Sunday, March 8, 2015

Hey everyone!
    Well I am going to do my very best not to be a downer in this email. But last night I received probably the hardest news I have received over my entire mission. But before we get to that, this past week was so great! Despite the cold and cough that seems to be hitting us all, we worked our butts off. Sister Aida (the woman we met thanks to the Justin Bieber poster) is progressing leaps and bounds. She went from not really understanding/caring much about what we had to share to reading before every lesson and actively participating. Yesterday she accepted to be baptized! We haven't decided the specific date, but she told us she is getting old so it's about time for her to accept the truth. And she will "allow" us to baptize her haha. She's so great. And her progression has a lot to do with the support from our active members who live nearby her. The members here in Bauang are the best!
     On Sunday the Mendoza's came to church! Almost all of them. Brother had to work :/ but we already knew he wouldn't be able to come. He is really looking for new work, but for now he is doing all he can to support his family in living this gospel and he will come around soon. I love church more and more every Sunday. The branch members are so loving and this is the most that I have felt "at home" in an area. They are so active in missionary work that they know the transfer days, when we are going home, everything about us missionaries haha. There have been farewells and a missionary fireside in preparation that are all happening this week just in time before I go home! But Heavenly Father seems to have a different plan for the last week of my mission.
     Last night our AP Elder Basco called me and told me I will be transferring tomorrow. Wasn't expecting that. I will be in Lingsat in the area of the STLs and I will have two companions, Sister Saguinsin & Sister Jackson. We are all new to the area so we are technically opening it although I will only be there for a number of days. So many things rushed through my head like how hard it is to gain companionship unity so I can't imagine trying to build tripanionship unity. I remembered going on exchanges in Lingsat and how hot it is in that area haha. But of course the hardest thing to accept was that I will be leaving Bauang. I have told literally everyone that I will be here for another week. Hopefully I had known yesterday morning so that I could say goodbye to everyone at church, but I only knew last night and have today and tonight to try to say goodbye to everyone before I transfer tomorrow morning. To say goodbye to these people that I have grown to care for and love for the past 5 months. Not only that but they have cared for and loved me. I have never been a part of a more supportive and loving branch. They remind me so much of our home ward in Kailua. Most Sundays when our branch President is welcoming us he will say "welcome to Bauang 1 branch, the best branch" haha. I thought about all of their preparation for my farewell and the effort we have been putting into the fireside next week, I will be missing it all now. I can count the number of times I have cried on my mission and they are only few. But all I could do last night was cry.
     But remember how Heavenly Father has a plan for us? Yes, I know it can be easy to forget sometimes, but I was kindly reminded as I laid in bed feeling sorry for myself. I was racking my mind trying to figure out how to visit everyone and say goodbye to them when I remembered sacrament meeting earlier that day. Sister Maricel Belmonte, our RS president spoke on the talk of Dieter F. Uchtdorf about being grateful in our circumstances. She did a really great job. She talked about how naturally the last thing we want to do when facing a trial, is be grateful. And as she shared, I thought to myself about the trials that I have faced in my life, mostly here on the mission. I thought about how I was rarely able to keep an "attitude of gratitude" during these trials. I committed myself during that sacrament meeting to be sure to be grateful for the next trial that would hit me. Little did I know it was coming later that night..haha. But I have been doing my best to remain grateful for this. I know there is so much that I am going to learn from this and the blessings will come if I face this with a better attitude. 
      Earlier in this emial, as I described the things going through my mind and heart, I may have been being a little dramatic. What I described may not even seem like it should be a trial for some people. But I want to really try to convey the way I was feeling and am feeling until now. Each person struggles with different things in their own unique way. You all know that goodbyes have never been my forte, and now to have things flipped around on me like this, I am just not handling it very well. But luckily, this gospel honestly has the answers to every problem and my answer came to me before this problem even hit me. I am so blessed that Heavenly Father was preparing me for the upcoming struggle and already encouraged me to be listen to Sister Belmonte's message and determined to push through my next trial. The theme of this email is quite similar to last week huh? Sorry if it's a downer. But I guess it's safe to say I am being tried but I know that it all has a purpose. I know that I am loved. No matter what. 
     I had enough evidence of that when I opened my email and was immediately cheered up to see that I will be having a new baby niece!!!! I am so happy! I have told everyone that I hope Jac and Terry have a girl next so I can see just how beautiful a girl would be coming from them hehe :) And I also saw how long your email is to me mommy. I cannot wait to read that later on. I have a feeling it will help me a ton. Also I am not sure if I will get time to email next week. I will try my best to send some thing off even if it's just a quick message. But if I don't get to it, sorry! Also I forgot my camera and stuff so I won't be able to send pictures, but I guess just next time if I get the time. I hope something was able to be learned from what I shared today. Please don't worry about me or anything. I can do hard things :) I love my Heavenly Father. I love His gospel. I love you my family and the family that I have developed here serving the Lord's mission. Sorry this email has no title. Couldn't think of anything. Thank you for letting me share with you. Love you all! Take care! Until next week! Or the week after that :)
- Sister Sawada

2 comments:

  1. Hello, My name is Michelle Christensen. Our son, Elder Brian Christensen, is also serving in the Baguio Mission. He is getting released in July 2015.

    My husband and I are going to travel to the Philippines to pick him up.

    Would you happen to have any travel information that you could share with us?
    We would love some advice on how to travel from Manila to San Fernando as well as places to stay.

    Could you please email me back. My address is michelle.mdc@gmail.com.

    Thank you,
    Michelle Christensen

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello, My name is Michelle Christensen. Our son, Elder Brian Christensen, is also serving in the Baguio Mission. He is getting released in July 2015.

    My husband and I are going to travel to the Philippines to pick him up.

    Would you happen to have any travel information that you could share with us?
    We would love some advice on how to travel from Manila to San Fernando as well as places to stay.

    Could you please email me back. My address is michelle.mdc@gmail.com.

    Thank you,
    Michelle Christensen

    ReplyDelete