Eto Ang...stretchy pants



San Fernando Zone


Feb 10, 2013
hahaha....hello again....ang aking minamahal na pamilya :)
So.....this was another whirlwind of a week. Geez....Baguio was AMAZING....And Sis. Thea dressed me up. It was appropriate...every where I go here my nickname is "Barbie" ( I know, i should be flattered right?!) haha....anyways I really felt like Barbie...cuz Sis. Thea & my amazing companion, sis. Leuluai dressed me up when we were in Baguio. They picked out my 'homecoming outfit'. Sis. Thea told me I couldn't wear my clothes i've been wearing when I went home...cuz I had to look presentable. haha She's right....

Earlier, we went to this place called Botanical Gardens here in Sevilla, it was our Zone Activity...they had a little zoo there, and lots of gorgeous tree's and plants, and flowers. We had fun. Last night...we were trying to pick out clothes that we could wear to the activity. Sis. Leuluai said that she didn't have any jeans that she brought with her. I took out a pair of my stretchy baggy sweat pants and told her she should try it on. She just looked at me and was like...those would be stretchy pants on me....we both then quoted nacho libre the "My STretchy pants"...only she said it in english...and i translated into tagalog. "eto ang stretcy pants"....it was soo funny we busted up laughing..She's like...does Nacho really say that..in tagalog. haha it was funny.
So Mom, remember that story you told me about my mission presidents wife, how one time she would open up her closet went to put a shirt on and she saw a big cockroach there? Yeah...well I've thought about that story several times since living here in Sevilla. Even if we spray every day and do all we can to prevent cockroaches...There still has not been even one day in where I did not find at least 1 cockroach in our house. Earlier when I was putting my jeans on....i found a body of a dead cockroach there. hahaha the other day as I unfolded a tanktop there was also another cockroach that flew out at me. Every morning in the bathroom the first thing I have to do is check if there are cockroaches. The other day as I was showering I left the tabo...(its like a big bowl with a spoon) that we used to shower....and there was a dead cockroach in the water that I was about to pour over my head. hahaha It's hilarious....I really wish they'd go away. haha

The other day when we were walking we came across a total bible basher. He took my bible and starting reciting all of these verses from the scriptures, trying to say that we don't believe in God the Father and the Son, and trying to get me to say something wrong to which he could point out my mistake. But...it was funny, I just feel bad for him, he has part of the truth....but he doesn't know the whole picture. I used a couple verses like Ez 37:15, and Eph 2 & 4, but I wouldn't argue with him.Of course, thats not my purpose, it doesn't do anyone anygood. I just told him that what he believes, and what we KNOW to be true aren't that different. We're happy to explain to him about the fullness of the gospel if he'd like...but other than that, its getting late and we've got to go. Thanks. But invitaiton for you to come to church on sunday at 8:30 at purok 5. hahaha It was funny we walked away and our fellowshippers (2 sisters who are getting ready to submit their papers) & Sis. Leuluai just looked at me like....I didn't know what to say. Sis. Leuluai just said she was mad at that guy. ahhaa It was funny..she had her first 'bible bashing experience'...I've experienced many. The Iglesia ni Cristo and Born Again's are such big fans of that.

Yesterday I was soo shocked when I saw an unexpected visitor who came to Sevilla ward. It was...Sis. Fajardo!!!!! I was soo excited...I got to see my Mom here in the mission...my amazing trainer! She is soo beautiful...and she wears real clothes now...its weird. Not to mention, she's now engaged...ah how I miss her. She said she's going to meet me at the Manilla temple in March so we can do a session and explore manila before I hop on my plane. I'm way excited...oh how i've missed her.

This week, we also had some great break throughs again with Sevilla ward. I cannot get over how amazing our Bishop is here. Not to mention how flattered I was when he was asking me for ideas how to strengthen the ward, and how to help them with their fellowshipping. Of course, I listed ideas that i've used in my other areas, but I told him we should all just fast and pray about it first, and discuss it and come up with a plan for Sevilla ward. So, thats what we're going to do. We set up a 1/2 day mission this saturday. Not to mention we'll be holding a VT and a HT convention in the next few weeks. Also, we're going to be holding a ward family home evening, trying to help with the ward unity. I listed some other ideas too that he seemed to like. Sis. Leuluai said she's never seen Bishop Baro this excited about the ward. I'm excited too...we're going to see great things happen here.

