.: Week 34 "It comes back to you, it comes back to youuuuuu..." --Imagine Dragons

Week 34

Heard this song on the radio when we were traveling in a little track. GOD IS GOOD. Call it what you want...temptation or tender mercy, I am going with a big fat tender mercy.

Dear ang magandang pamilya ko at mga kaibigan ko,

Hello everyone, hope everyone had a good week as always. My weeks have been a little unexpected I guess is how I would put it since coming to Coron :) But still happy as ever doing the Lords work and having a little fun as we do it. Can't ask for anything better am I right?? Wanted to start out my wishing a very merry happy birthday to my buntis at magandang sister in law HALEY! I love you lots and I hope you have an awesome birthday on the 29th. Thanks for being my bud, reading my letters every week, and being my older sister even when I am in the Philippines. Hope this week is one to remember and all of the people are nice to you on your birthday. LOVE YOU!!!!

So to start out we had a lot of hard working days...but I almost have grown to love the really hard working days when no one is in their house, everyone is busy, or hiding in their house because that means God is about to shoot you some AWESOME blessings. You just gotta stick it out. And I think God gave me some really sweet, tender mercies and experiences. They seem little but honestly my life motto is to just enjoy the little moments of life and in the mission.

So to start out we had another really good lesson with Minda. Man do I love the faith of that lady. We just had an awesome lesson with her about keeping the commandments and honestly I just love her a lot. She was my first friend I made in Coron :)

Earlier in the week we worked with Sister Vallosis--the ward mission leader's wife. And she is honestly so awesome. We got talking about her life and she had a son that died and they were sealed to him in the temple, she lived on one of the islands for over 5 years and had to take a boat to come to church on Sunday--but she came to church every week. I don't know--sometimes people in the Philippines live some pretty hard lives--but they make it happen, they come to church, they are some of the strongest people I know. Afterward I offered to teach her some piano lessons--and her cute face just lit up and it was just a sweet moment for me this week :) Thank you Sister Vallosis.

Next is Brecio :) We taught her this week---she is an investigator that has been taught SOOO many times. She knows the gospel discussions better than we do haha. But Sister Brecio was in our back up, back up plans and we ended up going over to her house around 8 pm--right before going home. It was a brown out--or a black out and we couldn't see anything in her little house. But we were sharing a message from the Book of Mormon from our little phone light and it was honestly the coolest moment and had a really awesome spirit. Hope we can get Sister Brecio going to church.

To finish off we taught the Basilan family. They are just a less active family that live in the boonies. just soo far away haha. But we went over to their house yesterday afternoon and I LOVED our lesson with them. They went through the Typhoon Yolanda and talked about how scary it was and how they found peace through prayer. COOLEST people ever. I sang the "wise man built his house upon a rock"--tried to sing it in Tagalog, doesn't work that well hahaha.

To finish off with a spiritual thought that life is good. I have been reading the Teachings of President Hinckley and he talks about how "life is good." I don't know why I just needed to hear that :) I love President Hinckley and he always talks about optimism and being positive and "wallowing" in self pity, I love that about him. he said if you can wake up every morning and think that your life is good--despite what goes on you will be happier. Love that.

Life is good everyone. Hope this week is a good one!

Love,

Sister Zarbock