SWEET is the work! again! did i say that before? its still sweet! ok!

ppina/american po ako

Ahhhhhh where do I even start!!! this week has been so full of wonderful things and progress and miracles and I feel happier than if I just ate a whole pack of Oreos straight! YA! THAT happy!!! lets break it down folks:


This week was awesome because we had the best family home evening.  I don't know if I've told you about the B family but if I've never written its a shame-- cause they are one of the best most favoritest people of my whole mission. its too long to tell you their whole story.  To keep it short--there's Sis Jane (the wife) and Tatay and her 20 something old son (recent convert). and Sister Jane has been our focus for soooo long and she always comes to church but says its not the time yet to be baptized, shes waiting for an answer to her prayers and a sign. there is so much more to the story I wish I could write. anyways, that's where we were last Monday. we invited them to fhe which was awesome by the way- the son of the members played us the VIOLIN!!! I haven't heard that since 11 months!! it was so beautiful even though it was just a little hymn. ah man I miss music like that.  Ok coming back to the them later.

Us at FHE with the B family at the E home

Next- we had a mission tour!! Elder and Sister Pajaro came!! They are the coolest people ever!!! And guess what their daughter is serving in Mesa Arizona mission!!! So if you EVER see a Sister Pajaro please, pull over and give her a hug and buy her some ice cream and show her my picture of me with her parents and tell her how awesome they are and how awesome her country is. She comes home January just like me so we will never prob cross paths...sayang. But ya, the Pajaros are such powerful speakers and such genuine people!! It was so good to hear from them and I wish we could just do it all over again.

us and the pajaros

The night before we had a grand total of 8 SISTERS in our apt- so crazy. so stressful when everyone is trying to shower and get as pretty as they can and find their take out order of mac-do, all the while I'm trying to clean up after their every move and GOOD THING because right after mish tour the Pajaros and President and Sister Reeder came to our house and checked our apartment. GULP.  I hope we didn't embarrass them too bad. The Pajaros are pretty down to earth and so I don't think they were too judgmental of our bahay :)



Naga zone at mission tour

And so lots of other things happened this week but I'm just going to return to the story about Sis Jane cause its the best.  Ok, so we went to visit them one evening and her face was very frowny and she opened up and told us all her concerns, like why is it that everyone on testimony meeting can stand up and say " I know this church is true" but she can't, or hasn't felt that surety yet, and her other problem is about what will happen to all the other people who don't become Mormons, what's going to happen, etc etc plan of salvation stuff.  The next couple of days after that lesson I could not get her our of my mind- I studied and studied and flipped those pages, prayed, flipped some more, pondered, etc. I got many pages of notes. Its like, I wasn't just reading my scriptures but I NEEDED them.  As I was thinking about her and reading scrips to help I got this picture in my mind of her being sealed to her family in the temple, saw a slight view of her potential and what all can be hers. I blinked. This is not just a lesson, not just answering a concern, this is salvation! this is a real soul of our Heavenly Father! She is a real person and she needs what we have.  I flipped again all with this vision in my head.

Wuv my friends

So here comes the lesson- I had prayed and thought a lot about what to share and got the feeling that we needed to watch the Mormon message by Elder Bednar about discerning light.  We had a member present Sis G- a convert also to the church, her age, who was ready to share her experiences. Before the lesson they were all chatting chatting about nursing and school in stuff in Bicol and me and Sis J were not really picking up anything they were saying. But as soon as we said the opening prayer, I understood everything. Everything that came out of Sis G's mouth, her testimony and comments in pure Bicol, I understood. WHAT THE!!! the gift of Tongues is SOOO REALL!!! it really is exclusively for the Lord's purposes. Its not for chatting about whatever, but when its time to work out some salvation, it comes. I said such a prayer of gratitude for that.

ok so we are in the lesson- watch the video, talk about it. She expresses her feelings, we talk some, listen, listen. we share some scriptures, listen some more. At one point I found myself testifying about how much she needs baptism, how many signs are before her already and how much that God loves her and wants her to return back home. I don't really remember all that I said or how I said it, but I do remember how powerful I felt and how much that the Spirit was doing the talking, I was just opening my mouth. After I stopped talking there was silence, everyone just stared. Even Sis J just didn't know what to do but stared. I felt in that moment the Spirit confirm all of my words to her.  Later as I reflected on the lesson when we came home I read that line in my fathers blessing before I came here, "as you look at the people as your brothers and sisters and speak with the Spirit, they will recognize that you speak the truth and that you are there to bring them home." I know they all knew that we were speaking the truth and could not deny it. After that we extended a baptismal date, things were said, and she ACCEPTED!!!!!!!!!! AHHH!!!!! we could NOT contain our joy!!!!

