Training...

Hello my family!!

Oh man, I have like a million emotions going on right now. Shoot, I gotta be honest, seeing those pictures made me shed a tear or two. It makes it real. Here, things that happen at home just don't hit because they don't feel real. That felt real though. I don't like that they're all leaving and won't be there when I get back. It makes my heart hurt.  (I sent her pictures of Chanae's missionary setting apart.)

So for the updates......So I'm staying. Probably will be in this area til August 30. Yep, that's 3 more months. I know this because I got a call this last Monday that I get to train this transfer. Yep, did my stomach drop or what. I saw the AP’s pull up on the caller ID and seriously, didn't want to even answer. This is the thing. This entire year, there are only 40 missionaries going home. The entire year. And only about 30 coming in to replace them. So I figured, there are about a million other sisters that are way better than I am, and way better at tagalog considering 75% are actually from the Philippines. I thought I was gonna get off scott free. Just be a normal missionary which I am totally ok with. Shoot. Thought wrong. It's just barely starting to hit me today. I know I can do it, but it's just a lot of pressure. And the fact that I'm staying in this area which has just been a rough area considering the condition of the branch. I love the people here, so that's good. But it'll just be interesting. My comp however, just got an email with a plane ticket on it, which means she is headed to Mindoro. Sweet right. I'm excited for her. I'm going to miss her though. It's been fun to just have someone to talk with and laugh with and just enjoy. I swear we know everything about each other because we just talk and talk and talk. We all know I'm pretty good at that. Haha, it's been fun. Good transfer. So that's the updates for that. Sis Segovia is also training, so it'll be good to have another trainer in the house. Shoot, I don't know how this is gonna work out. 

I don't know what updates to give for this week. The sisters in my last area were pulled out. On Sunday night they were nearly kidnapped by a couple guys with guns that told them to get in the car. Luckily they ran. They got the one girl's bag, but somehow they were able to escape. And the crazy thing is, they're both pinay, not foreigners, which makes it all the more rare. I never once felt unsafe in that area either. Whoosh. But president said when he was giving a blessing to one of the girls, the blessing said that angels had intervened so they could escape. I totally believe it. They just blatantly turned and ran. I don't know how either of them didn't get shot. So yep, protected on the mission. 

The work is going well here. Our less actives are slowly, slowly progressing. Ha. Talk about patience. I was talking to Sister Shumway about something and she goes, "Candace (she actually calls me Candace, haha), you need to be more patient with yourself". My response: my patience has been used up on all these less actives. I don't have anymore left. Ha, it's true. But it'll be good to get a fresh perspective in. I can't think of anything big and new to report. We met a guy this week that grew up here til about 28 and then has lived in Cali for the past 30 years or so. We keep running into these kinds of people. He comes back to the Philippines every year to stay for a couple months. But he said something interesting. He said, "maganda doon, masaya dito". It means, it's nice over there, but it's happy here. That's one thing I love about the Philippinos. They really are happy. They live in a shack, with little food, and no work, and they're still happy. They just brush it off and let it go. It's kind of crazy how they can do it. But I love it. It is nice there, but it's happy here, and in my book, that's the most important. 

So that's all for this week I think. I feel like I just need to talk and let everything out, but a wee short on time. It'll probably all be better after transfers tomorrow and the unknown part of it all is over. I'm just praying for a Philippina. Love you all and glad you're all still alive and kicking. Ha, no joke though. You all just stay safe over there, ok. Mahal na mahal ko kayo!! Until next week