Finding the Joy

district fun 

This week started off a little rough with having a nasty cold, but it ended up being pretty great. On Tuesday we had our last district meeting of the cycle. We ended up having more of a FHE style meeting. After a spiritual thought, we all played Prophet charades, elders verses the sisters. The sisters let the elders win though so they wouldn't be sore losers. ; ) Then we played another game where we all sat in a circle, with one person in the middle who was blindfolded. They had to point to somebody and say the name of an animal and guess who the person is making the noise. The last person to be blindfolded was sitting there and we all left the room. Ha HA ha... He was sitting there pointing and no one was there to make a noise. We all were laughing with each other, so it was a great last meeting, especially with one of our elders getting permanently transferred back home.  We thought maybe it was my time to be transferred but not this time.  Although, changing things up is always exciting I feel like I have so much more to do here and I love my families here... and someone must know I need way more than a day to pack!  But...I'll be ready for the next transfer...I know it's coming!

This week, we also got to celebrate the birthday of one of the sister missionaries here in Diffun. We had a birthday party/home evening at the church for her. We all played games and then had a talent show. The sisters put on a skit about a typical day here in the field, and we had three dance performances, and even a band. 

But, the best part of this week was seeing the newest family of the Diffun ward baptized. The mother of the family was baptized a few weeks ago. I wrote about her and all the miracles that got her to the right place. She's become a huge example to her family. They have all become super involved in the ward, and two of the members of the family were able to be baptized this past week and their next son will be baptized this Saturday. It's all so good.

Sometimes it seems like missionary work has to be serious all the time and all we do is work, work, work. But the thing is, we are not all spiritual robots. If we have fun while serving, it helps not only bring the spirit into the lives of those around us, but it brings joy and happiness as well. Seeing the people that we care so much,entering in the waters of baptism and the joy on their faces, is, by far, the greatest joy of all.

Hope you all have a great week!...find the joy!
Love,
Sister K

a little tree planting...literally one LITTLE tree   ; )

To every Nation, Kindred, Tongue, and....Caribou?

Man! These weeks keep getting faster and faster before I know it, a 3rd of my mission will already be done. 

The other day Sister Mat and I were able to go on splits. I was companion for a day with Sister Stabenow from Utah. She leaves this next transfer (August 13). It was cool to see the difference of a new missionary with not much experience (that would be me btw) and one about to go home. I can easily tell that the decision come on a mission was the best decision that I could have ever made. Her advice was that as we loose ourselves in the work, the Lord helps us to become the person we are meant to be and the mission becomes all and more of what we could have ever possibly hoped for.
It is true what is said in Doctrines and Covenants, "The Lord calls us in his weakness, and qualifies us for His work." Sometimes, it is hard for me not to get discouraged. Lately we have had some of our progressing investigators become less interested. They might loose faith and desire, and all I can do is question what else can I do. I don't know the language well enough to really understand what is going on or to say exactly what I want to say. Sometimes I feel soooo weak. But that is why we have grace.
The best line of my favorite hymn "Come, Come, Ye Saints" is "Grace shall be as you day." (hence why my blog is named that). It is all about the pioneers and their trek across the US. After being mocked, beaten, and thrown out of their homes multiple times, the early saints walked for so many miles, some dying along the way, until they could find peace. But the thing that kept them going, was their faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Through Him and His Grace we can do all things. His Grace is sufficient for all men. Each and every day that we rely on him to make up for our weaknesses and do our part in what He would have us do, we become stronger. He qualifies us. That is the beautiful promise that He gave us.
I hope that by the end of my mission, I can say that I have felt His Grace everyday, strengthening me and that I have become a stronger person because of it and that I can share that knowledge with all that I meet.
Have a great week!
Mahal ko kayo!
Sister K

We got some good rain that made the ground pretty muddy and uh...mud is not my friend : /

[an exerpt from her Dad's letter I thought I would share.]  Erin wrote:  "Wow! Congrats on your epic bike ride anniversary, Dad. I think that is really cool that you and Doug were able to do such a thing.  And to think of all the good things that came from it. I definitely don't have that desire to ride a bike all the way across country, but in a way, we are all enduring through something. The other day I read a talk in the Liahona about how when we ride a bike, we have to keep pedaling or else it starts to shake and wobble and then you fall. We all need to keep pedaling, keep enduring, and hold on to the gospel and doctrines that will take us to where we our ultimate goal is and not take a fall. Along the way there will be blessings, like the wind at your back that will help to push us along  ...or sometimes you have an awesome Dad with his hand on your back pushing you up Mt Albert : )   This mission thing, I KNOW, is a blessing, not only for me, but for all. It is hard work, but I know it is always worth it."     

--For those who don't know our  little family story, Erin's dad and one of his mission companions who, soon after the ride, became his brother-in-law, set out on a 28 day bike ride from ocean to ocean exactly 25 years ago this week, it was kind of big deal! :D   

Go Forth...

"Go forth with pow'r to tell the world, the gospel is restored,

That all may gain eternal life, thru Jesus Christ our Lord.

Go forth to preach his glorious truths of peace, of joy, and love,

That all who heed his holy word may praise the Lord above."

Hymn #263

Santiago South Zone

This was a little different week than normal. Tuesday we had our quarterly Zone Conference and then Friday, Sister Mat and I got to split up so she could renew her visa in Manila. Friday and Saturday I got to have splits with another sister who's companion had to do the same thing. It was really fun getting to experience being companions with another American. We definitely had even more odd stares and strange looks than ever those two days. We especially got some laughs after we taught one sister. She didn't have any furniture in the house, so we taught sitting on the floor. By the end Sister Nicoll's foot was asleep and my whole left leg was numb. All I could feel was pins and needles shooting through my leg. We stood up, about to leave, but I couldn't move my leg as I wanted to. I started turning in circles as if I had two left feet. The sister that lived at the house just laughed at us. It amazes me at how long people can squat and sit in strange positions without their limbs going numb or falling asleep! How do they do it? and How come I can't??

We also got to teach a couple of her investigators that were preparing for baptism later that Saturday. We came to visit them Saturday morning and the kids were jumping up an down saying "Mama and (her son) are getting baptized today!" over and over again. They all were just so excited. It is always so inspiring to see the true happiness that this gospel brings to the lives of the people and how supportive this family was of each other.   

(Erin's photo's she sent this week didn't download correctly but I did snag some photos from the zone conference on the Mission Blog that Sister Ralfe posted)

I spy a cute face... ; )

At the Zone Conference, it was awesome to hear from our mission president and his wife. Their talks were just so powerful and the spirit was just so present. The theme of the conference was the Apostasy and Restoration. One of the things that really struck me was the example of Hyrum Smith. He was an example of having compassion and understanding, he was quick to act, and he was a true example of being your brother's keeper. He stood at Joseph's side all throughout his life up until they both died in Carthage. Our families are one of the best gifts that we receive during this lifetime. We must also remember to support each other and love one another, after all, we have them for eternity. We are each other's keeper. 

Love,
Sister K

Don't pop that balloon!

So got my first hurricane in the Philippines under my belt!  Our mission did not feel the brunt of it, only the benefits. It brought a lot of rain this week. The farmers here have been really suffering because of their irrigation systems have been dried up, so they needed it badly! It has been nice and cool here too (really only like 87 degrees, but that is a really nice change to the 100 degree weather before). The hurricane hit Manila and all the missionaries are fine there, but there was flooding and roofs that blew off houses and what not. Another hurricane is heading this way too but it is not expected to hit land too hard. Probably just a little more wind and some rain. No worries!

Sister Mat and I are good. And so are my other housemates. They are super fun and we have a good time all together. There are a couple people preparing for their missions in the ward so we have begun a mini MTC for them were they work with us, we teach from the Preach My Gospel manual after they get off work. The sisters are Sister Cabada from Quezon City and Sister Simram from Micronesia. My apartment is pretty culturally diverse. right?  Sister Mat is a convert, and the rest have all grown up in the church. All of their parents are members and are very supportive. Sister Cabada just hit her 1 year mark in the mission, Sister Simram has been out for 6 or 7 months, and Mat is at 10 months.

This week was good even with a hurricane. We were only able to teach about 20 lessons this week, which isn't the best, but we did well in our finding efforts. Most of the time we don't knock on doors and tract that way. We usually talk to people when we are in vans heading to different places, or we stop and talk to people on the street. The other day we stopped at the little corner store (they are called tindahans) to get a drink and while we were talking to the lady working there, three other guys came to get a drink as well. It turns out that one of them is actually an inactive member and we were able to talk to him and his friends about what we believe. The inactive one said that he was actually looking for a way to come back to church. He has been inactive for 18 years and is new to the area. It was kind of a miracle running into them. We will be saying our prayers we see him again soon...we have hope!!

