Blessed

What a week! How the time has seemed to just fly by! It seems like only yesterday I was sitting at Nanay Cea's internet shop writing home to my family. And now, I'm here again! But this week will be my last at Nanay Cea's internet shop because tomorrow, I will be transferring! To Iriga!

So when we got the transfer announcements last night, it was kind of a bitter-sweet moment for me. I immediately started to feel sad as I thought about my amazing companion, area, and investigators here that I will be leaving behind. As I thought, I started to remember all the things that I love and that I will miss about this place and the people here and all the fun experiences I have had in Naga. Looking back over the time, I feel so lucky to have had so many good times here and am shocked by how fast the time seems to be flying! It actually worries me a little bit about how the rest of the mission will go!

But as for my last week here in Naga, it has been a good one. I feel like we have really put in our best effort and I am so excited to leave our area with Sister Raneses! 

She really is an amazing missionary and I have seen her grow so much since the start of our time together. So I know she's got this! And will be able to do so much good for the people here in our area.

In addition, this week has been a little chaotic/different because twice this past week I have had the amazing opportunity to go with Sister Zapanta and some of the other missionaries here in Naga to help out with some activities in different zones.

On Thursday, I got to be companions with Sister Roberts as we all went out to a college campus in Iriga to share the gospel.

 

 And earlier this morning, I also had the opportunity to go with Sister T'ui out to Pomplona to share the gospel at a high school there. It was really fun!

 For me, I definitely think I was able to polish up on some of my teaching skills as we had the opportunity to meet and talk with hundreds of people. 

 
 Besides that, it was a pretty normal week of proselyting as we worked our way to a good end of the week and a great end of the transfer. Many times this week, I found myself having to rely completely on my Father in Heaven to make it through the weekly trials and came to find myself constantly reminded of how lucky and blessed I have been throughout my whole life. I don't think you can really understand how much you have or how blessed you have been until you meet people with so much less. Let despite the trials of the people I have met here, they continue to smile and be amazing, and every day I find myself coming to love them more and more.

For example, as I looked into the eyes of one of our part member families (the Balmes family) this past week, who has come to be very special to me over the past 6 months, I couldn't help but feel so thankful to have gotten to know them and become part of their life as we gave our last teary-eyed goodbyes.

All in all, I know there will be tons of people and other things that I will miss about Naga, just as there are things I miss about Goa. But I am also so excited to get to head out, meet and serve tons of new people in Iriga!

As one of the speakers said at stake conference last Sunday: "The key to this work is not who you are or where you are called to go. The key is to love the people. To love them enough to see them through Heavenly Father's eyes, and to be willing to give your all to help them". 

So I know that if we just continue to work hard, do our best, and strive to give our all in helping the people around us, than everything will work out in the end. So when things get rough, just keep on going. Just think: you're almost there!!!!

I love you all, hope you have a great week and can't wait to email from Iriga next week!

Sincerely, 

Sister Matheny

10 things I love about Goa:

1. Making "mean jokes" with Sister Stackhouse

2. Mango tarts and Sister Jimenez's cooking

3. The rice fields

4. That everyone is always playing with a rubix cube

5. Seeing tricys drive down the road overflowing with 16 people

6. Our fun district service projects

7. Sleeping mattress-to-mattress on the floor with all my other roommates

8. Eating 7/11 ice-cream on the way home from proselyting

9. Falling in the mud as I try my best to catch ducks

10. Having to watch my step as we walk home in the rain so as not to squish all the toads in the road.

10 things I love about Naga:

1. All the children screaming "Sister Matheny!", "Sister Black!" and "Up-here!" (high-five) as we pass by

2. Trying not to trip and fall as we speed-walk along the railroad

3. Having a flushing toilet in my home

4. Being within walking distance of the mission office

5. Eating Taho for breakfast

6. Nanay Cea's internet shop

7. All of the awesome/humble people here

8. Not having to slouch inside the tricys because the tricys in Naga are a little larger

9. That people here actually have real pet dogs that are so fun to play with

10.The delicious flan at kitchen everywhere