money too if they can't come to church or are in need.  He is such an example to me of consecration, and I hope to become as selfless as him.  

Anyway, they were so grateful and as we have been visiting them, I can see how their testimonies have grown so immensely.  The father powerfully shared his testimony to us about how he knows that this is the only true church on earth and how grateful he is for that knowledge.  We have been teaching their son and his girlfriend.  They are so ready for baptism and have agreed to get married on the 22nd and to be baptized on the 29th.  Jason and Marylin.  They are so funny and fun to teach and I have been amazed as I have seen their feelings towards the gospel change.  Keep them in your prayers so that they will keep their commitments.

We also started to teach their other son and his girlfriend.  Apparently he used to be a big trouble maker but I can just see in his eyes how his feelings are changing.  And they all came to church on Sunday.  The ward was very grateful.

We have found a couple part member families, which is what our mission is focusing on (they are the low hanging fruit) and so we are excited to start working with them.  It is also good when the part member are less-active so that we can reactivate and baptize at the same time.  Every time we teach the first lesson, I usually recite the first vision and I am almost in tears every time.  The spirit is so strong and I am so grateful for the restoration.

  

We are also working with Jesus - the one I met on the tricycle.  He is so interested but his wife is not.  So we are trying to figure out how to soften her heart.  And there are a lot of other part member families that we are working with.

Earlier this week we were doing a little bit of tracting before going home and I felt impressed to go down this street.  So we tried talking to this family and they were very cold.  Haha I just started to think that it was my own thoughts.  And right when we turned around, we heard this boy call out to us and said he was a Mormon.  Haha he was inactive and we got two referrals from him.  The spirit works in mysterious ways.

Sister Hingano has been sick and she is always ready to work, but on Thursday she had a really high fever and threw up 4 times.  The district leaders came to give her a blessing and told us that we need to stay home.  It was the longest day of my life hahah but I am glad that she is better now but it made me grateful to go out and work the next day.  

Me & Sister Hingano

She was so cute though.  I took care of her throughout the day and made sure she kept taking her temperature and getting food and stuff and she said, "Thank you for taking care of me.  To be honest with you, no one has cared for me like that except for Jesus Christ."  That was super extreme haha but it made me feel good that I could help her.  It made me sad to think how spoiled I am with my amazing parents.  I have taken it for granted.  There are many people who did not grow up with my same background.  But I am glad that I could help her a little bit.

I have been getting lots of questions about what I am eating haha: As for the food, it is getting better as I am finding the different things that I like.  I am like the least picky one in our apartment which is funny to me.  But we always cook lunch together which is nice.  Sister Dicen has taught me how to make this cooked vegetable soup thing which is soooo good and it has ginger in it.  I love it!  And we have been eating papaya with calamence on it, which is kind of like a lemon or lime? So delicious.  

My companion and me usually go to seven eleven and get ice cream there.  It is the best!  I don't think I will ever get sick of rice either.  And I think I will eat it a lot more when I get home haha.

A broom I found at the church

I have seen a couple big spiders but they honestly didn't scare me.  I have seen a couple huge cockroaches and had no problem killing them.  Maybe Heavenly Father is giving me help with that haha.

We have to burn our garbage every week.  It's crazy.  There is always so much pollution.  Hopefully I don't come home with lung cancer. Haha Sister Ott and me always joke that none of these cars would pass the emissions test at home and everyone burns their garbage.  It's the worst.

Sister Hingano, me, Sister Ott, & Sister Dicen

In my district I love both my district leader and Elder Tabbilos.  They are both Filippino but just really sweet and Elder Tabbilos is so funny.  Whenever we practice teach he says his name is like Taylor Swift or Jason Mraz.  Super funny.

My District

The mission home is so far away it will be VERY RARE that we ever go there.   I feel close to my Mission President and his wife though.  They are the best.  I really do love it here.  

I just love the people here so much.  They are so kind and humble.  I don't know if I told you this story already but I was on the jeepnee and I was talking to this young girl and I just told her that I like her earrings and she just took them off and gave them to me.  Haha crazy.  They are sooo much more selfless than I am and are great examples to me.  I am so lucky to get to know them. 

