October 16, 2011
This week, for those of you who may have forgotten, was my birthday... strange huh? It's incredibly bizarre to think that I'm a whole year older than I was last year at this time. I think this is in large part due to the fact that it really doesn't feel like a year worth of time has passed. As a missionary in the Philippines, time flies primarily because it doesn't seem to be moving. Every morning we wake up and do the same thing. We head out into either hot or rainy weather and teach people. The sun always rises and sets at 6:00, the leaves never all turn brown and fall of the trees, and if it ever feels cold- it only lasts till the rain stops and the sun comes back out. Essentially, I have so much trouble believing an entire year has passed because the world outside looks exactly like the world I looked at on December 29, 2010 when I arrived.
This week, for those of you who may have forgotten, was my birthday... strange huh? It's incredibly bizarre to think that I'm a whole year older than I was last year at this time. I think this is in large part due to the fact that it really doesn't feel like a year worth of time has passed. As a missionary in the Philippines, time flies primarily because it doesn't seem to be moving. Every morning we wake up and do the same thing. We head out into either hot or rainy weather and teach people. The sun always rises and sets at 6:00, the leaves never all turn brown and fall of the trees, and if it ever feels cold- it only lasts till the rain stops and the sun comes back out. Essentially, I have so much trouble believing an entire year has passed because the world outside looks exactly like the world I looked at on December 29, 2010 when I arrived.
Yet there are many ways in which I can see that time has passed. I'm a very different person now. I've served in three areas, become friends with several companions, and and am currently working on learning a 4th and 5th language (Kinaray-a and Filipino Sign Language). (for those of you who have lost count on my languages: #1 English, #2 Tagalog, #3 Hiligaynon.) When I look at what I have accomplished in the past year, I'm somewhat surprised that it has only been a year. But regardless of how I perceive it, time continues to march forward at a constant rate and I'm just trying to keep up with it all.
So, what has made my birthday week so wonderful? A lot of things. This week has been a lot of hard work and a lot of great blessings. We began the week with a firm determination to do much better than last week, and this is something we did a great job of doing. I celebrated my birthday on Monday (our p-day) by going out for pizza and buying myself a new shirt which I waited to wear till my actual birthday. On my actual birthday, I opened a present from my "Nanay." Nanay is the Tagalog word for mom, and it's what the sisters call their trainers. This transfer, I've been blessed with the opportunity to be house-mates with my "nanay" again, so though I was not with my literal mom, I still had a mother figure with me. It was really nice. That night, my companion and I made a dessert that I have decided to name "apple-pie-lumpia." Lumpia is a Filipino food that is kinda like and egg-roll, and we decided to make and apple-pie-like filling to put in it, it was pretty delicious.
This week, I had the opportunity to watch the General Relief Society broadcast. As Conference talks are published, I highly encourage each of you to read President Uchtdorf's talk about the Forget Me Not flower. He teaches how we must not forget that Heavenly Father loves us and knows us individually. He states how the being who created the stars and heavens knows our names. This phrase really stuck out to me because of my great love for the stars. Some say that as one studies astronomy, one discovers how insignificant they are in the grand scope of the universe. Yet I have always felt differently. No matter how large the universe may be, regardless of the number of stars and galaxies that fill our night skies and stretch out far beyond our ability to see, He knows and cares for each of us. He created it for each of us. From the grandest galaxies and nebulae to the dust in Saturn's rings, it's for us because He loves us.
My birthday celebration continued on Saturday as we had a baptism. (picture included). This is the Agsunod family- Resli, Loui, and their mom. They are the cutest, shiest family and they were so excited for their baptism. They really have such a strong testimony of the church and of Heavenly Father's love for them. When we asked Sister Resli why she wanted to be baptized, she said that it was because she wanted to be a part of Jesus Christ's true church and knew that by being baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost so that she can always have Heavenly Father's guidance in her life. I'm so excited for this family, I love them all so much. I feel so incredibly blessed to be where I am right now and to have this opportunity to be serving the Lord. He arranged so that I would be surrounded by people I love and in a beautiful place for my birthday. I've come to realize so much more than I ever did before that Heavenly Father really does know and love each of us.
Palangga Ko Kamo!
Palangga Ko Kamo!
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