The Best Christmas Present Ever!

December 25, 2011

For Christmas this year, I got the best present ever. I got to see Tatay David be baptized. He was baptized on Christmas Eve, what a memorable day. You might be thinking, how is this any different from all the other baptisms that I've written about. Of course, each baptism is important, unique, and very special to me. But this one is a bit different, not just because it was December 24th.

One thing that made it so special is the change that I've had the opportunity to witness. Tatay David initially started listening to us because his daughter, who is a member, wanted him to listen. He had listened several times before, always at her request, and had always turned away the missionaries. At our first lesson he told us that he wasn't willing to believe anything that we taught if it wasn't specifically in the Bible. While we do believe in, teach from, and love the Bible, we also believe in the Book of Mormon; Another Testament of Jesus Christ and modern day revelation through living prophets. Tatay David had no desire or interest in accepting these things. At the request of his daughter, and because he said he was willing to listen, we did our best to help him open his heart.

For the most part, we expressed our love and care for David. We let him know that we wanted to teach him if he wanted to learn, and not just because his daughter wanted it. We bore testimony and shared how we had come to know and accept the things that we were teaching. I don't think that I will ever forget the day when he looked at us after a lesson and said, "I want to be baptized. At first, I wanted it because they wanted it, but now I want it. I want it because it's right." A few weeks later, as we finished a lesson, he looked at me to say thank you, apologizing for being difficult at first and expressing deep gratitude for giving him the chance to be baptized.

He started as someone who did not want to listen, and now he wants us to visit every day. He didn't want to believe; now he knows it's true. Best Christmas Ever!

Oh, That I were an Angel

December 18, 2011

A few scripture verses I read earlier this week in my personal study:

"Oh, that I were an angel, and could have the wish of my heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me." Alma 29:1-3

My personal rewrite to apply the verses to my own life:

"Oh, that I were an elder, and could have the wish of my heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God for two whole years...But behold, I am a sister, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the eighteen months which the Lord hath allotted unto me."

Just something kinda funny that I realized this week. Sister missionaries are assigned to serve for 18 months, while elders get 2 years. For much of my mission, I was honestly jealous of the elders and the extra 6 months that they get to spend as a missionary. After reading these verses though, I realized I must be content with the time that I have and just use it as best as I can. Besides- my mom would probably kill me if I told her I was staying for an extra 6 months.

On another note. This week was totally amazing. We had several wonderful lessons and were able to find many individuals that we had been looking for. One thing I really love doing in each area is getting to know the people who are already members of the church, especially those who haven't been able to attend in a while. Sometimes these people are very difficult to find, I can't just see them at church and ask where their house is. My companion and I set aside a few hours this week to try to find some of these people and get to know them a little bit better. We headed out with a prayer for assistance and faith that we would be able to locate them.

The first people we asked directed us to a nearby tsunggi, telling us the tag-iya might know where they live (definitions: tsunggi- small store, tag-iya- owner). The tag-iya didn't know very many of them besides the one who happened to live next door, but sitting in front of the tsunggi was a sweet old man who walked up to me and said, "I'm a member" (yes- in English). He was really excited to see the missionaries again, showed us where he lives, introduced us to his wife, and then his wife came along to show us where some other members live. It was so much fun. The wife even came to church this week! They are a sweet old couple. I love this work; I'm so very grateful for my chance to be a part of it.

Ingat, Halong, Andam, Dahan, and Take Care.

Another Zone Conference

December 11, 2011

For the Christmas season, we had a combined zone conference with the Iloilo North zone, complete a with Christmas presentation, gift exchange, and typical missionary training. It was a wonderful experience.

In President Pagaduan's opening remarks, he taught about how important it is to pick what we listen to and not just listen to everything that is offered to us in this world. As individuals, we are surrounded by voices that guide us, teach us, and encourage us to do better. Unfortunately, we are also surrounded by those who desire to do us harm, to lead us astray, and those who are ever telling us that we are insignificant and incapable. Those who sit back as impassive listeners and allow every message to enter their thoughts often end up confused and uncertain. We must choose which voices really matter to us, which wants we want to hear and which ones we want to ignore so that we can be guided to where we desire to be. We must also make an effort to be the sort of voice that can reliably be listened too. Are we harshly criticizingly those around us, telling them they are of no worth? Or are we doing our best to lift and help those near to us, even through a medium as simple as what we are saying? Words really are so important. For example, each of you takes time out of your day to fill your thoughts with the words I write, just little black words, but they are important enough that you keep reading. I hope that I'm doing my best to lift you up.

These thoughts bring back a memory from a few months ago. As my companion and I were waiting to meet with someone, a lady pulled up in her car. The windows were rolled down and her radio was blaring to loudly to continue conversation. I've honestly never heard a more degrading or vulgar song, let alone one being played loud enough to hear from miles away. I did my best to avoid listening to the song when I noticed a child- 4 or 5 years in age- singing along with the song, familiar with the words and tune, it was obviously a song that they had heard many times. There are so many children in our lives, and they are so greatly influenced by what they hear. Unlike grown adults, they have little control of what they are listening to and how it effects them. Sadly, there are individuals who choose to listen to that which does not lift and inspire us and expose these young spirits to all of it.

We are living in a world where the television and the radio are ever increasingly screaming messages that take us away from that which is good and beautiful. Some day, probably not too many years in the future, I will have young children of my own, exposed to all that the world has to offer. Many of you may as well. Do we really want our children living in this world where that which is good is degraded till it becomes nearly disgusting and that which is vulgar is posted on walls and played on the radios? I don't. Yet what can one girl do against the world. I'm really not sure... but it only takes one to make a difference. It only takes one to stand up, and maybe some of you will choose to stand with me, and maybe the world that lies in our future can be better than the one we currently have, instead of worse. What are we willing to do?

Kun magtawas kita sa pagtindog, basi may magbago...

Transfers Again!

December 4, 2011

I'll be completely honest with you, I don't really like transfers. They make the time feel like it's flying by ever faster and it often takes away from me that which I love. I either lose an amazing companion, or I leave an amazing area. No matter what, something which I love is no longer with me. Friday was a transfer day and my companion and I were nearly certain that she was transferring. As the day approached, the words to a song ran through my head almost unceasingly- it's one of those songs that really applies to the life of a missionary.

Just because everything's changing
Doesn't mean it's never been this way before.
All you can do is try to know who your friends are
As you head off to the war.
Pick a star on the dark horizon and
Follow the light
You'll come back when it's over
No need to say goodbye.
You'll come back when it's over
No need to say goodbye.
(From "The Call" by Regina Spektor: Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian)

How does this apply to transfers and missions? In this last transfer, everything changed, Sister McBride and I are no longer companions, she is no longer here. It was like that before however, because before September we weren't companions, and before June she wasn't in Antique. Missions sometimes really feel like a war. We don't have guns or swords, but we fight against the forces of the devil as we try to help others to come unto Christ. The one thing that helps most is to know who your friends are, to know that there are people at home who love you and pray for you, to know that- though you'll be separated- you and your previous companion will still be friends, to know that there are people standing beside you and fighting with you. Finally, we are blessed with a light to follow, a star on the horizon, our Savior, Jesus Christ. He leads this work and he promises us that we will never be left alone in the dark. As my companion left, we did not say goodbye- we said see you later, because after this is all over, we'll come back.

Part of life is the changing, the moving on, the growth. We pass the test and we head on to the next grade, one step closer to graduation and going home to the Father in Heaven who loves us so very much. Along the way, we meet friends who stand beside us and with us. One of those has just left me, and God has blessed me with another in her place. My transfers race by faster than I can think and my heart breaks as I realize that I only have 4 left. I avoid thinking about it and pray that the time will slow down so I can breathe before I climb on that plane, everything changes, and so many things go back to being the way they were before.

