Hey!

Hey ery'body! 

This week we had so many problemas with our people! so many problems! everyone has a problem! Our recent converts, less actives, investigators, yikes. It's been a week where at the end of the day I'm like, "wait I'm the one that has to try and fix this? I'm the missionary in charge here?" You think missionaries have all the answers but I have no clue! Its so pressure-ful to be in charge of all the souls in my radius :D going crazy!

So because there are so many problems and too many long stories, I'll just summarize to keep it private and so you can kind of know. Our recent converts and investigator were drinking all weekend, some less active has major doubts about the truthfulness of the church because of some members, some of our recent converts went to Manila and we haven't taught them or they haven't been to church since their baptism, we need white shirts and pants for our newly baptized deacons, an investigator with baptismal date locks her gate and avoids us, the day after we taught word of wisdom to someone they drank a ton of coffee, one investigator is so hooked on everything in the word of wisdom and has no idea how to stop, etc etc the list goes on. YIKEES RIGHT!?!  Sis R and I came home and I flopped on my bed with my bag and shoes still on and did some quality moaning and groaning. deeeeep breaaath.

Me and Sis. R haha

Haha it reminds me of when I was in Brother Grimes' class in seminary and we watched The District for class. I remember walking out of there saying "oh gosh I'm NEVER going on a mission. No way can I do that/ teach/ help people like that. Phweew no way jose!" haha PSYCH look who's got a name tag. Look who's in charge of solving those problems. Crazy how that works out.

So this week the coolest thing that happened! Oh it was awesome! Ok so we had a hard busy day with lots of disappointments, and on top of all of it since its my last week of training I'm leading the area- planning leading lessons all of it- and I made soo many mistakes. Mistakes in language and in timing and in everything I felt like. We walked home and it was quiet and dark and in my head played all the mistakes I made and all the bad things I messed up on that day. We came home and I started doing the dishes. As I was washing I had this thought, it was so fast and subtle that if i wasn't being still and didn't go back and question it I probably wouldn't have recognized it as the Spirit. I was thinking about all of my mistakes and the words came to my head " I am making up the rest."  I went on washing and washing and then was like, wait what? that wasn't me, that wasn't my thought. as I went back and thought on it I knew it was the voice of my Savior through the Holy Ghost. I got tears in my eyes for the reminder He sent me that I am not doing this alone, and even though I'm making mistakes left and right He is filling the rest that I cant do. I stopped doing the dishes and went into the other room, shut the door, and went straight to my knees and said a teary prayer of thanks. I am so grateful that as long as I try, as I throw myself out there and take leaps of faith, all the things I can't do become complete through the Atonement. So amazing!! I am so grateful to be here! I love this and how hard it is because it forces me to be so so reliant on my Savior!

 The next day was so cool- there were still tons of mistakes and it was hard and all the problems were still there, but as I was speaking it was like the words were being put into my mind one second before I needed them. Just like the scriptures say! In the very hour! (second actually) I felt like I was on Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry when they have a train that goes off the edge of a cliff and there are no tracks underneath, and all the laws of gravity say that the train has to fall, but because of the miracle of animation, Roadrunner or Tom can grab train tracks from underneath them and lay them down in mid air in front of the train as they trudge on into space. (Do you know what I'm talking about?) that's totally how I felt.  As I spoke it was one word at a time, one train track, that I could lay right in front of me. Somehow at the end I didn't crash and burn like all the laws of the universe say! I am NOT doing this alone, I know 100% that I am incapable of doing that on my own. The gift of tongues is real and the Savior's mercy is real. He helps all his children when they are in His service!

Hmm ok a funny story now- when we teach the word of wisdom, after we explain about the spiritual side of it all and why we should follow it cause its revelation from a prophet and all, this fun thing happens.  Sis R turns into Dr. R and I sit by and hear what sounds like a very flawed wikipedia page entitled "harmful substances" be read out loud. I wish you could all hear it. I wish I could translate it all for you- if I literally translated it it is "if you drink coffee its like the same as drugs because they have a similar ingredient of caffeine. It makes your liver sick and your heart sick.  You will die at an early age. You will not sleep at night. You will clog your veins. If you smoke your lungs are sick. If you drink alak you will die."  And on and on it goes its so funny! But these people are not educated and have no way to check these facts. Oh well I guess, as long as they don't do it! Scare em to death!

district activity of volleyball for hours with the elders. sooo annoying i hate vball

 

I don't know what else to tell you! Time is a ticking! Mom you got my email about the package right? Is this week Thanksgiving? If it is or if it isn't- I'm so grateful for you guys!! I have the bestest family! we watched a Mormon message the other day about the best thing a father can do for his daughter is to love his wife. I am so grateful to you dad for loving mom, it seems like such a little thing but really it influences all of our kids' eternities. I am so lucky to have parents still in love- it really is so rare these days! (even though me and Hannah think its cheesy sometimes ...jk) I'm so grateful that I am sealed to you guys forEVER! YES! 

