Thanksgiving with the Whitings

Hello my dearest family!! I'm late emailing because, as is normal San Jose fashion, we didn't have power all day. Haha, gotta love it. They got it turned back on now, thank heavens. We had Thanksgiving dinner at the Whitings today and it was so much fun!! We all cooked and just ate and played games and hung out. Seriously so much fun. We even had mashed potatoes and gravy and apple crisp. Seriously, life is just more fun in Mindoro! Love the Whitings and Candlands. 

I'm so sad the snow is gone! It better come back before I do, or else. I'm ready to just roll in some snow, It's been so burning over here. I knew it felt hotter in this place! My goodness, 111 degrees...that's gotta be a record. Add the stickiness and no electric fan with no power...patay. Too bad swimming in the ocean is bawal :)

The fungus is back. my goodness, it's haunting me. And it's getting worse. And the doctor here is a joke. He thinks it's all in my head. Well, he's partially right...it is in my head, specifically in my ear. Haha. That was such a mom joke. Anywho, today I got a new medicine; it's an anti-fungal that works through the blood stream so we'll see how that works. Oh man, I'm praying it works. 

So my friends, are you ready for this update!?! As for the new girl in the apartment.....Bahahaha, it's Sister Suarez!!! Oh my goodness, I've never been so happy! I heard she was coming down and literally jumped in the air. This means, I have been companions with ALL 3 of my roommates right now. Haha, that hardly ever happens, and it's awesome! I already know them, their stories, weird quirks, and of course so many inside jokes and things in common. It's been so much fun. I think it was the Lord's tender mercy for me so that I can be with 3 of my favorite companions for a little while longer before we part. I truly feel blessed, you have no idea. I got all the updates from Morong too. It makes me so happy to see the progress they've all made. I'm super stoked to go back and visit them. Oh yeah, and I bought a PAT ring! That's super happy too. 

Sister Marisa had her interview this last week so she'll be getting baptized this saturday. She is stellar. In Tagalog that's about 500+ pages. Yes, I've read it in Tagalog, but only half way....about 380 pages so far. it's quite the process. We've been working with the Relief  Society in the branch as well....let's just say, I'm learning how to be a relief society president. haha. Our area really is starting to progress. I feel so grateful. 100% know it's nothing I've done. Heavenly Father just has a way of working things out the way he wants them to and I just follow along. It's hard to explain, but I know that's what's happened in this area. 

I hope boo had fun in DC. Seriously love that city. I'm gonna move there one day, if I can find a way to make that happen that is. Haha I'll see what I can do about the skirts. I've been thinking about what kind of dress I want made, don't you worry, way ahead of you ma :) 

Also, for calling on Christmas....how do we want to do this? When is Ry planning on calling. I seriously would love to talk to him, even if we just have to 2 phones together, I'm ok with that. Let me know when would be best for you. I'm still thinking over here. I think we can call though starting Dec 24 at noon until Dec 26 at 6. Something like that. I'll have to check again.

Anywho, hope you have a fantastic week! Sounds like the other missionaries are still doing well....just learning :) They'll look back though and be grateful for every one of those experiences. Love you all! Until next Monday! :) 

Last transfer...staying in Mindoro

Hello my dearest family! Transfers are already here. Breath Candace Breath. Haha. So here's the news! Sister Sanchez flew out this afternoon at 1 so we'll be getting a new sister in the apartment! Whoohoo. I'm so happy. I'm still here with Shumway who will going running with me. Yay! This will be her 5th transfer here. Just like me in Morong. I'm praying for a fresh new one who's excited to be here and just go go go. 

