February 24, 2013

Hello Family!!! How is everybody doing? I hope that dad is recovering well and everything is all good in the hood. Everything here is good. Exciting news, the baptism and wedding happened!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for your prayers and support! We are so grateful that everything worked out! We know it is because of faith and prayers that miracle happen. So thank you for being apart of that!!!! We are all really excited that everything went well!

 

So this week has been good. Just working. We have had a lot of FHE's because Sister Olila is going home tomorrow. Tonight ulit we have two FHE's. lets just hope that my stomach can handle it!!! But they are always really fun! This week I also found out that I will be training this next transfer. So that will be a cool experience. I am a little nervous (but excited). There are seven new sisters coming in. We had a training for the trainers. President Monahan talked about faith. And how we can't have faith if we doubt. That is what I needed to hear. Faith is something easy to say but to actually have faith is a little more difficult. Well for me, I don't know about the rest of you. I just need to be believing! Doubt not, fear not. I know that this call is from the Lord, and whoever is my new companion is who I can help the most and who can teach me the most. So I get my new companion on Friday. Sister Olila leaves tomorrow morning, so I'll be in a trio with the other sisters in our ward for the week.

 

Anyways, today we had a zone activity. It was really fun! We went bowling! But it wasn't like normal bowling. We had like these marble balls, a little bigger than a softball, and then the pins had to be put up manually. But it was still really fun!!! Made me miss the good ol' days of bowling. We have a really fun zone, so it was a good time.

 

I feel like so much more happened this week, but I can't remember anything....I am still learning a lot of Tagalog. Every day is a new adventure. Sometimes it is so weird, I feel like I am fluent, then like the next second it's a little harder for me. But it is all good. it is coming slowly and surely with the Lords help.

 

Well, sorry this is a little scattered. But I know that this church is true. And I have really seen how keeping the little commandments is what makes or breaks up. Waking up at 6:31 when it should be 6:30, or one day not reading your scriptures. It makes the bigger sins easier to commit. I am so grateful for the commandments that we have and the safely and securety they give us. I know that this church is true. It is the only true Church on this earth. I love the Book Of Mormon so much and know that it is the true word of God. I hope you have a better week than last week. I love you all so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Sister Palmer xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

February 17, 2013

Hello family!!! Guess what today is? My seventh month mark! Can you believe it? Because I sure can't! I still feel like a newbie, but slowly and surely learning my way around this thing called a mission! This saturday I was able to witness my first baptism of somebody that I taught. It was a girl named Mia Rivera (convert- 9yrs old) and Alex (her borther 8 yrs old). Their family was inacitve, but we were able to teach them and now they are baptized members of this great church! I really could see the difference in them after their baptism and when they recieved the holy ghost! It is so crazy the changes that can come upon us through the sacred ordinance of baptism and applying the Atonement in our lives. So this week hopefully we will have another baptism. They need to get married too. So we will have the wedding then the baptism. Today they are just getting the finishing touch up's for the papers. So hopefully everything works out. It has been a real nail biter because they are really poor. And with all their papers it costs money. But we have really seen their faith through this whole process and if it's the will of the Lord this will continue for Saturday. So keep them in your prayers for this week! 

Yesterday Sister Olila and I spoke in Sacrament meeting. At first they told us ten minutes, but then right before we were about the speak bishop said five minutes lang. So we had to shorten it. But it was good. Sister Olila's talk was on fellowshipping and the importance of it. Mine was on missionary work and I talked about how the members need to be missionaries too, through home teaching and visiting teaching. I feel bad that I wasn't a better member missionary. I have some repenting to do. I just didn't really understand the importance of everything. And I'm not saying that I completely understand now, but I do a little bit more to know that I should have done better. 

Anyways, I forwarded you that email about the split of our mission!!! That is really exciting! I can't believe that! I wonder what mission I will be in! The suspense is killing me!!! 

So this is the last week of Sister Olila. She is going home next week. I thought it would be really hard having a companion that is so close to going home, but she has been a great example to me of being focused, so it hasn't been that bad. I bet it is weird though thinking after so long, you're going home. I still have 11 months though to think about that. Time has really gone by so fast though! I can't believe that it is already February!! WOW! 

Anyways, Thank you all for your prayers and your support. I have been so blessed with such an awesome family!! I can't get over how awesome you guys are. This church is so true! I love it so much. I am turning into mom though, I tear up over everything..... hahaha it is kind of funny. But I know that our Savior lives and that this is his church. There are few of us saints so that is why we need to be stronger than ever and share the gospel so there can be more of us. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I love that book so much. I love you all and am so grateful for you! I hope you have a fantastic week! Love love love!

Sister Palmer 

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

February 10, 2013

Hello again Family!!! Another week has gone past. I hope you guys are doing well. I hope that you have something fun planned for Jesse's birthday!!!! Sorry Jesse I didn't send you anything, I will make up for it when I bring you all something back when I come home next year... haha. Anyways, I hope your birthday is great!!! You guys are the best. So this week has been good, and busy. Tuesday we had zone interviews which was good. President gave us a talk on Faith. It was exactly what I needed, funny how things like that work. He also talked to me about in my interview the difference between pleading and asking in praying. I have been trying to be more fervant in my prayers this week. I found I cool quote that mom would appreciate in the manual about President Snow, "We have got so much ground to walk over, and if we fail to travel today, we shall have to travel tomorrow." I think that should replace my quote, "why do it today when you can do it tomorrow." hahahaha. but it really is so true. Anyways, on wednesday we had exchanges. I was left in the area (I think they are making sure that I know how to lead the area). Then we got a suprise phone call that we will be in a trio for the rest of the week. So we had to change all our plans so that we would be here for the knew sister. I was like a ball of stress. But everything worked out in the end. This is our third time being in a trio since I got transfered to Urdaneta. Since we are so close to the mission office we get all the sisters that are having problems and the president is seeing what to do with them. This week was a Pakistanian. Wow was it a learning experience for me. We were separated this morning. I don't know where she is going now, but I hope that where ever she goes will be good for her and will be the best place for her to go.