Halong Kamo

This Week's Miracle

November 27, 2011

As anticipated, the trials and troubles have not receded in the slightest. That does not mean, however, that we haven't had a great time. This week, we've even had a few little miracles that just made the week worth while.

The first occurred on Friday. Sister Rowena is one of the members whom we've helped to reactivate this past transfer. Though a little scared, she agreed to work with us on Friday. We told her we would meet her at her house at 1:30. When we showed up, however, her mom said that she had already gone to the church to meet us there. We rushed to the church as fast as we could praying that she would still be there waiting for us when we got there. Yet when we arrived there was no Sister Rowena. My companion wanted to return to her house, figuring she would have gone back, but for some reason I felt certain that if we went all the way back, we would return again empty handed. I felt we needed to check at a nearby member's home. I had seen Sister Rowena leave with this member on Sunday and I felt certain everything would work out if we just went there. We arrived at the members house to find Sister Rowena sitting on their couch and watching for us through the front window. We had a wonderful day of work with her and, even more importantly, she had a great time.

The other miracle we had was with Sister Besita, someone we've been teaching. She is the person I was referring to last week when I said that our investigator had a stroke. She wanted to come to church with us last week, but when we showed up at her house, her son told us that she was in the hospital due to a recent stroke. It was minor, fortunately, and she was released from the hospital on Tuesday. We visited her again this week and she expressed that she wanted to come to church with us if she was feeling good enough. We hoped and prayed all week that she would recover enough to attend with us. When we got to her house Sunday morning, she was ready and waiting for us outside their house. She had such a wonderful time at church!

Well, those are the fun experiences for the week. Hope yours has been great too!

Palangga Ko Kamo,

Friends!

November 20, 2011

The lyrics to one of my favorite TV show theme songs:

So no one told you life was gonna be this way. (clap 4 times)
Your jobs a joke, you're broke, your love life's DOA.
It's like you're always stuck in second gear,
Well, it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year. But...
I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour.
I'll be there for you, like I've been there before.
I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too.

You're still in bed at ten, and work began at eight.
You've burned your breakfast, so far, things are going great.
Your mother warned you they'd be days like these,
But she didn't tell you when the world has brought you down to your knees that...
I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour.
I'll be there for you, like I've been there before.
I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too.

No one could ever know me, no one could ever see me.
Seems like you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me.
Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with,
Someone I'll always laugh with, even at my worst, I'm best with you.
It's like you're always stuck in second gear,
Well, it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year.
But, I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour.
I'll be there for you, like I've been there before.
I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too.

This is probably the best description of the last two transfers. My companion and I are great friends. We help each other laugh, we tell each other jokes, and we support each others. And we've been doing all of this through nearly three months of wanting to cry and feeling like we're about to fall down and fall hard. I mentioned a few weeks ago of hoping that our string of unfortunate circumstances would soon be ending. I've come to the conclusion, however, that the unending problems that began at the beginning of our companionship will continue till the end. The strangest thing is that none of it is caused by our companionship. We are great friends and if we didn't have each other I think we would have both gone crazy. Our trials instead take the form of drunk men trying to ask for our number, dogs eating our stuff, getting sick, people stealing stuff out of my companion's backpack, investigators having strokes, recent converts becoming seriously ill for weeks, and I could go on but probably shouldn't because this blog would be incredibly depressing if I did so. In essence, these last three months have been the hardest of my mission, but I've been blessed with a companion who embodies the above lyrics and I try to do the same for her.

In the midst of our problems and challenges, we have felt very alone. Circumstances and such often leave us feeling as though she and I stand together as the devil throws everything he has at us. As trial after trial buffets our lives we cannot help but feel exhausted- physically, mentally, and emotionally. When you spend the hours between 6:30 and 8 in the morning discovering that the phone and my companion's wallet have both gone missing and that an amazing investigator who wanted to come to church is now in the hospital because she had a stroke (and in addition to all that, she had the stroke because her son was in a drunk rage and breaking their house, and all the grandchildren happen to have the chicken pox right now) and then you have to rush to church and look like nothing is wrong, it can leave one feeling as though the weekly allotment of emotional energy for the week is already gone despite the clock reading 8 am on Sunday morning. I'm honestly not sure how much longer I can keep pushing though all of this. I hope and pray that it will all stop before I do.

Despite all this, we really have been doing our best to keep an optimistic attitude. We know that the Lord stands with us and will strengthen us to survive what we are facing. My experiences leave me thinking of a story in the Book of Mormon. The story is of Nephi and his brothers. They are sent to retrieve what is known as the Brass Plates from a wicked man named Laban. The first two attempts to retrieve the plates results in their stuff being stolen, nearly being killed, and being chased out of the city by Laban's armies. The older brothers insist on giving up at this point and going home, but Nephi wants to continue for they have been commanded of God to acquire the plates. The brothers respond that they are just 4 boys and the armies of Laban will kill them if they return. Nephi's response is as such, "Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold, he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?" (1 Nephi 4:1). The Lord is mightier than all the earth. He is mightier than all the forces of Satan that try to drag my companion and I down. All the forces of lonesomeness, abandonment, sickness, and distress can do nothing against the power of the Lord. If I must, I will stand alone against all that is against me because I know that I'm not truly alone. Standing beside me are my companion and the Lord, even if no one else, and the three of us (as long as we make sure that we have the Lord with us) are powerful enough to over come it all.

Halong Kamo!

Doctrine & Covenants 63:66

November 14, 2011

Last week, I shared about our long chain of difficulties and trials, as well as expressing the hope that they would all be over with the new week. I must have forgotten to knock on wood or something because the difficulties have not let up one bit. They don't really need to all be repeated and remembered, so instead I would like to share something I learned this week in my scripture study that probably wouldn't have been nearly as interesting if I hadn't been dealing with so much in my life.

Trials, of course, our given to us in life to help us to develop and become something better. We learn patience, endurance, and humility as we learn to trust in the Lord as we work through our challenges. This week, I learned another reason Heavenly Father blesses us with challenges in our lives. Doctrine and Covenants 63:66 reads "These things remain to overcome through patience, that such may receive a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, otherwise, a greater condemnation. Amen." Our trials are not just to change us and mold us while we are in this life, but Heavenly Father gives us trials so that we might have a greater reward in the life to come. I thought of this much like students in school. Teachers who love their students give them tests. Though tests are difficult and sometimes obnoxious, the process of preparing for and succeeding at a test helps strengthen the student. These tests don't just help the student during their at school life. As they truly work hard, they are blessed with more opportunities and a better job for the life that starts after high school.

So, that's what I've learned this week. Although the challenges haven't let up, despite life still being difficult, Heavenly Father loves me. In fact, it is his love for me that is the cause. If I never had to fight and grow and struggle on my mission, I would walk off the airplane at the end of my mission and not be any better than I was when I left. I'm meant for something better than that.

As a side note: for those of you who are unaware, I have big exciting news! My older brother got married this week. It is strange to think that for the first time in my life I've got a sister, I've never had one before (just best friends who I call sisters). Sometimes, it's really strange to sit and remember that life really is continuing forward and changing for everyone I know back home. I don't usually hear much about it, so sometimes I forget. I'm so excited for my brother though, taking another step and starting his own family. Life is great!

Tanan kang pagpalangga ko kanimo! Tani mayad ang semana nyo prehas kanakon. Nagakadlo ako bangod bakot nyo namaan kun ano hinambalan nga ginausar ko. Nahidlow ko kamo!

