Ulit Kumsta Pamilya?!

January 9, 2012
Hey, so another week has gone by! I have made it to my first transfer. Okay..I'm not getting transferred, but every 6 weeks we have transferrs. ON wed we have a "transfer awareness day" where we find out who is getting transferred- we have a 2 day notice and then on friday you go to transfer meeting and get transferred to your new area! I will be in Lingayen for at least another 6 weeks- I'm thinking probably 12 more weeks. The Church just started this new program it's a "12 week training program" which again- I'm in the 2nd batch of missionaries for them to experiment and use this program on. The goal is to get us able to BECOME a trainer in 12 weeks...so know the ropes of everything in 12 weeks. It's going well so far...I think. I dunno, you'd have to ask Sis. Fajardo about that one :) Anyways, so for that you have the same trainer for 12 weeks, after which you then have a follow up trainer. Usually they keep you in the same area (according to Sis. Fajardo) and your follow up trainer comes in and just takes over...we'll see...I love my trainer though, and I seriously can't imagine being the mission field without her. She is so great, and we get along soo well. Yesterday when we were walking with one of our friends (member, Sis. Rose Castillo) she comes with us all the time which is great. I was just thinking wow...this is great...I feel like I'm hanging out with friends doing the Lords work. Can it get any better than that? :) It was fun! So yeah mom- that answers your question about transfers that I forgot to answer last week. And for your question about packages- Yes! I'm sorry I thought I answered that last week, but I received your envelope of pictures a week or so ago- I think it took 2 and half weeks to get here- and then another half week for them to get it to me from the mission home. So...great timing. As for the package- I have not received that yet. I have a mtg on wed- for transfer awareness though, and transfers are friday- so I would assume that if it came in the mail this past week that I would receive it sometime this week! But...I don't know! :) That is so embarrassing that Dad played the recorder in front of EVERYONE! Good thing they're senile and probably can't remember by now! haha I'm glad that talk came in handy with you now! I have found that before...I thought I was good at getting up and talking on the fly..but now, I'm gettin even better. Yesterday I had to play the hymns in sacrament mtg...again...which...I know how to play like 3 hymns so yeah...I'm sure you can imagine how well that went haha pagkatapos the teacher didn't show up to teach the "youth" which is ALL the youth because we're not big enough to just have seperate classes. So...We got to teach the class! Luckily the topic was "The book of mormon- the keystone of our religion" wow...i can teach that one in my sleep now! haha Pagkatapos- we planned a missionary fireside for yesterday to get all of the members excited about visiting teaching and home teaching! We had President Vick Sison (whom I love- we go to his house every monday night for dinner- and we teach his nephew who is an investigator- age 15) anyways he is great, and he's the 2nd counselor in our Stake Presidency. So we roped him into talking, then we showed the movie "only a stonecutter" from the D&C DVD's...and afterwards quoted him in saying "callings are seldom convenient" and talked about the importance ofcallings. Afterwards, sister fajardo and I did a role play- like we do in all of our district mtgs weekly. We roleplayed how a vt/ht assignment should be coordinated, planned with each other, and then taught to the member. How welcoming back to the church should be done- It was soo good! People were laughing because we exagerrated everything out obviously, ahha but it was just really good!
