Letter 48: Tigulang na ako!

(I'm old now!)

Dearest Panimalay kag mga Abyan, 

How are you all doing?? I'm doing great! My age also officially states that I've been on this earth an entire 2 DECADES. Weird, no? 

Thank You all for All the Birthday Wishes! 

20 na!

I actually celebrated it twice. On Tuesday because Sister Haun and I were in a "Wahoo! House to ourselves! Let's buy a cake!" mode. And then she transferred. That she wasn't expecting (probably because she did NOT want to leave) But I was pretty sure it would happen. Which left me with 3 new housemates! And then on my birthday, when my housemates found out it was a my birthday. haha. I ate a mango for my birthday present to me. It was great :D

Our Last Companionship Unity Moment

So anyway, I actually guessed two of my new housemates!! I'm with my Batchmate, Sister Quent, and her comp is Sister Scicluna. 

And my New Companion is Sister Fabella. She's my "Lola" (Grandmother) And This is her last six weeks! So it looks like I'll be killing her. There must be some fancy English word for that. She's also my first Pinay companion! She's so Buot (kind) and I absolutely love her. <3 I'm also picking up a bit more Tagalog. I got some from Sister Haun, and Now I'm getting it from Sister Quent and Sister Fabella. My favorite is when Investigators ask Sister Fabella a question in Tagalog, and then they ask me, and I just look at them blankly and have to say, "Indi ako itiendi tagalog. Ilonggo lang ako"

New Companion and Housemates:
Sister Fabella, Sister Scicluna, Ako, and Sister Quent. 

On the Sister's First day I took them out to their area, and the reaction was a kind of, "Umm.. This area is a HIKE!" 'Welcome to Guimaras Sisters!" haha, they're so happy to be here. They already love it. They're an interesting pair. Sister Quent just came from Kalibo, so she's speaking Tagalog, and Sister Scicluna is 4.5 months into the mission and still struggling with Ilonggo. 

I realized just how much my endurance has increased out here. When we get home, everyone else just kinda crashes and sleeps. hahaha, That's how I was my first 2 weeks. 

Anyway, the area is doing good! We had an FHE with our family on Wednesday, and then we had a great lesson with them on Sunday. Nanay Accepted a BAPTISMAL DATE :) She's preparing for November 1. Her son and his wife said they'd pray (Rekim and Catherine) . Tatay didn't have much to say. . and her LA Son's Girlfriend (Bea) is encouraging him (Kim Jan) to go to church again! Wow, I'm praying praying guid that Nanay makes it on the first. 

Our Family

Nanay actually made it on time the Sacrament Meeting this time (they've always been late) but then they were too shy to actually partake of the bread and water. Oh well. *sigh* Next week!

I've been reading Jesus The Christ amat-amat (little by little) again and I've been absolutely loving it! Nothing, of course, beats reading the actual Bible and Book of Mormon, to come to know who Christ truly is to you, or what His atonement means in your life. But I love being able to understand more of the world in which our Savior lived, the life style, the social circumstances. I feel like I understand His words more fully :) It's a wonderful feeling. 

anway. Tha's all. I love you all. I hope you make it a great week, and I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or. . Ang Simbahan ni Jesukristo sang mga Santos sa Ulihing mga Adlaw) Is the one and only true church here on the face of the Earth. 

With much love, 
Sister Smith