Mom's note - I asked Elora what that meant and this was her reply - It says "all my love to you. Hope your week was as good as mine. I'm laughing because you don't know which language I'm using (which happens to be kinaray-a). I miss all of you!" a more literal translation "all my love to you. Hope good week yours like mine. Laughing I because don't you know what language is using me. miss I you all. (I love literal translations)

A Series of Unfortunate Events

November 6, 2011

That basically summarizes what our week has been like. As each problem was solved, it seemed as though three more grew in it's place. The good news is that they are now all solved and it doesn't appear as though too many more will appear in the upcoming week.

Monday and Tuesday were both holidays here in the Philippines. Tuesday being a holiday to honor the dead. Everyone goes to the cemeteries to visit their loved ones. We were advised to be extra careful and safe and to avoid cemeteries. This is somewhat difficult to do in San Jose A as the center of our area consists of three large cemeteries that are all right next to each other. In addition to this, all of our appointments for Tuesday happened to be in the center of our area. We spent the afternoon walking through all the back paths and woods in order to avoid walking past the cemetery. Despite this, the path to nearly all of our appointments was blocked by large parties, celebration, and drunk men. After a great deal of frustration, we decided the safest thing for two American girls to do with the population of drunk men so high was to go home before it got dark. So this is what we did, and we enjoyed the evening by getting stuff done around the house and talking.

This is where the unfortunate-ness starts: My companion grabbed two towels she bought the day before to wash them out so she could use them. These towels happened to be red, and they turned the water bright orange. So we started another rinse, and then another, and determined that the water (and our skin) was just getting more orange with each wash. The other sisters came home and mentioned how it seemed "sabad" had gotten into our stuff again. Sabad is the nickname of an obnoxious dog who likes to get into our yard and mess with our stuff. (Sabad=annoying). The week before we asked the owner to fix the hole in the fence that the dog had been getting through, and we thought she had, but apparently we thought wrong. We went outside to see what happened to discover that the dog had eaten two shoes (from different pairs of course), a hammock, and a pillow- my companions special, feather-down, hypoallergenic pillow. Another lovely problem to solve.

The week was spent talking to the owner, getting things replaced, fixing holes in fences, and trying to return the die-filled towels. (the stores return policy is within 7 days, so we couldn't wait till the next p-day). None of these activities were easy or short in time span. Over all, it was a very stressful week. Fortunately, the tag-iya (filipino for owner) agreed to giving us money so a new pillow could be sent to my companion, the towels have been returned, and the holes are no longer in the fences. No more obnoxious dogs eating our stuff and hopefully no more problems to deal with.

On a happier note: On Thursday we meet a really cool guy named Jeornel (pronounced like journal). His wife is a member and he said that he sometimes thought about going to church but was embarrassed because he didn't have nice clothing. We told him that the dress code at our church was only to where your best and whatever that was, it would be good enough. He continued to express some concern, but said he would do his best to be there. Sunday, he actually came to church! It's true, he wasn't in black slacks and a tie like many men at church where, but I'm certain that he found his best to wear and he looked great. He even said that he would come again next week and wants to learn more about the church. I always feel so blessed when Heavenly Father lets us meet those individuals who are ready for the Gospel and recognize that the Gospel is what we have to offer them.

Love you all!

Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2011

I don't really get much of a Halloween this year. Although the stores sell costumes and it's listed on their calendars, it doesn't really exist the way it does in America. A member even admitted to us yesterday that the stuff set up in the stores are just props and that no one really pays any attention to Halloween. They just start celebrating Christmas in September. So, to let everyone know about my super exciting week.

Monday- We had a wonderful FHE with a family in the branch. Unexpectedly, several of their less-active nieces and nephews came as well. As a result of the lesson we taught about committing ourselves fully to whatever we decide to do, the nieces and nephews spent the rest of the night trying telling each other they ought to be going to church. It's funny how they all realize how important it is but none of them ever act on it.

Tuesday- The highlight of Tuesday was finding a ladder. Now you may be thinking, why do we need a ladder- and I'll tell you. My companion and I have really been wanting to head outside at night after we've gotten ready for bed but before bed time to look at the stars. Our house however, has several trees around it that block out a large portion of the sky. We decided that getting on the roof would improve our ability to see the stars. So we borrowed a members ladder and went star gazing after nightly planning. It was awesome. I really miss night time. Going from nocturnal to missionary was a very hard adjustment and I miss my stars.

Wednesday we did a service project for the previous branch president. We pulled weeds, got sunburnt, and had a fun time talking to his nephews who were all visiting (the oldest of which was 11)

Thursday- October 27th. One year as a missionary. Strange, huh? I don't like it, this means I don't have much time left. Not nearly as much as I want.

Friday- Nothing really exciting happened on Friday. I got sick, took some medicine, and then went out to work anyways because we had really important appointments.

The weekend was more missionary work- finding people to teach, teaching people, and keeping super busy. The word Saturday over the past year has completely lost it's meaning as a special day of the week. It's just one more day that we head out and do work. I literally don't have any days off- but that's okay with me, what I'm doing is far to fun to spend one day not doing it.

Palangga Ko Kamo!

Big News

But first PICTURES!!
One of our investigators in a coconut tree.

This is our front "yard" whenever it rains (which is almost every day)

My companion and I riding a carabaw at the Agsunod Families field.


October 23, 2011

My big news this week- Transfers was Friday! My companion and I spent all week stressing as we waited for the transfer announcement to arrive on Wednesday night to know what was going on. My companion felt certain that she was transferring, but neither of us wanted her too. We received a simple short text: "None of you are transferring." I don't think I've ever been so happy about a transfer announcement before. After how my two transfers in Oton turned out, I felt certain that I would never have two transfers with a wonderful companion (excluding the two with my trainer at the very beginning of my mission). I'm so happy I was wrong. This next transfer is going to be really fun.

Another thing that made this week so great was just this weekend. Since I've been in San Jose, we've been trying our absolute best to find new investigators so that more people have the chance to learn the gospel. We've had very little luck and in the last two weeks, most of those we found have let us know that they are no longer interested. Doing our best to not become discouraged, we headed out and started finding again. We started contacting some referrals that we had been given and learned only that they either weren't interested or that we had been given a wrong address. We didn't know what else we could do. Saturday, after running out of people to visit, we decided to look for another referral. This referral was the miracle we had been looking for. The very first person we asked not only knew who she was but took us to the correct house. Sister Eriza had already read the pamphlet and asked if she could have another because someone took it and she wanted to read it again. She is so excited for us to come teach her this week. Then, Sunday we were blessed with even more new individuals to teach, various families in the branch brought with them a non-member family member who each expressed interesting in learning about the gospel. I'm so excited for a new week of hard work!

Other than that, this week really has been good. I've just finished studying again about hope and really learned a lot about what it means. Hope is about looking to the future and knowing that it will be great, despite heartache and sickness and challenges. It's about knowing that Heavenly Father has wonderful blessings in store. Hope is light, it is bright, it is the glow that comes from anyone who knows that there is so much more to life than just breathing. My dear friends, please know that there is more to life than what you see! Life can be fulfilling, satisfying, and over-flowing with joy. I once heard someone tell me that they didn't need to improve their life because they were content. That is such a sad word. I could never describe myself as being content, I'm over-joyed and excited and nothing in the world could make me stop wanting to be filled with the sense of accomplishment and purpose that the gospel provides. For those of you who know little of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints, for those of you who feel that life has no purpose, that we eat, breathe, and die; I invite you to learn from missionaries serving where you live that which I teach every day. Life has purpose, and it is beautiful.

Palangga Ko Kamo!

