This week has been so good. I am working harder than I ever have on my mission and I can feel a difference inside of me. We are really taking "serve Him with all your heart, might, mind, and strength" literally. I LOVE WORKING. It is so rewarding to go home at the end of the night and know that you did everything you can for the Lord that day.
The work is definitely hard here in Coron, sometimes I feel like we work so hard everyday and nothing happens.. but no effort is wasted. It is so true, we worked so hard this week. SO HARD. I can't even express how hard I feel like we worked to really get Coron started again. We planned, prayed, and worked. We worked and worked and worked. Most of the days we had 5-7 lessons and would OYM 30 to 40 people. I felt like, "Man we are really accomplishing what we are supposed to be" and it was an awesome feeling. Then it came around to being Saturday night and all of a sudden everyone (like all of our less actives and investigators) started to bail on going to church. They had so so so many excuses. It was so hard. To feel like you have been giving the Lord everything you have for the past three, four, five weeks and especially this last week and there won't be any action from the work that you have done.. I honesty just felt so sad and so bad like maybe we didn't do everything we could have.
Then on Sunday morning we were sitting in the meeting house and no one. No less actives, no investigators, nothing. We had no one coming to church that day. Coron A had like 6 or 7 investigators at church and we had nothing. It was so heart breaking. As I was sitting thinking about everything I just realized. I did everything I could. I do not regret anything. I gave everything I had this week. After I had those thoughts I turn around and a family that we had just found and taught that week was walking in the door. My heart was so full of joy. I can't even express how happy I was to see this beautiful family walking in to observe our church and feel the Spirit. Oh the tender mercies of the Lord are so real. I can't even begin to express how much joy I felt just for knowing the Lord knows the desires of our hearts and we will be rewarded for our works.
I love this gospel and this work more than anything. I love being a missionary. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love it. It is hard. It is the hardest thing I have ever done in my whole life, but it is so awesome. I have already seen the changes in myself and i'm so excited to continually let the Lord change me into who he wants me to become. Change is not easy, but it is worth it.
This week we had the opportunity of having Zone meeting with the four Coron sisters. It honestly was one of the most spiritual meetings ive had on my mission this far. It was about a change of heart. I always ask myself why I served a mission or why did I decide to come. I decided to go on a mission because I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ more than words can express, but I came on a mission because I was called to come. I have a very distinct moment of when I decided to come on a mission and I know that I am supposed to be here. Oh how blessed I feel that I acted on the revelation I received to come on a mission. I know my life would've been so much different if I would have ignored it and stayed home. I know Heavenly Father loves me because he sent me here. He is changing me into who he wants me to become and I love Him even more for it. It is so hard, but when I come home next year I know that my mission will have been the turning point for my mission. I love love love being here.
In a talk we received to prepare for zone conference I read by President Ezra Taft Benson in 1989 it says, "no one is more anxious to see us change our lives than the Father and the Savior... The Lord is pleased with ever effort, even the tiny, daily ones in which we strive to be more like Him." I love love that. It's not like we are going to change everything about us in one day, one year, or even 18 months here on a mission. It is by the little steps. Day by day choices that make us change. That make us better. I want to be the best person I can be. I am striving to change my heart and to really serve the Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. It is hard, but changing isn't easy.
I want to let all of you know how much I love you. I love you so so so much. It's crazy how much is changing back over there in Utah, but i'm so excited to see what is to come of everything by the time I am home in a years time. I love my mission. I love serving here in the Philippines. It is definetly a one of a kinda place, and I wouldn't trade going anywhere else in the world, because I know I was called to come here. I love you all and I am so excited to talk to you in a week and a half!! MAGIGING SOBRANG MASAYA PO AKO!!
Mahal ko kayo lahat!
Sister Barton
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