Hi Family,
Well, last Saturday was the brown out and we found out that Renato (supposed to be prepping for his mission) drank and that our little investigators, 12 years old, also drank with him. WHAT. But we had to leave for Zone conference last Monday so we weren't able to talk to them. It was probably a good thing cause we just did not know what to say. Also, last Monday I saw Elder Tenney for the first time since we got here to the Philippines! He's my batch from the MTC! Wow, love that kid. We all went to the bbq-han and ate dinner. He told me some devastating news about an elder from our batch that went home. He served in Cebu and I had just sent him a letter last month and gotten a letter from him the month before. I was shocked. I did not sleep well that night. That was the first time I cried myself to sleep on the mission. I can't express how much I love that elder. I can't talk about it anymore....Please continue to pray for all the missionaries; health, strength, courage, never to give up, to be worthy, and exactly obediant, etc...and for the youth preparing to go on missions--that they will choose the right so that they will be worthy to serve!!!
Zone conference was wonderful, as always, Sister Dustin and I sang, I Need Thee Every Hour. It was good. I have not talked about Sister Dustin very much?! I LOVE HER SO MUCH AND WE HAVE A BLAST TOGETHER. Just in case I haven't said that before. I am learning so much from her, and a lot about me and how I can be better, just from being with her. She's an incredbile missionary.
Well, this week our appointments fell through which turned out perfect so we could go and talk to Renato. He has been lying to us for a long while now and it was time to be done with that. He can't pretend he is ready to serve a mission and then go drink/smoke...His life is rough; he's all alone supporting himself, etc...Anyways, it was quiet and no one disturbed the lesson--first time everrrrrr. We started it by Sister D and I singing, I Stand All Amazed. He just started crying. We prayed and let him talk--and he told us everything-- and we shared all about repentance and God's love, etc. The Spirit was really strong. He said he'd been fasting for two days and he just felt this horrible heavy burden and he had so many sins.... he has a long road ahead of him, but he can do it and we are here in Balaquid for him! During sacrament meeting yesterday he got up and left b/c he was crying...poor kid. But he is learning step by step about the Atonement. It's hard, but possible.
Our investigator, Ryan came to church for the first time!! And our new investigator Conchetta came again--we had crutches made for her husband, Pedro--he can not walk anymore--but he fell on the way to Church and was hurt so he could not come. He went back home and fixed what was wrong with the crutches so next time he could come. Randy and Rowena did not come b/c they were shy b/c they had no shoes for Church. We went to go share with them in the afternoon but they weren't there. :( They were so excited to go to Church, but I guess when they saw Brother Eugene all dressed up to walk to Church with them, they got really shy. :(
We taught Pedro and Conchetta about the Word of Wisdom yesterday. we were teaching Raymond and we saw her take a drink of tuba (alcohol) so we decided to teach that. They know its wrong and she said she was sorry she had had one glass...she didn' t realize that one glass was wrong. They are getting baptized Oct 23.
The Church building looks beautiful and we are supposed to have our cultural event October 8 and start going there for church 0ct 10, but we got word today they might need more time....ughhhh. haha.
Well, life is good. Ups and down, per usual, but we are happy and working hard.
Marilee--- we are praying for your family and especialy for Janiel and Tiffany. thank you for keeping me updated. I can't visit the other website so I appreciate all your updates. I also received the package from you!!!! That was a great surprise. Thanks so much.
Becca--I received your three letters!!!!!!!! I was so thrilled. thrilled.
Natalie--I got your letter!!! I have three letters for you but there are no stamps on this island!!!!
Nana--I got your letter and picture of you when you left on your mission. loved it! thank you!
OH I ALMOST FORGOT! On the way to zone conference we took a van and this tall black guy gets in....I immediately asked him where he was from--guess what--CHICAGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO WAY. His name is Maurice Carney and I gave him your email address, Kiera!!! He lives south side of Chicago, 61st street but is a fireman in Lincoln Park. He is awesome. Seriously. He just got married to a Filipino. We taught him the Plan of Salvation and Message of Restoration on the 1.5 hour van ride to Zone Conference. We gave him pamphlets and a family proclamation. He is really open minded and curious. I hope he emails you! If not, you should see if he has a facebook. :)
Well love you all,
sister b.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
September 20th
I'M STILL IN BALAQUID.
i did not get transferred! That will be a good 7 months here in this bukid, awesome place! That also means that i get to be here for the new chapel.........!!!!!!!!!!!! I get to go to church in a building and not a bamboo hut!!! I won't be dripping sweat and leaning my head to the side so it doesn't go in my eyeballs while i'm directing alll the music during church. AWESOME. I am so excited for these people.
