WE MADE IT TO P-DAY!! 😀
Actually, this week has gone really fast. I think probably due to the fact that I was sick for two days last week. Probably the sickest I can remember being since the week right before I reported–super high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, the whole 9 yards. Turns out it’s even worse when you don’t have a couch to lay on or a mother to take care of you. My companion, Sister Rimano, is super sweet, and literally a lifesaver, but not quite mother-level yet. 😉 It was actually mostly frustrating because we were scheduled to have our first exchanges on Thursday. So when I woke up with an intense headache and low fever on Wednesday morning, we had to decide whether to chance working, or staying home so I could recover to work the next day. Well, we opted to let me take it easy, and by Wednesday night I was feeling much better. We went to bed on time and everything, but then I woke up a little before 4am on Thursday morning with a spiking fever (like 103 degrees when we got around to taking my temp), but too weak and in too much pain to do anything about it. Luckily, Sister Rimano was able to wake up and get me medicine and help me take it, as well as bringing me a wet handkerchief to help bring my temp down. I was eventually able to fall asleep again and in the morning we texted the Elders to come give me a blessing. I honestly was so kawawa (pitiful). I was all tough and sat on our dining room chair for the blessing, but then like two minutes after it finished, they were standing talking (waiting for the rain to slow before they left) and I just pathetically got off the chair and had to lay on the floor. I have to say, though, the power of the Priesthood is SO REAL. And Heavenly Father takes care of his missionaries! Sister Rimano had to go to the mission office on Friday for an interview, so we really couldn’t afford for me to be sick another day. The Lord really came through, though, and gave me the strength to be able to get up on Friday and even go work for a couple hours before we had to commute to the city (which was another thing I was worried about that He sustained me though). Basically, I just have to testify that we really are just living life in His hands. Or, if we aren’t, we should be, because He is so much better at working things out for us than if we try to do things on our own.
We had our first exchanges this week. One with our kabahay, Sister Tipasa and Sister Tehei (I love them! They are such great missionaries! I was actually super intimidated when we started our joint companionship study and realized just how good of missionaries they are and so hard-working) and another with sisters I don’t know quite as well. I was pretty nervous, actually and had to humble myself and pray a lot to get over my own insecurities and remember that I am just here as an instrument and representative for Jesus Christ–there’s no room for fear in stead of faith. It all ultimately turned out okay, though, and I have been learning a lot about myself. One thing I have been learning more than anything is true humility–literally begging the Lord for help, recognizing that I can’t do ANYTHING without Him. I seem to be fine with all the theoretical leadership parts of being an STL, but when it comes to actually working with the sisters, I’m just like…..bah! 😛 It has been a great experience though, because I have already learned that all I need to do is turn to the Lord and He is right there. I’ve been praying for Charity, to be able to see these wonderful sisters the way that He does, and to know how I can help them. It is amazing how powerful it really is when we follow the counsel to replace our fear with faith. There is so much available to us if we just appeal to the Lord for it.
I’m basically out of time (I’m sorry!!!!). This week has been good, though! Our area is doing alright, even though we weren’t able to work in it very much last week. Our 2 investigators with a bap. date are doing well. The one is progressing really well and on track (James, 19, boyfriend of a member/ward missionary. So golden!). The other one is doing alright, but we are still working on an adult to be his mentor (Joeferd, the son of less-active/part-member family. His teenage sister is active but we aren’t sure if it is enough because he has missed a couple Sundays even when she came). Also, we found/ran into/were contacted by a less-active returned missionary yesterday. I will journal that story because it is so good! If I don’t find time to tell it next week, I’ll tell you when I get home for sure. Anyhow, his family aren’t members, so we will be seeing them on Saturday and have hope for them as well! Overall, things in our area are going well (sorry I don’t have time to tell you all the stories that I wish I could! There are so many good ones from this week!!). Sorry this email has been kind of dull (I’m a little worn out from our early morning temple trip–though I know that is no excuse!). I promise I will send a better one next week!
That is all for now. I love you, miss you, pray for you! Hope you have a great week!!
Love always,
Sister Emma Franks
Photo credits: Gladys Martinez
L to R: Sister Tehei, Sister Rimano, Roselyn (ward missionary reporting to Baguio mission this week), Sister Tipasa, me!
Us and the ward missionaries (and our ward mission leader on the far right) after missionary correlation last Sunday