Magandang
umaga pamilya!!! (Good morning family !!!)
Well
I am sure that all of you are anxiously awaiting details about Typhoon
Ruby. I'll first let you know that we are very safe and honestly... I
don't have any dirty details because we didn't experience much. It just
seemed like a really heavy rainstorm. But that's it. Sunday,
President Mangum informed us that we would be evacuated from our area to a
chapel a couple areas away.
This
was due to the fact that our area is known for flooding easily. So after
church we packed up and headed to the chapel with 72-hour kits and giant water
jugs. Haha I don't know if you can imagine but it was quite the adventure
with us four sister carrying all of this stuff on and off of jeepnees.
Luckily people are super nice and helpful. The speed and size of the storm
kept changing and so they thought that it would come Sunday night but
didn't end up hitting us about Monday Night. It was a really
weird situation because almost all the Elders and Sister in our zone had to
sleep at the chapel haha and it was basically only my companion and I who went
to bed on time and kept the study schedule. When we got there, we were
still waiting for some other sisters and so Sister K and I decided to OYM as
many people as possible outside the chapel. Because of a bunch of
setbacks this week, we were still far from our goal of 125 for the week.
But we stopped EVERYONE on the street... even if they were in a hurry to share
a short message. We know that the gospel is the most important thing for
them. Haha we were trying to make it fun and asking people what they
would give Christ for Christmas this year. It ended up being a thought
provoking question and not very many people could answer. We also rounded
up some sisters together to sing Christmas carols outside the chapel to try and
get people's attention. Haha it was pretty kawawa (pitiful) because there
weren't very many people watching and it was a pretty cheesy missionary moment
but it was really fun. It helped both us and those passing by to remember
the true meaning of Christmas.
So
all of
Actually
it was pretty sad because before the storm hit, we found this tiny little
abandoned kitten outside the chapel dying. We tried making a tent for it
and gave it a little food and it survived the storm. It's super sad here
though. If someone has a female cat, they get pregnant every month and
they just throw the babies away wherever. Which is why there are so many
stray cats and dogs and they're so kawawa. It was a really long day and
another night but I am glad to be home. It doesn't look like we were hit
too bad with wind or anything here. Just lots of rain and there are just
a few places that are flooded. That's about it. I did hear that
Calapan and Lopez were hit really hard :( It makes me especially sad
because I know in some of the areas that I was working in in Mindoro.... Sooooo
pooor. I am sure that their already small and weak houses are completely
gone. I hope they are doing ok over there. I guess I will count my
many blessings that I am safe, fed, and healthy. Hahah sorry that I don't
have any other exciting details to share.
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| Sister Johnson & Me |
BUT.... before all of this mess... we did have some cool
experiences earlier this week. I went on my second exchange this week with the
Pakil sisters on Tuesday. I got to exchange with Sister Johnson from
my batch so it was super fun to be with her again. They are struggling
building up their teaching pool so we did a lot of tracting but at the end of
the day, we were walking down the street where the chapel is and this guy came
out to feed his dogs right as we passed. Even though him and his wife
live so close to the chapel, he has never met the missionaries. He immediately
let us in and it was the first time in months and months that we taught the
lesson in complete silence (the Philippines is one noisy, busy
place). It really invited the spirit. When he turned off the
TV and we said the opening prayer, you really could feel it. When we
opened our eyes he said he could feel the Holy Spirit enter his body and that
he just randomly went outside when we passed buy and thought that it was meant
to be. He said how he didn't know anything about our church but was always
impressed with how perfectly organized it is. The lesson was amazing and
because of the storm, the sisters still need to follow up with him, but I have
a feeling he will be a golden investigator.
It was fun for Sister K and I to go
running in the mornings and explore a new place. We forgot our camera,
but on Wednesday morning we randomly decided to go hike up to this
place called the cross. We didn't make it to the top because we were
running low on time, but it was so beautiful and refreshing. I am sooo so
grateful for a companion who will go running with me in the morning. It
feeds the soul.
