Day 140 Tacloban, Philippines Transfer Week!!

Yet another surprise. . . I transferred!!!! I am now in Tacloban zone, in the San Jose area (in the actual Tacloban city, but not downtown) and my new companion is Sister Henshaw!!!!!! We actually met each other before at BYU and saw each other everyday on campus last semester!! We are both stoked to be companions and we are crazy united. We are so ready to work miracles because we are both so in tune with each other and the Spirit. So pumped for this transfer. :) :) :) Also in my apartment is SISTER MALIETOA!! We both transferred into the same apartment! What are the odds that I would be with my MTC comp again???! We are in the apartment that all the sick, visiting, or new missionaries stay. Also, the STLs used to live with us but they transferred two days ago to another apartment. :( So we're in the same ward as all the office elders, APs, mission president, etc so there's 5 companionships of missionaries in our ward. Crazy.

Super funny, when I got the text that I was transferring, my travel instructions were to take a bus, then a jeepney, then "ask inspired questions" to figure out where the chapel was downtown in Tacloban, haha. Luckily I had a Pacific Islander elder travel with me so he helped me with all my lugguage, haha.

We have a huge area! It's weird to be using jeepneys to travel to our appointments. I love this ward already. Members are willing to work with us and we actually have a Ward Mission Leader. We tried doing our language study with a group of members and it helped a ton to figure out the grammar! They speak English really well here so they were able to help us translate a lot and actually explain the conjugations and stuff :)

As Sister Henshaw and I have made new goals, we've been soooo blessed!! For example, we were riding in a pedicab and talking about how we want to find less active members that we can help reactivate and prepare for missions. When we got out of the pedicab and talked to our driver, it turns out he's an inactive member and he's mission age! We were so excited to see how the Lord is willing to give us opportunities if we are willing to look and have the desire. People to teach and help us are literally set in our path. In just these few short days together, we have been so blessed. 

We're pretty much whitewashing our area; Sister Henshaw has only been here 3 weeks so we have an adventure everyday trying to figure out the area, who people are, etc. We're hoping to really change this area, especially since it's one of the oldest areas in the whole mission. We both truly believe that as long as we're obedient and following the Spirit everything will work out, even though we're both really new (she's only 6 weeks ahead of me).

We watched General Conference!!! It was absolutely amazing, as usual. We sat with our ward missionaries and investigators. One of them said the Conference center looks like a spaceship, bahahaha! It was hard for them to understand the actual words and they would translate to each other to figure out what the speakers were saying (it's all in English!), but they felt the Spirit of the message nonetheless. I noticed that some of the biggest themes were endurance, protecting the family, and covenant keeping. Please, everyone pray for missionary opportunities! I KNOW the Lord will put someone in your path. Remember, missionary work means "invite others to come unto Christ," this means ANYONE, not just non-members. :) There is plenty of missionary work to be done no matter where you live. Also, wasn't Elder Bednar's talk the best tithing talk ever?? Loved it. I can't wait to go back and study all these talks again (especially since the connection wasn't so great during the broadcast. . .). Remember, the things we learn from conference are nothing unless we actually APPLY them. Just like we can't get in shape by watching a basketball game, we can't become spiritually strong by watching conference. The power of conference will come when we change our lives to match the message.

LOVE YOU ALL BUNCHES!!!

Sister Amanda Smith

Gooodbye with Carigara sisters

Sister Henshaw and I!

San Juanico bridge with some elders from our zone

Day 133 Carigara, Philippines

First off, MY PACKAGE CAME!! I got it on October 3, so less than a month! Awesome! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!! I haven’t watched the video of Alex yet but I’ll let you know when I do and I’ll try to record it. J I love the PJ shirt----both the color and fit. Perfect for nighttime in the Philippines. Also, I loved the notes inside from Mom and Moo! I love seeing handwritten letters (hint hint!). ;) Everything looked fine inside. The CD case was a little cracked but other than that I don’t know if anything was missing. No bugs or anything. I don’t think it was opened at all.

I chose to serve because I can’t stand living my happy life without everyone else knowing how to be happy too. I just don’t feel content living my life just for me. There’s so much more value when you live and serve for others---for God.

Yeah we cook everything from scratch. Nothing prepackaged. It’s cool to see how to create certain flavors completely from scratch. Also, I learned what Filipino food really means: cooking with the most random ingredients in the shortest amount of time and STILL having enough food and it tastes crazy good. I don’t know how they do it, haha.

