Sister Brown in the Philippines: Team Tempura and the Amazing race!

Happy 2014

I can't believe it's 2014, the very year I will be back in Roy! It's been 6 months since I got dropped off at the curb of the MTC, how did that happen??? So New Year's Eve in the Philippines is a bigger deal than Christmas. Everyone cooks all day long which was awesome because everyone we visited had food. Mostly everyone had the same food actually. Spaghetti with banana ketchup as sauce and corn flavored jello with cheese on top. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. We had a curfew so we came home at 6pm and washed our clothes in buckets. Watch out, we're party-ers. We did make Christmas cookies though! Thanks mom for sending us the stuff! And then we stayed up til Midnight because even if we had wanted to sleep, it was impossible. In the Pines, we believe the more noise you make, the more luck you'll have in the next year. So the whole hour before midnight there are fireworks and karaoke and people revving their motorcycles and honking their horns. It's kinda fun :) We also believe if you jump up and down on New Year's Eve, you will grow. I tried it so we'll see what happens... Haha

Today was our zone P-day and it was in our area so we planned it. We had an "Amazing Race" and it was awesome! My team, Team Tempura (that's a type of food), won! We also hosted a baptism for the Cuenca Elders because they don't have a baptismal font. And guess what! President and Sister Peterson came! And they made me translate for them. It was sobrang mahirap! It really helped me to realize that I definitely have a lot to learn, but also that I know a lot. And on another note, I have been told I was sexy by multiple people this week, one of them being a woman in our branch. The word sexy is very normal and is actually a compliment in the Philippines but it just makes me feel uncomfortable and like I need to buy some uglier clothes or something.

And finally, I just wanna tell you more about Michael. He is sobrang astig! This week we taught him the Law of Chastity and Eternal Marriage and he told us that you can handle the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity kind of the same way. He told us there are always temptations and when he was trying to quit smoking and he would think rationalizing thoughts, he would leave that room and go read the Book of Mormon. And when we committed him to prepare for a temple marriage he thought very seriously about it and then told us he would, but it wasn't for a long time haha :) And so we brought up a mission. And he told us how much he really wanted to serve a mission but his parents really need his help. So he talked to them and they told him it was up to him and that they could see the change in him. Then he decided he wanted to refer his parents to the missionaries in Davao so he's bringing us their info next time! Every time he talks you can just tell he knows. He knows it's all true and he knows what he needs to do. He is amazing and he is going to do wonders for the church in the Philippines!

Well, have a great week and start the new year off right! Be kind to people and smile a lot :) You'll live longer.

Mahal kita!

XOXO, Sister Brown