Day 418 Tacloban, Philippines Typhoon Glenda, exchanges Downtown, Typhoon Henry, exchanges in CARIGARA!!!!

So apparently there are several missionaries being pulled out of their areas because of these typhoons hitting. In my old zone up in northern samar, there is no power and clean water. Let me know if you hear more about that. I'll ask the APs at lunch today.

Another week flew by! With two typhoons and two exchanges, we didn't have much time to work in our own area this week, but I know we were doing exactly what the Lord would have us do. I went on exchanges with Sister Asuncion in Downtown Tacloban and with Sister Kaun in Carigara. They are both still finishing up their training.

It was the best thing in the whole wide world to go back to my first area in Carigara. Actually, I entered Carigara exactly one year ago! The day i arrived was July 18, and that's when i returned!!!! Tender mercies all over the place. It was beautiful to see the progression and remember all the good that happened during the early months of my mission. And i could actually communicate with the members finally, haha! I went back to some of my old investigators and they had been waiting for missionaries to come back for so long! One of them has been waiting to be baptized! (Aldrin Guiwan). I left a note with another investigator, Maria Paz Adizas to remind her of the amazing lesson we had about the Book of Mormon. We'll see what happens when i go back next month for exchanges again.

Have you heard of Vanuatu? That's where Sister Kaun is from. There are so many little islands that I have never heard of!

I bought a dragon blade. . . :)

So, apparently I only talk to crazy people. Or only people that are crazy talk to me. Anyway, there's this lady named Susan that we invited to learn more about the gospel. Well, she calls us randomly now and asks us weird stuff and then says: "Wait lang." Then she hangs up. We edited her name in our phone to be Crazy Susan.

Interesting thought: In Moroni's invitation for us to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, he uses the words: "ask if these things are NOT true," instead of "ask if these things are true." Why would he use the negative? The sisters here were discussing how maybe it's like a challenge: we'll never be able to find adequate evidence against the Book of Mormon to claim that it is not true. And often it is easier to discern a 'no' answer than a 'yes' answer. Thoughts?

Well, I love you all! Sounds like cherries is great. . . .not jealous at all. Keep up the family history work! Great to hear all the stories. :)

Love always,
Sister Amanda Smith

CSP: washing laundry at the boomba, folding clothes, and painting :) i'm at the water pump

Old Carigara friends!!!! Quebec Sisters

the Pilande family

San Juanico bridge. . . Zone activity (yes i've been here before with Sister Henshaw!) :)

Day 411 Tacloban, Philippines Exchanges in Palo, Sisters Devotional, and Zone interviews!

Another awesome week! Another FAST week! Time goes by so much quicker now that there's more going on here.

Cool news: You remember the investigator Irene from Allen? Turns out, her best friend's son lives in my ward! So they told me that she went to church for the first time!!!! yayayayayy!

I went on exchanges in Palo this week with Sister Duke! I love being able to see the other areas and help spread the enthusiasm for finding professionals (that's my favorite!). It's really interesting here in Tacloban; people are still stuck about the storm. They just can't seem to move on; it's all they talk about when you meet people. It's actually nice to be able to tell people that I was here with them during the storm so then they listen to our message more.

In the evenings we make ice candy, fudge, and whatever else. Or we are out with the elders at FHEs and stuff because they have cars. :) Yup! I write in my journal daily. :)

Thanks for sending the talks! I just got the Good, Better, Best. Can you send me O Remember, Remember by Henry B. Eyring? Salamat! Also, what is your favorite conference talk about the Sacrament?

Zone Interviews were awesome. :) We just had quick interviews with President to give him an opportunity to meet all the missionaries. He has all the skills that this mission needs at this particular time to build upon all the work President Andaya has done. I'm so excited to see the changes that will happen in the culture of this mission!

Remember Fe and Carlos? We found the perfect fellowshippers for them! Turns out, there's an old stake president and his wife who live just down the street! They connected really well and promised us they would continue to help and friendship them. Fellowshippers and members make all the difference in the world!

