What week is this??
Kamusta mo!?
Wow, I don't even know how long I have been here..what week is it?! What day is it? Alright, so on Saturday we got a text (the sisters here have cell phones..)PARENTS CALL ME AT 6 PM ON MOTHERS DAY. EMAIL ME BACK SO I KNOW YOU GOT THIS. you are going to have to get a card or something. one hour to talk so get all your questions ready, etc. :)
Alright so Saturday we got a text and it said we needed to get to Tacloban by 8am Monday morning so sister Lemmon could renew her visa. We were so excited cause that meant seeing some of our batches and then eat some marasa food. So right now I am in Tacloban and it’s been a fun day. Last night we stayed with some sisters--mattress on the floor, which is fine, except they have cockroaches and mice..and I had stuff crawling on me all night long I am not kidding. and they have no air circulation so when there were TWO brown outs the fan stopped and it woke me up cause I couldn't breathe cause it was so stuffy! So I didn't sleep too wonderfully, but it’s okay. Today has been fun and there were a lot of missionaries from around the mission in town today and so we got to be together for pday and eat lots of delicious foods.
Well, this week we did pretty good with teach rcla lessons. Our standard of excellence for the mission is hard hard to reach. Especially for our area. We cannot count lessons to investigators unless there is a member present--but not just any member--the right fellowshipper that has been assigned, prayed about ,etc. that is tough. but we did teach about 20 rcla lessons this week and had great experiences. Our investigators seem to be hiding/moving away from us which has been super weird, but we have 12 new investigators.
Actually! I am really excited about these four youth that we randomly found one day. Wendy 17, Alvin 18, PJ 14, Eva may 16--they are super smart and awesome. WE taught them the gospel of Jesus Christ as well as message of the restoration. THEY totally understood it and were asking awesome questions! Wendy was amazed to hear we have a prophet today! I taught first two principles in the lesson--I struggled through the prophets part (first time teaching it!) but it turned out okay and they were super patient! I seriously love them. I know that I am supposed to work with youth. They have a special place in my heart and I know that is what I will be doing with my life. We gave them Book of Mormons and a commitment and I am excited to go back.
Well, like I said our investigators have been weird this week. ITs true, the mission is full of ups and downs and they are very close together, but that is okay! We just keep pluggin along. There is these beautiful homes in our town (well two) and every time we pass them I say, we have to knock on their door, I have to know who lives there! This week, a lady was sitting outside the house/gate and so I immediately went up to her and found out she lived in America for 20 years and speaks English! How fun for me cause I was finally able to be myself and talk to her and I was so excited to get to know her. She lives alone b/c her two kids are back in America (Ohio I think..) and her x husband is American and also there. I was like, I am new here , let’s be friends! We are visiting her this week.
We also were on an epic walk to visit some recent converts on a very hot day and there was this community up the mountain a bit just staring at us so my comp and I decided to go talk to them. They are so nice and we shared with them and will share again this week.
Well, our awesome investigator, Raymond--he is so hilarious and I just love this kid--has to extend his baptism. :( so sad. Its harvest time and so his parents won't let him go to church or get baptized on Friday b/c he has to harvest. ...so now he will have to wait a whole month b/c he didn't get to church 3 weeks in a row. he is way bummed...and so are we. But maybe it will be good for him to grow even more. I am just slightly worried about that area of people... We are also striving to figure out a way to serve his family better. it’s tough since I literally can't communicate a thing to them (they speak tagalog) but we are thinking we might be able to help them finish their house.
I prepared for a lot of awesome lessons on Saturday and we just got punted over and over. . bastay lan.
OH! We did a cool object lesson this week!
The whole "here is a delicious cookie for you, but I added just a little bit of dirt on it...you still want it.." lesson. Relates to our lives and how we need to completely dedicated and not do even the littlest of sins; one bad movie, one immodest shirt ...
Well, there are no cookies here; but we decided to get some bread rolls and stick poop in it! We are so innovative, right?! WEll, please imagine my dear sister Lemmon and me trudging through the jungle looking for Caribou pooop! We seriously were dying of laughter and found some and it was an epic struggle to get the bits of poop in the bread roll. Anyways, we taught it to an incredible member family and i , of course, was speaking bisayan and was in charge of the whole "object part" but as I was doing it , I forget the word to STOP the poor little kid from eating the poop bread , and it literally touched his mouth, and my trainer started yelling, ANAY ANAY ANAY!!! and then that gave me a heart attack and we both just started dying of laughter and then I explained about the poop...that poor kid was so scared! But after much laughter (the family also was dying of laughter) we got the lesson out and shared scriptures and we asked the dad if he had anything to add and he said, "pinaka maayo sa lekson." pretty much saying, that’s the best lesson ever, nothing to add...
:)
Ha-ha, Filipinos love object lessons--and so do we!!! :)
Well, I am having a great time here. I love my mission and I am loving the people I get to be with every day. I am surrounded by great missionaries and leaders and I have a wonderful trainer. WE laugh constantly and I just can't imagine my life here without her.
The members are great and my bisayan/waray is still not really existent, but I am doing a bit better; line upon line, right?
Actually, the language is definitely up and down. One night this week I truly and completely got frustrated. IT was a tough night . And also, it was a night that one of our investigators said that they drank and didn't understand why it was such a big deal. I couldn't communicate to him at all and it broke my heart. So frustrating. But honestly, if you are down, you must come back up, and that is what happens. Lots of ups and downs, so just keep going until you are back up again.
