HAPPY NEW YEARS!! It's 2015 can you believe it!! I am especially so pumped for this year because I get to spend all 365 days of it being a missionary and doing the greatest work in the world! This is probably going to be the hardest and best and most growing phase of my life I will ever go through. I'm sure I'm going to cry a lot but have so much to be happy and grateful for too. I'm making every day count and working my smartest! 
To celebrate new years we did.....sleep. haha. We were walking in the morning though and there are all of these huts with fireworks you can buy....and well.... the arsonist in me couldn't help it and I bought some. DON'T WORRY it was just sparklers, but I bought a box of 100. AND SO sparkling ensued on our balcony. Yes, it was only like 6:30 but it was still awesome. I felt like an oldie "eh you kids go party, gmas got to get her sleep!!" I treasure my sleep time more than anything though, don't mess with my sleep time.
We had curfew 2 days for new years because new years is like, even more of a party time than Christmas was. SOOO many people and crowds and people selling stuff in the streets and fireworks everywhere and loud loud LOUD! People just light the fireworks in the street or wherever, no rules or safety precautions. Kids all around, people could shewt their eyes out. That's probably why we were in for curfew. They had them going all night but I slept like a rock.
What else even happened this week.....I don't know, nothing really changed as far as the people not letting us in, the area, or anything, that's all the same but I'm so happy! And it was because I got some wonderfully amazing emails last Monday from the priesthood holders I know! It was so weird, it was like all of the emails I got were connected and related, they all told me the same message that I never even said out loud but they answered none the less. It's gotta be the Spirit!
Anyways this week I have had 0 TOLERANCE for negative thoughts. Nothing. Nothing even the slightest big bad or depressing or degrading. As soon as I think something like "ooh I have no idea what I'm doing, I don't know how to speak that, I can't" I yell in my brain "NO!" and then quote "look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not". And it seriously works! We were in one lesson and we were working with a recently returned missionary (that's one thing to make you feel inadequate and inexperienced and dumb) and she was talking and doing awesome, Sis. S was doing good, and I was like "ahh I can't do thiss NO!" then I changed my mind right there, told myself to fear not, and opened my mouth and I did it! It seriously is a miracle that I can do this work, there's no way I am doing this alone! It was so cool to use the scriptures in that way- I have never used them like that. They really are like shields to Satan's tiny eroding comments in my brain. Every little thing that comes into my mind that makes me feel bad I just have got no time for anymore. I'm not ever wasting my time on thoughts like that again! In the article (link) Dad sent me (which I printed and read and re-read) it is talking about thoughts like fears and self-doubts, and it says "a bird might land on your head but he doesn't have to build a nest there." I might have fears but they don't have to stay there. It's been so different being proactive about my thoughts instead of just getting hit with what comes. I don't know if that all makes sense but to me it was such a great lesson that I learned and needed to learn. (There's this twerp kid playing a gun game with his buds in the computer shop right next to me and he's YELLING in my EAR and he smells bad. DO YOU MIND?!)
Anyways this week I have had 0 TOLERANCE for negative thoughts. Nothing. Nothing even the slightest big bad or depressing or degrading. As soon as I think something like "ooh I have no idea what I'm doing, I don't know how to speak that, I can't" I yell in my brain "NO!" and then quote "look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not". And it seriously works! We were in one lesson and we were working with a recently returned missionary (that's one thing to make you feel inadequate and inexperienced and dumb) and she was talking and doing awesome, Sis. S was doing good, and I was like "ahh I can't do thiss NO!" then I changed my mind right there, told myself to fear not, and opened my mouth and I did it! It seriously is a miracle that I can do this work, there's no way I am doing this alone! It was so cool to use the scriptures in that way- I have never used them like that. They really are like shields to Satan's tiny eroding comments in my brain. Every little thing that comes into my mind that makes me feel bad I just have got no time for anymore. I'm not ever wasting my time on thoughts like that again! In the article (link) Dad sent me (which I printed and read and re-read) it is talking about thoughts like fears and self-doubts, and it says "a bird might land on your head but he doesn't have to build a nest there." I might have fears but they don't have to stay there. It's been so different being proactive about my thoughts instead of just getting hit with what comes. I don't know if that all makes sense but to me it was such a great lesson that I learned and needed to learn. (There's this twerp kid playing a gun game with his buds in the computer shop right next to me and he's YELLING in my EAR and he smells bad. DO YOU MIND?!)