Yesterday we had stake conference. It was really soooooo good! There were alot of talks about missionary work and how every member is a missionary. As corny as that saying is, it's so true. I have some repenting to do for not being a very good member missionary. If we all are just a little bit better, the work would prgress just that much. It really is amazing how just one person can change something and there can be a huge affect from it. So anyways, conference was really good!!!!!

Last night we had an FHE and it was so much fun. For some reason I was just in a laughing mood. I seriously could not stop laughing the whole time. And we have a baptism this week! It is one of our investigators. She is 9 years old. Her family was inactive, her dad still is, but her mom is now active. So she and her little bro who is 8 is getting baptized on Saturday. Also, we have a baptism next week and a wedding!!!! Brother is a less active- returing member. And sister is a non-member. She has such a strong testimony and wants to get baptized so bad. Please pray for them that it will continue.  tomorrow they are going to get their papers processed. Pray that it'll all be ok because they are really poor and this has been a really big deal for them. Thank you so much!

Anyways, I know this church is true. Every day my testimony is confirmed. This is the only true church on the earth, and it was restored through Joseph Smith. I am so grateful for the Preisthood Authority. I know that it is the power of God given to man and through that power we can be sealed to our families for time and all eternity. Thank you all for everything. You guys are the best. I hope you have a great week!!!! Love you all so much!

Love Sister P

January 27, 2013

Hello Po Palmer Family! How are you all doing? I hope this week was great for you all!! I'm sure it was so great being able to talk to Joseph!! He is the best! It doesn't surprise me that he was DL in the MTC..... He will do great things! (If anybody can tell me what movie that is from I'll send them a Fudgie Bar.... HAHAHA). Anyways, it is so true though. There are some missionaries that are prepared when the enter the field, and he is definitely one of them!! The pictures of him and his trainer look great!! Just a bunch of 19 year old boys bringing the restored gospel to others! It makes me so happy to see all those new missionaries. This is really where true happiness comes from, from the gospel and sharing it. Dad, I love what our home ward goal is. It really makes me so happy, and I know that that is the Lord's will for our ward. For the Philippines they want every missionary who is going home this year to find a replacement for them in the mission field. And not the low hanging fruits, or the people that are already preparing, but somebody that maybe isn't really active or doesn't have a goal to serve and help them get on a mission. I feel bad that before my mission I didn't do more to help others come unto the gospel, whether less-active or non-members. I know we can all be doing better. And even if we feel our efforts are noticed, I know they are. I think it was mom that said that this is one eternal work. I totally see that right  now. We are teaching people that heard the gospel for the first time maybe when they were 10 and now are 42, or just five years ago, but now want to be baptized. Maybe the other missionaries felt like they were a lost cause, but to be honest, they were just planting the seed and like all things there is a season for the hearvest. It may not be right this instant, but when they are ready, we need to make sure that we are ready too to recieve them and help them recieve the gospel. Being here has made me realize the importance of members. I know I probably talk about this all the time, but seriously, they are sooooo important!!!!! The investigators of ours that are really progressing, because they have a friend in the gospel and they can see the blessings of the gospel because of their friends life. Anyways, thank you all for your example and dilligence. I know through our work we are just helping this work progress, however big or small our efforts are, they are important. 

Oh, I got your card parents or your picture and quote. THANK YOU!!! You guys are the best! It reminds me of six months ago with out snow..... Deja'vu (?sp). But you guys look great!! ANd tell the Kathleen and Lizzy I got their letters, and thank you so much!!! I'll write them back soon :). And tell Brother Rudy thank you for his email! :)

SO this week has been good. We were in a trio for basically the whole week. A sister went home (her mish was over) so her companion came and worked with us. It was pretty fun. Reminded me of the good ol' days in the MTC when I had a trio. It was pretty good. We taught a sister for the first time on Friday (a referral from a member) and she is really great. She is willing to learn and be apart of this church which is really cool. She came to church on Sunday and looked like she was just soaking it up. It was really cool. I hope and pray that she progresses, along with our other investigators. We sat with her and other LA's in church during sacrament meeting in the second row! The front is better! After we were in PEC and our bishop said, oh good thing that they sat in the front so they don't see the craziness in the back. We should have all our investigators sit in the front." I laughed so hard when he said that. But it is so true! During sacrament meeting it is a little maggulo, or crazy, so we need to fix that and make it so it is more reverant. But it was still really funny. 

I feel like my life is like "Groundhog day" a little bit, but of course way better! When we pray at night, sometimes it feels like I just did this, and I say to myself, "it's Groundhog Day... again" 

(haha). The time is really going by quickly now and the days kind of run together. But it is all good. I have been learning so much and truly coming to know our Savior more. As I know him better my desire to serve grows stronger. Thank you all for your example to me. I love and appreciate all of your emails and letters. They really mean so much to me. I hope you guys have a great week and stay safe and warm!!! I love you all so much. 

Love Sister Palmer