Zone reactivation was in our area on Friday and it was really great! I met people I didn't know where members and got to share messages with them. Sister Lemmon is awesome and she does a great job at making me use my singing. I just love her.
I've had a great opportunity to really study in Helaman this week and I've really appreciated that. It’s been incredible to see how as I study and pray for guidance to what to teach the people we are completely inspired as to what to study. Such tender mercies and miracle occur when you apply all those things that the Lord and prophets have told us to do.
This week I was really focused on being guided --learned how to say that in different ways in bisayan-- and the Lord completely and fully answered my prayers. It’s interesting too to see what answers come immediately , and what isn't answered--and how the Lord is helping me work on patience.
WEll, I received lots and lots of dear elders and my first letter from JARRETT! Being in Tacloban I got all my letters so thank youuuuuuuuu:
Bianca! -how fun becca and brianna were there!!
Maggs!!--Alicia and your brothers! how awesome. wow, I bet opening your call was incredible!
Nat--miss youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
Jarrett--I was so happy to hear from you and get your pics! you sound like you are doing so well. thanks for your advice! I like advice. :)
Kerry--I hope your kids are better. I love reading about your mission! happy late bday!!!!!!!!!
Katie--happy early bday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and happy early bday to spank! also, the talk by Elder Holland--ministry of angels--so good. (vt)
Kiera--Benson so cute and I am so happy you have that group of girls in your ward!
Urs and Noel-- love hearing about your lives! thanks for all the advice and love and support. you both are the best.
well, the church is true--so what else matters?! :) despite the heat and the sweat and the ridiculous things and situations we may find ourselves in....the church is true, so keep plugging along, even when you know you are in the "down" of life...keep going, cause soon you'll be in the ups! Da ba?!
love love love,
sister b.
aaron--thanks for the talk. I really enjoyed it.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Letter #3
Maayong Hapon ang akong pamilya ug mga higala,
Kamusta mo tikang pilippines!
This week was crazy busy with meetings and conferences and APs and punting, and rain rain rain, so unfortunately our work was a bit lisod (hard). Tuesday for district meeting/ lunch we watch the saturday session of conference. I loved conference so much! We were so pumped to go out and teach the work...unfortunately we got 'punted' a few too many times this week (showed up and the investigator wasn't there) but we ended up teaching the children or whoever else was around ... WEdnesday, Nanay Helen made us breakfast (which was marasa (delicious) but made me ill to the point that we couldn't go to our next apt, and then we had to take a bus to Naval b/c Zone conference was the next day. The APs picked us up in NAval and it was a crazy ride through the mountains. I got way car sick--which is kinda weird for me. But, Zone conference was so wonderful! It is always so fun to be with other missionaries and listen to President and Sister MAlit. It is so motivating and encouraging! THere are also 6 of us that were friends in the MTC that are in this zone so that was fun to be with them. So the first part of zone conference President malit was training and i was just taking notes like crazy and then we had a break, etc. Then, seriously it became like the blonquist show somehow...I was participating a bit, but then i got volunteered numerous times to do examples and activities and then my comp and i sang a duet, "because i have been given much" ., the new missionaries bore our testimonies, and then i was leading the music, and then they had my comp and i go up again and do some more examples, etc. IT was crazy i couldn't believe it. I am this brand new kid and all of a sudden i was always up front doing stuff. IT was good though, just funny. I really learned so much at zone conference and loved it. I forgot my notes at home, but some things that stuck out: focus on the good, have no fear, focus on 'finding' and talking to everyone, love the members.
On Friday my companion and I had big plans to teach 12 lessons--we got 6. There was a fiesta in the next town over so all the motors were full and no one would give us a ride, and all our investigators were gone...so interesting how that all works..or doesn't... but we just kept trudging along in the hot hot hot hot sun. Friday night we went to capucgayan (where our branch building is/ elders area) and played "finding faith in christ" we had aout 40 people there and new investigators my comp and i found! OH! We also have been asked to search for professionals and for future leaders of the church. There were a few times after we got 'punted' that we had the distinct impression to go a certain way, to a certain house and talk to them and guess what we found--professionals!
Saturday the elders in our district had a baptism (in the ocean) and so we went and supported that. IT was reallly incredible and i loved it! The weather was getting a little intense but we prayed it would remain calm until after the baptism, and that is exactly what happened. It then started pouring pouring rain. It didn't stop raining for about 3 hours.
My companion and I then went around to the less actives and sang song/ taught lessons. We then went to our investigators and had a great last lesson to raymond. His two fellowshipper/friends don't really have a desire to go on a mission so we ended up teaching them too. It was quite interesting.
WE taught a family/group last night. The lesson lasted about two hours....people were in and out and it was weird, but okay. I started speaking cebuano and they all straight up started laughing in my face. Bahahaha. IT was funny; I just laughed with them and then said okay, "sigi, sigi" (kinda like , bring it in..) "kinahanglan patience sa ako" (patience with me..) and laughed it off and started the first part of the lesson and did pretty good...(for me..). It was kinda fun actually. My language is so random, but we just keeeep plugggggin along. Actually, I am in fact wondering what you all are praying for with my language because: I was called to cebuano, my area is mostly WARAY, and we are teaching only TAGALOG people! Three languagessssssssss I can't speak or understand now! Bahaha, I seriously just laugh all the time at myself. Oh, and the members were better this week. Nanay Helen seems to really like me. She just makes me food all the time and is so nice. And some other members have really reached out to me this week. ITs been cute and helpful for sure. Mostly I just walk around with a big smile on my face, looking like a dumb blonde probably, but I am trying and they really seemed to appreciate me/that this week. So that is encouraging.
