Week 58

Week 58

Alright I can finally say that this was not a crazy week. (In comparison to the previous 15 or so.) We had exchanges in Candelaria. And I got to exchange with two of my batchmates! Who roomed with me in the MTC. It is just so neat to see how everyone's unique experience as a missionary molds and changes them in difference ways. Heavenly Father truly knows us best. We also had zone training meeting this week. I'll miss Lucena zone! (The biggest one in the mission. There are sround 40 missionaries.) Also we had stake conference. And a meeting for the new trainers..San Pablo trips again. 

So this week I had a few little tender moments that reminded me a whole lot of my mom! Just getting a little emotional about small things. First of all- as we were in zone training, having our practice teaching I just had this moment where everything kind of slowed down. And I thought, When in your life again will you get to be sitting in a chapel, full of people who's greatest desire is to invite others to come unto Christ. I looked around and saw everyone teaching so sincerely and The Spirit just overwhelmed me. And my next thought was, "I can't leave this. I can't give this up." Sometimes it is really hard thinking about not being a missionary in a few months. But I try not to dwell on it, and enjoy the time I have left. One of our Zone Leaders who's become a good friend of mine said "Oh no, Sister Gaspar de Alba is having one of her moments again!" 

This week I have been studying a talk by Elder Scoot from 2010 called "The transforming power of Faith and Character." I've been studying it along side Alma 32. And it is so interesting to notice how similar the teachings of prophets in the Book of Mormon and our modern prophets are. It's the same doctrines. So what Elder Scoot talks about is how the exercise of faith builds character and molds us into who we are. He went on to talk about even the small every day decisions that we made determine who we are. Heavenly Father uses our faith to change us. I love that. The more we exercise faith, the more like Him we become. Then we are more able (because of consistent strong character) to exercise even greater faith. So cool! So that's something I am working on right now. Really getting into Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel and having a more consistently righteous character. 

We have been finding some really prepared investigators so we are super excited to go back and continue teaching them. Thanks for the prayers and love. I will need them this week with re-opening! I am continually praying for the new sister I will train. I just want to help her so much. 

Love

Sister Gaspar de Alba

           

Classic, this elder in the front made me laugh pretty hard (hence the laughing face) He is hilarious!

just crossing the river to an appointment while on exchanges. Funny story: there was another way to cross but the cow in the road kept chasing us so we had to go around!

This is Danica. She is a really good example for me. She is a member who works with us often.

Making calamansi juice

The Ambas Family! This family is hilarious. Its been so good to get to know Bishop and his family better this transfer.

Life as a missionary, planning in the dark.

I love this picture! too funny- Elder Maglasang

I'm going to miss my companion

Before the new trainers meeting we went to this little cafe called, "Si Christina." We felt super mayaman eating omelets and hot chocolate.

My companion took this picture of downtown, Tayabas

Week 57

Week 57

Another crazy week! We were in Marinduque until wednesday, then came home just in time to pack and prepare to leave thursday afternoon for san pablo. Then we had Mission Leadership Council Meeting on Friday and headed home that night. Crazy! We were in our area for 2 1/2 days total this week. Then earlier, we came to Lucena for Zone P-day. Good to see so many friends in one week! Also I have some news: For my last 12 weeks in the mission I will be training a new missionary! I am SO beyond excited! What an answer to my prayers. I am grateful for the opportunity! So, that means I will be transferred next week. 

Just two main things I wanted to write about this week: MLC & Church yesterday. First- MLC was great. It is such a privilege to be there with so many dedicated missionaries. President Mangum had some really good words of counsel. I had been praying for a while to know during that meeting how I could push myself to change and take full advantage of the time I have left. I got LOTS of answers. Something that my companion and I really have been having a hard time with is trunkyness! Because we are the same batch, and naturally get a long well. I felt distractedby some of the conversations. Long story short: I am so grateful for the wonderful gift of Repentance. After that meeting I thought to myself, "I just want to take the sacrament." So for the few days before Sunday, I really prepared myself by continual repentance to partake of the sacrament. Then we had the primary program. And as the kids sang "I Stand All Amazed" (which is my favorite hymn) I felt the Spirit just wash through me. There is nothing like the feeling of being cleansed from sin. And it was such a powerful witness to me of how amazing it is that even small children can understand and feel the significance of the sacrifice of Our Savior. I was just full of gratitude, and of course started crying! 

