I have to say this:  It is really awesome being here in this mission and I am grateful to be here the spirit is huge.  But I had not counted on how much the homesickness would hit me.  I miss my family and I miss all of the friends at home.  Please understand we are where we are supposed to be but I needed to get over that wall.  One night as I was weepy, and it was my birthday and I wanted to be with my kids and we didn't have the internet at home yet and the cloud just descended upon me (how's that for a run on sentence) I dropped to my knees and pleaded with my Heavenly Father to help me get thru it.  You will never convince me that there is not power in prayer.  The very distinct voice came into my heart.  'Don't you think I miss you and want you to come home?  Please give that gift to my children.'  I learned that night that as much as I was missing my family and home is how much more our Heavenly Father is missing us.  He wants us to come home, I can testify to that, it was to powerful an experience.  So I am very greatly blessed to be here and I think finally a peace is starting to settle in my heart!  So please know how much I love you all and let's help each other to go HOME, Our Father wants us to come home!

I wanted to share some pictures on this awesome blog of sweet people we came to love while we were at the MTC.

Enclosed photographs of MTC District taken 10 Oct 20131

Elder David & Sister Nancy Alston,  Elder Stephen & Sister Kathleen Dibble, Elder Clark & Sister Kathy Ence,     front    Sister Crista Povar, Sister Toni Brough, Sister Bertha Scherrer

This one is Sister Yazzie and Brother Pike our awesome trainers for Preach My Gospel.  We love these people more than I realized we could in so short a time.  I am not very good at uploading pictures so please for give the extra space maybe sometime in the next two years I'll figure it out.

 

 

 

We are now in the Philippines and excited to be here. We had a wonderful time in the MTC and made a lot of wonderful friends.  Preach My Gospel is amazing and the Member Oriented Proselyting Program is amazing too.  Did you all know you are member missionaries and should be doing this also so I hope you are thinking about it.

The Philippines is an awesome place but way different than I imagined, even though we have been to Asia before.  There are lots and lots and lots of people everywhere and they are all happy.  Everyone is friendly.  Driving is crazy, it is every man for themselves.  All road rules are suggestive but I have yet to see any road rage, it's amazing!  Italia was crazy but these people got them beat.  We have been attending Zone Conferences and District meetings and met a lot of the Young Elders and Sisters.  They are full of the Spirit and are creating miracles.  They are from all different nationalities, I am humbled in their presence.  Some of them have to learn not only Tagalog but English too.

We went to our Ward last Sunday and bore our testimonies.  I read part of mine in Tagalog and it tickled the ward members.  I hope I will be able to keep learning more.  It is interesting, talks and lesson are in what the Elders here called "Taglish".  They will be talking along in Tagalog and English words will keep popping up.  The Spirit was huge, that is what matters most.

Well, we best carry on! We are at the mission office.  We are still waiting to get internet at home!  We were able to Facetime with Candace and Josh and family this morning.  What a great day!  We needed that!  We would also like to connect with our other kids but we are still trying to figure out time.  So we best be off!  May His force be with you!!!

We are ready to enter the MTC in the morning. We will be on the road by 6 am. Butterflies are still flying in our tummies. Lots of tears with our children and family and friends.  Love you All!!!!!