Merry Christmas Scroodge

So I just read through all my emails and I feel so loved! Aww! Thank you thank you thank you to the Whites and to Grandpa and of course you guys! :'''''') 

SO I don't really know what to say because of that little thing called SKYPE which was so awesome but so sad but so good all in one! I feel like I already told you guys everything so I'll just give a quick week-in-review (sorry if it's repetitive)

Ok lets talk Christmas- actually the eve part. So we were tracting and it was no dice baby and just going and doing our thing. We walked by this house with a cute ornament wreath thing and I imagined us stopping there. Well STUPID ME thought I just wanted to stop there because the wreath was cute and not because of the Spirit, thank goodness I have a kasama who can feel promptings too. We stopped and tao-poed many many times and no one came, but we heard people inside so we knocked on the door (you never do that here, just call tao-po from outside) and knocked again (ooh the boldness!) A lady came to the door and let us in immediately. We went in and her husband was eating this huge jackfruit thing (there's none in america and idk how to even describe it...its like way huge like a watermelon but has a ton of yellow pods inside and you peel them out and there is a pit in each one, and you eat the skin part...basta it's

Christmas tree made from plastic bags.
I love their creativity and recycling here! so cool!

real good). There were 2 grandkids playing around and a big dog (weird for people to have a dog on purpose here) and the grandparent folks. Anyways we were just getting to know them, talking talking and then we taught them the principle God is our loving Heavenly Father. During the lesson it was like BAM Spirit! I was so so full of joy and happiness and love for these strangers! We just bore testimony of the simplest simplest stuff, like they are children of our Heavenly Father, He is aware of them and every one of their needs, they are loved and important. As I spoke it I knew without a doubt that it was all true. The grandma lady started to cry. She told us that in her old house tons of Elders would always walk by but no one would ever stop, or if they did they never heard them. She said we were the first ones to knock and to be persistent enough until they opened the door. AHH tears! I was so so grateful for her and for the Spirit and for everything! It was so great my heart was beaming with joy! When we left they chopped off a huge chunk of their jackfruit and insisted that we take it. It was the only thing for Christmas that they had but they said they really wanted to share it with us. We left and I wiped the tears from my eyes and was so glad to be on that street at that time and for everything. A Christmas miracle folks! 

a picture of my xmas eve! our singing
and reading by candelight!

That night we had buko salad (a wonderful wonderful thing- we got the coconut from a man in the market who chopped it up and carved out the meat in little string things and you mix it with sweetened condensed milk and fruit and stuff, its so good!) and me and my kabahay gathered around a candle, sang every Christmas song in the hymn book and read the Christmas story in Luke. It was so so simple but so special! Such a different Christmas than I am used to but one I will never forget for sure! 

Christmas was just a day, we worked and got punted all day. Whoop de do! Then SKYPE!!! Oh I was soooo so SOOO happy to see your faces!! But it was also really hard! I was such a bipolar mix of happy and sad. Sorry if I cried in the whole thing and got you all worried about me, I am fine and just pressing on and I swear I don't cry every day and I'm usually super happy! I just got so sad when I saw you all again and you guys were real and it just reminded me of how far away I am. It was probably the hardest thing ever to hang up. 

When I finally did the screen closed and reality sunk in, that I was still Sister McGrath and I was in a computer shop and it was raining outside and it was time to go back to work. We went back to the house and I made food while Sis. S. took a nap and that probably wasn't a good idea because Satan wanted to come out and play with me! He filled my mind with a whole bunch of stupid lies like "aww man...what am I doing here? My family is so happy and I'm so far away....maybe I wasn't supposed to be called here, blah blah blah" and a bunch of stupid stupid stuff like that. Well lucky for me I know what to do! I knelt down right there in the kitchen and prayed for the strength to just make it through this day, and then the day after that, and then we could take it from there. I prayed to get lame-o Satan out of my brain and to help me remember the sacredness and importance of my calling. It was such a teary prayer cause I was already so emotional from the skype and then thinking right now is the longest time it will be until next skype and then Satan punched my brain and so I just cried. But then my kabahay came home and I was in the presence of other people and slowly I realized that Satan was making a real big deal out of my little problems. A couple hours later I was back to normal and told that rascal "HEY! NO! I am a MISSIONARY and I am here for a REASON and I am not alone and I am entitled to the help of God in this crazy crazy work!" and I just gave myself a great little pep talk. I can be quite the motivational speaker, even to myself! How great is that!  So after that day I was all good in the neighbor-hood. Totally off that skype roller coaster. Can't wait for mothers day WOOT WOOT haha :) 
P.S. no one told me how much I would cry on a mission. I really underestimated the tear-loss. My eyes will be so flushed and squeaky clean by the time I come home! 

isn't she cute?

