Chloe in the Philippines: unto us (another aki) is born, unto us (another aki) is given!

Selfie w/ Sis. J

As is every stepping-out-of-your-comfort-zone moment, it's sort of bleh at first, then it gets good. This week was no different. So I'm TRAINING AGAIN!!!!!! My next aki is from kiribati, her name is Sis M, and is the sweetest funniest thing. But of course lets rewind.....zzzzzzzzz

Ok I woke up the day of transfers, heard Sis J say "good morniiiiiing" like she does every day, and then I burst into tears. AWW I don't wanna leave my aki!! I don't want her to leave me here! I was such a baby and cried literally all morning...as she was packing the last of her stuff, in the trycee, all the way to transfers. by the time we got there my eyes were red and puffy and it was all a little extreme because I knew I'd see her again and it wasn't even really goodbye. She's transferred to Iriga and I'm sure is doing fine, I just miss her and selfishly want her back thats all :(

Hm...then the rest of that day we just walked and tried to find someone to teach....I got called fat by one group of thugs and ugly by another. Welp. That's fine. At least I know that God created me and He don't make no junk.

Then Wednesday came! The day of the arrivals!! We went to the mish home and once again I sat through a long long powerpoint on how to train/rules/all that stuff. Bleh I was so bored I just took tally marks of how many times Elder C said "po". (in ten mins he used "po" 99 times. no joke. thaaaats a little over the top with respect, ha?) anyways they all filed in, so nervous to be split from their batch and to get new trainers. I stared like a creep at my aki (I knew which one she was before they announced it) and gave her an extra long handshake with an extra creepy smile :D She's SO CUTE oh my gosh! the first thing she says, wearing the biggest smile with matching dimples I've ever seen was "TAGA KIRIBATI PO AKO" haha :) we got paired up, Sis K (my kabahay) is training too and her aki is ppina. fun fun!

It's been so fun with her because its like my eyes are being re-opened to the wonders of the ppines. Like, I got to witness her first trycee ride, teach her about pesos, help her do her first "tao-po" and go try everything in sight at the tindahan. SO FUN!

It's sure a good thing I already love her, cause boy oh boy do I have a loooot of weight on my shoulders. With us being both foreigners, somehow I'm supposed to be the one to understand/speak/take the next step in everything. This last week I've taught almost every lesson alone, and its haaard. I feel for her though, I guess thats a good part of our companionship because I know exactly what it feels like to not get anything anyone is saying, to have no one understand you even when you exert all your efforts to say one simple thing, all of that hard stuff about learning a language.

In our language studies we work out conjugations, pronouns, time particles, all the basic stuff. I've got lots of charts and pictures and things to help. The poor, poor girl. she doesn't speak English. I wish I could explain properly in this small space how hard it is to teach someone a foreign language, IN a foreign language to them. She's got her kiribati Preach My Gospel open, reads a paragraph, goes to the English to understand what I'm saying, then finally to the Tagalog to try and work it out. It's hard for us to communicate with no common language, but we are finding a way. Lots of hand actions, facial expressions, pointing. Pretty much I will beat anyone at a game of charades, I'd put money on it. It is a little overwhelming, and very very tiring. I feel so stretched, one time this week I just went to the CR, sat on the little stool and put my head down and took a 2 min guilty nap, prayed for some strength to get up, did some counting to threes, then went back out to the world. whoow. It's tiring, but its good. I'm going to help her the best I can and do everything I can to help her sprout some wings and flyyy!! Just please, say some extra prayers this week for her, and for me to have the patience to help her :) Even though its so hard, she's got the best attitude. She just smiles, accepts it, and says "pero OK LANG" and is just so cool about it. I would have already had a break down by now if I was in her place. She's the best.

This morning we played "volleyball" and "jogged" but once again, laughed more than played anything. ahh its a good life! Sis M cracks me up talaga.

not much else to report, the work is....well. It's work. Lots of it to do. Lots of finding to do as well. We have a tiny tiny teaching pool and really need to get some more investigators. Whow. Please pray for us.

That's all I can muster up right now, have a great week and know I love you all so so much!!!

LOVE Sis McG