#1's Weekly Email: Week #46

"Liar! Liar!" "Get back, witch!" "I'm not a witch, I'm your wife! But after what you just said, I'm not even sure I want to be THAT anymore!" hehe

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Ooooookey dokey.  So this week has been very interesting as well. But also a happy one. Thank goodness for missions to let you know to go with the flow and trust in Heavenly Father. Monday: We went to a less active's house because we were supposed to have a family home evening there but it didn't really happen. All the adults kind of left and we were in charge of the kids for like 10 minutes. We sang the head shoulders knees and toes song. And once there was a snowman. And popcorn popping. And they loved it. We must have done each song 10 times. I miss being a Primary teacher.  Tuesday: We had a good day. We went and taught Sister R and Brother J. We retaught Brother J lesson 1 and he was like why didn't you guys teach me this before?! and I was shocked and was like... they did.... Effective teaching is very very very very VERY important…. We also taught Brother T, and Sister L. We kind of went around and visited all of our favorite people just in case one of us transferred.  Wednesday: We taught Sister E, Brother M, and then we kind of just walked home because no one was outside and it was bloody hot.... :P We then went out and taught at the compound and got 5 new investigators. Again, effective teaching in the first lesson is very very very VERY important. If it's not effective, you can't undo it or really fix it very easily. You only get one chance to make a first impression. We then went and visited Sister L again, just in case. We finished reteaching Sister D M. She's still really awesome and still really wants to go on a mission. We then went and taught Brother B and got the transfer text. I'm staying and Sister Mak is leaving :( Thursday: Soooooo we went to Balanga and got to spend the whole day there. Sister A is Sister R's new companion and Sister M is my new companion. And after waiting the whole day in Balanga, we went home and went out to work. We visited a whole bunch of members and they all seem to like Sister M a lot. Friday: We had district meeting and we were in charge of the workshop again. We did it about finding and had a little easter egg hunt. it was a lot of fun. Thanks mom for the easter eggs and the baskets in the last package :) After that we had weekly planning. That was interesting because I had to break it to Sister M that we don't have anyone right now that can be baptized next month.... And she slowly started freaking out and asked me why on earth I was being so positive. And I realized that my perspective on life is different than most people. I don't get down on things because I usually don't worry about things that I can't do anything about. All the stuff she was freaking about was in the past. You can either cry about it or brush yourself off and keep swimming. That's how it is. We went out to work and shared with Brother T, and the Z family, and Brother B. I love working with Sister M. She's so good. :) Saturday: When I woke up it felt like the weight of the world was on me again. So I did personal study, read my patriarchal blessing, and spent a little extra time on my knees and then everything was good again. We had a good day too. We went and found 2 new investigators and taught a total of 7 lessons. Woohoo! Go us :) Sunday: We had church and that was good. And then we had a meeting afterwards. And then another meeting after that. By the time we got out of all of our meetings it was 6 pm. We had time for 2 lessons. One with Brother T. And the other at an investigator's house. That one was interesting because one of her relatives was there and he was a pastor for the born again church. And he wanted to tell us all about his religion. So he did. And kept trying to convince us that he was right but we just kept agreeing with him because he was mostly right. It was weird. It was like he didn't hear us saying "yes that's right" haha whatever. it was an entertaining lesson. no worries. So yeah. That was my week. it was a good one and interesting. What's important is that we always keep a good attitude about everything. The church is true. Missionary work is super duper important.  Thank you for all your prayers and support. Mahal ko kayo! -Sister Hess

#1's Weekly Email: Week #45

Longest week of my mission. It feels like a month ago since I skyped my loverly family on Monday... Grabe…


Well, this week seemed like it never ended. But it actually did. Thank goodness.

Monday: 

P-day! Got to skype me lovely family and see all their happy little faces. They're all doing good in case you wanted to know. We walked around that night a whole bunch because we were super punted and ended up at the Z family's house and had an impromptu FHE. Sister Makihele did a lesson about mothers because of mothers day and let me tell you it was a very spiritual lesson and everyone cried. Even I almost shed a tear. We just went around and said why we loved our moms. If you feel like you don't do it enough, you should do it. Mom's are awesome :)

Tuesday: 

We had a fabulous zone conference. I learned so much and it was a lot of fun. Got to see a lot of old friends. All in all, it was just a great zone conference. After the zone conference we went out and worked and that was fun too. We visited Sister L again and finished her re-teaching. Woohoo! I love it when recent converts are so strong and so excited about the Gospel. Sister L, Sister Le, and Sister E are sisters and they're all recent converts and so strong. Man it's awesome.

