Called to Serve: Stay positive, work hard, and don't forget to pray.

This week I saw a lot of miracles as Sister Raneses and I worked our way to a great ending.

I feel like we both put in our best effort and really saw our work pay off, even if every day was not the easiest ever. Especially Monday.

So last Monday, we were cleaning the house when we received a text from one of our part-member families saying that their mom had just died that morning. I remember just feeling so shocked and sad as I thought about this family who I have grown so close to since I started here in Naga.

Since I have gotten here to Naga, Nanay's health has gradually started to decline. She started getting thinner and thinner, and it has been really hard to watch. Especially since the doctors were having trouble figuring out what the problem was. I remember when I got the news last Monday, I literally had no idea of how to help them. MY only thought was "if only Sister Black were here. She could help them."

Well, my silent prayer was answered when later that day I showed up at the mission office only to find that Sister Black was in fact there! Along with her new companion: Sister Sorenson. It turns out they had come into town for their trainer's and trainee's meeting the next day.

Of course I was so thrilled and excited to see Sister Black again! And to meet her new companion, Sister Sorenson. So Sister Sorenson is really pretty, super nice, and AWESOME at Tagalog, even though she just got here! I had the opportunity to work with her later Monday night, and we had a lot of fun.

Anyways, more than anything, when I saw Sister Black I was super relieved and immediately told her what happened to the Lalas family.

I am so grateful that Sister Black was here, because later that night,she and Sister Raneses were able to go over to the Lalas family and give them exactly what they needed to hear. After that, when we went to visit the Lalas family the following days, I saw a new strength and hope in their faces that wasn't there before. I could see that they were still really sad (especially since Nanay left 4 kids ages 4, 10, 15, and 18 for their father to care for on his own), but more than anything I could see that they had faith. Faith that their mother will be alright and that they will see her again one-day. Later that week, at nanay's funeral service, I had to hold back the tears as tay gave a tearful talk about His wife and even more so as his eldest daughter gave the most sincere prayer at the end of the funeral, thanking God for letting them know their mother, for the time they had with her, and asking Him to take care of her now.

The experience was really sad, but more than anything, it really strengthened my testimony about the power of the atonement to heal and to mend us, especially in the times of our greatest trials.

Besides that, we experienced a lot more heartbreaks and trials throughout the week that definitely left me praying hard for all of the people here. So by the time Sunday came around, I was tired.

I just remember feeling a little discouraged as we walked around from house to house for 2 hours trying to get all our investigators to church only to be turned down at every one. I remember thinking "why? Why Heavenly Father? We are working as hard as we can here! And doing as much as we can. Only to walk around from house to house--thirsty, tired, feet aching, and sweating--and be turned down again and again."

So by the time we got to church, I was definitely in a state of "bitter despair", only to find myself repenting of all those negative thoughts a moment later when we entered the chapel to find that 9 of our investigators were already at the church!

For me, I think I learned an important lesson from this experience: have faith, be positive, because Heavenly Father always pulls through. He did for the Lalas family when their problems were much worse than mine and he will for each of us. He makes the difference every single time so that if we just do our best, He will provide for all of our faults and anything we might lack.

Sometimes, I think I have a habit of trying to take on the world. I want to do everything on my own, forgetting that Heavenly Father is right here to help us in every moment and instant of our life.

So looking back at all our experiences from this past week, the good and the bad, I am just so grateful for the lessons I have learned, and for the never-ceasing help of my Father in Heaven. This week, as all the others, He really did pull through.

Just as I know he does for each of us every day. So just stay positive, work hard and don't forget to pray. Because he will hear you. And like they always say:

"IT WON'T BE EASY, BUT IT WILL DEFINITELY BE WORTH IT IN THE END".