Week 40 - Turning 20 and meeting the Mangums

First of all: THANK YOU! J to all my awesome family and friends for the birthday love. I definitely shed a few tears reading all of the emails. It was a little overwhelming. But that's me- lots of emotions. This week was SUPER crazy. Crazier than last week, and we are still where we were last week. 

We got to have some quality time with President and Sister Mangum at our zone conference on Friday. Then we stayed at the mission home that night and got to have dinner with them. It was so cool to sit and just talk with them for 2 hours about the Philippines. President Mangum is so nice. We talked a lot about the culture and what the work is like here. 

We spent lots of time in and out of hospitals this week and it has finally been decided that my companion will be going to Manila for further tests. However, we have no idea when or if I am going or for how long. But they are going to let us know later today (hopefully.) But we had a good week together, talking and studying. We were able to get out a little bit more because I've been pushing her a bit. She is such a trooper. They are super worried because she's lost 25 pounds since she got sick, but she eats what I cook so that's a good sign, I think. Anyway it was a great experience yesterday at church and coming home for studies. I tried to focus on her and what she needed from me. I made her favorite for dinner and the other sisters sang happy birthday to me! It was so nice. For desert, I allowed myself to eat peanut butter straight out of the jar.

Last week we had a cool experience. One of our recent converts has been being visited by missionaries of other religions and talked with us last week about his experience. He said that they teach a lot of similar things. That Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that families can be together forever, and that the word of God is found in the scriptures. But he asked us why there was a huge difference when two 20 year old girls teach and when the 5 ministers who are educated adults had taught him. We asked his what he thought the difference was. And he said that he could not feel the truthfulness of what they taught because the Holy Ghost did not testify to his heart that it was true. He felt the Holy Ghost telling him that it was not true, that they did not have the priesthood authority of God and were not teaching his doctrine. It was so powerful for us to hear his testimony of the Restoration of the gospel. It really strengthened my testimony and gratitude for Joseph Smith. Because even though other religions have truth, there is only one church that has the fullness of truth- Christ’s church. I am so grateful for examples like this brother who stood up for his beliefs and defended his faith with his testimony. 

I love you all! Thanks again for the birthday love Jmade my day! 

Sister Gaspar de Alba

  for my birthday i wanted to walk across the biggest rice fields in our area and just enjoy nature and have a soul moment. i got stuck in 2 ft of mud my 3rd step out to the rice fields. my companion was cracking up! 

  made myself some killer adobo for my 20th!  

  living the high life on friday night. we stayed at the mission home!  

 THE CREW! 

 all the crazy kids on zone p-day earlier today.

 so basically during volleyball i just am in awe at all the tongans and samoans. and i feel pretty awesome when they invite me to play! i refuse to be a sideline sister for p-days. today's game was SO fun!