I'm dreaming of a white christmas....

So.. all last night I just couldn't sleep, and so I sang christmas songs and my companion hates me now(: haha just kidding she loves me still, but I am so excited for christmas, can I jsut say that?

This week has been a rough one. Last sunday Sister Kumar get really sick during the night time, fever, chills...etc. so monday we did the bare minimum for Pday and she slept all day. Then Tuesday was district meeting, and barely made it to that, she got a priesthood blessing, and came home and slept. then slept all day wednesday. I was just reading my scriptures and taking her medicine, and cleaning and stuff like that. Then we worked thurdsay and friday... and guess who got sick friday night. Yeah.... It was the worst ever!! haha fevers are not fun. And those nasty coughs where you have mucus and nothing comes out it is just so hurty.. haha. yeah. welcome to the last 2 days of my life. But I am happy to say that I can move today! so thats good. (: Don't worry, I only got sick cause my companin likes to cough with her mouth open... gross huh.

Anyways, this week has been kind of a boring one because of all that. Transfers were also this week, but we knew that we were not getting a transfer, so here we are,. amo man giahpon. We have decided that we are going to focus a lot on less active members in our ward, because people are just not ready here. and we feel like we will find those elect investigators after we start rescuing some of the less active ones. Good plan huh! Not ours,, it came from above.

Cool thing that is happening today....(: Do you all remember Sister Rosaleah, from bacolod 1st ward? She was one of the less actives that was rescued while I was there, adn she always fed us good food... yeah, well today her and her son are going through the temple and both taking our their endownments. Dante is going on a mission in california. It is so an amazing feeling to see my hard work and so many sweat and tears pay off and go to the temple. I remember the first lesson we had with them, and I barely knew the language, but I remember telling her that if she was faithful and went to church she would be prepared to go to the temple with her son. And TODAY it is happening. This work is real. It is Totally the work of the Lord... and because of the Faith of the people. I love it. What a special thing.

I hope you are all having a great end of the school year... I think summer starts today for you, right? wowza!

Love, your sister Missionary,

SIster Young

P.s. I got a package from uncle brent and aunt Chris! Thank you so much, my companion is so excited to decorate the eggs!!!!(: and she loves the slinkys(:

I survived

Wow, this week has been so long! It seems like forever since I got to call my family! But, all is well.

This week on wednesday we had exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders. I went to Pagla-um while sister Kumar stayed in our area. I had so much fun in Pagla-um... it is so pretty there.. and sadly I took no pictures. But, I learned how to weave those cot bed things that they make here. It takes about 6 hours to complete a whole one! and these people are so good kag fast at making them! It was fun to see.

It was refreshing to go somewhere new and work, it gave me enthusiam to go back to my area and work! 

So this week I have been studying in Mosiah. And I was thinking about my very first book of mormon. It was one of the really really old ones that have the pictures inserted where the story is. Anyways, I remember when I was a kid that My favorite picture was the one where Abinadi is standing in chains in front of Evil King Noah. There is like a cheeta or something next to the king and all the priests are pointing and mocking and laughing at Abinadi. I don't remember why I liked it... but I really love this story. It starts in Mosiah 12-17. What caught my attention this time was in verse 3 of chapter 12 Abinadi tells the king that his life will be valued even as a garment in a hot furnace... Little does the king know how true this is...

Then the priests of the king ask Abinadi about a scripture and what it means, and Abinadi just goes off on them and tells them that they don't understand because they don't practice what they preach. It really hit me, not that I am so disobedient to the commandments, but I can always try to be better. I am not perfect. 

Then chapters 14 and the beginning of 15 talk about the atonement. I think I ahve already talked about chapter 14 before... but I just love to replace the word "our" with "MY"... try it out. it means so much more. 

Then of course in 15:28 it talks about me. read it(:

Chapter 16 talks about our agency and what wll happen if we use it for good... and what will happen if we use it for evil. and how we will be ressurrected. 

I love chapter 17 too... Because after Abinadi is don't talking alma believes him and begs the king to let him be free...but the king wont have it. And tries to capture Alma, but he goes off and writes the words of Abinadi..

Then Abinadi stands up for the truth and it kinda scares The King... and he was about to release him, I'm sure the king felt the power and authority that was there while Abinadi was speaking. but then the wicked priests pressure him, and the king caves and kills Abinadi by fire. And of course Abinadi seals his words and truth by death. 