Our special sacrament meeting was interesting this week. I led the music, but no one sings the tune I do...bahah, kind of awkward. Also at the end of the sacrament this boy/man (17) yelled and then had a seizure. :( He fell on the floor and it was so sad. I guess he has been suffering from them for years and has brain damage from it. We finished the sacrament and then closed the meeting. Sister lemmon and I went and visited the family last night and he had just had another seizure. I feel so bad for them. The mom is a member, that kid is, and her other daughter, but no one else is...they have a really difficult life. But it was so good to be with them and share a message with them. I fell in love with their little boy, carlo. So cute!
The food here is usually just fine.
We always eat at this one pizza place in naval and I always get way sick. But I just keep trucking along.
CONGRATS TO MAGGIE LOUISE SIGLER FOR GETTING HER MISSION CALL TO TEXAS SPANISH SPEAKING! i Seriously guessed Stateside spanish speaking i am not even kidding! I can't believe her and bianca go into the mtc on the same time! LOVE MY GIRLS! SO SO SO Pumped for them!
Nat--thanks for your dear elder! It was such a great letter and i loved all the updates. I miss you so much!
Aaron--wow, thanks for your emails. hit the nail on the head. you are incredible. thank you so much.
Kerry--Awesome letter! Thanks for updating me on your family's life! man, i am so sad i am not going to be at the reunion with you all!
Marilee--thanks so much for the emails! your kids are so funny! What good questions they had!
Jarrett--............?! still haven't heard anything from you!
Katie--i miss you! thanks for your dear elders and email. thats so nice the kids can play outside tons. man, i love your house!
kiera--i bet benson is everywhereeeeee with him walking now. have so much fun in utah/ cali!
mom/dad--thanks for the emails! sounds like you are busy and all the conferences were good.
I never have time to go back and see what my emails really sound like, but i am doing really well. I am laughing tons with my trainer and learning a lot. I am not as tired as I was the first few days so that is good. I wake up every single day when it is still dark--4ish, and then go back to sleep either until 5:45 or 6:15, and then I sleep until 6:30. Wierd, eh? Every day! Its always nice to wake up and know you can sleep some more. haha.
WEll, thanks so much for all of your emails. I really love hearing from all of you. I am not going to be great at emailing you back though b/c i don't have much time here. BUT, i seriously read all of them and love it. I pray for you all every night and miss you. I really am loving being able to dedicate all my time to the lord and the people here. I love being a missionary and I strive each day to be better and figure out how i can be the Lord's missionary and not just do missionary things. The people here are wonderful and I am so blessed. I know I am supposed to be here and the lord has a specific plan for me, and for them. I get excited every day to walk outside our house and see where the Lord takes us. Every day is an adventure, seriously! How fun is my life!
(oh --sidenote! we went hiking to some caves today! so fun . right on the rocks of the ocean and i was so done with the rock climbing situation ..and the tide was coming in...that i made us all go straight up the mountains/ woods. hahaha, way hard, but way better, at least i though.)
WEll, Nasayud ko nga nahigugma ang dios ka nato ug mipadala siya kanato sa yuta makakat-on ug motubo. so learn alll you can. Amulek gave up so much to teach the gospel and alma was by his side during the difficulties. How important that is taht we have a friend during the heart aches and difficulties. Alma 10 and alma 15--read them and relate them to hometeaching and visiting teaching. (katie...that is my thought for you and your vt lesson...). We have taught a lot this week on vt/ht. IT is sooo important and it is not a very easy concept to understand here. I never realized how crucial it was until i got here. Wow. So important. The lord leads people into our lives for a reason and leads us to them for a reason. We are literally the very answer to prayers that they have been pleading for. Don't forget how powerful that is! They are having the faith that the lord will hear and answer their prayers....so have faith in being that answer. Love you alll so much,
Sister B. :)
Kamusta mo tikang pilippines!
This week was crazy busy with meetings and conferences and APs and punting, and rain rain rain, so unfortunately our work was a bit lisod (hard). Tuesday for district meeting/ lunch we watch the saturday session of conference. I loved conference so much! We were so pumped to go out and teach the work...unfortunately we got 'punted' a few too many times this week (showed up and the investigator wasn't there) but we ended up teaching the children or whoever else was around ... WEdnesday, Nanay Helen made us breakfast (which was marasa (delicious) but made me ill to the point that we couldn't go to our next apt, and then we had to take a bus to Naval b/c Zone conference was the next day. The APs picked us up in NAval and it was a crazy ride through the mountains. I got way car sick--which is kinda weird for me. But, Zone conference was so wonderful! It is always so fun to be with other missionaries and listen to President and Sister MAlit. It is so motivating and encouraging! THere are also 6 of us that were friends in the MTC that are in this zone so that was fun to be with them. So the first part of zone conference President malit was training and i was just taking notes like crazy and then we had a break, etc. Then, seriously it became like the blonquist show somehow...I was participating a bit, but then i got volunteered numerous times to do examples and activities and then my comp and i sang a duet, "because i have been given much" ., the new missionaries bore our testimonies, and then i was leading the music, and then they had my comp and i go up again and do some more examples, etc. IT was crazy i couldn't believe it. I am this brand new kid and all of a sudden i was always up front doing stuff. IT was good though, just funny. I really learned so much at zone conference and loved it. I forgot my notes at home, but some things that stuck out: focus on the good, have no fear, focus on 'finding' and talking to everyone, love the members.
