Transfers...

So, yes, the boundaries for my mission got changed so all of a sudden on friday we got a call from the assistants that told me and my companion that we were both transferring... In 2 hours... talk about stressful. There were 40 missionaries that were coming from the two stakes that got put into the boundaries for cebu mission. it was a train wreck. You have no idea how heart broken I was to leave silay. I was reading my journal from my last transfer and i had written how I was so thankfu lto leave bacolod 1 because I knew that I had fulfilled my purpose there... but this transfer... I don't feel that way. I still have so much to give to silay... and I was ripped away from it. It was so hard... there was just something about silay that made me love it right away and I worked so hard there... and now... nothing.

Anyways, I'm now in Sum-ag. Funny story. I am sitting in the exact same computer shop that I came to my first P-day here... and I am also back in my very first district.. Tangub district. It is so weird to be back here.... It is so much more hot here than in silay. haha. My new companion is sister Cabalquinto, she is the same batch as Sister Delos santos. She is a good missionary. Very very quiet though.... I don't know if I can handle that. haha. But I think eventually she will warm up to me, at least I hope!

The second day I was here in sum-ag we saw an old lady get hit by a big tubo truck... Yeah, it was the worst. The truck wasn't moving very fast, but she was an old fragile lady and she was just laying on the ground wimpering... and there as nothing that we could do. And my companion just wanted to hurry to get to our next appointment. Kalu-oy.

I MIss silay so bad. I know that change is necessary in life, but why did I have to leave silay? I left a part of my in silay that I will never get back. it is so hard! I have never cried because I had to leave an area until now. At night time I look at all my pictures until I fall asleep.... seriously, it is that bad. UGH! haha

I have seen a change come over me though as I have been in this area. Its like I am more receptive to the spirit and I have a desire to make this area "mine" so I am just..  I don't know, more open to talking to people and sharing the gospel. And I'm not afraid of speaking Ilonggo anymore. It is amazing. I am truely blessed. The other day I did not want to go out and work, it is hard transitioning... anyways, I prayed so hard that morning for help and you know, heavenly father never falls through with his promises. He really helped me that day, and I know that I would not have made it without his help.

I love you all, and have a great week!!! P.s. sorry I can't send pictures... My card reader is broken...): maybe next week?

Love, your sister Missionary,

Sister Young

Blessings from heaven!

Happy P-Day! Wow, this week went by super fast! In fact all these past couple of weeks have gone by sobra fast! I can hardly keep up! But it is so fun, and it is so....a blessing.

Just to let you all know how my morning went.... we were having personal study and all of a sudden I heard this screaming... and squealing... and it was going on for about 30 minutes so I finally asked my companion what it was... and she told me, "kaluoy, sister Young." with basically means... its miserable... wanna know what was happening? Our neighbor was slaughtering his pigs. but its not like you would imagine... they don't "insta-kill" it to put it out of its misery before they start chopping it.... they chop it and make it suffer to death... it was the most horrific sound... and mental picture ever... and then i couldnt focus..... haha. happy p-day!

Last P-day after emailing we went to This cool tourist place with a giant bamboo bridge... it was probably 1km or more longer. it was so old and it was breaking and it was scary, but it was a fun adventure. I really enjoyed it. We got to see the ocean and it was just a fun time. 

Tuesday we had exchanges and I learned a new word.... are you ready for it?

Nakakapagpapagabag it means 'bothered' in tagalog. I still can't say it right. 

Wednesday was my nine month mark... we didn't reallydo much cause my companion was sick, but we had a family home evening and it was fun! I met a little boy that wanted to take a picture with me, his name is Arjan, and he is 8. (: He was cute, but sadly he isn't in school, so when I asked him to write his name for me, he told me he doesn't know how. It was sad, but he came to our family home evening that night! haha (: it was fun!

On saturday Erica was baptized. It was such a good baptism even if it did start an hour late... her mom came, and her mom is not a member and we only have taught her once... but it was a good experience!  I am so happy for her!!!!!! 

Yesterday there was another typhoon... there was seriously so much rain... somethimes I just don't underdstand how much water can fall from the sky...but on the plus side, I got to unintentionally play in the rain! (: hahaha.

So I have been reading in 1 nephi again... I started over again cause I jst didn't like that I wasn't receiving any insites so i started over and I am so glad that I did. I read in 1nephi 8:12. I love it because the intrepretation of the tree of life is the love of god. And I love that lehi says that he was filled with exceedingly great joy... and it is so true of how you can feel as you allow the love of god to become part of you. It nourishes you, and can heal you, and give you strength. I am so blessed to be here and to have the chance to help others feel that love from god for them. To help them partake of the fruit of the tree. To be healed spiritually and physically as they apply the atonement. And also for myself to feel The love of God so abundantly in my life. To feel him hlep me on a daily bases. I could not do this with out him. 

I love you all, hgave a great week!\

Love, your sister missionary,

Sister Young

 

 This is me in the CR. haha.



and two of the ward missionaries that went with us.

