Kumusta Po Kayo!!!
Wow this is nuts.
I can't believe that I am actually here. So we left the MTC at 2:30
on Monday, and we didn't arrive to the mission home until like 4:00 pm
Wednesday. It was definitely a long travel but it was fun. It was fun
to be with my District as we were traveling... I will definitely miss all of
them. And I had to say goodbye to Sister Patolo and Sister Carter because
they are going to the Cavite mission. The flight from L.A. to Hong Kong
was grabe (the worst) haha 15 hours!!! My ankles swelled up so I had some
gnarley kankles. Haha and we were probably the only white people on the
flight. I don't know if I had ever been with that many asians at once.
And I am definitely getting used to the feeling of being a minority.
Anyway, so we got to Hong Kong and we tried to get a calling card for
Sister Temwaaka so she could call her sister but it wouldn't work. I was
so sad for her. She was pretty bummed.
When we landed in
Manilla, poor Sister Ramsey lost one of her luggage. I felt so bad for
her.. but hopefully she will be able to find it. We left the airport and
two Filipino’s approached us and had us follow them to their van - super
sketchy. Haha. We then proceeded to go for the absolute craziest
car ride I have ever been on in my whole life. I don't want to freak you
out but seriously I have never seen driving skills like they have sa Filipinas.
We were winding in and out of lanes so close to buses on either side of
us - I couldn't help but laugh my head off the whole time it was so outrageous.
Then we got to a bus stop where we rode for another 3 hours to the
mission home. Every stop we took, vendors would come on and try and sell
me peanuts or gross looking treats haha. Sister Johnson and me were
stared at hard core - blondes are very rare here and the reactions that we got
were so funny. People on the road would laugh and point and grab their
friends. So funny. I love it.
When we got to the
mission home we met the president and the office elders and then had a
delicious, authentic Pilipino meal. Sobrang masarap. We had a tour
of the office and then met with the President. We met with him has new
incoming missionaries and then had personal interviews. He definitely is
strict but such a good President. Very inspired and spiritual. He
reminded us that everything we do from this point on is out of love - we wake
up early every morning because we love the people and want to bring them to salvation.
We love our companions no matter what. We love our Heavenly Father.
Everything must be out of love.
We then went to a
hotel down the street for the night. There was a cockroach and a Lizard
on the wall immediately haha, and I had a nice cold shower. I won't have
a warm shower for the next 17 months. The next morning we woke up early
to go have breakfast at the mission home - french toast and delicious fruit
(especially the mangos....yummm). We had a meeting where we bore our
testimonies and they gave us information about the mission and how to stay
healthy. We got to know other missionaries in the mission - all of them
are amazing. Seriously. So happy. We went into a meeting
where we sang our mission song and then one at a time they announced which
greenie would be with which trainee. Soooo climactic. My new
companion is Sister Hingano. She is from Tonga and she has been serving
for 6 months. She is 20 years old and incredible. I am so thankful
for her - such a good example to me. She is so obedient and faithful.
She told me last night that her family does not support her at all.
That since she has been here, she has not received one e-mail from them.
Nothing. She worked and saved up to pay for her mission. She
is so faithful and willing to align her will with God's will. I truly am
so lucky. We are also living with Sister Ott who is from bountiful Utah
and then Sister Dicen who is Pilipino.
We are assigned to
Rosario which is an area that we have to completely re-open. The last
missionaries that were here did not leave any investigators or anything so we
are starting from scratch. I don't know this language at all - seriously
have no idea what's going on when we meet with people. But I have faith
that we can truly make this a successful area. That we can share the
precious gift of the gospel with them and bring them to repentance. I'm
not going to lie...these first couple days have been hard. It's easy to
feel like - how will I be able to do this? Am I really going to learn
this language? Am I really going to become a good teacher? But I
know that through hard work and faith...line upon line...it will happen.
I just need to keep up my faith. Luckily the Branch President is
super organized and willing to help and the members of the ward are amazing.
It is pretty small and definitely different from church at home :)
On Sunday, they didn't have anyone to play the piano so I just started
playing. Hahah it was pretty bad but better than nothing I guess.
Our apartment is UNREAL - it is probably the nicest in the whole mission.
We are really lucky. I am nervous though because I don't want to
get spoiled! Haha it is huge and clean and so nice. I will have
more pictures to send you next week. I also washed my clothes by hand for
the first time this morning too and it wasn't bad at all - a lot better than I
expected.
We ride these little
tricycles everywhere too. They are tiny and hilarious. I will send
pictures next week as well. Anyway, it is beautiful here. It hasn't
been too hot yet and it hasn't rained once but I know it will - my mission
President said there are two seasons here - hot and hotter and wet and wetter
haha so I guess I better brace myself.
I know that this
church is true. I really can't deny it. I just need to increase my
faith that the people here will really accept the truth. Keep me in your
prayers and I keep you in mine. I love and miss all of you.
Kita Kits! Ingat
po kayo!!!
Sister Rasmussen
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