Wednesday: 

Hmmm what happened on Wednesday.... Sorry, I forgot my planner so this email might be really short. We went and taught Brother T. He's getting ready for his baptism on the 24th and he's excited. But he also seems to have kind of a one-track-mind and the poor man was not exactly overjoyed to hear that transfer day was so close. He started freaking out and saying that he's gonna be so sad and that he doesn't know if he's gonna keep coming to church after we're gone. Wait wait wait... that's not allowed. I'm sure he meant it as a compliment but for me that was like a kick in the gut. What a waste of our time! We're not here to teach you just so you can go less-active when we leave! It's called endure to the end not endure until your favorite sister missionaries ever get transferred... What the heck... It's ok. We got it all figured out for him. Helped him realize what he's gotta do. And I don't really remember what happened on the rest of that day. On to the next!

Thursday: 

I had exchanges with Sister H, Sister Lea's companion. She's super sweet and hard working. We went around her area and taught a lot of people. And there were a lot of people staring and calling me Barbie and trying to speak to me in English and then being shocked when I would reply to them in Tagalog. The normal. But it was fun. It also made me really grateful for my area, my housemates, my companion, and our ward. There's just a different feeling where I am and where their area is. It's funny how that is.

Friday: 

Got to go back to my area. We went and visited a bunch of people and taught them of course. We went and visited Brother T again and he broke the news to us that he was going home for 2 weeks.... Ok? That was sudden. So we shared with him and texted Elder S that we wouldn't be needing him to come and give him an interview on Saturday because Brother T wouldn't be here. That was sad.

Saturday: 

We go out proselyting in the morning and we see Brother T's granddaughter who was supposed to go home with him. Wait. That means they didn't leave! So in the afternoon after lunch we go and visit him and he said that his plans didn't go through. So I text Elder S that he didn't leave, and S, being the impulsive boy that he is, says ok! we're going straight to the terminal and coming out there. And by the time I read that text, they were already on their way. Wait! We haven't even reviewed with him for his interview! Well they got here and interviewed him and it actually turned out okay. Huh. That was a definite miracle. 

Sunday: 

We went to church. And guess who didn't. T. What? Where did he go!? now we have to go and find out if he actually did go home or not. Ugh. And then we spent the rest of the day going to meetings and being punted. I swear, no other country in the world party's as hard as the Philippines. There was ANOTHER fiesta on Sunday. And so we went from house to house again and didn't share with anyone but were forced to eat tons of their food. Oh man. Yup. That was our week. Super fun and interesting and hot. What else is new. 

So yeah. Thank you for all of your love and support for us. Mahal ko kayo!

Ingat kayo palagi. Talk to you next week!

-Sister Hess 

For Everyone

I ran across this this morning. Loved it. Wanted to save it, so here it is…..

"Washed Clean"

by

Boyd K. Packer

In ancient times the cry “Unclean!”

Would warn of lepers near.

“Unclean! Unclean!” the words rang out;

Then all drew back in fear,

          

Lest by the touch of lepers’ hands

They, too, would lepers be.

There was no cure in ancient times,

Just hopeless agony. 

          

No soap, no balm, no medicine

Could stay disease or pain.

There was no salve, no cleansing bath,

To make them well again.

But there was One, the record shows,

Whose touch could make them pure;

Could ease their awful suffering,

Their rotting flesh restore.

          

His coming long had been foretold.

Signs would precede His birth.

A Son of God to woman born,

With power to cleanse the earth.

The day He made ten lepers whole,

 The day He made them clean,

 Well symbolized His ministry

 And what His life would mean.

          

However great that miracle,

This was not why He came.

He came to rescue every soul

From death, from sin, from shame.

          

For greater miracles, He said,

His servants yet would do,

To rescue every living soul,

 Not just heal up the few.

          

Though we’re redeemed from mortal death,

We still can’t enter in

Unless we’re clean, cleansed every whit,

From every mortal sin.

          

What must be done to make us clean

We cannot do alone.

The law, to be a law, requires

A pure one must atone.

          

He taught that justice will be stayed

Till mercy’s claim be heard

If we repent and are baptized

And live by every word. …

          

If we could only understand

All we have heard and seen,

We’d know there is no greater gift

Than those two words--“Washed clean!”

#1's Weekly Email: Week #44

So yup. The subject of this email basically sums up the whole experience that we had this week. 