On Friday my companion and I had big plans to teach 12 lessons--we got 6. There was a fiesta in the next town over so all the motors were full and no one would give us a ride, and all our investigators were gone...so interesting how that all works..or doesn't... but we just kept trudging along in the hot hot hot hot sun. Friday night we went to capucgayan (where our branch building is/ elders area) and played "finding faith in christ" we had aout 40 people there and new investigators my comp and i found! OH! We also have been asked to search for professionals and for future leaders of the church. There were a few times after we got 'punted' that we had the distinct impression to go a certain way, to a certain house and talk to them and guess what we found--professionals!
Saturday the elders in our district had a baptism (in the ocean) and so we went and supported that. IT was reallly incredible and i loved it! The weather was getting a little intense but we prayed it would remain calm until after the baptism, and that is exactly what happened. It then started pouring pouring rain. It didn't stop raining for about 3 hours.
My companion and I then went around to the less actives and sang song/ taught lessons. We then went to our investigators and had a great last lesson to raymond. His two fellowshipper/friends don't really have a desire to go on a mission so we ended up teaching them too. It was quite interesting.
WE taught a family/group last night. The lesson lasted about two hours....people were in and out and it was weird, but okay. I started speaking cebuano and they all straight up started laughing in my face. Bahahaha. IT was funny; I just laughed with them and then said okay, "sigi, sigi" (kinda like , bring it in..) "kinahanglan patience sa ako" (patience with me..) and laughed it off and started the first part of the lesson and did pretty good...(for me..). It was kinda fun actually. My language is so random, but we just keeeep plugggggin along. Actually, I am in fact wondering what you all are praying for with my language because: I was called to cebuano, my area is mostly WARAY, and we are teaching only TAGALOG people! Three languagessssssssss I can't speak or understand now! Bahaha, I seriously just laugh all the time at myself. Oh, and the members were better this week. Nanay Helen seems to really like me. She just makes me food all the time and is so nice. And some other members have really reached out to me this week. ITs been cute and helpful for sure. Mostly I just walk around with a big smile on my face, looking like a dumb blonde probably, but I am trying and they really seemed to appreciate me/that this week. So that is encouraging.
Our special sacrament meeting was interesting this week. I led the music, but no one sings the tune I do...bahah, kind of awkward. Also at the end of the sacrament this boy/man (17) yelled and then had a seizure. :( He fell on the floor and it was so sad. I guess he has been suffering from them for years and has brain damage from it. We finished the sacrament and then closed the meeting. Sister lemmon and I went and visited the family last night and he had just had another seizure. I feel so bad for them. The mom is a member, that kid is, and her other daughter, but no one else is...they have a really difficult life. But it was so good to be with them and share a message with them. I fell in love with their little boy, carlo. So cute!
The food here is usually just fine.
We always eat at this one pizza place in naval and I always get way sick. But I just keep trucking along.
CONGRATS TO MAGGIE LOUISE SIGLER FOR GETTING HER MISSION CALL TO TEXAS SPANISH SPEAKING! i Seriously guessed Stateside spanish speaking i am not even kidding! I can't believe her and bianca go into the mtc on the same time! LOVE MY GIRLS! SO SO SO Pumped for them!
Nat--thanks for your dear elder! It was such a great letter and i loved all the updates. I miss you so much!
Aaron--wow, thanks for your emails. hit the nail on the head. you are incredible. thank you so much.
Kerry--Awesome letter! Thanks for updating me on your family's life! man, i am so sad i am not going to be at the reunion with you all!
Marilee--thanks so much for the emails! your kids are so funny! What good questions they had!
Jarrett--............?! still haven't heard anything from you!
Katie--i miss you! thanks for your dear elders and email. thats so nice the kids can play outside tons. man, i love your house!
kiera--i bet benson is everywhereeeeee with him walking now. have so much fun in utah/ cali!
mom/dad--thanks for the emails! sounds like you are busy and all the conferences were good.
I never have time to go back and see what my emails really sound like, but i am doing really well. I am laughing tons with my trainer and learning a lot. I am not as tired as I was the first few days so that is good. I wake up every single day when it is still dark--4ish, and then go back to sleep either until 5:45 or 6:15, and then I sleep until 6:30. Wierd, eh? Every day! Its always nice to wake up and know you can sleep some more. haha.
WEll, thanks so much for all of your emails. I really love hearing from all of you. I am not going to be great at emailing you back though b/c i don't have much time here. BUT, i seriously read all of them and love it. I pray for you all every night and miss you. I really am loving being able to dedicate all my time to the lord and the people here. I love being a missionary and I strive each day to be better and figure out how i can be the Lord's missionary and not just do missionary things. The people here are wonderful and I am so blessed. I know I am supposed to be here and the lord has a specific plan for me, and for them. I get excited every day to walk outside our house and see where the Lord takes us. Every day is an adventure, seriously! How fun is my life!
(oh --sidenote! we went hiking to some caves today! so fun . right on the rocks of the ocean and i was so done with the rock climbing situation ..and the tide was coming in...that i made us all go straight up the mountains/ woods. hahaha, way hard, but way better, at least i though.)
