"Fruits of repentance"
Family!!
Oh
my goodness.... 1) I have learned so much this week.. 2) We have been SO
BLESSED in our work.
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| Me & Sister Martinez |
Before
that, you have all been asking me to share more about my companion. She
is 1 of 7 and is the 6th child. Her parents are converts and are super
strong in the church. She always wanted to serve a mission and had to
wait about 9 months to be able to come out. (Sisters who want to serve a
mission let their bishops know their intentions and have to wait 9 to 12 months
before getting their call). She is super sweet and happy and funny and
one of the most humble people ever. She is adjusting amazingly and I am
the one learning from her. She has such a desire to fulfill her purpose
and I know that she will work lots of miracles. I truly am so blessed as
a trainer. We love cooking together and like lots of the same
foods. I have learned how to make a lot of good Pilipino foods from her:)
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| "Our new Senior couple, Elder & Sister Cranstons. They are soo funny. I feel really close to all the couple missionaries out here - they all kind of feel like my grandparents/parents." |
Ok
so at the beginning of the week... I actually wasn't doing so great. I am
a little bit embarrassed from this experience, but I still want to share.
There was someone in my house who was continually making rude comments to me
and Sister Martinez and I was letting it get to me. I was letting it get
to me and sort of letting my emotions take over. I would just dwell on
the things that she said or did and started to just think really negatively
about her. I became critical and judgmental of her. It
was the first time on my mission that I really felt like this. I felt
like I had no charity, and even though I was being civil to her and wasn't
showing it in my actions, inside I was only thinking badly about her.
Anyway, I could hardly feel the spirit at home and was having a hard time
following the spirit in our work.
Thursday,
the Sister Training Leader's came for exchanges.
Thursday was
my 9-month mark and a day of many epiphanies. That morning as I was
studying I kept feeling impressed to study Moroni 7, one of my favorite
chapters in the Book of Mormon. I realized that I was only being selfish
and prideful which left no room for charity,
"which
is kind, envieth not, and is not puffed up, and seeketh not her own, is not
easily provoked, thinketh no evil.." (Moroni 7:45)
These are some of my favorite verses and I wasn't applying
them. I realized that as I didn't forgive her, the greater sin was only
on me.
My
anger started turning to godly sorrow and I knew that I would need to just communicate
with this sister, even though that was the last thing that I wanted to
do. Sister Balcita, the sister training leader, and also the most humble
and christ-like person I have ever met, shared an experience she had while at
missionary leadership conference. She said that a zone leader corrected
her sort of rudely in front of everyone. At first she was embarrassed and
offended. Afterwards, she had the impression to go and actually thank him
for doing that. It was the last thing she wanted to do. But she
approached him, and thanked him for correcting her. She said she
immediately felt peace and comfort and her relationship with him is even
better. That feeling is the spirit testifying to us that what we do is
pleasing to the Lord. Sometimes it is after doing something that we
absolutely dread doing, but we know is right. To me... that is
repentance. To give up our will, no matter how big or small, for the
Lord's. And when we do that, we truly have so much more peace and joy in
our lives as the spirit testifies to us that what we are doing is right.
Anyway,
even though I absolutely dreaded it, I openly talked with all 4 sisters about
what was going on. To be honest, I was basically the only one talking and
opening up, but I apologized for anything wrong that I had done and just
expressed that I loved the sisters and wanted the spirit in our
apartment. The conflict still wasn't completely resolved, but I had done
my part and was waiting for the others to take the step. I felt sooooo
good. I felt so much peace. The next day, I could still feel that
there was contention, but I wrote this sister a note about how much I love
her. That night, I felt so much peace, and I felt true love for all the
sisters in my house. In a small way, I recognized the blessing of
repentance, and how amazing that peace feels. It helped me to relate to
my investigators and understand how as I invite them to repent and change, even
though it is hard, I can be 100% sure that it will only bring them peace, happiness,
love, and joy. I can be bold about extending commitments, because I know
that it is only through their obedience to the gospel that they can feel
completely happy and burden-free.
