NOTE:
This week's blog entry contains BOTH last week's and this week's emails since her email didn't go through the last time. Enjoy the double enlightenment!
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| [Rice fields for dayzzzz] |
Email from June 24, 2018
"Week 23: Lima ka bulan na?! Paano gid!? (5 months already?! How!?)"
Maayong Hapon sa inyo tanan!
It's so crazy how fast time is flying by - I hit my 5 month mark yesterday na!
Anyways, this week was great.
On Tuesday, we went to [the city] because we had zone interviews and it was a really spiritual experience when the AP's (Assistant to the Mission President) gave us a training that mostly focused on how we must sanctify ourselves. So basically meaning that we must get rid of the stuff in our lives that hold us back from being the best version of ourselves that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to be. And total sanctification doesn't only mean getting rid of these things (whether it be items or people), but it also means committing ourselves to not return to those things or people that hold us back from being better and doing better. As a missionary, I feel really blessed to be able to help people reach the potential our Heavenly Father wants for them through the example Jesus Christ showed para sa aton (for all of us)!
But yeah just some other highlights about this week is that it hit me how cool it is that everyone here knows ang tupad nga mga balay nila (neighbors). So if you all rememeber one of my first emails I mentioned how they don't have addresses here kag it was crazy to me because coming from LA, I used Google Maps for everything! But over here if we are looking for where someone lives or we want to know if someone's home, all we have to do is go in the general area of where their home is and ask around, and people are kind enough to tell us or show us. I really like how everyone knows their neighbors here and they talk frequently to each other 😊
A funny highlight is that this past week, a member offered to feed us lunch and usually Sis. Reyes and I go home for lunch, but since we had lunch already, we went straight to some people we want to visit. However, when we went to our first stop, she was asleep! So we went on to the next person and she was taking a nap too! So liwat we go to the next person and she was about to take a nap. Haha Sis. Reyes and I made the conclusion that we have lunch everyday around 12:30 because that's when everyone's napping and we have no one to talk to.
Another spiritual highlight of this past week is that we had a baptism at church. It's just honestly the best seeing someone who follows the example of Jesus Christ. I just loved her testimony daw na-mag-an ang pamatyag ko when she shared that all that's right in her life is because of Jesus Christ. She's not our investigator, but we had the opportunity to teach her and her family a couple times in the past. I remember our first lesson para sa iya (with them), she said how bad she felt that for many years, missionaries have been passing by sa balay nila (their house) trying to help them and talk to them, but it was only recently that nabaton nila ang mga missionaries sa panimalay nila (they began receiving the missionaries[?]). I know that this was the perfect time for her to come to know Jesus Christ and follow His example through baptism. Even though she's seen missionaries way back in the past and was familiar with who they were, I know that God prepares her for this specific time. Just like it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1 - "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven"
Hope all of you are doing well!
Email from July 1, 2018
"Week 24: Rainy Season! "
Maayong Hapon sa inyo!
Yes, it’s officially rainy season here sa Pilipinas. They say that they only have two types of seasons here – ang hot season kag hot rainy season, haha! Actually it gets pretty cold here when it rains which I didn’t expect at all. I did bring some cardigans just in case, but I didn’t actually expect to use them! This past week was really good, there was a lot of stuff that happened.
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| [On the way to Zone Conference 😊] |
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| [Area neighbors!] |
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| [Zone conference!] |
So last Tuesday we had Zone Conference meaning we went back to the city liwat! I had another Spiritually uplifting day as they shared inspirational training [sessions]. One of the things that really stuck out to me is when President Cruz said “Pray as if we see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ up in the heavens.” I love that imagery he portrayed! It’s hard, we’re all human and sometimes we pray just to pray. This was a strong reminder to me of the amazing gift we have of prayer. We can directly communicate to Heavenly Father and thank Him for our blessings (which are a lot) and we can also ask for blessings that we want (how cool is that!?). However prayer only works kon may pagto kita (if we have faith). It all starts with that faith and that belief in our loving Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ.
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| [Almost saying bye to our mission nanay😭] |
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| [She trained both of us] |
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| [After conference😊] |
Also at the end of Zone Conference, they give time to the departing missionaries to share their testimonies because they will soon go home! Sister Reyes is one of them – ahhh it’s really hard for me to believe she’s leaving not only me and the area, but also the mission life in general. I’m really grateful that she trained me and set the pace for my mission! Anyways one of the sisters who is also going home shared that “serving a mission is a privilege, not a sacrifice.” I totally agree because a lot of the times, we tell others how we sacrifice 18 months of our life to represent Jesus Christ, pero ultimatley we are privileged to carry His name on our name tag and to teach others of His love. This (my mission) is the least I could do for all the things that God and Jesus Christ have given me in my life!
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| [District CSP] |
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| [All of them working hard while I was taking pictures] |
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Last Wednesday we had another CSP [community service project] and we went to the neighboring area, which is like a 20+ minute jeepney ride. We met up with our district and went to a members farm which was HUGE and awesome. Lowkey kinda want a farm in the future, haha! We just helped her remove some weeds and stuff for a couple hours. It was such a workout, I woke up sore the next day.
Just some updates parte sa teaching is that we were able to teach more this week compared to the past weeks! Yay 😄 So Sister Reyes and I have started teaching 3 kids who are ages 9, 11, and 13– their parents and older sister are less active so we’re trying trying to get the entire family back together 😊 Anyways I hadn’t realized that na-anad ako (I got used to) teaching young adults and those who are older that it would be different teaching younger children! Short gid ang attention span nanda(nila), so I’ve kind of struggled but I’m learning a lot from Sister Reyes of how to capture their attention. They’re really cute though and it makes me so happy when they remember what we share with them and ask questions because that shows they’re really paying attention! I’m still learning how to help them understand about the entirety of what we teach, but I just remind myself that everything happens amat-amat (little by little).
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| [I never thought I would miss McDonald's this much! haha] |
Also, we have one investigator who has been an investigator for like more than a year. She’s so sweet and is always welcoming to us as missionaries. We’ve taught her so many times that she already knows that at the end of the lesson she knows she’ll give the closing prayer. After teaching, Sister Reyes and I usually ask investigators to give the closing prayer but all we say to her “salamat gid sister!”, and then we laugh, and then she prays for us. One day this past week as we were discussing she asked us “how can we love the way God loves? How can He love us so much to give His Son, Jesus Christ for us?” I loved her question and we were prompted to share Moroni 7:45 and 47:
Similar to what it says in 1 Corinthians 13, this is an added assurance that it is because Heavenly Father is kind, not envious, not puffed up, doesn’t seek His own, etc. It is simply because He loves us perfectly that He gave us His son. As I’ve been on my mission I have felt this perfect love that God and His son have for me and for others. Everyday I am able to try my best in expressing my love to others, but most importantly, God’s love for us all. I know God loves all of you no matter what! Even when you don’t think of Him, He thinks of you.. ALWAYS.
That's it for my week!😄
Halong kamo pirme,
Sister Ventura
Philippines Iloilo Mission (Jan 2018 - July 2019)
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*Some names have been changed or omitted to protect the privacy of individuals.
Send me an e-mail:
elza.ventura@myldsmail.net
Written letters and packages:
Sister Elza Ventura
Philippines Iloilo Mission
Osmeña Street,
Arevalo, Iloilo City,
5000 Iloilo
Philippines
*Some names have been changed or omitted to protect the privacy of individuals.