Monday: P-DAY! honestly I don't know what I would do without p-days. I just might go craaaazy. Thank goodness for p-days. We had an FHE and that was super fun. We played a game and me and Sister M. lost and the punishment was that everyone got to throw baby powder in our faces. fun fun. But they were worried that it wouldn't show up on my face because I'm "so white" haha. good joke. 

Tuesday: Ok Tuesday was awesome and it also feels like it was a bazillion years ago. One of the new mission rules is that the Sister Training Leaders are in charge of the workshop every third Tuesday of the month. That means that me and Sister L. got to have some fun. Our workshop was on using time wisely. But we were soooooooooo tired of the cliche practice teaching that we felt like mixing things up. So we did a boot camp. And it was AWESOME. We split up the districts and then gave them a list of 10 things to do and told them that they had 20 minutes to do everything. The each zone leader was in charge of a district and they were like the drill sergeants and their job was to actually slow down the districts. So it was super fun. They all succeeded and they learned a lot in the process. The other requirement, not only did they have to do everything in 20 minutes but they had to be unified in everything. Needless to say, that was the awesomest workshop ever and I have no idea how we're gonna top that next month… 

But the work afterwards was a bit of a downer because the punted-ness all started up. We went and taught Sister Le. and then we walked and walked and walked and walked.... aaaaand walked. Because no one was home and because it was so hot, no one was outside. The other appointment we had that day was with Brother B. and that was a good lesson too. Patay. 

Wednesday: We went out and worked in the morning and taught C. who is a recent convert. He is a dancer and he's really good but because of that he can never go to church. So we'll see what happens with him. In the afternoon we switched up our normal plans to see what would work. We went and taught Sister P. first and that was fun. And then we went to visit Sister E. who we hadn't taught for a while. We taught her and extended a goal date to her and she accepted. Then we went and taught Sister Li. And then we taught Sister D. M. and the P. family. And we didn't ride in a tricycle at all. We just walked and walked. You know you've done a lot of walking when the members start saying that you've lost weight. Which they totally do here.

Thursday: Another punted day but that was mostly our fault. We decided we were gonna spend the whole day finding. We didn't plan on it being hotter than ever. But we did find a new less active. His name is N. and he's 20 years old. He was baptized back in 2007 and he became less active because all his friends went less active or moved away. So that's what happened. We're gonna try to get him to come back too. We also went and taught Sister Le. again and then went and taught Brother B. again.

Friday: We finally had a member come work with us. And we went and taught Brother T. He's the one that we don't know if he's a member or not. And that lesson was the funniest thing ever. We tried to teach him the Book of Mormon intro and he kept trying to translate everything we said into Ilokano bahaha super funny. The look on Brother A.'s face was hilarious. We went and got punted again and then went and taught Sister D. M. again. And then were just punted until the end of the night. Woohoo.

Saturday: We went and taught P. and M. again and told them to go to church. Then we went and crashed a birthday party. We didn't know anyone there. We just walked up to a group of 20 year olds and stood there awkwardly smiling at them (Elder C. style) and they told us to come in and sit down and eat some spaghetti. Ok sounds good. Can we teach you as well? Of course! Yes hahaha sounds good to me. We got 7 new investigators out of that one hour and it might have just been because I'm white but they did actually listen. And then after that lesson we went to 7/11 and got slurpees as a reward haha 

We then went and taught Sister F. and then went to the church and attended the baptism of Sister J. and Sister V.'s investigator. It was good. And then we had a meeting right after that and during the meeting, the rain started. And not just sprinking. Pouring. And we didn't have umbrellas. but that was ok. We just were stuck in the church until 9 and then we went straight home. That was it.

Sunday: We did everything we could to get investigators and less actives to church but! it wasn't enough. They didn't want to come. And so i've decided that Sundays are the most stressful days of the week. Missionaries have to worry about EVERYTHING on Sundays. The members, the investigators, the less actives, the stats, and sometimes to top it all off we have to give surprise talks or play the piano or be the chorister. Man. It's pretty exhausting. But that's ok. We worked after church and went to Sister Le.'s again and shared with her and then went and taught Sister D. M. And then we went to one appointment and got two new investigators, Sister P. and Sister Lei. They're awesome. And then ended the night at the Po.'s and they fed us pancit. It was a good day.

The whole week was fun and interesting but in the end we learned a lot. So yeah. But this next week is not gonna be like that. I refuse to be punted again... So yeah :)

Thank you for all of your prayers and support. 

Mahal ko kayo!

-Sister Hess