I have no words

I just ended a phone call with a friend of my sisters who served in a neighboring mission to mine in the Philippines (Shout Out to Andrew Jensen!  You're the bomb!).  We had a two and a half hour conversation of only a part of what I needed to know to serve in the Philippines.  I loved every second of hearing what Andrew had to tell me and listening to his advice.  Whether it was, be sure to hide your passport well because it could get stolen from your apartment, or use bug repellent so you do not get gangrene fever, or bring a handkerchief with you to wipe of sweat or in case your in an emergency situation of toilet paper (every missionary gets the runs!), or sleeping in the bath with the water running because it is so hot.... yeah this place sounds i d e a l... But seriously, as scary as some of these things may sound, I know it will be all apart of this wonderful adventure that I am supposed to be on!  I know that the Lord will be with me every step of the way if I continue to trust and have faith in him.  Even throughout the scary topics Andrew and I talked about, he told me how wonderful the people are, how beautiful the country is, and how the culture is so great to be apart of.  I learned so much and my excitement level increased about 254%.  I only leave in 69 days, but who's counting?  Even though he told me of many things to be aware of and prepare for, I know that my purpose is to teach and serve the Filipino people.  They are such a humble people and God has prepared some to hear the message that I will share with them.  I am grateful that I will truly have the opportunity to serve the people.  Andrew told me how there were days at a time that the missionaries did not teach, but rather they helped clean and rebuild homes after big storms (there will be many during my time there).  Overall, the long conversation I had with Andrew was so neat and I am so anxious to finally get to this amazing land!  It already holds a special place in my heart.

(My sister, Ali Van De Graaff, took the photo above when she visited the Philippines!)