Start from the Inside Out

Doing great. Smiling big. Sleeping hard. :)

President Reeder has always told us that when we leave our missions we should be exhausted..welp I am exhausted. But boy does it feel good. Somehow Heavenly Father in His great mercy always seems to just lift me right up, strengthen me, and almost out of nowhere, I seem to gain energy and excitement for the work. God truly is watching over His missionaries. :)

My companion and I had some great 'talks' this week in which we were able to set some expectations for this last transfer and what we must accomplish and of course how we should accomplish that- through faith, exact obedience, diligence, and following the Spirit. It's a challenge but we are doing our best. It feels good to go home every night wiped out with your feet aching from walking so much and mouth dry from talking to so many people back to back about the most wonderful news in all time- the gospel of Jesus Christ! :) 

We usually have church music playing whenever we are in the house but recently we have been playing Conference talks instead and it is amazing the things you can learn just listening to apostles and prophets while doing chores around the house.

Anywho, this morning while washing my laundry, I had the wonderful privilege to listen to Elder Uchtdorf's talk, "Lord Is It I?" Definnitely one of those talks that really motivates me to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ. We must simply stop pointing the finger at others and look in the mirror for a change. We all have problems, challenges, weaknesses, concerns, mistakes, and the such. We must look inward first, change ourselves and then look outward to help others come unto Christ. Ask ourselves what WE can do better. How WE can improve. Look for the GOOD in everyone and everything. :) 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/lord-is-it-i?lang=eng

I also read this story form the Liahona this morning. 

https://www.lds.org/liahona/2012/07/unspotted-from-the-world?lang=eng

Really got me thinking about the little things in our lives that we can change in order to become closer to our Savior, and align ourselves with His will for us. :) Life reflection time! Those are the best. Love you all and pray that we will all continue to examine our lives and determine what we need to add, or perhaps take out of our lives, to become better disciples of Jesus Christ. 

Mahal ko kayo! Take care this week! :)

-Sister Roderick

P.S. My batch and I are heading to Manila this week to fix our visas and hopefully go to the temple! So excited! Should be fun :) 

Emily's 21st Birthday!

50 OYM

I am so happy! Who would have thought that a move to a new area with new companion, and lots of change in my last transfer could make me so happy! Heavenly Father is very aware of me and what I need. He knows me far better than I apparently know my own self. I am so grateful to be here in Iriga with Sister Ril. We have had a fantastic week! We were able to talk on the bus ride home from transfer point and we pretty much decided we were going to need to be very patient, loving, motivated, diligent, and willing to go with the flow because neither of us know the area well. So far, so good. 

Sister Jenilyn Ril is my hilarious new companion. I am always laughing and smiling with her, it makes the work so much easier when you get along well with your companion. :) What a blessing to have her as my companion. Our first night in Iriga we walked into a disgustingly dirty apartment and literally could not unpack because there was so much junk and dust everywhere. It was not the ideal home welcoming but we dropped our stuff, quickly got things cleaned up and were able to make some plans for the area.

This whole week we have spent walking the streets of our area, finding houses of members/less-actives and investigators, as well as doing our own finding along the way. Having little previous knowledge of the area has actually turned out to be a major blessing because we are forced to ask people on the streets, which likewise provides an opportune chance to introduce ourselves and share the gospel! 

It is wonderful! 

We have a new goal in the Naga Mission of 50 OYMs a week or Open Your Mouth contacts..which basically means approaching someone, asking inspired questions, sharing a short message, then asking for a return appointment to teach them in their ho5me...We were able to reach the 50 OYM goal this week and are determined to keep those numbers up high. In one day we got 26 OYM contacts. OYMing is hard. It takes a lot of faith and courage but it works. It works well. It really forces you out of your comfort zone to literally talk to EVERYONE. My poor companion, haha we'll be walking down the street and she will be in the middle of saying something to me when someone walks into view and boom, I'm gone, conversation lost. We are both so motivated to talk to EVERYONE (and there are alllllways other people on the streets) so that leaves very little time for us to talk as companions when we are outside of the apartment hah but it's good. :) We are having fun.

Scripture of the week: Moroni 8:16

"Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I   fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear."

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I love His gospel and know that it is the way to true happiness and eternal life. Missionary work is hard. Life is hard. But we must be bold, STRIVE to be better every day, and if we trust, have faith, and LOVE, we shall not fear. Keep smiling. :) Love you all! 

