A Prophet

Sister Frame and Sister Davis

This week was busy - understatement

I left my companion for a whole 2.5 days.  It was the worst.  Thursday I left Tugue (along with three elders) for the mission home where I would be spending the night.  We got to Cauayan by 8:30 and had dinner with President and Sister Rahlf.  Then the APs picked up the elders for the night...and I was left with President and Sister Rahlf eating rocky road ice-cream and Family Scripture Study.  It was intimidating but incredible.  I learned a lot.  Felt the spirit so strongly.  Sister Rahlf always has the best things to say.  As we were talking, she shared the quote with me - 

Peace is not the absence of trouble.  It's the presence of Christ.

I ended the night with

a hot shower (the first time in 17 months)

and fell asleep with a blanket

a bed

and an air-conditioned room.

I was so comfortable - 

I could not sleep.

The next morning we flew to Manila with the other foreigners in my batch to do visa work and fingerprinting.  It was hectic and busy, but all got accomplished.  We managed to make it to Mall of Asia for about an hour - the biggest mall in Asia.  I think we saw only 1/100th of it.  

We ended the night in a small, smelly hotel room.  It was so fitting to my current circumstances, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

We didn't get home till Saturday night.  It was good to get back to my area and be with S!  Our reunion was as if I had just been gone for 18 months.  Yesterday, after sacrament we were able to get out and catch up for our loss.  We found 2 new investigators!  This area is finally starting to turn around.  It always makes the work so much more exciting.  

It's so fulfilling when our prayers at night are filled with individuals to specifically pray for, and our thoughts revolve soley around them.  We have a very busy next few weeks - I'm excited for it.  We have so much to do here in Penablanca.

I'm jealous you all got to listen to General Conference this weekend!  I get to do that this Saturday and Sunday - 

I

Can't 

Wait

(Conference weekends are by far my favorite weekends on the mission).

Yesterday, we were teaching Sister J. about prophets - and every time I teach that lesson, my gratitude for a living prophet grows.  How lucky are we to have a living prophet to lead and guide us in this generation - in this world that has so much temptation and distractions and "ugly" attacking us.

We have someone's voice to listen to, someone's words to follow.  And how comforting to know that those words are coming directly from Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father.

We have so much going for us in this Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

We have all we need.

We have all the tools for our success.

-Sister Frame

The good times just keep on coming

9.15.14

This week, we went to our far area and got punted from all the lessons we were planning to teach...so we wandered the area and tracked - hoping to accomplish something -

And one thing led to another

and we ended up in the caves.

It was cool!

There's a chapel in there ya know.  It's super creepy actually and there were one million bats inside,

but it was one of those moments that made me realize - Dang.  i'm in the Philippines.

We were in the midst of sorting out some church records and following up on previous baptisms, when President Rahlf calls our cell phone.  And guess what!  He called to tell me that Baby Bean was born!! (Bean has just become his name because I never know its gender, so I had to get creative in my prayers).  I was so excited.  I can't wait to meet little John Wallace.  Congrats to G, Kae, and Rae.  He looks so chubby! and adorable.  As I looked at pictures I had a handful of little Filipino school kids crowded behind my shoulder looking at the pics - just as excited as I was.

And then, there was a typhoon.  Named Louis.  All weekend we were getting updates from mission headquarters about it, and then Sunday morning they enforced lockdown after church.  (Meaning I still had to speak in Sacrament Meeting).  After church we were tucked away in our little home, until our Bishop called and insisted that we evacuate to the chapel before the storm got any worse.  We got our 72 hour kits and the Bishop relocated us to the chapel.  First, he bought us some Coke - so we would "enjoy our stay."  We got there and joined a few other families whose homes weren't safe to stay in.  

And we spent the night, but we didn't sleep.  We were safe.

This morning we came home and checked the damage.  Lots of power lines down.  Most of my cute little palm trees around the house had their tops missing.  Miles and miles and miles of crops that the farmers have worked all season on...completely destroyed.  My heart was so sad for them.

and all the power was out, so we had nothing to do but start our laundry....

I surprised myself because on Saturday when we were getting texts about the storm and to be alert of all the updates - my companion and I looked outside the window and took note of the still and very hot weather,  thinking, 'we'll be fine.'  The other two sisters in our house took some time to prepare their 72 hour kits and get everything ready for any kind of evacuation.  S and I went to work that day with some sarcasm up our sleeve about the fact that they take this so seriously.  As I was working, I realized how big of an idiot I am.  Like hello!  wasn't it just last month that I was teaching the parable to the G. family about the 10 virgins?  yea.  it was.  and now, in this moment, I was completely being a hypocrite.  So after a few appointments, I looked at S. and said, "Homie...I think we should get our 72 hour kits ready."  

