The Path

June 26th, 2011

This week's memorable experience: We have several investigators in this area who live in the "oma" (fields). This means they have dirt paths leading to their homes that become mud paths with just the slightest bit of rain and become dirty slip-n-slides if it rains a lot. This week happened to be a week in which it rained A LOT!
One of the investigators we visited Monday evening lived at the end of a trail much like the one I described above. My companion and I carefully walked the slippery path, using as many stepping stones as we could find. In many areas though, the stones had been covered in mud or were completely missing. In one of these such areas, my lack of grace decided to display its talent and I ended up with a very muddy skirt and a rather injured leg (see the included picture). (Don't worry, it's not nearly as bad as it looks and is nearly completely healed at this point). We continued on to our investigator's house where I washed my leg and put some disinfectant on it. After visiting with them, we then had to walk the same path to get back to the main road. This time, the investigator accompanied us to point out where the stepping stones were; pointing out to us the safer path. We returned home in safety and all is well.

Now- since we all know I have a tendency to over-think things- the analogy to my adventure:
Many people relate our life to a path that each of us walks. There are forks in the road, choices to make, etc. Sometimes the path is simple and easy to walk, the way is paved and the steps are safe. Other times, the path is a dirt road and it's been raining. The walkway is slippery and each step, if not closely watched, can be very dangerous. With the simplest distraction, you can find yourself on your rear end, covered in mud and bleeding. Heavenly Father knows that the path we walk is not easy, but he also knows that if we do not reach the end, we won't be happy. So He has provided us friends- people along the way who will help you stand back up again and walk with you until you can clean yourself off. Heavenly Father has given us Prophets- people who point out when and where the path is most slippery and are willing to show us the safest way. He's also given us the gift of repentance. When we fall, we have the ability to get back up again. We are not condemned to sit in the mud at the side of the path forever, watching others pass us by. We have to make that choice, however, for if we do not want to stand back up- no one will make us. Through our mistakes we can learn. We can recognize where life is slippery and choose if we will try to walk the path again, or follow the safer path that has been pointed out to us.
Of course, when we make mistakes, such as I did, there are consequences- some long lasting, others not so much. I was able to wash the dirt off right away, but the bruises will take longer to fade and the scars will take a while to heal. In life- I have disinfectant, bandaids, and lotion to help my skin return to normal. In my analogy, I have Christ and his atonement to help wash away all the effects, even the long-lasting ones, of sin. My body has the ability to heal and regenerate skin so that eventually, even my most severe scars will disappear. With this gift I have the responsibility to learn and to become better. If I continue to walk the same path, slipping and injuring myself each week- the scars will only become deeper and take longer to fade. So I'm choosing to use what I have learned so that I do not slip again and I only have this one injury to recover from. Like this- if I keep making the same mistakes again and again, if I repeatedly do the same sin, the spiritual scars will only become deeper and take longer to heal. Yet the promise remains, that whenever I choose to stop falling in the mud and let myself heal- He will heal me. I can become whole and perfect again.

Other news this week:
Tuesday- Tuesday was the official first day of summer. So, at noon I grabbed my camera, faced south and took a picture of my shadow. I'm close enough to the equator that at noon during the summer time, my shadow is on the south side of my body- something that doesn't happen back home.
My shadow - I am facing south can you tell!

