Sister Brittany Robertson: Week 60 - Funerals and Sicknesses

Hello wonderful family of mine!

This week was a very interesting one hahha. Not really the week I expected at all. But a good week nonetheless. Kind of a sad week as well. The week started off with Sister Regacho being really sick with the flu so we couldn't really work a ton for the first few days of the week, and then her sickness got passed around to our whole house so for the whole week, all 6 of us got some part of her sickness to some degree. Some got it worse than me, but I definitely got some of it. We couldn't afford not to work cause we hadn't worked because of Sister Regacho's sickness, so I sucked it up and worked and wore my body out hahha. Then we entered into a choir, even though I had basically lost my voice from my sickness, but all 6 of us entered into a choir to sing at the funeral of the mother-in-law of our district president. So we did a lot of singing which wore my voice out more but it was fun to be in the choir. I miss choir! And then come Saturday and we sang in TWO funerals in one day. It was really sad and a heavy day, and on top of that, we got transfer calls and found out Sister Regacho is transferring, which we did not expect, so the whole day on Saturday was just really sad and heavy. So on Sunday, we spent the whole day saying goodbyes and crying and being sad. Missions are hard. Transfer days are the worst!!!

So yeah, Sister Bazcuk (you say it like basic) is my new companion! She just got called to be a Sister Training Leader so that means I will be training her as an STL to know how to fulfill this calling, which makes me nervous and excited all at once. She is my second american companion whoop! So that'll always be fun. But I have gotten really used to having Philipino companions so it'll be weird to get used to. It's a totally different mission to have two americans be companions in the Philippines. But I am excited to see how things go and what kind of miracles we see this transfer! She may be my last companion- who knows! Still can never guess what President Sumagpao is planning cause he tells you one thing and then he does another hahha. He is so good at throwing curveballs! I sustain him and have seen how perfect God's plan is in everything so I am not worried, just excited to see where else my mission takes me!!

So yeah that was my week- sickness and funerals and sadness. But I did get to attend MLC (Mission Leadership Council) on Wednesday and that was a lot of fun. We learned a lot of new things and there was a good amount of things that changed so that's always exciting. I also got to see Sister Garcia which is always so fun and she told me a lot of people that her and I found got baptized which makes me soooo happy!! Almost all of those that her and I found right before I left have already gotten baptized. Even though I couldn't be there for them, I still feel happy in seeing the progress of that area. I love Bago and will always keep it so close to my heart. I also love La Carlota and am now hoping this is my last area so that I can continue to see the progress of those people that we are teaching right now and I can continue to get close with them and continue to love them!! I am also so excited for RJ because he passed his baptismal interview and is officially getting baptized on Saturday!! He is so excited and I have never seen him happier than when he came out of his interview knowing that he passed and will get baptized on Saturday. He was beaming with joy!! Oh how I love this work and I am so looking forward to all the amazing things I know will continue to happen in the Lord's vineyard!! Missions are the best ever!! Time is going wayyyyy too fast so I need, more than ever, to give my all and put everything on the sacrificial alter. I know through that, I will see miracles and I can go home without regrets!!

This week I studied how to be a more consecrated missionary because I don't know about everyone else but for me, in my experience, a mission is very up and down. Like for a few transfers straight you're like really awesome and feeling good and feel like you're making a huge difference and have a light in you, but then something happens, whether it's change of companions or area or success or whatever- and then you feel like you're not really doing much in the vineyard of the Lord. Like you almost feel stagnant and like no matter how obedient you are being, you just don't feel the light for a bit. I don't really understand it very well, but missions totally happen in phases and right now I really just want to focus on being the most obedient missionary I can be and live up to the standards that the Lord wants for me. So anyways, I studied about how to be a more consecrated missionary and sacrifice is always the answer. Don't go on a mission if you can't sacrifice because missions ask one sacrifice after another of people. And the thing is- it never gets easier!! Like you think if you have been on your mission for a long time, it becomes easier and you're so good at teaching and just a pro at everything. BUT IT'S NOT LIKE THAT. There is never an "easy" time in your mission. There's definitely better times than most, but not easy. Once you feel even a little comfortable, you get thrown this crazy curveball that makes everything heavy and hard and then you become stronger and then things get comfortable and then you get another curveball. So the ultimate thing to learn on the mission is just how to give sacrifices. If we are willing to give up our pride, our sarcasm, our negativity, our selfish desires, our own passions, our rest time, our thinking about ourselves, just all of it, that is the true key to a happy mission. Sacrifices brings miracles. I don't think I have learned anything more real on my mission. Sacrifice is the key to know our Savior Jesus Christ because He knows sacrifice better than anyone who has touched foot on this earth. If we want to know our Savior on a deeper level, we need to sacrifice. It's the best thing to do, but definitely the hardest. But hard brings good. And that is what I am really trying to learn this week is what I can more sacrifice to see more miracles!

I love you all and am so thankful for y'alls support. Really could not still be here on my mission if it wasn't for all y'all back home. Miss you all tons but I will be home soon enough so I will just focus on loving these people(:

Sister Robertson