How can anyone ever live with anything less than the promises of the temple? I am grateful for so so much I could write a book! I have such a blessed life and everything I have is a gift! I am so grateful for my Savior for making it possible for me and everyone else in this world to have true, deep and lasting happiness. I am grateful there is a way out of sin, a way out of sadness, and an end to all heart break. I am so grateful for the Atonement I cant even put it into words. I am grateful for SO MUCH! everything is so good and so beautiful! oh wait- its hard actually out here! there's a lot that can get someone down but not me! ("no wizard that there ever was, is ever gonna bring MEEE-EEE DOWWWWN!") I'm unstoppable :) Have a great week everyone! I will too! keep up the prayers they are saving my life! 

LOVE YOUUUUU 

Sister McGrath

this is a pic of a companion study we had- its called we each hemmed a leg of pant legs for our recent convert to pass the sacrament. update- we made them high waters and are back to square one HAHA

Heyyy

What's cookin' good lookin'? First things first I'm so sorry for this keyboard and all the typos that will ensue with our relationship. It's so sticky and the backspace is like the size of Abraham Lincoln's eyeball on a penny. It's rough going.

OK So the week was good! the work was good! I'm doing good! I did really bad at writing in my journal this week so forgive me with how short and non inspiring this week is going to be. 


Let's talk cool missionary stuff. This week we taught a lady about the first 2 principles of lesson 1 and after, the lady said that she had goosebumps and felt something inside of her. we told her that was the Spirit! She really felt it! We taught her in the next lesson and she's so receptive and everything makes sense to her! In her prayer she prayed for us to keep coming back :) As we taught her all I could see was a future relief society president :) She's going to be great at that calling ;) It really helps if you imagine whoever you are talking to as the next Bishop or RS pres (not that that calling means anything, just that it helps you imagine them as an active member) it really helps me look past what human eyes see and judge, and look deeper. You know, like to their soul! It's true, the next bishop could be a creepy looking smoker dude who we don't feel like talking to! But when you see people for what they can become it's like, yeah! listen up this message is for yooou!

A not so good thing- we were teaching this lady about the Plan of Salvation but she's so distracted! we came in and she was watching her soap operas and told us to wait till it was over cause it was her favoritte. okkkayyyy.....so then we started the lesson and she is looking out the windows, texting with her fingers but keeping eye contact (what the heck I can SEE you! her phone is literally right on her lap with no effort to hide it) and she's just not focused. GAHHH so frustrating!! Itss so hard because as missionaries, we can see how this is the most important message she could ever hear on this world and in her whole life time, but she cant see it! That's the struggle of a missionary. I asked her questions like what would it mean to you if the truth was on the earth today? and you can be with your husband and daughters forevvvvverrr for all eternity! and things like that but its just not sinking in really. We tried to teach and get her interested and see the importance. its harrrrddd!! frustrating.

So my favorite thing that happened this week: we went to go pick up the people who promised to go to church before it started, but all of them weren't home or said they were actually busy.  I felt so crushed because they promised and really seemed like they wanted  to come. The whole ride to church I was major depressed. We were so so sad as we walked up to the church, but GUESS WHAT!! one of our investigator girls (she has school every Sunday morning and told us she can never come to church, but she really believes in our message and wants to be baptized, but she can't cause you need to come to church 4 Sundays before you can, and then every Sunday after of course) anyways she was SITTING OUTSIDE!!!! she CAMEE!!!! It was the best surprise ever!!!! She told us that her friends texted her and wanted to hang out cause they had this one day off of school but she told them no and came to church instead for the first time! SOOO COOL!!! She's SO COOL! also I walked in and a mother and daughter who are less active of ours were inside!!! AHAHA!!!! YESs!!!! We have been visiting them like 3 times and trying and trying to get them to come back to church. The daughter is 13 and was baptized in February. she doesn't come cause she feels like she has no friends. anyways they cammeeee!!! I was so happy! seriously like happier than Christmas!! I sat next to them and it was the best day ever! Also another investigator came! long story with him but its also like a miracle he came! during the sacrament hymn I felt like my heart was going to explode because I was so happy! seriously there's nothing like having people come to church as a missionary. I was so happy that they could come partake of the sacrament and feel the blessings that come from being exactly where Heavenly Father wants them to be on Sunday. AH so cooL! 

What else! I'm sorry! I'm blanking! Man the pressure to write everything inspiring from my week ina a short window of time! yikeees!  Anyways I love you all! I miss you soo bad ! I cant wait till xmas I'm going to cry when I see your faces!! Livs you are so pretty with your new teethies! Ab you are so pretty too! Seriously you guys are little model children! Matt....keep it up bro. I'm expecting you to be 6'6 when I come home.  Hannah stop wearing my clothes. I see you--mom sends me pics. Stawwwppppppp. 

Loveee youuuu!!