Yeah CSP is service, sorry I forget we have missionary lingo.

Haha, I showed my comp the picture of Mf. Loafer you sent me and she said, “what’s the yellow??” And I told her how the leaves change color and she was like really????

We watched the Relief Society Broadcast just this past Saturday. Everything here is a week behind so General Conference is this coming weekend. They forgot to announce conference so there was only like 15 people from the whole stake at the RS Broadcast so we’ll see how many show up for General conference. Not a lot of people come from what I’ve heard because it’s in English and most people get bored because they can’t understand. But we were able to bring one of our brand new investigators to the RS Broadcast. When our prophet spoke, I was able to point out to her: that’s our prophet! Her first response was: he’s old! Hahaha! I missed the first speaker because we were 30 minutes late. . . any chance you could send me a copy of the talk so I can print it out and read it later? I also liked the idea of preparing the day before for the Sacrament. I want to try and remember to prepare both physically and spiritually for the Sabbath. Did you notice that most of the talks were about covenant keeping? They really focused on the basics: the doctrine of Christ. Also, during the Broadcast I started out taking notes for myself only and then realized that I’m a missionary and should be focused on helping OTHERS understand too, especially since it’s all in English. After I switched my thinking, I found the broadcast to be much more meaningful. President Uchtdorf teaches that if we only focus on ourselves, we may miss some of the most profound revelations of our lives.

I haven’t used the permethrin yet. I don’t have much time on P-days. . . maybe next week???

Don’t worry the typhoon hasn’t affected my area much. Maybe in Borongan (Samar—the other large island in my mission), though. I’ll have to write to Sister Malietoa---that’s where she’s assigned right now. And we’re safe from all the military stuff.

Where else has Alex raced? And has Moo applied for college yet? I want to hear her thoughts about Snow.

Sorry this is really random this week! LOVE YOU ALL!!!

fhe at the Bardiago family

last Zone Training Meeting with Christian

thanks for the package!!! Happy Amanda :)

Day 126 Carigara, Philippines almost october!

Grabi man, October na?! (Wow, it’s already October?!) And transfers are next week!!! What?! Where did the time go? Christian has a week left before he goes to the mission office for his last few days in the mission. I really I hope I don’t transfer; I’m loving the area and my comp. Also, we’re looking forward to some baptisms this coming month!

You’ll be happy to know that I’m finally learning how to cook some Filipino food, haha. My comp is a pro cook so she taught me how to make maha (a type of coconut. . . stuff. I have no idea what to compare it to.) and pancit bihon, a type of noodle dish. As I cook with her, I realize I have no idea how to really cook.  All the flavors in the dish are from actual, real ingredients, nothing fake. I asked my comp one time what sauce she used. She said she put in salt and pepper and the rest of the flavor was just from the ingredients. She’s really teaching me how to cook for taste, not by recipe.

Aside from a kid peeing on my umbrella, I had a really great week! I played some volleyball this morning and had several opportunities for service this past week. We finally got to do CSP again. Our service project was in Capoocan (Christian’s area) and we helped make a garden. And the next day I finally got to do some art! I helped paint a backdrop for our stake’s Family Week Celebration. And then on Saturday we had a parade, ward presentations, and activities at the stake center. They go all out here in the Philippines! J

I had an incredible experience with a new investigator. So you remember Epat Adisas from my last letter? The super devout Catholic? Well, my comp and I were pretty nervous to go teach her because she’s already had all the lessons and has researched the church online. She told us she has a lot of questions and concerns. I was worried because she is very well read and knows her stuff. As I was preparing to teach her, I was reading from Preach My Gospel for some insights on how to best approach this situation. I read that “one of the most powerful ways of inviting and helping others feel the Spirit” is to bear testimony. People may question things intellectually, but “it is difficult to question a sincere, heartfelt testimony.”

So, when we first arrived at our appointment, Epat seemed kind of scared of us and confused why we, the missionaries, had found her again. She was afraid we were trying to “recruit” her. As we started the lesson, we reassured her of our purpose and she relaxed as she realized we were sincere. During the lesson, I felt impressed to switch topics to the Book of Mormon. Last time she had mentioned that it was “vague” and that bothered me. I wanted to make sure she understood the power that can come from studying it. As I simply bore testimony of why I love the BOM, I saw a desire in her eyes to find the same peace and answers. She told us that she’s been looking for peace but can’t find it. She attends church regularly, but she’s stopped listening to the sermons/prayers. Instead, she says her own prayers from her heart. By the end of the lesson, she was able to say for herself why she needs to read the BOM. And she committed to be baptized! She was soooo receptive and prepared to hear the message! I was amazing to see the things in her life that had softened her heart, when she had rejected the message before. Talk about miracles!

