Sister Brown in the Philippines: October 2014

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Amnesia‏

Kamusta po kayo my dear family and friends? First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL SISTER MIKAYLA!!! Remember you who are and what you stand for ha? Hope you had a fabulous week! I'd love to tell you all about mine... but I can't really remember it. I've been battling a killer cold and I'm pretty sure this week didn't even happen. But I know we did stuff.

For example, we hunted down our investigators. When I say hunted, I literally mean that we climbed mountains and trudged through the jungle and fought wild beasts to find these peoples' houses. The good news is that after all that, we found some people who were really excited to be taught and who have just been waiting for the opportunity to be baptized! The ones who live the farthest away are DonDon, Vianna, and Buboy. They literally shouted for joy when we invited them to be baptized. They've been taught many times but have never made it to baptism, not because of the lack of effort on their part, but because they live so far away that the missionaries just couldn't keep teaching them. Hopefully we will be able to get them all the way there!

One of our other investigators, Chris, is strangely similar to Brother Makulit. Maybe I just like to tell myself that because I miss him so much, but I don't think so. He wants to be baptized but he keeps telling us not yet. Because he doesn't know if he wants to give up his coffee and cigarettes quite yet. Don't worry Brother Chris, I'm an experienced long-sufferer.

Sister Tzanis is doing great, she's been taking care of me all week. It's been interesting to try and remember what it was like before I knew what anyone was saying to me. Or what I was saying to anyone else. She's a trooper. I've been a little frustrated that I've been sick when I just want to get out and work hard and be able to help my companion. But this morning I read this scripture:

17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.

Sometimes things happen that are outside of our control. But it's okay. Because we aren't really in control anyway. God is. And His plan is way better than mine anyway. Things will work out. Think about that on your bad days :)

Love you all tons! Thanks for all of the support and prayers!

XOXO

Double Take: Wait, was that a giant egg?‏

What a week! You will never believe what happened! And I'm not gonna tell you. Not yet.

I'm really gonna miss Sta. Cruz, but I will never forget just how many miracles I saw in my time there. Edlyn being one of them. She's having a baby this week and are you ready for the consensus she came to for a name? Neil Zakiya! Yeah. I don't understand why she didn't pick Joe Burt... But anyways, it's actually pretty cool. Because the name she chose came into her mind while she was reading the Book of Mormon so she knows it was inspired. And that lucky kid will never forget to read! My other miracle was Mariefe and France. They are long-time less actives and we have only been teaching them for about 2 weeks. but I feel like we're best friends. And as we said good-bye, Sister Burt shared with them how the blessing I'd received at my lowest point in Sta. Cruz had promised unexpected blessings through less-active members. I know that they were the ones that blessing was talking about.

And then it was transfer day. And they had refused to tell me where I was going. So I sat in the chapel, waiting for them to announce who my new trainee was and where we would be going with butterflies in my tummy. And then they said, "Your companion is Sister Tzanis!" (If you pronounce her name right, I'll send you a candy bar.) She is half-Filipina, half-Greek and she has an Australian accent. Your companion CANNOT be cooler than that. She's really spunky and she really wants to learn Tagalog. Which is weird for me because I have never had a comp that couldn't already speak Tagalog. But I love her.

Then we drove home and we passed by, wait, was that a giant egg? Now I'm just sitting here in this lovely computer shop taking in the smell of 1 million chickens. Sound familiar? That's right. I am re-opening San Jose 1! And I am stoked! It's been pretty much like Christmas seeing all of the members and my recent converts. And actually being able to communicate with them. (Speaking of Christmas, I will be spending 2 Christmases in San Jose) The area I am in is actually Sister Burt's last area so she's told me all about all of the investigators and a lot of them are family members of people that I taught when I was here. However, the sisters that were here between me and her kind of quit visiting all of their investigators for some reason or another so we have some damage control to do. But I know that God has thoroughly prepared me, and my companion, to do just that.

General Conference has made our schedule pretty weird this week so we have yet to meet any of our investigators. But General Conference, did you watch it? Cause if not, you just missed the chance to listen to God speak. I loved it of course! My favorites were Elder Bednar's and the one in Portuguese. If you wanna know what I'm talking about, look it up and watch it. I promise, it's better than Pretty Little Liar or Downtown Abby.

Have a fabulous week! Love you all tons and so thankful for all of your prayers!

XOXO, Sister Brown