New House and Belut

Kamusta Fam and Friends!!

So this week is transfers- and yes I have been transferred to a new house, haha. I am in Mabolo, I'm thinking for at least another two transfers, and Sis. Person will be staying also. So no changes, which I'm happy about.

We have two amazing investigators. First, S. Alma, I remember when I met her, very shy, didn't seem interested it just seemed like we were forcing her b/c she was too shy to tell us no. I actually thought it was useless, she turned us away a couple times even. She is from Tacloban (another island) and she left her family behind to be a maid for this family. Sad story...but she LOVES the Gospel now. I don't know if you can get more Golden than her in investigators. She is always waiting for us reading her scriptures and she is soo cute. SOOO SMALL. she is 38 years old and likes to laugh at my Cebuano...haha. But she is such an awesome investigator that even though she doesn’t have plete (money to ride the jeepney) she walks to church! and she even went to our ward missionary meeting and went to pick up investigators with us to church...haha. Future ward missionary!! Her baptismal date is October 2nd! Second, S. Erwina is a signal mother and very smart. She is 20 years old and came to church for the first time she knew all the answers to the questions and loves church. Her baptismal date is October 9th. Also, we had 6 investigators at church again, and we had 180 contacts this week. It is sooo fun to work hard. I know the Lord is blessing us. S. Hansen told me that the majority of the ward is inactive and Mabolo ward is one of the most difficult to keep together, but it is really becoming stronger, and its amazing to see the change in people.

So this week I gained a stronger testimony of the priesthood. It really hit me that when men receive the priesthood they are literally receiving the same power that God has. He used the priesthood power to create us and the earth and the power is eternal. These men will have this power for all eternity...I just thought that was amazing.

So Last night was crazy 4 elders from our district came over to help us move houses. The truck ended up breaking down, while they were taking a load so me and s. person e. bennett and elder nicoletta were just waiting around, perfect timing to try balut, right? So I got a 16 day old one, I was nervous and after I got it I found out E. Bennett has never tried it. But the Beluit man was gone so he supported me as I tried this new exotic food, S. Person taught me how to eat it. So first you crack the egg and suck our the warm fetus juice or whatever it is, taste like chicken broth, very delicious, then you eat the yoke around it which taste like a hard boiled egg except better. Then you eat the fetus....it was actually super delicious, I loved it. And no I am not joking, and yes there were feathers haha. Then the balut man came around again and I bought one for E. Bennett a little more mature 18 days, except we told him 16 days...haha. Good sport. The Filipino Elders told me I'm filipino by the way I sit and act...I thought YES! best compliment ever. They said I'm learning cebuano super fast, which just made me feel so good, diligence and prayer.So finally we moved! Went to bed at midnight. Grabe! But we get to go to the beautiful Cebu temple again today.

I have really learned the power of prayer here. I am just constantly praying...I have never prayed soo hard in my life, for my language, for sis. person, for the area, the ward, our investigators. I just pray pray pray! Always, when we’re walking I just pray. I feel soo close to the Lord. I was reading in the Bible dictionary about prayer and it said it is aligning our will with the will of the Lord. Amazing, some of the most sacred experiences I have had is during my prayers to my Father in Heaven. He already knows what we need and is willing to give it to us, all we need to do is work and ask for the blessings. I have learned how to pray better, I never thought about having a moment of silence before my prayer so the spirit could speak to me and let me know what to ask for, but this has completely changed the way I pray and the way I can know how to receive answers.

On Sunday we had a little testimony meeting with the Senior Sisters (my surrogate mothers). It was an amazing spirit; seriously I have never felt more blessed then here on my mission. I have never realized how weak I am with out the Lord. With out him I am nothing. I have never seen sooo many of my weaknesses...before my mission I thought I was soo close to perfection. Joke joke. But, really now I see soo many things I need to improve and I am soo grateful b/c the Lord has shown me my weaknesses so that I can make them strong. Its amazing to see improvement every single day as I am trying soo hard to be a better missionary for these people. These WONDERFUL people that would take their shirts off their back and give it to you b/c they are soo loving. I love it here...although it is still SOOO hard. I am drenched in sweat everyday and never ever feel decent looking (just look at the pictures I sent...haha. BUT it is soo worth it, I just love it and serving these people. It is soo unfair b/c I think I am learning more from them then they are from me...haha.

I love you all sooo much. I have soo many more pictures but the internet is slow. Have you gotten the picture CD i sent you yet? Love you all sooo much...every person I hear from just makes my day and I love it!! The Gospel is true and really does change us and make us the people the Lord wants us to be!

Love, Cari