-Sister Roderick

Aspire to Something Higher

Today is officially the first P-day of my last transfer in the mission field. Holy smokes. A bit overwhelming. I feel like just yesterday I went to Nabua with Sister Prakash and now she is at the mission home prepping to go home to Fiji!! AH!

Em and Sister Prakash

This week has been one of the most insane weeks of my whole mission. No joke.

Tuesday- MLC in Naga all day. It was cool to get to discuss the Naga Mission with the other leaders and make plans and adjustments and what not to better help the work progress here. During our interviews with President Reeder, he told us the big news that our STL (sister training leader) area in Nabua would be closing and we would be pulled out and moved to another area. WHAT?! Yeah, I was a bit shocked but I think I am mostly over it now. Anywho, this transfer we have 6 sisters areas being closed down due to the shortage of sisters now sooo Nabua just happened to be one of those. The new STL area, my new area starting tomorrow, is in Iriga. In the Iriga Zone, there used to be 6 areas of sisters (now only 4) but I have now served in 3 of those areas! haha Baao, Nabua, and now Iriga 1. Naku. It will be like opening a new area again because the sisters that are currently there will be moved to another area and my new companion and I will move in and take over the area...we know verrrry little about the area BUT I have faith it will all work out and we will figure it out. 

Along with all the transferring and what not, our apartment will be shut down in Nabua SO we spent most of our nights this week, as well as all day Saturday cleaning, packing, moving stuff, and what not. I am so exhausted. 

Dropped Sis Prakash off at the mission home last night. I am now staying in Naga with 2 temporary companions until transfer point tomorrow where I will meet my new companion. 

What a week. 

It really has been a good one though. Every week is a good one. 

At our MLC and Zone Training this week we focused all about finding the faith to find. We as a mission just raised our "Standards of Excellence" for the mission to hopefully raise our efficiency, hard-work, faith, and progress of the mission. President Reeder spoke a lot about not just setting comfortable "goals" but finding the faith, going to work, and EXPECTING certain standards..not just for the mission but as individual people as well. What a great message for us all! We must RAISE our personal standards. We must tell ourselves what is expected of us and stay firm to that. Don't just set goals and let them get set aside or lowered time and time again but rather, think seriously, pray earnestly, ponder fervently, and set your own personal standards for your self, your life, and your family.

Aspire to something higher. Kaya natin. :)

Hope you have a splendid week! Love you all! 

-Sister Roderick

Batchmates at Missionary Leadership Council

Elder Simmons aka Em's Home Teacher at BYU

Bring On the Rain

Welp it rained again. A lot. So yes, Nabua did flood again. And no, we did not get to work again for almost 4 whole days this week! This area is a toughy. I need to work! I am here to work, not to sit inside all day while water rises higher and higher in centro. Oh well. The sun is out now, and we are ready to get back into action again. I miss good ol' hard missionary work. :)

We had exchanges in Pili this week. It was freeeeezing cold with strong winds and rains the whole day! BUT we found some great people for those sisters to teach so that makes it all worth it.

I love being a missionary.

Last night my comp wasn't all that excited to go out to work because there was still some flooding and yeah but I just couldn't sit inside anymore when there were still some houses with no water that we could try SO we went out and it was AWESOME. Well the last lesson was. I said a little personal prayer before we went out for Heavenly Father to guide us to whom we could meet/teach as our options were very limited...as in we had 2 streets that we could go on that weren't flooded a ton. Anywho, we went to a former investigator from almost 2 years ago and it was such a great lesson! This family with lots of teenage boys! Mom and Dad were busy but said they would listen next time...so we just taught the teenage boys while Mom was cooking (and listening too of course). ha so yep, they are amazing! We asked them what they were hoping to learn from our teaching and one looks up so sincerely and says "The truth. I want to know the truth." These kids do not look or act like kids. They are so mature and truly searching for the truth. It brought great peace to my h7eart when I was able to confidently say to him that he would come to know the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ if he simply prayed to God and read the word. Can't wait to go back to them. 

I know the church is true! :) Stay firm in your testimony and continually strive to strengthen your faith by DOING what Christ would have you do. We must ACT to become stronger.

Love you all!

-Sister Roderick