Our front "yard" whenever it rains (which is almost every day)

A Wonderful Birthday Week

October 16, 2011

This week, for those of you who may have forgotten, was my birthday... strange huh? It's incredibly bizarre to think that I'm a whole year older than I was last year at this time. I think this is in large part due to the fact that it really doesn't feel like a year worth of time has passed. As a missionary in the Philippines, time flies primarily because it doesn't seem to be moving. Every morning we wake up and do the same thing. We head out into either hot or rainy weather and teach people. The sun always rises and sets at 6:00, the leaves never all turn brown and fall of the trees, and if it ever feels cold- it only lasts till the rain stops and the sun comes back out. Essentially, I have so much trouble believing an entire year has passed because the world outside looks exactly like the world I looked at on December 29, 2010 when I arrived.

Yet there are many ways in which I can see that time has passed. I'm a very different person now. I've served in three areas, become friends with several companions, and and am currently working on learning a 4th and 5th language (Kinaray-a and Filipino Sign Language). (for those of you who have lost count on my languages: #1 English, #2 Tagalog, #3 Hiligaynon.) When I look at what I have accomplished in the past year, I'm somewhat surprised that it has only been a year. But regardless of how I perceive it, time continues to march forward at a constant rate and I'm just trying to keep up with it all.

So, what has made my birthday week so wonderful? A lot of things. This week has been a lot of hard work and a lot of great blessings. We began the week with a firm determination to do much better than last week, and this is something we did a great job of doing. I celebrated my birthday on Monday (our p-day) by going out for pizza and buying myself a new shirt which I waited to wear till my actual birthday. On my actual birthday, I opened a present from my "Nanay." Nanay is the Tagalog word for mom, and it's what the sisters call their trainers. This transfer, I've been blessed with the opportunity to be house-mates with my "nanay" again, so though I was not with my literal mom, I still had a mother figure with me. It was really nice. That night, my companion and I made a dessert that I have decided to name "apple-pie-lumpia." Lumpia is a Filipino food that is kinda like and egg-roll, and we decided to make and apple-pie-like filling to put in it, it was pretty delicious.

This week, I had the opportunity to watch the General Relief Society broadcast. As Conference talks are published, I highly encourage each of you to read President Uchtdorf's talk about the Forget Me Not flower. He teaches how we must not forget that Heavenly Father loves us and knows us individually. He states how the being who created the stars and heavens knows our names. This phrase really stuck out to me because of my great love for the stars. Some say that as one studies astronomy, one discovers how insignificant they are in the grand scope of the universe. Yet I have always felt differently. No matter how large the universe may be, regardless of the number of stars and galaxies that fill our night skies and stretch out far beyond our ability to see, He knows and cares for each of us. He created it for each of us. From the grandest galaxies and nebulae to the dust in Saturn's rings, it's for us because He loves us.

My birthday celebration continued on Saturday as we had a baptism. (picture included). This is the Agsunod family- Resli, Loui, and their mom. They are the cutest, shiest family and they were so excited for their baptism. They really have such a strong testimony of the church and of Heavenly Father's love for them. When we asked Sister Resli why she wanted to be baptized, she said that it was because she wanted to be a part of Jesus Christ's true church and knew that by being baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost so that she can always have Heavenly Father's guidance in her life. I'm so excited for this family, I love them all so much. I feel so incredibly blessed to be where I am right now and to have this opportunity to be serving the Lord. He arranged so that I would be surrounded by people I love and in a beautiful place for my birthday. I've come to realize so much more than I ever did before that Heavenly Father really does know and love each of us.

Palangga Ko Kamo!

Crazy/Hard Week!

October 9, 2011

Well, this week has been an absolutely crazy week. However, it ended beautifully with a full weekend of conference and spiritual nourishment, I really hope you were all able to attend. Please- let me know what your favorite talks were and why.

This week has literally been and "every-other-day" week. We've had a great day...every other day. The day's in between were hard.

Monday- like all p-days, was super fun and busy.

Tuesday- due to District meeting, studies, and physical therapy for my companion (she injured her back a few months ago) we only had a few hours of working time. Those few hours were all in the rain and no one was home- or if they were home, they were unable to let us in.

Wednesday was amazing- we started with a service project with one of our members where we helped her in her bread shop. Then we visited one of our less-active members who was very excited about conference and promised to come, a promise which she kept, even showing up before we did to get a good seat.

Thursday- not quite so amazing. I got a wretched headache, bad enough that my balance was thrown off and we really couldn't work. We visited a few less-active members to give them invites to general conference, but my companion definitely did all the talking and we weren't able to teach anyone.

Friday- another amazing day! We shared messages with all the less-actives we weren't able to teach the day before, as well as inviting several more. It was a fast and busy day. We both felt like we accomplished a lot.

Saturday- first day of Conference, so it started out totally amazing. By the time conference was over though, it was my companions turn to have a headache. She laid down to rest for a few minutes and didn't wake up for several hours. Another day without work, but she's all better now- so it's a good thing we didn't work.

Sunday- Second day of Conference. Another amazing day. Three of our investigators came to conference and had a wonderful experience. Then we visited those same investigators to confirm their baptism for this upcoming Saturday as well as visiting with a newer member who has just come home from Manila and was unable to attend conference because he had a flu.

Crazy week- di ba? (right?) But we had a good time regardless of the difficulty. That's all that matters in the end.

Palangga Ko Kamo!

Look Up!

October 9, 2011

The last two days (Saturday and Sunday) have been absolutely amazing. For the Philippines, it was General Conference weekend. To those of you unfamiliar with General Conference, twice a year the living prophet and apostles of the Lord speak. They share counsel and revelation from the Lord specific for our day and time. Counsel that I have found very often provides specific help in my life through the trials I face between General Conferences. This conference is broadcast worldwide in dozens of different languages. Due to the time differences, we watch the sessions on a rebroadcast a week after they have been broadcast in America. So, this weekend I got to watch General Conference, which is one of the reasons October has always been one of my favorite months (that and maybe my birthday).

So- what was so great about conference this year? A lot! Nearly every talk seemed to share something straight to my heart. My companion and I turned to each other several times with shocked expressions as apostles answered questions we had asked and discussed with each other in the past few weeks. One of the talks that really stuck out to me though was Elder Carl B. Cook's talk- Look Up. I've asked my mom to include a link to this talk if you would like to read it. (Link at bottom of page) He shares a wonderful experience in which he receives the counsel that "it is better to look up" during difficult circumstances and trials. How very true this statement is, both literally and symbolically.

I've always tried my hardest to keep a positive and upbeat attitude in the face of difficult, especially serving as a missionary where they trials and concerns I face are nearly endless. Though to be frank, this past month has been incredibly I have been blessed with an amazing companion to work with during the trials that have been faced, yet they are still taxing both physically and mentally and often leave us both worn out and unsure where to go. The missionary work itself has been slow and difficult, and then it's been combined with challenges of illness and a long-term injury of my companions which still causes her great pain. This week in particular, as it's lead up to such a wonderful weekend, has been nearly completely halted in work with scheduling conflicts and Sister McBride and I taking turns getting sick. But I must agree with Elder Cook that "it is better to look up" And here is the why:

Literally- The Philippines is a beautiful country. The sky is a brilliant shade a blue and the clouds at sunset take on millions of shades of purple and red. Antique is filled with huge green trees and large fields. If we keep our eyes upward, it is impossible not to feel blessed with where we have been called to serve. Yet when our head grows heavy and we cast our eyes down, the scene changes greatly. What lies in front of our feet is a dirt road that is more mud than dirt because of the consistent rain. Even the paved roads are dotted with muddy potholes. There is an abundance of trash nearly everywhere. And then we have our own battered and dirty feet in their very old shoes. It is literally much easier to have a happy attitude if our eyes our towards the heavens. Especially after sunset when the stars come out- my favorite time of all.

