9/30/13--Don't Eat Balut!

Mga Pamilya at Kaibigan ko!!
This was the week of being sick- but it was still a good week, so that's okay! First I have a nasty ingrown toenail that is just annoying, but all the missionaries say it hurts worse to get them removed so I am trying to let it heal. Then we ate balut on friday- I forgot how nasty balut is. Last time I said I would never eat it again- then I was an idiot and ate it again. Now for real, NEVER again! I almost threw up so many times- you can tell how nasty by the lovely pictures. Then I got the cold that has been going through all the missionaries! So yesterday after church I laid in bed all day missing parents that take such good care of me when I am sick! Luckily the Office Elders came to the rescue with a package from home! The red vines were crazy delicious! All I needed was some Mr. Pibb (name that song). Then later on, our neighbors/ my second family- the Derosans heard I was sick and brought over dinner! I am so well taken care of here and I am so thankful to be surrounded my such amazing people! It makes the homesickness a lot easier!

So this week was family week in our Stake. They had activities all week for the families and that had an ongoing exhibit about family history at the mall with performances by members. We got to go one night and oh my gosh! This little chubby, short primary girls was shimmying- yeah I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! The families in our ward are so awesome though. It made my miss my cute family.

It has been super rainy this week! One day it flooded a lot of the streets in our area and so we were walking through rivers basically to get to our appointments. Only in the Philippines!

I am officially losing it. I think everyone knows how much I don't like David Archuleta's music. So he has a song- miracles- that we can listen to and me and Sister Mataele sing our hearts out. It is my favorite song right now...so sad. It is the most upbeat song that we have in our apartment so I replay it all the time. We do the Mariah Carey/ Christina Aguilera hand motions while we sing it. It's pretty awesome...

We have a new investigator who is GOLDEN! Ella May! Holy Cow! She is so interested and has so many questions! Finally someone who wants us to be teaching her! She reads all of the assignments we give her and more! We taught her 3 times this week and she was upset because we couldn't go teach her everyday! She accepted a baptisimal date in November! Our lessons are soo long with her because we spend most of the time answering her questions. Better than the short lessons with no questions! I am so excited about her!

The other Sisters in our district had a baptism that we got to attend. Lenny. She is so awesome! She had only been being taught for 5 weeks. She already has such a strong testimony and is going to be such a strength to our ward. The spirit was so strong at her baptism and she was so excited! I want that for all the people we teach!

Today we had our district activity! It was so much fun! I love my district so much! We went bowling and guess what! I won! Out of our whole district...I thought I sucked at bowling. I guess not! Then we went to this was nice restaurant called Sina Una. Holy cow- the mango crepe was unreal! Next p-day I think we will be back.

This week I really noticed the power of prayer. Prayer is so amazing. When we think we can't go any further or when we just really need something or comfort we can get down on our knees and pray to our Heavenly Father, the person who knows us best and who loves us more than anyone. He ALWAYS answers. All it takes to know this church is true is a prayer. I am constantly amazed when I ask investigators how their prayers have gone and they tell me they know Joseph Smith it a prophet, or the Book of Mormon is true, or the church is true- simply because they were willing to humble themselves enough to ask God.

I have also learned a lot about the love of God for his children. The whole reason he has sent me here is because he loves me and he loves his children in the Philippines. He loves me enough to give me this change to go and he loves his children in Legazpi that he has sent missionaries to them to bring them happiness. I am striving to show that love to the people here.

I miss you all so much, pero alam ko po na ang Simbahan ni Jesucristo ay totoo at dahil mahal ko ang Tagapagligtas ko gusto ko na maglinkod yung mga tao dito sa Legazpi at magbahagi ako sa kanila paano pwede sila maging sobrang masaya dito sa mundo at pagkatapos ang buhay na ito. MAHAL KITA!!!!

-Sister Gardner