2016.12.30 Christmas Surprises

Friends and Family,
I am sorry I haven't written in a while! These past couple of weeks have been very crazy!!!!
Well to sum everything up me and my companion had our first family baptism and in doing so we put together a wedding and reception. It was a blast. I think Sister Abad and I might have worked a little too hard because she ended up in the hospital on Christmas night around 7pm because of gastritis and a blood infection. She was released from the hospital the following Wednesday. I didn't get much sleep while she was in the hospital because unfortunately they don't have cots there for visitors and well since I am her companion I wasn't allowed to leave her. Luckily we had some of the YSA (the best women I have ever met!) go on transfers with us so I could take a shower and grab some stuff that we needed at home.
Afterwards I came down with the flu. So it has been a busy week that's for sure. :)
Here are some pictures and a story of how we met Noel and Wela and their cute little baby Caleb. :) 

-- Sister Garrish

Brother Noel and Sister Wela on their wedding/ baptism day

Sister Wela on her wedding day

Brother Noel and Sister Wela on their wedding/ baptism day

Christmas eve well spent with the Nang family handing out gifts and food to the First Road families!

The suprised Sister Abad with a tree on christmas morning with a bunch of gifts wrapped and hot chocolate :) She loved it! 

With Sister Abad in the hospital with the best Elders!

At Pizza Republic
We decided to get fancy and eat out while we were out of our area waitng for the visiting hours to visit Sister Loveday who is our mission nurse that had to get surgery.

 

2016.12.19 20th Birthday Photos

2016.12.12 Sis. Abad's Letter

Need a mailing address to send Sis. Garrish a letter, card or package? 
Click contact info link - M

Dear Friends and Family,
This is Sister Abad's email she sent to her family I will be sending my email next week I promise haha!

Right now I still can't believe that I am already halfway of my mission. I am not counting it but my companion does. To be honest, it was like a blink of an eye from the time I entered MTC last March this year. However, for 9 months here on my mission, I have seen a lot of miracles because of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the best things about the gospel is the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. We have an awesome opportunity together as a family for eternity. How wonderful the plan is. There's still a lot of people here on earth who haven't received the gospel. The best thing that we can do is to share them the restored truth. By sharing our living testimonies, help them through service, and pray for them that their heart and their minds will be open. Last Wednesday, my companion and I were invited for lunch at the mission home with the new missionaries fresh from Manila MTC. That day was a great pleasure and blessing for me. President Barredo, our mission president, his main purpose of inviting us was to show to the new missionaries that the vision is true. The Philippines Bacolod Mission vision are Exactly Obedient, Preach My Gospel Scholar, and Weekly Convert Baptism. So Sister Garrish and I shared to them why we are having weekly baptisms. I am sharing this not to boast for myself, but to boast for the power of God. I am just an instrument of the Lord. The real teacher is the Holy Ghost. I am very grateful for the power of God which already existing here on earth. And because of the atonement of Christ, everything will become possible. Last Saturday, we had a baptism. Maffi 10, Princess and Francis are 8. Those children are living in front of our apartment. They are living with their uncle, auntie, and cousins. They observed that the missionaries living in front of them which is us are decent and always going to church every Sunday. Because of their observation, they just wanted to come to the missionaries going to church. Until they became interested all about the church. They are very active every Sunday even though they were not yet members. They are longing to their own family and they feel that the church can make them feel home. I love the scripture so much! I was done reading again the Book of Mormon and reading it again from the start. I am also reading the New Testament every single day. I really really love it. The secret of being confident in teaching the doctrine is to read the scripture with real intent and live all the principles. I testify that the Book of Mormon is literally written for this modern days. The ancient prophets visualized of what will happen in our days. The book is literally designed for us and a tangible evidence that the church is really true.

Sister Abad