WEll, Nasayud ko nga nahigugma ang dios ka nato ug mipadala siya kanato sa yuta makakat-on ug motubo. so learn alll you can. Amulek gave up so much to teach the gospel and alma was by his side during the difficulties. How important that is taht we have a friend during the heart aches and difficulties. Alma 10 and alma 15--read them and relate them to hometeaching and visiting teaching. (katie...that is my thought for you and your vt lesson...). We have taught a lot this week on vt/ht. IT is sooo important and it is not a very easy concept to understand here. I never realized how crucial it was until i got here. Wow. So important. The lord leads people into our lives for a reason and leads us to them for a reason. We are literally the very answer to prayers that they have been pleading for. Don't forget how powerful that is! They are having the faith that the lord will hear and answer their prayers....so have faith in being that answer. Love you alll so much,
Sister B. :)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Letter #2 From the field
Kamusta sa akong pamilya!
Here's to another P-day in the Field. It feels like the week went by fast, but it also feels like sooo long ago. Weird how time works here.
Last monday night we did a FHE in Looaon with some investigators and some members. IT actually turned out really well and we had about 20 people there! WE did an object lesson with two cotton balls. One cotton ball symbolized doing all the right things we are to do: read the scriptures, pray, go to church, service= that cotton ball was 'protected' and was soaked in alcohol. The other cotton ball wala protection/alcohol. We set them both on fire. The fire burnt the cotton ball with no protection/wasn't doing the right things, and it was black/ dirty. The one with alchohol/protected was still clean! :) the Filipinos really liked it a lot and understood the concept really well.
We are teaching Brother Raymond (16 yrs old) and he has two great examples who live in the same sitio as him (neighborhood). They are awesome boys and he does scripture study with them every night and he came to conference in a suit and tie with them on sunday! So happy. He is getting baptized April 30th--his birthday. So excited! He will be my first baptism of the mission. I hope it all goes according to plan! I think it will. He is an awesome kid and even though i can't communicate well we still joke and laugh lots.
We had miracles happen this week as we've met people prepared to hear the truth. Sister Jeni (26 years old, married) was at that fhe and was participating and said she just moved from manila and new some mormons there and had learned from the missionaries there. So excited! WE taught her the message of the restoration and she brought us out the pamphlets she had received back in manila and told us that she has been searching at different churches for a long while , but sometimes at night she would read the pamphlets and feel overcome with peace and just cry and cry. She got all teary just talking about it! we explained (haha--i mean my companion explained..) to her that that was the Spirit and then we talked more and right then commited her to baptism and she accepted! YEAH! We have visited her daily, met her husband, and then met her brother in law and his thre ADorable kids who just love us and were able to share the plan of salvation with the whole family. They invited us to dinner and everything and it was so fun! (we ate lots of rice and fish, by the way...) love that family so much.
WE also are teaching another family of a recent convert. Sister jenatte and brother noly. There situation is interesting b/c there is no divorce in the philippines and her first husband died tragically (she has little kids) and noly and her have been together for two years, but i guess he has a wife somewhere, but they split up a while ago.. Anyways, noly and jenatte have a baby together and are loyal to eachother, and are considered together, even though they can never get married b/c his first wife is alive somewhere. So, i guess here in the philippines the church has a 'co-habitaion' situation where they could get baptized if they are interviewed by the branch president and considered a couple ,etc. Interesting eh? They actually both seem very excited and participated in the two lessons we taught. I like them a lot and their kids are adorable as well.
Well, we spent this week getting people excited to watch general conference. Actually my companion spent the week explaining the zls, members, brach president, mission president how crucial it was for us to watch general conference. I won't go into detail, but i guess here in the philippines it isn't a big deal to watch general conference. We seriously went through an epic battle this week and then we worked so hard to get everyone where they needed to be to watch the dvd and then more things went wrong and then we couldn't hear it and it was so frustrating...so i just started praying because seriously, we had done ALLL WE COULD DO to listen to the prophet and then, miraculously everything started working. WOW, sooo happy. So we got to watch Sunday session of conference and at district meeting we will be watching one session of saturday. I loved president uchtdorf's talk on love. so powerful. and the talk on mothers. and trials. loved them all.
This week I have eaten: squid, lots of fish fish fish, lots of rice/ginger, this deliciousssssssssssssss soup thing which was very flavorful.
On Friday we had "zone reactivation" where all the missionaries go to one area and go find all the less active and teach with members. Sister lemmon and i got assigned to all the families that were straight up in the BUKID. I am not kidding we hiked up and down and all around this very large mountain. Wow, it was incredible! But we taught some awesome lessons and really enjoyed our day.
THursday we had a workshop with the branch council and missionaries. Umm, funny story. IT was soooooooooo hot. It was like we were in a sauna, no joke. I fell asleep (because it was epically longgggggggg meeting) for about two seconds and i woke up and COULD NOT breathe! Seriously, it was so hot and humid it was like there was no air in that room. I had a slight panic attack and started coughin! it was awkward but thankfully i had water and was able to breathe after a frantic prayer. I am so embarressing here. The members don 't know what to do with me!
Well, i should head out now. My comp and I are working hard.
I hope you all are doing well! Family--email me, tahts the fastest way; i only get dear elders or mail like once every 2-3 weeks, so emailing would be awesome.
I pray for you all every night! Thank you for all your prayers and support. I really need it and really appreciate it.