Sis McGrath

p.s. What do you think I need to do to be able to bathe in peanut butter? This pb here is soo divine, its so creamy and sweet and all I want is for my entire body to be immersed in it. I want to live in a fountain of it. I want it to come out of the sink when I turn it on. I want it for every meal for every day for the rest of my residence on planet earth. Every night I eat spoonfuls of it and spoonfuls of it. its SOOO GUUDD I wish you could all try some! (its like the fruit in Lehi's dream. Too bad you guys are in the misty fog and are blind to the goodness of filippine pb!) Maybe I will bring some home for you HA no I will eat it all before I get to you. Anyways not to rub it in or anything, but ya I'm living the dream ova hea :)

My fish eyeball collection.  They pop out when we fry the fish.
Don't worry, I dumped it out.

Hey everyone!

Hey everyone! This week was super awesome as always! I love this! I love being a missionary!

First things first I got meeself a hammock! It's so sweet! I tied it from my bottom bunk and its just the best thing I've ever done for myself ever.









I bought it from this little shack and its handmade and it's so sweet! The only bad thing is there is never any time to lay in it, I've only tried it like 2 times! We are so busy and go go go and there are studies to do and people to see and area books to update and sleeping to do! So I actually cant really ever relax in it, but it looks real nice haha!

So we went tracting this week! We talked to a lot of people but found this one lady who i think is going to be awesome. we went back and back and farther into the bushes and passed by lots of huts, and then came upon this lady with her grandbaby outside. We walked up and introduced ourselves then she just let us in! We talked and she's super nice! I'm so excited to teach her!

It's amazing to me how no matter who I come in contact with, I know I can 100% promise them that this message is the most important one they will ever hear and that the gospel will bless their lives. No matter what problems they have had or what they will go through in the future, this will bless them! It's so amazing! I love this!

Funny story we taught 3 gay guys at one of our less active's house haah it was funny really. They asked me about America and it was so funny! Ah you had to be there! We took a pic on Sis R's camera after and they were like "ah PANGIT!" which means ugly. They are so self conscious. #assistersinzion  JKKK

We had zone training and what I got out of it was to be FEARLESS! To be ridiculously fearless! Everyone you ever see needs the gospel! Be brave! Think of what would the situation be like if I wasn't scared, then DO THAT THING!

This week I felt like crying so many times in my personal study and through the day because I am so grateful for the gospel and how simple it is. Really it is so beautiful! We can all return to live with our families FOREVER because the gospel was restored through a prophet. The gospel is the simple steps we need to do to qualify for eternal bliss. Have faith, repent and change, be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.  That's all! God is so merciful! There's this quote in Preach My Gospel by Hyrum Smith about the gospel basics.  The jist of it in my own words is that we need to study the gospel essentials and as we do we will understand it clearer and receive more light and will be able to explain it clearer. It's so true! I feel like I've studied "faith" for example so many times but there is still so much I don't know and don't understand. I am so so grateful for this gospel, and that God has a plan and that I can be a part of helping others discover the truth of it for themselves. Every day I feel my testimony growing stronger and stronger, like the roots are getting even deeper. I had a strong testimony before but so much more now! I can't describe it! It's only been like a couple months I know! I love this!


Hm what else, one night this week there was no power and it was TORTURE to sleep with no electric fan! I was drenched in sweat and there were mosquitoes and I just cried a little bit. It was like being so so so thirsty but having no water. At 3 in the morn when I was still delirious I just reached out and stroked the fan and cried and hoped so bad it would magically come on. Finally the morning came! It was so bad haha.

 

What else, this week we helped a lady in the Elders' area fix her roof. Well ok the Elders and Bishop did, I felt pretty helpless. I wanted to help but they were climbing so high and it wasn't safe and idk what they were doing....anyways we got in charge of food duty. We went to the market and bought these huge tilapia that were gutted before our eyes, and rice and oil and went back and cooked it. We used the water pump out back and I cleaned out all the fish and cooked those babies up! We ate it on banana leaves with our hands. It was super delish! I love fish!

We had the baptism of John! The one who is so cute and an orphan and wants to change his life! Ah he's so precious! Bro Rocky baptized him it was really cool! He made a box to hold his Book of Mormon earlier and cut out pics from the pamphlets and wrote "Sis R and Sis McGrath" on the front AWWWWHHHH he's the best!

This week was Sis. R's 1 year mark!! We were going to order McD's and have a party but the number wouldn't work! so I made corned beef and eggs and hot dogs instead :'( We just pretended it was a Big Mac :)

This morning we went jogging on the beach (HA) and the Elders were there yikes. We played ultimate frisbee with a ball and made an elder a mermaid in the sand, it was raining really hard. We had fun it was good!

I wish you all could come and see what I see and do what I do everyday! There is so much more I wish you could know! I miss you all so bad! Ah mom on a district dvd we watched this lady read a scripture and it sounded JUST LIKE you and my eyes had tears coming out of them! I was like "that's my mom!!!" So I guess deep down I miss you so so bad, but I really love this! And sorry but I'm not going to come home :) It's too good out here--I can't describe how cool it is to change people's lives and go around proclaiming the truth everyday. I never want to stop! It's So SO hard but the most rewarding thing I've ever done. There's nothing like spending every waking hour living for other people!

HELLO!

