CALLED TO SERVE: hard to explain what packages and mail mean to narries, especially me

TRTS!!! my moms the best btw!!

NAY!

a week with plenty of little funny things that i don't really have time to mention..... sorry nay. journal na lang!!!

so on a super cool note, last sunday we had a LA come to church, first time since 2003! she's been so much happier and sunnier even enough so to bash on my tagalog! love her and then her almost never sober brother came to church for the first time since 1997! amazing. absolutely amazing! he's also been sober since tuesday i think and cried a l'il when we asked him how church was. he's full of hope and a new light! love that.

also, i got your package and a letter from boston! really cherish both! hard to actually say thank you effectively over email. hard to explain what mail and packages mean to narries, especially me.... you are a trt mom! it seriously changes the whole week!

so it has been heating up to new "that heat is tremendous" levels. my arms are starting to shine with sweat. my anak, he sweats pretty good and his white shirts get soaking wet like we just swam for 2 hours. it's shocking. he also makes this morning milk that has insane amounts of hot chocolate powder, milk powder and brown sugar. like 1 glass of water and seriously huge scoops of all 3 powders. multiple even. so much so it won't mix any more but when you try to mix it, he tells you to stop so you dont "destroy it". the kids a huge trt. we are talking nutrition and dieting now bc he's worried about his neck fat. it has been getting bigger, poor guy.

also my camera is suffering to focus so idk if you'll get good pictures anymore..... BUT i discovered my love for the tagalog phrase "exacto lang" which is exactly and the word lang is like just or only. so its like saying "just right". a word for all situations. hows the food? exacto lang or some savages even say there BFs or GFs or spouses are exacto lang.

no time for a hymn, i am sorry but take a look at D&C 76:26

KEARL

sidenote: Scott had asked, or rather told me last week that he wants to have a weekly bonding exercise for us to do together. we wants us to pick a talk each read that we study and then talk about in the next email. he picked "He asks us to be His hands" by Cheryl A. Esplin.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/he-asks-us-to-be-his-hands?lang=eng

his response was: yeah the talk seriously affected me and hopefully what i ask my self everyday. those 4 questions seriously open the way to such small and simple service. my favs where how she talks that service is not a burden but an opportunity to grow, and learn of love and what it really is and means. also i'll be honest the whole window and mirrors thing kinda helped me change my whole attitude about my mission. it turns out it's still service to people. kinda shameful. and obviously a great one is even small, boring and mundane tasks are important service.

i'm excited for thew next one from uchtdorf 'Fourth floor, Fourth door'

THANKS MOM, I LOVE DOING THIS WITH YOU.

my response was: Great talk you gave me to read. number one commandment is to love one another

love the mirror and window analogy. so important, it’s all about overcoming the natural man.

made me think about one of my favourite quotes by spencer w kimball. “the Lord does hear and answer our prayers, but it is usually through someone else that He does this.”

interesting that this is the talk you shared with me. the scripture she shared from 3 nephi is the exact scripture i read every single day that you had ITP when you were 4 years old. do you remember that. it’s idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpora, basically unknown origin of low platelets in your blood (helps your blood clot which is necessary or we would bleed out), and causes bruising.

“Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy. …“… [The Savior] did heal them every one."

anyhow, that scripture gave me hope because initially they thought it was cancer…leukaemia. i was so scared. then when it was diagnosed as ITP, i prayed so hard you would outgrow it and you wouldn’t have it your whole life. and you did outgrow it. this scripture gave me so much hope and faith and eventually peace.

great talk. great message. i sent you an uchtdorf talk i wanted you to read.

love you,

mom

xoxoxoxoxo