Philippines for Eighteen

Julie, Me & Charmaine

Hello my beautiful family!!!

It has been another great week filled with miracles. Our recent converts are doing well. Haha maybe I got a little bit too confident in my e-mail last week about the bugs here. While we were teaching Brother Pamilacan on Tuesday haha he was holding a giant beetle and my old self kicked back in. I started having a spaz attack as he was putting it up to my face. Then throughout the whole lesson (keep in mind he is a class clown) he kept pretending to throw bugs on me (when it was really just grass). We were trying our best to focus but couldn't stop laughing.

Sister Galabay, Sister Maagad, Sister Dula, Me & Sister Japus

Sister Galabay, Sister Maagad
Sister Japus, Sister Dula
& M

On Wednesday, Sister Maagad and I gave the workshop at our Zone Training Meeting. We were really nervous and felt somewhat unprepared. We focused on the Because He Lives” video from mormon.org and how it applies to our work. There have been some changes to our zone and now it is almost all Elders. We were also freaking out because we got to the church and couldn't find the TV that we were planning on using. So we started late. And everyone was being rowdy. But an answer to my prayer was that the spirit filled the room when we gave our workshop and I know it's because of the video and because we started talking about the Master and Lord Jesus Christ. You can't help but feel the spirit when people are bearing their testimonies of them. The coolest part was Sister Maagad and I didn't say anything extraordinary or profound, but we were able to just be tools to help the Elders and Sisters to feel the spirit. And at the very end we had everyone stand up, and take one step forward. After bearing our testimonies we ended by saying, "Elders and Sisters... we now testify that you have been uplifted and moved because of our workshop. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." Haha it took a second for people to catch on. I know it's super cheesy and dumb but it was hilarious. You still have to have fun in missionary work right?

Me, Sister Maagad, Sister Emy, Brother Lito, Brother Charles, then on the bottom is Michael and Sean.
The Gatdula family. Will get baptized in 2 weeks.

Thursday, I had my last interview with President Mangum. He is so amazing. He helped me to realize that missions are amazing but the real joy and purpose of life will start when I go home. He told me to make goals for the rest of my mission and how it will help me in the next phase. He told me to just take a glimpse in the future, but to not spend too much time there. I have some goals and am excited to keep learning, but honestly at this point I don't have any feelings about going home. I don't yet feel like it's real.

One cool thing that President Mangum has been focusing on comes from this month's Liahona. Weaknesses and sins aren't the same. sins come from satan, and weaknesses come from God. Christ had no sins but had weaknesses. If we spend so much time repenting for weaknesses we become frustrated and hopeless. Instead we just need to humble ourselves and have faith (Ether 12:27.. fave scripture). Food for thought.

Sister Carol Barcenas, Chloe (baby),
Charmaine & Me

One other cool thing is a big group of our progressing investigators comes from the very last “OYM” that Sister K and I had the week that we decided to talk to 200 people. We were about to go home and only had 199. So we just found one last person to talk to before going home that Sunday night and although he himself is not interested, almost everyone else is in that small little group of families that lives in the middle of a rice field. In fact two will be getting baptized in a couple weeks, and one a couple weeks after that. God works in mysterious ways.

One interesting fact.. While washing my feet one night, hahah I slipped and fell.... and... broke the sink off the wall in our bathroom. We never use that thing anyway but I was scared that I would have to pay for it. President Mangum said the mission would pay for it and said they only make missionaries pay for it when they are doing stupid stuff like wrestling or using their beds as tramps. I can just hear Dad's voice, "Go outside. This is not a gymnasium." I think Elders have to be more careful with that than Sisters. Haha but tender mercy.

I know that this e-mail is sort of scrambled and random but I know that this work is true. I love all of you so much. You are in my prayers. Christ lives...and because of that you, and I, and all of us can change. All of us can be made perfect someday.

I love you!!

Sister Rasmussen.

Sister Carol Barcenas, Chloe (baby), Charmaine (getting baptized in 3 weeks) & Me

Sister Maagad playing basketball

Sister Maagad blowing a bubble

Me blowing a bubble

Hahaha...Sister Maagad's is much bigger!

“I love being companions with Sister Maagad”

Lunch!

Brother & Sister Cortez, they are the best!

Sister Galabay, Me & Sister Japus

Hello my beautiful family!!!

This has been another crazy week here in the crazy land of the Philippines. There is no boring moment here in Sta. Cruz. This week was crazy. I think that because of the business we haven't been able to keep our apartment AS clean as normal and last night I woke up to 5 dead cockroaches on the floor. Keep in mind that these are about half the size of my nametag. Disgusting. But... I have finally become desensitized and don't spaz out when I see them anymore. I just keep calm and keep my distance. I guess you could say that is one thing that I won't miss about the Philippines.