NAsayud ko nga buhi ang dios ug sa iyang anak si jesukristo. nasayud ko nga kinahanglan kita sa pagbasa sa basahon ni mormon tungod magtabang niya kita makailila sa dios. mapasalamaton ko nga sa akong pamilia makauban sa hangtud sa kahangtuoran. Tinuod ang ebanghelyo ni jesukristo ug niya sa atong manaluluwas.
Nahiguga ko sa ninya!
sister blonquist
p.s. they have really good bread here. there is no way i am losing weight. :)
Here's to another P-day in the Field. It feels like the week went by fast, but it also feels like sooo long ago. Weird how time works here.
Last monday night we did a FHE in Looaon with some investigators and some members. IT actually turned out really well and we had about 20 people there! WE did an object lesson with two cotton balls. One cotton ball symbolized doing all the right things we are to do: read the scriptures, pray, go to church, service= that cotton ball was 'protected' and was soaked in alcohol. The other cotton ball wala protection/alcohol. We set them both on fire. The fire burnt the cotton ball with no protection/wasn't doing the right things, and it was black/ dirty. The one with alchohol/protected was still clean! :) the Filipinos really liked it a lot and understood the concept really well.
We are teaching Brother Raymond (16 yrs old) and he has two great examples who live in the same sitio as him (neighborhood). They are awesome boys and he does scripture study with them every night and he came to conference in a suit and tie with them on sunday! So happy. He is getting baptized April 30th--his birthday. So excited! He will be my first baptism of the mission. I hope it all goes according to plan! I think it will. He is an awesome kid and even though i can't communicate well we still joke and laugh lots.
We had miracles happen this week as we've met people prepared to hear the truth. Sister Jeni (26 years old, married) was at that fhe and was participating and said she just moved from manila and new some mormons there and had learned from the missionaries there. So excited! WE taught her the message of the restoration and she brought us out the pamphlets she had received back in manila and told us that she has been searching at different churches for a long while , but sometimes at night she would read the pamphlets and feel overcome with peace and just cry and cry. She got all teary just talking about it! we explained (haha--i mean my companion explained..) to her that that was the Spirit and then we talked more and right then commited her to baptism and she accepted! YEAH! We have visited her daily, met her husband, and then met her brother in law and his thre ADorable kids who just love us and were able to share the plan of salvation with the whole family. They invited us to dinner and everything and it was so fun! (we ate lots of rice and fish, by the way...) love that family so much.
WE also are teaching another family of a recent convert. Sister jenatte and brother noly. There situation is interesting b/c there is no divorce in the philippines and her first husband died tragically (she has little kids) and noly and her have been together for two years, but i guess he has a wife somewhere, but they split up a while ago.. Anyways, noly and jenatte have a baby together and are loyal to eachother, and are considered together, even though they can never get married b/c his first wife is alive somewhere. So, i guess here in the philippines the church has a 'co-habitaion' situation where they could get baptized if they are interviewed by the branch president and considered a couple ,etc. Interesting eh? They actually both seem very excited and participated in the two lessons we taught. I like them a lot and their kids are adorable as well.
Well, we spent this week getting people excited to watch general conference. Actually my companion spent the week explaining the zls, members, brach president, mission president how crucial it was for us to watch general conference. I won't go into detail, but i guess here in the philippines it isn't a big deal to watch general conference. We seriously went through an epic battle this week and then we worked so hard to get everyone where they needed to be to watch the dvd and then more things went wrong and then we couldn't hear it and it was so frustrating...so i just started praying because seriously, we had done ALLL WE COULD DO to listen to the prophet and then, miraculously everything started working. WOW, sooo happy. So we got to watch Sunday session of conference and at district meeting we will be watching one session of saturday. I loved president uchtdorf's talk on love. so powerful. and the talk on mothers. and trials. loved them all.
This week I have eaten: squid, lots of fish fish fish, lots of rice/ginger, this deliciousssssssssssssss soup thing which was very flavorful.
On Friday we had "zone reactivation" where all the missionaries go to one area and go find all the less active and teach with members. Sister lemmon and i got assigned to all the families that were straight up in the BUKID. I am not kidding we hiked up and down and all around this very large mountain. Wow, it was incredible! But we taught some awesome lessons and really enjoyed our day.
THursday we had a workshop with the branch council and missionaries. Umm, funny story. IT was soooooooooo hot. It was like we were in a sauna, no joke. I fell asleep (because it was epically longgggggggg meeting) for about two seconds and i woke up and COULD NOT breathe! Seriously, it was so hot and humid it was like there was no air in that room. I had a slight panic attack and started coughin! it was awkward but thankfully i had water and was able to breathe after a frantic prayer. I am so embarressing here. The members don 't know what to do with me!
Well, i should head out now. My comp and I are working hard.
I hope you all are doing well! Family--email me, tahts the fastest way; i only get dear elders or mail like once every 2-3 weeks, so emailing would be awesome.
I pray for you all every night! Thank you for all your prayers and support. I really need it and really appreciate it.
NAsayud ko nga buhi ang dios ug sa iyang anak si jesukristo. nasayud ko nga kinahanglan kita sa pagbasa sa basahon ni mormon tungod magtabang niya kita makailila sa dios. mapasalamaton ko nga sa akong pamilia makauban sa hangtud sa kahangtuoran. Tinuod ang ebanghelyo ni jesukristo ug niya sa atong manaluluwas.