Hello! This week flew by (again) I can't believe its already p day! Ok so what happened this week. First of all, we had exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders! Yay! They are so nice! OH WAIT first things first I had the besttttt burger ever! It's this place called Hungry A's in Daet, it's like an American diner place and there are pics of Elvis and the Beatles, with Tagalog music playing. It's so sweet! I got a brownie thing that was like, a real brownie! and a BURGER! I cried! It was so good! I love that place. I hope I die there. (Brae do you catch that quote?)

   
We rode a kalesa which is this donkey mule horse creature who pulls us in a little wagon. YEEE HAW!! It's so painful and so jiggly. The poor horse. Oh well :)

raiin raiiiiiin!

So it rained probably the hardest it has ever done when we were out walking...I was literally soaked head to toe! everything was wet!

I worked with sister R who is from Australia. She's so pretty and such a good example! She really treats every moment of her mission as a gift. Her story is so cool, she has sacrificed everything to be here. It really showed me how much this is an opportunity and blessing to be here. So at the end of the day we had like 20 min left, but since we don't waste a minute Sis R said "ok lets go tracting.  I will follow you.  Just follow the spirit." Huuu ok BAM it's go time, follow the Spirit, follow the Spirit. I walked us left, then right, looking at houses thinking "oh man is this one the Spirit wants me to go to?" "Wait maybe that one" we kept walking and walking. Man is it humbling to listen completely to what the Spirit is telling you.  So we walked past a ton of places, got to the end of a street, and then I felt like we should turn around.  We walked back to this house with lights on, I felt like that was the one, and we walked up...aand....ANDD!!!! No one was home.  Anticlimactic. But if I follow the Spirit to closed doors then God knows he can trust me to follow promptings to open doors.

exchanges with the STL's

Pray for me especially hard this week to have the Spirit and to have the Spirit lead me to prepared people, because our teaching pool has like, evaporated :( Ya, I guess it's a good thing because they are all our recent converts now. But now we have like, hardly any investigators! We dropped a bunch because they think its just Bible study and don't keep their commitments or do anything. It's so hard, I just want to force these people to make the right choices (HA jokeee) that darn agency though. Anyways we are going to tract a lot and a lot this week and I've been praying and fasting to be humble enough to follow the Spirit's promptings!

Sis J's baby!!!

Sis J had a baby! It's a girl! soooo soso sososdiojoerhihivhfshtwrhj cute. Oh my goodness. It's not allowed to hold kids....but whatcha gunna do when this perfect little angel baby straight from heaven is being offered you to hold? AH so cute.

So Sister R was sick this week, then she got me sick :) We had no work Friday, it was so weird. I did literally everything a human can do in our apartment all day. I cleaned, did all the laundry, deep scrubbed our kitchen and dishes, ate food, organized, had 6 hours of language study, wrote general lesson plans complete with scriptures in English and Tag for lesson 4 The Commandments, and started reading the Gospel Principles manual.  At the end of the day I was going insane. I dread the day where we have to stay in for more than one day...shudder. I'm sick too right now, my nose is running from who knows where. I swear I blow it all out but there is always more! Why! Where is it coming from! Anyways I'm fine, I will survive :) work work work!

So I guess it was Halloween. Here they have All Saints Day where you go to your ancestors' graves with your family, drink, party party, eat the dead's favorite foods, and sleep there. Whatever floats your boat.....

We had the baptism of Sis M! The one with TB! and her son too :) they are so good and so golden. I was the one who extended the baptismal date! that means I was there for like, all the lessons! so cool!

Funny story- so people always ask me one of two questions. 1. "how old are you?" or 2. "how long have you been here?" meaning the ppines.  And they sound freakishly like the same question in Tagalog! I never know which one is being asked! So i always just guess, 50/50 odds right? NO everytime I guess wrong. So it's either "how old are you" and i say "Oh 8 weeks!" or "how long have you been here?" and I say "19 years!" IT'S SO BAD!!! Either way it's so bad. I'm either an 8 week old or have lived here for 19 years. "Haha oops sorry! haha!" I say but cry cry cry inside :((( WAAAA! its ok its ok its ok :)

So mama, you mentioned that people want to help in some way the people here, like donate things or money or whatever.  Well its not allowed for me to ask for help, so just keep paying tithing! I was thinking yesterday though, about how shocking it is to see the poverty here. How the people have nothing and how its so instinctive for us to want to give them things and help them. Really though, this life is temporary. The real sad thing is when people have poverty of the gospel. It's so hard to see this poverty because they all wear it on the outside. everyone can see how hard it is and how little they have physically. But there are sooo so many people here, and home, and everywhere who are just like these people but on the inside. They don't have the blessings of the gospel in their lives. Really, that kind of poverty is way worse. This life will end, but the next life is for eternity. I was thinking of what are the things I treasure most in my life and I came up with only 2 things. 1. my family and 2. my testimony of the Gospel and knowledge of the restored church. Not physical things, not money or any temporal thing.

this is a cute little girl of one of the recent converts

My real treasure is the gospel, and really it's all I need to gain in this life. So for people who want to help, how you can is to be missionaries to the spiritually poor! Don't send money or things, while we need those things too, they are not the most important treasures we can gain in this life. The greatest blessing and treasure we have is this truth. The great thing is that you don't have to come to a third world country to find the people in spiritual poverty! They are there where you are! And everywhere! Don't be afraid! Seriously! The Gospel is true isn't it? The worst that can happen is people say no. It's ok! As missionaries we just invite people. Not force them, not anything more than an invitation to come to Christ. Seriously, the next person you look at YEP they need the gospel. The next one, YEP him too. Everyone, literally everyone needs this message whether they know it or not. Don't be afraid! 