Symbolically- Looking up doesn't just refer to the sky, but to our Heavenly Father. Looking up reminds us to pray to him and rely on his strong strong arm, instead of the skinny, pale ones I see when I look down. When I look up to my Heavenly Father, I'm reminded that He loves me and has a perfect plan for me, no matter what confusion and disappointments I see here on earth.

So this week, as trials and troubles head your way, Look Up! See the beauty of the skies above you, the freedom of the birds in flight, and remember the Father in Heaven who loves you so very much that he will never abandon you, no matter how difficult or dirty things get here on earth.

The link to watch and/or read the talk Elora refereed to is: Elder Cook

It's October!

October 2, 2011

Another week and another month are over. It's now October and I'm really starting to feel like my mission is going way to fast. It is outright bizarre to realize that this month marks a full year as a missionary. Life as a missionary is totally crazy, but every day is so very worth it.

I will have to apologize as this is about all I have time to say about my week. Part of our email time each week is supposed to be used to email our mission president. I wrote my mission president a long, beautiful email and then went to hit the send button. Tragically, an bright red error screen popped up and my beautiful letter was lost to the depths of the internet. This meant I had to rewrite my entire long, detailed email instead of turning over to write my family and blog email. I'm now nearly out of computer time and I've not written anything besides this for my mom to post to my blog or to send to my family. I figured I would write anyways to let you know that I am still alive, I've had a great week, and I'm looking forward to the best month of the year. (Yes- October is the best month of the year, no arguing with me- that's just a fact). Well, hopefully you will all hear more about my life next week. Till then- Take care and don't forget I love you!

Palangga Ko Kamo!

Another week gone

September 25, 2011


Another week gone and here I am again emailing all of you. Does anyone else feel like the time is just flying away? I swear it was just yesterday I sat down and emailed all of you and now here I am again. One of these days, I'm not going to get to sit down on Monday and email everyone about my adventures as a missionary. That day, unfortunately, is approaching far faster than I would like it too.

One of my most unique experiences this week was a quick trip to Iloilo. My current companion injured her back several months ago when she fell really hard on the tile flooring in the Oton apartment (my current companion and I both have the same previous area). This injury is still causing her a great deal of pain, so we went down to Iloilo for a day to have her back checked again to see what might be the cause. This meant two bus rides in a single day, each 2.5 hours. It was pretty fun stuff, but definitely left us both feeling very car sick. Now- for the adventures that occurred in between the two bus rides.

We left at 8 in the morning so that we would get to the city as early as possible. The morning was bright and sunny and looked like we would have perfect weather the whole day. We eventually showed up in Iloilo and visited the office so that we could work out some reimbursements we both needed. Next, we enjoyed an amazing lunch at the mission presidents house. Sister McBride is allergic to both sugar and MSG, making fast-food restaurants off-limits. So instead, the amazing wife of our mission president cooked us lunch and then we headed off to the doctor. We learned that Sister McBride may have to go to Manila to have her back treated and we are currently waiting for more information about that. Then, we got to tack a trip to the grocery store in SM City, a large mall in the area. This trip was approved due to the allergies mentioned earlier. The grocery store in the mall has several imported foods that don't contain msg or sugar, so my companion is able to eat them. We had lots of fun finding all the health foods and looking through the imported cookies to find ones without sugar. We then headed back to the station for the bus ride home.

The bus ride home was probably the most unique part of the day. It started off with me sitting beside a nice old man and we began talking about the Restoration of the Gospel. Suddenly, I learned that he was a member of a church called Iglesia ni Cristo. This surprised me a great deal because they are generally very stand-offish and don't talk religion with us. In fact, this was the first time I had met a member of that church who was willing to talk to me. The conversation turned to the Book of Mormon and I pulled out my Hiligaynon copy and offered it to Brother Dalipe (that's his name). He was absolutely stunned that I would be willing to give him my book for free. He took it and flipped through it saying, "Basahon ko ini, basi matunan ko damo" (I will read this, maybe I will learn a lot). I bore testimony that I knew he would learn a lot and told him to talk to the Elders where he lived if he ever had any questions about what he was reading. He was such a sweet old guy. As the bus started to empty out, the conductor decided to come back and talk to my companion and I. He was nice, but really silly too. Sister McBride, wanting to know how much longer we had till we reached San Jose, asked him where we were. His response was, "Sa bukid" (in the mountains). To which she replied, "Gani, diin sa bukid" (of course, where in the mountains). He said, "Sa tunga, nakita mo? may bukid didto kag may bukid didto" (in the middle, there is a mountain there and there is a mountain there) saying all of this as he points out the windows to the dark mountains on either side. We finally arrived in San Jose and went to climb off the bus to discover that our box of healthy food was gone and in it's place was a box that definitely wasn't ours. As Sister McBride describes it she went into "serious mode" and got names and phone numbers and a promise that if the box wasn't found the bus company would reimburse us for it. Fortunately, the box arrived the next day and we were informed that a lady in the bukid was very happy to have her box back. We were also very happy to have our box back.

So- that's the most exciting part of our week. Other than that, just typical life as a missionary. Oh- and it's raining again. One of the wonderful things about rain in San Jose is that the road outside of our house turns into a river whenever it rains. Isn't life fun!

Palangga Ko Kamo!

I Love SJA

September 18, 2011

SJA= San Jose A, my current area here in the Antique Zone. And I love it. I still miss Oton, but it's definitely getting easier not to miss it every day.

Why do I love SJA? Lots and Lots of reasons.

First, it's absolutely beautiful. It's quite and peaceful and very different from my first two areas. Jaro was right on the edge of Iloilo and was very big and busy all the time. Oton was a little further out of the city, and a much smaller town. As a result, it was cute and quaint and had no grocery store or fast food chains because you could just go into the city if you wanted any of that. San Jose is the middle ground. It has the feeling of being a small town where the people are spread out and the streets are only two lanes wide. It's also far enough away from Iloilo that it has it's own mall, restaurants, ect. so that what we need is easy to find.

Next, the people. They are so sweet. And that both refers to the current missionaries I'm serving with and to the people who live here. My current companion is Sister McBride, and we get along really well. Meal times have consisted of more laughter than eating. We also both have really strong desires to get the area strong and progressing. A few months ago, she injured her back, but she still is excited to work and won't let anything get in her way. We sometimes have to take time out of our days for physical therapy, but as soon as it's over- we are back on the streets helping share the gospel to the world. The other missionaries in the apartment consist of my "nanay" or trainer- and it's way awesome to be housemates with her again. Her companion, Sister Puig, is also super sweet and joins in to all the jokes and silly things we come up with.
The members are really nice and have a great desire to do good. The deaf members are particularly sweet. They love teaching people how to communicate with them and are always excited to spend time with us. Their sign language is a little different from ASL, which only makes them more excited to talk to me. They teach me a sign and then immediately ask if it's the same in ASL. They also have super good memories. They use the ASL signs they've learned from me when the talk to me and the PSL (Philippine sign language) when they talk to each other.

Last, I love San Jose just because it's San Jose. It's nothing like my first two areas. It has it's own perks and problems, it's own joys and challenges. And it already has it's own memories, distinct and unique from anywhere else. I will always remember San Jose as the place my companion and I tried to teach the two Filipino sisters how to speak English with a British accent. It will always stand out as being the apartment where the sink got clogged and we discovered it was because my companions sock was down the drain. It's where I'm meant to be today, despite all that I left behind (which happens to include my camera and my alarm clock, but no worries- my previous companion is sending them to me). Isn't life fun!

