Sister Simbol

Hi fam!!!

I am back to my 24 hrs per day, all day every day, speaking in Tagalog and it's lovely. But of course I miss Sister Farnes. My new companion is Sister Simbol and she is literally one of the smartest people I know.  She is my walking dictionary and not only in Tagalog - her photographic memory is incredible and has come in quite handy for scriptures.  Life is super busy but so much fun! We are in Naga right now cause my new comp had Dengai fever two weeks ago and we are here for a follow up check up. Tomorrow we head on more exchanges. We are using Off mosquito spray now because there is a lot of Dengai going around in Goa. I guess the Bikol region is now marked as a Dengai spot - so thats great haha.

I have been thinking about the knowledge of my companion and knowledge in general this week. 

Sister simbol and I have one part in our area that is extremly far away and there are only about 3 people at the moment that we are teaching up there.  this past friday we journeyed up to Buyo only to find all 3 of our appointments unavaiable.  we decided to try to increase the number of people we are teaching up there making the 45 minute walk through rice field tresses not so long. so we started talking to any one that was outside of their home.  it is an incredible leap of faith each time we open our mouth and say "hi how are you we are missionaries!" this last week we were able to meet one woman that we had actually met before through our landlord.  We sat down and began to talk and she informed us that both she and her husband were teachers for the catholic church.  oh boy, was my first thought.  the lesson went alright until we got to the restoration.  i was able to explain the first vision and as soon as i was finished speaking she stopped. saying sisters i have no interest in this but thank you any way. Sister Simbol and i looked at one another and then with all the faith I could muster said I know that you have your own beliefs but we want to bear testimony that we know Joseph Smith is a prophet and that God's church has been restored to the earth.

She didnt want to hear one word but as we walked 45 minutes down through the miles of rice terraces, I thought how grateful I was for this expereince.  I have knowledge of the true church of Jesus Christ.  I was thinking of this woman.  There  is inside her a hunger for more truth.  I was thinking of the difference of her knowledge compared to the knowledge of my darling 5 foot nothing filipina compaion. I know, if needed, Sister Simbol could run scriptures around this woman . But she wouldn't and she didn't. She simply bore her testimony of what she knows. 

We now start exchanges for this next six week period and tomorrow we head to Iriga for 2 days and then have zone conference on Friday! The rain comes and goes but when it comes we are drenched within moments.  

I am grateful for the knowledge i have of my savior.  I can say that i have come to know him a little better as a person. The more I serve among my friends here the more I want to know the savior, who he was as a person, as a friend.  how he treated his parents and his co-workers.  I am grateful that we have knowlege of him, his life and his plan for us. 

I love you all!!! Eat a TK for me at the beach!!! Congrats to Anna the wedding looked beautiful!

Love sister C!