Birthdays!

January 29, 2012


This week has been filled with birthdays, which has made it very fun and exciting. The members here love inviting us over for their birthdays. In the Philippines, birthdays are usually just celebrated with lots of food and the whole family coming over. As part of the church family, and convinced that we aren't eating enough, they make sure we always come. Here are the highlights of the week:

Monday: My companion's birthday. We scheduled a FHE with the branch relief society president which was actually a surprise party for her. It was way fun and a lot more people showed up than we thought would.

Tuesday: Sister Grace's Birthday and Sister Salazar's Birthday. I also taught in District Meeting that morning, so I enjoyed the day as a short break from stress before we started planning for an activity we were in charge of for Saturday and a lesson for church on Sunday. We visited the Salazar family (forgetting that it was Sister's birthday) and got large plates full of food as our reward. We ended our day by going over to Grace's house for a big dinner and some time to talk with their family. We felt very full by the time we got home.

Wednesday: It wasn't anyone's birthday. We did do exchanges however (when you switch companions with the other missionary companionship in the house) and I got to be companions with my MTC companion again! It was fun and brought back lots of memories from days in the training center.

Thursday:We did weekly planning which lasted much longer than it should have. We spent a lot of the time talking with the other sisters about how we can all work together to really help the branch to progress.

Friday was AMAZING: we headed out for the day and our first 4 lessons were all home and waiting for us and excited to learn. We've found a new family who is really excited to learn the gospel. When we got there, the mother came out to meet us and then gathered everyone who was home in the entire compound (large group of houses where everyone is related).

Saturday: We had a Relief Society activity were we, as missionaries, taught the sisters how they can more effectively do visiting teaching (a program of visiting other sisters in the church to help uplift them and share a short spiritual message). We were rewarded for our efforts with Ice Cream!

Sunday: This day was really busy. The missionaries were in charge of teaching the last part of church. We taught about some of the goals the church has for the country this year and how the members can all do their part to make it happen. We also went on splits, this is when my companion and I actually separate and go with ward members so that we can cover more appointments at the same time. We rewarded our temporary companions by going to the Salazar family again because the aunt was having a birthday and they wanted us to come. They had more food there than the first three birthdays combined. We ate till we were full and talked for a while before heading out to a few more appointments and coming home to close a very unusual week.

Happy Birthday (though it may appear that I've left of my typical closing line in Filipino, everyone here just says happy birthday. Even the locals have to think for a while if you ask them what it is in Hiligaynon, or Kinaray-a, or anything else)

Life is sometimes a little crazy

January 22, 2012

Another week has come and gone. End result- I'm still alive!

The week was actually really good, along with being way insane. We've had tons of appointments this week, as well as interviews with our mission president. In addition to this, I had to give a talk in church on Sunday, which stressed me out as always, and I've been trying to finalize lesson plans because I've been asked to give the lesson in district meeting. (a weekly meeting of missionaries to help us improve teaching skill and such- I teach tomorrow and am more than terrified).

One experience I'd love to share about has been teaching Sister Joy. (This is not the same Joy I mentioned several months ago when I was in Oton). At the beginning of the week, Sister Joy had just finished learning about the Restoration of the Gospel. We arrived to teach her the next lesson and the first thing she said to us was "Magpabunyag ako sa Feb 5" (I will be baptized on Feb 5). This is probably the first time I've ever had a relatively new investigator tell me when they were going to be baptized, and it's definitely the first time it's happened without having been invited to be baptized. She's way excited for it though and is willing to have us visit every day so that she can learn everything she needs to know before her baptism. I'm not yet sure if she'll actually be baptized on the date she's given herself, but she's willing to work her hardest to be prepared for that day.

Amo dya ang kabuhi ko kedya, ihamble ko lang kun magbago tana.

ps- palangga ko kamo man.

Transferring?

January 15, 2012

This past Friday was transfer day, and to my great surprise, I didn't transfer. I really felt I would. I'm not totally sure why I felt I would, it's just what I felt. I guess, logically, it made more sense for me to transfer, but the Lord's plan for me doesn't always comply with my logic. This all means that I'm still in San Jose and will be for a good while longer.

To be honest, I'm really not sure what to write about for this week. A lot of it was the same as the last 50+ weeks have been, a lot of it was different. (I suppose you all would rather here about what was different than what was the same). This week was just kinda strange. I spent the first half of it thinking that it would be my last week in San Jose. I said good byes and got myself mentally ready to transfer. The last half of the week was very confusing as the concept of staying slowly settled in my mind and I realized that I was still here. This stark contrast from what I thought would happen to what happened left me feeling unbalanced for the majority of the weekend. Very strange.

Other than that, we had an amazing Area Leadership Training for the entire Philippines. The missionaries were invited so that we could learn what the leaders were learning and all of us could work in unity. The Area Presidency of the Philippines has put together their goals for the country for the year of 2012. The training was amazing. One of the speakers quoted a verse from the bible (can't remember which one and I don't really have time to look it up) that basically said if we have no vision, we will perish. I realized how very true this was. If we don't have an idea of where we want to go, where we can go, where we will go if we are willing to work there, then we'll never get there. If we aren't going anywhere, we are perishing. At least in the sense that this life is so that we can learn and grow and become something great; if we aren't doing that, we aren't really living. I suppose this might be one reason why I'm so confused right now. I thought my work here was done and that it was my time to move on to something else. I suddenly learned that I'm not meant to grow that way just now. The vision I had for myself disappeared, and I really did feel that sense of perishing that comes from having nothing to look towards. So, I'm in the process of figuring out what more I need to do. What is the vision the Lord has for me that requires me to be in San Jose? What is the new vision that I can have for this transfer. Maybe, when I figure that out, life will make a lot more sense.