Anyways....I am once again out of time. But...I love you all dearly and miss you. I know that this really is the work of the Lord.
I hope you all have a great Valentines Day!!! I LOVE you very very much! And for all those with no gf/ bf or asawa....happy single awareness day...or as they call it here in the filipines "black valentines day". haha Don't worry about it....there's always next year, right?! :)


 Love,


Botanical Gardens- part of my area here in Sevilla
We took our last pday and went as a zone here.
It was soo beautiful!








Yep...that's about right for the elders...of course they dashed
to the playground  :) haha

Shaking hands
with the
monkeys!



Sa Wakas...Nakapunta na ako sa Baguio!!!!

Sis. Thea Baro- wife of Bishop Baro

Feb 3, 2013
Hello Family....
Greetings from Baguio...Yep... Pres. Monahan gave us the okay to come to Baguio....they asked me what my 'valid reason' was to travel that far away, why I needed to come...and I just said...um...to buy souvenirs  I"ve served in Baguio Mission, but I haven't yet gotten to actually go there." The Zone leaders just laughed and said...thats not really a valid reason- i don't think Pres will let you go. Well...what do they know. President said Yes, we can go! haha :) I thought I was going to throw up on our way here....I got so 'car sick' cuz Baguio seriously is like going up provo canyon...its Beautiful...and I love it...but its like we went to the very tip-top of the mountain....i'm just lucky I didn't throw up in the bus. haha It is sooo beautiful!!!!! And I'm seirously in heaven right now. Their "SM MALL" is HUGE and its like America...only its an outside walls. They don't have any air conditioning....or any ways....its an outdoor mall because its soo cold here in baguio. I have to say...its cold...but its like a summer day in utah cold. haha...its not super freezing here if you catch my drift.

This week....was such a great week. We got soo much accomplished, and we worked soo hard! When I first got here, Sis. Leuluai and her trainer were visiting the SAME less actives like 4 times a week, and then their Recent Converts every day. Lets just say...they do NOT need to be visited that frequently. Once a week is just fine, as long as they're still progressing. Maybe 2 times if they're struggling. Anyways....its totally been like open area, because until now, there are a ton of parts that Sis. Leuluai hasn't yet visited. She said Her trainer would just hang out at the returning members' houses....or the members and rest for a little bit...basta...lets just say the work wasn't as I think it should have been. Sis. Leuluai is soo funny...I just lover her. And I love it too, because she's american...she's been updating me on all the changes that have happened over the last year or so...and lets just say, I'm kinda scared to come back home...it's gonna be like i'm a foreigner all over again.

Pres and Sis. Monahan made a surprise visit to Sevilla this week, he came and visited our house, and sat in a little bit of our studies...they are soo great, I absolutely LOVE them. But...I do Have to tell you I was a little nervous when he said, Sis. Allen, don't be surprised if this next transfer, you'll be training again. My mouth just dropped...and he just said...don't look at me like that...I know you're up for it. haha It was soo funny...and he told me he's excited for me to go home. He said he's excited to hear what my parents have to say about my thick accent when I go home. I just laughed and seriously asked...I have an accent?!
....to add to that...we had stake conference, and Sis. Leuluai was talking with one of her batch mates...whose trainer was an american...and now his follow up trainer is a pinoy..He said when he was training he and his trainer would just talk in english...and that his tagalog didn't get any better. When Sis. Leuluai was telling me about their conversation they had...she said that Elder asked her how her tagalog was...expecting her to respond like...oh yeah its totally gone down hill, we just talk in english. And she replied...it's going great. He asked her if we spoke enlgish in the apartment....and she said NO. She's like...'sometimes i just look at my companion and i'm like...she's white...why is she speaking like that?' haha she says my english most of the time doesn't make very much sense, and when it's english i have an accent. hahaha I don't know what i'm gonna do. But i'm really trying to just talk in tagalog to her...because I don't want that to happen to her (where she doesn't learn anything or her tagalog gets worse), I want her to be fluent so she feels more confident in her teaching and communication skills.