This week was so stressful with transfers. Seriously. We were supposed to know tuesday . We didn't find out until wed afternoon. I literally wrote all my good bye letters. it was intense. BUT, i get to stay here with sister d until at least october 28th! So that is fun.
My comp from the mtc--sister jones is TRAINING! and sister farnworth got transferred to TAcloban, speaking waray, and elder webb my dl got transferred to talosa zone, as Zone leader. lots of changes.
WEll, zone conference is tomorrow and we are excited for that!
I reread the talk on patience by president uchtdorf. Love it so much.
I have never had to be patient like i have to be now so its been a great learning process for me.
WEll, this week was good. and hard. As most weeks go in the mission field. I'm actually very excited about some of our new investigators! BRother RAndy Abasas and his wife rowena and their little baby boy ramson--they are young couple and a referral from our Recent convert, brother eugene.
We are worried constantly about the youth in our area and the less actives. There was a brown out on saturday and it lasted a good part of the night. Everyone goes crazy here when the brown outs are like that. Our investigators and less actives were drinking right outside out house. ...and then none of them went to church. :(
OH, last week i forgot to mention about the monton family. they are a family we are really trying to focus on--three of their kids want to get baptized , but their parents won't let them. If you remember our investigators, mikel and david, mikel is their son. Anyways, they had a terrible huge inappropriate pic/calendar on their wall that was near pornographic and we could not stand it. we knew we had to do something. So last saturday we were teaching the kids and suggested they take it down and we would bring them a big picture of jesus christ. THEY TOOK IT DOWN RIGHT THEN, and we were a bit surprised and scared the parents would be mad.... BUt, the next day we came back with our big picture of jesus and put it up right then. Their parents weren't mad at all! And this past week we taught the mom and it was great to be in their home and see the big picture of christ. One step at a time with this family.......:)
well, my time is up.
i heard about janiel...any updates? my companion and i will keep her in our prayers.
Thank you for your love and support. I truly pray for each of you and i am so grateful for this time in my life to learn and grow from all of these experiences.
I know christ is my savior and he fulfilled his purpose on earth so that we could be happy in this life and return and live with him, forever.
I gave a talk in church yesterday on repentance. I have learned so much about daily repentance these past few months here in balaquid. Repentance is needed every single day. What a gift from our savior!
I love you all,
sister b.
i did not get transferred! That will be a good 7 months here in this bukid, awesome place! That also means that i get to be here for the new chapel.........!!!!!!!!!!!! I get to go to church in a building and not a bamboo hut!!! I won't be dripping sweat and leaning my head to the side so it doesn't go in my eyeballs while i'm directing alll the music during church. AWESOME. I am so excited for these people.
This week was so stressful with transfers. Seriously. We were supposed to know tuesday . We didn't find out until wed afternoon. I literally wrote all my good bye letters. it was intense. BUT, i get to stay here with sister d until at least october 28th! So that is fun.
My comp from the mtc--sister jones is TRAINING! and sister farnworth got transferred to TAcloban, speaking waray, and elder webb my dl got transferred to talosa zone, as Zone leader. lots of changes.
WEll, zone conference is tomorrow and we are excited for that!
I reread the talk on patience by president uchtdorf. Love it so much.
I have never had to be patient like i have to be now so its been a great learning process for me.
WEll, this week was good. and hard. As most weeks go in the mission field. I'm actually very excited about some of our new investigators! BRother RAndy Abasas and his wife rowena and their little baby boy ramson--they are young couple and a referral from our Recent convert, brother eugene.
We are worried constantly about the youth in our area and the less actives. There was a brown out on saturday and it lasted a good part of the night. Everyone goes crazy here when the brown outs are like that. Our investigators and less actives were drinking right outside out house. ...and then none of them went to church. :(
OH, last week i forgot to mention about the monton family. they are a family we are really trying to focus on--three of their kids want to get baptized , but their parents won't let them. If you remember our investigators, mikel and david, mikel is their son. Anyways, they had a terrible huge inappropriate pic/calendar on their wall that was near pornographic and we could not stand it. we knew we had to do something. So last saturday we were teaching the kids and suggested they take it down and we would bring them a big picture of jesus christ. THEY TOOK IT DOWN RIGHT THEN, and we were a bit surprised and scared the parents would be mad.... BUt, the next day we came back with our big picture of jesus and put it up right then. Their parents weren't mad at all! And this past week we taught the mom and it was great to be in their home and see the big picture of christ. One step at a time with this family.......:)
well, my time is up.
i heard about janiel...any updates? my companion and i will keep her in our prayers.
