Day 74 Carigara, Philippines one month in the field. . . a rice field

Kamusta inyo?

Today marks Day 77 on my mission and exactly one month in the field. :) I am starting to get used to looking out for low clotheslines and doorways so I don't wack my head every few minutes, haha. And I need my spoon. I can't go back to eating with just a fork. I'm becoming accustomed to being swarmed with children yelling SISTER!! or rather SEESDER! Haha, too cute.

So I know you're all probably wondering why I haven't been talking much about investigators, etc. Well, there was a point where we hadn't taught a lesson in over two weeks, due to many factors. BUT, don't worry, I have plenty of stories for you this week. We've been really productive the past few days.

Last Tuesday morning something scary happened. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw my companion missing. It turns out the other Filipina sister in our apartment was gone too. I woke up Sister Sousa---it was only 5:15 am----and we found a cellphone our companions had left behind. There was one text saying to close up the house because they were at the hospital. All the lights were still on and the front door was wide open. We called the zone leaders when our comps wouldn't answer the phone. They were with our comps in Tacloban, an hour away. At midnight, my comp stopped breathing and Sister Talatagod rushed her to the local hospital, and then to the doctors in Tacloban. The doctors told her she stopped breathing because she's too stressed. My comp spent two days recovering and she seems to be feeling a lot better now. In the meantime, please please keep her in your prayers! The doctors have no idea what's wrong with her. They've guessed everything from kidney stones to diabetes to a heart condition. But it started on her mission and it gets worse when she's stressed.

We contacted a referral from our ZLs yesterday. We ended up teaching the man's son because he wasn't home, but got back right as we finished the lesson. Basta (anyways,), the son---in his mid-twenties---was really receptive to our message. Our discussion with him was really short, but powerful. I started out by introducing the BoM. I've gotten into the bad habit of not asking enough questions because I can't understand their answers, but this time I started out by asking him several questions. One of them was: Why do you read the Bible? My comp told me he said he reads it to search for what God wants him to do in his life. I was then able to teach him how the BoM can do just that. It really helped to understand his needs and how to make such a simple lesson more personal and direct for him. He seemed really interested and sincere. As we were leaving, he was already thumbing through the first pages. I can't wait to go back!

Thursday was the first real day in our new area, since we switched with the Elders in our ward. I love it already! It's closer in the city and all the houses are fairly packed together, so it's actually a lot easier to do missionary work. People become very familiar with who we are and see us all the time. Just in three days, we got 10 new investigators! And 9 of them attended church. :)

Part of that new group of investigators are what my comp and I call the Visoria boys---Visoria is a barangay (neighborhood). There's 7 teenage boys who came to church with two of our Less Actives last week for ward conference. They support and remind each other to come to church and come to our lessons. It's exciting to rekindle the LA's testimonies as they help their friends learn about the gospel.

Most of our work is with Less Active families to prepare them to come back to church or be sealed in the temple. We're very focused on families.

My comp is really good with the people here. She can get in almost any door. I wish I knew what she was saying to figure out how to do the same, haha. But we've taught 13 lessons in the past three days! I love LOVE staying busy, especially after weeks of nothing. It really helps me to lose myself in the work. With the challenges that I'm facing right now, it helps so much to just forget what's happening and become so involved and consumed in the work.

Have you read The Bonds That Make Us Free yet? I've been thinking about it a lot with the things I'm going through. It helps me remember to keep a wide perspective about everything.

I've never heard more fervent prayers than in the Philippines. And I've never said more fervent prayers. So I've been learning a lot about how to really plead with the Lord and turn our routine prayers in to conversations. There is power in prayer.

I'm adjusting to the food just fine. I eat a lot of rice, but I'm actually used to it now. I need my rice, haha. The bugs, yes they eat me alive. Especially my legs. When I wake up in the mornings, I find lots of new bites from during the night.

Congrats Alex on your Triathalon!! I want to see pictures! :)

And Moo: send me your notes from Education Week! I love Education Week!!

Oh, so one of our investigators offered me some candy. I looked at it and it turns out it was cough drop, basically. They call it "Menthol Candy" haha. They eat them here for dinner mints.

Basta. . . (anyways)

Salamat for everything you do! Your help is helping me get through this rough patch. LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Sister Amanda Smith

a throng of little girls that follows me around my area SO CUTE. And behind them is the wall of death. We have to walk across this stony wall across the swampy area and it drops off a good 10 feet on either side. Scary stuff, dad.

my comp and the two sisters in my apartment
Sis Talatagod, Sis Clark (my comp), Sis Sousa, me