Palangga Ko Kamo!

Walking Away

September 11, 2011

To be totally honest, this week went from hard to heart breaking, and then picked up at the end to be a pretty decent. It was probably the longest week of my mission from Monday to Friday, and then Saturday and Sunday flew by faster than I can blink. Here's the day by day experiences:

Monday: A fairly typical p-day consisting of laundry, writing letters, and doing grocery shopping. Upon getting home we were greeted by all the sisters who were preparing to go home that week (the spend the nights at our house on Monday and Tuesday Night). Their desire and excitement to go home filled the house with a tangible weight that caused the hours to drag on. They also had the mindset of being done with their missions and stressed about luggage weights, so they stayed up late reorganizing stuff. I have trouble sleeping when people are wandering around the house.

Tuesday: Started off with the same heavy weight and an additional exhaustion due to a lack of effective sleep. We went to a district meeting as a tatlo (3) because the other companionship in our apartment had a sister who was going home so she was at the "going away workshops" all day. Her companion, who always tries her best to be cheerful, was very sad because it was her favorite companion and having a companion go home is just difficult. In addition, the work was a bit more difficult. Most of our appointments weren't home, so despite trying our hardest, we didn't have very many lessons.

Wednesday: The sisters who were going home finally went home, we helped them drag their suitcases out to the street where the elders packed them into the van, then went back to being missionaries. This day, like Tuesday, was difficult for the work and we were working as a tatlo for the whole day, making lessons longer but making conversations fun. We made plans as a trisome for the transfer ahead of us because we heard a rumor that the three of us were staying in the area and the two areas were being combined (three sisters went home, no new ones came, so some areas had to be combined for the transfer). Wednesday ended with the text that I wished I never received: Transfer announcements informing me that I was leaving the area. Only two transfers- two transfers with amazing companions and lots of hard work and lots of success that I was excited to see in the third transfer, and I was told I wasn't going to get it. Completely heartbreaking, especially as I realized that most of those investigators who I had grown to be good friends wouldn't be visited again the next day and I wouldn't get a chance to say good bye. I was terrified as well, knowing that with that transfer and who else was transferring- I was probably going to Antique, one of the areas with a different language. It was very very hard to sleep that night. After everything I'd worked for, I was being asked to walk away, and I really didn't think I could do it.

Thursday: The morning consisted of packing, and stressing. The afternoon was another fall-through day where we didn't get to visit any investigators except for one, who started balling when I told her that I was leaving. We instead visited members to let them know I was leaving and doing are best to find new investigators for the next sisters to teach. Thursday night was once again sleepless as I stressed about what I hadn't finished packing and wondered what the next transfer would bring.

Friday: Transfer day. I learned I was in fact going to Antique. Spent 2 and a half hours on a bus stressing about going to Antique, and trying to hold back tears as the bus passed through Oton and I said a silent good bye to that wonderful town. Yet I was filled with a sure sense that I was really needed where I was going. I knew somehow that the work that needed to be done where I was going was something that I really needed to do. I also learned from other missionaries that Karay-a wasn't too difficult to learn and that most people there know Hiligaynon, a great comfort.

Saturday: First full day in the area. My new companion, Sister McBride, is amazing and we've got great goals for the weeks ahead of us. Though transferring was difficult and heartbreaking, I've been blessed with a great area and a great companion and we've got lots of work we are excited to do this transfer.

Sunday: Meeting members, attending church, and having an opportunity to remember my ASL because there are a lot of very strong members here who are deaf, they are so fun and have such a strong spirit. The days are speeding up again and I'm trying to work my hardest to keep up as they fly past.

Crazy week, huh?

The Pass Along Card & Sunny!

Sept 4, 2011

I know that the Lord is always watching over the work that we are doing and guiding us. This week, however, I was privileged to see his guidance in small ways that really made a big difference.

Thursday morning started like any other morning, but we decided to make a quick trip to the mission office to pick up some needed supplies that couldn't wait till Tuesday (our district meeting). We came in, asked for our mail, picked up some pamphlets written in Tagalog to give to people, and headed back out. As we walked past the door, I felt this strange desire to grab a few of the English pass-along cards and put them in my bag. (a pass-along card is a card with a short message and the churches website on it, sometimes including information about the Book of Mormon or other church videos.) I knew we had some at home and I didn't really need any, but I shoved them in my bag before we headed out to work. As the day ran it's course, I didn't think again about the cards sitting in the bottom of my bag.

That evening, we hopped on a jeepnee to head home, a successful day of work over. To my surprise, I sat across from an individual almost as white as me. Following habit, I said Maayong Gabi (good evening), to which he responded, "Thanks, I'm fine, How are you?" I then continued to talk with this individual, a man from Belgium touring the Philippines, trying my hardest to make sure I only spoke English, it's surprisingly difficult sometimes. I felt a great desire to give him a pamphlet, but realized they were all in Tagalog. In fact, the only things I could think of in my bag that was in English were my personal scriptures and the letters that I had received that morning. Then I remembered the pass-along card. I was able to pull it out of my bag, explain it to the individual, and he said it sounded really interesting and he would make sure to visit the site. Then we reached our destination and hopped of the jeepnee. I'm so glad I followed that simple prompting to grab a pass-along card that morning.

Guess What! This week was sunny! It didn't rain all week... okay, well, it actually sprinkled a little bit yesterday, but other than that it didn't rain all week. It was cool.

Other than the weather, which I'm sure you are all tired of hearing about, this week was pretty great. Though also fairly difficult. This is the traditional pattern for weeks in the life of a missionary, but every week is worth it anyways. One of the most interesting things about this week has been the fact that it was the last week of one of my housemates. The last week of a housemate is somewhat difficult. They have a tendency to talk a lot about going home which gets one thinking about what they will do when they go home. But I've tried my best to remain constantly focused and worry about going home when that happens, which isn't till next year so I've got lotsa time left. (at least that's what I'm telling myself because I don't really want my mission to end, it's far to much fun). This week's also been interesting as we've waited for the transfer announcements, which we haven't yet received. I don't feel like I'm transferring, but really- anything goes so I'm not sure what might happen in the future, maybe next week I'll be telling everyone about my new area, maybe I'll just tell more stories about Oton.

Love you all!
Halong!

The End of the World

August 28, 2011

So- this week consisted of an earthquake, bagio (huge storm), and the nearly entire town of Oton waist deep in water. Sounds like the end of the world, doesn't it? In all honesty, it wasn't that bad. The earthquake lasted about 10 seconds and was just strong enough that the clothes in our closet sung back and forth a little, if my companion hadn't pointed it out to me, I probably wouldn't have noticed. The storm was pretty intense, but the worst of it occurred Friday night after we got home, so we were perfectly safe- and the area we live in didn't flood.

The flooding in the rest of the town was slightly more impactful. We planned on going out that morning, but the flooding between us and the highway was to high for us to pass, so we went back home and ate lunch and studied a little more with the plan to head out in the afternoon and hope the flood had gone down. The flood was still there, but low enough that we could get on a trisikad and ride across without getting wet. After getting to the main road, we started with our Plan A for the day. (Side note: as we listened to the rain the night before, we made a plan A, and then a plan B and C in case of flooding) It took us about 2 minutes to realize we couldn't get to plan A because of the floods, so we headed to plan B, and then plan C... then we looked at our watches and realized only 30 minutes had passed since we left the house. This resulted in the creation of plan D, finding somewhere in the town that wasn't flooded and finding new investigators there. It was really fun.