Thank you for your love and support. I truly pray for each of you and i am so grateful for this time in my life to learn and grow from all of these experiences.
I know christ is my savior and he fulfilled his purpose on earth so that we could be happy in this life and return and live with him, forever.
I gave a talk in church yesterday on repentance. I have learned so much about daily repentance these past few months here in balaquid. Repentance is needed every single day. What a gift from our savior!
I love you all,
sister b.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
September 13th
SO. We find out tomorrow if i get transferred. We know there are 3 new american sisters coming in so the chances of sister d training again is veryyyy high, which means i would be transferred. Its been driving us nuts that we don't know. So, stayed tuned for next week. . .
This past week were interviews with president. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! We laugh lots together but also can really talk about questions and concerns and the spirit is so strong. I feel his love and faith in my and it makes me want to be a better servant of the lord. Seriously, I walk into the room having concerns and i walk out with none, and knowing that i can do anything. Its an awesome feeling. He is truly inspired man. He told me to tell you, mom and dad, thanks for letting me come on a mission. :) I told him of my struggles with the language (again...) and he had lots of good things to say of course, but at the end he said,'' we will include you and your cebuano in our prayers." Which is incredible, because earlier that week, i had thought, "what if i asked president to pray for my cebuano? Could i ask him that? Is that weird...?" Anyways, i didn't ask him, but then at the end of the interview he said that...and then i told him that i had been thinking of asking him but had gotten shy or something and he said , i know, the spirit told me to tell you that. He then told me that a long time ago he asked for the gift of discernment and the lord blessed him with that. He said i can literally discern what people are thinking. HE's the best.
On the way to the interview i sat next to a girl on the bus and had this thought that i should talk to her. I was tired and just wanted to read my ensign. But then i remembered that all good thoughts are from god , and of course as his missionary i should talk to her. So i did. And it was so fun to talk in cebuano all by myself to her. Of course it was not perfect, and sometimes my cebuano was reallly bad, bahhaa, but it was so needed. I really needed that experience. I told president about that and how i felt like it was heavenly father's gift to me to show me that i could do this....president said of course! you had that experience because you have been praying. You have been praying for ways to improve your cebuano. Yes, indeed, i have. and i know all of you have too. so thank you.
Gihapon, we shared with sister jessa--finally, its been forever. And the lesson was amazing! She finally really opened up. And i was able to really share what i wanted to share and speak what i wanted to say. It was a good day for my language. I felt the prayers of my mission president and all of you.... and i so need them. So thank you!!!
WEll, time is up.
I love you all. i pray for you alll.
Life is beautiful and i love it. love my comp, love being a missionary, love the people.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA!!!
Happy birthday urs on sept 17!!!
i'll let you know if i get transferred or not! I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for me!
love,
sister b.
This past week were interviews with president. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! We laugh lots together but also can really talk about questions and concerns and the spirit is so strong. I feel his love and faith in my and it makes me want to be a better servant of the lord. Seriously, I walk into the room having concerns and i walk out with none, and knowing that i can do anything. Its an awesome feeling. He is truly inspired man. He told me to tell you, mom and dad, thanks for letting me come on a mission. :) I told him of my struggles with the language (again...) and he had lots of good things to say of course, but at the end he said,'' we will include you and your cebuano in our prayers." Which is incredible, because earlier that week, i had thought, "what if i asked president to pray for my cebuano? Could i ask him that? Is that weird...?" Anyways, i didn't ask him, but then at the end of the interview he said that...and then i told him that i had been thinking of asking him but had gotten shy or something and he said , i know, the spirit told me to tell you that. He then told me that a long time ago he asked for the gift of discernment and the lord blessed him with that. He said i can literally discern what people are thinking. HE's the best.
On the way to the interview i sat next to a girl on the bus and had this thought that i should talk to her. I was tired and just wanted to read my ensign. But then i remembered that all good thoughts are from god , and of course as his missionary i should talk to her. So i did. And it was so fun to talk in cebuano all by myself to her. Of course it was not perfect, and sometimes my cebuano was reallly bad, bahhaa, but it was so needed. I really needed that experience. I told president about that and how i felt like it was heavenly father's gift to me to show me that i could do this....president said of course! you had that experience because you have been praying. You have been praying for ways to improve your cebuano. Yes, indeed, i have. and i know all of you have too. so thank you.
Gihapon, we shared with sister jessa--finally, its been forever. And the lesson was amazing! She finally really opened up. And i was able to really share what i wanted to share and speak what i wanted to say. It was a good day for my language. I felt the prayers of my mission president and all of you.... and i so need them. So thank you!!!
