Hello family!!! I still am surprised every time Monday comes
and I get to email. ha Sister Mabini and I went on a special adventure today! I
FINALLY was able to go to the distribution center. I don't know if I told you
that right when I came into the mission they changed the rules and whoever is
further than 90 minutes of travel to the temple cannot go on P-days or with
investigators, and since we're about 2 1/2 hours out, we definitely can't go :(
But we got special permission for today and woke up at 5 am to go to the
distribution center for about 10 minutes then turn around and come right back
:) ha and we both hate the travel because we get SO sick on the buses, but
atleast we got to see the temple, even if we couldn't go inside!! I think the
Manila temple will be one of my favorites forever, it's so special to me just
because of the amazing experiences I had in there while I was in the MTC. So
that was our adventure today...
As far as this week, I honestly have very mixed emotions.
I'll start with the bad so hopefully you just remember the good :P So this week
we had a VERY hard time finding members to work with us, and so our goal of 15
lessons for the week with members ended up being 4 which led to us not being
able to even teach half of our investigators because they're men, and then we
spent a lot of time not knowing where to go and just kinda walking in the rain
showing up at house after house who said they were too busy for us. So it was a
very hard week for lessons but we tried to stay positive and just do our best
to find Someone to teach. Also, I have realized that although I keep improving
little by little with the language, the longer I'm out I think the more impatient
I get with myself, which is hindi mabuti! (not good!) I spent one language
study this week just on my knees crying and praying SO hard that I would be
able to do this. That day I truly gained an experience of God making up for the
things that really are beyond our own capacity. I didn't teach the lessons in
perfect Tagalog, but each time it was my turn to speak the words flowed, some
Taglish, but it flowed and I felt the spirit so strong. I know God answers
prayers!!! And mama, don't worry about the crying part, I'm much stronger now
than I was at that moment :) And then...we had 0 investigators at church (2 of
which were so promising about being baptized in 2 weeks and now neither of them
can't for other reasons..) But you just keep going.
NOW for the good! My very very favorite part of this week
was yesterday when we were able to see the broadcast of the Worldwide
leadership training, and it was amazing! I think all of us 4 sisters were
crying :) It was so motivational in just doing the work, not being afraid to
share the gospel, and it really helped us get some ideas in how we can help the
members realize how important it is for them to work with us. That's our
biggest trial in the branch, and that's what the whole training was on
practically, so it was so helpful! And it just helped remind me of why I'm
here, my purpose. I really honestly LOVE being a missionary with all my heart
:) There are hard times every day, but I just remember that even if all I want
to do is cry, I get to go home each night and sleep in my bed :) ha That really
is what gets me through some of those times! But there are more happy than sad,
because even when we're walking for 5 miles in the rain/heat/rain/heat
(literally the weather every HOUR) ha me and Sister Mabini just have fun together!
We really are such good friends, I think she knows more about me than myself,
we talk about everything! It's a huge blessing, and I hope that even with my
difficult companions her example will help me be able to find a good
relationship with each of them.
THANK YOU family, SO much!! I love you more than you know,
and I am so grateful for your support and love. I couldn't make it through each
day without knowing that I have all of you at home praying for me and expecting
the most from me. Mahal kita :)
Love,
Sister Benesch
(PICTURES!)
First, our adorable zone :) ha I love all the elders in our
zone, and of course the sisters, we're all so close and I'll be SO sad when I
leave Baliwag!!
Me at the TEMPLE today on our great adventure :) ha
PS I have NO idea how I forgot this...but I gave a talk in
church on sunday! In...mostly...tagalog! ha It was very very scary, but I did
it :) I spent the whole week translating the english to tagalog with sister
mabini then trying to memorize it!! So hard...maybe that's why I cried :) ha
But I did it!! :)
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