Welcome to the JUNGLE!

Hello friends!!

CRAZY STUFF this week, for sure! Fun fact: I still can’t get over the fact that I am a day ahead of everyone back in the states. When I call my family, it is a 14-hour difference, which means—I am calling them in the morning, but it is really their evening. It is Sunday for my parents, but Monday for me.

 

Therefore, this email will find you all on Sunday, but my P-Day is on Monday.

 

What a wild week this week has been!! We started the week in the Manila MTC, just finishing up our training and starting our visas. Visas are processed quickly in the Philippines, so we planned to leave for our areas by Friday.

 

However, when we went to ask how we were traveling (plane or bus), we were told that we were actually leaving Thursday night and driving through the night on a bus to get to our mission! We were shocked! And, sad because we would have to say goodbye to our district earlier. Our district has been together since May, so we feel close. 

 

Our last night was hard. We had a departure devotional, and then we met as a district one more time. A lot of us got blessings, and then it was time to say goodbye. The hardest part was saying goodbye to Sister McGinn. I was in a trio for the MTC. Sister Hammari is in my same mission, but Sister McGinn is in another mission. It was really hard to say goodbye, but I was so relieved to have Sister Hammari by my side. I am sure it would have been even harder if I was alone.

 

We then embarked on a 10-hour bus ride across the Philippines! Traffic was CRAZY even though it was at night!! When we finally arrived at the mission home, we were completely exhausted. Our first item of business was to meet our mission president and eat some breakfast. We were then able to sleep a little before doing interviews with President Cobing. I am already grateful that President Cobing is my mission president. He is so kind, and I can already feel his warmth and encouragement in just the short time I have known him.

 

The next item on our agenda was to meet our trainers. To be totally honest, I was soooooo scared to meet my trainer, but I did not need to worry! I was blessed with a great trainer!! She is from the Philippines, which means she will be able to help me learn Tagalog even faster. She also speaks English, which is an added blessing, for sure.

 

I am in a little town called Tumauini. Fun fact: the Cauyan Mission (my mission) is the hottest mission in the Philippines. And boy oh boy—it is hot. I have a little fan that I place at the foot of my bed to help me sleep through the heat. I have been told that my body will adjust, but I can’t even imagine it. It is a poorer area, and the water in our apartment isn’t good to drink. Therefore, we must buy our water. My first trip to the store to get water was an adventure. I got to ride in a tricycle (like a taxi, but a motorcycle with a car attached)! It was a lot of fun!

 

Yesterday was Sunday for us, and I got to bear my testimony for the ward. I didn't do great, but I did my best! The ward mission leader told me that he could tell I was new and still learning the language, but it’s ok! I am still learning so it will get better. After church, we visited recent converts, and friends that we are teaching! At one point, my trainer turned to me and asked me to share a scripture. I fumbled through my scriptures and read in my Tagalog Book of Mormon. I then bore my testimony. To be honest, it also wasn’t perfect. There is so much to learn, but that is what training is for! And I am so grateful that my trainer is allowing me to be involved even when I feel I am fumbling through some of what I say. This is what it is about. This is why I am still training. I know it will all come together!

 

The language is hard. And it is hot here. Both of those two things combined mean that I am working on adjusting to a new world. It is hard not knowing anything, but that means I can only go up from here! I am grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow. I have a testimony that with God’s help, I can accomplish anything. 

 

I was reading in the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 3:13, it says:

“And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.”

 

I really loved this verse because God will make our weaknesses strong when we are doing his work! So, even though I cannot speak the language very well, and I don't really know what is happening, I do know that God will walk with me and help me! He will make my weak things strong. I thought a lot about my call this week as I was getting ready to head into my mission, and I felt a lot of peace. I know this is where God wants me, and He will help me help His people. 

 

Cauayan is crazy, but so fun!! I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve here!!

 

Pictures:

 

My first teaching appointment!!

My MTC district members that came to Cauayan with me

Me and my new companion

My mission president's wife and my MTC companion and I