The Coolest People I've Ever Met And Pasta

Hi everyone!! First of all thanks for reading my emails and second of all I'm so sorry for the crazy spelling and grammar. P Days are jam packed here and I have a lot I want to write so I end up trying to pump out an email in 45ish minutes and I run out of time to proof read and stuff. So thanks for bearing with me. Also I could barely speak english before I started learning Hiligaynon and now that there's two languages in my brain I can't speak either of them. 
Once again this email will be in sections so just read the ones you want!

THE COOLEST PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET
- Ok so. Ive mentioned the Vietnamese sisters from Isaiah district before but they are genuinely the coolest and most faithful people I've ever met. Each of them has the most amazing story and they are all the only members in their families.
- Sister Trán: Sister Trán is 25 years old and has been a member of the church for 4 years. She has amazing style and loves to laugh. On Tuesday she asked out district to come teach her district about how the bible connects to the Book of Mormon. Dispite the language barrier, she had so many questions and earnestly wanted answers. At the end she asked us to all sit down and she bore the sweetest testimony I have ever heard. She talked about how grateful she was for the church and how much she loves seeing out branch because we remind her of the American missionaries that baptized her. So yah we all cried a lot. She will be serving in Vietnam 
- Sister Ngyueng: She is 24 years old and has been a member for 5 years. She loves hip hop and is amazing at English. While we taught them the lesson about the Bible and Book of Mormon she was asking the most in depth questions. Her whole family is Buddhist and she wanted to know all about how Buddhism and Christianity related. Mind blown. Last week when we were doing sealing to parents in the temple, which is when we get to bind children to their parents for time and all eternity, she brought her father's name and was able to connect her father to his parents. It was the coolest thing I've ever been apart of. She is called to the LA mission but will be serving in Vietnam until she gets her visa.
- Sister Hà- She is 19 years old and has been a member for a year. She told us that even before she was actually baptised she knew she wanted to be a missionary. Sister Ha is my bestie and she always gaurds me in basketball. She wants to go to BYU to study marketing. She'll be serving in Vietnam 

PASTA DAY
- OK so it's kinda sad that one of the best parts of my week was pasta day. The food here is really good but each meal is rice, some kind of meat in a sauce and a veggie mix. SO after out first day of language when we were all super discouraged and we pulled up to the Cafeteria and it was literally PASTA DAY. I added a hallelujah to my prayer over the food that day. And boy did I mean it. I might have cried a little to. It's the small things fr fr.

SA HILIGAYNON
- This week we actually started learning Hiligaynon and yesterday was the first time we weren't allowed to speak English in class. It in not exactly coming easily to me and I'm learning that memorization isn't my greatest talent but I'm working on it. We do a lot of memorising phrases and then we go back and disect exact wording and learn grammar based off of those phrases. I end up laughing a lot. It's actually hilarious that we are a bunch of Americans trying to learn this obscure language and then in 3 weeks we're going to be teaching people in that language. Even though it's been hard trying to learn Hiligaynon, I've definently felt God's help. In high-school it took me literally years to be able to form my own sentences or memorize complex sentences in French. Here and with God's help I'm beginning to be able to make my own sentences and memorization is coming much faster.

LEGAL DRINKING AGE?
- A funny little moment from this week. At one of our dinners this past week we mixed a fish soup and a warm fruit pudding and then dared Elder Pope (affectionately know as Elder Poop because that's how the Australian Elders say his name) to drink it. Well he did, so Sister Bentley owed him a soda from the market. We found out later that he threw up the concoction but that's besides the point. So she bought him this orange soda he picked out and he drank it with dinner. Later that night he was acting super loopy and he and his companion, Elder Moon, decided it would be funny to pretend he was drunk. So they tell us that the soda we bought him had alcohol in it and the. Elder Pope gave an Oscar worthy performance and we thought we had accidentally gotten an elder drunk. It might sound dumb but it's not like we can read any of the labels so we didn't feel like it was completely obsurd. Later we asked our Phillipino roommates about the soda and they were like " its literally just orange soda". Boom. Consider Sister Bentley and I pranked.

