Sister Delgado serves in the Great Legazpi! : December 7, 2015

Dearest Family and Friends,

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week.

I’d first like to give a special shoutout and say Happy Birthday to my biggest fan, best role model, most organized and intelligent woman I know……. Mama Minson! She has been the best mother and grandmother to me my entire life and is such a gem for always forwarding my emails/photos to you. There is no one else like her. We’ve been through so much together, and im so grateful this mission has taught me to never ever take her love and care for granted. She is effortlessly beautiful, has the best taste in all things (to which I accredit most of my taste to ;) , and is full of love and charity for all. She didn’t even need to go on a mission to learn to become more like the Savior. I'm forever grateful Heavenly Father blessed me to be Leslie Minson’s number one and number six. I love you so much! Now if you haven’t yet, please wish her a very happy birthday.

Alright, so this week was absolutely crazy.

It was cool because we had our annual Christmas Conference and each zone was able to present a presentation for the mission. So we all met up at the Legazpi chapel and listened to the wonderful words of President Guanzon. I will be eternally grateful I've had the grace of meeting that man. I testify my mission president is called of God, thus accrediting validity to the truthfulness of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ here on the earth. His direction is so inspired and he is full of such love for all his missionaries, as well as Sister Guanzon.

After our Christmas conference, Sister Wilks and I went out to work, and suddenly a huge funeral was in session during the night. I've been in this Victory Village since June and so to see a funeral happen was a complete surprise. As we come closer to see who’s dead body was inside the casket, I instantly melted and swelled up in the bitterest of sorrow. The body was an investigator that sister Ramada and I found when I first got here. It was Rafiela, who was only 15 years old and she died of a stroke from her high blood disease. I finally found the girl’s mother and embraced her with tears flowing down our eyes. I was speechless, and still am. Rafiela’s family had been passive about our lessons, but perhaps this is the right time for them. Sister Wilkins and I did our best to comfort the family and promised them that all isn’t lost. Then the next day, our progressing investigator (whos name I won't mention) told us that she is so afraid to leave her home because she was recently adbudted and that the man attempted to rape her, but drugged her and tattooed his last name on her lower back. She said she’s trying so hard to learn to forgive, but that permanent reminder haunts her. She showed us the tattoo and Sister Wilkins and I lost all composure. I wept with her like I've never wept in front of someone I didn’t know very well. We testified of the atonement’s healing power, but in no way could I ever judge how hard it is for her to move on. At that moment, I felt the magnitude and depth of the atonement because there truly isn’t anyone or anything that could help and heal her, except it be the atonement and love of Jesus Christ.

This week was filled with so many challenges and trials and the world I've noticed is getting scarier and scarier. I cant imagine living in this world without the gospel of jesus Christ and thinking that I knew everything this world had to offer.

As we approached the higher class people’s home and offered to share a special message with them, they all claimed that they knew what our message was a about and that it’s the same as their religion. Of course, we tell them its not, but they’ve already made up their mind.

I don’t feel angry or frustrated.

There have been so many instances this week, where I've felt like there’s not much I could do for these people because of the magnitude of their situations and the set mind sets of many who are comfortable with believing what makes them happy rather than the truth. But I know hope is not lost for these people. These experiences are allowing me to grow closer to my Savior because in a world where right and wrong is becoming more and more clear and the second coming is at nigh, I find peace reading His scriptures and strengthen my faith in the smallest principles of the gospel.

I am serving this mission for my savior, Jesus Christ.

I am sacrificing who I am so that I may one day be worthy of his mercy.

No matter how dark the night or day may seem, I believe there is hope.

I know our heavenly father is building us to be strong dicisples and learn the importance of clinging to His safety when things get difficult.

I know the Book of Mormon is true. The strength it gives me the help is brings to my soul in coming closer to my savior is everything I need.

I love my mission and the Philippines and pray that hope will still abide in all when things are hard.

Love,

Sister Delgado