Here are some fun pictures from the past view weeks, most of them are from the hike that I mentioned in my email last week. I really love the Philippines, even if the rain never stops (it's sunny again today though, lets see how long it lasts!)

Love you all! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Palangga Ko Kamo!



A flower that one of our members gave me- she normally sells them for 50 Pesos a piece (to give you an idea of how much that's worth, a missionaries daily allotment for food is 120)

The mountain we climbed- It's the one in the distance covered by the clouds.

An Awesome view on our way up the mountain.

The Rice Terraces, isn't this a gorgeous view, so worth the hike to get there. Though we had another hour till we reached our destination.

Our Destination!

Our district and Family we visited!

The view would be gorgeous if it weren't for the fog and rain.

Ini si Dako Gid (this is Really Big) This praying mantis that we found outside of OUR house was longer than my hand... really big!

Hiking! and a few other things...

August 21, 2011

So- I can now honestly say I've hiked a mountain (and it was a big mountain) in the rain (pouring rain, not just a light sprinkle) and without shoes (I wore shoes at some of the parts, but most of it was too muddy and slippery, so we just went barefoot). It was fun. The answer to why I did this, for it certainly is not something one randomly decides to do without some forethought, district activity. At the top of this large mountain is a member. She attends church as often as she can, but considering this hike took us all day, she really can't very often. She explained that if she does, she goes down the night before and stays with someone there. We had FHE with her! This Family Home Evening activity required us first to take a 1 hour ride to the area that she's in, and then do a 2.5 hour hike, which was very slippery due to the abundance of rain these past few days. When we got to the top, we made lunch and had an FHE, then waited for the rain to stop. Around 4 it calmed down, so we headed out, with one of her relatives as a guide. He decided to take us a slightly longer way (it took about 3 hours) but he said it was safer, and if we had gone the other way, we probably wouldn't have been able to get down due to flooding with all the rain. About 30 minutes after we headed out, it started to rain... and then it kept raining... and then it kept raining... till we reached the bottom. It was a really fun day. And I'm definitely still wet.

Other exciting things that happened this week included having exchanges with the other sisters assigned to our branch, overcoming the illness that I had last week, and conducting an operation. The operation can be explained as such.

The bone snapped cleanly in half early in the afternoon, but we bore with the trial till that evening upon returning home. I then used adhesive and a metal bar to realign the two pieces, and wrapped it tightly so that it would stay in place. A life has been saved, and many trials overcome. (k- so what actually happened, a spindle of my umbrella broke and I dealt with it till getting home. I then used a bobby pin and tape to fix it and provide support. I wrapped it with more tape so that it wouldn't fall apart. The life of my umbrella is saved and I don't have to stress about buying a new umbrella or getting wet in the rain (unless we are out hiking and I forget to bring my umbrella))

Love You All and hope you had as many adventures this week as I did!

A Letter

August 15, 2011

Dear Friend,
How are you? What's your week been like? Anything exciting happen?

I had the strangest dream earlier this week. You were in it. It was so great to see you, even if it was only a dream. You just seemed so happy (maybe it's because you got to see me too). In real life, I haven't seen you in nearly 10 months, but in my dreams I got to see you just this week.

I had so many questions I wanted to ask you, but the dream ended too soon. I didn't get to ask you how you are, or what you've done all summer, or how school went last year. I still don't know the answers. Could you tell me? I have no clue where you are, or what you are doing. I suppose in the long run, it doesn't really matter. I'll see you again- maybe in a dream or maybe next year when I come home. I'm mostly just curious to know if you really are doing as well as you seemed to be in my dream. Please take care, and stay happy. And if you have a little bit of time, maybe you could answer my questions too.

Love,
A friend on the other side of the world.

Aswang Month

August 14, 2011

So, after our beautiful sunny Monday last week, the world turned rainy again. This is just how August works according to the locals. It's either really rainy, or very warm. It's been warm enough I even considered it to be hot yesterday- around noon. Then the clouds came in and it rained again. Due to the drastic, sudden changes in weather, August is referred to as aswang month. Aswang means ghost, it's because August is a month known for bad luck. The local people believe that the weather is the cause of all the illnesses that people get at this time of the year. (a statement which is somewhat true because it is currently Dengue Fever season) The also claim that it is the hardest month to have money during. Work becomes more difficult due to illness and rain, especially if you work out in the fields. Lastly- it's the month that everything breaks during... I'm not sure if (or how) this relates to the weather. I think part of it might be that most things just have a one-year-life-span and it's always re-purchased in August.

Anyways- why am I telling you all so much about Aswang month- because I've heard about it almost non-stop for three days. I got a cough and a sore throat, one of those illnesses that are recognized very quickly by investigators and members as I croak out the words "Maayong Hapon" (good afternoon). They ask me if I'm sick or "may ubo ka?" (do you have a cough). And then they tell me that it's because it's Aswang month and as soon as it stops raining I'll get better. Their suggestions for getting better include making sure I don't get my head wet and resting. Though I did receive a somewhat useful suggestion last night from a member- boil ginger in water and then drink the water. It made my throat feel a lot better- for about an hour at lease.

Overall- it's been a really really fun week. It's become easier to think of things to do when all our appointments fall through on us. I've developed more confidence that the Lord will always bless me with the help I need to do this work. As I've trusted in him, it's become easier to recognize those promptings and act upon them. Despite sickness, wet feet, and aswangs, I really feel so blessed every day to be a part of this great work and to serve as an instrument in the Lord's hands.

Halong kamo sa sining bulan kay basi may aswang didto sa Amerika man.
Take care everyone this month because there are maybe ghost is America also.

Palangga Ko Kamo!

Rain!

August 7, 2011


This week has been marked by a nearly unending downpour of rain. My companion and I have had a great deal of fun wandering through shin-deep water and a little less fun as we've had to cancel appointments because the floods are more than shin-deep. We've spent the majority of the week in a state of very wet, and all the rest of the time has been a condition of mostly wet. Today though is filled with sunlight that we are hoping still exists when we leave the internet cafe.

We used the extra time we had from cancelled appointments to visit members, we visited active members to ask for referrals and inactive members to help strengthen their faith and encourage them to come back to church. One of the funnest things we've done this week has been to share Helaman 5:12 to nearly every member (active or not) that we visited. The verse reads "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of miser and endless woe, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." Our members found the humor of this verse as rain beat upon their roofs with such force, we were nearly shouting to hear each other.

We asked each of them what storms the devil had brought to their lives. We asked them how they had overcome these storms. And we asked them what they do build a foundation upon Christ. One less-active sister answered quickly, "Pagbasa kag Pagpangamuyo" (read and pray) then she paused and laughed, "kag pagsimba man, di ba?" (and go to church too, right?) We eagerly agreed with her and she committed to coming to church that week if it wasn't raining.

This entertaining experience turned into a miracle Sunday, when it was not only raining, but pouring. We walked into the chapel to be greeted by this sister, as well as her less-active son and his wife. The whole branch was overjoyed at their attendance. I know Heavenly Father loves me, because he let me be a part of this miracle. And I know He loves this family as well, because he helped them come to church again. Isn't life beautiful!

Halong Kamo!

Palangga Ko Kamo Gid!!! (I love all of you a lot!)

ps- the great thing about the words ko and kamo when you put them together is that it sounds like Coco-mo from that Beach Boys song.

The Second Half!