Wednesday- We found a part member family who really wants to be taught. 5 of their 6 children are old enough to be baptized and all said that they want to be baptized. The most exciting thing about them is that they live a 30 minute walk out into the middle of the oma (fields). My companion and I are making sure that we are really careful to see if they are actually progressing and prepared for baptism, because it would be a lot of walking to teach them every week. But it will provide us with some great bonding time!
Thursday- We had our first weekly planning session as a companionship. We discussed different ways to make sure that we only talk about planning when we are supposed to be planning so that it doesn't take us way too long. We also discussed how we are going to help our investigators, we are really excited for the week ahead of us to really get the work rolling in this area.
Friday- We had a member working with us, which was really exciting, and then all our appointments punted us- which was less exciting. So the member took us to some former investigators who she knew and we began teaching them again! Then she took us to a part-member family, the brothers and mother are members, but the older two siblings are not. One of these two siblings is Sister Joy, who is deaf. The school she went to taught her ASL instead of PSL, so I can actually communicate with her. She is so sweet and incredibly funny. She is also really patient with me as I try to remember my ASL vocab.
Saturday- On this day I got to meet Brother George. He's been investigating the church for three years but keeps refusing to quit smoking so can't be baptized. We decided to teach him once again about the word of wisdom. To our surprise, he informed us (before we started teaching) that he decided to quit smoking and to quit drinking as well. He realized that cigarettes and alcohol don't have brains, so why should he let them make decision for him. It was pretty awesome.

The Tuko (large lizard) that decided to move into the house.

The place the Tuko decided to move to--- yes, that's my bed, and my companion taking a picture of it. The Tuko was nicely guided out of the room. The next day he decided to move back and then was not so nicely guided out of the house.


Sunday- This day was super busy. We went from appointment to appointment and everyone was home. It was so much fun. We had a member with us who introduced Seminary to the children of the family mentioned on Wednesday and they want to participate. Even though the school year is already started (school here starts the beginning of June) the member is going to help them get enrolled and caught up.

I love missionary work!

Palangga Ko Kamo!

TRANSFER!

June 19. 2011

How are all of you? This week for me has been really great. I've (finally) been transferred. I spent 4 transfers in Jaro, the average is 3, so it's not like I spent that much time there. Now, I'm serving in Oton. I have a new amazing companion and am looking forward to a great transfer. It really is amazing just how fast time goes. I'm only in my second area and I realized that I'm going to pass my tunga day before this transfer ends. (tunga= middle, amidst, in between, among. We call our half way point our tunga day) I'm so excited though for the time I have left and my opportunity to work here in Oton for a while.

One thing I've really enjoyed about changing areas is recognizing again that I'm doing better than I think at the language. The language here is a slightly purer form of Hiligaynon because it is further in the city. (as you move further out, Karay-a gets mixed into the language. Imagine trying to learn the vocab for two languages at the same time). I've noticed the results of the work I put into the language as the members expressed surprise that this was my second area. Even my companion told me that I'm really good at the language. I still need to work on comprehension, but we've started making plans for how we can do that during language study. This is my first American companion, so I've actually got a companion who will sit and do language study with me for this transfer. I have a feeling that will also help me to improve this transfer. I'm so excited! I feel so very blessed to be where I am right now and I'm looking forward to getting to know the area, people, and my companion even better.

Amazing Alliteration

June 19, 2011 Father's Day!

Daddies and Daughters: As this week was Father's Day, I took some time to think about my family back home and those I love. As missionaries, we get the opportunity to call home on Mother's day, but not Father's day. This meant there was a little less anticipation in the air as Father's day approached. However, I did take the time to think about my amazing Dad and the special relationship I have with him as his only daughter. I just want to share about how much I love him and appreciate the support I've received from him my whole life. Dad's really are amazing people. That's all.

Sister Super Soprano: At our last Zone Meeting, our zone leaders prepared special awards and titles for each of the missionary in the zone. These awards and titles were handed out just before transfer announcements were made. The awards consisted of a local candy bar called chocomucho and the titles were simply taped to the candy bar. My title was "Sister Super Soprano." As one of 4 sisters in the zone and having a decent soprano range voice, I kinda stick out above everyone whenever we sing. I thought the alliteration of my title was fun, and I'm the only one who's title was like that.

