Guess what? I GET TO TALK TO YOU IN LESS
THAN 1 WEEK AND IM SO EXCITED!!! I can't even handle how excited I am to
talk to you. As well as can you believe I will be turning 14 months on
my mission this week? 4 months left.. ahhhhhh where in the world is the
time going? It's so funny having Christmas here again in the
Philippines. Last year, it was awesome, but I didn't know half of the
things that were going on cuz I was brand new and just kinda was in awe
all the time at the difference of America and the Philippines, but now
i'm practically ancient in the mission and I can't even remember what
America is like.. hahah but I AM SO EXCITED for Christmas this year. It
is going to be so great.
I remember thinking
last year that Christmas was really going to be terrible because of all
the changes, but I remember absolutely loving it. So I am really excited
to be able to serve the one and only Christ on His beautiful day. It's
such a blessing to be a missionary at this time of my life. I feel so
grateful for all the challenges and hardships that bring the blessings
and the joys of missionary work.
It's so funny
just reminiscing back on my first couple of transfers here in the
mission. I was just so bata and I didn't know what I was doing. haha I
cried everyday because of the language and I really just struggled so
hard. Now, I get to just kind of enjoy missionary work. I literally just
get to teach and testify about Jesus Christ and His beautiful gospel
everyday and help others come unto Him and accept Him in their lives.
What a beautiful work this is.
This week we have had some ups and downs, but things are really starting to look up. We had our Ward Christmas party on Saturday that was suppossed to start at 6:00pm.
I don't know if you have ever heard of this, but it is called Filipino
time. Filipino time just kinda means everything will start later than
they say cuz nothing will ever start on time. So we were thinking it
would maybe start at 6:30 or 6:45pm, just planning for the worst... BUT GUESS WHAT. Literally 15 investigators came to the party at 6:15pm
and literally we maybe had 5 members there... ahhhh it was so rough so
we just talked to them and tried to make them feel comfortable for like
an hour and a half and then finally the party started at 8:00pm.
Soooo that was a rough one on me... I always thinking im gaining more
patience here on the mission, but I WILL NEVER get used to filipino
time.
The Ward made up for it the next day
though. They brought 3 referrals to church and it was awesome. :) So
honestly the missionary work here just keeps going up and it's really
exciting to say the least!!
We also found the
two cutest little girls to teach who are from a part member family and
they are just eating up the lessons. One of the little girls literally
asked if she could have a "Mormon Bible" hahahaha so that is the picture
bellow.
As well as I got to go on exchanges
with Sister Zarbock. She is from Draper Utah and went to Corner Canyon
and said she totally knew Jess :) So that was really fun. I love being
with Americans. There are only 3 of us in the whole mission... hahaha
they came in July and when I found out I started screaming so that was
really cool. I really enjoyed exchanges with her ahaha she's really
awesome and we just got on great.
Anyway my
week was really good and honestly I just feel blessed to be a
missionary. The closer I get to going home the more I find myself
praying to Heavenly Father to make the days slower and longer. I can't
help but feel weird when I think that in just a short 4 months I will be
headed back to America.. But I don't have to think about that for 4
more months so that's the great part :) I'm excited to continue onward
in the most amazing journey of my life. I really love being a
missionary.
I feel so blessed to be able to
serve Christ during this CHRISTmas season. He is the reason why and I
can't even express the love I have for Jesus Christ. He gave his life,
his death, his resurrection, his everything so that we can be happy now,
and forever. I'm grateful to be able to celebrate his birth this
Christmas season without all the fancy presents and things, but just
with love and through spreading the word of His beautiful gospel. I love
all of you with my whole heart and I invite you to remember why we
really celebrate Christmas.
Thank you for being
such a great example to me and for always supporting me and being there
for me. I love you all and I will see you in a short 6 days :))))
Mahal ko kayo,
Sister Barton
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