We went to a barangay (which is like a town) called Santiago....and I felt like I was in Baguio...it was straight hills...it was soo steep...we got such a good work out...I loved it...hahaha but it was crazy we have walked miles and miles every day for this last week. We have found 16 new investigators...and found 7 more less actives for the first time...All of which came to church this last sunday. Every less active appointment that we had this last week- they all came. Sis. Leuluai was like...wow...I didn't know missionary work could be like this. Ah...I love Sevilla. We are seriously witnessing so many miracles every day. The other night when we were laying in bed getting ready to sleep she just said to me. "My body has never hurt this bad before". haha I just laughed and said...thats when you know you're doing your job right. haha I love it....the spirit has been soo strong at every appointment. The leaders here, especially our Bishop and his wife, Bishop & Sis. Baro are sooo masipag...or diligent at their work. Bishop stayed at the church till 11 oclock last night...and he spends every saturday and sunday there. Sometimes he works with the missionaries, and he is such a leader. I know that if we can just work with them, we will see many miracles here in Sevilla. Our first miracle we saw, is I asked Bishop if we could invite a represnetative from every auxilary to sit in MCM meeting to coordinate with them, and he said YES, and told me it wasn't a problem...not to mention I asked him if would could start training for the ward missionaries, so they could start teaching the recent converts. Because we have a lot of recent converts here- 9 of them...so if we get the ward missionaries to know how to teach and they can take over those appointments; so that will free up 9 teaching slots for us to work on the investigators and less active members. Oh man, the standard of truth really has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing.
I love you all and pray for you always.
Love


For anyone whose reading this, I forgot to mention my flight
plans got sent to me!  I'll be home March 28th......aaaaaaahhhh!

WELCOME TO BAGUIO!
Last week they had their flower parade.
I wasn't able to see it...but at least we
got to see some of the left-over flowers.




Just...Cool!

 

San Fernando...Here I come!!!

Sis. LeuLuai and Me, my new Companion

Us sisters at transfer point.

Jan 27, 2013

Well....not sure really where to start....I got transferred...so I still haven't been lucky enough to get to go to Baguio...where they say it's actually cold....(not quite sure if I believe it yet) .....but I'm pretty close...i'm right next to it, so meaning that if we have a trizone conference or interviews- maybe i'll get to go there in the next 2 months and visit. I'm soo excited...hopefully!!! They also have some really pretty sites down here in San Fernando- so we're gonna try and go to them too....It's pretty...but it is more of city life here in San Fernando....i just told my trainee (Sis. LeuLuai) yes...Im now a follow up trainer...President doesn't want to give me a break....I still have never experienced a co-senior companionship my entire mission. haha that she was spoiled....because there are some shops here....and there was NOTHING like that especially in Lingayen area. haha
So...I told Sis. Valera before I said goodbye to her that I had a feeling that Pres. Monahan was gonna give me another challenge for my last companionship...that it'd be a foreigner. Well...i guess that was revelation, because friday I met my new trainee...Sis. LeuLuai. So....she is Samoan by blood...but born in raised in the US...in Utah to be exact...which is gonna be really sweet because some day when we become RM's....we can chat and stay in contact when we go home. Anyways...I just absolutely LOVE her...she is soo sweet, and just a really great missionary. My first day here...after studies and we ate...we left the house at 1 o'clock...and we worked till 9:30.....(this is a normal schedule for me).....it wasn't a normal schedule for Sis. Leuluai.....we came home and had 14 appointments and contacted 4 referrals- which will turn into new investigators. When we got home....she just said....she has never worked like that before....and she didn't know that was possible. Well....that was a rewarding feeling for me. That was a time when I realized okay....even though I work hard on my mission, and often times feel like what I'm doing is not enough, and I need to work harder....it made me feel like I was fulfilling my purpose as a misisonary. I just told her yes. I said there are different kinds of happiness...you can come into the mission and explore all the cool area's and buy lots of neat things....and kind of work too.....but not be as diligent or as obedient as you should....but it just isn't the same satisfying happiness that comes from obedience and doing what you're supposed to. It's soo true, sure...missionaries get tired....but...SULIT TALAGA. It's worth it...it's also the greatest kind of tiredness...?! does my english make sense...i don't even know. haha
Anyways, Sis. LeuLuai is great, and she is soo smart, and diligent....but she is still new, so she still doesn't know a lot of tagalog.....I'm impressed that she knows most of what she wants to say with gospel language...when we're in the lessons....but the conversational tagalog is always the last to come and the hardest to accomplish...but....we'll work on it. You should just see how many heads turn at us though now. First....you have this TALL samoan girl...who is darker colored skin....coloring like a filipino...but she's big and doesn't speak tagalog fluently....and then you have this White American with blonde hair....who when she opens her mouth its in tagalog....they're not quite sure what to make of us. hahaha :) It's really funny....but...i have been asked numerous times if i'm from a different part of the filipines....hahaha it's kinda funny.
Anyways....this week has been good- we're starting from scratch again, because they don't have any current progressing investigators or baptisms...but it's okay- it'll all work out. The leaders here are great- and they're all supportive.
It was bitter sweet this week leaving Sis. Valera....I will miss her soo much....we cried like babies..haha I also cried because I left 4 families that Sis. Valera and I found in Binmaley that were progressing and all have baptismal dates for this March....I won't be able to see them now.
I did however follow in my mothers foosteps. That mother, is Sis. Fajardo- my trainer. Her last area was here in Sevilla, San Fernando....so we'll end our missions in the same area. :)
Before I left- we had a ward FHE- we presented our plan to the ward- so now it just needs to be led in action....I"m sure that Sis. Valera will continue what we started...I know there's a reason for me transferring...even if sometimes I don't completely understand it.
Well, another great week from me here.
xoxoxo
Love,