What a powerful story. as I was reading it this morning I could literally feel the heat from the flames that killed Abinadi burning my hands as I held my scriptures. call me crazy, but I know this book is true,and it has power.... as the more we read it the more real it comes... the more we ponder on the words, and apply it to our life the more personal it becomes....

I am so thankful that Abinadi was so strong in his faith in jesus chirst... who hadent even come to earth yet.... that he would not deny it. He was such a great example to me, to all of us. When ever we just want to quit, or give up... think of Abinadi. I know he know what was going to happen to him... but he suffered it to happen. 

I love you all. I hope you are loving the scriptures as much as I am. I wish I could have felt the Power from the book of mormon before I was almost 2 decades old... but its never too late, righT? 

Trust me, and if you don't trust me, trust god. This book is true. 

I love you all

Love, Your sister Missionary,

Sister Young

P.s. The earthquake that happened here on the island.... everyone felt it but my companion and I... the power of our name tags is amazing. love you!

Happy Mother's Day

This is just going to be a really short little email this week, because I got to skype my momma! But I just want to wish all the mom/grandmas/aunts/ all those women that are amazing a happy mothers day, how great is your calling!!!

This week was crazy... we had just a whole weeks worth of meetings in Bacolod city, talk about lots of plete! but all is well, we had lots to learn. 

I am so thankful for this opportunity to be here to serve. It is such a great blessing that I get to not only bless others here in the Philippines, but at the same time I get to grow and my family gets to be blessed! 

Until next week... 

Love, Your sister Missionary,

SIster Young

Happy Birthday's

First, I would like to say.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHELBY!!!! Today is your 23rd birthday, wow are you old! haha, And a very happy birthday to Aunt Traci too! But I won't mention your age(:

Last year on May 3rd i received my mission call..... I read my journal about my thoughts and how I was feeling and what was going through my head... And now as I am actually LIVING my mission for almost a year now... I realize that I mission was never what I thought it was going to be. It is much more hard and much more sweet. Seriously I've never had so many ups and downs. But I am so Thankful that I am here, even though sometimes I just want to pack my bags and go home after a really hard day, or week. I am still here.

Another Year mark that is coming up is my 1 year of being an endowed member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and boy does it feel good! I remember the struggles and trials that I went through in the weeks and days leading up to all these BIG things happening in my life... and now i'm here(: Serving in the Philippines....And I can't wait for the day when I get to go back to the temple!

This week has been a hard one. My companion had a melt down... one of those that she is all crying and yelling at me, and where I just go into the other room and cry and pray. I've never experienced something like that happening between a companion and I before. I didn't know how to react...

But It was bound to happen, our area is so... hard. Seriously. Never in my mission have I been rejected as badly as I have been here. There is just something about a blonde haired., blue eyed, tall white girl that the filippinos just love... except in this area. We get punted so much... on thursday we got punted 7 times in a row... the day before that we got punted 4 times... and the list goes on and on. This is Her second area, and she misses her 1st area and now we just get punted so much... its hard. And she is just way tender too.

But we got things worked out and ate ice cream(: so all is well... except that we are going to get fat if we keep having ice cream to calm our nerves. The other day we were reading with one of our investigators and I came across a verse that was so applicable to our situation now... I'll tell you...

1 nephi 16:18:

"and it came to pass, that as I and my companion went forth to find Investigators, behold, we did lose our patience, which was made of fine character; and after we did lose our patience, behold, President Lopez was angry with us because of the loss of key indicators, for we did obtain no baptism."

and That is pretty much how our life is right now. (: But, despite all of that, while teaching the sister of one of our aweome investigators... Sister Marcia, we invited her to come to church, and she said that she had not money to go to church, and I was prompted to tell her that if she came to church that she wouldn't have to worry about food that the lord would provide. That night I prayed so hard that she would find the desire and courage to come to church with her 4 little children... and guess what! She came to church! (: I rejoiced.

But what was even better than that was what happened next. So Brother Rolly is her brother and he has been investigating for about 2 months now and he comes to church all the time. Sister marcia was sitting in Gospel principles class and Brother rolly walked around the corner and the smile on her face was absolutely priceless, and then the happiness that just glowed from him... it was amazing. And it was strange cause at that moment I could feel the spirit so strongly, and it was just them smiling.. It was amazing.

I pray that they progress... that that whole family progresses, because I know that this gospel will bless their lives.

I know that for some reason I was sent here... maybe so I could be brutally rejected and feel more of what Christ felt. I don't know. But I really can't wait till this area is really going good(:

I love you all, and I hope you have a fantastic week. And mom, I'll see you next week huh! (:

Love, your sister missionary,
Sister Young