KAMUSTA TANAN! So I didn't email Monday or Wednesday because it was Transfer Week and I was very busy..
But here is my week in a nutshell...
September 19th, Saturday, Sister Canar and I had splits with the STL's, Sister Labador and Sister Lagan. I was able to go on splits with Sister Lagan, my trainer (nanay), one last time before she returned back home to Palawan on September 23rd. It was so awesome being able to work with her once again because I haven't seen her since my training.
We went and taught a new investigator, Sister Angel about "The Great Apostasy" and "The Restoration through Joseph Smith." I was happy to be working with Sister Lagan because she's really good with Bisaya and the scriptures, and I really wanted her to see what kind of investigator Sister Angel was; if she was serious or not.
September 20th, Sunday, Sister Canar and I traveled to Lilo-an (about 2 hours away from Carmen) and participated in the Stake Conference. It was a pretty good conference. A lot of the talks were about keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. I remember a Sister speaking about the Sabbath and she said, "It's keep the Sabbath DAY holy, not keep the Sabbath 3 HOURS holy." A lot of the time, people, especially in the Philippines, think that as long as they go to church and participate in the 3 hours of classes, they're keeping the Sabbath day holy, even if they go and work or buy things afterwards. But the quote from the Stake Conference is so true. It's the whole day that we need to keep holy. It's one day out of 7 that Heavenly Father gave to us to keep holy and worship Him and His Son, Jesus Christ.
After the conference, everyone talked and took lots of pictures, because there were some missionaries that were going home September 23rd. It was really sad having to say goodbye to a lot of the missionaries, especially the ones that I have become close with or just beginning to get close to. Some of the missionaries that left are; Sister Cristoria (Philippines), Elder Amata (Philippines), Elder Wilcox (Hawaii), Elder Conolly (Utah), Sister Deliarte (Philippines), and my trainer, Sister Lagan (Philippines). It was a hard time saying goodbye to all of them, but I know that all of these missionaries have returned home with honor and with no regrets, knowing that they worked hard and gave it their all on their missions.
September 21st, Monday, Sister Canar and I didn't have P-day, but we did participate in a little CSP with Elders Jimenez and San Andres in our Branch. We helped out a recent convert in the Elders' area move from house to house. Even though it was SO hot and we had to move tons of heavy objects, it was still pretty fun spending time with the Elders their recent convert. She's the only member in her family, so she was very happy to see the missionaries/members helping her out by moving her things to her new home.
We had also gone and taught a less active; Charlene "ChaCha" Morales. When I had first gotten here in Carmen, Cebu and started teaching Sister ChaCha, she had no interest in listening to our commitments. We would ask if she prayed/read and every time she'd say, "No. I'm too lazy/bored to pray." But lately when we've been teaching her, she's really been into the lessons! She's been reading, she's been praying, and she's always answering questions/commenting during the lesson. Just all of a sudden she switches her attitude about praying/reading and now every time we ask if she's been doing it, she says, "Yeah. I really like praying/reading because. . ." It's been so awesome seeing her have that desire she once had before.
September 22nd, Tuesday, Sister Canar and I traveled to Danao for our District meeting. This District meeting was different for 2 reasons:
1) Instead of the District leader giving us a workshop and just talking the whole time, he had us each go up in the front and answer two questions. The 1st question was, "What makes you worthy to be here on your mission?" I actually didn't really know what to say. haha. I told them that I think I'm worthy to be here on a mission because the Lord sees the desire I have to change others lives because He's changed mine. That I was an insecure girl who didn't know my worth but now I do because of the love of Heavenly Father and His gospel, and now I want to go and help others feel that same love in their life.
The second question was, "As a missionary, what can you do to be highly favored of the Lord?" One way that we can definitely be highly favored, not only as missionaries but as members, is by being obedient to His commandments with a willing heart. I know that if we follow all of His commandments, whether it's hard or not, He will bless us and we will be highly favored of Him.
2) We had transfer calls! We all found out where we're transferring, who our new companions would be, and our positions in the mission. I was SO nervous to find out. Before transfer calls, everyone kept telling me, "Sister Johnson, you're going to train." or "Are you ready to train the next transfer Sister Johnson??" I even would get feelings that I was going to train next transfer, but I kinda just pushed them aside because I was a little nervous. I kind of felt like throwing up when my Zone leader announced the transfer calls. He wrote Sister Canar's name on the board, and wrote that she was transferring to Tagbilaran, Bohol and following up an American, Sister Paget who just finished her 12 weeks training. And me.... I'M TRAINING!! I didn't find out who I was training until Wednesday at the Mission Home with President/Sister Tanner and all of the other trainers.
Wednesday morning, September 23rd, I traveled to Lilo-an to the mission office with Elder San Andres and Elder Jimenez to find out who our trainees were. I don't know why but I was really nervous to find out who I was training. We waited in the mission office for all of the trainers, and then we drove to the mission home of President/Sister Tanner, and gathered together in the kitchen and had a "trainer's meeting" on how to be good trainers for our trainees. After all of the meetings, we walked out and got to hear the testimonies of the new missionaries. There was such a strong Spirit there when they shared their testimonies. It was so awesome! After the testimonies, we all talked/took pictures, and waiting for President Tanner to announce.
When President Tanner called my name my heart just dropped. I walked over to this white board with a map of all our areas, and I pointed to mine, Carmen. And then President Tanner said, "Sister Johnson, you will be training. . . Sister Acosta!" Sister Acosta is a Tagalog speaker from Mindanao, Cebu. And she is SO gwapa! (beautiful). I've only known her for a a day but she is so awesome. She's so humble and really sweet. I'm hoping that these next 12 weeks I can shape her into the missionary the Lord needs her to be!
Well, I love you all so much and can't wait to tell you about my training!
Love,
Sister Johnson
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