                      I'm Gonna Miss Binmaley!



Aww...I surely will miss these sisters!!!



Book of Morman in Pangasinan....In Bishop's office saying goodbye!



I'm gonna miss this kid :(  saying goodbye to Bro. Esteven





The Trisome, Sis Valera, Sis. Lagrimas and Me

 



Our Apartment in Binmaley



Malamig na dito sa philipinas!

Jan 20, 2013

Well hello there wonderful family! What another wonderful week here in the Filipines...it has been soo cold here...its probably only like 75 degrees...but i have literally had the chills at night time...i think I'm gonna have a hard time adjusting back to Utah weather...haha :)

This week we had another sister added to our area, we became a trisome...Sister Lagrimas was our companion, and we absolutely love her. We call her my "ampon" or my adopted daughter...she is very sweet, her companion got sent home- so she was without a companion- I am really grateful for this past week, and for the opportunity that we've had to be together, I just love her.

This week....my "friend" left me....I'll spare you the details and just say that...I no longer have a parasite in my body....and I am feeling much Much better now that my 15cm white-pink worm is no longer in my body. haha

This week- we had a lot of miracles happen in Binmaley. First and foremost, I finally got the opportunity to have a workshop for the leaders here in Binmaley...and it was sooo successful.  A few weeks ago they announced the 2013 philipines area goals at a conference- and so we focused our workshop there. You have no idea...it was one of the clearest- distinct impressions that ihave had on my mission when I was brainstorming ways of how we can get the ward working and meeting the area goals- the impression came that we need to focus on families. So...we put a chart together so that every family in Binmaley ward can have a copy so they can keep track of their daily family scripture study & prayer, their weekly FHE, and their tithing & fast offering. Not to mention we presented the idea of organizing "FHE groups" according to where they life- so they can build relationships with the other members and in turn their goal is for every family to meet and pray together- as a family and pick one additional less active family that they want to rescue as a family. They are to invite them to their FHE goups...it will be composed of 4 or 5 families- and each month they will rotate which family is in charge. Also...we put together a study plan for the ward to all be on the same page. Because sometimes, even the active members don't do everything that they really should be doing. As in....here in the mission field, i have had some pretty strong impressions come from the spirit...but as the spirit whispered that we need to develop a step-by step plan for them and focus on families- the prompting was soo strong and clear- so I know this plan will be successful.  This next Thursday we have a ward FHE scheduled- so we will announce our plan to the whole ward. We announced it a little bit last Sunday- but that was just a sneak preview- we'll have printouts and tools to help them change and grow a firmer testimony. This Saturday we also have a RS VT workshop scheduled with the RS. We got to finally have a meeting with the RS presidency yesterday and we're getting the VT worked out. I also suggested to the RS president that we organize meaningful rs activities for them- like doing a family home evening chart they can put on the wall...or making a 'quiet book' so their kids can flip through it in sacrament time- they're used to just activities where they all get together and eat....it needs to have more meaning. Anyways...this last Sunday was busy...we also taught the primary class about being a 'child of God'- then about 5 min before sacrament meeting started they asked me to be the speaker- for about 20 min...Sis. Valera and Sis. Lagrimas just gave that assignment to me...haha so that was fun. It has just been a really busy week- but we have got so much accomplished. I am really grateful too because I don't know if I will be the one transferred this week- or if Sis. VAlera will be. It will be a surprise for both of us. She has finished her training program this week- so we know we will be saying goodbye. I will be sad to see her go- I've really loved it this last week because we didn't have enough beds for 3 of us- so Sis. Lagrimas is in the nice bed- and Sis. Valera and I took the floor....so its been more of like a 'slumber party' than anything- ah how I will miss her. She will do great things for Baguio, that's for sure. She is trained. She is ready...and I can't wait to see what she does while she's here.