Ok so what else. Ok lets talk people. The cool grandparents with the jackfruit we went to on Christmas eve hid from us. Awwwww maann! we went and knocked and tao poed and I called their names (we heard them inside and their dog and the lights were on) but they were really quiet and didn't open the door. We went by again and same thing, "no people." GRrrh. That's kind of annoying because I KNOW they felt the Spirit our first visit and it's dumb they don't want to feel that way again. Well, everyone has the right to choose so it's ok I guess. I just feel so bad for them and the people who don't choose to listen or to act on our message. Why does anyone choose to not be fully and 100% happy? Why would you want anything less than life with your family for forever, the peace that comes through the atonement and obedience? why don't you want this! It's like someone saying hey you can have this entire meal that is so expensive and delish and it comes with chocolate cake and drinks and a mint and a toothpick when you are done FOR FREE and the person says- ehh I think I will just have one bite. I'm just so busy with my work, I'm busy with my house, I'm busy busy busy. Sorry maybe next time sisters, if i have time. BUT IT'S FREE! you can have it all for no price! Everyone can have eternal life and bliss for freeeeee! geez people. It's your choice though!
We taught an old lady who was soo blind and it was so funny- all during the lesson she would randomly burst and say "taga saan ka!" "where are you from!" and we told her like, a ton of times already. Aaand she guessed that Sis. S's age was 40+. HAAAA I've been calling her 40+ all week. "Do you want me to help you up the stairs? Do you need me to get that so your joints don't hurt?" haha its been fun :)
Speaking of Sis. S.- she's leeeving on a jett plaaanee NEXT WEEK! shes done with her mishie! dying! Next Tuesday is transfers so this is her last full week. ANd then the reigns fall to me as far as the area and people and everything goes. And I get a new kasamaaaa ehh so nervousss! It's so stress getting a new companion. There's a lesson you've got to learn from each one though so I'm just leaving it to the hands of President Reeder and the Spirit and taking what I get (ha is there any other choice? no) But ya, thats gonna be fun. As soon as you learn a lesson you needed to or gotten over a hard thing another thing comes flying right at you. We are emailing early this week cause Sis. S. is going to rebond her hair (which apparently means to make it straight or something) and it takes like, 7-ish or more hours. And her hair is so crazy thick- like Mahana on Johnny Lingo. SOO I will be in the salon for a loooong timeee. I've got so much laundry to wash but it will all be worth the sacrifice when S's hair is pretty. :)))))))
Well a lot lot lot more stuff happens in the week but its so hard to condense it into a neat little summary. I just am learning so much and growing so much, I can't see it from day to day but looking back to the start of the transfer, and even more when looking back at Mercedes I am like a completely different person. Maybe not completely different, just enhanced :) This mission is so good and so hard and so life changing really. It's crazy.
PS oh ya I remembered now we had 3 lunch appointments on new years! 3 WHOLE ONES! I ate soooo much more than I've ever eaten in my LIFE! They get way offended if you don't eat one of everything and try everything, and even more offended if they found out you went to one person in the ward's house and not theirs. Oh my gosh I was soooo fullll I was like 4 mos preggers. But the food was all soooo good! We had hopia and rice and pasta and spaghetti and meat things and stuff that I don't know what its called, and bread cake thing and "ice cream" and so much soda and riceeeee out the wazoo! I had to waddle home. I thought I would need a wheelchair. I had to lose the belt after the 2nd one. I was afraid if I opened my mouth it would all spill out the top. My eye sight got blurry and speech was slurred. My ankles swelled past normal size. I was andres the giant's lovely daughter. I had to be wheeled out by oompa loompas to be juiced. I was- (ok ok I'm done I will stop. It's all a big lie I was just really really full. I just like to enhance my story - it's more fun, no?)
GOODBBYEEE TILL NEXT WEEK! Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts and thinking about little old me here on an island! Thank you! I love you!!! Have a wonderful week!
So happy that essay was useful! It's changed my life too #keepgoing #exclamationmark #youarewonderful
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