DUCK!!!!

Maayong aga, family!

Wow, this week has just been a blast!!! We have just been working so hard to get this area up and running!! We have really been focusing on getting the trust of the members and building good relationships with them, because before... I don't know what happened here. but, I am proud to report that things are getting so much better now! People are just flocking towards us wanting to work with us. It is great! The work just stands still when the ward isn't involved.

We got to go to the community service project that was all three of the bacolod stakes, north, central, and south. And lucky me I got to see so many of my recent converts and all the people that I love from all the wards that I Have served. It was awesome. Remember Sister Emilita? from Bacolod 1? I saw her and she just started crying. I miss her so much! And Sister Joy from Bacolod 1, also. She was so cute! I am so happy! 

I also got to see people from Silay, and Tangub. It was just amazing, and all that AND I got to do service! I didn't realize how much I miss doing service. We got to go to the High school and sweep the grass. Literally. I am not even joking. They gave us these little hand brooms and we swept the grass. It was fun, I really felt Filippino.(: There were so many people there, and it was so cool to see us join together with the Baranggay people and serve. I think they really appreciated it too. 

So, i've been on my mission now for 10 months... and one of my favorite stories to tell people about how prayer works and how Heavenly Father loves everyone, and wants to help with even the silliest of problems is about that one time when we were going to the temple. We were about to leave our house in Pima and I couldn't find my white shoe ANYWHERE. I looked in my closet, under my bed, seriously I searched the house everywhere. Mom and dad were getting frustrated cause I couldn't find my shoe. Then dad told me to pray, so him and I went into my room, knelt down and prayed. Then dad opened my closet and there was my missing shoe. ha. okay, so I was telling this story to a family that is in our ward and about half way through the story I could tell that Sister Magante was trying so hard not to laugh, and I was getting really self-conscious. Then she finally stopped me and said "sister Young, Zapato... parang duck." haha. Then everyone busted up laughing. Now.. so you can understand... In Hiligaynon the word for shoe(singular) is Zapatos.... but my spanish background makes me all confused cause in spanish Zapatos is shoes(plural) so i always make the mistake of forgetting the "s"... well in Hiligaynon when you forget the "s" on Zapatos it means DUCK... So, I am just so happy to announce that for the whole 10 months of my mission I have been telling people that I needed a White Duck to go to the temple.. and I couldn't find it anywhere... but after we prayed I found my lost white duck in my closet.(: Silly problems, Lost ducks, I promise you that heavenly father answers prayers! 

That is my funny story of my life... awesome huh. It was really funny, and it made the kids we were teaching just have something else to tease me about! 

I really do have a testimony of prayer though. Heavenly Father loves us so much! Even if you are ugly, or pretty, or older than the hills, or just a 6 or 7 year old child, he hears and answers our prayers. It doesn't even matter the problem ukon situation, he will always be there for us if we are going to depend on him. If we will trust him and follow the promptings of the spirit. 

I love getting on my knees at the end of a long, hard day of procelyting, or a long day of getting punted 6 times in a row and just talking to my Father In Heaven about how my day was. About my trials, about what I thought I did good, about how I thought my companion talked too much, about how inadequate I feel, and then just having his love pour over me and comfort me. And as I kneel there he talks to me, though my thoughts and through my heart and gives me answers to my questions, he gives me strength, he gives me advise, and most of all he takes away my worries and cares and I really just feel his love for me. 

I know that all of you can feel that. You have to just try. It takes a long time to be able to really communicate with Him, because we are so tired at night, or we have sins that we don't want to confess to him, those things block that pure communication with Him that we all need so desperately. I have a lot of room to improve, I am not perfect, but I am so thankful that I have developed such a good relationship with Him. It has helped me so much! 

I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week! I challenge you to develop that relationship with Our Heavenly Father, it will bless your life so much. Just try it. 

Love, Your sister Missionary,

Sister Young

happy easter!!!!

This week has been kinda a dud week... its been something like holy week... Cause of good friday and stuff... anyways we have gotten punted a lot and there is always these catholic parade things at night... and unfortunately a lot of our investigators attended... so that was great!

This week because we have now the whole of Sum-ag we tried exploring the old elders area... it is so dako! so big! And there is no maps in the area book... so that is hard. but it was fun! We have been trying to build relationships with the members cause the missionaries in the past... I don't know what they did to offend the ward but its like they don't trust us... but its okay, Sister kumar and i have the charm(:

The work is slowly progressing here in Sum-ag. the members are finally starting to give us referrals! And they are good referrals! this week alone we extended 4 baptism dates! I am excited to see the growth here, as we work our little butts off! 

How was everyone's easter? I didn't even realize that it was easter until last night and I was eating a boiled egg for dinner and then I jumped out of my chair and told my companion... HAPPY EASTER!! haha. Did you get to sing hymn 198 in sacrament? I love that hymn. Here they don't celebrate easter.... 

I love you all, sorry this is so short. I love missionary work! Keep your heads up, and I pray for you all all the time. (: 

Love, your sister Missionary,

Sister Young

General Conference!!!!

