Hello Everyone!
So this has been a pretty crazy week. Last week I was so
stressed about getting everything done for transfers and saying goodbye to
everyone and getting sister Snyder ready to lead the area that I basically
didn't sleep for about 3 days. I was just so hyped up and had really bad
insomnia. So then it was Monday night and I had to pack and get all
this stuff done but I was so tired I tried to go to sleep so I could wake up
and finish packing in the morning but then as I am having the most unrestful
sleep ever I hear the phone ringing and stumble over to answer it and saw it
was the AP's calling in the middle of the night and when I answered, they said
they were outside our house and asked us to please come open the door. They
were there to drop off some sisters who had traveled from the islands for
transfers. I was so dead tired and my body was so weak from not sleeping I was
literally like shaking and just going going going I walked downstairs thinking
I would just open the door and leave before anyone saw me looking like death
itself but as soon as I open the door, I see Elder Akins standing right there
with this big grin on his face and he says "good morning sister!" and
I just stare straight at him like "why didn't you tell us you were
coming" and they tried to talk to me but I was pretty stupid sounding from
no sleep so they gave up ahhaha the funniest part is that after all that I turn
around and i'm talking to the sisters and I realize that I am wearing my ugliest
pajamas and I wasn't wearing a bra and so that's pretty embarrassing. Good
thing they're just Elders. and after that experience I was pretty grateful to
transfer haha.
So here's the big news. I got transferred to Ligao. (about 1
and a half hour from daraga by jeepney) I am follow up training one of the
sisters who came in with sister snyder. Her name is sister Siilata. And she is
from somoa and so awesome! Her catch phrase is "it's up to you" haha
so is so chill and I can tell we will have alot of fun together. I really like
my area. It's where sister Mccoard and Sister Vi both served and I've actually
met alot of the members because of sister vi and them visiting her in daraga so
that's pretty great. Everyone is so kind. It's a ward not a branch but it's nice.
It's really different here. our area is so huge. It literally takes us a good
45 minutes in fast walking to get to our area but it is such a beautiful view
it's worth it. It's really different here because we teach mostly less actives
and not as many investigators. Also our apartment has no water during the day
and there is no restaurants. We are focusing more on strengthening our branch.
There are a ton of things I am working to implement here to increase our
success and help the branch and area grow. I've learned a lot in Daraga and I'm
excited to apply it here. I'm just so ready to work really hard and help the
people here. I love them all already. I don't have time to write everything
because so much has already happened but I just want to share one very special
experience I had yesterday.
We went to pick up one of our recent converts sister marina.
She is 22 and has severe disabilities. She cant walk or move other than her
head. When I met her I just immediately fell in love with her. She has the strongest
faith despite the really hard circumstances she is in.We went to her house and
helped her into her wheelchair, then we faced the task of trying to get from
her house to the main road which is about half a mile or so. It's a really
narrow pathway that is very bumpy and has alot of brush so my companion and I
decided it would be better to carry her so we lifted up her wheelchair and
started hiking through this field carrying her and then I had the impression to
ask what her favorite hymn was. We started singing primary songs as we walked
and it was such a spiritual experience. When we got to the main road I was able
to push her and we started the 45 minute walk to the church. When we got
alittle closer we only had 5 minutes left till sacrament started and I knew we
needed to be there on time because it was my first sunday and I didnt
want to make a bad impression on the leaders so we ended up literally sprinting
the last mile. We walked into the church just as it was starting and I was
literally dying cause we had done so much and it was so hot outside I thought I
was going to pass out and then the elders lean over and whisper "sister
turner, they want you to give a 7 minute talk, we forgot to tell you" and
by this point I'm pretty used to last minute speaking so I went up there and it
went fine. As I was pushing Marina to the church I just kept thinking how
grateful I was to be able to help her. Like I kind of surprised myself. I
wasn't thinking "oh man this is so hot or we have so long to go". But
rather I thought of my calling as a representative of Jesus Christ and how I
knew that if he were there right then he would have done the same exact thing
for her. There have been times in my life when I felt paralyzed. By fear, by
trials, by others. But in those times I have felt the savior lift me and carry
me and in that moment I was so glad to be able to do that same thing for
someone else. I know the Lord loves each one of us and he is always here to
help push us in the right direction if we only choose to give our lives to him.
Oh man I just love it here. This is going to be a great 6 weeks and hopefully I
will be here a long time too so I can really know everyone here.
I love you all so much. I pray for you all and I know
Heavenly Father is looking out for each one of you. Keep the Faith!
Mahal Kita,
Sister Turner:)
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