The time is far spent, there is 8 days remaining                         

Hello family.

I’m on late this week because we had ERC at the mission office.  It’s like kind of a career/finding jobs workshop that took 6 hours!!!  But we were finally set free and so we are emailing now.  

   This week went so very very fast. Some of my batch going home is already packed...But whenever I think about it I just feel sick so I haven’t started packing yet.  You already know how much I dislike packing as it is haha.  Let alone when it means leaving the country.  Ahh wish me luck. But my companion is amazing as always and she is helping me out a lot. Because whenever my mind starts to wander she just laughs and tells me to focus.  It’s so nice because it has kept me working hard and not stressing about going home.  This week will probably be a different story.  It’s crazy when I go to plan appointments for next week and I realize that that will be my last appointment with that family.  :( It is so sad!  WHY IS AMERICA SO FAR AWAY FROM THE PHILIPPINES?  

    I guess it would be easier to leave if I was still struggling in the area. But this last week was so great.  Our investigators and less actives finally opened up and have started sharing their concerns. And we had 5 investigators at sacrament which was amazing because this whole transfer we have only had 1 every week.  And a whole huge less active family came to church!  So that was amazing.  And we are finding these awesome families and I’m super jealous of my companion cause she is the one that gets to stay and teach them!

    Good news!  Tatay molina is progressing super well!  He stayed for all 3 hours of church and he is really really working hard to keep commitments.  I just love their family and I get so much energy whenever we get to teach there.   

    Also we found this family today.  We oym'd a tricycle driver.  Actually he oym'd us.  He kept asking us for pamphlets that he could read while he was driving and finally we said we will just drop by his house and teach him while we’re at it!  So we did and we come to find out that he lives in a house with his whole family.  26 people live in that one house.  And there is only 1 bathroom.  There are like 5 different families that all have their own room and then they have a central living room.  I was so amazed.  These people are like my heroes. If they can all survive in that house with only 1 bathroom and not kill each other.. WOW.  That’s all I can say.  I just know that we have 4 people and 1 bathroom and that is too many. We take turns showering in the back laundry area haha. 

   Spiritual thought of the week.  No unhallowed hand can stop the work of the Lord. I know that is true. Think of how many people have tried...and never succeeded. Because God plan for us is perfect.  He even planned a way to protect Joseph Smith from false charges after he lost the 116 pages. <D&C 10>  He prepared a way for us. And one of the quotes I loved from the ERC this morning.  We watched a Mormon message and Jeffrey R Holland said "Trust God and believe in good things to come."  And when Elder Holland says it then we all know that we had better act.  So trust in God.  Trust that he loves us. Trust that he has a plan for us. And trust that we are strong enough to do all that we have to do to return to him.

   That’s about all I’ve got this week.  I’m super tired cause I couldn’t sleep last night. My companion was writing letters and had the light on...so that means I just layed there and thought about trunky things for like 3 hours hah. But I hope you all have a great week! Next week will be my last email day and it probably won’t be for very long.  You guys are the best!  See you all soon! And spread the word that my homecoming is on August 9 :) 

Mahal ko kayo!

XOXO from Noveleta!

--Sister Van Tassell