I'll go where you want me to go.

To be completely and totally honest, when I heard that I would be transferring to Iriga two cycles ago, I was not what you would call "thrilled" about the upcoming change. I actually was completely terrified to transfer to this area! From everything I had heard, the people here were hard-hearted, the houses big (meaning the people inside might not be friendly) and the sun hotter than anywhere else in the mission. In addition, what added more to my fear was before that transfer, I had specifically prayed and asked Heavenly Father: "If I am going to transfer this cycle, please anywhere BUT Iriga." So naturally, that is where I ended being sent.

But of course, even at that time, I knew that God has a perfect plan and that there was a reason I was meant to come here to Iriga. So even though I was scared, I put on a smile, 

set my feelings aside and have been doing my best to work hard and love the people here.

 The one thing I hadn't anticipated when I heard I would be transferring here however, was how much I would come to love this area, how dear to my heart it would become... and finally, how hard I would cry after receiving a call last night that I will be transferring out of what I have come to recognize as the best area in the mission.

Three months ago, I never imagined myself, kneeling on my bed and praying with my whole heart, just saying "Heavenly Father, I will try my best to be alright with whatever happens this upcoming transfer... but I am not sure if I could handle it if I am the one to leave. I just love this area too much."

Well, He is definitely putting my faith to the test as once again, I am going to do the one thing that terrifies me the most. But this time, I am going to let go of all of that and just put my trust in the Lord that DAET (my new area... and the furthest zone in the mission) is where He wants me to be. Because if there is one thing that Iriga has taught me, it is to have FAITH, and everything else will work out the way that it is supposed to. So that's what I will do! Have FAITH! For I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men save he shall prepare a way for them to accomplish that which he has commanded them. (1 Nephi 3:7)

Yes, I am sad to leave my area, but I know I am leaving it in good hands. And at least I can say that after a long and hard week of work, I am happy with what we . . .

. . . were able to accomplish during my last week in Iriga.

One event that stood out extra-sharp in my mind was the art show that we had last Friday. 

 For the show, Sister and Elder Hanson had given me a canvas that they expected me to have finished.

 But as the days came and past, I was left with little time to work on my painting and was ultimately unable to finish.

 But as I have said before, the Lord works in mysterious ways! And because of my decision to focus on the work instead of the painting, I gained an awesome opportunity Friday to spend my proselyting hours painting live at the art show,

  meeting so many awesome people and answering their questions about art.

Before starting that morning, I just remember begging Heavenly Father in prayer to help me do a good job (because I really have no idea what I am doing with paint) before getting to work.

Throughout the day, the spirit there was SUPER strong and I really felt the Lord's hand guiding me along and helping me to do a good job. In fact, there were even times when certain ideas or impressions just popped into my mind for the painting! So by the time the art show was over, I was surprised and happy with what I was able to do, and had to tell most of the people who asked me to give them the painting that they would have to fight Sister Zapanta for it.

I know it was not because of my own abilities or skills that I was able to finish strong but I am so grateful to the Lord for answering my prayer to help me paint.

I was also grateful when the Lord answered my prayer Tuesday afternoon when after heading out to find a referral in a relatively large area, I prayed to Heavenly Father and said "I know we will probably not be able to find this person... but if they are ready and if we are supposed to teach them, please guide us to them quickly now so that we can make it to our other appointments." After that, the tricey dropped us off in a random spot and we were off!

As we walked down the road (me looking back and forth for people to ask along the way). . .

  . . . I noticed a rather large house and had the sudden urge to ask there. To be honest, I almost didn't listen because I have a weird tendency to knock on big houses (so I thought maybe the feeling was just coming from me) but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try, so I called out only to have the person there tell me that it was in fact the home of the person we were looking for!

I was shocked! I had prayed for Heavenly Father's help, but hadn't expected Him to answer my prayer so quickly or immediately! And throughout the mission, I have seen Him do that time and time again.

Like with this transfer, for example. Even though I am SOOOO sad to leave this area, I am also grateful and excited for all the prayers my Heavenly Father is also answering in the process. For one, I have really wanted to--and have been praying for a chance to--go to Daet since the start of my mission, and now... I WILL GET TO GO THERE! In addition, I will also be blessed with the awesome opportunity to be companions with SISTER SEGOVIA! 

Who I ABSOLUTELY LOVE and is one of the hardest workers I have meet since I started the mission. I have prayed that I would get an opportunity to be her companion before, but didn't think it would actually happen because she is one of the Sister Training Leaders (STL's) in the mission. And since I am also getting the opportunity to be called as an STL (which I am honestly SUPER nervous about) it means I will also get to work with Sister Black again! (Something I have been praying for since we stopped being companions) 

Because she is also in Daet, so I will get to go on exchanges with her (hopefully) which I am SUPER excited for.