Can I just tell you how much I have come to love sundays? They're like Christmas- It's always a surprise and you get to see how well your work payed off from the week by who shows up to church! haha Seriously- I had tears come to my eyes this sunday as I looked up from the piano and counted 22 less active members- and 2 investigators. Mainly I was soo overwhelmed with a love for our lost sheep- our investigators. I have grown to love them soo much. I was like a proud parent when some of them even got up to bear their testimony. I also was soo excited when they had to pull out more chairs and set them up because there were too many people! Oh my goodness immediately after Church Sis. Fajardo got on our knees and thanked our Heavenly Father. We had one member, Jerilee Navarro- we taught her this last week for the 2nd time. We found her last week- she was born as a child with her family when they converted- never really went to church and when she did her Bishop apparently had an affair so she had a really bad opinion of the church. She is a member but she doesn't really believe in it, because she doesn't really know about it. Anyways, in an effort to enlighten her, we returned last week and taught her lesson 1 about Joseph Smith. As we taught her, she was wandering around, yelling at kids, seriously was uninterested and had such a hard presence to her countenenace. Seriously. That's the first time I have walked out of an appt and turned to Sis. F and we both just said wow, that was interesting. Not a waste of time, but we didn't feel like we got through to her at all. Not even sure if she would want us to return. Well...goes to show you I dont know anything, because she came to church with her daughter. I could not believe it. seriously my jaw dropped...and it goes to show you that the Lord does know it, and her heart evidentally was softened. We also had Brother Bonifacio show up- we were searching for him and we asked a member nearby for directions- he told us it was a waste of time and that it's been years and years and he was uninterested. We got there- obviously forced ourselves on him and asked to share a message right then and there to him as he was smoking. We shared the message- and he lost his wife in 2004. So, I felt prompted to talk about how I know sometimes it's hard, but he made a covenant with the Lord through baptisms. And that he has many blessings he's entitled to- including returning home with his wife some day, but in order to do that, he has to be faithful. We focused mainly on his wife and how he could return with her. He promised to come to church and read and pray- we took it with a grain of salt, like we usually do so we're not disappointed when they don't show up. Well, guess what...he showed up too. Not only did he show up, but he had his scriptures in hand. And he got up and bore his testimony. And in it he said that he had had many missionaries attempt to contact him, but that he was uninterested, but for whatever reason, he decided to listen to us. (probably because we really didn't give him a choice) haha and then- he talked about how what we said hit him hard. To the point where when we left he read and he got on his knees and prayed hard and long to the Lord. He said he could not sleep- like a crazy man- he was up all night thinking about his wife, and how he wants to be with her again some day. And that he knew that God sent us. Well- I know that God sent us there. I have felt that many times- sometimes stronger with some less active members than with others- but I really do feel that, these are all God's children, and he really is mindful of each and every one of them. The Madrid family is very special to me too. Sis. Madrid is our RS President- her husband used to be a bishop and had stake callings- and for whatever reason is now inactive- he says it's because of work- I feel it's because of something else. I'm thinking because the people aren't friendly and he probably took offense- a common story here in the Pines. Anyways, he came to church too!!! It's probably because I cried to him a few days ago when we taught him. We taught their family about eternal families. They were not only sealed in the temple, as most people are converts here and are only sealed but they were actually MARRIED TOO! their children were all born in the covenant- and he's throwing his eternal family away. He told me he's disappointed cuz his children are lazy and would rather watch tv than go to work, but that he wants to make them but he can't. Well, I spun that and luckily could speak english to him and told him that just as he is frustrated and wants his children to realize the importance- Heavenly Father wants the same thing for him. But he can't make him do anything, just like he can't make his children do anything. But- I know that he can have an eternal family- and that he can set an example for his children. And then I cried and told him that his family is so special to me and since I have gotten here I have kept them in my prayers continually ....and in case you don't know...i pray a LOT-hahaha. Anyways...he CAME! I was so excited! Ah, all of these people are so near and dear to my heart! It takes love and nurturing and a lot of patience- but you just have to love them, and help them remember what the spirit feels like and why they need it.
So Sis. Rose taught me a new word. Everywhere we go she points to the ground and yells "Sister, Tae!" At first I was like tae...okay maybe it means rocky gravel or dirt...nope it means poop. haha She's been yelling that and i've been repeating it...it is soo funny! I've decided the moon is very special too. I look at it every night and think you're looking at the same moon! It's my only connection to home! :) Also last night I thought it was kind of oxy-moronic of a man that offered to buy me a drink yesterday hahaha how funny is that! And last but not least- I dont know if I told you this already but I got so excited I ran into a white man here and rushed up to talk to him- and sis. F had to stop me because I was speaking in tagalog. It was soo hard to d a preach by the way in english. Then afterwards we were talking and she was talking in english and said something about the bugs flied all around. And stopped and asked me wait, is "flied" right? I said yeah, sounds right. Like 2 minutes later I was like wait no...its "flew" hahaha it was soo funny. My english is terrible! The other night when we were saying our comp prayers after appts she was smiling and I asked her what and she said "you're fluent!" You taught our lesson - and now I just think "wow- did she really just say that" when I talk- I'm excited...It's not true yet...seriously it's not, but it's gotten way better. Now I can understand pretty much everything. I'm working hard at it- they make fun of me but call me "masipag" because I walk around holding papers memorizing words- I only read my scriptures and preach my gospel in tagalog- and I try and always speak it- I'm trying...but it is really frustrating. Over time, I'm sure it will become even better! Anyways, I hope this weeks message was a little more spiritual than the last few weeks. It really was a great week. we work hard, I am very blessed to have a companion who knows how to work and truly is here for the right reason. I can't thank of Heavenly Father enough for my experiences here, for every day truly is a new adventure.
I love you all!!!

Sis. Martinez gave Sis. Fajardo a bug as a present- we were so surprised when we opened it up and it was STILL ALIVE!