Ensign State Of Mind

Sister Pennock and I Aloha family a me friends! New transfer. New companion. New year. New me.  Lots of news happening over here and with my year mark coming up this upcoming week (say whaaat?!), I feel like this is more of a New Year type of dealio than January 1 was for me (lol missions are odd k).  I've been out for a year? I've been in Bermuda for three months already? Life is weird. So often as people we can be hard on ourselves. We will often look at what we are not. We want and expect ourselves to run the full marathon, without doing the mile by mile trainings.  I will often see the 10000 and 1 things that I know that I am not. At times, I will admit, I am too hard on myself. More often than not, as humans, we look at what we aren't instead of acknolwedging all that we are.  Nevertheless, we aren't perfect and neither does our Father in Heaven expect perfection today. In fact, perfection is pending. As Jeffrey R. Holland eloquently put i...

Aloha ko'u ohana a me ko'u hoaaloha,  Miracle Line. Tuesday morning. President Teuscher: "In this mission, we have a tradition of making week 6 the BEST week of the transfer"  Baptism Pictures!!!  Meet Jamie! Love her! And lemme tell you. I can testify to what President Tesucher said is true. It was another bomb diggty week for the books. Ending this transfer and week off with three friends on baptismal date, eight souls at church, and two new peeps to teach. And not to mention, eating many many many meals with members. Furthermore...I testify that the key to people's heart (well at least mines) is food. And maybe just maybe we had so many people at church because we had a potluck for Sister Howells and Elder K and because we had a General Authority come speak to us.  But we will give everyone the benefit of the doubt and know that they all came to truly remember our Savior and refocus on Him. Elder David Buckner, a member of the Sev...

Aloha Family a me Friends, "Two times four is half of sixteen! All for the...(not warriors)..LORD! Stand up and lean!" Nope not a cheerleader but I am on the Lord's team for sure ;)  Some things never change in this universe. Like the fact that 2 + 2 = 4 or a^2 + b^2 = c^2 or that a circle is 360 degrees and the list can go on and on. We may change but the one constant variable of life is God's love.  Never gets old God loves you.  He loves you and every one of His children. He knows us and answers our prayers. As we were sitting in district council this past Tuesday, we get a call from a member saying that she would verbally kill her brother to the point that he would commit suicide. Within five minutes, all six missionaries on the island were at her door. Seconds after she was pleading with God to give her a sign. And lo and behold her sign was as she exclaimed while sobbing on the phone to many people "SIX missionaries! Son of a bi...

Island life with a dash of that British culture with the telephone things Aloha Family a me Friends :)  Still so surreal to me that it is 2019. Weird stuff honestly. Weird to think about a year ago I was at home. So much has happened and it's certainly been the adventure of a life time. Life is far too short to be wasting time.  It seems as though everyone we were talking to were either going to the hospital or knew of someone going to the hospital.  Cool little alleys in town On Thursday one of our members, Sister A., her mom went to the hospital because of a severe cause of pneumonia (the first thing that I thought was oh no my dog passed away from pneumonia). On Saturday night our appointment fell through and we had just hiked up to finish this hill that we started knocking a few weeks back. We knocked a couple of doors and with no success, Sister Howells asked me: "Is there any other way we could more effectively be using our time?". I paused fo...

Aloha family a me friends, Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!! Well. Had one of the fastest weeks of my mission to top off one of the fastest years of my life (so far ;). Was it because of Christmas Day? Then Boxing Day (yep official Bermudian holiday where you box up your leftovers and give them out)? Or President and Sister Teuscher coming down for vacation *oh I mean quarterly visit*? Who knows. Honestly. It was probably the triangle. Nothin' new lol.  Familiar family traditions in the holiday seasons of spending time with food and family in Hawaii, buying fireworks early on Dec 26, going semi-pyromaniac on Dec 31, pounding kalo...have been overshadowed by the root of all traditions. And that is: remembering Him.  A tradition is something repeated and has reason. The greatest tradition one can ever have and pass down unto future generations is that of remembering Christ. When tracing and studying the culture of our spiritual genealogy we come to realize that over and ...

Cookies on cookies on cookies Aloha Kalikimaka ia ko'u 'ohana a me ko'u hoa aloha!! Seasons Greetings Friends   Just remember..you is kind, you is special, you is important, you sparkle like diamond in the sky. And if you are me serving in Bermuda, lots of people may even come up to you and tell you.."you filipina" or "you look uncommon" or "there's lots of Filipinos here, you could be from here". Haha. Yes. For some reason I got that all several times this week. I guess our Filipino blood runs strong (and I'm saying this for you Aunty Anela ;)  Anyways. Yes. We are each special, important, and can sparkle like diamonds in the sky. You know why? I'll tell you why, no worries. BECAUSE OF HIM. Because about 2018 years ago a babe was born and laid in a manger.  "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Coun...

Picture of our church building Aloha familia y amigos!  How I love these "onions" of Bermy so much! Even if they tell us, missionaries, that if we go back to the states being able to fit the same clothes then they havent done their job of feeding. I mean who even knew that Bermudians existed? Certainly not I, until I came on a mission. But ah how I love them and am so grateful for this opportunity I have to serve alongside these people. Meet one of our members, Andrew! Such a kind and pure heart. I do not know the meaning of all things, but I do know that God loves His children. His son, Christ, is our shepherd and we can have our  "hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another"  (Mosiah 18:21). Our hearts are knit and bound by and through the love of Christ. His love and grace is sufficient for us all. His love expounds greater than any earthly sphere and provides the light we need to dispel darkness and fear.  As for His fold...