Nahiguga ko sa ninya!
sister blonquist
p.s. they have really good bread here. there is no way i am losing weight. :)
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
1st Letter from the mission field! 4/5/2010
Kamusta mo tanang katawhan!
Well, I have arrived safely in the philippines! The last monday at the mtc was stressful, but we got everything done! IT was sad to say goodbye to 3 elders in our district serving in Cebu, but hopefully they are doing well. We got to the airport and my bags were over 50 pounds....so i took out the stinking heavy cebuano dictionary and elder nelson carried it for me and i was good! It was slightly weird to be out in the real world, but good. I don't even remember the plane ride to LA, so i'm sure it was fine. We arrived in LA and got situated and I got to call home and talk to URS and NOEL for a bit.
Um, the entire internet cafe's electricity just went out. Thank good ness for this new lds mail/ gmail it saved my email! Tender mercy.
WEll, LA flight to Taiwan was good, i think. I think i slept a lot and wrote in people's journals. I had grand plans to study cebuano and read the BNM, but i was so stinking tired. We arrived in taiwan at 5:30 am. Taiwan was pretty cool because they had a free relaxing zone with sweet massage chairs. Did that for 20 minutes and talked to some muslims about the gospel of Jesus Christ. SO neat! We then ate some sushi and some roll/bean thing and talked to 4 filipino nurses about the gospel. So stinking fun.
The plane to manila was fine. I sat in between two filipino's and talked to them about the gospel. They were way nice and let me practice my cebuano. We found out from them that we were supposed to switch airports somehow. So they showed us the way to get on the bus. I thought it was so weird that no one from the church was there to bring us ,but I knew we had to get our flight in an hour so we were about ot get on the bus when some other elders told us to go another way and the guy from the church was waiting....good job blonquist ( I was the travel leader).. apparently they had put in my travel leader packet to meet at this designated spot if we were going to tacloban. But i hadn't looked at that map b/c i didn't think we even had to leave the airport at all and didn't realize it applied to us. Hahahaha, we would have gotten to the right spot just fine, but it was nice the bacolod elders came and found us. Anyways, got to manila and had to pay $59 for my second bag (i'll get reimbursed urs) and then we waited in the airport for a bit and our plane was delayed. But, it wasn't too long and we were on the plane (all 6 of us sitting by each other) and we flew over tacloban and it was THE GREENEST, MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE I'VE EVER SEEN...and i've see a lot. IT was unbelievable!!! We were all jumping out of our seats like 4 year olds. We landed and all our bags were accounted for and we walked out and President Malit and the office elders/ aps were there waiting for us. They were all so stinking nice. We all looked dead and exhausted, but we were excited!
WE got to the missino home/office/stake center (all same area) and dropped our bags off and went out to place a Book of Mormon. It was hard! And i did bad! But I loved it. I bore my testimony to this little pregnant lady who understood/spoke english so it was first in cebuano, then english. After we got back, i felt like i hit a wall. Literally. We ate and i sat down and couldn't move. I was so so so tired. My eyes would not stay open. That has never happened to me. We were all sooo dead looking. They asked us if we wanted to stay for the departure meeting and we said no we just want to sleep.
We went to a hotel and I showered from a bucket immediately and then we knelt to pray and apparently it was the shortest prayer ever, but i was fast asleep before it was over. Haha, there were only two beds in the room so the hotel brought us a bed and i slept on the floor. I fell fast asleep asap.
Thursday, we got up and had breakfast at the mission home (pancakes!) and had a testimony meeting with the new arrivals and we had a bunch of trainings and we had our interviews with President Malit. He gave me a hug! That was the first time since jan. 27th that i've gotten a hug from a male...awesome! WE also got our trainers and areas we were assigned in.
I am with Sister Cami Lemmon. She is awesome and from pocatello, id. Our teachers used to always talk about this awesome sister named sister lemmon and now she is my trainer--sweet! We are in Billiran, Cabucgayan district. (See map Dad added below) I live on the smallest island on the world map. So there is Semar and Leyte in my mission and then right above Leyte is the tiny island of Billiran and that is me! Sister Lemmon and I are in the bukid, or bush. Our area speaks Cebuano and WarayWaray. AWesome. Now its not just one language i can't speak, but two! i am excited to learn. . .We only have tindahons in our area, so no stores or bakeries or internet or mail or anything at alllllll, so we travel to Naval on our pdays. Sister Jones (one of my mtc comps. is in Naval so i got to see her lots today!) Sister farnworth is with sister dustin far away somewhere.
Thursday was cool also because we went to McArthur park. McArthur promised the filipino people he would return during WW11 and he did! It's this awesome park dedicated to that liberation and its beautiful. (http://www.batch2006.com/visit_macarthur_park.htm Dad added this url that shows pictures of the park).
Everyone in the mission is so nice and President and Sister Malit and super funny people. Love it. THurs we stayed in the hotel again (its right on the ocean too) which was cool.
We realized that Friday (the day we were all supposed to get on a bus and go to our areas) that it was GOOD FRIDAY which means no buses were running at all. It also meant that the catholics dressed up in KKK outfits and marched around the street. It also meant that they suedo crucified a person. Creepy, i know. WEll, that meant that the office elders and the APs had to drive alll the new missionaries and transfers to their new areas.
Elder Manarang and Elder Cruz (the APs) drove the 8 sisters. WE left at 10am and we didn't get to our area until 7pm. Sister Lemmon and I were the last ones dropped off. It actually was a really fun day of driving and sharing stories and getting lost in the mountains and loving our mission lives.
