Sketchy Service Project :)‏

Happy Temple Day!!

I've been very impatiently awaiting this temple day.... can't wait to go!  We're leaving for the temple right after emailing.  Since Morong is so far away from the city, we didn't have temple days there so I haven't been for a few months.  Makes me so grateful I've served in a mission where the temple is close and we can go so often :) 

This last week and a half has been great!!  We were able to go on exchanges with the Marikina sisters as well as with our kabahays two days ago.  So funny... about a week or so ago, our kabahays told us they wait for the first ten minutes of their companionship study every day for us to walk in their room and say we're going to work with them.  We teased them that they were going to have to wait until the very end of the transfer.... but we decided to ease their pain and work with them sooner than that. :)  When we showed up to the Marikina sisters' apartment, they weren't there.  We called them and found out they were doing service so they came back, let us put our stuff in their apartment, and then we all headed out for service.  We all laughed afterwards because the service was super, super sketchy.  What it was was these people from the health something going door-to-door and giving kids shots for tidas.... measles, I think?  Basta, it was an interesting experience standing there and watching as these random strangers gave peoples' kids shots.  That never would fly in America.... hahaha!!  Ssssoooooo sketchy..... :)  The sisters' bishop hadn't really explained what the service would be, he mostly just told them it would be a great finding opportunity.  We didn't really find any potential investigators.... guess they were a little distracted when we tried to tell them about the gospel by their screaming children or something.

We got stuck at the chapel after church last Sunday.... there was some serious wind and heavy rains... guess there was a typhoon or something... :)  Oh the joys of not having a t.v. and not knowing what's going on. :)  It was just fine.... we just had one umbrella for the four of us, but eventually we made our way home safely.

The work here is just going great!  Last week, we began using our ward directory for finding less-actives (I'm a convert now to this method of "finding").  We spent quite awhile struggling to find where some of the members lived and as we were walking, a women said, "Hi Sisters," in a way like she had some connection with the church.  Sure enough, she's part of a part-member family and her sister who was right behind her is a less-active member, not on our ward directory.  We scheduled an appointment with them and when we went to them on Saturday, the less-active was there along with many non-member relatives.  Turns out her daughter is super interested in learning more about the gospel so now we're teaching a less-active and an investigator.  I love the ward directory!!  I feel like even when things don't go as planned, Heavenly Father is always aware of your efforts as a missionary and He will guide you where you need to go. :)

I just don't understand how people can be trunky and stop working as hard just because they're going home soon.  If anything, I'm feeling a little panicked now like I have to do everything I possibly can before the journey ends.  Man.... excited to come home, but not at the same time.  Being a missionary is so weird... and awesome :) 

I had my first opportunity my whole mission to speak in sacrament meeting last Sunday.  My assigned topic was Missionary Work and Service, a topic I was more than happy to share about.  Sister Faasavalu was also assigned to speak and she gave the first talk.  Cute girl took up most of the time so both I and the speaker who came after me had to cut our talks really short, which was just fine by me :) 

I love the gospel!!  I love serving the Lord and watching as people change and align their lives with God's plan for us.  I love watching families come together and are strengthened as they beginning to be nourished by the gospel.  I love teaching little kids about the First Vision and then them asking, "So which is the true church?" and then inviting them to pray and find out for themselves and them doing so and then listening as they describe their experience.  I love less-active members realizing that they have been spiritually weakened and then exercising their faith by taking that sometimes scary first step and attending church for the first time in years.  I love sharing with members and inviting them to be part of the work of salvation.  Basta, I love it all!!  Missionary work is the best and right now, there's nothing I'd rather be doing :) 

Love you all so much!!  Ingat kayo lagi!

Love, Sister Dickison 

Above: Picture of Sketchy Service Project