We also offered to fast with her, so Saturday night we came over again and knelt in prayer. She asked to know the way she needs to go. We fasted until Sunday- I felt the Spirit so strong all day. Later Sister G our member present said that we have something different, she said she has worked with a lot of other missionaries (is an RM herself and has lots of RM kids) and said that when she went with us to Sister Jane she felt something different. she said Sister J and I have a different spirit. AAAAND to put icing on the cake of this week- we went out to greet people coming to church and TWO INVESTIGATORS came we weren't really expecting!!! And they loved church! The brother and his wife came- brother J told us that he is really searching for the truth and he really wants to know what is right. That is another miracle story of how we found him and how I got the prompting and stopped in my tracks to knock on his door.  But anyways, isn't this the beeeessstttt work ever!? so many miracles!!


It is the greatest feeling to be used as an instrument in God's hands.  There's no other way or other thing that makes you feel this sort of happy.  I am amazed at the love that He has for everyone of his children, and the plan He has for them. It is so incredible to see how things work out, how He gathers his children one by one.  I promise He truly knows us!!  He really, honestly does. this is his WORK and his GLORY to bring to pass the immorality and eternal life of man. God- the creator of everything and one who has all wisdom told us that He does nothing else with all his time and power, than to work out salvation for us.  Nothing else.  ALL of his work and time is for us. he has no other purpose than our eternal happiness.  All he is pleading is for us to choose Him, to chose His way. He sent his son Jesus Christ who taught us how to return to Him.  All we have to do is follow Him and we will be happy.  ITS THAT SIMPLE!  Ah I can write a million more words but the time is far spent and there is little remaining.  Ah. It is just such a good thing to be a missionary and by far the best thing I've ever done.  I love this.

misshies

I've realized that how ever much I think I can and want to save the whole world, I can't. Christ is the Savior of the world, not me. I cannot steal his role or take his place, I cant fix all the problems. I've realized how humbling it is to step down and instead of being the hero, just trying to introduce people to the hero. I'm just His representative, I'm a weak girl who doesn't really know much, cant solve world hunger, cant even provide for the roofs that people ask us for as we walk by their shack homes. There are soooo many problems wayyy out of my hands and reach. BUT I do know that the Savior knows, he is not called the Savior for nothing. As His servant I love him and try my hardest to be his hands here on earth. 


I love you all! Happy Father's day dad!!  Hope you all give dad extra hugs for me :) Have a good time at the reunion! Eat lots of Mexican food for me :) Ah man ok actually I'm super mad I'm missing out on that- please lets do it all again soon. Ok that is all I have to say.  Goodbye!


LOVE Sis Mcg

HIKING MT ISAROG!!! Man this hike was the most intense
thing ever. Imagine hard core indiana jones jungle style.
the falls were soooooo beautiful though! Worth it.

Another great week!

sunday trycee selfie with my aki 

motha/daughta foreva!!