Jarrett--do you remember a Manarang family back from your mission?? Elder Manarang said he lived in Ventura when he was young 96-98 and he kept saying "blonquist" sounded familiar. His parents are filipino, but he was born in hawaii, and then he grew up in Cali. Anways, he's awesome and I thought that was cool.
Our little area is straight up bukid, but our house is beautiful!!! Apparently the elders used to have our area like a year ago and they used to pray that someday the missionaries would be able to live in this house, and then the lady died!!! (in the room downstairs...) so now we live there! ITs just me and my comp. We have a room we sleep in..mattresses on the floor, a room for our studies, a room for our closet, and bathroom ( cold water of course). Its nice though. The nicest place i've lived in in a foreign country.
Saturday we did studies and did weekly planning. WE then went out and taught Easter lessons and about the atonement to new members, investigators, members. I testified the best i could! Honestly, people just stare at me. The first question they ask me (before my name) is pila ka height? What is your height?? bahah. Seriously, they don't know what to do with my hugeness, my paleness, my big CURLY hair, and my light eyes. Poor people, i'm such a freak show. Seriously. I am not even exaggerating. They are so nice to me.
Sunday.
So our branch is in capucgayon,(Cabucgayan,See map Dad provided below) but we have a special sacrament/sundayschool/primary here in balaquid.(Billiran) The building is made out of wood and bamboo. I directed the music in sacrament and did it in primary. The kids are sooooooooooooo awesome. One of the kids brought a stinking HUGE beetle to primary. It was as big as my palm. It had a horn and eats clothes apparently. Well, he kept putting it on this little kid, heber, and heber kept wailing. So i picked him up and then the kid still put it on him--ummmm, hello get that beetle away from me! it was massive. SAcrament was cool and I bore my testimony! It was pretty good i think and my comp said it made sense and everyone was all smiley. Everyone thought i spoke cebuano (tricked em!) until they came up to me afterwards and i had no idea what was going on. hahah. Oh man this language is so hard. I am getting stressed and worried. I don't know how i am going to learn it . And its half waraywaray here too. OUr elders all get sent waray, but i am the only sister that is in a cebuano/waray area.
Sister lemmon is so patient and nice to me. We have fun and i think she is awesome. She said everyone at church was so excited to have me there and they were all smiles and happier than she had seen in a long time.....i hope thats true. I can't do anything else, so hopefully i can at least help them smile. I dunno, its kinda tough.
We taught more lessons yesterday. Two of our investigators came to church! Lester and RAymond. They even showered and put on jeans and shoes. They are 13 and 17. They are so awesome and fun. We are having a huge FHE tonight at their place and we are trying to get their families involved more. WE taught their family the Restoratoin lesson and the parents said we will lesson(listen) to your lesson, but we are not going to do anything......welllllllll, thats not what we want to hear so we are doing an object lesson about why its so important to follow the commandments and do what HEavenly Father wants us to do. 1 john 1:7 is a good scripture for that. (1 John 1: 7 But if we awalk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the bblood of Jesus Christ his Son ccleanseth us from all sin.)
WEll, our neighbors killed a pig yesterday. That was loud.
Its so stinking hot here. SOOOOOO stinking hot. I am profusely sweating all day long. I think even more than fiji/africa. i know...that is a HUGE statement. Its so bad though. My hankerchief is drenched--thanks spence for giving me those! big help!!!!!!!!
Mags--i heard you tried to get a package to me on monday.. i did n't get it ,but thank you for trying! If there is a way to flat rate box it here for cheap that might be fun!
Katie--i got the dear elders you wrote months ago. That was kinda fun to get the day i got here!
mail is interesting here. there is no post office by me at all. so send it to the mission home and i'll get it eventually; i'm not really sure when. i think at zone conferences and interviews which is every couple of weeks or so.
Family--you can email me. I can't email anyone other than family though. but email me! :) (jarrettt.....)
WEll, my hands hurt from typing soooooooo long. I hope you all are doing well.
I am so freaking tired. Please pray for me to have energy. I've never been this tired in my life. Yesterday it was so bad i was in literal pain. so freaking tired.
today we ate 'pizza.' it was fine. i got sick. what else is new.
did i say i love my trainer cause i do!
Summary of my life in case you don't want to read it all:
i love it! I feel right at home here with the people and culture. i feel like i am in my 'happy place' living here and testifying of the gospel of jesus christ.
my comp is great, the other missionaries are wonderful, and i 've gotten to see some of my friends that came a transfer before. its been awesome!
i sweat more than i ever have before.
i am so freaking tired.
the church is true! god loves us and wants us to know that!
nasayud ko nga natubos namatay nag-antus si jesukristo para sa atong mga sala. gusto niya makailaila kita sa iya tungod nahigugma ni jesukristo kanato. mapasalamaton ko para niining kamatuoran. Nasayud ko nga ang dios mao ang atong amahan sa langit. nasayud ko nga sa atong pamilya makauban hangtud sa kahangtuoran. Nasayud ko nga nagpahiuli ang dios sa iyang ebanghelyo pinaagi ni joseph smith ug tinuod ang basahon ni mormon. Nasuyud ko niining tungod nag-ampo ko ug ang dios nagtubag sa akong mga pag-ampo. diha sa ngalan ni jesukristo, amen!
nahigugma ko ninya.
love,
sister b.