Natudlukan na ito.

Getting Sick

January 8, 2012

This Thursday was a little unique compared to most Thursdays. Normally, Thursday morning starts with personal study, then we have weekly planning, lunch, and head out to work. I didn't really do any of that this week. At least not on Thursday. I woke up sick, and despite trying my best, had to lay back down about half way through personal study and didn't really get out of bed for the rest of the morning. I stayed home for the day with another sister who was also sick, while my companion and her's went out to work. Around noon I started to feel well enough that I didn't want to just lay in bed and do nothing, but I was still not feeling well enough to do much. So, I decided to finish reading Jesus the Christ, by James E. Talmage. I have been working on this book for quite a while now, it's not one of those books you can read quickly. However, between the hours of noon and three, I managed to finally finish it!

The opportunity I had to finish reading this book gave me a great opportunity to reflect on all that Christ has done for us. My reading took my through the last week of his life, his death, resurrection, and what he has done since then. I know that he suffered for us, and not just for our sins. He suffered every sin and every temptation. He suffered the punishment for these sins. He even experienced every illness, heartache, and trial that we face in this life. And he did all of this for us, so that we might have comfort through our sorrows, and help through our challenges. He suffered so that he might understand us perfectly and, therefore, know perfectly what we need in our times of trouble. My "day off" provided me with the opportunity to really reflect on all that he has done for us and remember again how great his love is for us.

I know that not all of you who will read this are Latter-day-saints, maybe not all of you are even Christian. But no matter who you are or what you believe, I want you to know that Heavenly Father loves you, he loves you so perfectly that he sent his son, Jesus Christ, here to earth for you. We don't have to walk through life alone. It's hard, yes, that's what it's meant to be. But someone has walked to path before us and is willing to walk it again with us if we will but choose to keep walking.

Palangga Ko Kamo!

Happy New Year 2012!

January 1st 2012

Another year has come and gone. It just doesn't feel like it's 2012. It doesn't feel like it's been long enough. I think part of it may be that the seasons are so subtle, time feels faster because there is no visual change in plants or weather to point it out. Whether or not it feels like it, it's 2012; nothing can change that fact. A few facts that do arise from this one fact:

I've lived in the Philippines for an entire year. I can no longer respond "Next year Pa" (still next year) when people ask me when I'm going home. Strange.

So- now to explain the picture. This picture is my super awesome visual for a Family Home Evening we taught last week. (Yes, I made it myself, with the help of my companion). Family Home Evening, for those of you who don't know, is a program of the church. Basically, it's just an opportunity for a family to gather together, play games, have a spiritual lesson, and be strengthened by each other. As missionaries, we are often invited to participate and usually give the lessons. My companion and I happened to read the same chapter, Alma 43, that morning during our personal study sessions, and we both commented on the contrast of preparation between the two classes of people, so this is what we taught.

There are the Lamanites, the black figure, and the Nephites, the white. These two groups of people are about to go to war with each other. The first, the Lamanites, have such a great desire that they grab their weapons and march upon the Nephites. The Nephites have a deeper desire to make sure they win as protection for their families. They know the Lamanites are coming, but they take the time to prepare, grabbing armor, shields, and swords. The number of Nephites was much smaller than that of the Lamanites, yet due to their preparation, they win.

There are many lessons that can be learned from this simple experience. The one we focused on was how important our preparation is in connection with our desire. Most people have desires, and those desires are often good. We desire to finish school, raise good families, receive salvation, and the list goes on. Yet what can those desires really do for you? We could take a Lamanite student who has a desire to do well on a test, grabs his pencil, and heads into the testing room. We can compare him with a Nephite student who recognizes the importance of the test, and equally filled with a desire to do well, sits and studies before jumping in. Who probably experienced more success. Our desires, standing alone, can't do a whole lot. It's when we allow those desires to push us to prepare that we experience the blessings. If we look at it from a religious aspect. Many people have a desire to go to church, Sunday morning rolls around and several people get up saying that they will go to church. Some get busy and distracted, others prepare to go. They all have the same desire, yet only part actually attends church, and only that part receives the blessings of having attended. Heavenly Father doesn't bless us just because we have good desires, we won't get to heaven just because we want to be there. We have to walk the path that will take us there.

ihanda ninyo agud magkaara sang mga handum ninyo.

PS - From her family letter about how she spent her New Year's eve.

We had to be home by 5:00 pm, but we stayed up anyways till 2 am! (not voluntarily, the neighbors had fireworks going until then and my companion and I couldn't sleep, the other companionship slept through it mostly). To celebrate we made lots of food, opened presents (my companion's family has a tradition of opening presents on New Year's so she bought us presents) and I made a batch of magic cookie bars, (the ingredients were from my Christmas package that finally arrived!) they were delicious.

My companion gave me a hair accessory, a bamboo wallet, and a pocket size Book of Mormon. Giving gifts on New Year's Eve is just a tradition of her family as far as I can tell. The bamboo wallet is more like a coin purse or a clutch bag. They make anything/everything out of bamboo!