That's all for the week! I love you all! Pray for me to follow the Spirit and pray for missionary opportunities! Go and feed the spiritually hungry!

Sis. B!!  The one who sells the peanut butter.  Here's a pic!  They are so small its like I'm hugging Abby and Liv! I feel like such a giant here!

the week

Hey everybody! Such a good week! It went by so fast I feel like I was just emailing! So sorry this one is going to be kinda short :)

First of all THANKS to the Jensens and Sister White for writing me! Aww! So so nice! I loved it! They are the best! I hope they receive extra extra blessings for being so kind to little old me :)

Ok first of the week: last Monday we went to heaven to eat. It was actually called "Catherine's". It was the weirdest thing, we drove in the longest tricey to this ocean side place that was all abandoned, and then there was Catherine's, right on the beach and so freaking fancy! It was like top notch resort status! We walked in and there was no one there, but such beautiful landscaping and spirally stairs and a swimming pool and palm fronds and tropical hut chair things and sand and it was like ghost town in there. We ate THE BEST FOOD of my life. It was unreal. There were cheese fries, yep that happened. And a burger from the gods. Complete with a fresh mango shake. Pictures ensued. It was so crazy expensey but so so worth it. I think it's off season vacation because it's rainy season and a weird time too for Catherine's. Anyways it was eerie, I was like "where the heck am I?' the whole time. anyways.

That night we hired a street urchin to clean our garbage outside ehhhhhhh :) We had like 10 bags and dogs got into it and it rained all over it all week and neither of us wanted to deal with it :) :) :) It was so gross. I dont know if I've ever witnessed a grosser garbage experience. Like really, there were worms all over the place. It's ok its so sanitary now and I promise to never let it get that bad :) We paid the little boy with my precious oreos :) But the next day he broke into the elders and stole 2000p! So sad for them! He was their little friend and he betrayed them. He had this nice new bike and they were like "where did you get that" and he's like "uh my dad!' but his dad has no work. Little twerp! Our apt is safe it has 3 locks don't worry.

This week we were punted a lot, did lots of walking and lots of talking. Tracting is so funny, it's either "ok whatever" or the people frown and say "BAKIT?" which means why. I just sort of kick my heels and give them my best angel smile and am so drippingly sweet to get in LOL.

This week I finally caught the mouse! I think it was living in Sis R's closet! It took me AN HOUR to catch that guy he's so fast! I was so mad at it at the end of the chase I was inhumane. (Don't let Abby read this) I finally caught it running down our curtains and had it in a bucket....then I sprayed it with poison then....yes I drowned it. It was kinda sad actually, it was jumping so high in the bucket to try to escape his watery grave. Stupid thing started drinking the poison water. I just thought "FINE if you want your lungs to burn more than they already will, DRINK UP!!!"  I was so mad at him. But also compassionate. It was def an angel/devil shoulder moment as I murdered the little guy. He's dead. Sis R took a pic :) DON'T WORRY I totally sanitized after and I'm safe and all that.






What else. Oh we had chicken liver at dinner appt that night. It kinda tastes like tart grainy playdough. I'm actually not that big of a fan. I still ate a decent helping, my stomach is amazing.

 

We went to Circle K for the first time after stake conference! I was like yay I'm in America! Until I wasn't. I got a shomai and ube ice cream. HA! So funny I was eating the ice cream waiting for a jeep and this little dirty street boy comes up to me and starts begging for a lick!  He wouldn't leave me alone and was grabbing my arms and whimpering......sounds cute but actually he was like 13 and a half NOT CUTE.  I didn't give it to him because I wanted it! And he was way to old to be acting like a baby. And I was almost done with it.  Anyways I just ignored him and then the jeep came. It was crazy. I started to get on but he wouldn't let go of me!! He was grabbing my arms and not letting go.  I was like "no no!! sorry no!!" and finally escaped his clutches. Then a sound came out of him that was not from this world.  The most terrifying shriek was sounded (ps we were in an echoey tunnel to make it worse) and he wouldn't stop!!!! Oh my gosh so scary!! Finally we started to drive! Little twerp! Then there was no room in the jeep literally, so I sat on sis R's tiny little bones eating my cone as eeeeeveryone stared at this huge American girl eating a melty ice cream squishing someone. I felt like buddy the elf- so overgrown and so unwanted. My head was all curled up and touching the roof. I could continue the story, it gets more awk and embarrassing but I will cut it there for now. It was just not good :)

I think about what I can do to help these people all the time, they are so poor!  But really these people need self reliance. If we give them money or food or something it will just be gone the next day. They need jobs and to be self reliant. There is a self reliance class and center at the stake center but idk how much it is utilized. For now I'm eating pb like crazy :)

We had stake conf which was good :) The first speaker's topic was retention of new converts but at the end she was talking about how glad she was that Brad and Angelina were married--marriage is still in! And then she was talking about the wonders of the internet and now she has an exciting life even at age 75. LOL. Another guy sang the first lines of "I see my mother kneeling" at the end of his talk- totally unrelated and we had no warning that he was going to sing right now- then stopped because he forgot the words, and sat down. leaving us on a total musical cliffhanger. "I see may mathur nee-leeeng wif ar family each day .... hmmm hmm hmm " sit down. What the heck this place is the best.


