Week 15

Maray na hapon po! (Yay for Bicol!)

What an exciting week!!! Rose and Jessica were baptized! I wish you all could have seen how excited they were for their baptism. SO many people we happy to see them go through with it because they were becoming so called "eternal investigators." It's so amazing to see how the Lord and other missionaries prepare certain people for you. Even from the beginning when we took over teaching them, I have seen a dramatic change. They started coming to church and following through with their commitments and I have loved watching their faith increase. I was sick on Friday (can I PLEASE stop getting sick?!), so the Sister Training Leaders came over and Sister Abarabar went on exchanges with Sister Ganzagan while Sister Sanft stayed with me back at the apartment. When Sister Ganzagan and Sister Abarabar went to Bombon to make sure Rose and Jessica were ready for their baptism the next day, little Vea (Rose's daughter) was jumping up and down acting like it was her getting baptized. Too bad she has to wait a few more years until she's 8 years old. hahaha Anyways, Sister Rose was texting us Saturday night telling us how excited she was to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday. Unfortunately, Satan is real and he works so hard. Sunday morning, there was a problem at home and Rose texted us telling us she didn't know what to do because she wasn't going to be able to make it to church. Sister Ganzagan told me right after I finished saying my morning prayers and I rolled back on my knees and started praying again. haha. We suggested she just come to sacrament meeting and she arrived late with Jessica and weren't able to be confirmed!!! Ah!!! So disappointing!!! I really hope and pray nothing happens this week. And I just pray that their faith will stay strong as life really doesn't get any easier. Thankfully the gospel helps us through so much and we can overcome anything through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This week was crazy because we weren't able to go out one day because it was so stormy. As my kasama (companion) said, "The coconuts are dancing." The wind was so strong and I was so bummed we weren't able to go work. There's only so much studying your brain can take! I hope this stormy weather ends soon. I've honestly been freezing!!!

So the night I was sick and the Sister Training Leaders stayed over, Sister Ganzagan gave me some sleeping pills she had just bought because I haven't been sleeping at all. I found out that sleeping pills and I don't get along too well. I freaked everyone out by talking and whimpering in my sleep from nightmares. haha

Yesterday, Sister Ganzagan and I went to Pili so she could get her patriarchal blessing. We had to leave church early so we could travel there! But let's pretend that never happened. haha It was fun because we got to take a huge bus. Um, I don't know why I wanted to throw that in here. I just love the Philippines! It's so pretty here and I guess it's nice to see other scenery besides Calabanga, Bombon and Naga.

Today is one of my favorite p-days! Our district hiked Mount Isarog and went up to the falls. It was so gorgeous! Some other Americans were touring it and believe it or not, it was really weird to see white people. Sometimes I forget I'm white. Which I don't know why. Everyone still stares at me and sometimes kids yell, "Hey joe! What's your name?" or, "What up man?" hahaha I have to try so hard not to burst out laughing. Usually I just give kids candy and we get along JUST fine. :) Anyways, when the two Americans were coming across the river, I turned to my district and said, "Look! Foreigners!" Haha Good laugh. Then the guy proposed to the girl and I just died and I accidently said outloud, "I wanna get married!" Whoops. Too late. I'm on a mission. And I'm so glad I'm here! Just to clarify. I'm were I need to be! :) Anyways, I love my district and we had a lot of fun today! Wow. We got up at 5 this morning to head to the falls and I am dead tired. And our email time is being cut short. So that's all for this week.

Hopefully we find some new people to teach because we really need a bigger teaching pool! It's so hard to have people lose interest, but everyone has agency, right? Just come to church!!! Seriously!!! I say that every single day and my kasama and I are trying to focus on the importance of coming to church and partaking of the sacrament. So we will see where this week leads.

I love you all! Talk to ya'll next week.

Love,
Sister Stettler