Spiritual thought: Matthew 6:22-23 “If…thine eye be single to the glory of God, thy whole body shall be full of light.” In the footnotes for ‘single’ it says: healthy, sincere, without guile, and dedication. Christ is always there in our lives, but we need to learn how to see His light and let Him enter.

I love you all!

Sister Amanda Smith :D :D :D

working in the garden at Capoocan Elementary School

CSP: surrounded by school children

family week celebration: painting the backdrop

in front of the backdrop

family week celebration: parade

Day 119 Carigara, Philippines another handwritten letter

eating crab for the first time

happy family (batch) reunion

wall of death

Day 112 Carigara, Philippines handwritten letter

My zone

my apartment when we're about to leave for jogging

views of where we go jogging

Day 95 Carigara, Philippines what a week

What a week. It felt so nice to get back to work again. Surprisingly, I actually found my way around our area fairly well, especially since it had been awhile. If I didn’t know where a house was, I at least knew where a member lived who could show us around. That’s the thing here: since everyone spends a lot of time outside and their houses aren’t exactly soundproof, everyone knows everyone; they have a tight knit community. To get to someone’s house, you just have to memorize the path and what it looks like. I tried to explain the concept of a house address to some kids and they were so baffled, haha.

Sige (ok), so we are still teaching the Visoria boys and the Pilande family. J Out of the Visoria boys, one of them in particular seems much more serious and earnest than the rest. His name is Julius Nicdao and he’s sixteen. He’s come to church with some less-actives these past three weeks (and sometimes he’d come just with another investigator!). However, his parents don’t want him to continue talking with us or to get baptized. He is afraid of letting us talk to his parents, so we’ll see how that goes this next week. The Pilande family continues to be rock awesome. We taught them once, but they practically taught us. The father has practically every church manual and studies the scriptures like crazy. And the mother already has names to bring to the temple for when they can go. Talk about a dedicated family.

My favorite experience of the week was when we had our second lesson with a young adult named Aldrin Giwan. He’s so cooooool! He’s the one that we briefly intro’d about the BOM and he seemed really receptive. I’ve been dying to go back and we finally were able to! We followed up on his reading in the BOM and he’s already on chapter 8 of 1 Nephi. And he had questions for us! I got to answer why Nephi killed Laban----to the best of my ability in Waray, haha. During the whole lesson, I practically had to restrain myself from bouncing up and down on the couch (yes, a couch!) because I was so excited with how he is receiving the gospel. Also, at the end of the lesson, he asked us what we believe about heaven and hell. He is so ready to learn! The only downside is that he lives on a little island somewhere and comes to Carigara for work. The fare for the ferry ride is expensive, so he’s not sure when he’ll be able to come to church. He committed to be baptized, though, so he promised to figure things out so he can try to attend church.

So I found out that I love tracting! I’ve tried street contacting and “knocking doors” (we don’t knock, we call “maupay!” at the gate/door). People are so nice and relaxed; I’ve found that the people here are very open to talking with strangers and other people because they just want someone who will listen. It’s harder to find people who will actually listen to our message, haha. It’s also fun to watch people’s expressions when they find a pasty white Americana on their doorstep. J We’ve received many new investigators this way, but it’s soooooo much better to work through referrals from the members. I like meeting new people, even though I can’t remember of even pronounce most of their names. Also, my favorite thing is when a little kid “blesses” me. It’s a sign of respect for a child to take their elder’s hand (almost as if they were going to shake hands) and then touch their forehead to the elder’s hand. Cutest thing in the whole wide world, especially when it’s just some random kid you’re passing by in the street.

The bugs aren’t bad here. I haven’t even seen any large spiders yet. And I’ve only seen 3 or 4 cockroaches, maybe. I don’t live in the bukid so the living conditions are pretty nice---except for the occasional brown out or when the water runs out in the middle of rinsing your laundry. . . like what happened today, haha.

We finally had another zone activity this morning. We went to the beach!! Christian and I found some live starfish and put them on our faces (see the picture). We played a bunch of games, waded in the water, watched an elder eat a live crab. . . stuff like that. J

Christian has less than a month left. So he’ll for sure just stay here until his transfer is up the first week of October. I wish he could stay longer!