I procrastinated the warning from my leaders.  I just assumed we would all be ok.
Spent some time looking back in my life and how in spiritual ways I've been slow sometimes to heed the warnings and council of my leaders.  Sometimes I'm guilty of justifying things - thinking - 'oh, that commandment is for other people...but it's ok for me because I can do it without actually falling into temptation.'

But that's totally not true.  Just like the typhoon warnings, there was no justification in me not preparing.  I was either ready or not.  I would either be safe, or not.  It was a humbling lesson for me.  Thought I'd share.

-Sister Frame

Pet Peeve of the week:  when Americans speak Tagalog to me.  like - come on people...we both speak english.

i saw miracles

miracles happened this week.  2 huge ones.

the first

it rained almost every night this week.  temperatures were completely in my favor.  it was bliss.

the second

yesterday  i mosied into the chapel, put my bag down and started shaking peoples hands.  i start in the same spot every week.  the back right corner, then a counter clockwise direction.  i had almost made it full circle when i stopped dead in my tracks, jaw dropped and joy jumping in my heart.  it was B.  she had been there the whole time, just took me 10 minutes to realize it.  she was waiting to see my reaction.  the moment i saw her, i just got so teary eyed like a baby and hugged her so tight.  she's coming to church and is intending to get baptized, no more procrastination.

i just sat there and smiled so big.  no words.  it was the best moment and i just let it soak in.  the reality of B sitting next to me in church was so satisfying.

I couldn't help but thank Heavenly Father over and over again for answering the countless prayers on her behalf.

sixthirtyfourteen

The night that followed the day

The other night was everlasting due to the fact that I was tossing and turning, wrestling from the heat in a failed attempt to focus and ignore the suffocating air and simply fall asleep.

Finally, 6:30 am, the alarm went off, and I sat up anxious and exhausted, calculating in my mind that probably a total of ten minutes of sleep was realistically accumulated.  I spent the morning trying to recuperate before personal study - but all was lost at 8:07 am when the click of the electric fan sounded, and I heartrendingly watched as the blades began to slow - before coming to a complete -

stop.

Brownout.
In an instant the world became silent.  The next 3 hours of study were a mix of emotions with the combined efforts from all 4 missionaries to keep our sanity and the hopeful prayers on our behalf for a miracle of power restoration.

We saw no such luck.

The day of work was painful to endure.  It was nearly impossibly to shake our bad attitudes.  Nevertheless, by the time we walked home that night, the slightest wind picked up for the first time in 24 hours.

We mutually picked up our pace and triumphantly marched home to the apartment.  We defeated the day, and the thrill of seeing our reward (electricity at last!) was overwhelming relief.  Indeed, we do believe in miracles.  The rest of the night was bliss in comparison to our previous hours.  We planned and accounted followed by my nightly routine, and by 9:40 pm, I was on my back porch brushing my teeth with the optimism that I would get a better night's rest.

But what I noticed on the balcony just to the right, left me jaw-dropped, hand frozen mid 'brush' and drooling the foam of my toothpaste.  I was breathless.

I've always loved lightening storms - they have been on the top of my list (along with Disneyland, fireworks, candy and Simon and Garfunkel), but I'm almost hesitant to even try to explain this one, because my words will never do it justice (I will, however, make an attempt for the sake of the story that I have already begun).

There was a storm a few miles to the right of us.  Far enough away that I could see the entirety of it - top to bottom and side to side.  It was close enough to where it still illuminated the whole portion of the sky I was blanketed under.

I felt like I could see the roof of the universe and the heavens open with each crack of lightening - which was fortunately as frequent as every .0023 of a second.  There wasn't a moment that passed by that didn't have magic in the sky!  The world had become a permanent strobe light and the electric bolts and sparks of colors squiggling from one corner of this storm to the other became a symphony of natural fireworks.  The thunder was no where near close, but the echo of it in the distance gave the earth its own pulse of a heartbeat.  I watched it for hours, going late into the night just to absorb it all - taking a "heaven pic" of my reality.   The bright light that revealed the silhouettes of the surrounding palm trees with each flicker will forever be imprinted in my mind.

I remember thinking, "This was so worth it!  The heat and pain of this day - I would relive it 100 times over just to experience this."  Again, the recurring lesson confirmed that the reward usually comes after the sacrifice.  The thought that dominated my mind over and over again was, God is so good.

Seriously people, take a look around.  Absorb it and realize....life is so good.  I'll admit I was pretty much the most negative person in the state of Idaho before my mish.  So sassy, but I've been hit with some seriously humbling moments - and in the end, I've just recognized the need to be grateful.