What else to sayyy what else! We went on splits again yesterday! My one kasama turned into 5 and off we went into the jungle with me as their guide. HAHA if only these kids knew how much I feel like I have nooo idea what I'm doing. But I put on a strong front and pray I can remember all the turns (the way to get to someones house here is like "walk until the huge tree, go under it and through a ways until you see the bridge, walk until the clothes line and past the green house, keep going past that one dog that's always there and straight on till morning!" addresses are a big fat joke here). Somehow we survived and I did it! 

We were walking back and we walked past this house that we oym-ed to a while ago (we call him blue boxers cause we didn't catch the name and that's what he was wearing. Your loss dude, that's your name now) and I screetched to a stop and u-turned (terms that no Filippino understands cause they don't drive haha) and went back to the house. It was a guy and his 2 teenage sons, they let me and all my kasamas in and we did a great little first visit! They are born again Christian and super active, which is no problem because we are just here to add to the beliefs they already cherish and strengthen their faith. At one point I used john 3 :16 but kicked myself cause I had no Bible, and the guy just totally recited it to us from memory! We talked about Jesus Christ and what He means to them, and the evidence that they have seen in their lives that God is real. It was another moment when i felt my heart glowing or something and I felt 100% that what I was saying was true. Oh the Spirit is so cool I love it! Anyways they are super rad and hopefully they keep having us back! 

washing our muddy feet in a canal

So that's all really for the highlights of the week. Bummer that it can't always be like that radiating-heart-warming awesomeness but if it was like that all the time it wouldn't be a mission. Its way hard still yes, and I can't even tell you all of the things we go through in a week, but I just remember that I didn't come here to have it be easy. I didn't come on a mission to have fun, to live in another culture, to feel super loved and important and all that. I didn't come here to be comfortable. I came here to be bold, to speak the truth, to call people to repentance and so they can have everlasting joy. It's up to them to accept or not of course, but I love the couple of minutes collected each week where I feel that radiating heart thing. Oh I love this mission. It is so hard. I have never cried more. I have never been faced with challenges so literal and real every day but MAN its good. Masarap ang buhay ko. (my life is delicious in literal translation). I sing that to myself as I walk everywhere cause the literal translation is hilarious and it puts me in a good mood "maaa-sarapp ang buhaaay kooo!" true stuff! 

Ok well I'm gonna jet and end this thing, i LOVE YOU and i MISS YOU but i am doing just fine. Trials are for being stronger and it hurts but it's for my own good :) MERRRYYYY CHRISTTTMASSSSS and a HAAPPPY NEWWW YEARRRR!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. this year is going to be so cool because I will spend the ENTIRE year being a missionary! How awesome! It's going to be so crazy to look back next Christmas at the whole year and see how much I've grown and all that has changed. bring it on 2015!

 
P.P.S. I have created a monster- I taught Sis S. how to play speed and she is KICKING my butt! We played and she won 13 and I won 2. 2 PEOPLE! and I had just taught her! She's so so good I don't know how she got that good cause she just barely learned! It's natural skill. Well now we use a round of speed to solve everything- who's gonna update the area book, who's going to plan, who's going to clean the CA whose going to pay for this, everything is now speed. and guess who is doing everything. ME OF COURSE! I am so mad, I threw all the cards at her and stormed and threw a little tantrum. Whoow I'm over it. I just am laying down the law and saying no more speed cause I'm going to do everything, or I've gotta keep practicing. I'll keep you updated.

