Kumusta po kayo? 

I am doing great this week!  Working hard makes me feel happy.  I know I can do hard things!  I am trying really hard to choose to always be happy, and it is helping me in many ways.  It helps me wake up with more energy and happiness, it helps me have better, more spiritual studies,  it helps me have more fun throughout the day, and it helps me feel the Spirit more.  I know that a mission's success can't be measured by numbers or by lists of names.  A mission is measured by how much love you give away.  The more love you give away, the better!  I can give as much love as I can, but it's up to my investigators and the people that I meet to accept it.  It's like what Elder Bednar says in a missionary video:  we can bring the Spirit UNTO, the hearts of the people....but it's up to them to bring it INTO their hearts.  It's the same with love.  If I give love, the people will know how much I care, how much their Savior cares, and how much their Heavenly Father cares about them.  And then, they will open their heart to all the love, the Spirit, and all the wonderful blessings of the gospel.  I just have to do my part the absolute best that I can.  

I watched a Mormon message this week called "Deep Beauty."  I really liked it.  I know that a mission will help me share my deep beauty with others.  It's all about what's on the INSIDE. 

Some things from this week:

Our investigator, Nicole, came to church!  She was really shy, but she liked it a lot.  We also had a lot of progress with our investigator, Jay.  The members are really helping out with fellowshipping him, and it's making a huge difference.  He prays and reads so much!  It's so wonderful!  Also, my favorite less active family (shhhh....I'm not supposed to have favorites :) ) moved!  My heart was so sad.  But they are moving so that their kids can start going to school, so that makes me happy.  I included some pictures of us with them.

This week, we also had our companion exchanges with the Sister Training leaders. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot. I really enjoyed working with them.  I felt the Spirit in our lessons, and I enjoyed the work.  They are so easy going and diligent in their work.

My companion, Sister Teabwabwa, is so wonderful! She is one of the happiest people I have ever met. She has had so many trials here in the mission, yet she presses on and has joy. She is so strong. I want to be more like her in that way. I really admire how happy she is, despite all that is going on. She really doesn't let anything get her down. I want to be like that! I am so happy we are companions. I love Sister Teabwabwa! 

I love this work and I love the Philippines Cauayan Mission!  I know that the decision to serve a mission was the right one.   I am so happy to be a missionary.  

"The decision to serve a mission will shape the spiritual destiny of the missionary, his or her spouse, and their posterity for generations to come."  Elder Russell M. Nelson

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!  xoxoxox

xo Sister Anna Ray Allen