Family.

Kumusta na!

Well, I don't have much time because I spent a good twenty minutes reading Jason's awesome letter about Rome and London. He's so lucky and I'm so jealous but I guess I am in a foreign country too right now eh?
Well, it's the last week of the transfer and my last week with Elder Tengelsen. Words can't even describe how much I love that elder and he is truly the best companion I could ever have. I'm dreadfully counting the days until we have to separate for a little while, but I know I'm lucky to have had him as a companion. President DeLaMare told me to just focus on how lucky I was instead of how unlucky I am to have to watch him leave. There are no goodbyes in the gospel, just "God be with you 'til we meet again" like my MTC teacher Brother Mauzy used to say.

By this time next week, I will have eaten balut, so take note Sister Jen! I'm ready!
Well in short, we got a huge email last week about how our mission will be focusing on helping families this coming years and completing families in the church. It just makes so much sense because families are so important and having part-member families just tears a unit that needs to be together.
We had a couple great experiences yesterday night. We taught a family with about six teenagers that hasn't been to church in months. Jonathan, a member, asked us to come with him. My companion shared a great scripture from the Book of Mormon about how families are meant to love one another and serve one another; then we all shared our experiences with how important families are. I talked about you all a lot. How being a teenager sometimes you think that your friends are more important but they are not. Your family can be a group of your best friends. Some of the other sisters talked about how lucky they were to be so many and how this time is so fun when everyone is still living together and not married with their own families. I also talked about how I was really disappointed in myself that it took me a trip all the way across the world for two years to realize how important my family is to me. It shouldn't be like that - families of the least shouldn't be taken for granted.

We had another great experience with our Rachel who is also from Ilocos and will be baptized on Elder Tengelsen's last day. We shared with her about the Plan of Salvation and how important families are. Everyone was so touched and there were tears all around. Life has so more meaning when you know you can take your family with you past this life. It's so comforting to know that families can be together forever through the Lord's true church. Ednalynne, a member, told us a really sad story as well about her family how they used to be so active in the church when they were little. They used to go to church every Sunday and not fit in one jeepney, and now it's just her. But she knows that they'll come back someday and has a goal to strengthen them. We'll do our best to help her too. Rachel loved the lesson and Jonathon, her cousin who introduced her, said a lot of really touching things about how he sees so much good in her humble heart. She's amazing and I'm so happy for her. She's going to teach me how to pray in Ilocano tomorrow so I'm way excited.

I can't even describe how teaching about families is such a blessing and how it is the one thing that satan is trying to tear apart in this day. He is working so hard to attack the family because he knows thats where true happiness. I guess all we can do is hang on, trust God, and love one another. I'm so lucky to have you all and wouldn't be who I am today without you.

Sa totoo lang, ang mga pamilya ay pangwalang-hanggan.

Love,
Elder Corpuz