Sister Turner Called To Serve: 8 MONTHS!!!

Hello! Okay so today marks 8 months on my mission and that is basically insane to think about. Time is flying SO FAST!

This week just sped by and was full of so many events. We had to go redo our housing contract and try to sweet talk our landlord so we weren't kicked out because I guess the missionaries before us didn't pay the rent..ever.. and it's just now coming up in the records but luckily it all worked out and our AWESOME mission finance Elder helped us out and now we are relieved to know we will have a place to sleep at night:) Then on Tuesday we had a zone training workshop on "How to approach tatay's". Or basically how to teach families and show respect to Fathers so they can help their family progress in the gospel. It was really good and we have already been able to apply some of the principles in our area and have seen miracles in teach families and gaining the trust of Fathers, which is sometimes especially hard for us sister missionaries because they think it's like "girl bible study" but as we explain that our message is for everyone and can help his family gain joy and happiness in the life it usually goes pretty well.

Tuesday night we went to visit our recent converts Annie and Marvin. They were having a hard time because Annie's husband was murdered last July and the court case happened this week to see if the murderers would be sent to jail or let free. As she shared with us her worries and concerns, I was flipping through my mind trying to know what scriptures we could share with her because I knew the original plan wasn't what she needed. Then the spirit brought to my mind a scripture verse my Dear sister missionary Friend Sister Lynette Jex had sent me in a letter I had recieved earlier in the week.I shared it with Annie and it was really able to help her and I was grateful that the Lord's plan is literally perfect and that he uses ALL WAYS to accomplish his work, including friends letters. Isn't that cool?

On Wednesday we had trainer's training which is a time 4 weeks into training we all get together again and share our experiences and try to get advice on how to improve, help our trainees more. It was really great. I learned so much! Then afterwards we all got to watch Meet the Mormons and it was so great! I loved it! The bit from Atlanta Georgia made me a little homesick but it was really cool to see back home again and to tell all the Filipinos about where I'm from and what it's like. (They all want to come BBQ in the south)haha

Thursday was crazy because my housemate had something happen and tried to run away/go back home. She is on a short term mission which is where missionaries come out into the feild without going to the MTC first and they serve in the mission they are from. She came to our room saying sorry but she was leaving and she had all her bags packed and was crying and oh man. Luckily she agreed to talk with us all as a house and we stopped everything to have a house inventory and try to help one another. It was so crazy but it was really able to help her I think and she is okay now to stay form the rest of her 6 week mission.

The next day, Friday, we had exchanges with the STL's and it was so fun. I learned so much and really enjoyed being with Sister Dizon, a native who just moved to Legazpi area. I learned a lot from her and we saw so many miracles in our day together. I also was re-motivated to work harder on my Tagalog to become less white girl and more Filipino. haha

Saturday we had miracle lessons in the morning and DOIS DADO WAS FINALLY BAPTIZED. He had to be pushed back from Feb 14 but he was finally ready and was baptized and it was so wonderful. I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to see him grow and change so much. He told us that he had wanted to commit suicide by hanging himself but when he met us and heard about the Gospel and about Jesus Christ, he saw hope and now he was baptized and received the priesthood. He said if he didn't hear our message, he would not be in this world still. THAT is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ:) The Elder's even donated a white shirt and tie for him and he was so excited.

It was overall a crazy, unexpected, eventful wonderful week.

Only 10 more months I get to serve the Lord as a full time missionary here in the Philippines! I don't want to waste a minute, being a missionary is the very best thing in the world. It may be one of the HARDEST things but it's also the best!

I love you all

Sister Turner:)

We bought a huge blue fish at the meat market so we can try to learn how to cook filipino food on our own:)