P.P.P.S. I "played" volleyball this morning with the elders and oh gosh. I'm so bad. It would come straight to me and hit the ground and then like 4 seconds later I would put my pointer finger in the air to help it go over the net. What a natural. I hate confrontation even with balls, sorry people! The whole time my most used word was "ahh sorry!! sorry! sorry! oh sorry! sorry! ha sorry!" I felt like good ol' Mia Thermopolis in gym time (but without the unexpected killer homerun). After there were badminton rackets and thanks to many dates I am pretty skilled now. WHABAM! I spike that birdie so hard. And so there, I hope you enjoy the update of my sports life that makes me sound like a sissy baby. My poor kids, right! 

So long, farewell, al-veeders-day to yeew!

Sis McGrath

the Christmas party singing thank you thank you ang babait ninyo with the RS (her expression says it all)

Merry Christmas lechion! yummy yummy!

The family that had us for Christmas eve

the BEST purchase ever!

Confessions of a striving optomist

Brace yourself for some real live missionary life stuff. honest stuff.

OKAY. This week was way hard. (Did i say that last week too?) I mean, really really hard. I am sooo tired, it seems like there is only 3 mins in the night time when I sleep and a million years in the daylight. Why is that? Anyways when we were walking I closed my eyes so the top half of my body could sleep as we went down this forever long road (p.s. it doesn't really work you still are tired when you open your eyes and its a hazard cause you might fall into a rice field or step on a frog.) 

a selfie with my comp

Next: it rained sooo much this week. One time, I forgot my umbrella and we were way way far away from home and walked from our lesson to this other far area, point is we were dripping soaked to the bone! But we were laughing and smiling anyways. Something awesome- we were in this "store" and the ladies there wanted a picture with me cause I'm whhite, then afterwards they gave me a huge discount on anything I wanted. I got these awesome flower pants cause you can't pass up an opportunity like that man! So don't worry I got xmas covered. I also bought this sweet handmade mumu thing that I will wear everyday when i go home. #stylin. 

my BEAUTIFUL AREA!!! I'm speechless when I walk there and back. OOH MAMA its gowgus.

MY AREA IS SOOO BEAUTIFUL!!! IT'S LIKE A CALENDAR!

me finding my inner chi on a bridge

Since it rained so much this week here are 2 awesome things i saw: 1) this suuuper old guy with a long plastic bag rolled up on his head and the rest of the bag was sticking straight up. Also he had no shirt or shoes BUT HE'S GOT A BAG ON HIS HEAD FOLKS, THE MAN HAS GOT A BAG!  Haha people are so great here.

2. Another old man, with a rain jacket and shorts and flip flops, loudly and proudly walking down the street with a biiiggg leaf that he was holding over his head. These people are so cool they have no shame! There's no such thing as looking stupid here! #mypeeps #brothafromanothamotha.

And so. We went tracting out the wazoo this week and SURPRISE people don't want some o' dat salvation. Rejected rejected rejected. We walked up and down the same 3 streets for a whole. day. And everyone says no or hides. One lady, I introduced ourselves at her gate, she came out towards us and I was like "YES a single soul who wont be mean!!" she came closer, and closer, and as I was still speaking she laughed in my face, walked right in between us and went to the house next door, plopped down and started watching tv. Very obvious so we could see her too. We kept going and walking, I got called B**** and mother F****.  Keep going, keep going. Talking to everyone we see, getting rejected every time. This went on for hourrrss. When it was almost 8, it was raining and we sat on some wet cement rubble, I put down my umbrella cause I was sick of carrying it and just internally "WHHYYYYY"'ed to you know who. We sat there for a while, I said a prayer so we would have the strength to keep going and that we could just talk to one single person, and went on. Nope. It's ok, we need bad days like that so we can have the good ones. That night when we came home I sat in the CR and hung my head and wiped my tears on the hem of my skirt. 

