aaaaaand it's 2016!!! Yay happy new year everyone! I honestly have had one of the best weeks on the mission so far. It's just been so happy and wow it's so weird im in the Philippines, but it is so cool! I feel so blessed to be here. These people are amazing! I love it here!
So to start off with the craziness of how the Philippines celebrates the New Year. haha It is nuts. So on Thursday (New years eve) it was just a normal day and we were able to go proselyte and teach members and things, but since our area is pretty dangerous and there are many drug dealers and men who drink, since we are sisters we had to be in our apartment by 6pm... kinda lame, but I totally understand why.. As we were proselyting men would just shout at us and we would just have to walk fast by them because they were so drunk.. at like 1 in the AFTERNOON! People are crazy. Apparently last year a man threw a glass beer bottle at an Elder in the head.. haha (sorry thats not funny) but isn't that crazy?! So we had to go in by 6.. also as we were proselyting, little kids were lighting little firecrackers and fire bombs off everywhere.. It sounded like bombs were just going off and man crazy things were happening everywhere. So needless to say we went home by 6. Of course before going home tons of people fed us. In every appointment we got food. I don't know why I was worried about the food either. The Philippines has great food. They eat some neat stuff for the holidays. They have this thing called Pansit and it is like noodles and idk its just so good. haha but anyway they have really good food and good desserts and wow they just know how to cook here haha. As for that night, we pretty much just studied and did stuff which is good because I love studying and gaining more knowledge of the gospel. I don't know why, but I just think it is so fun! So after studying we went to sleep at 10:30pm (curfew) and set an alarm so we could wake up at 11:50pm for the new year. It was crazy as we tried to go to sleep everyone was just setting off fireworks and it was so loud. It literally sounded like a war zone. People were all over the streets blowing these little horn things and just drinking and laughing and loud music and wow it was so cool. I fell asleep way fast tho cuz you just get so tired as a missionary. Every ounce of sleep you can get is worth so much. We woke up at 11:50pm though and were able to watch the fireworks! We live in apartment on the third floor so we had a good view and OH MY GOSH when it was midnight... The whole sky lit up! I tried to send a video, but I don't know if you guys got it. It was amazing tho. I was just in awe because I love fireworks and Wow it was just so good. haha Im so happy I get to have 2 New Years here cuz it's so cool!
Also, We have an investigator who is progressing so well. Her name is Sister Aida and we have been teaching her the lessons and her family is very spectacle with everything, but she is so ready. She reads the Book of Mormon everyday and she loves when we visit her. I know the Lord is really with us throughout this work. I know that if we are worthy of the spirit we can accomplish anything. I realized this week that Missionaries are nothing without the Spirit. The Spirit is the true converter. Everyone needs to find out for themselves and have the truth confirmed to them by the Spirit. As Missionaries we can only do so much, the true converter is the Holy Ghost. Without the Holy Ghost missionary work couldn't happen. I strive everyday to be worthy of the Spirit. I want to be that light and have people want to talk to me just because some thing is "different" about me. I hope we all strive to do that this year.
I also was fortunate enough to meet with President Ostler this week! He text us on Friday and asked to meet on Sunday, which apparently doesn't happen often, but it did to us! It is soooooo good meeting with him. He is such an inspired man and just knows what to say. I feel like he knows me better than I know myself.. And i've only know him for a month. It's crazy. I feel so blessed to have him as my Mission President. He is truly a man of God and has the countanence of the spirit. Literally you just need to stand by him and you can feel the Spirit radiate. I want to be like that. That is one of my goals for when I come home. I want to just radiate the spirit and be a light to everyone I meet. I feel so blessed to be on this mission and to be Serving in the Manila Mission. This place is wonderful. Trust in God and he will always help you. I love you all and I hope you know I pray for each of you everyday. I want you to know how truly honored I feel to have the family I have. You guys are such a gift to me. Thank you for everything.
Last thing, New Year = New Goals. I challenge each of you to make a new goal for yourself and strive to achieve that goal throughout the year. I know as we rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and be humble in our weaknesses God will make up for it and we will be able to change any weakness into a strength. I love love love that Scripture. Ether 12:27. I love all of you! Have a great week! :)
Mahal Ko Kayo,
Sister Barton
Makell sounds soooo good! I'm so happy for her. I loved to study on my mission too. It's like you're a sponge and you can't learn enough about the Gospel and truth. Such a priceless time!! Ether 12:27 is one of my favorite scriptures. We shared it A LOT on my mission to help teach others about change and hope in their weaknesses and trials.
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