Since being in the Philippines, I’ve come to appreciate clean water. In America, there is such easy and quick access to clean water, but here many people have to either travel or get water from wells to do their cooking, cleaning, and laundry. (we have our water delivered from the local water sterilization plant J ). With this context, I read a talk by Matthew Heaps in the Liahona July 2011 issue. Here’s a quote I want to share with you all:

“I wonder if we who get clean water from taps in our homes sometimes expect to come unto Christ with the same ease as turning a knob to get a glass of water. Or are we willing to put aside other tasks, even important ones, to seek to know Jesus Christ and His Father?”

Also, I really like what the 4th verse of Count Your Many Blessings teaches:

“So amid the conflict whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged God is over all.

Count your many blessings; angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you til your journey’s end.”

As we recognize God’s hand and tender mercies in our past and present, we will have hope to sustain us because we know and trust that He will be there in the future.

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Sister Amanda Smith

with Sis Baylon

a fruit called rumbatan, think. tastes like. . . um there's nothing really to compare it to. . . but i like it:)

where we had our zone activity. doesn't it look like a wallpaper screen???

gorgeous lighting scenery. this is a view from a basketball court.

Day 88 Carigara, Philippines Transfer Week!!!!

Can you believe it’s already September??? So much has happened this past week. For starters, I have a new companion! I was not expecting that at all! Let me back up to the beginning of the week.

So last Monday (Dad’s birthday!!) was actually my Bishop Ragsag’s birthday, gihapon (also)! His family invited us and other families in the ward over to his house for FHE and to celebrate his birthday. He told me to tell Dad happy birthday for him (or at least I think that’s what he said, haha). So I got to celebrate your birthday after all, Dad! 

Tuesday we went back to Tacloban again for more doctor checkups and stuff. Sister Clark is doing ok and the doctors seem to have things under control. I hope she continues to improve so she can work again. After staying the night, we returned to Carigara just in time for. . . . TRANSFER ANNOUNCEMENTS. Both Sister Clark and Sister Talatagod transferred!! I thought for sure I would have another cycle with my nanay. This means I am leading the area after only three days teaching  in my new area (since we switched areas with the elders in our ward). So this will force us to really work with the members to help us figure out where people live. It will kinda be like opening an area, but I already know the members, haha.

Sister Sousa has an American companion from her batch. She came on Thursday, but I had to wait until Friday night for my followup trainer. Sooooo, my new companion is Sister Baylon! She is from Davao City, Mindanao and she is 26. She’s batchmates with Sister Clark (which means they’ve been out the same amount of time). She speaks Cebuano, but her English is pretty good. She is very dedicated to her work, but I can tell that transferring is difficult. In her previous area, she was very successful with her companion, so it must be hard for her to come to area where the trainee doesn’t know anything still. Everyone tells me that when you transfer, it feels like you just got to the mission field again. I didn’t transfer, but I feel like I’m starting over again. A fresh new start. I’m excited to see how things progress. I’m excited to get to work. 

We’re still teaching the Visoria boys (the group of investigators that came to church) and the Pilande family (who are working on setting a date for their marriage so they can be baptized). Both groups came to church these past weeks, even though we haven’t taught them recently. We also received a referral from the Relief Society in our ward. The family are professionals, meaning they have a steady, high paying job. We try to find as many professionals as we can because it is less of a burden for them to serve in the church.

So how’s school going? What classes are everyone taking? I want to hear from siblings personally, too!

Our ward is planning a family week celebration with a parade, ward presentation, lunch, activities, and a dance. They go all out here with activities. The lunch is “Bring Your Own Rice.” Haha. . .

Scripture of the week: Jacob 3:1-2 “Look unto God with firmness of mind.” What does it really mean to have a firm mind? In Cebuano, faith is hugot nga pagtuo which means firm belief. I think firm means to be diligent and steadfast—to put aside all distractions, worries, and priorities. There’s actually a lot of scriptures that talk about being firm or having firmness. Interesting stuff.

I can’t wait to hear from you all! LOVE YOU!

Sister Amanda Smith

FHE at Bishop's house
The Pilande family is on the back row, the first three people from the left side in the picture at FHE

Dinner at the Maurillo's home with the Elders in our ward: Elder Johnson and Elder Azuela.

This is at the bishop's house the night before Sister Clark left.