I found out this week from Sister Maagad that kids here play with spiders when they are bored... haha I couldn't believe it. They will get two spiders on the end of a stick that they balance between their fingers, rial them up, and then watch them have a dual, all while trying to keep them balanced. Haha she also said that people can make good money selling spiders for kids to play with. We also butted in on the game of two kids we passed by the other day. They were throwing flip flops at an empty bottle, trying to knock it over. Haha.... sometimes these people have next to nothing. Although the kids don't have the fancy toys and gadgets that we do in the states, they are so happy and content. I love that about this people.

I love being companions with Sister Maagad because we are CONSTANTLY laughing our heads off and always making the most of our time here on the mission. Not just with the work, but also enjoying where we are as well.

Friday morning before MLC, we woke up at 5:00 am and got all of the zone leaders and STL's together to go rent bikes and ride around this beautiful lake that is below the San Pablo chapel. Hahah you would be happy to know that both Sister Maagad and I wore helmets (I could just hear Dad's voice, "Haley... where's your helmet?") And we were the only ones!!

Today we also went on this big hike in Siniloan and went to some falls. It was weird because everyone was going to climb up behind the waterfall and you know that I am always adventurous and ready to explore but something was really restraining me from joining everyone. It was a very distinct impression. Who knows what would have happened but... I followed the impression.

So...... at the beginning of this week we were so hesitant about Raymond getting baptized. He hasn't had the privilege of a good education and is a little bit slower with the material. Although he has made some really great changes in his life. He is also a lot slower reading and understanding the Book of Mormon. We just weren't sure if he had a stable enough testimony and if he was ready to enter into the sacred covenant. He also said that he might be moving which would change his ward and make things really complicated. But he REALLY REALLY wanted to get baptized on April 4th because his wife had already gotten work off for it, and she wouldn't be able to get work off for another month. It is also their anniversary and he was just really excited for baptism. We taught him Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night and felt better and better about it. Finally, we decided to have him interviewed on Thursday. He failed!! There was something that he had experienced in the past that he hadn't told us about and so it meant that he would have to be interviewed by President. If President couldn't interview him within those two days, he would not be getting baptized. He and his wife Mary Fe were devastated!! Crying.... didn't understand. They texted us saying that they believed in the power of repentance and didn't understand why he couldn't get baptized. It didn't have anything to do with repentance, but instead had to do with the fact that he needed to be interviewed by that person who holds the keys and has the authority to pass him for baptism. Luckily because President Mangum was already going to come to the baptism to baptize Brother Pamilacan, he came 1 hour earlier to interview Raymond. If he would pass, he would get baptized, if not, he would have to wait. This was a huge trial of their faith. But... needless to say.. he passed in those last few moments before the baptism. So Raymond and Brother Eduardo Pamilacan officially were baptized last Saturday, April 4th. It was such a beautiful baptism, and in contrast to last week, tons of members attended.

Sister Maagad, Me, Raymond, Eduardo & President Mangum

Part of it had to do with the chapel tour that we had on Saturday. It was awesome. Each organization put together a little presentation for themselves and decorated their rooms. Us missionaries decorated and talked about the baptismal font. This actually took place the hours preceding the actual baptism. Many members came and brought non-member friends to step into the church and find out a little bit about what a Mormon does and believes. The Gatdula and Fontalba families also came (two families preparing for baptism) and loved it.

BISHOP PALOMA!! Cleaning the font. Best BISHOP EVER

The problem was, we went early that morning to clean the baptismal font (which was covered in about 2 cm of dirt... absolutely disgusting) and then when it was actually filled up, I guess the dirt that didn't completely go down the drain filtered into the water. It was so murky and gross. It looked even worse than before!! haha we were kind of freaking out about it, but President Mangum was calm about the whole situation and said that it didn't change anything about the efficacy of the ordinance hahaha. Only here in the Philippines.

Sister & President Mangum & Eduardo Pamilacan's Family,
Me & Sister Maagad

President & Sister Mangum, Raymond's Family, Sister Maagad & Me

So I just want to end by saying that I invite you again to visit www.mormon.org/easter. I encourage you to watch the video "Because He Lives." Not just because it is a good production and very well put together, but also because if you really take it seriously and watch it with meaning, I know that you can receive personal revelation about Jesus Christ, your relationship with Him, and what you need to do because of it. I have watched it multiple times and get something new from it every time. It comes from the First Presidency, so we can consider it scripture. Then, once you watch it... follow the revelation that you receive. I want to bear my testimony that I know that Jesus Christ really does live. He really did rise on the third day. Because of that, he is breathing and guiding us today, at this very moment. He is aware of everything, and He really is here. I know that He has definitely touched my life and because He lives, I know that I can change. I can't even begin to describe how much I have changed on my mission. I have seen the atonement and the miracle of change happen in the lives of those we are teaching. He lives and is our savior.

I love you!!!

Sister Rasmussen