Honestly, you would probably die if you saw how poor these areas are.  It seems normal to me though?  I don't know how to explain it.  But I feel safe.  I haven't felt unsafe once yet so that's good:)  I try and pay attention to the spirit and be smart about it.

My favorite people include Sister Corachea ahhh she is the best.  She feels like she is my mom.  She is a "pioneer" of Rosario which means she was one of the very first people to be baptized in the area without any fellowshipping or anything.  She truly is incredible.  I also love Sister Ajeda and we're working with her son and his girlfriend to try and get them married and her baptized.  Sister Ajeda is super tiny but super sweet.  I love our bishop and his wife. He has only been a member for 8 years and a president (now bishop) for almost 5 years.  Nuts but he is amazing.

I study the English Book of Mormon but I use both in proselyting.  And I am memorizing scriptures in Tagalog.  Sometimes I pull out the English and Tagalog one when we read in a lesson so I can look at the English for reference and make sure I know what it is talking about.  

I love all of you and I hope everything is going well at home.

CONGRATULATIONS HALEY NEEDS!!!! You dirty dog.  I am so happy for you.  You better send me pictures and the whole story.  Ahhh I knew that it was going to happen soon.

Love you all.

Sister Rasmussen

Mapagmahal na minamahal na pamilya? Kumusta po kayo lahat??

(Dear loving family? Hello all you please?)

Sister Hingano & Me

Well this week hasn't been extremely eventful but I have learned some important lessons.  On Wednesday, we had our training check up, which means that I have been here for a month.  So nuts.  I got to see everyone from my batch and everyone from the MTC which was super fun.  Everyone is doing well and I am just so lucky to be here.  

Afterwards the President bought us all lunch at this really good Pilipino place and we got mango smoothies - to die for.  I know I am going to miss those mangos so much

Left & Clockwise:  Me, Sister Dicen, Sister Hingano, & Sister Ott

Sister Temwaaka called and it was so funny.  First, Sister Ott comes down the stairs and says... uhhh Sister Rasmussen I think your companion from the MTC tried to text you.  Then she called and I get on the phone and she half says half yells..."Rasmussen!!! What your birthday?  I forgot!!"  Haha it was so funny.  I talked to her and told her I missed her but told her that it was not allowed for her to call me like that.  She said ok and hung up. Haha it was so funny.

Me, Sister Ott, Sister Dicen & Sister Hingano

  I loveeeee all of my housemates.  Sister Dicen is so sweet.  She is this little Pilippino.  Literally... literally weighs 85 pounds.  She is just so sweet and humble.  And then her companion is Sister Ott who is fun and helps me to be myself. 

Sister Hingano & me getting a treat

But I just love my companion.  She is so humble and patient with me.  I think that our biggest strength is teaching.  Sometimes, plans change and we have to wing it but we really know how to listen to one another, follow the spirit, and work together.  I love her.  The weather has been super nice.  It barely rained once and it hasn't been too hot but I know it will warm up as time goes on.  I really do love that.

Sunday we normally study an hour before church, go to church. Talk to the bishop, come back, study, make lunch, and go out for work.  It's my favorite day:)  I love it. I play the piano every Sunday and sometimes it is soooo bad hahahaha but I know they appreciate it and it is fun to practice.  I think that I am getting a little better.

Burning garbage !?!

P-days are Monday.  We clean our apartment, it's the first thing we do and I actually like doing it.  It's nice to have a clean apartment.  We normally clean, study, go to buy groceries, e-mail, and come back to relax a little bit.  There aren’t really any places to go and hike around here.  But we did get to go hiking with our zone last week.  So fun.  Then we are out the door by 6 to work.  We have to be back by 7:30 or 8 at night because it is unsafe for girls to be out longer than that.