CHRISTMAS
- So turns out in the Philippines they start celebrating Christmas in September so we already have Christmas decorations up. I'm so ready to start singing Christmas hymns in church but it does make me a bit homesick.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS
- Without getting into too much detail this week has been really important to me spiritually. I've definetly felt that God is watching over me and that he send his angels to protect his people. God is so aware of each of us and he know us individually. He gave us individual talents and gifts and he needs and values all of them. Each of us has something valuable to bring to the work of salvation. We've talked alot this week about the danger of comparison. One of my favorite ideas I've heard was that comparison either leads to pride or sadness and both are dangerous. Each person has individual spiritual gifts. Each person has something of value to bring to the table. The worth of souls is great in the sight of God and he loves each of us more individually and personally than we could ever understand.

I love you all and I love this gospel. I love the Book of Mormon so much and I know that it is true. Its words bring power and peace, comfort and joy. I love the temple and I know that by keeping covenants we can be with out families forever. I'm trying to become more christ-like and I know it will be a long journey but the Lord loves effort. I plan to work and labor for God and the people of the Philippines and write these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.


PHOTOS
1. My favorite district
2. Temple trip with Noah district
3. Christmas
4. My favorite bathroom
5. Ice cream

Sorry for the selfies this week.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Numancia Baby

Image
Hey guys, you are reading my first ever email from Numancia. This past week was lots of goodbyes, bus rides and me not understanding what people are saying. Double thumbs up. My new area so far is super different from my last area in San Jose but I love it here. My new comp is Sister Castañaga and she is the nicest person I have ever met. Anyway, here's the rundown.  LAST MOMENTS IN ANTIQUE My week from Sunday to Thursday was still about normal work wise with some added packing and goodbyes. It was so hard saying goodbye to some of our new converts and so yah I maybe cried a little. My very last day of work in San Jose almost none of our appointments went through and was feeling a little bit the worst. But Sister Pernitez and I (shout out to my daughter she's all grown up and saving China) decided to introduce the Book of Mormon to this lady we met on the street. She was outside this lodge full of drunk men and while we were explaining the Holy Ghost this absolute broski pokes ...
Read more

Well, I Made Some Rocks

Image
Hellooooooo it's Sister Larson again. Surprise. It's been a solid week. I had a cold which shouldn't have been that much of a big deal but it had me feeling like one of those frogs that came out in the rain but then got hit by a motorcycle and then dried up in the sun. You know that feeling?  I made a collage to better illustrate. But just like these dead frogs still made this beautiful collage my week was still beautiful and full of miracles. (Picture 1) EXCHANGES A highlight of this week was our exchanges with the Kalibo 2nd sisters! I got to work with Sister Camain who is a girlboss. We met lots of cool people and got some new mosquito bites. (Pictures 2-3) NUMANCIA PEOPLE AND PLACES Numancia never ceases to amaze me. One moment it's dusty beer bottles and factories and the next it's the most stunning sunset over a flooded rice field. But more than the scenery is the people. With that in mind, here are some of the beautiful children of God we taught this week (an...
Read more

"Sa Taas"

Image
This week was lots of new and saying goodbye to old. I said goodbye to my companion Sister Castañaga. We were companions for so long so it was like saying goodbye to my best friend. But mostly I'm excited for her and the next few chapters of her life. Palangga ta ka ate Eddielyn. Kitaay sa pagkasal mo. Osoyan mo ro gwapo. I also met my new companion Sister Panuelos and she is sooooo baskog. She is small but fierce. She's straight up with our IPs and members and also literally hilarious. We're still getting to know eachother but she like One Direction so we should be good.  ANYWAY. here's the rundown BYE BYE SISTER CASTAÑAGA  Early Wednesday morning I said goodbye to Sister Castañaga and sent her on the bus to Iloilo. RIP. Saying goodbyes. Also my fit is wack because I didn't do my laundry last week. Please forgive. LAST DCM. we didn't really get any good pics. Last picture together RIP. Enjoy your life without me Sister. Eat some real Ilocano food and hug your m...
Read more