We visited the Barcenas family again
this week (originally supposed to be baptized on the 13th) and when we followed
up with their obedience to the word of wisdom, it turned out that Claurice (the
one who prayed about the Book of Mormon) drank coffee that day. President
Mangum and really all of the Philippines are raising the standards for baptism
because there are just too many less actives and we are trying to ensure that
when they are baptized, they are baptized to stay. Anyway, this would
mean that their family would have to postpone their baptismal date for another
whole month. When we broke it to them, Carol (the mother) was devastated.
All of them were silent and didn't really understand the doctrine behind
it. We left the lesson with stomach aches but also knew that it would be
a good test of their faith. We were then reminded by another missionary
that if she only drank once, that they could still get baptized on their
scheduled date. When we followed up with them on Saturday, there was
definitely a different feeling. We talked about everything and they asked
if there was any way they could push forward their date and so now they are
scheduled for December 20th. We then shared Ether 12:6 and I asked
Carol if she has ever felt a test of her faith. She said that the baptism
being extended again definitely tested her faith. She said that night she
couldn't sleep. Like all of her excitement to be baptized was gone.
She didn't want to go to church anymore and she kept having an argument inside
her head about whether or not she should read the Book of Mormon (she normally
reads everyday). She was just having a very difficult time understanding.
Finally she read the Book of Mormon on Saturday, despite the whispering in
her ear to not. Then, we came right as she finished with the good news
about their date and she said it was an answer to her prayers. But by the
end of the lesson, we helped them to realize that it didn't matter whether it
was next year or in 15 years, as long as they followed the commandments and
prepared themselves with the desire to be baptized. I think it was all
supposed to happen for a reason and they are very ready and excited for their
baptism. Conching is also very prepared to be baptized on the 20th as
well so we are praying that it goes through for all of them!!
We
had another weird experience as we were coming home and we heard someone yell
out hello to us. It didn't sound like a Filipino voice and I almost
ignored it. But luckily Sister K saw him and asked him where he was
from. Tyrone Davis is a black veteran from New Jersey who randomly ended
up here in the Philippines. He is actually going to Afghanistan next week
but really wanted us to teach him. It was super weird to speak to him in
pure english haha. We weren't able to teach him on our scheduled
appointment because he had something come up but we ended up teaching his
fiance's niece, Jace. Wow. Such a powerful lesson and I know we
were supposed to find her. After we opened the lesson, she opened up with
us and started crying as she explained that her husband is a drug addict and
she has to little beautiful daughters and is pregnant with her third
child. You could see that behind her pleasant smile was so much
distress. As we started sharing with her, she was listening soooo
intensely. I could tell that even with our sometimes ugly Tagalog, the
spirit was teaching her. She is super anxious for us to return, and it
just made me glad that because of the gospel in my life, I won't have to face
problems like that. But I know for sure that it will bless and help
her. We'll see what happens....
Then,
when we saw Tyrone again, we gave him a Book of Mormon and we have been doing
this thing where we ask people if they have a question of the soul... some deep
question that they always ponder and then give them a reading assignment
accordingly to illustrate that the Book of Mormon really can answer our
questions. Haha so when I asked him, I said, "If Jesus Christ was
here in this room, and you could ask him any question you wanted, what would
you ask him?" Haha he jumped back with the biggest look of surprise
and said, "Oh man!!! If Jesus Christ was here... man I don't know what I
would ask him!" (Try and read it with a New Jersey accent ha)... and then
he said, "Oh I know. I know. There is this question that has been on
my mind for years........ Ok. So I know that it doesn't mention in the Bible
anything about dinosaurs... but we have found their bones and things.... so are
they real?" Haha Sister K and I couldn't help but look at each other
and laugh. She explained more what we were looking for and we gave him an
assignment but it was really funny.
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| Sister Ott, Me, & Sister K |
THEN... Friday.
My first Missionary Leadership Council. Oh my goodness. It was the
most incredible, spiritual experience ever. It blew my mind. It
truly wasn't like a conference where someone talks at you for a few hours but
everyone was participating and I learned so so much from everyone. We had
this workshop on charity and Christ-like leadership. We watched this
video and all of you MUST WATCH. AMAZING.
So
yeah... that's about it for my week. An amazing, miraculous,
faith-building week. I love all of you so much and think about you
lots. You are in my prayers. Thanks for writing and sharing all of
your experiences as well.
Love
you.
Sister
Rasmussen
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Sister Ott & Me :) |
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| Me & Sister Burnham |