We have a trillion things to be grateful for.  No matter who we are or what our situation in life is - Heavenly Father surrounds us every day with miracles and moments that if we choose to be grateful for - can bless our life.

I've learned that the attitude of gratitude will take me so much further in life.  I'm trying to apply it even in the harshest of situations, but it's something that will take time to master.

We are all so blessed.  I mean....we have the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  What else do we need?

- Sister Frame

Jacob 5

The Lord loves us.

This is an adventure, with roadblocks, surprises, sublime moments.

The Spirit is here.

Bravery.

Valiant acts.

Eternal relationships.

Testimony from some so young.

Beauty.

3 Miracles.

So thankful for the Book of Mormon.

The Priesthood is real.

This is His vineyard.

The Lord is watching over it

and loves it.

He loves his children. 

Is this Heaven?

No transfers! and honestly we were all so thrilled.  The 4 Cabatuan sisters are staying put....They are my family.  Cabatuan has definitely become my 'home away from home.'

On Saturday there was a baptism.  This baptism was so special....incredible.  J. was baptized.  It is one of the most spiritual experiences I've had my whole mission.  To see J's face,

                                             it was pure happiness.  

I can replay the image of him coming out of the water and cry.  It's imprinted on my heart for eternity.  The veil is thinner around J.  When you are with him you can just feel a piece of Heaven radiating around him.  It's totally real.

I got a new pair of proselyting shoes...they really are just rubber flats.  Every sister wears them because they cost about 50 cents and they are comfortable and water proof.  This pair is glittery gold, and since it was the first day I was wearing them, I had some excess glitter on my feet whenever I took them off.

So, we are teaching a lesson to some of the I. kids, and one of my favorite girls was sitting next to me.  Whenever she is near and gets bored she will start touching my arms or feet.  She's intrigued by my white skin.

But this last time we were sitting on the floor and she was rubbing my feet with just one finger as I was talking.  I watched as she touched the top of my foot and then looked at her finger now covered with specks of glitter.  Her jaw dropped, and she turned to E. and exclaimed with pure enthusiasm that my skin was magic.

I'm grateful that I get to stay here a little longer.  I'm happy.  I'm happy to be here.  You guys, I love this Gospel.  with my whole heart.

Easter

             
                Easter is incredible, right?  WHAT a special day.  I'm disappointed to admit that it has taken me 21 years to actually and more fully understand the significance of the day.  But really - 

                                                     What a Special Day!

This mission experience of mine has seen it all.  The highest of highs and the lowest of lows - But through it all, it has equated to one thing:  a personal knowledge of and relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I can firmly say that I know Jesus Christ knows us.  

He has felt the things we feel

ALL OF IT.

Not just the parts or portions of our feelings.  All of it.  For me.  For you.  For every single person.  In the past 11.5 months, I have been exposed to the most vulnerable feelings.  Being a missionary has stripped me of all ability to escape through my cell phone, social media, friends/family, or other forms of virtual "protection" or entertainment.  But - it has let me straight to the arms of my brother, Jesus Christ.  And I've come to understand that He's the only one that can truly carry and truly comfort us.  With real peace.  Not just the imitated and masked worldly peace that we all get so immune to and reliant upon.  The truest and purest form of peace and comfort only comes through Him.  And that's Because of His Atonement.  It's infinite.  It's beautiful.  And it's for us.  The most peace that I've ever felt in my entire life has come through applying the Atonement.  And for myself, I can so confidently say that I know it's real.  And how grateful I am to say that.  I long for others to feel of its power too.

My words do little in expressing the true testimony and feelings I have toward our Savior.  But, He's there for each of us.  To heal our broken hearts, to bandage our wounds from sin and mistakes, to strengthen our weaknesses and to carry us when we feel abandoned and alone.

The Atonement is the means of improving ourselves, having hope when days are tough.  The Atonement means we only have to answer to the Savior - meaning, I want to focus my thoughts and make my actions pleasing to Him.  And where I fall short everyday, He's there, close by, to help me along.  He never turns away, never judges my efforts, only shows mercy to me and my imperfect self.  Because He loves us.

- Sister Frame

SMALL WORLD STORY:  So we had a zone conference this week.  I got a special surprise delivery.
Some Elders had to go to Manila for a day to do visa work and fingerprints before they go home.  They were in the airport when someone recognized missionaries and approached the elders.  They just had small talk before making the connection that these Elders were from the Cauayan mission, and that this random foreigner, RICH SWENSEN, was from Boise, and knew me.  Cool right?  Bro. Swens sent these Elders back to Cauayan with a small note and a dozen krispy kremes.  Thanks Rich Swensen!  It was much appreciated.