We also had to laugh because one of our preach by the ways yesterday- were to teenage girls and their names were "kimberly & camille'....that's mine and Sis. Valeras' names. haha :) it was cute...lets see...we also got chased by dogs again...and had 8 dogs surround us...i seriously thought i was going to get bitten...it's a miracle we didn't. haha all that kept flashing through my mind as i was waving my umbrella at them was 'rabies' 'rabies'...it's true...all the adventures come towards the end of your mission. haha
Anyways I'm out of time. I love you very much....and i attached the forms...which are simple---but you can see what we're doing with the ward
till next week
Love,

Reunion with the Reyes family.

The Lopez family.

The Souvenir That I'll Never Forget

Yes...that really is a car.....and yes....I really did get to ride in it!

 

 

 

Jan. 13, 2013

Well...are you wondering what the souvenir was that I mentioned...that I"ll never forget?! Well...it's the parasite that I got this week....yay. haha (that's sarcasm btw) Oh my goodness, I seriously thought I was going to die this last wed, thurs, & fri. I have no idea how I got a parasite....but I never want to experience that pain again. So....Thursday- I was running to the bathroom like...every 4 minutes. It was actually pretty funny, cuz my head hurt, and my stomach hurt really bad, but of course....we had to study! So...I endured personal study, trying to focus. And then....companionship study....okay...I'm the trainer...so if I'm sick...there's no training. haha So....luckily we had little video segments that we had to watch from the PMG DVD's that they use, so I would play a segment...and while it was playing all of a sudden dash to the bathroom....then come back and by the time I came back it was over. I just sat down, acted like normal and asked "So, what did you like there that we can apply in our teaching?".....I didn't think anything of it until after studies and Sis. Valera and I just laughed thinking about that scene....even though I was trying to hide my problem...it wasn't working very well.  haha By the afternoon- I was even struggling to sit up. But...I said a prayer, because we had appointments that we needed to go to. By some miracle, I was able to work...but it only lasted a little while long...because by night time, we were at the Arenas families house and I just nudged Sis. Valera and told her she needed to close the lesson- I was starting to feel light headed and she said Later on that at that time I was turning white. I sat up and left their house and just outside I had to sit down on the dirt- I about fainted....ok...that's when I leaned my lesson and told myself that I really need to follow MOsiah 4:27...mom's favorite verse. haha So...we started our walk home haha...there were no tricycles cuz it was dark at night and we were at one of the farthest parts of our areas. Luckily we saw the Melendez family, whom I absolutely love, and they took us by the pharmacy to buy busopan (cuz we thought that'd solve my problem) and drove us home. They're soo sweet. Even though they're so far away all they said was. "Just call us Sisters if you need anything." I just love them! They're some of the kindest people I've ever met. Anyways, Thursday, I seriously still wasn't able to sit up...so we still had studies and weekly planning...but on our beds. haha That was a first time...because of course it's BAWAL....but it's okay...at least we still did what we were supposed to. NO rest for the wicked...right!?...isn't that what dad always said. just kiddin.
This week...Sis. Alvaro and Sis. Navarathna moved out to a different apartment....we were soo sad to see them go....our apartment is a lot quieter....but it's what President wanted...they had to find another apartment and move them so that they could become 4 sisters instead of 2 in Manat area, and 4 sisters too in binmaley area instead of just 2...it's soo great- with the lowering of ages, they have a LOT more sisters coming here...we're expecting an increase of 30 this march....sadly....It will probably not overlap my time here. :(

We also had Stake Conference here this last weekend, I was shocked when I saw another white person...then quickly realized that Pres & Sis. Monahan, and a new missionary couple that just arrived came!!! It was fun seeing them, oh how I love them! The best part about conference was..I got to see all of my dear family from Lingayen 1st ward!!! Oh my goodness....I was soo excited...they were surprised to see me again! We took soo many pictures....sad part is, I forgot my camera- so next week I"ll have to send all the attachments. OH my goodness....I was soo proud too when they announced the priesthood holders that were advancing to the Mel priesthood- and 4 of them I got to see baptized just last year when I was assigned in Lingayen 1st ward. It's hard to think of a more satisfactory feeling than see them advance in the gospel. I found out that 2 of them are working on their mission papers right now! :)