Second experience: At church yesterday we were really excited to see our ward mission leader looking well and healthy again. He came with a folder and was super ready to have our meeting. He even invited all of the auxiliary presidents to coordinate. HUGE steps. Then as they were all talking, they began to ask us questions about Preach My Gospel and telling us that they felt some things were more effective with the discussions, and the old way of doing missionary work. Anyway- many concerns surfaced. And I felt really sad that they were not accepting Preach My Gospel. Then our ward mission leader stood up and expressed to them that was wrong. He talked about Revelation and how they needed to accept the revelation coming from our latter-day prophets. He said that he knew that we (the 4 missionaries) felt a lack of support from the members. He committed them to begin reading (as he had a few weeks ago) and to help us out more. It was sweet! But a real testimony to me of the reason that he is our ward mission leader. He is humble, and He really wants to serve The Lord's way. 

Have a good week all! 

I am getting SUPER emotional all the time now just trying to soak up every moment. Thanks for the prayers and love!

Sister Gaspar de Alba

           

one of the hanging bridges we saw on exchanges with sister Dula

My companion and I finished this entire cake! So good. It's really fluffy so you have to eat a lot to get full. Its from a famous bakery around Quezon Province found here in Tayabas, called Rodillia's.

we thought this was funny- Slackers! We took it the picture when we went biking around the Sampalok Lake in San Pablo before MLC on Friday.

Yay we were so excited to get a package! Thanks Aunt Jen for the candy!

Lunch of the week-tortang talong with coma tis and cebullas.

Zone p-day

One of the zone leaders took this picture of Marinduque

week 56

Week 56

Well this was a really fun week in the mission. Also a really productive one. Happy November everyone! My companion and I have been blessed with many opportunities to find in the last while. It's always exciting to follow up with new investigators. Also, we had Elder Robbins visit the mission. On Tuesday we got to hear from him. Then it rained all week! And yesterday, we left for marinduque. We got here just in time to catch the end of a special broadcast where Elder Oaks spoke to all of the members in the Philippines. Then today we had zone p-day with the Marinduque zone. And tomorrow we will go on exchanges with the sisters here. 

So Elder Robbins taught us a lot about the doctrine of agency. He talked about having 100% agency, which means we also have 100% responsibility. He talked a lot about how we need to take greater responsibility for the choices we make. I loved the Spirit that we felt during that meeting. It was so uplifting. I was so touched by the way he taught. It was not demeaning, and I didn't feel like we were getting chastised. It was so full of love and it really just let the Spirit work within me to realize the changes i need to continue to make. 

I wanted to share something from this past week that I had been struggling with. I felt a lack of direction while we were teaching towards the middle of the week. I feel like I am at the point in my mission where teaching feels natural and comfortable. And i feel very reliant on the Spirit to hep me know what to say. We had a few experiences where I just felt my mind go blank. It scared me. I felt my confidence totally drop and I started stumbling for words a little bit when I would speak. Then we had this one lesson with a less active. Her house had a really awful feel to it, but we went in anyway and began teaching. I felt sick to my stomach right away as she began telling us her many concerns. She expressed to us how confused she was because of some unique experiences with being healed. I felt like my mouth was glued shut. It was so weird! I literally could not speak. And my mind was completely empty. I felt helpless. I wanted to help this woman and my companion but i physically could not move. After we left, my companion had us sit down somewhere across the road and she asked if i was okay. I just started crying. I felt like The Spirit had completely abandoned me. I was searching my mind to find what I had done wrong, or what would maybe be causing that. After taking sometime to breathe, and lots of prayers we got up and went to the last lesson of the night. After that I was fine, I felt like I could teach again. I still have some questions in my mind as to why that happened. But it taught me to have greater humility. And to never ever take for granted the gift of the Holy Ghost. They say we won't understand some experiences we had on our missions until much later. I think that will be one of them. 