WEll, time is up.
I love you all. i pray for you alll.
Life is beautiful and i love it. love my comp, love being a missionary, love the people.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA!!!
Happy birthday urs on sept 17!!!
i'll let you know if i get transferred or not! I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for me!
love,
sister b.
Monday, September 6, 2010
September 6, 2010
HI FAMILY!
This week was wonderful. Transfers are september 16 and we are not sure what is going to happen. we all have mixed feelings...i think there are some new american sisters coming in so they'll probably need sister d to train some of them...so i dunno! we have interviews tomorrow with president.
WEll, sister jenette and her daughter are getting baptized sept 25.
the new chapel should be done in a few weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've been studying about overcoming the natural man through the spirit. something aaron emailed me about a while back. it led me to some neat scriptures: 1 nephi 21:16 and then zech 13:6. . . The savior's arms of mercy are always extended towards us. Alma 5:33! He always no matter what we've done or said or thought, wants us to come unto him. And he has not forgotten us--even if we have forgotten him. He will not let us down, even if we have let him down. We are literally engraven on the palms of his hands. very very literally. and those same palms are outstretched waiting for us to come unto him. it's an interesting visual--one i can't get out of my mind.
also, this thought process led me to matthew 26:40-41. He is talking to his disciples. He asked them could you not watch for one hour? (Could you not do the little things i've asked of you, while i was literally sweating drops of blood from every pore for your weaknesses, mistakes, and sins...) And then he says "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Sorry this is all paraphrased...i don't have my bible with me. But for me i realized Jesus Christ has asked us to do our part, because he did his, and because he wants us to return to him. But in verse 41, to me, he is saying i know you have good desires and you want to be better, but i understand that the natural man, we as humans, are weak.... In these two verses i see the justice and the mercy. both are prevelent, and thank goodness! So continue on with faith in our saviour. He understands completely!
WE watched the testaments last night for a fireside and even though i have seen that movie numerous times, last night heavenly father knew i needed to see it again. I was really touched by it , more than ever before. OUr heavenly father truly does know us and our saviour jesus christ has not forgotten us! One part at the end he comes and finds helam who is now blind...and he calls him by name and then heals him.
Just imagine our savior jesus christ coming to find just you and calling your first name so that he can heal you.
I promise in the name of jesus christ and as his missionary, he does, in fact do that for each of us. He knows you by name and his hands are outstretched to each of you so that he can heal you.
I challenge all of you and myself to get to know our savior better each day. To accept him and allow him to heal us. only he can.
i love you all.
i really do need your prayers and i am so grateful for them.
daghang salamat.
love,
sister b.
zach shrader--i got your wedding invitation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! congrats bud! miss you.
benasi--i got your wedding invitation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow, congrats!!!!! miss you also.
melissa rehon--i got your wedding invitation!! wow congratsssssssssssss.
thanks so much for remembering me and letting me know about your lives!
lessie--got your letter! thanks for the update. congrats to ryree!! lessie, i'll write you soon. i love you!!
natalie gardner--i need your address! i have two letters for you! happy belated bday!
and happy 90th bday to my nana!
and happy birthday to my cousin lindz on sept 9th!!!!!!!!! i just sent you a letter.
miss you all and love you more!
Pictures
So, these are small, but they are pictures Tori sent about a month ago. I can't seem to separate them into individual picture, but we wanted to make sure they were posted anyways. If you click on them you can make them bigger. Enjoy!
Monday, August 30, 2010
August 30, 2010
Hello Family,
We are back pluggin along in Balaquid. President Malit's neices came back with us on Thursday, but left this morning at 6am; thats the only time the APs could pick them up..poor elders, they only got one hour of sleep. Anyways, balaquid is wonderful it was nice to be 'home' again with our investigators, teaching lessons.
We've been trying to apply the trainings.
Focusing on the people and their concerns more than ever. Teaching lessons differently and addressing concerns first.Kneeling and asking the head of the house hold to pray---and not getting up until they do... teaching about prayer more than ever. Asking what people's expectations are from us--what do they want to learn, etc. Teaching about and from the book of mormon and reading with them. Committing people to baptism in the first lesson.
We have yet to do 'church tours' b/c we have a bamboo hut...uhh...and that would be slightly unproductive maybe...but we'll see.
We learned so much and it was an incredible three days filled with the spirit. i will have to write out a letter and mail it home.
Last week i did a role play as one of the less actives here--jaime, and i think i mentioned last time that i received revelation as to what he was feeling and how we can help him...well this week during some lessons and the small things he stated we realized that i was dead on during the role play--it was really powerful.
