This has been the most wonderful week! I cannot believe that this is the last email I will write to you as a full-time missionary in the Philippines Angeles Mission. Time truly flies on wings of lightning. This morning as I was studying for one of our investigators who is struggling with the Word of Wisdom I was reading about overcoming addictions in Preach My Gospel. One of the strategies mentioned in Preach My Gospel is to involve the members (of course!) and have them invite the investigator to a family home evening. "What a great idea!" I thought remembering Elder Bowen's council in stake conference to invite others, investigators and less actives, to family home evening. Here's the thing though, the majority of Filipinos I've met don't have a weekly family home evening every Monday night. They usually only hold a family home evening when the missionaries initiate it and when that happens the members feel that it needs to be a big ordeal. I can think of maybe two families in our branch that might consistently hold a family home evening each week; that would be our branch president and his 1st counselor. These thoughts started causing me great frustration and I started to feel like "well if that's the state of things, what did my year and a half of service here even mean!?" But I had to pull myself back, realize that much had been accomplished in the past year and a half and take a breath. I know that each of us is a work in progress. And the Philippines as a country is also a work in progress. God loves these people for who they can become...and so do I. I will be leaving my beloved tropical island in a matter of days, but I will do all that I can for the rest of my life to help the people I met here become who our Father knows they can become.
I had similar thoughts as we were in the temple. The departing missionaries were able to go to the temple last Friday. And I noticed a few things in the temple that caused me to contemplate about our offerings to the Lord. Last week I talked to my Father for a little while about my offering to Him. I needed to know if my offering was acceptable to Him, so I asked Him. And I didn't hear a voice telling me anything, but I felt a great sense of peace. And the idea simply came to me that I cannot imagine Heavenly Father saying "No. You didn't do enough." I know that He is pleased with my efforts. He loves us for our offering even if it is flawed. His love is incredible. And I in turn, love Him with all my heart. This experience of serving a mission has given me a glimpse of what my life needs to be. Because I have felt the power of Heavenly Father's love, evidenced in so many, many ways I will wear out my life showing Him my love.
Sumasainyo,
Sister Larson
Eating Chicken Feet!!
Laundry:(
Chicken Adobo-All by myself:)
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