This week Sister Mat and I had a day where we went around to our different areas looking for inactive members that we have yet to meet. When we asked the different members about where we could find them (because here there are no addresses), they all would tell us their problems about how they smoke and drink and they are hopeless for coming back to church and being a worthy and active member. When this particular member told me all of these things, I simply replied, "There is always hope. We will visit them soon." I thought back to a lesson I had at the MTC. Class started off with someone holding a balloon. When there was something negative said, the balloon popped immediately. That balloon represented hope. That hope was destroyed, and he was left hopeless.
With everyone we meet, we have hope for them. We picture them dressed in white entering the waters of baptism. We picture them happily entering the temple. We have all of these feelings of love for them. We can't let negativity and hopeless thoughts keep us from helping others realize what really matters.

This was a concept that I recently learned in the field. We routinely visit an inactive member. She hasn't come to church in a long time. She smokes often and has never made any effort to keep the commitments we make with her. One day we even taught about the word of wisdom, yet we would come to visit her and she would be sitting on her doorstep with a cigarette in her mouth. I didn't have much hope for her, but we still would continue to visit her. My companion is such a great example to me. She always has a ton of hope for her, and I was probably the one popping that balloon of hope. She promised she would quite smoking and she would come to church. To my surprise she came AND she told she hadn't had a cigarette in two weeks. Isn't that awesome?

We must not loose hope. Not in ourselves. Not in others. And most definitely, never loose hope in the Lord. He has a perfect plan for each and everyone of us. Trust in Him. Rely on Him. We can do all things in Christ.

Love you all!
Sister Koncurat 

"LOOK UP"

This past Saturday, the other sister missionaries in Diffun had a baptism for a family that they have been teaching for a couple months now. Afterwards, all of us were taking pictures and one thing that the people like to do is look up. There was always a normal smiling picture, then a waki (goofy) picture, and then they all yell "LOOK UP" and take a "look up" picture.

I love the principle of looking up. It symbolizes being positive and looking up to our Lord in all situations in life. Things happen everyday that may knock us down, or give us a hard time, but everyday we are given something to be grateful for. So look up and be happy! Remember all the good we have in our life, even if it is as simple as having a bed to sleep on, or a roof over our heads. Being here in the Philippines is a really humbling experience. Everyday I see how hard it is just for the people to live, but one thing I always notice is how people still seem to smile. It is truly inspiring.

Look up and Smile! There is always something to be happy about!

For me, I am truly happy to be here. Serving a mission is the hardest thing that I've ever done, but every day as I teach the people and help others feel the spirit in their lives, there is an overwhelming joy that is felt. This work is my joy; I do not glory in myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me (Alma 29:9).

Take care!
Love,
Sister K

Milk Chocolate

This past week you had the opportunity to celebrate American Independence Day which I have come to realize is a pretty significant holiday. Before, I just thought of it as a get together with families and friends in the summer time to have a BBQ and go to parades and have fun watching the fireworks light up the night sky. It is a fun day that I love still, even here in the Philippines, but it means so much more than I realized. A little while ago, we were teaching about the Book of Mormon, when the investigator asked, "Why was the promised land in the Americas?" I was able to explain that it was one of the first countries to have religious freedom. It made me really think how mindful God is. His plan was and still is perfect. He knew that it would be the place that one day would become a free place for the church to be established. He knew that years from the time Moroni placed the plates in the Hill Comorah, a young boy by the name of Joseph would be there and the time would be right to find the ancient writings of the prophets and translate them for the world to have the fullness and that truthfulness of the gospel. Amazing, huh?  Our Heavenly Father is so aware and mindful of every detail in our life. Everything has a purpose according to His perfect plan.

This week was a little sad saying goodbye to my Nanay, Sister Lamac, but the Lord's plan for me seemed really evident when I met my new companion...

Meet Sister Matanatabu (or just sister Mat) from Fiji. With two non-native Tagalog speakers, it was obvious to me that this cycle, the Lord's plan for me was to really test my language skills. I'm excited for this new challenge and I think it is exactly what I needed. The other day, some members were joking around saying if I don't start understanding the language, they will sell me and I would have no idea of what was happening....They were just kidding....right? Haha. They also gave us a nickname: Milk and Chocolate!