Christmas party with Sis. Sekona and Sis. Salamat

The next day was the xmas party for missionaries. Probably one of my least favorite days...too many details but pretty much I felt so so truly alone. At one point I wandered around as everyone was hugging and picturing with friends and I found the senior couple. I didn't even know we had a senior couple, but I went up and introduced myself, we were talking get to know you stuff, they are so nice their names are the Gardeners. They asked how I was doing being away for my first xmas, I said ok, then Elder Gardener said "thank you sister for your service" and shook my hand. My eyes swelled with tears because sometimes I feel like I'm not serving at all or making any difference, and then I just let it all go. I cried, yes I did. Sister Gardener told me to come sit by her for the rest of the program and she showed me pics of her grandkids on her ipad that I couldn't even see through my tears, but it was so nice of her to try and get my mind off of how alone I felt. It's sooo hard man. Soo hard. The rest of the day I was bombarded with comments like "where are you friends? Your kasama? Why do you look so sad? Why is no one talking to you?" Geez people, you think you could just leave me alone for a sec while I suck in my tears?! Filippinos are super honest. Whatever. The good thing is earlier we got to watch Frozen. I was the only one who knew all the songs and just sang them quietly to myself. Pretty much the whole day was like first day of school new kid at lunch time feeling. I hated it. Thank goodness it's over. 

crossing the briddgeeee to the crazy high man

The next day was back to normal, we walked around and tracted and rejected na naman. We taught this one guy that the Elders taught like once (that's where I'm going to on the bridge pic) buuuuttt he smelled so strong of alcohol and I'm pretty sure he was high too...he had this white powder stuff and a bunch of leaves....uhhh I have no idea where he got it but he had it none the less. He tried to speak English and yelled "do you like to eat the grass? DO YOU LIKE TO EAT THE GRASS? HAHAHAHAHA" and was literally insane. He kept getting closer and closer to me and he reeked. He was spitting on the ground the whole "lesson" and in his hands too. Lucky me I got to shake them when we left. The Spirit was so not there in the lesson and I felt so dirty for even mentioning the name of my Savior in that environment. His whole family was all crowded around in the room too with one candle for light, teenagers and kids and a ton of people. uhhh uh uh. 

Hi. May I be your tour guide as I show you this super tall grass.

Hey cool thing- yesterday after church I lead my first splits! Yes I did! (SO FREAKING SCARY) I was apparently supposed to be the missionary and be all calm and know what I was doing and where I was going. HA. I took a bunch of YSA and youth and lead us all around the jungle and the streets to teach people. Phweew scary stuff! But it was good, it was good for my confidence like, hey I actually can kind of do this alone, not that I have to but its good to know I'm not a total leech on my kasama.

SO THERE WE HAVE IT FOLKS! The honest truth. In conclusion: missionary work is not fun. It's super hard. But I love it anyways. I'm lucky to be here and to have this struggle because I know its for a reason and for my good. The gospel is true, it is true happiness. The scriptures are the answers. prayer is real. I feel like I said a bajillion prayers this week, I'm so glad there's no limit :) Anyways I'm pressin' on don't worry! Merry Xmas I CAN'T WAIT TO SKYPEEEE YOUUUUU!  I had a dream about it last night, it's crazy and I will spare you the details cause everyone knows dream stories are only fun for the dreamer and soo "i don't caaare" for the person the dreamer is telling it to. Anywhoo Merry Christmassss!!! Happy new years!! i lovvvvveee youuuuu i love you i LOOVE YEEEWW!

-Sis McGrath

my tilapia- he was alive 20 mins before I cooked him! I'm an expert fish cooker. and buyer, and gutter.

selfie with a giant cockroach coming towards my brain...

and the following when he FLEW ON ME! karma, man.

This bag is hilarious, it's like when we see a bag with Chinese writing and we all assume it's correct

a girl who I've never talked to but wanted a selfie with me, and Sis Coons in the back! She's awesome.

This Week

HI!! I feel like my letters are getting boringer and boringer.  Sawwy! 

So this week was good!  We've started to figure out our area, pick up the pieces from the terrible area book the Elders left us and track down all the souls in our area. I've been in charge of leading lessons to less actives (aka- all lessons pretty much) and since neither of us knows them it goes like:
a) walk in/ get to know you 
b) interpret what they need from the get to know you and convert it into a scripture verse 
c) find a scripture to help their needs and bear testimony. 

It's been kinda cool to work exactly in the moment to find what you need. I'm used to planning before but we don't know them so we can't plan before, just there at go time. I can't stress enough to anyone preparing for a mish to KNOW YOUR SCRIPTURES. It's such a weakness of mine to remember where the verse I need is, I'm way bad at remembering numbers.  So cool to have the chance to have that much trust in the spirit, to just guide you in the second you need it.  And then open your mouth and relate it to the person in some crazy language. I have such a testimony that I am soooo not doing this alone. There's no way I could EVER do this if I was just Chloe. God really does know His servants and this really is His work. WHEEW THANK GOODNESS! 