Tagalog is getting easier maybe? idk I just take it a day at a time and not really judge my progress. I'm trying to forget about it and stop worrying. Hopefully with that approach at the end of my training I will be able to speak and not worry!

I love Sis. R, our comp is so great! she's my real friend now, I love her! It's good no probs!

I'm sorry I don't have a lot to say about the work or our people or lessons or anything, we watched the Restoration movie last night with Bro R and his family. I was surprised about how much I could understand! I think I even dreamed in Tagalog partly :) I felt the spirit so strong, I always do when  watch that movie!  The gospel is so so true and Joseph Smith is a true prophet! I know it with all my heart! I am so grateful for him for restoring this gospel that gives me and everyone else the opportunity to have eternal happiness! God is so merciful and good! I am so grateful that he has a plan and that I get to be a part of it!

Sorry this week wasn't the best email- maybe next week will be better! I love you familyyyy!!!! I miss you guys a ton and pray for you ERY DAY! I love you love you loooovvvveee youuuu!!!!

-Sister McGrath

oh oH OH its MAGIC!!!

Hello!!! Hi!! What's cookin!!! It's time for another episode of my life!  Grab your loved ones and some popcorn! Gather round the hearth! 

This is how they drink soda here. Out of a bag with a straw. HAHAHA

SUCH an awesome week! I'm so so so happy right now!! Wait actually it was really hard, haha but so good at the same time! This whole week it rained. and rained. and raiiiinnnedd.  It's so crazy here, everyone's houses are flooded, and the people who have dirt floors are out of luck because its mud bath time. I love mud. But I have to be careful here because worms....they go into your feet and grow in your tum tum and you might get sent home.  Sis Reeder gives us a deworming pill at our year mark don't worry ill get those suckers out!

Food: lots of hot dogs and rice this week in tomato sauce. Sounds gross? It's not! I love it! I eat so so much here of everything it doesn't matter what it is.  I wasn't picky before but I've reached a whole new level of un-pickiness. OH there's this DELISH dried fish here! You cook it and love it and its so salty you cry! idk if I'm really an expert at cooking fish yet because whenever I cook them their eyes bubble up, get all white, then EXPLODE!  Haha it's so funny.  Also the fish heads are still my fav part of the fish. Also last night we had a miracle! We couldn't go shopping for groceries last Monday so we have been starving/food storaging it up. But last night our stock consisted of a can of sardines, a frozen piece of ham, powdered milk and a moldy cucumber and that's it.  No rice :(  We were just going to fast haha but then a member texted us DINNER APT!!! AHH! I was basking in the plentiful rice! I ate so much I was going to explode. I needed to waddle home. I'm still full now.  I love love love food.

I ate ALL THIS PB THIS WEEK! so so soooo much! I wanted to eat it all so I can buy another one from Sister Beth to help her financially :) And its sosoooo good I hope she has more. It's so sweet and runny and it tastes like pure sugar :)

Oh why do I use up so much of my precious time talking about food! I'm sorry.  So a weird culture thing- if you are pregnant you have to wear a towel on your head when you go outside in the evenings. HHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA its hilarious! whenever I see anyone with a towel on their head- man or woman or child, I say to Sister R "Hey look they're pregnant" HA Sister R is like "No they're not...kasama that's a man" and then I say JOKELANG and we laugh and laugh.  Or I do at least. ;)

What else OH I am so sick of being stared at.  These people have no shame.  The other day we were waiting outside of a house for our investigator and some girls came by and literally stopped and stared for like 5 mins. 5 mins is so long when you are like that with someone. I asked them how they were doing, what their names were, nothing. Just stared.  When I would talk or move or blink they would go "awhhhH!!!" head to toe up and down staring staring staring. It's so AWKWARD!

Me and Sis R when we taught mish prep wednesday

The men are worse. (This is by the ocean, remember all the people are creeps there). I hope someday I wont be judged by the color of my skin but by the content of my character.

PEOPLE STORIES: SO! Lets start. One of our potential investigators had a baby 3 days ago and we went to visit her! We climbed up her broken splintery stairs to the smallest room ever. All that was in there were a couple boxes, her, and the new baby asleep on a pillow. That's all. No crib no blankets, no pacifiers no disposable diapers no nightlight no changing table no toys (HA) no nothing that you would find in any American baby's room. The baby was SO cute he's so precious! I looked at her looking at him and her eyes were watery. She told us looking down that she already has 6 kids and she doesn't know how shes going to feed them let alone this baby too. She tried to abort him by drinking this really strong tea stuff because she couldn't afford him. We didn't teach a lesson but left with a prayer, I said it and the Spirit was so so strong. Really, I think it was the baby's angelic presence :) I prayed for them to have food tonight, for her husband to have a job, for them to have peace in their home, idk what else but it was really special. Uh. Ouch my heart. 

