Week 29

Hello wonderful family!

So, I might be getting transferred this week.  I won't know for sure
until Wednesday night? But, it's pretty likely.  I'm super sad!!! I
don't want to leave this area!!  I just love the people and the area
so much more every day!  I would be perfectly happy staying in Roxas
my whole mission.  I don't even really like going on exchanges
anymore.  I used to think they were fun... and still do... but before
it didn't make a difference to me who I was teaching or where I was
because I didn't really know anyone.  Now though I really care about
these people and I don't want to miss one opportunity to teach them.
We have so many new investigators as well and I want to see them
progress and be baptized!!!  So... hopefully I don't transfer yet.
I'll find out soon.  We did go on exchanges this last week on
Wednesday.  I went with Sister Ilaga in her area and Sister Wignall
went with Sister Schocker in our area.  It was a good day... I've
never had so many people tell me how good I was at the language!  I
learned that day though that I really don't have a problem anymore
talking with people.  It's been a gradual change but I just noticed
because I compared that exchange with the last time I did exchanges
with Sister Ilaga in her area.  Before, I couldn't even ask them
questions about themselves or even felt comfortable having a normal
conversation.  This time though felt really good!  I could really talk
to them without even really having to think about it!

Oh man, referrals are so great!  This week we had a GOLDEN referral
from our patriarch.  Her name is Anna Marie.  We contacted her earlier
in the week to set up an appointment with her and even then she was
telling us that she's catholic, born and raised and went to a catholic
school, but because of the respect she has for her friend, the
patriarch, she is so open and willing to listen to us.  She wants to
learn from us herself so that she can then teach her family, which
means she has a lot of real intent.  When we taught her on Saturday,
I'm pretty sure it was the best lesson I have ever had so far in my
mission.  I could tell how everything we were saying was being
directed by the spirit.  She told us that she had prayed to God that
if she shouldn't meet with us, she would be stopped somehow, but the
whole week she was excited to meet with us.  She was invited to a
Catholic activity for the exact same time as our meeting and told us
she was surprised that she had come. When we testified that there was
a reason why she was there and that it wasn't by accident, she started
crying and told us that she already knew that.  When we testified
about the peaceful feeling she would get if she read and prayed about
the book of mormon, she told us that she was already feeling a
peaceful feeling.  She said she was going home a lot more happier than
she had ever expected to.  We'll meet with her again next Saturday.
Hopefully I won't transfer and I can keep teaching her and all our
other good investigators!  I can't imagine how hard it's going to be
to go home in a year.  Just the thought of leaving Roxas makes me so
sad!

Funny story, when we were leaving an appointment the other day, an old
lady with a muddy cane started walking with us.  As she was talking,
she got so into her story that she started waving her cane in the air.
 Sister Schocker got hit in the back of the head.  I have no idea what
the lady was saying because I was laughing so hard.  She wasn't hurt,
but it's not every day and old lady gets so carried away in a story
that she hits the American in the head with her cane... and of course
all the neighbors and bystanders were laughing too... because of
course they were all watching when it happened, haha.

We had surprise clean checks this week.  Good thing our apartment
wasn't too dirty to clean in a few minutes.  Elder and Sister
Robinson, two senior couple missionaries came to check.  I love them
so much.  We just talked for like half an hour with them, asking about
their mission and what they do.  It sounds so great!  I so want to go
on a senior couple mission!  I'm jealous of you, mom and dad!!! haha,
joke lang, this mission is the best thing ever. :D  Anyways, they are
going home in 2 months and they're super sad about it!  Elder Robinson
started to cry when we were talking about it.

So I had a PAT ring made here in the Philippines by the bishop's
brother.  It's pretty sweet.  PAT stands for Pumili Ang Tama.. or in
English, Choose the Right! :D  He engraved on the inside for me
Philippines Iloilo Mission 2012-2013.  I love it!

We woke up this morning at 3am to do our personal study..... and then
companionship study at 4, and then at 5 we went to the beach for maybe
the last time for me.  I took some pictures, but I forgot my cord, so
sorry no pictures this week.  I am super tired, but hopefully we'll be
able to get everything done early today so maybe.... just maybe... I
might be able to get a short nap sometime later.  I have a ton of
stuff to do today though.  Including laundry...

I hope you all have a wonderful week.  Enjoy getting together for
Daniel's wedding.  I'm sorry I can't be there, but I hope you all
understand :)  No one wishes more than I do that I could be there, but
I know that this is where I need to be right now.  I know that each
and every one of you will come to my wedding someday... right?  :D
Start saving your pennies...
I love you all!!!  I hope you all have a fantabulous week and continue
to choose the right.  I was going to share a short spiritual message
about trials, but I'm out of time... so you can all look forward to
that next week.  And in the meantime, know that I'm thinking and
praying about you all.  Congratulations Daniel and Jennifer!

Sister McClellan