Another great week! We kicked off the great week with the arrival of my package!!!! :O:O:O!!!!! so excited!!! i opened it and was greeted by wonderful beautiful fresh clothes with no holes and the mac and cheese and plan of salvation charts and all of the american goodness na ipinadala mo sa akin. it was SO great mom- THANK YOU to the one millionth degree. It made my life!

in zee tryceee GO NAGA!!

this week we had exchanges- sis j's first and our first time being split! AH! i did NOT like that. She went to work in the stl's area and i lead our area here with sis d. Sis d is so sweet, as in SO sweet. Its like i was walking and working with a baby lamb all day :) she's so kind and encouraging to me and all day kept sticky notes of wonderful things i did or said and then recited them to me at the end of the day. See what i mean? she is sooooo kinddddd. anyways she really made me feel good about myself and feel that hey i'm actually doing a pretty great job with this area and training and everything. awh i love sis d. I juiced all the advice out of her i could- she goes home at the end of this transfer. i love getting advice and hearing about all the lessons and things missionaries have learned. it was a good day, but at the end i missed my aki! in the morning we went to their area to pick her up (i tried to just go in basketball shorts cause i was so eager but she made me change. humpf..) i ran in and

us and Mama Reeder

 my aki- you'd think it had been years we hadn't seen each other. i love sis j!!!!!

The next day was the new trainees/trainers workshop.  We got to eat in the mish home! Sis Reeder ordered kfc (rice and a fried chicken) and I got to sit by president :D hee hee.

Haha ok two funny stories about things people said this week. numba one. we oymed this guy and introduced ourselves and church name and said we were more known as mormons. he said "oh ya...there are tons of minions here". whhhhatt he honestly thought we were called "minions". me and sis j stared and tried not to burst out in laughter in front of this guy...then reintroduced "MORMONS po" haha HA haha. minions. Ok story numba two: this one sweet 15 year old girl we've been teaching has been terribly mistaken also about the name of our church- multiple times in the lesson she dropped the name "aklat ni mormons" in the place of just "mormons" or something.  HA i don't want to laugh at these sweet innocent mistakes but its seriously so funny.

On Sunday the area presidency spoke through broadcast to us. it was awesome! this little girl on Sunday came up to me and made me come close to her and with the most sincere eyes asked me if I live where Elsa lives. I told her yes and she said she wanted to go there. I told her she needs a jacket first, she said she had one, then I told her to hop in my bag lets go and she really looked at my bag, then at herself, then tried to fit in. HA! ohhh so cute!! so funny. another kid that day told his mom he wanted a picture with the barbie. oh my gosh. So i had to pose with him as they took pics. peeeeeooooppppleee i'm just white ok!? all of this just reconfirms my conviction that the idea of becoming a Disney princess is the WORST occupation in this UNIVERSE. never. ever.

We came home from church and the two sisters that slept in the naga hotel (our apartment) were packing up their stuff to go back to their area, but were lingering like they wanted lunch. ehhhh. I told them we were just going to eat sardines, they lingered until they saw we were serious then left.  But MAN! have you ever tried spanish sardines mixed in spaghetti? oh my gosh its so good!! It's like 19.99 at olive garden good! I'm in love with it. Thats actually too bad they went home, it was delish.

mtc kasama reunion :) sis falcon is training too 

Thats the week this week- next week we have mission tour and a visiting authority is coming to speak to all of us mishies! yay! then he's probably coming to check our apartment cause we're the closest ones here. great. needless to say things are going to get whipped into shape and bleached and scrubbed the next couple of days. anywyaayaayysss..s..s.s.s......

I LOVE YOU family you are the best. the best of the best. i am so grateful to be your daughter <3 Love SIS MCG

trainers/trainees

Amazing

LOVE. my aki! 

It's been another week but feels like years since I've written. Something about training really makes me learn a million things in a short time, and so I feel like a more wise and better soul than I was last Monday. Crazy, right?

This week has been good. As in really, really good. Nothing specific that makes it so good but I feel so wonderful! I feel whole inside, I wish I could describe it better. Something about serving and giving and pondering the scriptures and going about applying it cleanses you, man. This week I've felt extra cleansed inside. I just feel so much I'm becoming such a better person than the one I was when I started this whole thing- I can't believe the change especially when I thought i didn't need that much changing in the first place.  How wrooong I was :) So much progress and work and learning and I feel so great to have the chance to rebuild myself.  Missions are awesome.