OK MY AREA!! It's SOOO PRETTY!! ahh! one area is all rice fields and it's soooo pretty! We walk for like 20 mins down this path in the middle of the rice fields and it's so hot and quiet and beautiful! It's such a shock that people live out there, we really have no sign of people for soo long then BAM a little shack or something. This week I crossed a total of 3 bridges made of trees over raging waters with a little rope as a rail. YAY! Way scary especially when its wet and rainy, somehow I stay on. Blame it on these cat like reflexes, or angels helping me not plummet to my death :) 

 
It happened. This week I saw the most disgusting, disgrace-able creation that escaped from the pits of hell. It's called the nastiest spider I've EVER SEEN!! OOH MY GOSH!!! It was as big as my hand. I went in the bathroom and it was THERE on the back of the door! I got out of there so fast it was like in HP when they just BOOM transport places. Sis S didn't even blink, put her hand in a plastic bag and just whacked it! with her HAANDD!! Oh I was freaking out. I pray every night that it didn't have babies in our house. AURHIUHERHIRH SHUDDER!! PS Sis S. took a blurry pic for me before she killed it. I can hardly hold my camera when it's up.

Yesterday we watched the Christmas devotional! AHH I was so sad! It was real Christmas there! I miss my home and you guys and everything! I got a little teary even :( But don't worry I'm ok! It's just sad to be away for the holidays. I just feel bad for people who feel like this all the time, or have loved ones who passed away or far away or anything. That's just so sad for Christmas time :( Anyways, I was teary in the whole thing (especially the music, Still Still Still and that Noel song that we sang the same version of in evmco. OUCCHHH MANN!!!!) But, as the portal closed to my sights of real Christmas I put on my brave pants and was fine again. I went home and ate some oatmeal and life was good. 

CANNT WAIIT TO SKYYYPEEEE! I emailed Dad about the info for it. EUIFOIPEWPEUIC CANT WAITITTT TTO TALLK TO YOUUUUU AND SEE YOUR CUTE LITTLE PIXELATED FACES!!! It's going to be the best Christmas present ever. 

 

I love you ALL and MISS YOU! Have a very wonderful Christmas! I love you!

Love Sis mcgrath

This is a lady who is a former investigator of Sis. S's old area, not our area anymore.  We saw her husband in town and he invited us to go see the baby. So cute! I don't know them at all though. PS I NEVEr want to go to a hospital here to do anything it's crazy! like one big room with dirty beds all along the side and no curtains and just NO

I'm alive! Don't worry!

Hey so I'm still breathing! I'm alive and good! We've been on lockdown since 12pm Saturday and just got the ok to go out if we want to. It's been crazy strong wind and rain but really not that bad!  I was kinda excited to be in my first typhoon but it's kinda anticlimactic (of course that's a good thing and I'm so glad it was anticlimactic!) But really I'm good and fine! The area seems to all be standing though we haven't gone and checked on anyone. The church here is huge and double story (Mercedes chapel on steroids) and it was a refuge center for people if they wanted. Only a couple were there so people aren't really worried I guess!

OK so do I have a tale for you! I feel like so many things have happened it feels like years since I was in Mercedes! Ok I will start with the day before transfer day. I packed like a mad man, the YSA (young single adults) had a Family Home Evening thing at bishop's house and they all gave me hugs and a t-shirt and welcomed me back to stay there if I ever came to the ppines. Sweet! Then Sis R and I ate balut. Haha SO nasty! The juice is kinda ok, it tastes like vinegar mixed with water from a hard boiled egg, then the yolk and white part tasted ok, then the chick? BLEH that thing was NASSSTYY! I have a video you can see when I get home it's so gross. I chewed it then spit it out in the toilet. All full of black feathers--like the inside of my mouth. So gross but now its over and I don't ever have to do it again.

So transfer day! We all met at the mission office and I felt like every missionary was there.  They called out companions and they all met their new comps, on and on until Sis R got her new comp! She was in the batch before me in the mtc so we were in Provo together for 2 days! She's going to love Mercedes!

