Oh your letters are
so encouraging and uplifting. Have I told you how much I love you
people lately? Thank you for the sweet emails.
And as for everything else.. lets go with a big fat I LOVE YOU. All of
your love and support is unreal. Seriously, all the letters this week?!
It feels like Christmas every time my District Leader puts the mail on
my desk! I love having a piece of you with me and feeling apart of your
lives even when I'm in this other world :) And mom dad, your package!!
It was amazing! (and yes it all arrived in one piece) I can't even
express my gratitude enough.. me and the sisters in my room were
seriously sprinting back to the room after class for our chips and
salsa. So fun to have something to look forward to. Everything was
PERFECT, like I said- Christmas! You read my mind, everything I needed I
received! Thank you
The more time I spend in this place the more I love
it. However, every time I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of
things they switch it up. I'm constantly being pushed outside my
comfort zone, but I wouldn't want it any other way.
I love that I'm learning so much. I am constantly.
learning. Whether it be how to be a better student, or how to be a
better teacher, principles of the gospel, new grammar concepts in the
language, that life is so much better when you're not thinking about
yourself, or that singing all the time has the ability to get on peoples nerves :) oops haha! (where's all my backup singers when I
need them-- ladies?)
Speaking of singing, big shout out to Dad and
Maddie- we LOVE the music! We listen to it every morning when we're
getting ready and every evening when we arrive back to our room. Its
the perfect way to start and end our day. Brings a really cool peaceful
feeling to our room. We All love it and have been singing your
praises! :)
Now back to the learning, there's never a moment
that I'm not pushing myself in someway. In the cafeteria we bear our
testimony in Tagalog to any stranger before we can eat. We pray in
Tagalog before we eat. During our gym time while I'm pounding out miles
on the bike;) I'm flipping through my flash cards of words (yes, I'm
that person who keeps flashcards on my lanyard- a little funny looking I
know- but hey what isn't funny looking when it comes to being a
missionary :), or for every sit up repeating references for scriptures.
Honestly, the pushing.. and the learning.. and the trying to figure
everything out and be the best you can be never stops :) Its so cool.
It makes you realize just how much potential everyone has, you can
always be doing something more.
Elder Perry spoke to us on Sunday, all about the
Philippines.. all the many miracles that happened pertaining to the
missionaries. It was amazing.
My heart is
literally breaking for my people. All I can think about is getting to
the Philippines to help. I get to help and serve these people in the
best way. I get to teach them about a loving Heavenly Father, and His
son, our loving Redeemer. I think without such a knowledge this kind of
heartbreak and challenge would truly be unbearable. This tragedy is so
real and personal to me and I can't believe the timing of it all. That
I'll actually be able to help and serve rather than watch from a TV
screen at home. I already love the Filipinos and I just want to be
there helping, serving, and giving them a message of hope.
Tell my friends I saw Melanie from the cruise here- she's going to Arizona. She's just as adorable as ever.
Yes,
the language is hard. I'm pretty good at memorizing words its just all
the grammar.. making it make sense stuff that I'm trying to figure out.
However, I'd like to let you all know how amazing I'm getting at
charades and you best believe I will be challenging you when I get home.
I had a cool experience the other day when we were
teaching our investigator. I had gotten up early to study what I was
going to say. I read and I memorized and I prayed, for quite sometime.
I was feeling a lot better about things. When the time came, we began
teaching, and of course, I couldn't speak any of the things I had worked
on :) ha. We tumbled our way through the lesson and I was closing with
my testimony. I started testifying in a Taglish kind of way.. and I
have to tell you I felt the spirit so so powerfully. I cried.
(surprised?) Everything I had been studying and reading was confirmed at
that moment to be so true. The Tagalog has so little to do with the
teaching. Its the spirit, not me, that teaches. I was so grateful my
Heavenly Father stepped in.
I love this work. I love how challenging and long
my days are. I love that I'm being pushed because that means I get to
be a little better. I hope it continues. I love you more than words
can say and I realize it more every day. Wow, we're blessed. I'm
blessed.
Missing you, and praying for you always
Sister Welling
I saw Lexie for the last time yesterday and I wanted to sob as we
said goodbye- but I didn't :) heavens I love that best friend of mine.
I saw Jenessa last sunday on our temple walk!! She
brought me a letter! and we both cried when we hugged. So So Soooo good
to see her!
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