Answers to Questions

7-18-16 (Monday)
Today was such a good day! I thoroughly enjoyed everything today. P-Day was really fun and relaxing which made me ready and excited to do the work! ;D I enjoyed Brayden and Sadie’s email. It was nice to hear from Sadie in Brayden’s email. 

But anyway.. I was asked if we should call out repentance to our friends that aren’t always making the right choices. I understand this question. Like.. Is it really our place to call out repentance unto our friends? I think the answer is yes. Even if we have to nonchalantly tell them to get their act together. The best way to teach repentance is to simply testify and share the blessings received because of obedience. Then testify that they can have those blessings too if they do the same. I hope that was good advice.. 

But what was interesting was I was able to help answer this question by the things I learned from Sister Diaz last week. She really is the best! Our companionship unity is insane! Because we are both very comfortable with one another, we open up about our thoughts and struggles. And because of that.. we can both help each other. It’s just been great spending the last couple weeks with her. It’s like we’re best buds. :) But man, I am just so grateful for how easy it’s been to get along with every single one of my companions. Life is such a party and I love it! :) 

7-19-16 (Tuesday)
Honestly.. Nothing really note worthy happened today. But it was still a fun day! I really like Sister Diaz. Just being around her makes me want to be a better person. She just has life figured out. Even though she’s a lot more mellow than I am, we still have a lot of fun together. It’s the best when I can get her into a silly joking mood so we can mess around with each other. :) 


Anyway.. We went to go teach the Llamira family this evening and they were all working together trying to finish this big school art project thing for their youngest son Jesse. Which is so cute that they were all working together to help little Jesse. But.. I then realized they were all stressed because the sun was going down and they have zero electricity in their house. That just hit me hard in the heart. Then later 16-year old Jason asked me when I go back home if I’d take him with me. I realize he was just “joking” with me, but these people here don’t realize how good it is to live in the Philippines. 

Honestly, people here are so incredibly kind, generous, loving, and just happy. Filipinos are the happiest and friendliest people on the planet earth. People don’t realize how good they have it even if they don’t have the same living style or amount of money we do in America. It’s honestly insane how everyone wants what they don’t have. People here would like to have the money/life style I have in America, but I would like to have the kind, friendly hangout on bamboo benches life style. Let’s just say I am truly learning to be happy and content with the things I do have. We can’t always have what we want. I just wish people here could realize how happy their lives are even if they don’t have a lot of money.

7-20-16 (Wednesday)
Oh man, today was great! I just thoroughly enjoyed work today. I’m telling you man, there’s nothing better than working hard all day and being able to actually teach lots of lessons. I’m just in such a happy mood when I actually get to sit down with people and testify to them that God loves them, and share with them some of the evidence that proves God is our perfectly loving Father in Heaven. 

In one of our lessons today we were teaching about the Book of Mormon and that we can pray to know the truth. And while Sister Diaz was talking about how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon into English.. I realized that if uneducated Joseph Smith can understand and translate Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyrian, and Arabic into English.. we can read the Book of Mormon in our own language and understand it. If I, miss-wandering-mind, can read the Book of Mormon and understand it.. so can everyone else! If God is all powerful, so are His holy words. 

I know the Book of Mormon truly is the word of God and brings nothing but hope, comfort, and understanding into our lives if we simply read it! Search, ponder, and pray! These truly are the things that we must do! I’m telling you.. The Book of Mormon can change your life in ways you couldn’t even imagine! And I don’t want to hear anyone say “But I’m perfectly happy and I don’t read the Book of Mormon.” NO! You are NOT perfectly happy! I promise you there is a sense of happiness that comes into our lives only through reading the Book of Mormon daily. Because as we read the Book of Mormon we gain a better understanding of the Atonement of Christ, and there’s nothing more glorious in life than gaining better knowledge and understanding of the most selfless and sacred act ever done in the history of ever. 

And.. on a lighter note, I saw a goat today that was literally creepy to look at. I’m not joking, its head and neck was pure black and its body and legs were pure white. I’ve never seen anything like it before. And! I saw the biggest snails ever! They were as big as my hands! I didn’t know snails that big really existed! 