Hi family! (:

So just to catch you up on things that are going on here...

Transfers were on wednesday, we usually get the call on monday but this time we get it on tuesday and Sister Cabalquinto got transfer. I got to stay in the area where I've only been for 12 days... AND they pulled the elders our of their area and gave it to us... so now we have the whole of Sum-ag! it is quite the challenge and I am so stoked! (:

My new companion is Sister Kumar. She is Indian, and from Fiji! She is so awesome! I love her so much, we just teach so well together. (: Her and I are going to do miracles in this hard area!

You know, I don't know if I have told you all this before or not... but I seriously believe that we are only with our companions until we have given each other what they need. And that means that Sister Cabalquinto and I gave each other what we needed fast! It was hard to adjust to her, but at the end of the 12 days, I loved her with my whole heart and I didn't want her to go!

I absolutely LOVED conference! It is just too fast though.... one of the parts that I really loved was Elder Teh's talk. the one about the lady from the philippines that lost her family... I loved what she told him..."I accept everything the lord has asked me to do..." I love that. I really learned alot from her example. Sure things are hard, sure there are going to be things that I don't want to do or don't like to do, but I am going to do it. No matter what.

I also love President Packer. He is getting so old... but I love his enthusiasm. And I loved Predident Uchrdorf's talk! about gratitude. It reminded me of grandpa. He always used to tell me "Put a 'GR' in front of your attitude"

And then the one that the Lady jumped out of the semi truck to save her son. It reminded me of my dad. (:

And the one that I really enjoyed and made me think about my whole family was elder Cook's talk. I really liked his idea about having a "family Tree Gathering" and having people bring pictures and stories of our ancestors. We should do that... when I get home. start working on it! (:

I loved hearing all about the Gilbert temple dedication. (: every time it was mentioned I just couldn't hide my smile!

I am so thankful to have a living prophet on the earth today, and an active 12 apostles to guide us and to tell us the things we need to do so we can be ready for the second coming.

sorry this is short and scatterbrained.. I was just trying to type fast and quick because it is raining and there might be a brown out.... (: haha I lov eyou all

Love, your sister missionary,

Sister Young

Sorry, no pictures again.... I still havent bought a new card reader.

(: the atonement is power

So, I just want to appologize for last weeks email. I was so... depressed and angry that I had to leave silay. Yes, I still miss it, but I can tell that I am needed here in Sum-ag so desperately.

It was a painful transfer. I cried, and my heart was just... I can't really explain it in words. I would wake up and not want to work and not want to talk, and not want to do anything.... but I would get on my knees and plead with the lord to give me strength. Strength to make it through studies, then strength to make it through the day... and sometimes even while we were walking I would have to plead with him to help me have the courage, and desire to keep going when I just wanted to cry and clos up like a clam. And I would feel him put strength in my veins, and mend my heart and i would make it through the day. It was hard. And sometimes I wanted to just not ask for his help because I wanted to miss silay, but I would humble myself and ask. 

I have discovered a blessing that the Lord has given me... ever since I can remember.. but I just now realized it. He has given me the gift of Forgetting. I know that sounds really harsh, but it is so true. For example, this transfer, as I have had to rely on him solely for my strength and everything, he has also helped me Forget about silay. not to the point that it is bad, but just enough to where I can move on. so I can grow and learn in this new area. I am so thankful for that blessing. And I know that when My time is done here that I will remember and be happy and all things will be brought back to my rememberance. 

I know that I could not have moved on if it wasn't for the atonement. How grateful I am for our elder brother Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for me. He really loves me. 

I found a power scripture the other day... it is in doctrine and covenants63:20 "nevertheless he that endureth in faith and doeth my will, the same shall overcome" and it is so true. Put your faith in him, and he will do the rest.

We had a baptism on saturday, my companion's first baptism ever! and she deserved it! it was funny cause next door was the 7th day adventist church and they have sunday on saturday so we could hear them singing as we were bringing another child of god into the fold. (: 

so, I made a fool of my self the other day. (: we had zone conference and now that the borders have changed we have more elders in our zone then sisters and it is double the size. I was asked to be the chorister and here you sing the first line really fast so they know the tone and stuff and then you say "ready, sing" and then everyone starts singing. I was super nervous and the song was 241, count your many blessings. and I started it.... "count your many blessings..: but the actual words are "when upon life's billows..." and so some where singing it right and others werer not... and i was so embarassed and everyone was laughting. haha. yeah,, go sister young!!!!! ugh....but it was funny(:

We were able to watch the general womens meeting conference thing. It was such an amazing experience for 2 reasons. 1 because I could really feel the Sisterhood that we have in the church and I could feel the love of our leaders even though I am millions of miles away. and 2 because I am back in my old stake and all the people from my first area noticed me and were so happy to see me. Mind you I was only in my first area for 3 weeks... and it just reminded me how much of an affect I have on the people here. My name will forever be remembered in the pHilippines. It was special. 

I hope you all had a great time watching conference, I get to watch it this week. I am so excited. I pray for all of you daily, and I hope you feel my love for you, and Their love you you. 

Love, Your sister missionary,\

Sister Young