We had 45 free mins because we were punted so we went tracting for the first time! We are so so busy we never have time to do that. It was so cool! We talked to 3 people. The second one- oh my goodness. She lives right by the road in a room- not a house but a room. It's so tiny, the walls are fabric sheets and the square footage is enough for maybe 4 people to sit cross legged and be cramped. It's crazy. She's 21 and has 1 baby and her husband is a jeep driver. We were there for about 2 mins and I was telling her that our message will bring her peace and answers and she can feel God's love and stuff like that when HER TOO! Her eyes got all watery and she said that her life is so so hard and they haven't had food in a while and they are so so poor. Oh my goodness. My heart! No amount of mission prep classes or advice from anyone could have prepared me for how many times my heart is shattered. Every day there are so many moments- smash smash smash. I cry in my prayers every night for them, I'm tearing up now thinking of all of their faces and how incredibly hard life is here. Another one of our investigator's sons got hit by a tricey, we went to visit her and there were kids everywhere crying and all over her, her husband stopped by to get a bottle of alcohol then left with his buddies. The look on that mothers face- she started to tear up too. AHHHHHHH it hurts!! It hurts SO BAD. 

baptism!

A good story- we had a baptism Saturday! For May and Christian and Kim! It was so neat!  Haha baptisms are so so different here, the speakers are barefoot, the opening prayer is by a young woman, it's all very thrown together. We sang A Child's Prayer again (WHY) it's so bad with the split part- I only have one voice and can't lead the boys AND the girls. "PRRAAAYY he is THEEREE....are you REALLy there!" It's crazy. But we made it through! May said she felt so clean and Christian and Kim too. awh :) Now we have to work on her husband! 

There is so soo SOO much more and so many people I could tell you about but just not enough time! (p.s. not all of our investigators are so poor, there is a wide range of wealth here still, but prob more than half worry about getting food day to day.)

What else- oh I printed those family pics you sent last week and everyone that looks at them exclaims that Mom is so pretty. They all do without fail! Maganda mama mo!! Wow!! So there we have it!

This morning we woke up at 6 to go play vball at the church (who am I) with the missionaries and the YSA and members. I guess they are on break from school....and work? idk what these people do all day. It was fun, my arms kill, I got us some points, what more can you ask for on a Monday morning?

I'm so happy here! we were riding in a tricey back from vball and I was like "YESSS!!!" I love it I love life I love being a missionary! It's so hard! I love it! Mercedes is awesome!

Me and sis R in a tricey to church

I'm still here for another transfer as well as Sis R., one elder in our district is getting transferred and he cried and cried in his testimony because this is his favorite area and he doesn't want to leave. I'm in the promised land baby!! Well, in the words of Kip "nothing elssse seems to come to mind" (anyone? anyone? obscure movie quote points to ME!)

I love you all so so bad, I miss you all so so bad, I love it here so so bad. AH I wish you could all come and spend just a DAY with me! Just one day! You just can never know everything- even with emails and pics. I wish I had a pic phone and could just send you pictures all the week and you too. I miss seeing your faces! I LOOOVEEE YOUUU mama and dad and han and matt and liv and ab! I love you so so much! I miss being able to talk to you all whenever I please :''( Have a wonderful week, if its Halloween send me pics! I forgot it was October and I totally forgot what day Halloween is! Be something awesome! I have so many ideas if you are stumped! OHH just thought of one! Hannah! Be ME! Make a name tag and carry an umbrella and pamphlets and wear a skirt and be so so sweaty and wear no make up and crocs. All the boys will flock to you ;) JOKE BIGGEST JOKE

fwum yowa deawwy bewoved

SISTA MICKEYGGEE!

PS for lunch we are going to a place that apparently has hamburgers AHHHHHLELUUH!!! then shop shop! yay! 

Chloe Marie Internet

Hey there!

Ok so about my week! Highlight was definitely General Conference!! AH i loved it! I will start from Monday though. We had FHE with two families, it was really fun. I gave the lesson- the same one at my baptism with the hard boiled egg you color on and then peel because you're baptized and pure and all.  My Taglog translated into English was "this egg like you. the color like sin. when repent you and baptized you, become clean!!"  HA oh its so bad :''''D oh well.

 One super amazing lady named Sister Beth is our recent convert. She's the one with the rat and the kids, you know the one. She is so crazy strong, probably the strongest person I've ever met! Everyday she walks and walks and walks to find her kids food. She walks to Daet which is really far, we take a jeep for like 10 mins to get there. They are so so poor and her kids are always hungry. We went to teach her and asked her how her prayers were going and she just broke down and cried because she was never expecting all the blessings in her life after she joined the church.  Some lady gave her a bunch of jars of peanut butter to sell that she can make 10 pesos off of each and she cried because she said no one has ever trusted her with something like that before. She is so strong, even when the Relief Society members of the ward offended her at an activity because they didn't share their rice (GAHWSHHIERJFJEJ!!! SO MAD) she still comes (walks) every Sunday to church and she's just amazing.