Princess's family is all active, sealed in the temple, one of the stalwart members. Her cousins are the ones who just got baptized last week.  And yes, she is so flippin' cute. And thank you for the password for HP. Elder Froude will be very happy as well. Haha. As for the package, you totally didn't need to send anything, but I appreciate it just the same. I honestly have the best family ever. I'm trying to find a wood carved nativity set to take home. Oh yeah, and I'm getting a skirt sewn right now. It's a total of 80 pesos, about $1.90. Haha. love the Philippines :) 

So updates for the week! First of all about Sister Marissa. She is so awesome. Honestly one of my favorites here. She is the sister in law of a less active and we just started talking to her one day and invited her to join the lesson. And then, yeah, now she's getting baptized! She is so sensitive to the spirit. She can recognize answers like no other and everytime we go there, there's always something new she's learned that she needs to change in her life. She's already in Alma 25 in the BofM which is pretty incredible considering the BofM in Tagalog is so stinking long. To get to Alma in Tagalog is about 400 pages. Sheesh. She's 30 years old, has a 11 year old daughter from her first live in when she was young and then got married about 5 years ago to her current hubby. They have no kids, but she wants kids so bad. Maybe that's a blessing just waiting for her, like the Susa family in Morong. 

We have this new investigator, Sister Jill. We've only taught her 2 or 3 times. This last time we taught her this week, we taught about the premortal world to kind of help her get some perspective with her life. So we asked her, Do you believe that you lived before you were born here on this earth (awkward English translation. Haha). She just started laughing and she goes, are you guys joking with me?? Hahaha, she seriously thought we were kidding. After we explained it to her though, she believed it. I think it's just interesting how one of the most fundamental truths, people just don't know: We are literally children of God. I think we're the only religion that teaches the premortal life the way we do. The only one of heard of so far anyway. 

So this week I re-read Elder Scott's talk from last april about personal revelation and I had an 'ah-ha' moment that I'd like to pass on to the other missionaries out there. He said, "When we are acting as instruments on behalf of others, we are more easily inspired than when we think only of ourselves. In the process of helping others, the Lord can piggyback directions for our own benefit". Re-read it again. This is SO true! I have so many experiences where I've been teaching a principle, or used a scripture, or whatever and all the sudden I understood it differently and on a deeper level. That's personal revelation. And I am witness it happens way more when we're helping others than if it's just for us. The sad thing is, I didn't write them all down! I wrote some of them down, but not all of them. So here's the advice for all of you: When you get out of a lesson and you've had one of those 'ah-ha' moments (you'll know what I'm talking about), make sure you write it in your journal. Don't take them for granted just because they happen all the time as a missionary. I wish I would have done this so I could go back and remember when I learned that and the situation and what I felt. I can remember some of them, but definitely not all. Too bad I'm figuring this out at the end of my mission. Oh well, life's a learning process! :) And Chanae-la, don't worry about the emotional swings. They're the worst in the first 6 months, but after that, it'll start to level out, promise. Haha, oh man, love reading their letters. Being a missionary is just a whole different experience. 

I have a favor....can you look up the weather in San Jose Mindoro and then compare it to Morong and Quezon City. I swear it is a MILLION times hotter here and so so dry! As in, I use lotion here because my hands feel so dry! What the....! I'm just curious to know what the temperature is. I'm feeling like Ryan....a popsicle melting on the 4th of July. Dehydration is like a never ending battle for me here. 

Quote from my comp for the week...."justifying our sins will little by little destroy us". I felt that was a very true statement. 

Love you all and we'll see you on Monday! Maraming pag-ibig....Bahahaha, that's an awkward translation. Much love na lang!!

PICTURES

Candace taught Princess the wave from the "Little Rascals." Seriously can Candace just bring this little girl home with her.  So dang cute!

Candace had lunch on banana leaves while hiking for a zone activity.  How fun!!!

Candace with Elder and Sister Whiting. Thank you to all couple missionaries!!!

Beautiful picture of the island of Mindoro.

 Candace and her companion taught the little kids of this family. The parents were already members. Their dad baptized them and now the entire family attends church together.

What a cute bunch of kids!!!

Last transfer...so sad

We just received an email this week. Candace's release date is January 3, 2012.  We are excited to see her, but are sad that her mission will be over.  Definitely mixed emotions on that one :)

 Hello my dearest family!!!!