REnato is doing well. He is working with the elders and doesn't seem to be involved with any bawal things or smoking or anything. I'm not sure what happened two weeks ago!
Anyways, life is good in balaquid . we are teaching two older woman we are really excited about. they both committed to baptism. one of them, synida smokes and is trying to quit. they are both hilarious (they are sisters). Synida is lady lucas mom and sister leemmon and i taught her a while back.
anyways, i am out of time now.
love you all,
sister b.
We are back pluggin along in Balaquid. President Malit's neices came back with us on Thursday, but left this morning at 6am; thats the only time the APs could pick them up..poor elders, they only got one hour of sleep. Anyways, balaquid is wonderful it was nice to be 'home' again with our investigators, teaching lessons.
We've been trying to apply the trainings.
Focusing on the people and their concerns more than ever. Teaching lessons differently and addressing concerns first.Kneeling and asking the head of the house hold to pray---and not getting up until they do... teaching about prayer more than ever. Asking what people's expectations are from us--what do they want to learn, etc. Teaching about and from the book of mormon and reading with them. Committing people to baptism in the first lesson.
We have yet to do 'church tours' b/c we have a bamboo hut...uhh...and that would be slightly unproductive maybe...but we'll see.
We learned so much and it was an incredible three days filled with the spirit. i will have to write out a letter and mail it home.
Last week i did a role play as one of the less actives here--jaime, and i think i mentioned last time that i received revelation as to what he was feeling and how we can help him...well this week during some lessons and the small things he stated we realized that i was dead on during the role play--it was really powerful.
REnato is doing well. He is working with the elders and doesn't seem to be involved with any bawal things or smoking or anything. I'm not sure what happened two weeks ago!
Anyways, life is good in balaquid . we are teaching two older woman we are really excited about. they both committed to baptism. one of them, synida smokes and is trying to quit. they are both hilarious (they are sisters). Synida is lady lucas mom and sister leemmon and i taught her a while back.
anyways, i am out of time now.
love you all,
sister b.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
August 24, 2010 letter
hello family and friends!
i am in tacloban right now! what a week its been. WE had president malit's two neices live with us and it was pretty fun. It was a bit of an adjustment for them, but they liked it enough that they are coming back with us tomorrow too.
Well last week was actually full of some more tough moments wtih some of our less actives. Sister dustin and i fasted and just kept pouring out heart out in prayer. I actually had a realy interesting experience in one of the lessons with brother renato. He was acting really strange and we unfortunately thought we saw him smoking and it broke our hearts. he wouldn't look us in the eye or talk to us for three days. raymond wouldn't shake my hand when i saw him and would not look at me--he's been drinking and smoking. it was a a hard couple of days trying to figure out what was going on with our boys! then we had an intense lesson with brother renato. i had some scriptures i had prepared and studied earlier that day, btu he said he hadn't been smoking (we didn't full otu ask him, but he just told us this) and so i wasn't going to share my thoughts or scriptures...but then the spirit was almost forcing me and telling me i had to share these scriptures. it was like how i feel in testimony meeting when i know i should bear my testimony and then i talk myself out of it...my heart was pounding and i was almost over come with emotion.... it happened three different times. the spirit told me what i had to do so i did it. it was intense.
well, we got a text from the aps saying they were pickin us up to come to tacloban for a special Leadership training for three days! So thats where i have been. It was been the best three days. We have new curriculum that we've been trained on and the spirit has been so so strong during the trainings.. We've done a lot of role playing and our testimonies have grown a lot. I really love all the changes and different things they are trying to emphasize. I don't have time to explain it all now. I'll have to write a letter about it., but its wonderful. It was incredible too b/c sister dustin and i were role playing as the investigators that we actually have and it got really intense. we both received answers to prayers on how to help our investigators during the role play. It was awesome. I have loved these three days so much.
Anyways, that is why i didn't email on monday and we are emailing now. We had no pday on monday but got permission to email now and take our pday.
Well, life is good. i'll email again on monday.
I love this gospel so much. One thing president malit said that stood out to me today was many people think the choice is to repent or not repent and keep livign their lives....but we find in d and c 19:4 i believe....it is repent or we suffer.
Repentance is so important . Every day!! All of us need to repent, me especially. This new curricullum is a lot about following the spirit even more so than before . and so we talked about being worthy to have that spirit. We've had great experiences this week and a lot was learned. I love you all and i am doing well. Salamat kaayo for your love, prayers , and support. i sure need it! !
And soorry i have tried to send letter for the past 3 weeks, but there have been no stamps on biliran island...so monday i will try again. nana's card will be late maybe.
Love you all!!!
sister b