On a more positive note, I have been studying the missionary chapters in the Book of Mormon and I just love reading about the faith of those men. So as one of my personal goals, I am studying having unshaken faith. And finding ways every day to strengthen it. I love this(: This time is priceless. I know it's the Lord's work. And I am so blessed to be doing it in the Philippines!

Love

I saw sister Pajo!

 Sister Burt

Sister Taufa

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Top of our hike

I love this country

Sister Gaspar de Alba

week 55

Week 55

Hello Friends. This was really good week! Very reflective on the lessons I have been learning recently. We have been doing our best and really seeking to show our faith in finding. And guess what everyone Heavenly Father lives! We found tone of new potentials last week! We are so excited to follow up with them. My companion and I are having more fun, and really just growing in the Spirit as we push each other to be better. Exchanges this week was also great. I had another one I will never forget. 

This past week we have been trying to contact former investigators we found in our area book. And we have been really making an effort to talk to everyone, and make return appointments. So none of the former ones have been interested or at their houses. But Heavenly Father has placed so many in our path, it's amazing! He blesses us in unexpected ways. But when we show our faith, we are guaranteed that he will bless us. 

I had such a good experience this week on exchanges with a sister who was really struggling with some very personal things. Throughout the day, she began opening up to me about how depressed she has been. She had been struggling with the temptation to remember and dwell on past sins. It was really affecting her ability to help others. So i listened to her and my heart just went out to her. It's so hard to watch a younger missionary go through the same trials you have experienced. I prayed for the Spirit and shared with her from Elder Scott's talk from October last year. About personal strength we can access because of the Atonement. I shared with her about the fathers of the strippling warriors, and how we can learn from them. I felt just pure love and empathy for her. What a blessing it is to help these sisters. Heavenly Father has allowed me to be an instrument in His hands to help them. I have no idea why they open up these things to me! Or how they trust me so much to let me help them. But it really has nothing to do with us. The Spirit guides and directs us to be a benefit to others. Made me think of that scripture about being a benefit to our fellow men. When we ask for spiritual gifts, I feel it is so powerful when the motivation behind it is to bless the life of someone else.

My companion said something really funny this week I wanted to share with you all. So there is this little girl who lives in the same apartment building as the one we just moved into. She is SO cute and precious. She always wants to play with us. Anyway so Sister Bennion storms in one day and starts shouting a little, and i think she is genuinely frustrated with something. She says, "WHY are all these children everywhere!? You know, Heavenly Father is so sneaky. He plants such righteous desires in our hearts like wanting kids and then it just escalates until you think about it all the time! But the thing is, i don't feel bad about it. I really don't." It was so funny! Just classic sister missionary. 

Anyway have a good week! 

Love 

Sister Gaspar de Alba

           

 so here's a neat story: i taught this couple in Barra with a sister on exchanges back in august. we actually tracted into their house. then we went back and guess what? they are getting married and baptized next month! I loved teaching them, they have progressed so much. I could see how their faith had grown. Also- the other guy in the picture is the ward mission leader in Barra. He just got home from the Cauayan mission a few months ago, and said Quin was his zone leader up there! The Philippines is pretty small.  

This one's for you-Dad!

Oatmeal with mangoes-my regular breakfast.

a new place in my area my companion and I found while looking for a referral. So beautiful!

Writing Pouch! Catching up on sending letters to recent converts and mission friends. This is what happens when this is neglected for 3 months.