We had an incredible devotional/sleepover with the sisters in my zone last night. We all read and discussed Moroni 10. We ended up talking about the plan of salvation, focusing on what "perfect" really means. We decided that perfect means being perfectly converted and having full access to the grace of God. It was so refreshing and uplifting to just focus on the doctrine and learn so much from the other sisters' insights. :)

Catholic church in Palo, center of Catholism in Region 8 (my mission)

exchanges with Sister Duke

ruins from typhoon Yolanda

my old apartment in San jose

zoom in on the picture of the side of my old apartment, you can see a gray, block wall with a little bit of tin nailed on top. i think that is what i was walking on in the water to get on to the lower part of the roof, to get on to the higher roof. (it's on the lower right corner of the picture.)

this is the school we went to right after our apartment flooded

Day 404 Tacloban, Philippines America, AMERICA!!!

What an incredible week. :) I went to my first MLC! (Missionary Leadership Council) It was held in the Mission home!!! (Usually it's in the chapel.) We discussed the mission culture as it is now and what we want it to become. Then next month (MLC is monthly) we will discuss a theme for the mission, set policies, etc. I love finally knowing what is going on. Sometimes it's so confusing being a normal missionary, being out of the loop about new policies, procedures, announcements. It's exciting to be a leader during this time of change. I was so grateful to be able to attend MLC for my first time. I hope to be able to carry on the vision we have for the mission to the other missionaries here. Sister Woodruff and I are planning our training for the Zone Training Meeting tomorrow morning. We plan to give a small training on what it really means to serve God with all our heart---how to really find happiness as we lose ourselves in this work. No more robot missionaries. No more floating through the mission. If we have not charity, we are nothing, despite all the other attributes we may have.

Our area is starting to pick up more. Since we are opening an area, we've been trying to build up and create our teaching pool. We've been focusing on professionals and families. So far so good! We found several couples or families who have a desire to attend church and change their lifestyle. We met a professional couple: the wife is a retired prosecutor and the husband is a retired policeman. Their hearts have been softened since the typhoon because of the death of a sister. They are searching for peace and are already starting to feel lighter as they read from the pamphlets we give them. That's one reason I'm so glad to be assigned back in Tacloban--to see all the changed hearts. It was kinda hard being assigned in an area not affected at all by the typhoon. But it is so amazing to hear all the stories and see the opportunity for the Atonement to work in the lives the people her.

In my personal study, I found a scripture I've never really come across before: Ephesians 3:16-21. It talks about how to be rooted and grounded in love. I want to be able to say when my mission term is up that I served from my heart---with ALL my heart, not just obedient and diligent. After all, if we have not charity, we are nothing!  It goes along with the training Sister Woodruff and I are preparing to give on how to serve God with all our heart. :)

President and Sister Maurer (pronounced "Morah," like hill Cu-morah) are INCREDIBLE! They are so outgoing, funny, and adventurous. Plus they have awesome Australian accents. :) Just a couple days ago President just left with his wife to explore the mission and drive around everywhere. Definitely what this mission needs: enthusiasm. :) Plus we live just down the street from him! We had MLC in the mission home and they cooked us breakfast!!! I miss foreigner food.

4th of July! We went to an American restaurant called Uncle Sam's. Ate a beautiful burger. :) Sang the Star-Spangled Banner. :) Filipinos don't really celebrate their independence day from what i can tell. I think it was in June. Yesterday I cooked BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes and brownie/cookie bars!!!! (that's what we do with our 6:00pm curfew! hahaha) We had a potluck birthday dinner party for an Elder's birthday. We also had sushi and cheesecake and apple crisp. :) the joys of living in the city. Thanks for the fudge recipe!

MLC group

weird street names in V&G (the name of a neighborhood)

4th of july party with the APs, ZLs, office elders and other sisters at Uncle Sam's. :)

Day 397 Tacloban, Philippines New area, new comp, new PRESIDENT! New transfer ;)

Well . . .
This was one of the quickest weeks of my life! As my first full week as an STL, I learned an incredible amount of love and understanding for the sisters already. I am so grateful for this additional way to serve and expand the way I serve. I am finding this added responsibility to be very rewarding so far. I am realizing that the skills i use as a missionary are the same skills i will use as a friend, leader, and mother after the mission.

As an STL, I travel between zones and go on exchanges with the sisters I am given watch over. I love it sooooooooo much! I already went on exchanges with Sister Vea in. . . . SAN JOSE! (my old area during the typhoon). I love getting to meet so many more sisters, especially living really near the mission home and office.  I stay busy all the time with phone calls with the APs, ZLs, my DL the other sisters' DLs, etc. I really get to know everyone else in the mission! especially with the upcoming MLC (a meeting for the ZLs and STLs with President and the APs) in two days. :) NOpe, we don't have a car. No sisters have cars here, only office elders, APs and the Tacloban ZLs. We just walk or ride jeepneys or vans or buses, etc. :) I have 4 different companionships to work with: Carigara, San Jose, Downtown, and Palo. That's only a few so we have time to work in our own area!

