First
off, I just gotta say... someone has done a cover for Pricetag in tagalog.
Which me and my companion just found hilarious on our walk to this little
computer shop... normally people just listen to music in English here... it was
amusing. Also, then it got me thinking about pitch perfect and quickly about my
roommates last year, and oh man... then I had to stop myself and remember to
stay focused on other things... I just had to share this little experience from
this morning.
I'm sure many of you
have heard about the ginormous earthquakes over here. It was not on my island,
and I didn't even feel it, so I am safe and sound. I heard a lot of people were
asking my parents how I am. I am on the same big island as manila right now, so
it was more south. There is a temple on the island that it happened on... I
think that it is pretty awesome that the temple is pretty much untouched, except
for the fact that the angel Moroni turned on his spiral. I'm not sure how it
happened because they told me there were no cracks or anything in it... but he
turned... maybe you should google it or something, if that interests you. Our
relief society president knows English fluently so she was telling me about it,
and I actually understood, it was awesome!
Also, We had Zone
interviews this week! It was wonderful! My mission president is just awesome.
He asked me what I learned in Preach My Gospel this last week. I answered
something that I had learned that morning... I was studying the savior’s
atonement and really just got to thinking, that I and the other missionaries I have
gone on exchanges and stuff with, do not use the atonement in our teaching
nearly as much as we should. The atonement applies to everything! It's
wonderful! I am making a big effort to teach the atonement much more every day.
President Peterson asked if he could adopt me... but I said my dad wouldn't
allow it. Apparently my mission president see's a lot more in me than I see in
me because he told me that he had specific areas in mind for me to go to that I
could use my magic on. I said it only works when I don't speak tagalog cause
the members feel the need to work with us, when really it is our investigators
that need them, not us. He laughed and said I’d just have to pretend... but I
really hope to stay in this area for the next transfer.... mostly because the
ward is just amazing and always working with us. And I just love this area....
and I do not want to reopen again so soon.
Also, I got my
mail.... and I got the most colorful letter I have ever received in my entire
life... IT WAS AWESOME! And I read it in amazement on my bus ride home from Lemery.
It pretty much made me the happiest missionary in the world.
Anywho... I bet you
are wondering about my, oh so random and awesome day!
R was baptized on Saturday and I have never been happier in my life. He
shared his conversion story with us, and I was just amazed. He really knows
that the book is true! He actually read our search for happiness before he met
with the missionaries, so he understands a lot of our beliefs, even before he
felt that it was true. He still did not want to disappoint his member friends,
but continued to learn about the church. He started meeting the missionaries,
and one day after a long long day at work he was reading the book of Mormon and
just wasn't getting anything out of it! He decided to pray again, and then read
again. He read 2 nephi: 3 and said that he was overwhelmed with the spirit.
That is a super long story super short. But I have never seen anyone more
excited to get baptized, more in tune with the spirit, and his feelings were
just unexplainable for him in English or tagalog. (he is perfect in English----blessing,
yes, a very big blessing) He is just so excited to get started on family
history and to go to the temple!!! I am so excited for him!
So after the best
moment of my life, my companion and I set off to D’s house. Sister Williams
wanted to walk the back roads instead of taking a jeepney on the highway...
along the way we talked to a man in DeJoya Subdivision. We had a nice
conversation... and he was invited to church and well.... yesterday he just
showed up! It was awesome! I had to carry on a conversation with him though...
and I was actually amazed with myself that I was understanding and communicating
with him fluently!!!! There were a few things he said that I did not understand
though. I love it when I understand people. There are some people, especially
here in Batangas that talk a little bit differently than they did in Tayabas,
and they talk deeper than I am used to, and just keep saying the same words
when I do not understand instead of just saying more simple things or simply
using different words to see if I know that one instead... they are difficult
people to communicate with and usually I just give up, and tell them to talk to
the other sister missionaries or something... yes I admit defeat... but hey,
we're surviving!
Anyways... we are
walking to D's house and just oym'd that last guy, and we are right next to
this Indian Temple I have always been curious about.... This Indian Man invites
us to see his temple! So we went in... but we had to explain to him that we
need another girl or three guys in order to not be in a room alone with a man
for our safety.... he didn't understand and thought we were crazy, but he got
an Indian woman who doesn't speak tagalog in the room. They wear something over
their head to show respect. and In their temple they have a rug leading to a
shrine decorated with indian decorations I guess with an alter and I think
their bible. It was just beautiful and I understood some of what he was
explaining to us. Then he introduced us to their... man I don't know what to
call him... prophet? priest? bishop? their important leader person... who
doesn't speak tagalog or English. So our friend was speaking in taglish to us
and indian to him and his wife.
He asked us a lot
about our religion which was a little awkward for him to ask us in his
temple... but we answered his questions. We are asked to respect other
religions and not proselyte near their places of worship... but I answered his
questions about what we do as missionaries and about our savior Jesus Christ.
We invited him to our services, he invited us to theirs, and we finished our
soda, and went on our way to D’s....
a very random
experience... yes... but It was really cool to learn about their religion and
I'm sure we will continue to talk with him as we pass by his tindihan and
temple.
What were two indians
doing in the philippines that don't know english or tagalog? I have no idea.
But they have a beautiful temple!
Also, I have been
living a little on the wild side this week.. nothing too extreme... but I was
starving and wanted some bread that always just looks so delicious on the side
of the road... so I ate some! I didn't get nearly as sick as I used to at BYU
when I ate wheat! It was awesome! I'm definitely going to eat more bread from
now on.... it is worth it to feel a little sick because of how delicious it
is!!! I just pray I won't get as sick as I used to if I eat too much. :)
Also I have the best
bishop in the world. He works with us once a week usually. It's just awesome! I
love having the ward auxiliary leaders working with us...
Well I hope all is
well on your side of the world! I could use a few extra prayers on my Thursday and your Wednesday this week... I will be traveling to San Pablo with my
companion... and have some vague directions that I must follow... there is no
one else around here traveling to the new-missionary training check-up meeting
so I am on my own pretty much. This is gonna be an adventure! But I warned my
mission president that we will probably get a little lost so he's expecting it,
I think... really we'll just see if I can do it! A jeepney, a bus, and another
bus, and then a tricycle... we're just gonna go on an adventure!
Well, love you
lots!
Sister Hellewell
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