Ain't it purdy?

 A cool verse i found was Alma 37:44-45.  "For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.  

And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise."  Eternal bliss is as easy as following a compass. Really!  It's so easy and the way is so clear to have eternal life and eternal happiness, all we have to do is follow. We just cant get lazy because its so easy. We still need to take the little things seriously because they determine our final destination. Even if your off a few degrees you can end up somewhere completely different like our good friend Deiter told us a while ago. 

Another investigator story- so we are teaching this kid John.  Our recent convert Rocky sort of took him in. Rocky's brother in law found him selling brooms in Daet.  He doesn't know who his parents are because he grew up with his grandparents only.  They passed away and now he's an orphan. He's 14 years old and kinda shy. He has the most beautiful smile, really. We taught him lesson one and he's super cool and smart.  We asked him what his expectations were for our visits and he said quietly that he wants to change his life. He wants to change and be happy. AWHWHWHWHH I almost cried for this poor sweet kid! It hurts!

These are 2 kids who are getting baptized next week- they are so cute! they are the ones that teach me tagalog words :) On the chalkboard it means "sister mcgrath is really really white" haaa thanks kim :)

Kim again reminding me of my skin color

 So general conference! I only got to hear 23 talks out of idk how many because of bad connection. I cant wait for the Liahona magazine to come out so I can really read and study the messages. On Saturday it was missionaries only in the chapel haha. Then Sunday was CRAZY! Mercedes ward hired 3 jeeps so people could come for free to Daet. it was so crazy packed but we had a lot of investigators come! We left at 9 though, and it started at 9, then we got there and it was all full so we put our investigators in the Tagalog room and went back to the packed chapel to watch it in English sitting on the stage in the back.  I tried really hard to listen but there was so much going on. We ate rice in a room afterwards and then the afternoon sesh was back to just missionaries. 

Ah. So talks I loved: Jorj Klebingat! (link) His was awesome!  I loved how simple and matter of fact he was about his bullet points. I am really going to try to become really really good at repenting and forgiving :)

Magaaaanda!

Then- ELDER HOLLAND. (link)  Oh my goodness it was like he was reading my soul! I felt everything he said in his talk so personally! Ugh I was crying in it because it's one thing to think about poor people when you can't really see them and another thing entirely when you are sitting next to them and teach in their "homes" and can see first hand how hard their lives are. Oh my goodness. It is so true, there is so soooo much poverty. I feel almost daily, what can I even do, I'm just one person. I know I can't solve their problems, or even help them very much. I loved the quote from mother Teresa about the drop in the ocean. "What we do is nothing but a drop in the ocean, but if we didn’t do it, the ocean would be one drop less."  I felt so strongly that, not just now, but after my mission and for my whole life I need to give so much of what I have away.  And serve in every possible way.  Just this week 3 of our investigators came to us asking for help and for money. It is so hard to tell them that we can't help :'(  I just want them all to receive the gospel because it is the most important and best thing they can have in this life, and its free! For everyone! Anyways I loved that talk and can't wait to read it again.

Then President Monson! (link) I loved his of course! I liked how he talked about walking the path that Jesus walked, and that it means through the good and the bad. A lot of times we think it means just being kind and nice and you know, like Jesus. But he suffered so much and went through so many other things other than just being nice. In our lives we have to walk the whole path that he did, not just when its easy or convenient.

And finally this morning! So we went to the beach for a district activity! we left at 6:30 and took a boat to an island, then a long tricey ride to the beach area, then walked on it for forever. I was in jeans (oh my goodness it has been soo long and it felt so weird! like, something was touching every surface area of my leg with every step! I forgot how to walk! agh!) but I got the super soaked. :P   We played "games" like signs and tag and stuff, ate some chips, kinda chilled, then walked back. The crooks of my arms are sunburned and that's all. What the heck? Anyways most of my pics this week come from da beach :) enjoy!

What else- oh ya I gut fish with my bare hands. #barbaian

I don't know what else to tell you, there is so much more I wish I could say but not enough time to go into all the details. I want to tell you about all of our investigators and people but I just can't :( Oh well I'm keeping a really good journal. Partly because its kinda lonely, and when I write in there its like I'm talking to someone who knows me. Because it's me. How lame am I?  Really though, I rely on prayer more than I have ever before out here. It's kinda just me and Heavenly Father out here, he's the only one who can understand me (my language and my heart) and I need to talk to him all the time. I pour out my heart at night and I know he is listening. I'm so grateful for prayer.  Even though I feel really alone, I know I'm not.  I'm doing ok though don't worry. This is just super hard but I can do it! 

Love Sister McGrath

It is really raining SO hard but in this picture you can't tell. Dumb. It was really crazy rain I swear.