 

 As far as the food goes, I don't have too much variety right now.  My housemates and I cook like a chicken and veggie stir-fry every day for lunch with rice.  I eat oatmeal and fruit for breakfast.  And we don't usually get dinner because we are working.  We might make eggs or something.  

No one in the ward really feeds us so for the most part we are on our own.  We get our cash the first day of every month out of an ATM.  It is pretty slick.  

Right now, we are waiting in a GINORMOUS line to pay our electricity bill. Anyway, since the line is so long, we figured that we would come and e-mail while we were waiting.

Street in Rosario

  What people told me about the mission is true:  The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days.  But I love it.  As hard as it is sometimes, I am so glad that I am here.  I can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't decided to come.  

Sister Reed & Me

I have learned so many important lessons already and as I said before, I just LOVE the scriptures.  You can get so much out of them no matter how many times you read them.  I have promised myself that I will never stop digging in the scriptures for the rest of my life.  I have also realized the importance of prayer.  But the biggest thing that I learned this week is the power of the enabling power of the Atonement.  I was aware of this before, but I think that I was going about it the wrong way.

I think that I have said this before, but the atonement has three purposes: for the resurrection, to cleanse us of our sins, and to help us become saints.  That last purpose is what has resonated with me this week.  In Mosiah 3:19 it says that we must put off the natural man and "...becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, (and this next line is what I would like to emphasize) willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

So in order to become a saint, we must be willing to submit to everything that the Lord sees fit to give to us.  We are going to have trials whether we are good or bad.  But to become a saint, we must be humble and submit, and through the atonement, Christ gives us the strength to overcome the trials than we could have with our own capacities alone.  

For me, of course the mission is going to be hard.  Siyempre.  Of course it will be difficult to learn the language and to become the kind of teacher that I hope to become.  It will be hard to face rejection and to watch those you love refuse to keep their commitments or go against the Holy Ghost.  But through the atonement, we can receive the strength to bear the things that are hard with ease, with grace.  And as we align our will with God's, we come out even stronger, more faithful, and knowledgeable than before.  Even in the very first verse of 1 Nephi 1.  Everyone always emphasized that he was born of goodly parents, but if you go on in the verse, he said, "...and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days."  Surely Nephi faced many trials his entire life, yet he had so much faith in the Lord and His atonement and could still see the blessing in his life and how he was highly favored.

Anyway, I hope this is making any sense and it is impossible to explain all of the thoughts and impressions I have had this week, but I just want to say that this life is hard.  It is supposed to be hard.  And we really can't do it on our own.  We have to admit that we just can't... that we are nothing without Jesus Christ.  We cannot put our trust in the arm of the flesh.  As we have faith in Christ's atonement, he can give us the strength that we need to endure and ultimately become a saint.  Continue to become better and better.  

Elder Bednar's talk "In The Strength of the Lord" talks all about this and it is amazing.  All of you should read it:)

me and the Tumampo family and their friends.  They are inactive and we are trying to work with their kids to get baptized but there isn't much progress.

Anyway, I don't have too much to say about this week but I am just so filled with gratitude.  I am so grateful to be here, to be pushed, learning, and grow.  I know that there will be no other time in my life when I can fully give myself to the Lord.  I am doing my best but once again, I know that I can't do it without His help.  My dad said in a letter "You could be doing anything you wanted right now and you chose to serve the Lord".  I just need to remind myself of that when things get hard.  I have chosen to serve the Lord and I must give everything that I have.

The Trikes we ride in

As for the people we are working and things are going well.  We met with Jesus - the man I bore my testimony to on the tricycle and he was taking everything that we said to heart.  The spirit was so strong.  He said that he needs to talk to his wife about it but wants us to teach his whole family.  We are teaching him tomorrow and praying that she will be accepting and it will work out.  We are still working with two couples that need to get married.  One has everything set in place and I think they will be baptized by the end of the month.  They have been through 3 sets of missionaries, but it just shows that timing is everything.

We are also doing a lot of activation.  That is the biggest problem here - so many less-actives.

I love you.

Mahal ko po kayo lahat.  Ingat po.

Love, Sister Rasmussen