Hello hello hello!!

a cute dog we found don't worry we sanitized after

Hello hello hello!! 

This week was so. great. SO great! But as i flipped back through my journal last night to remember what even happened and what made it so great- all i read were entries about being rejected and walking and being punted out of our minds and not having anyone to teach and to make things short-- nothing that logically should add up to my conclusion that it was a great week. If we're looking at our numbers we totally failed big time. BUT its the craziest thing-i feel SO GOOD. Like, so so incredibly good!! i feel so, so, how do i describe it? i feel like there is literal light inside of me! It is such a good life i live right now. Being a missionary is one of the most incredible blessings! 

This week I've been reading in Alma in my personal study AH he is such a great writer and missionary!! I love love love when he says in chapter 27 that he wishes he were an angel to proclaim repentance unto all people. As i read that chapter one morning this week my eyes swelled with tears. especially when i read verse 10 about when he describes that his joy is seeing others come closer to Christ, and when they do, it reminds him of the Savior's mercy towards him and all the goodness he's given him. This is exactly how I'm feeling right now! There is no joy compared to seeing others take steps towards the Savior. And the fact that somehow, Heavenly Father can use little old me to be an instrument in his work? AH i just feel so overwhelmed and blessed and humbled to be here! I want to cry when i think of all of the tiny miracles i have seen, especially the ones in myself. I feel like i can't even begin to describe the goodness of the things i see and feel! I wish i were better at expressing this emotion!

this is my buko juice- its sooooo good when you mix it with milk 

and sugar OH BABY! buko is magic. it really has so many 

vitamins and uses i could talk your ear off about it :D

This week i worked on a quick little mission advice thing that whitney asked for, but i will attach it here too because it is really for all preparing missionaries (not like they need any more advice, i know everyone and their dog wants to put in their two cents of mission advice...). Anyways, i feel super unqualified to even be writing advice in the first place, i still feel like I'm sitting in the MTC or training or something. There is so much time left and things I've gotta learn! As i was writing it and reading the scriptures and just reflecting on everything i felt so overwhelmed with the Spirit. I feel my testimony growing so much and absolutely know that this church is true! God is real! He is loving and cares about his children! He keeps his promises! 

belle got baptized!

One of the tiny miracles i saw this week was last night. We were teaching and i was just looking into the people's eyes and praying to know what to say like i always do when my companion is speaking, and when it was my turn to speak, literally 2 seconds before, a first sentence popped into my head, then i spoke it and a second one came. I can't tell you how many times this happens, sometimes as i think, sitting in their little houses a vision of how the conversation can go comes to my mind. As i wrote that in my journal last night i suddenly remembered my setting apart blessing. I flipped back to the very first pages of my old journal and re-read what President Palmer said about when I look into their eyes and imagine them as my brothers and sisters, I will have the words in the very moment I need them come to my thoughts. My eyes filled with tears as I re-read that promise the Lord gave me and how i am seeing it come true. I know that when the Lord promises something he is bound to it. As long as we obey and wait for his timing He will give it to us! 

me and my kabahay (roommates)!! all ppinas 

in the house! aren't they cute and short? 

I am so so so blessed to be here, to be lonely and to have the work be hard. I am so close to my Savior and i feel the Spirit every day. As i flip back on the pages of my planner there is nothing that should make me feel this way, but i wouldn't trade this time for the world. I truly and absolutely love this work. I feel it changing me. I feel such a wonderful joy inside! I wish you could all come with me! I wish i could express it better so you could understand better! I don't know, I am just feeling so so lucky and humbled to be receiving this divine help.

As far as other things that happened this week, there's really nothing worth typing or telling you about, thats why its so crazy i feel this good :) oh on Tuesday i got sick, my throat killed and it was all swollen and so we bussed to Naga and i saw an ENT. He gave me some antibiotics and everything's all good now. nothing to worry about! 

It seems as if I'm really out of things to say now! How strange! Just a few pics, and my letter to fut-cha misshies. you can DO IT!! 

Thank you all for the prayers, I know its part of the reason I"m still able to function out here :) I love you mom and dad and abby and matthew and olivia and hannah! OOh i love you all SO SO MUCH!!! wish i could hug you all! 

thats all there is! there isn't...any-more!  (madeline anyone? madeline?)

LOVE SISTER MCGRATH

here's the moon over a rice field- is there any more beautiful sight? I declare there is NOT!