About a year and half ago, I was living in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was working three jobs which were working part-time as a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant, working part-time at a gas station, and doing sub jobs at another school district. I was busy but I still had time to breathe and live my life.
Around February, I was really struggling with being overwhelmed with everything and I decided to go to a place I've always found comfort; Temple Square at the Salt Lake City Temple Grounds. Whenever I feel down or like I'm lacking spirituality, I walk the temple grounds and become close to God again. A plus to walking around Temple Square is the opportunity I have to speak Tagalog with some of the Sister Missionaries from the Philippines.
On this day that I was feeling stressed, I walked into the South Visitor's Center, just making my way through. I always keep my head up and glance around for Sister Missionaries who sport the Philippines Flag on their name tag. Almost immediately, I noticed a Sister walking by that was from the Philippines.
I called out, "Kumusta po kayo?" I think I startled her, because later, she told me she thought I was Chinese. She even greeted me by saying, "Ni Hao." We talked for a little while and I found out that her brother had served in the Philippines Cauayan Mission. As it turned out, her brother was a Missionary I knew very well who served in a couple of my districts, Elder Rausa.
Around February, I was really struggling with being overwhelmed with everything and I decided to go to a place I've always found comfort; Temple Square at the Salt Lake City Temple Grounds. Whenever I feel down or like I'm lacking spirituality, I walk the temple grounds and become close to God again. A plus to walking around Temple Square is the opportunity I have to speak Tagalog with some of the Sister Missionaries from the Philippines.
On this day that I was feeling stressed, I walked into the South Visitor's Center, just making my way through. I always keep my head up and glance around for Sister Missionaries who sport the Philippines Flag on their name tag. Almost immediately, I noticed a Sister walking by that was from the Philippines.
I called out, "Kumusta po kayo?" I think I startled her, because later, she told me she thought I was Chinese. She even greeted me by saying, "Ni Hao." We talked for a little while and I found out that her brother had served in the Philippines Cauayan Mission. As it turned out, her brother was a Missionary I knew very well who served in a couple of my districts, Elder Rausa.
This cute Sister, Sister Canda came home from her mission a couple months later and her and I started talking back and forth on Facebook. About a year passed and we had become really close friends. We talked every day and we shared a lot of our experiences with each other. I'm not sure when it happened, but I fell in love with her. It may have been through the constant conversations, or it could have been the moment she greeted me in Chinese. All I know is I love this girl.
Back in May of 2018, her and I made our relationship official and let the world know about it as well. I had made plans to visit the Philippines already, but to visit my mission. Shella Mae Canda is from Valencia City, a small place a few hours outside of Cagayan de Oro in Mindinao. Simply said, I would not be visiting my mission. I went to the Philippines in July of 2018 and met her family, got to see her again in person, and had a blast being with her.
Back in May of 2018, her and I made our relationship official and let the world know about it as well. I had made plans to visit the Philippines already, but to visit my mission. Shella Mae Canda is from Valencia City, a small place a few hours outside of Cagayan de Oro in Mindinao. Simply said, I would not be visiting my mission. I went to the Philippines in July of 2018 and met her family, got to see her again in person, and had a blast being with her.
On July 19, 2018, I asked Shella Mae Rausa Canda to marry me and she said YES. I'm so blessed to have her in my life even if we aren't together at this moment. She was meant to come into my life, that much I know. If you think about how random it is that I should run into this Sister from the Philippines at Temple Square that happened to have a brother who I knew really well and served in the same mission with, it's kind of nuts. It's especially nuts because at this time, I was making efforts to move to Arizona. I can't even begin to imagine what my life would be like if I had left for Arizona a few months early or if I chose not to visit the Temple that day. What if I just let this Sister pass me by at the South Visitor's Center? God had a plan for me and was watching over me when I thought he had forgotten about me. I'm so very thankful.