I Eat Everything

Akon Hinigugma nga pamilya,

Yay! Another nephew! I love hearing birth stories!! That was great to read. 

On Monday at about 5:45pm, so almost at the end of P-day, we got an unexpected call telling us that Sister Ortiz was being transferred the next day at 9am. We could not have been more surprised. They used to call it "emergency" tranfer, even if there isn't an emergency, but now they are trying to get us to think about it as in multiple tranfer cycles...

Anyway, my new companion is also a pinay (filipina), Sister Santos. From Manila. She is a good missionary. I thought for sure I would be transferred at the regular transfer yesterday, but nope! I'm here as usual. They do that for trainers. If someone is going to train, they are often transferred sometimes days before their trainee arrives, leaving them very little time to learn the area. So I spent most of the last week worrying about showing her everything, pointing out houses of less-actives, members, recent converts even if we didn't have time to go to them. Of course more information than she could learn since our area is so large. We have about 12 areas in this area (Bago 2nd Ward) that we regularly go to. And of course areas that I would love to tract, but we just don't have time. It's just so big. 

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Okay, this week I've been studying a lot about prayer and trying to improve my prayers as well, in order to not be a hypocrite as I teach about it...and to improve my relationship with Heavenly Father, which is more important. I read in the Bible Dictionary, page 707:

"As soon as we learn the true relationship which we stand before God (namely, that God is our Father, and we are His children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt 7:7-11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship."

If this is true, and I believe it is, that means that if my investigators don't feel comfortable praying, they still don't understand the very first principle of lesson one: God is Our Loving Heavenly Father. This is a truth that is simple to explain, and even simple to understand on the surface, but is one of the harder doctrines to really implement in our lives. To pray to God like we would pray to our Father in Heaven. To obey God like He is our Heavenly Father. To prepare to meet Him like He is our Heavenly Father. 

After all, no one is scared to talk to their dad...unless you're an 8-year-old Tessa that is. ;) 

But that's really what it means. To have a conversation. To really pray like He is there with you. It's hard. It takes tremendous faith. But I am convinced that this is one of the ways that we, as missionaries, can discern in ourselves and in others who is converted and who is not. If they really have taken into their hearts the first principle that we teach as missionaries, that God is their Father. It will change everything. 

The first principle of the Gospel that was restored to the knowledge of Joseph Smith in the sacred grove, even before Heavenly Father spoke, was the nature of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. It is so important that we understand this. 

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I just wanted you all to know that I eat everything. Even if it's just my companion and me at the apartment. I eat it no matter what, and then have seconds. Its just my way of not focusing on food. It's so insignificant to me right now. Of course I try to eat healthy and safely, but beyond that, food is the least of my concerns. 

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While reading in PMG this week, I was reading in Eternal Marriage, lesson 5. I remembered that Papi told me in one of his past letters that he had been pondering about how we need to build a family culture that is stronger than worldly culture, and I remembered that Bro. MacDonald once said in seminary that I have the "Marriott accent." As in, we all talk the same. 

I am so thankful for our family culture.

Love you all!!

Sister Marriott