Week 37

Hello Family!!!! 

So our Pday was switched this week so that we could attend the temple today! Grabi, I can't even begin to tell you how big of a blessing it has been to be able to go to the temple! I was able to go in Manila and now I have a temple in my Mission!! Thanks number 1:Temples! It has blessed and helped me so much throughout my life, and especially now. Being away from all the temples, it felt different! Hahah, but now I have filled up again and I am totally ready to go and do! It is such a great place, every temple is, but Cebu is gorgeous! And the experience I had today is one I will always cherish! It helped me resolve personal matters and as well get the peace I needed to carry on.

I am glad you all had a great Thanksgiving and were all able to enjoy the blessings of love and friendship. We too were able to have such a blessing. I thought for sure, I would never have a Thanksgiving on my Mission. Just like Halloween or the Fourth of July. But, President and Sister Tanner would not have that! The four zones nearest the mission home were invited for a Thanksgiving Feast! And for most of the missionaries, it was their first! We had potatoes, turkey, gravy, homemade rolls, apple crisp, and just for the pinoys, RICE :) Hahahah, it was so great! And such a blessing to be reunited with everyone and enjoy the blessing and the beginning Christmas cheer! We all gave our thanks and our gratuity and definitely slept great that night :) It was a great day!

Things which I have definitely learned and grown from this week, would definitely be the love of the spirit. How the spirit loves each and every single one of us, that it is able to touch each one of our hearts and help us to come closer. This Sunday we had our stake conference and our 2nd councilor shared directly to the YSA of the stake and the ym and yw as well and preparing to enter the temple. It was great to recognize the steps I have made in my life that have helped me to come closer to the Lord by entering his holy house. He shared a story by a Young Women’s President in the 80's, I wish I could be able to find the story to give the full feel of it, but sadly I cannot. So I will summarize. There is a little boy who gets lost and finds his way to a YWs porch. The Yw calls the police and waits with the boy on the porch for his mother. Her and the little boys friendship grew so much in the small time they were able to spend together.  They sang Primary songs together, colored pictures, played games, and when the boy’s mother arrived the little boy asked her, "Are you Heavenly Fathers wife?" This YW was shocked by the question, but even more overthrown by the response that left her, "No. But I am His Daughter." We are all examples of our Heavenly Fathers love for all of us, His children, and should continually strive to help others to recognize their worth in His plan and our own as well. This I so dearly pray for every day. That I may be able to help others to know just how great a love their Father has for them and how dearly he wants us all to return to Him and our Heavenly Mother someday. That's a big purpose I came here on my mission, to help others to realize the great love that He has for them. 

Well, I love you all and I am so very grateful again, for the time I have been given to learn and to grow and help others to come closer. LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SISTER BRAY