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!