Jenna is training:)

WEEK TWENTY-FIVE

Good Morning Philippines!

War Memorial Cemetary

My beautiful anak:)

A real restaurant!! I wanted to cry:)

Hello Momma and Pappa.

How are you doing half a world away? I love seeing your pictures and hearing about what is going on in your lives, in a strange way I feel that we are even closer than ever.

Well, I arrived at the mission home last Wednesday and I felt like I was right back to my first day.  It was the strangest feeling sitting on the opposite side of the room with all the trainers, not the trainees.  One of the couple missionaries asked if I was a new missionary to which I responded yes.  Oops. (but really, didn’t I just arrive in the Philippines yesterday??)

President brought all of the trainers into the room and expressed to us how much he trusted us.  He told us that he picks the trainers before any other position in the mission and that we had a very important calling and responsibility.  He was so sweet and encouraging and he made me feel absolutely unqualified but absolutely motivated and inspired to fulfill this calling.

Manila Temple

This might sound like a bit of a love story.. but I walked in the room and I immediately knew I would be training Sister Dimacuta.

Sister Dimacuta is pretty much a much better version of Sister Welling in Filipina form.  We find ourselves saying “me too”! to one another a lot. We have so many things in common and we agree on so many things.

She is the most selfless, kind, genuine, loving thing I have ever met.

She kind of reminds me of a Disney princess or something.. she is always singing to herself.. I don’t think she knows how to say a single negative thing.. she cries a lot.. she talks to the cat on our front porch.. she hugs just about everyone, ha she really is just so cute.

She has the biggest heart

And the purest spirit

She is a powerful teacher and turns out

She is definitely the one training me.

I love it because we seem to always be on the same page, we have the same ideas for how we want to teach, what we want to teach, how we want to help the people progress.

Naomie. I love Naomie.  She is 21 and working here in Taytay.  Everyone talks about that “golden investigator” and I feel that she is ours.  It is so apparent that she has been prepared by the Lord.  A member in our ward (Mika), a returned missionary, is her coworker and invited her to church.  Naomie felt the spirit so strongly through her church attendance.  In our first lesson she opened right up to us about trials she has been experiencing.  We told her that our message would help her find peace and happiness amidst the trial.

By the time we returned for our next appointment she had read the pamphlet three times and part of the Book of Mormon. 

She asked such good questions and has such a sincere desire to learn more. 

I just wish you could have felt the spirit that was there.  When we invited her to pray about Joseph Smith she responded, of course.  In these two weeks she has already expressed the changes she has seen and felt in her life from our message. 

I think just about everyday how much I love my job.

I have been so busy trying to get everywhere on time, trying to keep track of everything, making sure I’m doing everything right, making sure I’m teaching Sister Dimacuta everything she needs to know, so on and so forth.

I have kind of felt like a chicken running with its head cut off (is that the expression?)

Well, I read a talk from President Uchtdorf and it really hit home for me--

“I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and his short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem.  I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished, I can’t see it.

Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day.  When He interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved.  He knew the infinite value of the people He met.  He blessed them, ministered to them.  He lifted them up, healed them.  He gave them the precious gift of His time.”

“Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day” I know that our time truly is precious.  It is a gift from our loving Heavenly Father and while we were sent here to learn and to grow—it is important that we know where our priorities lie.  I think it would do us all some good to pause for a little while; and turn our attention to those around us.  As I applied this principle into my missionary work this week I have felt so much more kapayapaan at kalygayahan. “He knew the infinite value of the people He met—He gave them the precious gift of His time” Its more than just sitting there with them in a lesson, or speaking with another person- but letting them know and feel how much they truly matter to you- how much you care and understand and appreciate their worth.

I am so grateful for the perpektong halimbawa..  perfect example.. of our Savior Jesus Christ.

After a hard days work

Alam ko po na Diyos ang ating Ama sa Langit.  Kilala-kilalang Niya po tayo at mahal na mahal Niya po tayo.  Alam ko po na Si Jesucristo ang ating Tagapaglitas. Alam ko po na buhay Siya.  Sobrang nagpapasalamat po ako para sa ebanghelyo na ito.  Alam ko po na totoo siya.  With all of my heart. 

I love you family- remember to give those you love your time this week- and I’ll be doing the same J

Love Always,

Sister Welling