August 1, 2011

Hello everyone, who else is totally shocked that it's August? In addition, this is the first P-day of the second half of my mission, sad! I want my mission to just keep going on forever, it's too fun to already be half over. Along with the adjustment of being half way over with my mission, I've had to make a slightly unexpected adjustment with the last transfer day, which just happened Friday. My companion transferred, we definitely expected to have 2 transfers together and were both very disappointed that we didn't. She's been sent up to Kalibo to help open a new area, and I've stayed here in Oton to work with my first junior companion. (yes, that means I'm a senior companion now) It's been a bit of an adjustment, being the one expected to lead the area and know what's going on, but I've already started to see how the Lord is blessing me with the extra help I need.

My current companion is my last companion's bata. (for those of you unfamiliar with mission lingo and hiligaynon, that means the person I'm currently assigned to work with was trained by the person I was previously working with) This means she has the same diligent work ethic and desire to be obedient. I'm certainly looking forward to this transfer (or maybe two) that I have to work with her. I feel like the Lord has blessed me so much with this current companion. Through her, he's made this challenge much easier for me to handle. She's incredibly kind and has a beautiful smile. She has some difficulty speaking the language because her tagalog sometimes slips out instead. However, she has cousins who speak Hiligaynon, so she understands it perfectly and can usually think of the word I need when I don't know it. She and I are going to press forward and make Oton and amazing area to work in.

Well- on to the second half, hopefully it's not too fast!

Light

July 24, 2011

Several months ago I spoke of the brother of Jared and his pile of rocks (blog entry "A Pile of Rocks" written back in January). This month, my regular reading of the Book of Mormon had brought me once again to that same story. I've found this section of the Book of Mormon, referred to as the Book of Ether, has really grown in depth and meaning for me throughout my mission. Without fail, I find a message of peace, comfort, and understanding, every time I read it. This time, as I read, the message was found in the same chapters that "A Pile of Rocks" was found in, but it was a very different message. Instead of being a message about what I have to offer now, it is a message of what Heavenly Father provided me before I came to earth. The story below can be found in Ether, chapters 2-6.

A group of people, referred to as the people of Jared, had left Jerusalem to find a promised land the Lord had promised them. They eventually reached the ocean and were given instruction on how to build barges in order to cross the vast waters. The brother of Jared went to the Lord after the barges were finished to inquire as to what the people could have for light on their long journey. The response he received was "What will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?" (Ether 2:25). This question really stuck out to me, much more than the response of the brother of Jared, as it did last time. The people were going to have a dark and difficult journey ahead of them, and the Lord was willing to provide them with that which they asked for to provide light and comfort.

It made me think back to a time, a time I actually can't remember. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we believe that we lived with our Father in Heaven, or God, as spirit children before we came to this earth. We obviously don't remember this portion of our lives, much like most people don't remember the first few years of their life. As part of our testing and growing on this earth, we needed to forget and walk according to our faith. It is a time of spiritual darkness, away from our Heavenly Father's presence. I imagine the conversation that might have occurred:
Us: Father, life is going to be dark and difficult, what shall we do to have light? Where shall we find guidance to help us return to thee safely?
Heavenly Father: What will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have guidance?
Us: Could you provide us with prophets, men who are called by thee to help us learn thy plan for us? May we have scriptures, holy writings where we can learn that which we have forgotten?

The scene even came to mind of a more personal conversation I may have had with Heavenly Father. A one-on-one moment to ask for parents who would guide me along the path of truth, leaders in church to help me through times of trial. I can even imagine me asking about a time in my life where I would be in the Philippines, and would be required to speak a language I wasn't very comfortable with. I would have challenges teaching people and talking to them and days I didn't get along with those I lived with. I can imagine asking for him to bless me with a wonderful companion who would help me learn and grow and realize I'm capable of the challenges that lie ahead. And my Heavenly Father loves me, so he allowed it to be so. I'm so very thankful for the amazing companion he has blessed me with for this transfer.

Halfway!

July 24th, 2011

Wow, this week has gone by quickly. I think they get faster the longer I'm here... which is kinda depressing because I really love my mission and want it to last a little bit longer. I've suddenly come to realize just how little time I have left as I approach my "tunga day" (tunga= half/middle/amidst, it kinda means all three, either way, I'm referring to my half way point) this Wednesday- July 27th. In addition to this, my companion got her "trunky letter" -the letter informing her when she is going home and when to check in to the mission headquarters prior to that. They show up about 3 months before you leave and people call them trunky letters because they say you are allowed to be trunky (eager to go home) after you get it. I personally feel, and my companion agrees, that the letters should actually be "motivation letters" to get you working extra hard in those final three months. So, the combination of my "tunga" and her "trunky letter" has really gotten me thinking about how fast these few months have gone and how fast the next few will be as well. It's kinda depressing, but I just have to use what time I have left as effectively as possible.

This week has been so much fun though! It's rained nearly non-stop. A few weeks ago, my companion and I found a map of the Philippines which shows the different regions and gives some information about them. This map claims that Panay island has three distinct seasons, rainy from September to February, less-rainy from March to May, and rainy again from June to August. (You may have noticed, as I did, that this actually means it rains all year long and seasons don't really exist). July though does have a few distinctions from other months. July is part of Bagio season (bagio= storm/typhoon). Panay island is protected by the other islands from the majority of the storm, but we still get the rain. The weather this month is least predictable and varies the most. It's possible to fall asleep to a clear sky and gentle breeze and be woken up a few hours later by pounding rain and wind so hard it sounds like the roof will fly away. This happened twice this week. (another interesting note about weather that I forgot to mention in my last weeks email- though I suppose it's not really weather as geology- anyways, we had an earthquake! It also woke me up and I laid in bed watching the door sway back and forth and feeling a little nauseous. It was a very small earthquake. But an earthquake none-the-less)

Another fun thing this week has been language study. I think my companion and I subconsciously decided that we were going to find all the most entertaining words to learn. These types of words are the easiest to learn because they don't really take much memorizing to know, they are just difficult to spell. Here are a few-
oxsyon: auction (sy makes a sh sorta sound)
sibilisasyon: civilization (b and v are interchangeable sounds in Hiligaynon)
sinsero: sincere (like Spanish, add and o and your good!)
pranko: frank (f and p are like b and v)
harden: garden (I'm not totally sure why)
I love this language!

Palangga Ko Kamo!

Nag-CSP Ta!

July 17, 2011

Nag-CSP Ta!
translation (kinda): We did a community service project!
translation (literal): We CSP-ed! In Hiligaynon you can just put "nag" in front of any verb and it makes it past tense.

This Friday was a district service project, helping the Miag-ao elders and members clean their meeting house. It was an absolute blast! The house is owned by the oldest members of the group, a sweet 76 year old lady and her husband who had a stroke and can't walk very well, that's why they decided to have meetings in their house. Of course, this sweet old lady can't clean out the upstairs (which probably hadn't been used in years) all by herself. Neither would she have been capable of pulling up the old, ripped, linoleum and putting new linoleum in. So we did it for her! Below are pictures from this o-so-fun-experience. After the service project, we ate lunch on the beach near the meeting house. Pictures of that are included as well. The whole activity was really unforgettable. Miag-ao is a tiny town on the very edge of the bay-bay (sea-shore, pronounced by-by). The members are so sweet, and watching half-a-dozen missionaries try to figure out how to install linoleum is really fun. (I did help a little bit).

"Before pictures" The upstairs walls had essentially fallen apart down to the studs, so after cleaning the upstairs, we put in new plywood to separate the rooms again for classes.



Downstairs after the old linoleum was already ripped out.

A genuine treasure chest, with all the traditional treasure one would expect to find- an old faded picture of a soldier, old-fashioned clothing, everything!

How many missionaries does it take to install linoleum?


Filipino Carpentry - They are upstairs and I am downstairs!

"After Pictures" of the upstairs


The outside of the Church

Lunch afterwards