It honestly feels soooooooooooooooo good to be back in Tacloban 1st Ward. There's a lot of destruction here still in the neighborhoods, but for the most part, life is up and running. Robinson's (a mall) reopened completely just two days ago! yay! As I was in San Jose, I went to one of the areas right by the airport where it was hit the most by the typhoon. It looks like a ghost town. All the trees are gone except the trunks of some really big trees. Yikes. Life is so fragile. Since i've been back, i've been able to hear so many stories about what happened to others during the typhoon! Some of them are pretty crazy, like all the members in the Fatima chapel (500 plus people) crawling into the attic of the church to escape the flood, and another family hanged from cable wires on the powerlines to stay above water. Remind me to tell you more details when i have time. . .

Our curfew is 6pm because things are still unstable in some ways. Not sure how to describe. Life goes on like it did before, but there are constant reminders of the storm, if that makes sense. And not all the street lights are fixed yet. But I feel safe as long as there is light out. :) We work with a lot of members too so we travel in groups so we're safe and stuff. Just as precautions. I've only been here a week so I'm not sure how things are now. But i really feel safe and that people respect us as missionaries.

My area is awesome! I actually share my area with the APs and the ZLs which is fun. :) We have giant family home evenings all the time! And then I get a ride in their car.

I haven't met our new President Maurer yet, but we hear he is incredible. He had a meeting with the office elders yesterday afternoon. The elders tell us he is the happiest, funniest man ever! He's from Australia and lives in New Zealand. :) Cool accents! Also, he was involved in the Area Seminary/Institute stuff. Not exactly sure, but sounds like an incredible teacher.

I wish I had time to write you more. . . maybe I'll handwrite the rest this week. LOVE YOU ALL!

This is looking to be one of the best transfers of my mission so far!

 Scripture of the week: Moroni 7:25-26; 32-33

Day 390 Tacloban, Philippines

Sooooooooooooooooooo much has happened this week. First off, I'M BACK IN TACLOBAN 1st WARD!!! I'm not in the San Jose area but I'm in the same ward that I was in during the typhoon. My area is shared with the APs and the ZLs (because somehow I became an STL) in V&G, Sagkahan, and Fatima. I'm not downtown but there's a lot more professionals in these barangays (um. . neighborhoods. that's the English word, haha). There's still a lot of destruction in these areas, but many of the members have been benefited by the home building project by the church and HELP International. It feels so good to be back! Even though I was only in this ward for a month or so, I absolutely loved it. My companion is Sister Woodruff. Love her already! :) All the members joke that we are prophetesses or something because of our last names, haha. We live next door to the Downtown and San Jose sisters in our own apartment. :)

Also GUESS WHAT! Since I get to go on exchanges with other sisters, I get to go back to San Jose AND Carigara (my first area)!!!!! Tender mercy right there. And learning Tagalog in Allen is really paying off here, although I need to relearn the Waray2x here.

Hey do you get letters or emails from my mission office/president? Just curious. Also, I got the multivitamins this week. Salamat hin duro! And Ally Wilkin you are INCREDIBLE! Thanks for the package pal! :D :D :D

So let me back up before transfers.

We weren't able to go back to Mark before I left, but Irene seems to be doing awesome. She brought her neighbors to the lesson and will go to church after the funeral of her brother-in-law. She just keeps having one trial after another.

I found another awesome investigator while i was on member splits with Melanie Habla. I asked her why she had religion in her life or what is the purpose of church in her life? She told me that even though she's been a Catholic forever, she is struggling to find answers to her prayer when she prays to the saints and mother mary. Then she asked us with tears in her eyes, "What is the purpose of church? What is my purpose?" We were guided to tell her that as she follows the gospel of Jesus Christ, she will be able to have the guidance of the Holy Ghost once she is baptized by proper authority, etc. She committed to be baptized on the first lesson! And she said the only reason she hasn't tried attending church before was because she thought we prayed to Joseph Smith. We told her no and she said, "Well, then i"m coming to church with my family on Sunday!" And she gave us referrals. :) Love it when that happens. I can't wait to hear from Sister Mier what happened with her.