So last monday Sis M and her kasama slept over because there was mlc the next day, so it was great to see her again! party party with my old kasama! I even bought her a chocolate cake and candles and sat her down in her favorite swivel chair and we celebrated her bday that we missed. awww love her :)

This week I've been waking up so excited. so excited just to go OUT and do WORK! like, i wake up and i say "YESS!!" and am so eager to read my scriptures and study and then go work. i don't even stress or worry about getting punted or if all our plans fall through, i am just so happy to go out and talk to everyone! And with our investigators its so fun to see the progress, to go out and add another chapter to their story, help them, all of it. ya, i dont know, I'm just loving every day so much!

last p day

This week i cooked- I made this deLISH tilapia thing cooked in coconut milk and it was beautiful and I got a round of applause from my ppinas :) I'm so ppina now its awesome!! then in studies we read the line in the white handbook about missionaries must return home to their country at the end of their missions without delay, and the taste of that coconut was still fresh and it brought tears to my eyes. It's still far away i know, but man. I am going to miss. this. place. I wiped away the tear and continued on enjoying the day i have and living in the moment and eating all the buko :)

Our comp studies with me and aki j are SO good! Like, i know its 2 hours and all but we always are like "what the times up?" at the end from talking about the gospel and reading scriptures and preach my gospel and everything. She is so smart and i love the way her mind works, she opens my mind to lots of things i haven't thought of before :) I love our studies and LOVE sister j. She is such a blessing and i am honored to get to be her first companion :) 

me and my aki!

I called a rooftop dinner together due to some bonding that needed to happen in our house- and so we ate "nachos" on the rooftop together as kabahay :) it was fun! did i mention we have a roof top? anyways, mission accomplished, full bellies and happy faces for all :)

Story time- this week we went looking for this oym guy and got super lost, were wandering in all of these skinny roads trying to find his little hut but it was so confusing- finally we found him but he told us he was busy and shut the door. Blast it all, dude we just spent like an hour trying to find you! So we walked back rejected and it was a blazin' heat and the word was looking dreary.

BUT alas! here's where the tender mercy comes in! We were walking by this house and the door was open and all of a sudden I walked like a magnet to it. we talked to the lady inside, she just got back from picking up her girl from school and looked hot and tired and busy. i was about to say "ok we will just come back another day" and opened my mouth to say that but what came out was "do you have 10 minutes right now?" what the? I totally was not going to say that but, there it was. She sort of hesitated and let us in. we started teaching her and she was not really paying attention, then her daughter came in. We started talking to her too and asking her questions, she was super awesome and telling us about her life and God and stuff. Sister J was talking and said that Jesus was our brother and for some reason when she said that it was like lightning in my brain- all of the sudden a perfect plan of where to take the conversation and how was in my head. I started saying the things, it lead perfectly to extending a baptismal date, and BAM she accepted!! as in! we met her like 20 mins ago and she agreed to be baptized! We left the lesson on cloud 9, were hugging and so happy :) All i can say is that right there was the Spirit. There's no other explanation! My companionship with sister J, her words for sparking the Spirit, and then the companionship of the Spirit to lay out in my mind what to do is so amazing to be a part of. I think I've felt the Spirit more strongly and clearly these past few weeks in training, its such a tender mercy of the Lord. I love sister j and I love the Lord and I love the work and i love the area and i just am so full of loooovveeee! 

this is what all my days look like

This week I taught my first Islamic lady on my whole mission. Ya, it was very interesting. this whole time I've been trained to work with Catholic background, so it was weird to have to go back back and explain Jesus Christ. It was pretty hurtful the things she was saying about Him, and I know thats her beliefs and all but it was shocking to hear. It was a different feeling for sure in the lesson as we bore testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ to someone who doesn't believe in him.  I know He is the Savior of the world and that He lives. How interesting that that belief can be so far off from what she was saying.

This week in zone training it was about the Atonement. We had a great discussion, then split into groups and had to share about what the Atonement means to us. The Spirit was so strong and I learned a lot. I had a powerful experience where I was corrected from my former thoughts of a missionary and filled with the love that Jesus Christ has for that person. I have no right to judge, I am just as much of a sinner as the person next to me, and we all need the atonement. I cried, was corrected, and felt the overwhelming gravity of the sacrifice Jesus made for each and every one. It was a good day and i needed it.

This week we also got to teach an Iglesia missionary. That was interesing too, one of our OYMs that we went to follow back on was in the moment being taught by this iglesia missionary. Not wanting to intrude or anything rude we offered to come back another day, but they both invited us in and asked us to share. They were respectful to us which im grateful for :) We sat across from them and boldly declared our beliefs and bore testimony to them. Even though we are just kids, I felt like more than myself as we taught with the Spirit. It doesn't matter who you are, how old or educated or poor or helpless, we proclaim the truth and do not apologize. We have an appointment to go back next week, hopefully it continues well!

us at a homecoming of the gamil's missionary daughter in our ward

I've felt the Spirit this week so much, I have such a testimony that God will fill our mouths with things to say if we put ourself in a place to be used and then open them. So many times things come out of my mouth that I didn't think of to say before, or ideas come to my head as we listen and speak. God is speaking to his children through us, through me. He can't go about speaking to all of us face to face, but He can send missionaries who will do exactly that for Him. I know God is real, He is aware of us, and that He is in this work. There's no denying it! I am so honored to be the Lord's instrument and truly cherish this mission.

I love you all so so much and am so grateful for your prayers! continue! I feel the strength and love you send my way and also pray for you every day. I am so grateful for you mom and dad, and for being the people you are. I love you so much!

LOVE SIS MCGRATH

naga ZONE rocks

Work

Hello all!
Its been another week in Naga, another week as a nanay, another week of hard work! as i flipped through my journal this morning trying to milk something worthwhile to type from my week all i got was lots of words about the people we are teaching and all of the problems and joys and ups and downs that go with them. I wish i could introduce you to everyone so you could actually know what we do all week but i think its impossible. Pretty much this week can be summarized by resolving concerns, listening, speaking, reading scriptures, resolving more concerns, asking questions, being asked questions, listening some more, following the Spirit, more concerns etc etc etc. its TIRING!! man it is exhausting when you're doing your best and trying to give your all to everyone. Its good of course, very hard, and very rewarding and disappointing.

I feel like everyone we teach or meet is like a big ball of tangled up string. We come in and see what we've got to work with, then try to start to untangle the mess. Pull a string here, pull a side there, try going in a loop, in and out. Working through their lives and stories and fears and faith and trying to help them. Sometimes when we leave it feels like we didn't make any progress on the knot but seems more messy. Other times its visible the difference that one scripture or words prompted by the Spirit can make, and we feel that they are better than when we found them. But little by little we change the world! Ah mission life.


Things have been good this week with Aki J! Sister J is so great, she is a great teacher and listener and partner. She's light years ahead of me than my first weeks in the field. (ok tagalog is a big step up...but even with that said she's still super more awesome than me) it really helps theres no language/culture adjustment, we can just get right down to work and work some miracles! Its been so cool to be a trainer, I feel like I'm being re-trained myself.  Like, ya sure lets just go read lesson 1 over and over for a week and practice teaching it. Its going back to basics and its probably helping me just as much as its helping her. Another blessing about training is that in our companionship and area we get to reap the rewards of a fresh 100% full of faith greenie. Man! i know numbers aren't important but our numbers this week were killer! so crazy, the last weeks of last transfer our area was dying and I really questioned the Lord's idea to have someone trained here. But thanks to our faith, we have been able to teach and find and do great work. She's really refreshed my faith too! Its crazy what a positive mindset can do to your surroundings. Anyways, I hope she's learning as much as i am, i still feel pretty unqualified to train her but i know that the Lord will make up the rest of what I can't do, and that He qualifies the weak and the willing.

Hm what else.  As a missionary here in Naga 3rd, and especially as a trainer i feel like all eyes are on me.  In the ward, mission, and what the Lord expects of me. I feel very pressured to do my best work all the time. Which is great! But still pressure. Anyways, I have been trying to go the extra mile in everything to work our best. No regrets. So ya, thats about all I've got to report on this week, its been busy! due to that I've got only one picture to send you, personal low I know. This week i will try to take one at least every day. Sorryyyy please forgive. I love you all so so much and thank you for the prayers and support, keep it coming! i need it!

Mahal na MAHAL kita!!!
Sister McGrath