Have a great week!

love,

Sister K

[Excerpts from Dad's letter home]  ---  So my week, it was pretty good. I had a good last half of the week with Sister Lamac. Oh Monday, I did get to experience riding up on the top of a van. It was too full, so they put us up on the roof top wear there is a metal rack to sit on. No worries..I was safe.. It just made me think of when we were little and you used to joke that you would strap us to the roof of the car. Haha. Anyway, later that night we had FHE with one of our member families and they fed us afterwards. That night, I tried my second exotic Filipino dish. It was still adobe, but the meat was not chicken or pork. I'll give you a clue: it swims in water and walks on the land. The family wouldn't tell us was it was until after we ate it. You probably guessed it by now, right? Yep...I ate crocodile! It was soooo gross. It kind of tasted like a fishy chicken and nice and chewy. I only took a little bit so I didn't have to eat too much of it. The family was laughing at our reaction afterwards. They even said next time they would give us frog or snake...I'm kind of nervous to eat there again...but it's all in the experience right? 

Just a miracle, that's all.

Just this last Saturday, we had four people getting baptized. This was, by far, the hardest and most stressful baptism I have had yet. It all started last Sunday...

One of our investigators is a mother of 4 kids and has been a faithful wife for 13 years. BUT, we found out that she was actually never legally married. This is a super important thing before being baptized. We had set an appointment for her baptismal interview with someone in the mission presidency, but it ended up falling through. Monday night, we received a call from President Rahlf. We asked if he would be able to do the interview sometime this week, and when he asked what the special circumstance was, he replied that they would need to get legally married first. That may not seem like a big deal, but for this family, it was huge!!. That night, we called around to see what we would have to do in order for the couple to be married, and we found out the cost would be over 1,000 pesos for specific documentation. Not to mention that they would need to travel at least 2 hours away to get pick it up. This family has absolutely no money for such things. All the money they make goes toward just surviving. All of this seemed pretty impossible to complete in just 5 days.

Sister Lamac and I immediately turned to the Lord. I remembered this quote, "When things get to hard to stand--kneel." Without saying anything, we knelt down and started praying. The next day, a very generous source offered to pay the amount for this wonderful family. We also found out that there "just happened" to be a member who worked in the office that did the paperwork. She could get the documents without the family traveling all the way there and was able to ship it straight to them. There were more problems that kept popping up, but little by little everything started to work out. The Lord sent us various people (angels) this whole week who really helped. When things seemed almost impossible, the Lord truly sent miracles. We know that "the Lord's work will not be frustrated" no matter how hard Satan tries to interrupt. The hour before the wedding ceremony, we finally received the last document and rushed over to the church.

After the ceremony, Sister Lamac and I went over to our other investigator's house to pick up all the kids that were getting baptized as well. There were two 12 year old girls, and one 15 year old boy. We got the 2 girls, but the 15 year old boy was missing. We found out that he had been called into work. It is planting season for all the rice farmers, and he needed to help with the plant. We called him, to see if he would be able to make it, and just then he said he would get to leave. Although he was a little late, everything worked out. All four were able to be baptized on Saturday as planned.  They all glowed with the pure joy of becoming clean from all sins and feeling the love of our Heavenly Father.

My miracle family--Just love them...we are teaching the dad and kids next.

the girls...they were so happy they started crying, so sweet.

one last hug before entering the waters 

I LOVE THIS WORK!!

The Lord will send his many miracles as long as we have the faith in Him. He knows and loves everyone of us, and cares for our salvation. I love that I get to be a part of HIS work, and to truly witness first hand miracles and the happiness that this gospel brings to the lives of the people.

My challenge to all of you, is to look for the many little miracles the Lord blesses you with every day.
Love, Sister K.

NOTES from mom--Sunday evenings I get to skype "chat" with Erin for a little while--Through our conversation I found out it's transfer week.  She will be nervously "leading the area" with a new companion. She will find out Wednesday who it will be. She is sad about losing Sister Lamac but changing things up is always exciting.  I asked her if soccer and the world cup is big there...she said she hasn't heard anything about it and she never sees anyone playing but basketball is super popular and everyone knows Lebron James and the Miami Heat.  ...and I asked if she dreams in Tagalog, she said she is so tired at night and sleeps so deeply she never remembers if she dreams at all.  OH and the language lesson of the week is, "ayaw ko", it means I don't like it, which she says she never says in front of anyone except to the family who made her eat Balut on her first day. And "Gusto" means both want and like but is careful to say it because sometimes if you like something the person may just give it all to you and it could be everything they had.  Finally, she is so appreciative for the thoughts and prayers of everyone, she truly does feel the love and strength.

our district before the transfer

Bye Sister Lamac (right)