And.. I also ate a shrimp today as long as my hand and couldn’t help but think how jealous my dad would be. ;)

7-21-16 (Thursday)
Sister Standage and Sister Sanico, our STLs came to have personal study, language study, lunch, and weekly planning with us today. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed having them here, but it’s the second week in a row people have been coming to have weekly planning with Sister Diaz and I. There’s nothing wrong with them coming but it makes me wonder if Sister Diaz and I are doing something wrong with how we plan or work in our area. 

Anyway.. while we were teaching the Castro and Pablo family, sister Diaz and I felt prompted to change the lesson and talk about the responsibility we have to always set a good example for our families. We read Mosiah 4:14-15 and it just hit me how grateful I truly am for my parents. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be nearly the person I am today. I love my parents so dang much! I hope they know that! 

Also.. while talking to Patrick Castro today after our lesson, I found out his major in college is culinary arts and got so excited! Then I asked if his school teaches food science and he said “Yes”! Oh, I got even more excited! I want to study here in the Philippines, I really do. I honestly don’t want to leave here after my mission. I’m constantly thinking of ways I can come back here after I go home. Maybe I really can go to school here for a year or something. Sorry dad.. But I could stay here forever. ;) Sorry, but I absolutely love life in the Philippines! Aayaw ko umuwi, talaga. ;) [I do not want to go home, really]

7-22-16 (Friday)
So yesterday Elder Lind and Elder Raymundo brought me two packages. One from mom and dad that says I can’t open till August. So I will open it on August 11 because I think it’s to celebrate being halfway done with my mission. :) And the second package was from Aguilar with all the important things I left.. Like my stinkin’ pillow! How I forgot that I do not know. But! I do know that last night I had the best sleep ever! Two weeks without a pillow was a century too long. ;D haha, joke lang! It actually wasn’t that bad. Dad taught me how to rough things out. ;) 

Anyway.. Today while teaching a family, Sister Diaz and I kept asking them inspired questions because we both felt like we were kind of losing them. We were right.. I don’t even remember what I asked Tatay, but it got him to talk and he told us he has no plans to be baptized into our church and likes being Pentecostal because it’s the closest church to their house. He just “likes us to come over so his kids can listen to the words of God”. I’m glad he finally opened up, but I’m pretty bummed with what he had to say. I had so many things I wanted to say to him and testify about, but I didn’t know how to in Tagalog! I tried so hard to have strong enough faith to be able to express the feelings of my heart! I’m sure the Spirit made up for my weakness in Tagalog, but it was still a little frustrating for me. I just wish I could get over this language barrier already. But I am grateful that at least I can now understand Tagalog pretty well. I guess I should just be grateful I was able to understand Tatay well enough to help Sister Diaz deal with our situation. Then again.. Maybe it’s a good thing I couldn’t say whatever I wanted because I had a lot of ways to prove Tatay wrong. ;) So I stuck to my testimony of prayer and let him know I received an answer that I know he could receive too if he were to sincerely try. And I testified that I had no doubt that my answer was “yes this church is true and brings nothing but happiness” to the point I left everything for 18 months so he could have the same happiness I have that all came and started with a sincere prayer. I know this church is true. I will never ever deny that!

7-23-16 (Saturday)
Today was fun and went by really fast. While working in the afternoon I saw a street sign that says “Bryant St.” so of course I had to take a picture to send to Elder [Bryant] Gardner; he’ll love it. :) 

Then Sister Diaz and I went to the church for the other sister’s fireside they asked us to sing at. It was great! I thoroughly enjoyed the testimonies after we watched “Finding Faith in Christ.” They had 4 boys bare their testimony: one preparing for a mission, a return missionary, a recent convert, then Elder Cochrane as a current missionary. It was so powerful hearing their testimonies all coming from different points in life come together and testify that Jesus is the Christ! There’s nothing more powerful than hearing a sincere testimony. I’m telling you. Nothing. 

And then after the fireside, Sister Diaz and I taught Kat and her Grandma Adelina that was just great! Nanay Adelina asked lots of questions about who we believe in. We ended up having to explain we just worship Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Not Mary, Saint Joseph, or Pope Francis. But that we do have a living prophet today. She seemed to really like our answers and was grateful we answered her questions. But the best part was when I got to bare my testimony in English. :D They always tell me to speak English because they understand it better than my Tagalog, but I usually stick to Tagalog because that’s what I was called to preach the gospel in. But.. I finally just bore my testimony in English and loved every second of it! There’s nothing better than being able to actually express the feelings in your heart. It was good to finally get some of those feelings out. I felt like a new woman coming out of that lesson. ;)

Kat, the one in the pink, is our investigator
that will be baptized when her mom
will sign the parental consent. (:

7-24-16 (Sunday)
Honestly nothing happened today. I mean it was a good happy day, but the most exciting part was when I ate the grilled cheese sandwich I made. :D

A didn’t come to church today and don’t know why.. That’s kind of a bummer considering her baptism is supposed to be on Saturday. Hopefully she has a good excuse for missing church so she can still be baptized at the Stake baptism. I was really excited to go to that and have A see all the other people making the same righteous decision with her. But I guess if all else fails, it could be a good thing so we can teach her some of the lessons more clearly and help her be even more aware of what she will be committing to once she is baptized. 

Also.. I want everyone in the whole world know how much I absolutely HATE ants! Holy freak, THEY ARE EVERYWHERE! I hate it so much! I honestly like spiders more than them now.. Haa! The things you learn in the Philippines! ;)

Work in a Bigger Area

7-11-16 (Monday)
I didn’t realize that it was 7/11 today till I just wrote the date down. Freak yo, I missed out on free Slurpee day! :) Anyway.. I did know it was July 11! I just didn’t realize it was 7/11. ;) 

The sacred Grove. (;

But! Today was my 8 month mark. I honestly cannot believe it. Next month I’m half way done.. If my second half of my mission goes by this fast I won’t like that.. I love it here so much! Time is going by so fast! Even though I still really struggle with the language and wishing I could be lazy for an hour or so every day, I love being a missionary! 

I also love our Branch President here! Oh man, he is awesome! I barely know him but I want to constantly be around him. I just want to hear all the counsel and advice he has to offer. He makes me think of my dad. I’m just so excited to go home and have real gospel conversations with him and learn about everything he has to offer.. which I know is a lot! :)

Also! My district is a total party! I don’t know most of them, but I felt so welcomed and happy to be around them. They’re a lot of fun! I’m also really happy Elder Raguin is my Zone Leader again. He’s the best! :) And.. Elder Kloepfer is in my district. We met a couple years ago at AFY in Idaho. Haha, what a crazy world. We randomly met one day while camping and we see each other again in the Philippines. It was a lot of fun talking about people we both know and life back at home! It was great till it made me miss being able to drink real milk and eat real cheese! ;D

7-13-16 (Wednesday)
Today was quite the party! We had Zone Interviews with President Deyro. Woo baby! And because our Zone is pretty close to Urdaneta we got to go to the mission office which is always fun. :) And even though I already had my interview with President last week, I got to visit with him again for a couple minutes because he didn’t want the rest of the Zone wondering why he didn’t interview me. I was pretty glad I ended up getting to visit with him again because ever since our interview last week I’ve been trying to live a better life and constantly repent of my short comings so I can have and feel the Spirit more abundantly all day – everyday. Then after interviews and getting our flew [?!] shots, we got to eat lunch at McDo before coming home. It’s nice to eat American food every once’n –a –while, even if it’s McDonald’s. ;) 

But once we got home, we had personal and language study, which was awesome today! During personal study I just studied my purpose as a missionary and man..! That got me so excited to go out and talk to everyone I saw! It just helped me have a clearer vision of what I should be doing as a servant of the Lord. But of course the day I have the best studies ever is the day we don’t have any lessons.. haha. ;D 

Para sa inyoooooo! (; [For you]

So after studies Sister Diaz, Sister Alinton, Sister Quijada and I all went to go see this house that’s for rent because our contract is up for our house at the end of the month. So once we were able to have someone show us the house the other sisters really liked it so they had the finance Elder, Elder Raymundo, come look at it. Elder Raymundo and Elder Dixon didn’t really like it; which made me happy because I didn’t really like it either. But then we ended up spending the rest of the day looking for a house or apartment to rent.. We weren’t having very much luck finding anything big enough or safe enough, but I had a ton of fun so it’s all good with me that we didn’t have much success! ;D We did meet this one guy though trying to OYM [Open Your Mouth] and ask for help and he ended up driving his motorcycle around and taking us, as we followed him in the car, to all the places for rent he could think of. He was seriously the nicest/coolest guy I have ever met! I hope we can find him again so we can teach him. :)

7-14-16 (Thursday)
This morning sister Deyro surprised Sister Diaz and I by joining us in personal study, companionship study, lunch, and weekly planning. At first I wanted to die. Haha, I was so uncomfortable! I didn’t want her to see and know about all my flaws and weaknesses, but once I humbled myself.. I realized it was a complete answer to Sister Diaz and I’s prayers. We have both been worried about how to take care of our area because neither of us really know what we’re doing. Sister Diaz is leading the area and doing a great job, but I keep wishing we could see our investigators more often throughout the week. But me coming from Aguilar.. I don’t know how to work in a big area. So we both were praying very diligently to know how to better our work in the area and how to plan better during weekly planning. And our prayers were answered by Sister Deyro helping us not only plan better, but to have better lessons with inspired questions and commitments. 

Sister Deyro also helped me realize I need to pray more specifically. When I ask for something, I need to ask for something very specific. Not something general like “please help us to find elect investigators” or “please help me with learning Tagalog.” I should ask for specific things like “please help us find a family with 5 kids that lives close to the church.” Or “please help me to understand and know when to use an object focus or actor focus verb in Tagalog.” I’m excited to see the miracles from my more specific prayers. Hopefully I’ll receive more specific answers. :) 

But also! In our nightly prayer tonight, Sister Diaz thanked Heavenly Father for the opportunity we have to talk with Him. That really struck me. I don’t think I have ever once thanked Heavenly Father for prayer.. I have completely overlooked how grateful I am for prayer. It’s something I use every single day multiple times a day, but have never expressed my gratitude to Heavenly Father for the opportunity I ALWAYS have to literally talk with Him. We ALL have the opportunity to literally talk to God. Just ponder that for a while and think of how wonderful that truly is. :) Needless to say, I learned a lot about prayer today and I LOVE IT! :)

7-15-16 (Friday)
Even though work this week has been pretty challenging for Sister Diaz and I, I still love every day! But work today was pretty rough.. People here are either too busy, ayaw [unwilling], or drunk. We really want to find new investigators because none of the ones we have are really progressing. So we spent a lot of time today trying to find, so we walked around quite a bit. Which is fine because I like when we walk a lot; because I like the exercise and it always helps me get to know my companion better. Like today, Sister Diaz told me all about her boyfriend and their story. And oh my word, it is the cutest! It honestly made me jealous, like.. I hope I can find a boy as sweet and fun as Jaco. :D It just was so fun having Sister Diaz open up to me about him! She is so cute! I loved it. And I love them. ;) I feel like Sister Diaz and I are best friends now. :) 

And at the end of the day, we had a dinner appointment at the Fabea’s and it was a total party! They all like to speak English so I was able to talk more than usual. They also showed me their 2 pet monkeys, 2 turtles, 2 crocodiles, and 5 million cats. It’s like they own a mini zoo! ;D But the best part was getting to see their baby pigs that were born yesterday! Oh my word! They are so freaking cute! I about died! I wanted to hold one so bad, but they were dirty.. But they were still so dang cute! :)

7-16-16 (Saturday)
Today was awesome! We actually had lots of lessons today and I loved every second of it! We have two investigators that can be baptized on the 30th if we can finish teaching them all the lessons this week. I really hope we can do it, because it’s my goal to have a baptism every transfer. Kat and Argin are both so ready to be baptized! It’s just hard to teach them a lot because of how big our area is and how spread out our investigators are. But I know we can do it! This will just be a good test to see how good Sister Diaz and I are at planning and using our time. ;) 

I don’t really have much more to say.. I’m just so tired and want to actually go to sleep on time. ;) It’s honestly a lot of hard work writing in my stinkin’ journal every single night. I mean, I’m 100% grateful I do..! But it’s hard work. ;)

7-17-16 (Sunday)
Today during studies I learned that I need to have better confidence in myself. It’s not like I have self pity or compare myself to others, I just think they’re great at what they do so I’m perfectly content sitting back at letting them continue doing the things they’re good at. (I just re-read that sentence and I realized even though I’m writing in English I use “at” instead of “and”, Woo! my mind is naturally thinking in Tagalog!) :)

I saw this and DIED! ;D

Anyway.. In sacrament meeting these two little girls that are like 2, were running around with a bag of chips about the size of Red Hot Cheetos. One girl grabbed the bag out of the other girl’s hands and that girl obviously didn’t like that, so she grabbed it back and straight up Hulk smashed the other girl in the face with the bag of chips. Oh my word I DIED! Words cannot describe how dang funny it was! And what makes it that much better is the girl that did the hulk smash is fatter than I am, (I’m not joking, the poor two year old has kankles..) so I understand her reaction perfectly. ;D

Binalonan 2 Area

7-4-16 (Monday)
Well.. P-Day was a lot of fun! Sister Alpino and I actually finished shopping pretty early so we got home early enough to play basketball! Woo baby! It was fun playing basketball with all of the Tebag boys, even though no one would really defend me. ;) I just wanted to play a real game of basketball, but I guess it’s a good thing all of the boys are gentlemen.. 

After playing basketball for a little while, Sister Alpino and I went home to get ready to work. And while we were getting cleaned up the AP’s called.. “Sister Fivas, President Deyro has received revelation that you are needed in Binalonan 2 area. You will finish the training of Sister Diaz. We will pick you up tomorrow morning at 7:00.” My heart broke.. I don’t want to leave Aguilar one bit! I LOVE IT HERE! I was so excited to finally have a companion for more than one transfer.. Haha, JOOOKE! I’ve literally had a different companion every transfer my entire mission and I’ve been part of two emergency transfers.. Is something wrong with me? ;) 

Tatay Cesar

Anyway.. It was really hard saying goodbye to G, J, M, and D. They mean the world to me. And apparently I mean a lot to them too.. They all wrote me notes, drew me pictures, and gave me special remembrances’.  I think it may be a good thing I’m transferred so we make sure those boys are converted to Christ, not me.. I don’t want to baptize missionary converts. But either way.. I really don’t want to leave. I love it here so much, the people here truly are the best! And I don’t want to have to get used to another companion. I want to stay with Sister Alpino.. At least I already know who Sister Diaz is because she’s batch with sister Alpino so I’ve met her at our different training meetings in Urdaneta. I still don’t want to leave though.

7-5-16 (Tuesday)
So.. I got 3 hours of sleep last night.. I’m so stinkin tired! The AP’s got to the house early so I didn’t have time to take a shower. Luckily I showered last night after basketball. ;) Anyway.. I’m in my second area now. I hate it. Not really, but I’m just so dang uncomfortable here. It felt like my first day in the mission field and I did not like that. It’s not like there’s anything wrong with the area.. I just don’t know it AND it’s huge! I went from 5 barangay [neighborhoods] to 13. It’s just different here so I’m uncomfortable. 

Sister Diaz

Sister Diaz is a total sweetheart! She’s really mellow and kind. She’s 21 and from Manila, so her first language is actually Tagalog. I think it’s going to be so helpful being the only foreigner in the house so I actually have to speak Tagalog. I hope that doesn’t make me frustrated though. Anyway, I really like Sister Diaz! The only thing that’s super awkward for me is that I have to train someone who just had a different trainer. I feel so scared because I have to help her become an awesome missionary but she is leading the area and pretty much training me because I just let her lead everything and do things her way.. It’s literally like I’m in my training again with my 3rd trainer. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel more comfortable and I’ll get over leaving Aguilar.

Sisters Diaz, Alinton, Quijada

7-6-16 (Wednesday)
Today was better for me. I’m still uncomfortable in lessons though because Sister Diaz and I do things differently in lessons. And.. It sucks having people talk about how I should be able to speak Tagalog. It kind of sucks replacing another American that goes home in like 3 transfers, because everyone compares my Tagalog with hers. It’s also hard here because people here speak Ilocano, but in Aguilar it’s Pangasinan. Nosebleed ako talaga! [?] Even though I’m not in the most comfortable situation I’ve ever been in, I’m still really genuinely happy. I miss Aguilar and everyone there so much, but at least I have a nice companion that is really sweet and patient with my crappy Tagalog and teaching skills. :) 

Sister Alinton, Sister Diaz

Also! In one of our lessons I asked the lady who the only perfect prophet was and she said “ako.” [me] AKO!? I was so caught off guard that I about died laughing! When I realized that was her legit answer I honestly didn’t know what to do. I was like “A prophet..You’re a prophet?” “Opo, ako.” [“Yes, I am.”] I had no idea how to handle the situation and neither did sister Diaz so I was just like “What about Jesus Christ?” and she’s all like “ahh, yeaaah, okay” kind of thing. I think she just didn’t understand me. But I’m not joking, I about died! It was so dang funny!

Sister Quijada, Sister Diaz

7-7-16 (Thursday)
Today was a pretty relaxing and chill day. It was kind of nice having weekly planning today because I got a couple extra hours to kind of sit down and relax. But in both of our lessons today I felt pretty awkward. Especially when we pulled up to this recent convert family and they all just stared at me like they hated me. I guess no one told them that Sister Stomberg got transferred, so when I showed up and told them I’m Sister Diaz’s new companion they all started to bawl! Honestly I was uncomfortable being there. They were all so heart broken that Sister Stromberg was transferred. No joke, for like 10 minutes I just sat on the floor while everyone cried because I wasn’t Sister Stromberg. It’s not like they were rude to me or anything, but I couldn’t help but think “It’s fine I don’t want to be here just as much as you want Sister Stromberg back. I’d rather be back in Aguilar too.” I mean once they all put themselves together they were really nice to me, but it made me feel a little uncomfortable. It was almost a feeling of “oh no, you’re not welcome here.” But on the Brightside, I now know how badly I want to be a good missionary so people will love me like they love Sister Stromberg. 

Maymay. She's the daughter of a recent convert.

Also.. I’m on exchanges with Sister Standage! We met in Urdaneta and Sister Standage and I came to her area in Villasis and Sister Diaz and Sister Sanico are in Binalonan. It’s kind of fun being with Sister Standage again. I’m actually excited to work with her again tomorrow. When we got to the apartment President Deyro was having interviews with the other sisters and actually ended up interviewing me. It was really fun to see and talk with him, but it made me a little uncomfortable.. Like I kind of wished he was my dad. It made me want a big bear hug from my dad and have him pump me up and tell me I can do this. ;) 

A members grandsons birthday..
I don't know people or their names yet.. sorry. Haha. 

7-8-16 (Friday)
Today was great! It was really nice spending the day with Sister Standage. It was just nice to have someone to talk to that I already know with all the changes I’ve had to make this week. It was nice to spend the day with someone familiar. But when I got back to Binalonan with Sister Diaz I was so excited to talk with her and see how her day was. When we got to the house I did the whole “sigh, it’s good to be home.” I liked that because even though I’m new here it actually felt like home when I came back. Maybe that’s a sign that I really am supposed to be here now. ;) 

It was also really fun and welcoming to have my Kabahay, Sister Alinton and Sister Quijada, tell me how much they missed me then started telling Sister Diaz and I about their day. It was just nice to come home and talk with my new friends like we have been buddies forever. :)

7-10-16 (Sunday)
Well.. I met the branch today! They made me bear my testimony in sacrament meeting and I was so uncomfortable doing that. I guess I just don’t want everyone to know how bad I really am at Tagalog. I mean it was fine, but I was pretty nervous. I don’t know why though.. We only had a whapping 55 people come to sacrament/church. Yikes! This branch needs some serious help reactivating the other 500 members. I’m excited to help reactivate these members though! This is a big part in why I wanted to serve a mission in the first place. I want so badly to help these people remember, and re-ignite the testimony they once had. I’ll do anything to help them re-find the happiness that comes from living the gospel and being worthy to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. I will truly do anything to help them come back to the church and to Christ.. 


But! On a lighter note, it rained super hard today so while proselyting we were just walking on the street but it was literally like walking down a creek that goes up to your calves. It was so dang fun! :)

My District

Six Months in the Field and Aguilar

These are our 4th of July outfits. ;D
(with Sister Miller and dad's package)

I'm honestly REALLY bummed I'm missing the 4th of July in Menan. It's honestly the first holiday I'm actually kind of missing. I have now realized the 4th of July is my favorite holiday. I always thought it was St. Patrick's Day because of the cornbeef. (; 

6-27-16 (Monday)
I love P-days with all my heart, but they really are not relaxing at all. There’s just so much we have to do and by the time we get home from shopping we have to go out and work. We have no time to relax or time to clean the house. As fun as P-Days are, I just wish I could have had an hour to sit around and do nothing. ;) 

Also.. If you want to know what uncomfortable feels like.. try teaching two 18-year olds, a 19-year old, and a 20-year old the Law of Chastity. At first I really didn’t want to teach them, but luckily we’re all best buds so that made it a lot easier to teach a bunch of teenage boys my age to stop being dirties.

