Kumusta!
Well it was a wonderful conference
weekend! Conference was broadcasted to our chapel here in Ligao so we didn’t
have to travel far. All the sessions were broadcasted in English and although I
personally appreciated it I wish it would have been in Tagalog. A lot of our
members have a difficult time understanding the broadcasts in English but the
Tagalog versions are reserved for the stakes. Hopefully one day Ligao will be a
stake and can have Tagalog general conference. There were 12 missionaries that
came to our chapel to watch conference, Sister Cabanag made chicken curry for
everyone to eat on Sunday afternoon in between the two sessions. It was the
largest pot of chicken curry I have ever seen! It was a fun conference and one
I will always remember. I particularly enjoyed Elder Uchtdorf’s talk on Regret
and Elder Eyring’s talk about not hiding under the pavilions in our lives. I
also had a strong impression about the importance of journal writing while
President Monson shared the meticulous details of stories from his past. I have
tried to write in my journal each day and as I have been able to go back and
read through the short 2 months I have been here I am grateful for the memories
my pen remembered that I have already forgotten.
A large chunk of our area continues
to be in a ‘brown-out’ (where there is no electricity) every night. Our area is
very large and we do a lot of walking. In order to use our precious time to the
best of our abilities we have found several nifty shortcuts linking us to
different barangys. One such short cut is along the irrigation ditch of a rice
field. Earlier this week we set out on this irrigation ditch around seven pm,
it was a cloudy dark sky above us. Without the help of the moon and our
destination neighborhood being black due to the lack of electricity we walked
along this narrow ditch by only the light of one small flashlight. On one side
of me was a river, on the other was a deep rice field, meaning falling would
not end well on either side. Sister Cabanag walked in front of me carrying the
light. If I stayed close to her and kept my eyes focused on the exact spot she
stepped I was able to walk fine. If I looked up or to either side I was a
gonner in that black abyss. We continued to walk, when out of nowhere, a
caribou grazing in the water lifted his head and snorted about 1 foot away from
us. Both of us screamed and jumped backwards! I don’t know how we didn’t tumble
off the rocks but we managed to stay balanced. My heart beat has never been
stronger. As we continued to walk through the blackened barangay, we passed a
home that had candles glimmering everywhere. There was a coffin in the middle
of the yard signifying a funeral and it would have been a very eerie moment if
it were not for the loud karaoke that was in process. Apparently karaoke is the
funeral activity of choice here.
We have been teaching most of our evening
lessons in the candle light because of the noted brownout. Although it makes
scripture reading difficult the spirit in the lessons usually take on a girls’
camp feeling and it is a neat experience.
I received your birthday package
this week! Thank you very much! I haven’t had American candy for quite some
time and it tastes delish. It is currently sitting in our small refrigerator
and every time I open our fridge I think…. That is a very happy fridge!
Earlier this week we were sitting,
once again in the light of a small flashlight and were teaching a young mother
and her three children. The mother and sister Cabanag began talking about the
baptism of her young daughter. I knew they were talking about this young girl,
baptism and a problem the grandmother had about the situation. I was having a
difficult time following the conversation due to the lack of traditional church
words. Sister Cabanag suddenly turned to me, queuing me to speak. In all
honesty I didn’t know what we were talking about; I didn’t know what to say or
how to say it. I paused for several seconds before I began and offered a silent
one lined prayer to my father in heaven. I then proceeded to speak. I don’t
really know what I said but I do know that I was able to say something and in
that moment I was ever grateful for my saviors watchful care over me. This
small miracle of speach was a perfect reminder to me that God will help us.
Like president Monson noted in conference, “God is in the details of our
lives.” I feel that God is in the details of my mission.
We have exchanges this coming week.
I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t at least a little nervous. We are staying
in our area meaning I will need to lead the other sister around and know where
to go and who to visit. No comfort zones here we go again. It will be good
practice though with transfers right around the corner. I stay here for another
transfer i will need to be able to do this anyway so might as well start
practicing now. The sisters we are going on exchanges with are wonderful so it
will be fun to switch up our teaching.
One of the investigators we are
working with right now owns a large rice field. On Wednesday we passed the
basketball court where he and several workers were shoveling up the dried rice
grains. I stopped and asked if we could lend him a hand. I have a video of me shoveling the rice which I will try to drop the into my account in skybox. Hopefully it
works! All of the workers were cheering me on. I don’t think they could believe
I was helping. The mission never has a drought of excitement.
As I walk through the rows of dead
fish in the wet market, sit on the dirt floors of small banana leaf roofed huts,
or ride through the city in crowded tricey’s, I think to myself, I would not
want to be anywhere else in the world! Mission life is incredible and I am so
grateful to be a part of it. Good luck Meg and Speen as you begin the grand
adventure!
Well the church is true and I love
you all dearly! Cate - good luck with the big game(s) this week! Take it all
the way girl! Wish I could be there – I am cheering loudly from across the
ocean. Owen, you are a giant – quit growing up.
Love from the Pines,
Sister Meish
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