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| Sister Balcita & Me |
After
that whole experience, we saw MANY blessings and miracles in our work.
When I went on exchanges, Sister Balcita and I got punted by an investigator
and as we were trying to figure out what to do there was a lady from above
yelling hello to us. We looked up and she was waving and smiling and we
asked if we could share with her and she basically begged us to come up.
We shared with her and her husband, who joined us later, and he asked us what
they need to do to be baptized. Super interested and super
potential. Then, we met potential part-member family.
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| Me, Sister Smart & Sister Martinez |
Sister
Martinez and Sister Smart talked to this guy who apparently has been reading
the Book of Mormon almost ever night and has lots of questions and wants to
come to know God. Apparently I gave him the Book of Mormon and he was
waiting for us to come, but I don't remember AT ALL hahah. Anyway.... He
basically begged us to come to church and is very excited for us to come and
teach him on Tuesday. We had 8 investigators come to church (which
was much better than last week... haha Sister Martinez was happy) and one of
the couples that we are teaching is planning on getting married in October and
baptized before I leave Calapan.
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| Sister Ting. Neighbor across the street. Hahaha yeah that is typical philippino birthday food for you. Yep hotdogs on sticks with marshmellows and spaghetti in the big bowl. |
There
are so many people prepared for the gospel. It is amazing. I know that no
matter how hard we work, it isn't enough. In the end, the Lord is who
makes up the difference and this is his work. I feel so happy and blessed
that I still have 9 months to learn and to try and bring others to Jesus Christ.
Even
when it gets rough... just keep swimmin... and I'll see you in 9:)
I
love you!!
Sister
Rasmussen
P.S.
I forgot one VERY IMPORTANT DETAIL... ummmm.... I got lice this week.
BLEHHH. I was in the bathroom and my companion saw one crawling at the
top of my forehead and picked it out. Then she started looking through my
hair and saw two more. I was sooo sad and confused because I thought I
was pretty good using that teatree shampoo. Anyway... we bought some
medical shampoo and a comb and it already seems like it is gone. It's not
like it was for Sister Ott. But I am still going to be careful and keep
checking for like a week. I am lucky that I caught it while it was
early. But just another fun and crazy thing about living in the
Philippines. But I still feel just as embarrassed that I got lice.
Grabe naman. I love all of you.
Ingat
na po kayo.
The pictures of the food is what we were supposed to eat
for our zone pday today. I didn't eat any. They just put a bunch of
rice down and then canned tuna and corned beef and stuff all over it and then
everyone just ate it with their hands. Nasty.
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| Elder Adamson & Me |
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| Sister Martinez |
I
got the package mom!! Thank you! It was perfect. My shoes are getting a
little bit old but I think I can just buy some new ones here so don't worry
about sending ones to me:) But they are so comfortable and I am so glad
that I got the crocks. To be honest I didn't do anything special for my 9
month day but it was a really good day and I learned a lot. The weather
is pretty much the same.. sometimes hot sometimes rainy... but nothing
extreme. When you come it will be good weather so you don't need to worry
about the rain. Calapan is the biggest city here in Mindoro but it's
still not that big. It's just right. When you are in a big city...
people are so busy that they don't really want to talk. I actually called
the President's wife the other day because I got lice but other than that, I
only talk to the Mission President's wife and the Mission President if there is
a problem or something or if there is a big mission conference. I
actually called the President about everything that was going on in our house
and he gave me a little more counsel. He made the point that I had
already done everything I could do and if I kept pushing it and wanting to talk
about it then I was just making the situation worse. He said that I
couldn't be so worried about what people think and I need to just focus more on
what the Lord thinks. It was a good realization. I love him because
is very real - he is full of wisdom and knows exactly what to say without
putting too much sugar on top.
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| Zone pday. Just a pretty rice field |
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