Anyways, this week was another great one. I do have to say at the area broadcast that we had this weekend, they announced the area focus this year for the filipines- and part of what Elder Teh said was they want to focus on tithing and fasting with every family- and also their goal for temple marriages with all their YSA here. Many of them just marry a non-member. Part of what he said was something about the effect of "There are 2 ways to get through life"....I immediatly thought of Dad...how he always said "There are 2 ways to get through life....the hard way....or my way...the easy way. haha I just laughed at myself and I think thats what our Father in Heaven also thinks. There are 2 ways to get through life. His way- or the hard way. Let us choose the His way.
I am so grateful that...that I'm still alive..haha I am grateful that this week, even though it was different, it was a great week :)
I love you all and pray for you often!
xoxoxo
Love, Sis Allen
P.S., If Sis. Morton's reading this... remember when we were still in the MTC< and we joked and said that if we got a parasite on the mission...we should at least get it toward the end of our mission- like the last 2 months before so that we could get skinny again. Yeah....that wasn't a funny joke. I never want to joke like that again. haha :)

An experience I will NEVER forget

Jan 6, 2013

This week was a fantastic week and one that I don't think I will ever forget. This week, not only did we get to celebrate the beginning of a new year, but we also had a lot of happy and sad experiences this week. This week we walked around for a little over an hour in an area that hasn't been visited much by the missionaries in years because it's so far away- but we wanted to explore and see about the less active members that were there. We wandered around completely lost for about an hour and a half- and it was getting dark, not to mention our fellowshipper (Bro. Ammon) had no idea either about the place we were in. Nonetheless, I felt safe- I felt like we were okay- we prayed earlier that morning, and that’s where we felt that we needed to go. Anyways,  along the way (while we were lost) we found some other less active members and preach by the ways that turned into new investigators- so of course it wasn't for nothing- when finally we found the house of the less active member that we were looking for. We shared with them- for the second time and Bro Pedro's heart was soo hard, he just said no matter what he would not come back to the church- he likes it much better being catholic because there aren't as many "bawal" or things rules or commandments that he needs to follow. And, if he only gives a peso to the "pari" or priest he is happy- its much harder to give 10% and pay tithing. At this point, I just decided to be frank, because he continued to go on about how he would return to the church if we gave him land so he could build a house. I just frankly, but nicely told him the church is not a business, it doesn’t work like that. We are members, and we keep the commandments because we have faith, and we love God. The reason we have tithing, is to test our faith because God doesn’t need our money- but I assured him that not a single one of the leaders he will meet at the church have a sallary. And then…I told him that we should not become part of a religion because it’s easy. Keeping the commandments isn’t meant to be easy, but that it was worth it in the end, when you receive eternal life as your reward. Anyways…I think that was the first time that Sis. Valera has really seen me be frank. Haha the personalities of the people in my last area were different- I was pretty frank most of the time…but here for the most part you don’t need to be…but this time…I seirously felt he needed to hear that, before he shut the door and didn’t come back.
Anyways…after  that depressing experience…and my companion was in tears because that was her first time experiencing a less active who just flat out told her that he didn’t want to come back, that he shut the door…took it pretty hard…anyways…as we were walking for a long time…and the area we were in was kind of scary- first time namin jan kasi. Anyways, as we were walking- it was now about 8pm at night…trying to find a tricycle so we could get a ride home (because this area was really far) there was a tiricyle driver there and he called to us (we also had a member fellowshipper with us- bro Ammon) and motioned to us to come over. Then He drove us…we heard Ammon talking to the trike driver but didn’t think anything of it. When we got out of the tricyle, after he had already left Ammon told Sis. Valera something that I don’t think I will ever forget. He told us that the tricycle driver asked him where our “kasama” or the people that were with us earlier went to. Ammon asked him “what people?” and the trike driver said “You know, the 3 big american men  wearing white shirts that were with you earlier.” …Ammon just tried to play it off like normal…but…the trike driver continued to explain that he parked his tricyle and decided to wait for us to come back, cuz he thought that we’d need a ride home when it got darker at night- but then was surprised that there were only 3 of us that came back.