Halong Jaro: (this is invisible alliteration, for all of you who thought I was in Jar-o, the actual pronunciation is Ha-ro, oh- and halong is hiligaynon for take care) This week was transfers! I've now moved out of my first area and into my second. So the week was bitter sweet. It was filled with the anticipation of moving somewhere new and getting to go to transfer meeting and seeing lots of fellow missionaries. It was also filled with saying goodbye to members and investigators whom I have truly grown to love and care for. These people have become like family as they've taught me to speak to them and fed me whatever random food they thought might not exist in America and I should try (these foods included mangoes and corn, along with a few things that were actually new like mango ice cream and a million different types of fish). I lived in that area for 5 and a half months and grew as much as I have in any given year. Jaro will always hold a special place in my heart and I'm so excited for the day I get to go back and visit again.

O-Boy, Oton!: So, if I move, obviously I need a new area. I'm now working in the Oton Branch, which is looking to be just as fun as Jaro. The members are just as nice, the investigators just as sweet, and the companion just as amazing. In the three days we've so far been together we've determined that it's going to be an amazing transfer. We're just on the same wavelength or something. Currently, our biggest challenge is ending companionship study on time. We have so many insights and things to share that we spend 45 minutes just sharing scriptures and thoughts and ideas with each other. I've already learned so much. However, since we only have 1 hour of companionship study and we need to use it to prepare for investigators, we decided we need to share personal insights and some other time of the day. I'm looking forward to an awesome transfer and I'm really excited to be in this area. It's very different from Jaro, but the people are just as sweet and insist on giving us just as much food.. even if it's as something as strange as paka soup- soup made from the skin of a cow.

Warrior

June 12, 2011

This week my reading in the Book of Mormon has brought me to what people often call the "War Chapters." As the name implies, they are about war. The two main civilizations in the Book of Mormon are the Lamanites and the Nephites. The war chapters focus on several years in which these two civilizations are in constant war because the first is trying to take over the second and take away their freedom. The Nephites, though smaller in number, fight diligently as they defend their families and their right to freedom. Their desires are pure and honest, they are not seeking for power over another people.

In an effort to help, several young men volunteer to go to war as well. They are referred to as the Stripling Warriors due to there young age. These two thousand young men had never fought before, but desired the freedom of those they loved so much that they were willing to give of their lives. At first, these young men, due to their youth, were used to carry supplies or as decoys in order to keep them out of the main fighting. Eventually though, the other armies of the Nephites were not enough to overcome the Lamanites who were attacking them and these 2000 men were asked to join the fight.

Alma 56

44 - Therefore what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle?

45 - And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.

46 - For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.

47 - Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

I may not stand at the brink of a physical battle, but I hope to develop their courage and faith. I do stand at the front lines of a spiritual battle for each person I teach. I'm fighting for their spiritual freedom. I know that God is with me and I shall not fall.
Palangga Ko Kamo!

Here is a link if you want to read more in Alma:
http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma?lang=eng
Sorry, I couldn't get it to post as a link but just copy and paste

Tin

June 12, 2011

Tin

Tin roof tops glitter in the rain.
Can you hear the music that's made?
The mem'ry so vivid and pure,
from my mind it never will fade.

Tin roof tops pounding in a storm,
Sounding so harsh and loud and fast.
Don't try to think, just listen still,
And wait until the storm has past.

Tin roof tops, as it sprinkles now,
Soft rhythm and slow tempo keep.
A murm'ring song they humbly play
As tin roof tops sing me to sleep.

I have "tin" months left on my mission, approximately.

A few new pictures

June 5, 2011

Hello everyone! This week has been a very exciting week consisting of lotsa mud and even more rain. Summer (which never really showed up in my opinion) has now ended with daily rain and nightly storms. Almost every day consisted of finding a water pump somewhere so we could wash our feet off before actually visiting our investigator. I even lost my shoe a few times and had to balance in the mud on one foot while trying to reach behind me to pull my shoe out of the mud and get it back on my foot.

