PICTURES...Morong

The view when standing near the lake.

In Candace's words:  "Yes, there is a pained look on my face because I think this was try #3. We may have struggled a bit with timing. But the background is sweet, right ?!:)

Yes...a Utah Jazz sign.  The Lakers are by far the most popular NBA team in the Philippines, although many know about Karl Malone.

This is how rice is dried. It is spread out on the road or a basketball court. I think I will start rinsing rice before I cook it :)

The kitchen of the new apartment. Notice how small the refrigerator is.

This makes our bathrooms look VERY nice and modern.

Candace loves the view from this little spot of paradise.

Candace with her companion.

Progression

Hello my dear family!

 So lets see...updates from the week. I'm honestly at a lost. I gotta be honest, although the week has flown by, the days have dragged on. My comp is a little...how would we say this....a master at wasting time. I'm trying to be patient, but my heavens. Work in progress. One of the days though I got to work with a traveling sister, which was so much fun! Sister Macaranas is who I worked with. She's the oldest of 8 and her entire family was baptized 3 years ago, she was the first. She is awesome. And her and I think alike, so we were able to get a lot of work done and the spirit was strong all day. Like a breathe of fresh air coming from this transfer. Haha. The work is going well....just the usual. We had 45 less actives come to church this week between us two companions, which was about 1/3 of the congregation! It's progressing, slowing but surely. We don't realize how lucky we are to come from wards that are experienced and structured. Most of the members here are just so young in the doctrine, they don't know all the commandments, let alone how to be in charge of an auxillary. Ha.Then the others think they know everything. Sometimes I just want Paul the apostle here to straighten it all out with his boldness. I'm reading in Corinthians right now and there are a few chapters in there that I'd love to just post on the announcement board in the entrance way for everyone to read. We're working on it. I didn't write very good notes about what happened this week so I don't have many stories for you, sorry. 

Tomorrow is our mission tour though. Elder Nielson will be speaking to us. I'm not really sure how the whole thing works, but we'll see. We have apartment checks too so we just cleaned all morning, which always makes me feel refreshed when you have a clean house. So this is something I've learned in the last month that just really hit me when working with Sister Macaranas. Sometimes in lessons I always am a little scared to promise a blessing to them because, what if it doesn't happen you know? But this week, it just really hit me. Me promising them a blessing first starts with MY faith. If I believe it will happen, then I can give it with all the power and authority that I need to, and then it's now dependent on THEIR faith. I feel like I've just learned so much about what it means to have real faith, to not doubt but believe it truly will happen. It's hard to describe, but the promises I give people now have power. Love it. I love being a missionary. It's been so fun to see the people here and their testimonies. And I also feel like I've learned what to do with my life and the kind of choices I do not EVER want to make because I've seen the consequences of that in their lives. Learning from others mistakes to the max. Anyhow, I love you all and hope you all have a fantastic week! 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! 

We're Lucky

So for questions, there's still transportation here. Just not when you have to climb mountains, but I'm totally down with that. No complaints here. Honestly, I'd prefer walking so I'm happy. We took a jeepney here. I don't even know if they have a bus route here...pretty sure wala. The other sisters are both Philippino, one from Isabela and the other from Mindinao. Actually, the one from Mindinao, her dad was killed when she was 3 years old by a Muslim terrorist group. Crazy right. She's hilarious though. I like her. And side note, they all just about died when they found out I'd actually kissed someone, and even more so that it was more than one. Bahaha. I mean, I expected that with Sister Shoukat. They can't even look at a guy, let alone text or date. But with the other two, it's gets better, they won't even HUG a guy unless they're engaged and that's their to-be-spouse. Not even kidding you. How sad is that, I love hugging my friends. Just a random side note for you about my roommates as of now. Haha.

So for this week....oh my goodness, I wish I could just tell you all these stories, but I'll just summarize it with we have much work to do.  So yesterday I did a fast to know what I need to do and how to approach the members, and then during sacrament meeting I was reading in Alma 38.... this is where Alma is talking to his son and giving him advice. Toward the end, I just started laughing....It talks about being temperate in all things and bridling your passions so you can be filled with love. We all know I may or may not get a little passionate when something is ridiculous. I just don't have patience there. So pretty sure I'm going to have to learn that here so I don't make the problems here worse than they already are. Haha, Heavenly Father knows me too well.

