*drum rolls*

26 August 2014
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Dear Family and Friends,

As expected I am moving into another area tomorrow. I am going to Canterbury ward. I've no idea where that is but most of the missionaries said that they wanna go there, so I'll just imagine that it's kinda like Palawan where every missionary in the Philippines Manila Mission wants to serve. My new companion will be Sister Finch, she's an American and I will be her last companion because she will finish her mission next month, I mean this transfer.

Sister Silva will train a new sister missionary here in Kettering. It's so hard to leave this area. I've grown to love the place, the people and the ward so much. We are supposed to have one baptism this Saturday and the family we are teaching and Isa will be baptise this September. We've seen a lot of success! Unfortunately, I won't see those baptisms. But that's fine with me. At least I did my part and my best to helped those people to come unto Christ and helped the ward and the area to progress as well. PMG says that "leave your area better when you found it before." I am really happy to know that I've been the missionary that Heavenly Father wants me to be.

I know that I will see a lot of miracles and success in Canterbury as well.

I won't say much on this email though. I have been emotional since  yesterday and also we won't be able to stay long in the computer today because we will visit our investigators and members of the ward to say goodbye and am still going to pack.

My email next week will probably be long.

Love,

Sister Ordanza

K-E-T-T-E-R-I-N-G

August 19, 2014
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Dear Family and Friends,

Last week was really a good week!

We've had zone interviews with President Jordan and received training from him and Sister Jordan.

I don't know what to say. It's just that everyday I am praying that Heavenly Father will let me stay here in Kettering for another transfer to witness the baptism of The Gardner's and Kevin!

But yeah, I bought another suitcase today in case I move next week.

Btw, our next PDay will be on Tuesday, not Monday.

So sorry if I haven't replied any of your emails yet. I've been very busy this past few weeks. But don't worry, I sent handwritten letters to some of you and be assured that I read every emails that you guys are sending me. I love y'all!

I will try to make my email creative next time!

Love,

Sistah Ordanza

Ola ola ola!

August 11, 2014
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So sorry, due to some reasons, I haven't sent my weekly email last week.

Dear Family and Friends,

How have you been? This past week was full of miracles!

I don't know where to start. haha

Well, I guess I'll just leave it as one of the entries in my journal. :p

Yesterday, President and Sister Jordan visited Kettering ward. After the sacrament meeting, he approached me and said, "Sister Ordanza, you've been here in Kettering for four transfers now. You know what that means, right?" I said to him, "Yes, President. That means crying on the night of 25th and the whole day of the 26th and 27th." He just laughed.

Seriously though, thinking to leave Kettering this transfers is so hard for me. I've grown to love the area, the people and the ward so much. Ugh. But what do you do? This is the sad part of a missionary's life. To come and to go.

Now, I speak to those who are facing hardships in their lives right now.

I know life isn't easy nor will it ever be. Yes, Heavenly Father allows us to face difficulties in life for us to learn and to grow. But sometimes, we tend to be like Laman and Lemuel, murmuring "Why do bad things happen to good people? I follow the commandments. I do all my best. Why me?" That's a part of us being a natural man. Elder James B. Martino of the Seventy said, "Our Heavenly Father who loves us completely and perfectly, permits us to have experiences that will allow us to develop the traits and attributes we need to become more Christlike. Our trials come in many forms, but each will allow us to become more like our Saviour as we learn to recognise the good that comes from the experience. As we understand this doctrine we gain greater assurance of our Father's love. We may never know in this life why we face what we do, but we can feel confident that we can go from the experience." Heavenly Father didn't promise us to have an easy life, but He promised us that He'll be with us in every step of our journey. Hold on. :)

Heavenly Father wants you to check in with Him through a sincere and fervent prayer. Remember, you are never alone. Never forget you are loved. Never doubt that someone surely cares for you.

-President Thomas S. Monson

I will close this email by a miracle we witnessed last week.

Our Filipino investigator has been suffering kidney failure for four years now. She seems that she's losing hope and her faith is wavering because of that, we told her that maybe Heavenly Father wants her to learn something about patience and He has a plan for her for something better. Last Wednesday, we are on our way to find some people near the town centre and we walked already, probably a mile, when me and Sister Silva just turned to each other and said, "Let's visit *insert her name* to see how she's doing!" We walked back and knocked on her door and her husband answered us. We've had a good chat and taught them both the First Lesson and he was so interested for the fact that we have a living prophet. After the end of our lesson, he excused himself to go out. So we chatted few minutes more with *insert her name* and she told us that she's so amazed that her husband talked to us about religion because he never entertain that topic on his home. We settled an appointment with them last Saturday to help them do their garden. So last Saturday, we arrived on their home and and helped them. We were cutting the bushes when she received an unexpected call from the hospital that she needs to be there because there's a kidney donor waiting for her and she needs to have a transplant. She cried and asked us to offer a prayer for her before she left to go to the hospital. Yesterday, after Correlation Meeting, we received a call from her. I talked to her and she said that the operation is successful! She cried once again and asked me to offer a prayer for her over the phone in Tagalog (our native tongue), I did and she said, since she met me and Sister Silva, we gave her a new hope for life, she receive so many blessings that she never expected! She asked us to visit her when she gets home from the hospital after a week. :)