Then I got my new kasama! Her name is sister S and she's from Tonga! And shes CRAZY! when I first met her I was like "what in the how am I going to survive with this MADWOMAN!" But it's crazy how first impressions can change so fast. We loaded up all my stuff and my package (yes I got it!!!) and went to I have no idea where, some random sisters' apartment where I worked with them for the evening, went with Sis. S to the mission home in the morning for her to go to Manila, then got 2 new comps for the day. I worked in Canaman area in Naga with the STL's (sister training leaders) Sis. B and Sis N. They are the bomb! They are so nice!

In my personal study in the morning I was feeling so sorry for myself and so self centered like "bah humbug how in the heck am I going to work with my new kasama and be in a new area and I have no idea what I'm doing and blah blah blah" but as I read the scriptures and a talk in the Liahona, it all left! It was magic! All of a sudden my brain clicked and went back to normal! I was like, hey Chloe! Be quiet! Stop feeling sorry! You are lucky and missionary life is way hard but so good too! And then I went out and worked like crazy with those sisters. We taught so much and walked so much and I was pooped at the end of the day but totally restored to my a-ok self. The next morning I was like "YEAH lets do this! Bring it on!"

So we picked up the returning Manila missionaries, and Sis S brought krispy cremes!!! AHH YES!! bam immediately friends :) We loaded all my stuff again on a bus and headed to my new area!! Which is called GOA! AAAND best of all I have kabahay!! like roommates! And they are the STL's in Goa so they will always have exchanges and new sisters sleeping on our floor all the time! Also our apartment is soooooo niccceeee!!! It's like a palace compared to Mercedes! It's so spacious and so cute on the outside! I will take pics someday! I am kabahay (roommates) with Sis. A who is a gorgeous filipina with the most beautiful ringletey hair and Sister C!  She's the sister who took me in on my very first night here in the ppines! remember when I stayed in Naga for the night? It was with her! She's from AZ too!, and she went to BYUI, and worked in that same blasted call center, and pretty much I am her twin but a year behind. She taught me how to bucket shower my first day! I am so lucky its like I have a future me living in my house! I ask her so much stuff about the language and everything and she gets it because she was me a year ago! It's the funnest ever! 

So our new area is Goa, but it comes with a fun little catch, Sister S has no clue about our area because it's new to her too! We are inheriting it from elders and so we are both blind here. AAAND Sis S goes home next transfer, this is her last one! So after she leaves (I'm killing her, that's what its called on the mish) after I kill her, its all up to me, blind in this area! It's so crazy! We haven't even "real" worked because of the storm, we just went around and warned people about the storm and told them they could go to the church for an evac center. All we have is a sloppy and terribly organized area book, and a crappy map on the back of a piece of paper that we can't understand with a couple investigators on it. How in the world are we supposed to do this! Ahh! I want to pull my hair out! Open area is the worst!  Sis. S and I got sooo lost the other day, it was so bad. so....its gonna be way interesting after the storm clears up and we are real missionaries again! 

SO ya, I've been locked up for like 2 days now and I'm GOING CRAZY!! I've read the Liahona, written notes, read scriptures, washed all my clothes with Sis. C as we told stories for hours, cleaned, took a nap, ate ate ate, talked with my kabahay, tried to read the area book, looked at pics, there's only so much you can do!!! But hey now me and Sis. S are good friends! Blessings in disguise right? There's no way you can be on lockdown and come out NOT best friends with your kasama.  Sis S. is crazy! She's so funny! I crack up all the time! The way she says things is just so funny! She tells me all about Tonga and man are we almost complete opposites but friends none the least! She's really nice and caring and just steps in and does service. She goes home next transfer! So close! She says she might be trunky in her brain but she will not be trunky in the work. Good! Anyways its going to be an awesome transfer, I'm so looked out for and blessed!

Hey fun fact when I was on exchanges when Sis. S was in Manila we taught this family and they had an ALBINO son!  He's like pure filipino but as white as the underbelly of a whale (like I know what that looks like) and speaks Tagalog and everything. He's like, clear, not white. we walked in and I was soooo confused. I though maybe he was sent in a basket like Moses from America or some other white place and washed up here. Anyways that's not important at all.