Other things from the week. I witnessed a dad beating the crap out of his little girl. Not kidding, wish I were. We were in the middle of a lesson and the girl comes running in sobbing (it's her grandparents we were teaching) and her dad comes in after her with a rope and starts screaming and beating her with it. And I'm sitting there in complete shock and I jump up and start talking to him in English. I couldn't even think straight I was shaking so bad. And he lifts his hand like he's going to hit me or something and I was just like, "For reals? Brother, this doesn't solve anything. Bring it on, I'm not scared." After that he left but holy cow, I just sat there shaking and crying. I mean, I know that kind of stuff happens, but it's a whole different story when you see it right in front of your face. So super sad.

But onto happier things. So this week I have just realized how so incredibly lucky we are! Oh my goodness. Being companions with a Pakistani is super interesting because the church is so very very new there. They know basic doctrine and that's about it. You start talking about second coming, facts about apostasy and such, They just have no idea. Because they don't have the seminary, institute classes, etc. She just ends up asking me a ton of questions about the early saints, where New York is even, history of the church, just little tiny facts like that.

They just have no idea. And those are things that I just grew up knowing. These members have no idea because they've never been exposed to it at all. We're so lucky that we've been to Nauvoo, Salt Lake, all those places where the church started. You ask any Philipino in the church if they could go anywhere in the world, where would they go....Salt Lake City. Not kidding. It just makes me laugh, but we really do take it all for granted. My comp and I are getting along a lot better now that we've gotten used to the language barrier. She's actually super great and we have a ton of fun. Just goes to show you, first impressions aren't everything. If you just give someone a little time and get to know them, you'll end up loving them in the end. Reminds me of Enders Game. You can't understand someone until you learn to love them.  

That’s all for now. Mahal ko kayo at sana kong maganda ang susunod na linggo so inyo!  Much Love! :)

PICTURES of Morong. I'd like this place :)

Scenery of Morong

What a beautiful place.

One of Candace's new favorite families and her companion.

More scenery. She is absolutely thrilled to be in the province. What is the saying...you can take the kid out of the country, but not the country out of the kid.

Candace by a rice field.

Morong...

So I'm pretty much super glad that I made it out of the city too! When it rains, it doesn't actually stink all the time. Love it. And you'll be so proud, I actually took some pictures for you, so if I get some time to send them you can check it out. So yep, there's still 4 of us in the apartment. This area is about 2 hours away from the temple, which is about 3 hours total from my last area, depending on traffic of course, farthest zone in the mission, well, other than Mindoro. 

But this week has been a much better week. I'm starting to get to know more people and actually figure out where I’m at. Let's just say we have much work to do. I don't mind that at all though...actually prefer it that way. So, I have updates about the companion....guys I figured it out this week. I had this huge light bulb moment as to why we are struggling so bad. #1: She is much more a letter of the law than a spirit of the law, and we all know I'm a spirit. Enough said. Ha. #2: We have a huge language barrier. She's going from Urdu to Tagalog, I’m going from English to Tagalog, so we're both trying to meet in the middle with a language that is foreign for both of us. You're bound to have a lot of miscommunications when that happens. So pretty much if I don't understand, or she doesn't understand, she gets frustrated, so then I get defensive. Moral of the story, I'm getting better at being SUPER clear with what it is I'm trying to say. And then I'm just way patient....If I'm frustrated, I just laugh and try not to let it show. But this is the thing, you just sacrifice whatever it is that you want so that you can have the spirit with you. Because if you can't feel the spirit, your work goes down the drain and you just waste everyone's time, including your own. So you make sacrifices and swallow whatever it is so that you can have the spirit with you. Ah, the joys of being with someone 24/7. Just remind me never to marry someone where we don't have the same native tongue. It's getting way better though. I love hearing all the weird little things about her culture that I don't even think about. Our new joke is that I'm going to be the one to pick her husband. She'll have an arranged marriage as soon as she gets home, so I decided I want to be the one to choose. Haha. First I need some pictures though. It's the craziest thing just hearing her talk about things that for her are absolutely normal but for me are like, WHAT?!  But it's been good. Much much better this week, I tell you.  

So guys, news flash for you all....I'm COLD in this place! I'm not even kidding you.  Every time I think about it, it's like, is this a joke. Of course there are still hot days, but not anything like it is in the Manila metro area. My goodness. Let me give you 3 stories just to demonstrate. First of all, I woke up freezing the other night and had to put on my sweatshirt. Yes, you just read that correctly. Second of all, it's been raining for the past few days and I've been so cold I actually heated up water last night so I could take a hot shower. First time I’ve done that here. 3rd, it was about twilight and we were hiking up a mountain to a member's house and we passed a dirty kitchen, it's like a little wooden stove top thing, I don't know how to describe it, but I actually stopped and warmed myself because it felt good. What is happening to me? Haha. I'm seriously going to freeze in Utah. Not good.

My spelling has gotten worse here. And the best part is, everyone always goes, she knows English, she'll know how to spell it. Bahaha, yeah right! Yesterday's incident was "crucifixion". Yeah, had no idea. I think I spelled it with a "fiction", like the fiction novels. Had to look it up in the good ole bible dictionary.  Pathetic. I'm trying to think of everything else that's happened this week, but kind of all a blur. Had interview with President. Sister Delamare worked with us. I seriously struggled trying to speak English to her. Wish you could have seen it. President is so great. I have a ton of respect for him. Oh wait, that's another thing! Can we just have a moment and say President reminds me of Patrick White! It is straight up weird! Just in the way he talks, his mannerism, his outlook on life. It's the craziest thing ever and always just makes me laugh. Ok, that really is all I can think of right now. I'll try to keep better track for next week, deal. Love you all and congrats again to my 3 besties for their temple day. So happy for them. Mahal na mahal kayo!!

Beautiful Morong...New Area

Hello my family from beautiful Morong!!!!

So before we get to that though......Holy hannah, I'm dying over here!!! Ryan is going to Africa!!!! What the?!? That is seriously the coolest thing ever! And Tate in Korea (dude, sorry about the language, but I heard it's only 9 weeks now, even for the hard languages so that's happy). Sheesh, we are literally going to be spread out all over the world. It's just so crazy, I can't believe it. Wish I could be there with you to go through the temple, but alas....I'll just try to be there in spirit. And Happy Birthday Dad. As Chase would say, consider yourself hugged. 

Oh my goodness, I have so many updates for you I wish I could just sit and talk for hours. I'm sorry if this email ends up being a little pessimistic, but I don't have anyone to vent to anymore, because well Sister Lorente I left in Tandang Sora, and I don't know anyone here yet. But I'll try to be as optimistic as possible :) So first of all, my companion....oh my goodness. Let's just say, she wastes a TON of time and we all know that I am not a time waster.  I enjoy talking to her about her country, but that's about it so far. I'm probably being a little too judgmental, but I can't help it.  And today, on the one day that I have to actually clean (our apartment is disgusting. I'm wondering when the last time they cleaned was), wash clothes, catch up with my journal and everything else as well, she wanted to go to Tanay (25 minutes away) to go grocery shopping and meet up with the elders to play games, when, get this, she didn't really feel like playing games but "what if they get offended". I could give a rat. If they get offended, that's their deal, not mine. Needless to say, it is now 5 o'clock with 2 hours left of p-day and I have yet to do any of that. I'm peeved, to say the very very least. It's gonna be a long transfer. 

BUT, on a bright side, this place is beautiful!!! I finally made it to the province! When we drove in, we were coming down from the mountain and it was like just spread before me. It's like a little valley against the mountains and then the ocean on the one side. There are jungle areas and rice fields and it's just pretty. It's so small town, reminds me of Kamas where it has the town center and then just fields with a few houses and then the mountains, two lane highway. It's so pretty. So that's making up for it at least a little bit. I haven't had time to really take any pictures, but I'll work on that this week so you can see. One side effect of this small town though is that 90% of the less actives here have been offended. And when I say offended as in, it happened YEARS ago, but it's small town right, so everyone remembers everything and makes it sit hard for people to change or repent or get over their pride or whatever it is. Just last night, we came from one less active and went to another. The 2nd one asked where we'd come from and we told her the name and she gets this look on her face and goes, “She's a liar. I hate her". Not kidding… over something that happened over 10 years ago. And they're all still mad about it and no one goes to church. It's absolutely ridiculous and leaves me sitting there looking at this 70 year old woman and wanting to say, "How old are you?!". That's something that's pretty common here in the Philippines....the people are super nice, but a bad side effect of that is that they're all helicopter parents, which creates kids who don't know how to take responsibility for their own actions, which creates adults who don't know how to either. Drives me crazy. So it's gonna be real interesting here in the next little while. I don't know how to handle that kind of stuff… mostly because I'm from a small town and I always went, you're kidding right. Grow up. Yep, feelings haven't changed much there. Thinking maybe this transfer is gonna be all about patience. Shoot. 

So the branch is tiny here. There's about 650 member total and about 80 come to church (note the 90% offended). Yeah. It's so weird coming from a ward in the city where we averaged 230 each Sunday to such a tiny branch. The branch president is branch new too and is really not sure what he's doing (note the request for the Handbook 2) so we've got a lot of work to do. It's frustrating though because I see the work that needs to get done, but I'm having to drag my companion to get anything done. I don't know. Maybe this is just because I'm a bit tired. Haha. Good thing this place is beautiful because that at least makes up for a bit of it. :) 

Anyhow, I'm out of time. I'm so excited for those 2 boys and just know they'll be fantastic! Love you all a ton and I'll talk to you again next week!!! Bye!

PICTURES!!!

One of Candace's favorite babies...why?? Her name is Hermoine!!!

"So sad. So beautiful and they kill it with so much trash." Welcome to the city.

An example of Taglish. No one speaks straight Tagalog unless you're in the boonies.

Transferred to Where? Stay tuned...

Hello hello hello from the sweaty, sweltering heat of the Philippines!!! (It's getting summer...I think I might just die!) 

So glad you finally all have some snow though! That's a way happy thought and I bet Ryan was thrilled. And can I just say, this means I have to wait to next week cuz his call isn't there yet. Shoot. Oh my goodness, I'm just so excited for them. I can't even begin to guess where he's gonna go. What are all of your guesses so far? Super exciting.

So today was transfer announcements....what are all your guesses? Stay or go?.........I'm going. It's weird, I'm kind of numb about it right now. Usually with transfers I'm nervous about companions, areas, what'll happen, but I'm just at peace right now. It's different, but I kind of like it. Ha. I'm super sad though. When they said transfer, there was a little part of me that wanted to cry. I just love it here. I love the people, the ward, my roommates. Shoot, I'm gonna be a mess when I leave the Philippines. Haha. I can just picture me sitting on the plane bawling. I just know that's what's gonna happen. Good thing it's not for a long time still. So I'll probably have a little cry when I leave here. It's just been my home here in the Philippines. Now we get a new one. I'm excited though to see where I'll go. Just praying for a good companion, as usual. 

 

For this week....honest to goodness, I'm trying to remember what even happened to us. I learned how to pronounce ng. Sheesh, I still struggle with that one. It's the most awkward thing in the world. In English, it's more up in the top of you mouth. Tagalog, it's like a ng from your throat and it's low. Needless to say, I'm pretty much horrible at it. Work in progress. Oh yeah, and I found my OYM bag this week!! You wanna know what's crazy, I knew I would. This is how it happened.  After I lost it, I just said a prayer that went something like this, "Dear Heavenly Father....so you know that story that President Monson told about his 5 dollar bill? Well, I kind of a have a situation just like that. I know it's just an OYM bag and totally replaceable, but I really just want it back. I know you can make that happen. So.....that'd be great. I'll check the toda tomorrow ok". Haha. For reals though. But after that it was like I wasn't even worried. I just knew I'd get it back. And I did!  The tricycle driver found it and text our number to say he had it. Which, can we just say, that kind of thing never happens here. Much more likely they'd take the books out and sell the plastic for recycling. Not even kidding you. So I was thrilled to say the least. Prayers are answered; just gotta have a little faith. 

What else from this week.....work is pretty much the same as usual. No psychos this week, nothing out of the ordinary. Just same-o-same-o.  Oh yeah, one last thing from this week. So I've been meaning to send you all of the funny superstitions they have here, but I keep forgetting. So I'll just tell you one from this week. You supposedly can't take a shower after you have a baby for at least a week. One of our less actives just had a baby and she has rashes all over because "she can't shower yet". I'm sitting there going, you have got to be kidding. There's more, but that's just the one from this week. Too funny. 

Anyhow, I'm out of time, so until next week. Love you all!!!