I have absolutely no explanation for what happened that night… although I can guess at who those 3 men are, I will never be sure.  But I do know that we are never alone in this work. I know that God is involved in the intricacies and details of our life. And I do  know that this is HIS work.

I had a lot of other great experiences too but no time to tell about it...next week na lang. I love you all, and think of you always
Love,

Maligayang pasko at Manigong bagong taon!

Is that not like every kids dream shot for his baptism?! Yeah...I know
Bro . Isaac and Bro. Steven

Dec. 30, 2012
What a fantastic week...as in, i don't really even know where to start, especially cuz it took me a while to upload all the photo's....the photos probably speak for themselves....its been pretty eventful!
Of course, for Christmas Eve and Christmas, we had an early curfew, so we were in by 6pm. Last year, I remember Sis. Fajardo and I stopped by this local pizza place, and bought pizza that didn't taste like pizza...it was soo gross...but it's okay haha then we reparied the hymn books from the chapel. So, this year, we started making a tradition...so we bought pizza again. Only...they have a Shakeys in the next town over, in Dagupan, and one of our ward missionaries, bro Ammon agreed to go to dagupan and buy pizza for us and bring it to us so we would still make curfew, and we still had a pizza dinner, we were so excited! hahaha real pizza! haha :) Then....we wanted to do a service project again this year, so we were trying to think of something we could do in the apartment, then we realized the baptisimal clothes here were just thrown in a closet and were dirty and not washed and just disgusting...so, we thought, let's wash the baptisimal clothes. That's what we did! Afterwards....I made them no-bake cookies...they had never tried them...and of course we don't have an oven here...so thats what we did. It was a lot of fun!!! :) So whenever a single woman or man bakes or does dishes, or wahes clothes they have a kinda funny frequent saying they say here, thats: "pwede ka na magasawa" or..."you can get married now" when your cooking is good, or when you're masipag at washing clothes...so....on christmas night...they said "pwede ka na magasawa sis. allen" yes..pwede na daw. hahaha It was really funny...it's true...I was pretty busy washing clothes and baking...

So....to celebrate Christmas and New Years...filipino's love mga putok-putok....or lighting fireworks....so we hear fireworks all night long...and even sometimes in the morning. they're not even the really pretty sparkly kind...they're just the noisy big blast kind. haha
I got an extra special christmas present this year. Yesterday when I went to church, I had a present waiting in the foyer for me...the Reyes Family and Bro Brix & Mark....they were some of my first baptisms in Lingayen 1st ward...remember the Reyes family? Last Christmas that's what made our christmas "white" here....they'r wedding and baptism. Well, they all came to say hi....and we got to chat...and this time really chat because I could talk to them!! :) They're soo sweet, I just love them. It made it a really great Christmas.

Not to mention, this Saturday we had a baptism. Even though bro Steven is only 12 years old....he is soo cute, and his testimony really is real. His older Brother, Bro. Isaac got to baptize him. We took one look at the baptisimal font...it was funny because I said jokingly at like 8:50am (the baptism was gonna start at 9am)...well, the water's really dirty, and look there's even sand in it. We might as well go to the beach. And then they said Yeah....lets just do that instead. haha I love it, the filipino's are such spur of the moment, whatever kinda people...so...we really did to go the beach. haha It was my first baptism at the beach, and it was soo great! It was a memorable experience, as we sung "I'm trying to be like Jesus" on the beach for the musical number...I don't think I'll ever forget that feeling. :)

Anyways, another great year has come and gone. I can't believe tomorrow it's 2013. Whenever anyone asks me about when I go home I always say "ah..matagal pa, next year pa" or "it's still a long way away, not till next year" but now...I can't say that...less than 3 months! ah...crazy.
Anyways, I love you all, I pray for you always, and it was soo good to hear your voices again! Take care, and enjoy the rest of this holiday season!\




 xoxo


Row 1   L: Our Christmas party   R: Me & Sisl Valera
Row 2 L:  Christmas morning  R. Gift exchange under our mini-
Christmas tree...who knew Santa even makes it over here in the Filpines!
Row 3  L.  Christmas Dinner- Shakey's Pizza    R: No-bake cookies

Row 1  L: Yup...a fish and shrimp tree!  R: Me & Sis Penna before trnasfer.
Center:  Us at the manger scene.
Row3 L:  Me & Sis Valera at the Capitol    R: Opening our Gifts