So what's super cool is that throughout all of these changes and new things and storm and everything, I've felt so calm and comforted. I read in the scrips in exodus 13 about how the children of Israel had a shadow by day and a pillar by night. I feel like I'm living that scripture! As long as I keep walking and taking steps, I am being protected and angels are going before me everyday. Just gotta keep taking those steps! At first I was saying prayers "Heavenly father help me survive these next 60 seconds, ya I can do that" and really living minute by minute. It's tough! So hard. But! Heavenly Father has a plan and a purpose and only pushes us because he knows we can do it! I learned so many cool things in my personal study the past couple of days I wish I could just tell you it all! It's so cool to be a missionary!!

AHH--With or Without You by good ol' U2 is blasting in this he-ah internet cafe!!!! LOVE IT!

I hope that when you read these emails you don't think that I'm a perfect missionary and all. You know, like those sisters in pink button downs and black skirts to the ankles with voices no louder than a sacrament whisper. I hope when I write spiritual experiences or cool things you don't think that its like that all the time. Because news flash: missionary life is wayyy hard and there are bad times and hard times and times when i want to say "welp, K.A.T. I'm outta here" But I'm trying my best and that's all I can really do! I am so imperfect at this and make a million mistakes. (Not like in obedience, I'm obedient duh of course its in my blood) but hey all God has to work with is imperfect people right? I just hope if anyone reads this and thinks I'm rockin' it all the time, realize that is wrong.  Yep, its wrong. I don't rock it all the time, but I try dang hard. It is the hardest thing but the best thing at the same time. There's nothing to describe it you just gotta come and experience it for yourself.

HEYY the package!!! Oh my goodness!!!! I lugged that thing all around this blasted country and it was so heavy and stressful with all my luggage and stuff but FINALLY I opened it in Goa! I cried a little bit it was so nice! I opened the Deseret book bag and inhaled and got a little teary. It smelled like a storeee! Like book pages! :''''( but I was so happy! It was like I got to talk to you as soon as I was in my new area and it helped me survive really. All the things in it are perfect! The skirts are all perfect and the food has been my 72 hour kit these past few days. oreos, rice, tuna, oreos, rice, cookies, repeat. and I'm alive now! Thank you sooo much! It was so nice and useful! I love you all!

 So ya, I'm good! I have like, no pics but I will work on it this week! Oh wait I have one pala, this is the only one I have with Sis. S.  This is a baptism for a girl I've never met or spoke to and neither had Sis S, so no one be jealous. We just got here ok people! 

gen lang! mahal kita sa inyong lahat!! (haha does that fool you to think I'm fluent in this crazy language? HAHA no). Oh ps I'm in a BICOL speaking area so you know what that means!! Back to square one! New language! I'm going to stab my eyes out with a pencil. But everyone knows Tagalog too apparently so I just will have to say "pasentia talaga talalog lang please!" But already I can't understand these folks. Sis. A says that all of church is pure Bicol. GREAT can't wait to learn nothing from church. Whooooww pray for me to learn Tagalog and to understand the difference between these two languages that I don't understand!! 

I LOVE YOU!!!!!! TILL NEXT WEEK!!!!

Update--safe and sound

Subject: Just an update to the Families of the Naga Missionaries

All of the missionaries are currently safe and sound. Typhoon Ruby has been downgraded from “super typhoon” to just “typhoon”. That means that the wind speed has slowed down a bit. It is still quite potent, though. All missionaries were confined to their apartments or local chapels at 12:00 noon on Saturday. The typhoon landed in eastern Samar, south of us, at 9:15 pm Saturday. It is a slow moving typhoon and picked up a lot of water over the ocean that it is now dumping on the areas it is passing over. It is now Sunday morning about 9:30 am.

It appears that Ruby is moving west by northwest. It was originally predicted to pass over the southern part of the Naga Mission in the Iriga area but has not turned north yet. It is now felt that the Naga Mission will not take a direct hit but will experience heavy rains and moderate to high winds. I am more concerned with flooding than I am wind caused damage.

Ruby has not passed by or over us yet. We are currently experiencing light wind and rain. It is expected that we will experience the effects of the typhoon later this evening. All missionaries will remain confined to their safe locations throughout the day and most likely throughout the night. All church services have been canceled for today.

