February 24 – Transfer Week

Hi family!

This has been a pretty good week. I've enjoyed being in a threesome with Sister Cabato and Sister Deyro. Sister Deyro is from Bacolod, but her first language is actually English because that's what her family speaks at home. She's really fun to joke around with. I'll have to say goodbye tomorrow though because I'm being transferred to San Nicholas, which is pretty close to Laoag city still.

This is what I emailed to President this week:

"My spiritual highlight for this week happened on Friday when we were teaching an investigator about keeping the Sabbath day holy. I suddenly felt I should share a story from my dad when he quit a job that required him to work one Sunday each month, and he was blessed to find a better job. It's sometimes hard for me to think of what to say while we are teaching, but I really felt the spirit prompting me that time that I should share that. I am really grateful for the spirit."

Yesterday, when we got to church, the bishop told us sister S wouldn't be coming to church because she injured her eyes at work and needed to rest and to sleep (she lives with the bishop's family because she works for him). So I didn't expect to see her there. But right as Relief Society was starting, she walked in the door. It made me so happy that going to church was so important to her that she would come even though she had a really good reason not to come. I am so happy to have recent converts who are so dedicated to the gospel.

Brother A came to church yesterday for the first time. The Elders quorum president in our ward is YSA and he came with us to teach Brother A last Friday, and also sat with him in church, and I think they are becoming friends. It's such a blessing when members really go out of their way to fellowship the investigators. N.C. didn't come to church because she had a fever. We taught her the other day, and even though she is still praying to know if this is the only true church, she still wants to be baptized, and she also told us that she hasn't been drinking coffee. She drank coffee before we taught her about the word of wisdom, and it took her a while to completely give it up. But she said she doesn't drink it anymore. Even when she was visiting her siblings in Manila, and she didn't feel good, and they told her she should drink coffee to feel better, she said, "No, I'll just drink hot water".

On Friday, Sister Asuro visited Laoag with her parents, and President allowed her to work with us. It was fun because there were 4 generations of missionaries there: Sister Asuro trained me, I trained Sister Cabato, and Sister Cabato is training Sister Deyro. We also figured out that it goes in alphabetical order (Asuro, Boekweg, Cabato, Deyro).

Anyway, my time is a little short today because I'm transferring, so I guess I'll end now.

I love you all! Thank you so much for your emails, and for the birthday package!

Love, Sister Boekweg