Um... bamboo taytay

 This is the Bamboo Bridge that I went to last P-Day, It was so cool... but it was creaking and breaking with each step...hahahah. but we made it. It was fun!

 meet our ward missionaries(: haha

 (: okay.... so my companion and i are weird...

family home evening

 halo halo, it is the best thing ever!!! This particular one is Kamote...which is like a potato, and mango, corn, ice, sugar, jello, condensed milk...and i think that it is. oh and coconut. it is sooooo gooooodddd!!!!!


and my dirty feet. (: haha everyone has dirty feet but mine are so white that you can really see the dirt so everyone laughs! :)

 

crazy girls(:

Baptism ni Erica

Hello 9 months... what?!?

So in two days I'll hit my half way mark!!! Um.. where did the time go? I don't want it to ever end. Things are just too good here!

Just so you all know, my new name here is Marshmallow Vanilla Barbie Dawn Young. Haha, I refuse to let my investigators know my first name until I transfer... So this is what they came up with. Do you like it? (: 

On monday we had a super fun Family home eveining in aidsisa with all the member, 4 and all of our investigators there!!! It was a blast! I love having fun spiritual moments with my investigators... and then we played this game... its hard to explain, but I lost so I had to write my name in the air with my lips.... seriously, it was so embarrassing. But a memory that I never want to forget. 

Then on Wednesday we had zone training at the  misison office with la carlota zone. It was fun because I got to know all the filippino elders cause my companion is filippina and they all talk. it was cool to meet new people. haha. 

Friday we had to go to the dentist for sister delos santos again. that took all day.... 

Saturday we dolled up sister erica, the one who will be baptized next saturday, and Sister Christine. (: they were having a dance in talisay and they were so excited!!!!!! it was fun to help them get ready... and then we went to work. 

Yesterday was fun! the Less active family that I told you about last week came to church again! I love them. We had a japanese lady speak in sacrament meeting and she had to have an intrepreter but they spoke in tagalog so i didn't quite understand it all. but it was way cool. Then we went to aidsisa and taught a bunch of lessons and it was just a good week!!!!!

I love this area, and this time that I get to serve the lord. I love helping people get to know Christ and their true identity as a son or daughter of god. It is just an amazing experience. I love it.

Love you all,

Love, your sister missionary,

Sister Young

 These are from some of my adventures this week. I love these kiddos so much!

 I cut my bangs(: everyone was so shocked! haha and here they call it not like in america bangs.. like with a european accent maybe? haha i don't know. its funny though(:

 Last monday we had a funtastic family home evening!!!!!

Kalayo= Fire

Hello.. So, this week I saw a house burn down. We were teaching one of my favorite little investigators and we looked off into the distance cause this bug huge black ball of fire shot up into the sky... but we didn't think much of it because right now they are burning all the campo fields. like you burn the grass at home... anyways. and then we started walking back to civilization and realized it was a house... in the same spot where we had just came from prior to our lesson with the little girl. so we ran to go see if the investigators that we just taught were okay...

They were fine, and it was the house next to them... there was no one inside. What happened was the couple that lived there left to go to silay and they forgot to turn off the gas to the stove... and BOOM. it took like 7 minutes to burn the whole thing.. all that is left is the cement structure.. and the two cooked pigs out back(: haha. 

It was crazy! and then on our way home all of the fields were on fire... my companion said that she felt like she was coming out of.. yeah. anyways. It was crazy. we were so blessed.. we had seriously JUST been next door to the burn house and when we walked passed them we said hi and then FIRE! so crazy. 

That is one of many blessings this week! 

Lolo, one of our recent converts, couldn't read the book of mormon because he didn't have glasses and he finally got glasses! SO now he reads and he is really doing good. Brother Chris...who is actually Brother Rix we found out.. came to church last week and this week! He is really progressing! But he is still having a hard time praying. He wants to know why there are so many churches and what they gain from making a new church... so we taught about the great apostasy... and told him to read 1 nephi 13... so we will see. 

We have this less active family in our ward. The boy is active and wants to serve a mission, the mom is the relief society councelor and she is in the process of returning and the dad hasn't been to church in a long time. we went and visited them on wednesday and we started the dad to read the book of mormon and then he came to church yesterday!!!!! It was so amazing! The boy was so happy he looked like he was going to cry! I had to talk yesterday in sacrament so I got to see them all sitting there as a family again. after chruch we took a picture. It was so happy... I shook the boys hand and he just said, "salamat, Sister Young." with a smile and I knew how happy he was. I know how it feels... and I almost cried too.

I love it here. Missionary work is the best.. I get to help bring families back together.. I get to help them prepare for the celestial kingdom together! what a blessing!!!

1 nephi 4:6

Love, your sister missionary,

Sister Young

 The Jemora family(:

 Me and a ward missionary

 ANd the cute little tambok boys(:hahah

Happy March

This week has been a full one!