Oh my goodness, I'm still in shock about all that snow!!!!! Loving it! Truly makes it feel like it's actually close to Christmas. I mean, I hear Christmas music and see lights on houses, but when it's nearly 100 degrees, it just doesn't have the Christmas ring. But 2 feet of snow sure does!!! Ha, I'm gonna freeze in Utah. The ear is good, They cleaned out the fungus last week. I'm still supposed to use the drops for the next couple weeks or so. We'll see how it all works out. I think it'll be fine. But ma, if you're going to be making appointments, above all else I need you to make me and appointment with Stacy to get my haircut. Perferrably the second I touchdown in Utah. Ha, it's that bad. Just imagine 1 1/2 years of humidity and no cut. It's practically a lion’s mane. And Tate's companion sounds like a mess. Oh man, I do not envy him, not one little bit. The trunky ones are the absolute worst. 

Found out about the election about as soon as it happened. Our investigator texted us about it. Ah, so sad. But you know, there's a reason. The Philippinos love Obama....it's because he's black. Sounds about like half of America. Just hope the senate doesn't follow him. 

Oh my goodness, so this week was about a billion times better than the last week!! You wanna know why? I gave myself and attitude adjustment. Ha. It's actually quite interesting...I've learned this lesson about 3 or 4 times now in the mission. It's just better to accept the will of Heavenly Father and trust him to pick up the rest than to worry and try to push progress and what you want that's just not on his time frame. Apparently it's a lesson I needed to learn again. Ha. But on the bright side, the first time it took me a few months, the second time a couple months, and this time only about 3 weeks. So I'm thinking that's improvement :)

So updates for the week! I just have a lot of stories apparently (from what's written on my sticky note). First about Brother Exequial. Haha, he is just the cutest little old man. We went to him this week and left him a WofW pamphlet after the lesson. He looks at it and goes, this is about smoking isn't it? Ha, how did you know. Turns out when we first started teaching him, he was smoking 10 sticks a day. Has since he was 17. But he's been slowing cutting down, without us even knowing it. He know only smokes 1 stick a day. Haha, how cool is that?! It's just crazy how once the start to feel they spirit, they know what is right and what is wrong, even if we haven't taught it yet. So awesome. His baptism will have to be in December but he's so excited. His friend from the branch, Tatay Carlito is going to baptize him. Char :) Haha. Sister Marissa is our other awesome investigator. She's just so quite and so humble. If you teach her something, she's just do it, no questions asked. She gets answers like crazy fast because her heart is so soft. Her baptism is coming up in a few weeks.

Next...so we have this Less Active that we're working with. She is awesome and I absolutely love her to death but she is one of the offended members that are just so hard hard hard. Teaching her just opens up all her frustrations about the leaders, the members, everything that's happened to them, blah blah blah and I hate it because it just drives that spirit away (obviously). So what we've been doing with her is just reading the Book of Mormon. She's never read the BofM. She loves the Bible, has read it multiple times, but has never read the BofM. She's now in 1 Nephi 17 and I just wish I could describe to you the difference in this person. It is night and day. She is receptive to the spirit and her heart is soft. Her prayers are more sincere and she understands the gospel better. And she's just reading about Nephi, it's not even doctrine that she's been reading. Holy hannah, it's incredible. And you wanna know what else...sometimes she'll switch over to reading the Bible instead and I can tell. I can tell when she's only read the Bible and when she's been reading them both. When it's just the Bible, she's more hard headed/hearted. It's incredible. Just a testament of the power of the Book of Mormon. I think sometimes we don't see or notice it, but those around us sure can. 

We got a referral from a new missionary in our area that just got home. He says to us, He's "INC..." (meaning Iglesia ni cristo), then he goes, "....incomplete". Hahaha. Loved that one. Philippino cultural fact for the week.... so if a girl goes to a guys house, even if they're just friends, it is a huge no-no. If they want to hang out, the guy can come to the girl's house; but you don't go to a guy’s house unless you have another girl with you or you're practically engaged. Little strict with their dating rules. It's improvement though considering it used to be if you touched hands with a guy, you'd have to marry them. It's a strange thing dating here....

Just a quick question.....Elder Froude, he used to be assigned here in Mindoro, he texted me the other night and goes, I need you help.....haha, and now I need you're help. What is the password to the Gryffindor common room in the first book? The very first password they have? It's been on my mind trying to figure it out for about 3 weeks now. Both Froude and I would feel much better if we knew that little tid-bit of info. Haha, salams! :) 

I think that's all for the week! I'm a wee out of time and I want to send some pictures still. Transfers are next week. I can't even believe it. Time is absolutely flying here. patay. Haha.  Mahal ko po kayong lahat! Magusap tayo sa susunod na linggo! 

Life is on Super Speed

Happy Birthday to Twit! Happy Birthday to Twit! Happy birthday to TWWWWIIIIIITTTTT!!!! Happy Birthday to you!!! Shoot, has it seriously been a year?!!? My life is on super speed right now. So how are you my dearest family?! That storm that hit New York sounds insane. I just barely heard about it last Thursday. Wowsa. Also, SUPER stoked for the presidential election. So interested to see how that'll all work out. Still didn't get to vote. Guess that's just life. I'm curious now to hear what happened with Tate....that doesn't happen very often. Actually, like at all. I guess we'll see next week.

So updates for the week! Wowsa, it was an interesting one. Haha, I've actually been able to breathe this week. But literally. The past couple weeks I haven't been able to breathe properly. My nurse companion informed me it's because of stress. Go figure. But today I can actually breathe normal so that's improvement!! We had some interesting experiences this week. We did a wee bit of finding in our area because our new investigators are slowly dropping like flies. We came across a few interesting cases. #1: Mr. Island. Yeah, he owns an island. It's this little white sand island off the coast here that I've always wanted to go to and he offered to take us! Shoot, too bad it's bawal. haha. But he's been an on and off investigator for almost 40 years! He first met the missionaries in 1974. He knows some of the doctrine, but it's pretty jumbled for him. Has read some of the Book of Mormon, believes it's true and that Joseph Smith is a true prophet. Was almost baptized, but you know, he likes to drink so he just couldn't give it up. I said, "Brother, what is more important...your alcohol or eternal life??". Haha, the elders are going to him this Tuesday. #2: a lot of Iglesias. One of which was thrown out of the church and excommunicated because she married a catholic. Talk about church of the devil with no agency. They need to read a few certain exerts from 2 Nephi 26.  So insane.

So we've been teaching this group of kids. They're referrals from a member, his niece and nephews, about 13, 14, and 16. Their parents aren't interested at all and they can't be baptized, but as a favor for the member, we go and teach them about once a week. We've started to grow in numbers though. Haha. The daughter of our former investigator started joining and also a few of their cousins have started coming. So this week we taught about baptism. We just finished the plan of salvation, so now they know that you have to be baptized to enter the celestial kingdom. So we talked about "Can babies be baptized"....explained that baptism is about washing away sins and making a promise with God. So does sprinkling on your head wash away your sins? "hindo po". And can a baby make a promise? "Hindi po". Hahaha, it was so funny. It's so incredible though because you just teach it simply and they understand it so simply. None of this, "well but...". I guess that's why we're all told to be humble like a little child. It nearly

broke my heart though when Lindi, she's 10 goes, So does that mean that we still have our sins?? Wow, profound question for a little 10 year old. She's smart. Her follow up question was, "Why do people think that you can baptize babies then? Why does everyone say different things?". So we'll be teaching restoration this week. I just pray that they'll remember the things they've learned and when they get old enough to make decisions, it will all come back to them.

So we have this couple missionary that works in Rizal and Calintaan. Oh my goodness, they crack me up. Elder Candland has a PHD in physics and Sister Candland takes notes like mad. You have a conversation with her and she'll take notes on the conversation and what was said. Bahahahahaha, they make me laugh so hard. So they worked with the other sisters this week and they told us how they would do family prayer. So you take the date, (ex: 3, if it's the 3rd of November), divide it by the number of people in the prayer (3/4). Then you take that number, and if it doesn't divide evenly, then you take the remainder instead (ex: 3/4 the remainder is 2....I think, haha), and the person that is that number from the oldest, so 2nd from the oldest in the circle is the one who prays. Ahahahahahaha! Can you imagine doing long division in your head every time you said family prayer. I honestly busted up laughing. 

That's about all for this week! Super excited to see the voting results on the presidential race. Gonna be intense. Thanks for all the support and prayers....I can feel them comin' my way :) We'll see you next Monday! Mahal ko kayong lahat ng sobra!!! Ingat!