Over the hill

Yep. This week was my over the hill mark. I don't know how I feel about that. I had a mental occasion in which there were black balloons tied to my scriptures and lame sayings about being old on the wall. 9 months. gulp. I guess its time for me to have a mid life crisis. Hey on the good news- there are 9 months to go so in case anyone we know gets pregnant now I can attend the birthing!! there's always a bright side...

this girl is named angel, she is so funny. 

she needs her own tv show, everything out of 

her mouth is gold! she s like a 49 year 

old in a tiny body! so funnY! i love her!!!

The week in Naga was hot hot hot. Super hot. Hey I met a sister who came to our apt for a night on the way to fix her visa stuff who had a call to temple square! yay! I got to talk and tell her all about temple square and how much fun she's going to have smelling all those flowers and talking to all those people. Watch out for a sis with a ppino flag on her nametag! She's super pretty, so the rule still stands about the prettiest sisters going to Tsquare. #mommey. 

We had exchanges this week in Canaman, our STL's are cool. One of their kabahays is sister S, one of my friends from Pakistan! She's awesome! she cooked us Pakistani food loaded with curry and showed us pics of her life back at home. Full sleeves and ankles and face covered and all. Anyways she's super awesome for serving a mission here! It's so fun to meet sisters from all around the world. 

me and my kabahays! love them!

Hey on exchanges- super cool- we went to visit an investigator and read the Book of Mormon with him, when we walked in, HEY! i knew him! 3 months earlier before I went to Goa I had exchanges there and that was the very first time we tracted him! It was so cool to remember him back then, I remember introducing the Book of Mormon to him and explaining who Mormon was and stuff like that. I remember being so choppy and stressed about my wording. It was so neat to see all his progress in the gospel and all of my progress too. I can't believe that was only 3 months ago. 

That night of exchanges me and sis M stayed up to plan out our workshop we were giving at district meeting the next day. We were so tired haha! But it all went well, we used some great scrips and had a good conversation and all. I was especially peppy- sometimes people need some life pumped into them and need to be reminded that it is FUN to be a missionary and not just let time pass by. It's not a death sentence people, don't count it down. Change topic..

naga disrtict naga zone naga mission. NAGA!! 

I'm going to tell you a cool story about an actual person. Woah, I know right? So this guy is named Alfredo. he was buying something at a Tindahan 2 weeks ago and we walked past him, then I felt like we should go back, but it was kind of weird, so I pulled out the cell phone and pretended to walk over to where he was standing to "get service". Well we met him and he said we could come by his home. So the next week we tried to find his home, we asked almost everyone on his street that he said, but no one knew him! that is so weird- the way you find people here is ask the neighbors, everyone know everyone. Like if you are finding a referral all you need is the name and the general area and people will tell you where he is. anyways, this was unusual that no one knew him especially cause he was old. We tried a couple other nights looking, but no luck. We thought we couldn't find him and sort of gave up.  We decided to just tract and Sis M went to a door, tao poed, and WHO comes out but dear old Alfredo!! It's the Spirit man!! We taught him. His wife was there- has a major stroke and can hardly do anything for herself. She can't really talk clearly, and is so old. Alfredo said she's had the stroke for 31 years, and all this time he's been caring for her and tending to her every need even though she can do nothing for him. That's true love man, it was so sweet. We taught about families and temples and told them that they can be sealed together forever and be together in heaven and that sister will be perfect and have no more sickness. It was such a wonderful spirit in the room, I loved it. It was such an honor to get to come and take a peek into these two people's lives, see that there still is love and putting others needs before your own in this world. I was touched. SO COOL. I love pure souls like that. 

us and the pioneers of naga 3rd at national day of service

puppet show

SO the coolest thing that happened this week was NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE!!!! Yaaay!!! why doesn't every country have this tradition? Here every ward in the whole ppines on NDS puts on yellow vests and goes and serves how ever they can in the community or wherever. This year, Naga 3rd served at this place called "missionaries for charity", which is a Catholic sort of sanctuary place for orphans, handicapped, and the old. Pretty much if you have no family or anyone to help you you go there. The ward planned a program complete with a puppet show, dance by the youth, games, songs, videoke contest, and other stuff. We fed them too :) the adults in the ward were assigned to befriend an orphan and the youth were assigned to befriend an elderly person. SWEET! I practically ran and plopped myself down at a table of old ladies and chatted the day away. I love them! i love my friends there! some of them toothless, some a bit loco, but sisters all the same. It was so fun to cheer them up and make them smile!

I had the chance to meet one of the sisters there, one of the nuns named Sister Anne from Bangledesh. I talked to her for a long time about the work they do and everything. She is 30 years old, has left to serve like this for 10 years. Her dad recently passed away and her mother called from her home in Bangledesh and begged her to come home. She said that she has given her life to the Lord now. She said whenever she is tempted to turn back, she feels Jesus pushing her along. I was so touched by this sweet soul, I got tears in my eyes. She served for a time in Africa, but is now assigned here. 

youth dancing

I followed her to a room with 2 girls severely handicapped laying on the floor. I got to go sit by them and sing them songs and play with their arms and legs. One of them was yelling stuff and drooling, then when I looked at her face she broke out into the biggest smile I had ever seen. Her eyes felt like they were piercing my soul. I held my sister and friend and got tears in my eyes again. I sang them some more songs and promised them that I will come play with them again in heaven and we can hug and talk to each other then. I feel so blessed to get to cross paths with all of these incredible spirits! There is no joy greater than cheering someone up! 

singing her solo....

We went back and I sat by my old lady friends and we talked some more. One of them got up in the videoke competition, pulled the plug, then announced she would be singing a self composed piece, then broke out into this loud minor tune. Definitely self composed. haha oh people are so great. Before we left them, all the ward stood up and sang a Whit Houston song that starts "i believe the children are the fyoootchaaaahh". Ya, idk why, totally random song choice, but hey whatever. It's not every day you get to sing Whitney at the top of your lungs to orphans and old folks. It definitely made my day, week, month, year. I love service like that, I wish we could go back all the time.

this one danced haha :) bffs kami

That's about all for this week, I'm happy to be here, happy to meet all these wonderful people. I'm trying to do my very best, put in every ounce of my energy and time and work for the Lord's work. I'm tired, but its a good tired. The work is very hard, but the Savior is at the head. I know that when I do things His way, accept His will and timing for this area and for me, I am happy. There's no use fighting against his will, it's going to happen anyways, might as well be on board. I think that a lot as we tract and it seems like nothing is moving and there is no soul we can help out. I know that He has a plan for this area, and that as long as I am humble and try my best to be in the right place at the right time, miracles are going to happen. God is real, he's not just a fairytale or a childish story. I know He loves me and all of His children. 

Thank you for the prayers and love you send my way! I am so grateful for you family, you truly are perfect. I miss you, I'm doing my best and working my best. I love you so much! Mother's Day is soon sooo PUMPED!! cant wait!!!

LOVE SISTER MCGRATH 

do you ever feel like this guy?