All in all, I don't think I have quite absorbed the fact that I am actually transferring! But I know the Lord has a plan, so I will just do my best to follow Him... because as the song goes "if, by a still, small voice he calls to paths that I do not know, I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine: I'll go where you want me to go."

I hope you all have an awesome week and I can't wait to email next week from my NEW AREA!!!! 

Sincerely,

Sister Matheny

God really does answer prayers.

 Oh where to even start!  It is SO beautiful here . . .

. . . And I LOVE it here so much!!!

This week my mind has been blown time and time again as we have seen miracle after miracle which has left me knowing without a doubt that God really does answer prayers, the atonement is real and all good things come to those who wait.

So last week, I really felt that I came to the realization of how much I love missionary work. 

But in addition to that, I also felt a deep-set depression when one of our awesome investigators--and one of the most amazing people I have met since starting the mission--started hiding from us after we came over and saw him drinking one afternoon.

We had only met him recently, but from his past experiences at church and from reading the Book of Mormon, he has already come to a solid knowledge that this message is true and has been working REALLY hard to overcome his word of wisdom issues so that he can reach his baptismal date.

From what I have seen since starting the mission, it is normal for people to occasionally relapse as they fight their own personal battle to come unto Christ and "be perfected in Him". But the amazing thing about this Gospel, is that no matter how many times we relapse, mess up, or sin, the ATONEMENT of JESUS CHRIST is ALWAYS there to help us change for the better.

After seeing our dear investigator drinking, this is what I wanted to shout out to him so that he would know we would NEVER look down on him or judge him for making a mistake. The problem however, is that he was hiding from us! So we couldn't!

I just remember feeling so crushed when that happened! It just didn't make sense to me that someone so prepared could fall off the map so quickly! And this investigator had become so special to us.

I just remember after that, pouring our my heart in prayer every day, begging Heavenly Father to help us know what to do. We fasted, prayed, sent inspirational texts, and even left a note and drawing of Jesus Christ that I made to let him know how much we care for him.

Part of me wondered why this was happening to me? The other part wondered if this is what it would feel like to watch someone very close to me fall away from the church.

Either way, after a final and desperate attempt to get an answer from Heavenly Father as to if this investigator would ever listen again, I opened my scriptures only to have them fall right open to the Bible Dictionary, and the only thing marked on that page was the definition of FAITH.

As I read that definition, warmth and comfort flooded my soul, and I felt that everything would work out for the best. Over the next few days, I had to return to that page many times to find comfort.

After that, a few days later, we made our investigator's brother (who we are also teaching) let us come over and pull out all the massive weeds in their yard. 

 Once again, our awesome investigator hid from us.

We ended up going home after a few hours with more splinters that I could count, feeling so happy with what we had been able to do for them but also so sad that our investigator was continuing to hide. 

As we went home, I asked Sister Habla for the millionth time: "Do you think he will ever listen again?"

Well... as I said earlier, God really does answer prayers (and in the most mysterious ways) because when we dropped by our investigator's home later that night, I was overfilled with joy as our investigator FINALLY came out (after over a week) to thank us for our service project.

Just that simple thank you made every single splinter worth it, and helped me to see just how POWERFUL service can be.

 I almost couldn't hold back tears of joy and was reminded once again of HOW MUCH I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK 

and why I am here . . . 

 . . . and couldn't help but think of the verse in Luke 15:7 which reads "likewise, joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth" or over one dearly beloved son of daughter of our Heavenly father who was lost, which is now found.

That being said, if I have one regret from this entire experience, it is that I ever doubted that God really would answer my prayers. Nevertheless, I am so grateful for this amazing miracle he has given us which has only served to strengthen my faith that He is REALLY listening to us, and that he REALLY will keep His promise to answer our prayers. 

 I have seen that time and time again throughout the mission, especially here in Iriga, which has grown to be one of my favorite areas. 

 I remember a few weeks after getting here, feeling so accomplished when we finally managed to have 7 investigators come to church (and we brought about 5 of them). This week however, my joy was tripled when we managed to have 12! And we only needed to go and get 2!

Besides that, life as usual has been good. 

 I officially dislike AC (which makes a room WAY too cold... and makes my nose hurt), snail has definitely become one of my favorite foods since getting here, and I am gradually growing to love basketball (which seems to be the favorite sport here in the Philippines). In one of our barangay's (which is kind of like a neighborhood), they are having a basketball tournament between all the different zones in the barangay, which has been fun for some of our investigators to participate in.

Anyways, there is so much more that has happened, but never enough time to write it all! Ha ha!

 Nevertheless, it sufficeth me to say that this week was a good week, full of faith, miracles and great hope for the weeks to come.

Have an AWESOME week and as I forgot to say earlier, MERRY THANKSGIVING!!!! Lets all find something to be thankful for.

Sincerely, 

Sister Matheny

P.S.  May the force by with you . . .