We are doing all we can to place these valiant missionaries in safe locations and protect them. We feel the comfort that comes from many prayers. I will update you again.

Be of good cheer,
President Reeder

Letter from the Mission President regarding Typhoon Hagupit/Hurricane Ruby

Thursday, December 4

To the Families of the Naga missionaries,



We are in the midst of another typhoon, this one is named Ruby. It is expected to reach landfall during the evening of Saturday, December 6. All of the missionaries have been instructed to have their 72-hr kits with water. They are also to have emergency money of P1,000 in small bills and charged cell phones.

The missionaries that are serving in coastal regions have been moved to inland locations. Missionaries that have second levels will remain in their apartments. Those that do not have a second level will be relocated to other apartments or local churches. Several hours before the typhoon reaches our area the missionaries will be confined to their apartment or emergency location.

I hope this gives you some comfort. I will contact you again following the typhoon with an update. Please be aware that during the last typhoon we lost communication towers that took a few days to restore.

We love your sons and daughters; they are valiant servants of Jesus Christ.



President Reeder

Transfers, a mega fanny pack, and pizza

IMGETTINGTRANSFERRED!!!! NOOO! 

It's true. We totally thought Sis R was getting transferred so all week she's been writing BR pages (book of remembrance, its like a card or note and everyone has a book of notes here) and taking pics with all of our people, saying goodbye, packing, etc. then SURPRISE! it's me!! 

We got the call late at 10:15 and it's actually me that's leaving! But the crazy thing is that I wont have my real area or my real companion until Thursday. Transfers are tomorrow, and I  will get a temporary comp and area until Thurs and we don't really know why. Maybe because so many people are leaving this transfer and hardly any more are coming, president has to close a ton of areas. There are only going to be 2 sisters and 2 elders in Mercedes now:( so idk where I'm going or anything! And I have to live out of a bag for the next couple of nights. Ugh. I just want to get my new area right away! So much stress! 

mercedes ward!!! woot woot!

I am soo soo sad to leave Sister R!! no! no noooO!! I love Sister R! Our companionship is awesome!

pizza!!! we ordered pizza!! It's sure not America but I'm so desperate it's delish!

I'm going to miss my nanay soo badd!!:(:(:((((((  But, I'm done with training now! Apparently I'm a real missionary now.  Psh no I dont feel like I'm trained yet! Super nervous for new everything...all I know about mission life is here in Mercedes with Sis R!  It seems like that is just the pattern of life though, as soon as you get comfortable its time to change and grow and get out of your comfort zone again. Darn life. But that's how we grow and progress, so bring it on!

me and some members

So yep, that about sums up the week. Getting ready for transfers! Tomorrow! We are taking a very long bus ride to Naga, (pit stop at SM in Naga because I have to surrender and buy one of those stupid ugly huge mega fanny pack style bags. I know, I know. It's going to be ugly but I need it. (It's ok I've let every care of what I look like fly out the window, why not have a giant fannypack attached to my rear?) 

Oh I can get my package finally! We will drop off my suitcases at the transfer point, I say goodbye to Sis R (NOOO!!!!WAAAWAAWAA!!) get a temp comp, and go stay who knows where and work who knows where until I get my real area and actually move in.  Ehhh. eh eh. We took so many pics with Mercedes ward and members and stuff! It's impossible to send them all! I'm going to miss this place so bad! :( one of our investigators called last night and said thank you for serving here etc etc. WAA I DONTWANNA GO!!!! It's like everything is starting over and I feel just like I did at the start of the mish--no idea where I'm going, who with, and what to expect. It's like my idea of the future is a black hole. Greaaaaattttttt.

Oh ya Thanksgiving!  None of that here, we ate some tasty rice and canned beef yumayy!  Hey was everyone thankful for their washing machines this year? I had to wash so much stuff to get ready for transfers and my hands were going to fall off and back was going to snap. Can you imagine mom our huge piles of laundry in the laundry room, and then you as the mother, have to wash each individual piece and scrub it with soap, then rinse it too and hang it to dry? It's insane. (Insane in the membrane! insane in the brain!)

be grateful