Sister Harris // Philippines Cebu Mission: Toledo Week 11- Conversion in my soul‏

First of all, I want to say a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! to my sweet gal friend Mykelle Dunyon Musgrave :) I hope you have a great day tomorrow gal! I love you! I sent you a birthday card in the mail but it might be a little late getting there :)

How are you all doing this week? It's been a crazy week here, and time is going by just as fast as ever!

We moved houses this week, because Sister Dustin and Sister Velasco needed their own house as Sister Training Leaders. We are now living with the Toledo 1 sisters, Sister Bacuaja and Sister Zamora, both are native Cebuano speakers, so hopefully by the end of my time living with them, I will be closer to sounding like a native! It's my first time I've had a shower with a real shower head in 4 months! I am so used to the bucket showers that I wasn't sure what to do with myself at first. We moved Monday after district meeting, so we've been there 2 days now and it has been going great. We still live in our area, but we are closer to a lot of the members which us and them both love!

It's been EXTREMELY hot here, I wish I could explain how hot it is, or at least send some of the heat your way. When I come home I'm never going to need air conditioning in the house, in the car, I'm never going to need heated showers, or ovens, or any of that ever again! Thankfully though, we have had some random rainstorms which cools everything down.

We had a farewell party for Veron this week, who will be leaving to the Philippines Cavite Mission tomorrow! She was the one who was with me when we taught the lady with the bedframe, which has seemed to be a trademark experience of my mission. Veron is an amazing girl, and she is going to light Cavite on fire. It was the hardest goodbye I have had to say since I said goodbye to my family when I left on my own mission. I cried and cried afterwards. But then I remembered a quote from President Hinckley that has come true for me here: "You will shed more tears when you go home than you shed when you left home for your mission." I love these people so much, I would give them anything. I would give them everything I have because they are such incredible people. They have forever changed my life.

Rico is getting baptized, finally, on Saturday! Sister Wechsler got permission to come back and so I am excited to see her. There is a little girl who is 8 years old who will be baptized the same day, which will complete a part member family here in Toledo! I'm excited for this weekend.

On Sunday, I borrowed Sister Dustin's straightener and straightened my hair for the first time since the MTC. It was so crazy, and even though it's such a small experience, I was looking at myself in the mirror as I was doing my hair, and not only did my hair look different (and longer), but it's like I could see this difference in my face, in my eyes, in my soul. I went and got the picture from my first day at the MTC and sure enough, I could see and FEEL conversion in my soul. Being on a mission is a great thing. It's life changing, it's so life changing that it has even changed the way I look. and I LOVE it. I'm grateful I never have to look back. That I have 9 months left to continue to grow and become.

I love you all so much, and think about you and pray for you daily. Keep up the great missionary work back home. I am so proud of the Relief Society for going tracting! Way to go Trudy! There is nothing of greater importance in our lives than this beautiful gospel.

Love, Sister Joslyn Harris