Week 25

I can't remember all the pictures I wanted to send last week, but the

first one here is of a tricycle.  The second one is of balut?  It's a

half-developed bird... I hope you can see the beak and face and

everything.... because that's what I ate... hehe.  Yuck!  The third

one is of my new companion!!!

Walking in a rice field, sacrament meeting in a red tent... and the

Bermejo family!  :)

Another wonderful week has passed by... with even more miracles than
last week :)  Investigators who we haven't been able to see in months
show up randomly and are interested, or less-actives who usually don't
listen, are there and they come to church! So many things!  Our
sacrament meeting in Panay has really been progressing.  This week
there were 35 members who attended and the bishop asked what they
thought about it and everyone agreed to hold sacrament meeting every
Sunday instead of only twice a month.  They also want to start having
a class afterwards as well.  I am so excited for Panay!  It's still
been a challenge to inform all the members out there, but it's been
fun.  We have soooo many new investigators.. I don't know how...
people just keep falling into our laps it feels like.  We have 11 new
investigators this week.  We have been more busy than ever before...
and I don't know how we're supposed to visit and teach everyone that
we need to in the coming weeks, but somehow we're doing it.
In my personal study this last week, I was prompted to study about humility.
 I think it was because it's easy to get too caught up in the numbers
and feeling proud.  I even thought a few times... "I wonder what the
rest of the district will say when they see how many new investigators
we got this week..." so I was starting to have those prideful
thoughts. I really don't want to get caught in the pride cycle,
because if we do... the miracles stop.  I was studying in Mosiah 4 I
think, where it talks about how we can't do anything without God's
help.  Without him, we are nothing!  In our companionship study we
discussed how there is no possible way we could be doing any of this
on our own.
We are both still learning the language and we don't
always know where to go or what to say... but God does!  He has been
helping us more and more each day and I am so grateful.  Of course
things still don't always go the way that we hope, people still make
their own choices, and we will always have trials in life, but life is
just good right now, despite the other things that happen.  I am so
grateful for God's hand in my life.  I can really see now how I am
being an instrument in God's hands.  I've also seen the importance of
perfect obedience in receiving God's help and direction.  I had
thought I was being perfectly obedient before... I wasn't doing
anything bad and I was working hard, but as Sister Schocker and I
began doing our exercises consistently, every morning, I have seen how
those days have been better.  Also, eating healthily. That has been a
big challenge for me...  I didn't realize that by eating bread and
peanut butter every day... haha, I was being disobedient!  My
companion and I created a plan to eat healthier so that we can
continue to witness miracles in our work. In order to receive the
blessings, we need to do everything that is in our power.  I'm sure
you all think that I'm becoming one of those people who get weird on
their missions, haha... I guess maybe it's true. My housemates are
trying to convince me to wear lola dresses to bed and put baby powder
all over me... don't worry, I haven't become that weird yet :D  But
maybe by the time I come home... I'm going to be super weird!
Wow, Mom and Dad, you are going to Nauvoo!? That's awesome! I'm so
excited for you!  I for sure want to hear more details... haha both of
you in your emails always say you're sure the other will tell me more,
it's super funny... but leaves me hanging :)
I hope you are all doing well!! I hope Daniel sends me an invitation
to his wedding :)  Love you all so much!
Heidi