The week has also been filled with finding new investigators, there are so many people here who are searching for the truth. My favorite investigators are the ones we find who invite us in, tell us their life story, and then ask us who we are and why we are there. There is a family that we started teaching- they have so far heard the first lesson three times and we haven't gone any further than that. The first time we visited, only the mom was home, so we taught her the first lesson and she invited us to come back. The second time her oldest daughter was home so she actually asked us to review the first lesson with her daughter there as well. The third time her husband was also home (as well as the daughter again). So once again we taught the first lesson, it was nicely supplemented with comments from the mom and daughter who are now very familiar with what we teach.

The week ahead is looking to be very interesting. I'm excited to tell all of you about it next week!


The 50 years banner that hung on all the churches for the month of May, celebrating the 50 year anniversary of the church in the Philippines.


My desk, thought you might want to see what it looks like- this is after I organized it.


A giant banana that a member gave us!

Sorry- that's really all I've got time for, that's the most exciting stuff from the past few weeks.

Precious!

June 5, 2011


Precious and her family on the day of her baptism

Precious:
There was once a sweet couple who, though they had been married for years, did not have any children. They wanted to, but this was a blessing they had not yet received in their home. They decided that they would try for one more year to have a child of their own and then look into adoption. The mother had a strong impression that there was a precious soul waiting to come to their home.
After months of fervent prayer and fasting, the mother became pregnant. The pregnancy was not easy, for many months she was restricted to complete bed rest. The doctors were very concerned about the baby who, though seemed healthy and had a strong heartbeat, hadn't yet moved. The mother gently placed her hand on her stomach and softly whispered "Precious"... for the first time the child moved.
After that, whenever the simple word "Precious" was stated, the baby moved. A healthy baby girl was soon born. As the doctor handed her to her mother and asked her what they were going to name her, the mother responded "Precious" and the tiny baby opened her eyes and smiled.
I had the opportunity to meet Precious nearly nine years later. She was preparing to be baptized, an event which in our church usually occurs shortly after the child's 8th Birthday. Though nearly 9, Precious had not been baptized. The primary reason- she was terrified of water. She would not get into water deeper than her knees, whether it was the ocean, a pool, or a bathtub. But she wanted to be baptized because- as she said it- "It's what Heavenly Father wants me to do." And so she turned to prayer. My companion and I taught Precious of the power of faith and the importance of her baptism as we helped her prepare for her baptism day.
Just this Saturday, Precious was baptized by her grandfather. If you listened carefully, you could hear her whisper a soft prayer before getting into the font. She clung tightly to her grandfather's arm and to the railing. The moment her baptism ended, she practically ran out of the water. But when she came back into the room, her face was filled with a huge smile and her eyes glittered with joy.

Evidence:
This week was also filled with evidence that my Heavenly Father, as well as lots of people back home, love me very much. The week started off with me beginning to crave red vines, a candy unavailable here in the Philippines. I knew my mom had just barely sent me a package so it would be a long time before another would be sent that I could request her to put red vines into. On Tuesday, every road we walked down seemed to be playing the same song, a song that always reminds me of my best friend because of the number of times we've sung it together on Karaoke Revolution. It made me miss her sooooo much. On Wednesday I find myself wishing I had a dry erase board for practicing Hiligaynon, I've found the easiest way to remember words is to write them over and over. Thursday was similar to Tuesday, though with a different song. All in all, I was having a very unusual week and missing the people and things I left behind.
Friday is cargo day- that's the day that the mail and any supplies we need for missionary work is delivered to our apartment. In the cargo I received a letter from my best friend letting me know that she was doing okay and that she had been thinking about me. I felt so special and strongly felt that it couldn't just be coincidence that I received a letter from her the same week I was missing her so much. In addition to this letter, I received an unexpected package from a family friend. It contained red vines, a dry erase board and markers, along with a dozen other random things like construction paper, markers, and pop rocks. Once again- coincidence isn't enough to provide one with red vines and a dry erase board the week one wants both so much. I'm so very blessed to have a Heavenly Father who loves me, as well as so many people back home who love me and support me as well. Thank you!