Day 53 Carigara, Philippines the work continues;)

Maupay nga kulop! (good afternoon)

Has is really been a week??? Sorry last week I didn't get to write everything i wanted. So much had happened that I completely spaced on writing details and about CHRISTIAN!!! So I briefly saw him for the first time at the terminal in Carigara because I was traveling with his new companion. I didn't see him come up to us, so when i turned around he was right there! We just kinda looked at each other and then I wanted to hug him so bad but Sister Andaya had told me I couldnt since we're wearing our missionary nametags. So we just awkwardly shook hands. And then we didn't even get to talk because we both needed to get going. BUT I've seen him a lot since: at our zone activity, district meeting, and zone interviews. It's super nice to just talk with him and catch up. :) It's nice that he already knows my companion, the area, and everything so I can ask whatever i want. I"m sad he'll only be here til October.

My companion Sister Clark used to live in Manila going to school for neuroscience. she's super smart and wants to go to BYU after. She speaks Tagalog but her English is really good. I'm living in the city of Carigara, but my area includes some rural areas. However, by the end of August I'll probably be switching areas with the elders in my ward to a safer area so we can stay out later.

I usually email at an internet cafe. we usually go there at 2 or 3 in the afternoon, my time. The internet connection is pretty slow, but not too bad. 

it's nice to be busy and I feel like I'm progressing. However, I feel like at times that I'm not helping very much or that I don't know how to contribute since I can't speak Waray very well. The people are shy sometimes so it makes it hard to connect to them when i teach lessons, but i'm learning to do what i can with the little language I do know. I'm really grateful for music because it helps me feel needed and less of a burden. I play piano for Sacrament meetings. zone meetings, ward choir, and Christian asked me to put together a musical number for our zone interviews with President Andaya. Lots of people want to learn how to play piano and they love it when I sing. We start off each of our lessons with a song, so I usually start off the song (in the Philippines, to start off a song a cappella you sing the first line of the song and say; andam? canta!--ready? sing!). Music is the one thing I know how to do here, haha.

I've met so many people here! But I still can't remember how to get to their houses. Most people are receptive to us or at least want someone to talk to. There's one lady who's making things difficult for us though. She's an apostate RM who is fighting against the church because of some things in her past. She employs two of our investigators and she canceled our appointments with them! Also, her brother in law is our new ward mission leader so we're worried about her influence on him. In the meantime, we are trying to give her to the elders, but she wants to just argue the whole time.

I went finding a lot this week. my companion had me do them all by myself, and then she would fill in if I couldn't understand. It's hard because i speak really slowly and I feel like the people here can't understand me yet. Also, they are intimidated by foreigners sometimes. BUT i found two investigators who invited us in and we taught them a short message and set up another appointment. We'll see how that goes. For the most part, we are focusing on less actives.

I went on splits with a sister in the Primary presidency in my ward on saturday for my ward's half day mission. she hardly spoke a word of English and I had no idea what was going on because we hadn't planned for a half day mission (and i have no idea what it is). my companion told me the sister knew where to go and what to do, but she was just as clueless as i was, haha. We did end up teaching two lessons, though. It was fun and helpful, even though it was stressful at the time because it forced me to communicate only in Waray and try to teach and conduct the lessons by myself.

There was this birthday lunch that I went to yesterday. So cool. There was this giant pig they cooked called lechon. And the food was soooo good! since there were so many people there, we ate with our hands, haha. Filipino style. :) I also tried a bunch of Filipino delicacies: suman, puto, moran, and maha. AND AND AND i was offered ido. aka: DOG. No i did not eat it. we all just stared at it. Only my bishop ate it, haha. Apparently they also eat rat here.(I've seen enough rats here to last a lifetime. they're HUGE) You know what else is actually really good? Avocado shakes. Weird ingredients, but good (it has cheese and sugar in it.)

The first three people i invited to be baptized said yes, but only one of them came to church yesterday. The nanay has no one to watch her shop for her so she can't leave it unattended. we're trying to find someone from the relief society to fellowship her. It's amazing to see how loving and accepting these people are. They really love their families and would do anything for them.

I had a cool experience as we were teaching a sister attending college to be a school teacher. She was crying because she couldn't attend church for several months because her classes were only on the weekends. Sister Clark asked me to share an experience where I was willing to do something and really wanted to do it, but wasn't able to do so. i shared what i was going through right now: I really want to learn the language and teach well, but right now I can't. I bore my testimony to her that as she continued to pray, read the Book of Mormon and live the standards of the church, God would provide a way for to be comforted and uplifted each week until she could go to church again.

Sorry to anyone I haven't been able to respond to yet. I really appreciate all the mail-- it helps me so much! 

I love all the news from home! 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Sister Amanda Smith

Doing laundry

My room

Dear Brother & Sister Smith,

Sister Smith has arrived safely in the Philippines Tacloban Mission. We have enclosed a copy of a photograph of her with Sister Andaya, me and her trainer. Your greatest contribution to your missionary’s success can be made by:

1. Praying for, and remembering her in your monthly fast.
2. Writing to your missionary weekly. Any letters or packages should be sent to the following address:

                                       Sister Amanda Marie Smith

                                       Philippines Tacloban Mission          

511 Maharlika Hwy. Fatima Vlg.

Tacloban City

6500 Leyte, Philippines

3. Writing encouraging letters and leaving out discouraging things.
4. Not visiting or telephoning your missionary without the mission president’s approval. Christmas and Mother’s Day will be approved times for your missionary to have a visit with your family by telephone. This call is to be paid by your family and not out of the Missionary Support money given to your missionary.
5. Contacting me in an emergency using your international calling code at:

09175364836 (President Andaya’s number)or 2012855@ldschurch.org (email).

6.      Please do NOT send money through the mail. If your missionary has a personal debit card, there should be a minimum of $100 or 1,000 Php in it for emergency purposes. You may add funds to this account for any personal items such as medical co-payments, pre-existing medical expenses, and pictures. These personal expenses should be kept to a minimum. If your missionary does not have a personal debit card, you can send money through approved money transfer services i.e. LBC, Western Union, etc.

Please encourage your missionary to only use www.myldsmail.net and not other websites such as Facebook. We know that through obedience to this, your missionary will receive a greater portion of the Spirit and will become more effective in bringing more souls unto Christ.

Thank you for preparing your missionary. She will make an important contribution to the work of the Lord in our Mission.  It is a great blessing to have her in our Mission.

Sincerely,

  

Jose V. Andaya

Philippines Tacloban Mission