June 15th email

So, first news is that I'm being transferred on Thursday so next Monday I'll tell you all about my new companion, new area, etc. I'm pretty sad to be leaving our progressing investigators, Leondard's family who will soon be baptized also and especially the children but I'm sure the new experience will help push meto a new level of ability in all aspects, especially language. Still no package but maybe Thursday :) The pictures worked! There was only the one with the family and I had to open them as an attatchment...but that didn't work at the MTC so maybe it's because here there isn't a filter like at the MTC. So, we had zone interviews on the 12th and Andrea's wedding announcement came, that same day she was getting married...it was kind of unfair that way with everyone there and I couldn't help but cry but it wasn't until I woke up Friday morning that I knew all of my friends and family would be there at the reception...but I went right to reading my scriptures in Tagalog and didn't think about it again :) Hooray for me, haha. Probably the boy was Steve, darker skin, tall :) I've written to Amanda but I think she hasn't gotten them yet because she keeps moving :) haha, I'm glad she's been able to hear news of me now with the great internet technology. Shaela and Tyler are nearing a year of marriage now, crazy. It sounds like it was great and I'm pleased to hear the pictures I gave them were included in the video and that they had pudding on the rice which was a "US" college thing and Becca told me that she was planning to do it. Hey Garyn, thanks for the email and I'm glad to hear you're experiencing the heat now also, although I'm sure mine is wetter heat :) Good luck with finding a job, it's great that you're so dedicated to working hard, hopefully that transfers into all areas of your life, especially gospel related. I always wanted to work really hard and do everything but often that pushed aside time I could have spent on religious things and it's only now that I realize how much time I maybe wasted, even as I was doing things. My thought for the week...my stake president said something to us before our missionary interview. He asked all of us why we were serving and afterwards told us that we all have good reasons to serve missions, or sometimes we don't...but our reason should become to baptize, ultimately that is the goal and the purpose, to baptize, baptize, baptize and pres Hinckley added...retain! We can do good things for the wrong reasons, or even for good reasons but not the best ones and we will need the best reasons and the right reasons to become ours so we remain... they said to go on a mission for whatever reason but stay on your mission for the right reasons. Okay, so all these thoughts put together got me thinking about why it is we do everything we do, why do I write a letter, why do I smile at someone, why do I wash my clothes or prepare a lesson or anything at all and all of these have good reasons, and sometimes not so good and somewhat selfish reasons attached but as we strive to have all we do be for the ultimate reason; that we love God and in loving God we also come to love others because he loves all of us, then all we do will have greater purpose, we will discover what we were meant to complete while here on earth, remember what we promised God we would do as we left his presence to come on this journey, and it will become easier to give up entirely the things we shouldn't do and prioritize the others. We had district conference broadcast from SLC yesterday, Father's day, and it was wonderful to hear from both Elder Oaks and Uchtdorf and members of the seventy, especially to hear news specific for the members of this country. President Hinckley's gifts were nice to read, thanks... especially gratitude for parents/family or people in general really. The thing is I've always been concerned about my pride and often it rules my actions, my thoughts first which lead to my actions and it is frustrating. I have a hard time understanding humilityand have spent a lot of time in the scriptures researching the topic. The most amazing realization, for me, came early on while being here which is that Humility and Gratitude are linked especially close, all virtuous things and traits are but as my gratitude grew for all of my blessings and those in my life, or as I came to realize my gratitude in new ways, gratitude that was already there, I began to understand humility and it became easier to be humble. Back to conference: Sister Mabalot's favorite quote was when they were talking to the members about being the parents of the rising generation and he said "you parents are the full time missionaries and your children are your investigators! "This added to my thoughts about my patriarchal blessing and wondering if a mission was really where I was supposed to end up -- and I realize that there is nothing about a mission that isn't preparing me to better do the missions I will be called to do after. I see in myself the potential to get stuck in mission mode, and have a hard time going back to normal life so I try to remember that I must do the best where I am and fulfill what I can here then leave it to someone else and find joy and fulfill my duty in other areas later and one is not greater or of more importance than another, just different. When we view another calling as more important or essential it limits us from truly magnifying the great call we have and doing all we must to strengthen the whole from where we are placed at any given time. Adventure hour now: WE were walking home from an appointment, it was near to our curfew and suddenly we had a flash flood or sorts, rain like crazy and then all of the electricity in the city went out so here we are running down the middle of the street, darkness, holding hands and not even bothering with the umbrella...it was rather exciting. We then used candles in our apartment to try to plan for the next day and find our dry clothes :) We took pictures first, however...we couldn't pass up the opportunity to photograph our sogginess. Sadly enough, but really happy, the electricity came back so we had light to finish our night but the candle discovery has been great since we have no light in the bathroom now and we're too short to change it, so now we use a candle in there when we shower, or bath, or dump water on ourselves or really it sounds best to say it in Tagalog now..."Maligo ko" All right I think this shall be all for today we have much to do, especially since I'm leaving Lemery, the city by the sea for another unknown land. I love everyone, so tell everyone that for me...thanks! Brit (known to all here as Sister Landrum).