Hello there my beautiful family!!
How's everyone doing? I hope all is well and everyone is happy!! Sometimes I forget it's January because it's still suppper hot here in the Philippines! When the weather is the same year-round it seems that you forget what time of the year it is and time just flies by!
We were busy this last week finding a new apartment due to some problems in our current apartment. We are so excited to move!! And the best part of our new apartment- there is a water heater in the shower!! Haha, but I will probably never want to take a hot shower when it's already so hot! It'll be like living in America...luxury!!
We taught a really great lesson to an investigator, Sister Crisencia yesterday. She is living with her sister who is a member while she is recovering from a stroke. She is in her 50s and is receiving therapy due to the effects of the stroke. We taught her about the Restoration (also, she is Tagalog speaking!! ahh...so I just speak simple English to her!) and our Branch mission leader came along. It was so powerful to share about the First Vision and to hear the testimonies of members. Each time we teach about the Restoration the Spirit is so strong and my testimony of Joseph Smith is strengthened. I am so grateful for his true desire to know the truth and for his world-changing prayer on a quiet spring morning in 1820. How blessed we are to have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ! So many people are confused by the world today and I am so grateful to know about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know Joseph Smith was called of God and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.
We are still seeing success with our Less Actives and our schedule is SOOOOO busy that we don't even have time to visit them all in one week! Hopefully next transfer another companionship will be put here to help with the workload here. I wish we could do more finding but we are just too busy with our Less-Actives. With another companionship here we will be able to do both- less actives and finding new investigators.
I don't know if any of you realized but this Friday I hit my one-year mark!! Isn't that the CRAZIEST thing ever? I feel like I just entered the MTC....I can so vividly remember those feelings as Rachel and I drove to Provo! so many unsure and nervous feelings but boy am I so grateful that I decided to go on a mission! This is the greatest experience of my life and I am grateful for my call here in the Philippines. I have learned so much about church organization due to the rescue mission and I have truly learned the importance of visiting and home teaching and fulfilling callings. I have learned so much about how one becomes less-active. I have learned about how to be easily offended and let one small thing ruin your testimony and affect your temporal and eternal happiness. I have learned to love and be patient with people who are of a completely different culture and race. I have learned to love people for who they are and who they can become regardless of the mistakes or sins they have made.
The Church is true. I hope all of you know that. I know we have a living prophet here on earth today, President Thomas S Monson. I know this is the Lord's work. These are the last days. We must prepare! And we must do so through our personal prayer, scripture study, temple attendance, and going to church. Just like Joseph Smith said, we are our own condemners. We must work out our own salvation--no one else can do it for us.
I love you all and think of you often....time has already gone by so fast and I look forward to these last 6 months when I can focus on the will of our Heavenly Father and bring others unto Him and His son Jesus Christ.
LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
Sister Trayner
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