1 Year!!!!!

Things are just swinging here in Danao as usual! Not only did we hit 2015 over here, but Sis.Clegg and I celebrated the big year mark together on New Year's Day!!!!!! Sadly we didn't do anything cool to celebrate it because we were too busy working and being stuffed with food by members and investigators.

But yeah speaking about New Year's - I should say that since about Dec.15th we have been hearing non-stop explosions going off. Remember how I said Danao was the gun capital of the Philippines? Well clearly there is also an excess of fire workers and gun powder and just about anything else that will make your ear drums burst because it has literally felt like we are working in a war zone!!!!!!! (Good thing I'm still half deaf) My favorite was seeing the little 6 year old kids carrying around their homemade bazooka guns that they load with dynamite... hahaha Sis.Clegg and I were like, "what the......" And then we started the new year watching How to Train Your Dragon 2 with our district, so that was a little treat! Sis.Clegg and I kept making Gospel parallels to everything in the movie, so that's clearly evidence that we've been out here too long!

But despite how fun and popping this week has been, the best part by far has been watching people with serious sins being changed by Christ. And when I say serious, I mean serious - drugs, prostitution, adultery, stealing, etc. And since we've been teaching them about Christ's restored church and His Gospel they've been making HUGE changes in their life as a result of their desire to come unto Christ. In the words of our investigator, "Ever since you started teaching me and I started reading the Book of Mormon, I felt like what I was doing in my life was wrong. So I threw away the drugs, stopped drinking, and quit my job at the bar. It just felt like the right thing to do." That's one of the phenomenal miracles of Christ - when we try to come unto Him, He changes us, makes us whole, and puts us on the path headed to our Heavenly Father. I'm just the luckiest duck that as a missionary I get a front row seat to the Atonement in people's lives! I really really love my calling! And I'm a little bummed that I only get  6 more months of this, but I'm definitely doing my best to soak it all up and enjoy this amazing ride (: I love everyone so much! Hope everyone makes some awesome New Year's Resolutions that will in some way strengthen their relationship with Christ!

lots and lots and lots of love,

Sister Lauck <3

p.s. for the pictures: 1. me in my kick butt area! isn't it gorgeous???!  2. me & my favorite grandma in the philippines! she requested we take a selfie and I just couldn't turn that down haha 3. the new year's feast a less active laid out for us!