Lessons

I love Sister L., my sassy companion.  She's my sister.  We only have two more weeks together.  Right when I get comfortable with my life in the mission, I'm stripped of all security.   But that's good, right?  to put full reliance and trust in the Lord.

Mom and Dad, you'll be so grateful that I taught my anak this week the lessons I learned from you:

DAD:  One day L. and I walked the entire planet and got punted 100% of the day...meaning our discouragement and frustration level was at an all time high.  We had been out walking since early afternoon and had an hour until curfew.  We felt like the most pointless failures and had absolutely no where to go...because we had been everywhere!  I contemplated going home and calling it a day.  I mean...we had worked our hardest. 

It was at this point where L. and I were standing on the curb giving each other the look of, "well, now where do we go?" that I remembered the story Dad told me right before I left on my mission.  The story when he was in Hawaii and walked so far to give food to that homeless man.  That came to mind.  I thought, "Mads, how far will you go?  How far are you willing to walk?"  so...I pointed and said, "this way," and we just kept walking.  I knew that L. was literally gonna collapse in frustration at this point, but as we started walking down the road, I began telling her the story.  I knew she was touched because by the end of the story we were two sister missionaries in tears walking down the road at 8:15 pm.

Now, this day doesn't end in any miraculous way - but we did stop by Cn and Cl's one last time just to see if they happened to be home.  I have never been so thrilled to see little Cn's head pop up out of the window when we called, "Tao po."  My jaw dropped, and I looked at L. and exclaimed, "ah!  We walked far enough."  Being with Cn and Cl are the perfect way to end the day.  They are my best friends.

MOM:  During companionship study L and I got on the topic of rejection and how discouraging it truly is.  I remembered what you taught me the summer in St. Louis.  I was hating knocking doors.  You told me, "Just have 2 minutes of courage."  Sometimes it doesn't even take a whole 2 minutes.  Sometimes all it takes is 2 seconds.  It's the 2 seconds of courage that it takes to first open my mouth to introduce ourselves.  It's the 2 seconds of courage that it takes in the morning to roll out of bed and kneel for my prayer and start the day.  But those little moments of courage are what help us as missionaries.  Without them, we would get no where.  So thanks Mom.  for that motto.  it's carried L. and I through the week.

I still look up at the clouds and sometimes wonder where Neverland is...I feel like it's close to the Philippines.  If I find it I'm moving in with Peter Pan.  But, really I'm just obsessed with the silhouettes of the palm trees and the clouds and the moon as we're walking the streets at night.  That's my favorite image.

I still have to eat rice everyday.  I heard a rumor that there is going to be a Taco Bell in the new SM they are building in Cauayan.  It that's true, you won't hear from me on P-days any more cause I will travel all the way to Cauayan every week for it.  That's your heads up.

I love you - thanks for the prayers and support.  I miss you all more than you know.  But, Heavenly Father has my back over here.

Favs:  Alma 5: 12,14; Doctrine and Covenants 103:36