Last Monday we went to the ukay-ukay.. which is like a thriftstore with just mounds of cloths that you dig through and then you pay like 5 pesos for... it was so fun! My mom would love it so much! I bought a couple of things, and then went home and washed them!! haha (: fun stuff. Then Sister Delos Santos was not feeling very well so we went home and she took a little rest and I just did P-day stuff. Then at about 5 she was at the top of the stairs and I could hear her crying... She called for me and I asked what was wrong. She told me that she was in so much pain that she just wanted to die. She had a horrible tooth ache that just wouldn't go away. I had given her 3 i bee pro fin when we got home, and she said that it didn't do anything. I texted the elders and asked if it was okay if the bishop ric came to give her a blessing. THey said yes. I had no idea what to do... But we have a calamansy tree out side, and I had some honey so I heated up some water and put calamansy and honey and made her drink it... warm stuff helps pain. RIght? I gave her some more medicine and she rested until the priesthood came. During the time while we were waiting I organized and cleaned and I was able to serve my companion.. and it felt so good. I had been praying for an opportunity to serve her. I didn't want it to be like this... but it was an opportunity and I jumped on it. 

The priesthood finally came around 8:30 and gave her a blessing. For some reason I feel like Heavenly Father wasn't just speaking to her in the blessing, but to me too... It was crazy. I have never felt like that as someone else was receiving the blessing. But It was an answer to my prayers. 

Then on Tuesday we had district meeting and transfer day. Only one person from our district got transferred, our District Leader. But we all had to go into Bacolod so all the Foreign missionaries could have their pictures taken... and then off to the dentist we went. 

Let me just tell you how thankful I am that our dentist offices in america are clean, and clean, and sterile. The dentist office was about 6x6 and it was so cluttered with paper and junk and it was so gross... their was garbage all over and the tools that she used to stick into my companions mouth.. lets just say that they were probably pre-used and never cleaned except for the little cottonball that she wiped the tip with.. EW. 

Anyways, she got a filling and it hasn't been hurting her as bad. Thank goodness!

On thrusday we worked in Aidsisa. We taught one of our investigators, Gina... she works at the basurahan. which is like a garbage dump... I thnk I have told you about her before.. anyways she told us that she can't afford to come to chruch becasue she works so hard to find anything salvageable to sell from the dump and then barely has enough money to buy rice for her children because her lazy husband, who is a wonderful son of god, just stays home and drinks. he doesn't even help her. It made me so sad.  then when we went back on saturday she told us that she likes to listen to us...but that some other religion is giving her money and material needs and so she is favoring them. Which, yeah I get it... To someone who can't feed their family and who works in a basurahan i can completely understand why she would want that. The sad thing is though that I know that that is only temporaty happiness, and temporary money... what we have to offer her is eternal. It was more valuable, more precious than gold, silver, money, anything. ANd I wish that I could tell her that.. i have.. so I wish that she would just have faith and use that faith to test God. Because I know that he would provide for her. 

It just breaks my heart. All churches are good, they all have good motives. But the Difference between us and them is our gospel is for eternity, not just for here on earth. And I just don't know how to make people understand that. 

I told her that we loved her, and we woldn't be mad at her if she didn't choose us, that we would still come and visit her and share with her... but, I just want her to be able to experience eternal happiness now here on earth in the kingdom of heaven... or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. UGH!

On friday our ward had a missionary homecoming. It is weird to think that that is me... this year! The mom looked so happy and so did the whole family. 

Also on friday we got 3 packages! 2 for me and one for sister delos santos all from dad! YA HOO. Dad sent sister delos santos a bunch of chips cause she loves them, 2 journals, some pens and markers, and a teddy bear that she loves... she put it on her desk and she just cried. it was touching. I got food from dad. It was awesome! (: 

Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting. It was one that was so touching. Sheryn, one of the less actives in the ward bore her testimony. In it she told everyone how thankful she was for sister delos santos and I because she thought she was forgotten by the ward but the missionaries, us, found her and didn't forget her. Which... is kinda true. haha, we actually have never taught her, we were taeaching a family that is close to her house and she just came up one day and asked for a preisthood blessing. You see, she doesn't have a kidney... and she has been really sick, and now she has been coming to church ever since that.. And she did tell us that all she needed to come back to church was to know that we didn't forget about her, she was just shy and needed a friend. It makes me think of all the less actives in my ward at home and how much I could've done more to help them feel more welcome at church. I feel guilty that I didn't do anything to help them. 

I think more often than not what happens is we get too clickish in our wards and we don't go out of our way to friendship anyone else that doesn't have a calling... or who may not be so active in the church... it is so sad. I am totally guilty of it. Can I challenge you to "adopt a less active" and to reach out and step out of your click and establish the equality again in your individual wards? Have charity for all people.

"Unless the Saints attend their meetings, it will be hard for them to keep alive in the Gospel." -President Anthon H. Lund

I love you all. Have a great week!

Love, your sister missionary,

Sister Young

Moroni 8:3(: