Sister Brown in the Philippines: Another Week in the 'Bang‏

Beautiful Palo Alto

Palo Alto

Maligayang Elections Day! But really, I'm so excited for it to be over. For the last week they've been "campaigning," meaning they drive around in big vans blasting American pop songs with Tagalog words about the candidate. Let me tell ya, it's the bomb during personal study. Shout out to my mother for sending me the biggest package ever! Filled with food and headbands. You know my happiness. And this week was a good one for the bucket list. I bought a hammock. And I sang a solo in sacrament meeting. An entire verse of "Lord I Would Follow Thee." In Tagalog. Go me. I am also very humble ;)

This week we had exchanges again with the STL's and I got to lead our area. I was terrified but I did it! And guess what! I'm kind of good at Tagalog. And back to the humility thing... Also we went tracting a lot this week. Tracting is where you find the only 4 or 5 not nice people in the country of the Philippines. But it was a good time! We need ideas though of how to make it more fun, be more creative in our approach, so if you have any ideas, send them this way!

As for investigators, we had 5 come to church! I don't know what happened! Actually, I do. Heavenly Father is helping us our here in the 'Bang. So our favorite little family, Joel and Arianne, are doing great! Ari came to church on her own with her 2 little kids because Joel had a meeting, but he came too as soon as he was done. We taught them more about the Word of Wisdom and made some goals. One of them was for Joel to cut down the number of cigarettes he had each day in half. That's hard. But he did it! They're already almost through with 2nd Nephi. They liken the scriptures to themselves almost every time we ask them about their reading. I still don't even know how to do that! They are just so great! Their countenance has truly changed and you can just see the light of Christ in their eyes :)

And spiritual thought of the week, brought to you by our STL's. We did this thing where we all laid on the ground and turned out all the lights and then just pretended we were alone and said whatever we wanted. Sister Anderson said something that really stuck with me. She said that there are people here that we knew in the pre-existence. Friends that we promised we would come and find. There have been multiple times on the mission that I've felt I already knew someone, that I'd known them forever. For example, my MTC companions. Or Sister Smart. And ya know what? It's probably because I have. This army of Helaman that we're all a part of, it's eternal. We fought together before we came, we're fighting together now, and we're going to fight the final fight together. The people we meet throughout our lives, they are literally our eternal friends. And I don't want to get to the life after this and have my friends come to me and ask me why I wasn't valiant, why I didn't have their back here on earth. And you don't want that either. So take every opportunity to share the gospel, to serve someone else.

I know that this is the work of the Lord and that He has prepared His children for the trials of life. He wants ALL of His children to come back to Him and He needs His army to make it happen. I'm honestly humbled to be a part of this army. And you should know you don't have to be a full-time missionary to be a part of it. Like I said, this army is eternal. And if you're here, you're a part of it.

Love you all, have a great week!

XOXO, Sister Brown