Letter 4 (Apat)

Dearest Panimalay kag mga Abyan!

(Family and Friends!) One more week gone, and so is the entire zone! We said goodbye to the other five districts! We really grew attached to them after 4 weeks, it's going to be hard to say goodbye to my district as they all head to Bacolod in two weeks. . . Yep! It's getting that close! Flight plans come soon! 


Zone's last trip to the temple

SALAMAT PARA SA PACKAGE! I was not expecting all the cheetos! (My district loved them. And I still have more left.) The sweats are nice to have again! It's just too cold to wear shorts to gym!

This week we had TRC (Training Resource Center) where we teach people (generally RMs) and the first time we had TRC we only had one volunteer come for us to teach. Last time we had FOUR. So all four companionships in our district actually got to teach! I love teaching the RMs, it's very spiritual, and I'm definitely going to volunteer here in when I get back! One woman we taught had brought her daughter with her, and she was so funny, "Bringing a baby to the MTC is like bringing Santa. It's like the missionaries peer through the windows in disbelief that it can actually exist!" 

I can't remember if I've told you anything about our investigators. . . so here it goes! We currently have two investigators, Dionefe, and Marieneto. I'm so proud of Marieneto because he's finally reading the Book of Mormon, and that's hard thing to ask Filipinos to do sometimes, because the wording is so deep, they don't really understand it. But he really likes Nefi, and he doesn't like Laman and Lemuel (who does?). Dionefe really just wants to find truth, and so I love teaching her because she's really interested in what we have to say. I probably sound terrible in my very broken Ilonggo, but hey, at least the message comes across, and the Spirit is able to teach better than I ever could! 

Because the zone is gone, new missionaries came in Mon/Tues/Wed. There are four Districts now, 14 Elders, and 12 Sisters. (And when you add our district of 2 Elders and 7 Sisters, our zone officially has more Sisters than Elders!) 18 of those 26 are International missionaries (mostly from New Zealand, Australia, and Various Islands.) Which meant our sister training leaders (S. Moser & Leifson) and Zone Leaders (Our Elders. Big surprise there!) had a fun time trying to get all 18 to the Tuesday Night Devotional. 

Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders

So Monday in our afternoon/evening class an international Elder (Elder Cash) was brought to our room, but he is headed to the Singapore, English speaking mission! The Sister who dropped him off switched him with the other two Elders she had with her at the door! But he stayed for class before the Zone Leaders took him to the international missionaries place (wherever that is) to tell them that he had been taken to the wrong class. He participated in class, and learned a bit of Ilonggo! The poor Elder looked so confused. If he wasn't thankful he's English Speaking before, I'm sure he is now! 

They asked us to host yesterday when they must have realized they needed even more hosts due to the double batch coming in (Yay Thanksgiving!) I hosted 3 Sisters, and I'm pretty sure it was harder to watch these Sisters leave their own families than it was to leave my own. (Not that I don't love you all, but I was ready to get to work!) While we were hosting it started raining! Oh it was so Cold! We stood out there for an extra 10 minutes waiting for the late arrivals, but then none came. Oh well, I just need to get used to being wet, and get used to my glasses getting rain on them all the time!

It was weird being away from my mga kaupod to host new Sisters, but I still had a lot of fun doing it, even though I don't know where any buildings are besides my residence, classroom, cafeteria, and gym! So I had to use the map they gave us, because I still can get lost around here. 

There were about 12 Missionaries at gym last night. It was so empty! Everyone who had gym time with us left! So we had gym time to ourselves, because the new missionaries don't get gym until tomorrow night! I haven't really gained weight here, (I checked!), haha, that's what I get for being the type of person who is used to sitting down all the time, my body is used to this! All the other Sisters in my district who are way more active Hate it! Yep, it's the walking around all the time for the next 16 and a half months is what's going to be harder for me, and easier for them! 


I did see that close-up shot of Dad! I actually was so disappointed that he wasn't in any good group shots or anything, and I was just hoping that by the end there would be one good one for me. And Lo and Behold, the last shot of the men was JUST DAD! I was so happy! Gotta love Music and the Spoken Word! An Elder in our Zone got to see his brother who had been in Tacloban! We were all very happy for him, because they thought they wouldn't have been able to see each other for another two years, and all those things that his brother went through in Tacloban. 

I actually had been wondering if I'd see Uncle Paul here, and that Tuesday morning I had been looking through the give away box (I found an awesome dress, by the way.) and I heard a voice of a woman who sounded just like Aunt Denise! (or is it Denice. I can't remember, I'm a terrible niece.) So I'd been thinking that if I ever saw Paul here, we would just run into each other, and it came to pass that on the way to breakfast, there he was! Haha! I'm so spoiled! My companions get a lot of mail, I get to see my family all the time. I'm definitely the Lucky one! Swerte ako! That day actually ended up just being hard (I don't know why) and Brother Speiser pulled me out for coaching, that man knows exactly when you need to talk to someone! But yeah, seeing Uncle Paul really made the day so much easier! 

Tuesday night devotional was all about "Don't Worry, Be Happy!" Haha, those devotionals are always what I need to hear! Elder Aibikatis (or something like that) of the seventy challenged us to continually strive for the Celestial Kingdom, he read a lot of the D&C revelation about the kingdoms, and pulled it apart in such a way that made it really simple. I loved every minute of it. 

Next week is Thanksgiving!!! (I'm sure you knew this) YAY!!! I've heard that MTC holidays are Awesome, and I can't wait! (Rumor from the Branch President says that we might be watching Ephraim's Rescue! And doing a lot of service projects) HOWEVER, Thanksgiving is on my PDay, So I may not end up having my Pday! It may end up being Wednesday or Friday, I don't know which! So please write Wednesday, just in case! 

I also should be getting my flight plans really soon! I think they come on Saturday. . . . TOO SOON! But I'm definitely ready for warm weather, it is way to cold here!

Kabalo ako nga matu-od ang ebanghelyo! (I know the Gospel is true!) 

Palangga ko kamo! (I love you all!) 

 - Sister Smith

Sun is too bright to take good pictures,
but I like this one