6-28-16 (Tuesday)
Oh my word, I had the time of my life today! Sister Alpino and I had exchanges today and I had so much fun with Sister Ngatai! It was just a ton of fun! I love Sister Alpino and all, but it was so nice to be with someone that has my same sense of humor. It was such a great day! 

Sister Ngatai

AND! In one of our lessons the lady we were teaching was just amazed at “how good I am at Tagalog.” All she could talk about was how good I am. Honestly, that made me feel so good. It really made me happy. I’m still really uncomfortable with Tagalog and know that I can’t speak super well yet, but she really helped boost my confidence. Today was simple yet crazy and I loved every second of it! :)

6-29-16 (Wednesday)
Sometimes days go by so fast and I wonder if that means we’re doing something wrong.. Haha. But really, missionary work has been so dang fun with Sister Alpino! Our investigators are so fun and I love teaching them because I’m not afraid to speak up in lessons since I’m comfortable around Sister Alpino. Like today with M.. I talked way more than Sister Alpino in our lesson and I felt the Spirit so strongly because I actually kept opening my mouth and it was constantly filled. We were teaching M about Eternal Marriage and the poor little guy just seems so scared to get married. I feel like he just needs some direction in his life. He’s literally the sweetest person I’ve ever met, I just want to see him cheer up about life. He deserves to be nothing but happy!

7-1-16 (Friday)
I have officially been in the mission field AND Aguilar for 6 months now! I honestly can’t believe I’ve been here that long. I’m also super happy I’ve been in my first area this long... It’s been really nice having some consistency in my life. ;) But even though today was great and we got to ride the bus to Mangatarem so we could get our support, G told us that his parents don’t want him to be baptized.. WHYYY!? First J now G.. The two most elect investigators anyone could ever have, now can’t be baptized because their parents and family don’t want them to be baptized. I am just heart broken!   

But on the bright side.. M only smoked once today, M is still living the Word of Wisdom, A and A read the Book of Mormon, P worked with us today, and it rained really hard so it wasn’t hot today. :)

Nanay Alejandra, Sister Miller, ako

7-3-16 (Sunday)
Oh man, today was full of all kinds of stuff! I loved every second of it! First! Sister Alpino and I went to sacrament meeting in Aguilar 1 branch because we had to go to Lingayen so Sister Alpino could get her patriarchal blessing. I LOVED going to their sacrament meeting! It was a million times more reverent and spiritual for me. I think it was a lot more spiritual for me because it wasn’t my sacrament meeting. I didn’t have to worry about my investigators and wonder if they were going to show up. I was able to focus 100% on the Atonement of Christ and reflect on the things I need to change and be better at. I loved it so much. It just hit me how wonderful of a gift the sacrament truly is. I couldn’t help but think and wonder “Is this true! Every single week, am I really cleansed perfectly again? If I worthily take the sacrament, am I really forgiven of my mistake and short coming from that week? Am I really ‘baptized’ again every week?” As I pondered that I felt an overwhelming sense of cleanliness in my heart. Then I couldn’t help but think “I really hope I die on a Sunday after church.” ;)

Then Sister Alpino and I went to the Stake Center in Lingayen to get her patriarchal blessing and.. we found out we were supposed to go to a different church building so we were 30 minutes late for her appointment. I felt bad for taking us to the wrong church, I just assumed it was the stake center. 

I found out M can draw so
I told him to draw me something..
This is what he decided to draw for me. (; 

But! Luckily it only took like 15 minutes to get her blessing so we were only about 20 minutes late to our church here in Aguilar. But we walk in and D FINALLY came to church! It only took 5 months but he finally came! I was so happy I just wanted to hug him! C also came to church for the first time in a couple months which was awesome! We ended up having 8 ISM’s again! WOO baby! The work here really is progressing. :) 

Also! I actually got cold today! Like.. Freezing! I even had goosebumps! I don’t know how that can happen when it’s like 85 degrees F! ;D 

M also drew me a cute rose because I found out he can draw and told him to draw something for me.. so he drew me a red rose. :) I’m going to have such a hard time saying goodbye to these boys when I get transferred! I love this area so dang much! 

 I let Sister Arquiola do my make up tonight for fun and that was a horrible idea. Now she wants me to wear makeup all the time. NOOO! I honestly think I look insane, but they all think I look like a babe. Even if it’s true… I hate wearing makeup and I’ll stick to my natural beauty for now. ;)