Fyi, the hospital is in Leister which is not a part of our mission so we can't visit her. :(

I love y'all!

Til next PDay.

-Sister Ordanza

Photos

August 5, 2014
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Me and Sister Stewart, the one from Hong Kong!

Sister Wang Foo, originally from Hong Kong as well but grew up in Tahiti.

Letter for YSA and Youth :)

Dear PPIR students,

Hi! Some of you might know me, others won't. I have heard so many good things about your class this school year based on the pictures that President Angoy sent to me. You are all wonderful, don't ever forget that. Your Father in Heaven is pleased for your decision to enroll in Institute and to attend class regularly despite of your busy schedules in life!

President Monson said, "You..are a glorious group, a chosen generation...I plead with you, my young brothers and sisters, to remember who you are. You are sons and daughters of Almighty God. You have a destiny to fulfill, a life to live, a contribution to make, a goal to achieve. The future of the kingdom of God upon the earth will, in part, be aided by your devotion."

This letter is not just for Insti students but also for seminary students. I am grateful for the Seminary and Institute Program of our Church. The knowledge I gained on attending classes helps me so much here in the mission field. Our living prophet said, "Seminary will help you to understand and rely on the teachings and Atonement of Jesus Christ. You will feel the spirit of the Lord as you learn to love the scriptures. You will prepare yourselves for the temple and for missionary service. Young people, I ask you to participate in seminary. Study your scriptures daily. Listen to your teachers carefully. Apply what you learn prayerfully." Scripture mastery is helping me in a lot of ways such as talking to people (OYM), introducing the church, giving trainings to fellow missionaries and many other aspects of missionary work. And you are all blessed to be part of that class!

I am grateful for this opportunity I have to serve our Heavenly Father as a full-time missionary. Some of you might be on the process of preparing/submitting their mission papers, others might be deciding whether to serve or not, or some doesn't want to, whichever you are in the three, I testify that being on a mission is the best decision I have ever made in my whole life! I won't trade this for anything in the world. Preparations might be hard. Yes, it happened to me as well. But it will be worth it, I promise.

However, when you receive your mission call, don't be disappointed when you don't get called to the specific mission that you want to. Remember that missions are called of God. He wants you to be wherever He called you. Someone out there is waiting for you, waiting for your testimony and dedication to serve. It doesn't matter where it is, what matters most is how you serve Him and the people in that area.

I want to close this letter by sharing one of the miracles that I am privileged to experience here in the field. On my first week here in Kettering (the countryside of England) me and my first companion stopped this guy from the opposite side of the road. Long story short, he became our investigator. To be honest, he was one of the difficult and challenging investigators I have ever met. He's atheist, smart, clever and a scientist. I currently have my third companion now, we did everything to help him but it seems that he wasn't progressing. For two weeks, we stopped seeing and communicating with him, hoping that he'll recognise the difference in his life without hearing the gospel. Me and my companion were so shocked and so happy when he showed up in the chapel few Sundays ago to attend church services. He said, he read the Book of Mormon and The Pearl of Great Price. On his own words he said, "I felt something different when I haven't met the both of you. Something is missing. I read the books that you challenged and invited me to read, I prayed and I felt the spirit that you are trying to teach me about." He acted on the answers he received and is having a leap of faith when he said yes when we invited him to be baptise! On the 30th, he will be baptise and he is so excited about it.

Yes, miracles do happen! Elder Holland said, "Hope is never lost. Miracles happen."

I testify that there will be a miracle waiting for you in the mission field.

Be excited and discover that miracle!

Love,

Sister Ordanza

P.S

ELM is the first mission outside the United States that's allowed by the First Presidency to use Facebook as a proselyting tool. I saw few of you added me on my missionary FB account. As much as I would love to accept your friend requests, I am not permitted to. Sorry! :)

New Photos!

Me and Sister Stewart, the one from Hong Kong!

Sister Wang Foo, originally from Hong Kong as well but grew up in Tahiti.