Week Two in the Philippines - "ulan kag balangaw"

Trainer's Training Meeting - September 11, 2013

Remember to always find joy in the journey. You can choose happiness and find joy every single day! Isn't that so awesome?! We have the gospel! We should be the happiest people on earth! I love the gospel. It gives me so much peace and comfort to know that we will get to be together as a family FOREVER!

I'm doing great:) Happy and working hard and learning so much every single day. The Lord is working hard to shape me into someone that can bless the lives of His beautiful children here. I love the people here! They are friendly and welcoming and just great. I'm so blessed. It's easy to love them and care about them and I'm grateful for the love God gives me everyday for the people I come in contact with.

We had Zone Conference this week, which was awesome. It was fun to see the missionaries from my batch and to realize I'm not the only who can't understand anything or say anything that anyone here understands! Woohoo! haha It was fun to be with a bunch of missionaries and to feel of their spirit and learn from them and from Pres. Lopez and his wife. They're awesome. We are preparing for a mission tour next month. The Area president is coming to visit, so we had a practice for that. We ate delicious food and were also fed spiritually. We watched this super powerful video about the Savior and what He did for us. I know that Christ is my Savior and He died for me and for you. He suffered soooo much. Pres. Holland said that Salvation is not cheap and that's why life is hard. Missionary work is hard. It was never easy for our Savior, he said. I'm truly so grateful for all that Christ did for me and for all of us.

First Zone Conference -- Sept. 18, 2013

Since we live close to the mission home and where zone conference was and everything, we had sisters come stay with us for a few nights that came in from farther areas. It was super fun! Some of them went proselyting with us. They showed me the importance of still having fun when doing missionary work! We were walking down the street and Sister Ang started belting the primary song singing "The wise man built his house upon the sand!" super loud. It was pretty hilarious because she's this tiny Filipino singing in English and singing the wrong words! We're definitely a sight to see here.

We also had a few storms this week! YAY! It was actually kind of exciting in my opinion. The other day was so funny because Sister Livingston and I got caught in this down pour. We were on our way to visit a lady and it just came down super hard! We got out our tiny umbrella's and just kept walking really fast. Everyone prob thought we were crazy these two white Americans with their matching blue umbrella's doing nothing to keep them from getting wet and pretty soon we were walking through rain up past our ankles. Oh goodness. Good times:)

We have this awesome investigator named Roldan. They found him before I got here, but we've taught him a few times an he's soo golden! He's so ready! He already read the whole Book of mormon and told us about the story of Alma the Younger and how much he loves that story. He also told us he wants to serve a mission:) He's in his early 20's and we teach him at a member's home. They're so great. He is friends with a member who's his age and then this little boy Marjo, a recent convert, also comes to every lesson with him. Marjo is the cutest kid in the whole world! He's always smiling, always and I just love it. He's maybe 12.

Well, I hope you're all well and happy. God is so merciful and so loving. He cares about you and wants to hear from you everyday! He will help you become stronger and more than you can on your own. As you lie in bed, just think of me trying to fall asleep to the sound of 5 million frogs and barking dogs and waking up to 10 million roosters:) It's great.

Helaman 5:12 Remember! This scripture is so awesome.