I went to the worst funeral ever. I was invited to play piano for the funeral service a member who was a pioneer for the church there in Allen. She died at age 96 or something. Definitely her time to go. But the family (who weren't members) were all in complete hysterics. Like, they had to be dragged out of the room when the procession started to the gravesite. And there was one lady screaming MAMA and stomping her feet and then she laid on the coffin. I was definitely messing up the hymns i was playing because I could not focus. I am SO GRATEFUL to have a knowledge of the gospel of God's plan. I felt happiness and relief that the woman had finally passed on to her rest. Well, hopefully, since the funeral was at our LDS chapel, the Catholics who attended will have their eyes opened and be willing to listen to the gospel in the future. THE CHURCH IS SO TRUE!

Well, I'm out of time, but I love you all!

Sister Amanda Smith

Pictures of goodbye in Allen



A view from my new apartment window as things look right now. It's near the same property as the mission home (not my old apartment which was about a half a mile away from this one). During the typhoon, this new apartment flooded about 4ft.

Day 383 Allen, Philippines last interview with President Andaya. . . . :(

I can't believe it's time for the Andayas to go home. . . I had an awesome last interview with President Andaya. It was really short, but it went well.  I almost cried at the end of the interview because i realized it would probably be the last time I see him unless I transfer this week through Tacloban.

On a less sad note, the new President Maurer sounds just as awesome as President Andaya. He'll be my THIRD Mission President, haha. I really can't compare between all the presidents because they are all exactly what the mission needs at certain moments and they are called of God and led by revelation. :) I've heard that he's a really good teacher because he used to be a well-known Institute teacher and stuffs. Exciting!

Irene is doing ok. She still reads but we are having a harder time helping her want to go to church. Also, during our last lesson when we asked her about being baptized again and how she feels about setting a date, she says she wants a sign before committing to a specific date. We then helped her recognize the signs she's already received from the Holy Ghost. Hopefully, this will sink in and she'll realize that she already has her answer.

We contacted an awesome referral the other day: Mark. He's also a professional, referred by his brother (another investigator). At the door, he got straight to the point: he was born Catholic, but he recognized how the religion contradicts the Bible sometimes. He has a ton of good questions for us (like where did Joseph Smith get authority to explain the gospel? so he already understands the concept of needing priesthood authority!!!!) and committed to set aside time for us. I can't wait for the return appointment! ;)

LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLL!!

Day 376 Allen, Philippines Mission CSP & Conference!!

What a week. First off, I can't believe Ashley is home!!! That means I have less than 6 months left. . . But i'm still a baby in the mission! I feel like time is at a standstill because the weather never changes, haha.

If you ever want a cool subject to study: ministering of angels. Speaking of which, can you DearElder me Elder Holland's talk on Angels? Salamat! :)

After a crazy 7 hour van ride through the jungle, we finally arrived in Tacloban for our MISSION CSP!! and CONFERENCE!! Whoooooh! (fyi that's super rare here). There were crazy rumors going around that an apostle was coming, but instead we got to see some RMs and one of my old MTC teachers. We stayed two nights in Tacloban in a different sisters' apartment (sad news: my old apartment was bought by the RLDS church and they are turning it into a Bed and Breakfast, apparently). Tacloban looks AMAZING!! Full of people! cars! Stores full of stock! :)The top stories of the buildings still need a lot of work, but things are up and running. There are a lot of freshly painted/restored buildings, murals, etc. And there's a program called Tindog Tacloban that controls the fundraising for the city.

We cleaned up the General McArthur Park and then had a good bye Conference for the Andaya family. Sooooooooooooooooooo sad. Can't even describe. BUT we get to see them this week for Zone Interviews! The last time i had an interview with President Andaya was my first transfer in the field! I'm so excited! :)

I forgot to write about Irene! She's doing awesome! She is still in the grief period from the death of her husband, but she agreed to be baptized if she knows the church is true. she reads! (that's a miracle where many people can't read very well). She asked us why we claim the Book of Mormon to be the most correct book on earth. She thinks really deeply and considers what we say.i really feel the Spirit during our lessons with her.

Oh the package came! Those are some heavy Swedish Fish, haha! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH! The best part were the letters. :) Thank you thank you!