Mission Time In Cebu

Thursday, June 2, 2011

5/31 - First Week in Bohol. Challenges and Miracles!

Well....I have one thing to say I have fallen in love, with BOHOL!!! It is the most spectacular place I have seen in person, and I thought Bogo was beautiful....sometimes I just lose my breath looking at the jungles and jungles of palm trees and the rolling mountains with the bright green miles of rice fields. But before I go on my Bohol adventures I have to finish up talking about my Bogo days. So Thursday I got another encounter with my stalker. You know how elder frecker went to his house to tell him off 2 weeks ago. Well I saw him on my way to say goodbye to two of my favorite recent converts and who was behind me? My cockeyed, drunk stalker. He followed me and went INSIDE the house and wouldn’t leave...he just kept mumbling his love to me and one of the brothers was going to try to punch him, but they had to hold him back. The stalker finally went outside after 20 minutes of declaring his love and was waiting for me outside aand I snuck out around back after saying my goodbyes. Then I had a wonderful FHE with my favorite family and recent converts...I love them soo much, of course I cried. and tell sister honey I miss her and Im making her a BR. I love Bogo soo much, but I feel satisfied with my work there of course I ache for my Bogo but I know they are in good hands.

Transfer day was hard I knew that was the last time I would see a lot of the missionaries who I love, so it was really hard. B/c I think I will be spending a while off island and a lot of them will be going home. yes i am tigulang (an old person) in the mission. I didn’t really get a to talk to e. johnson, I think he’s in toledo now?

So the boat ride To Bohol was sweet, tons of little islands on the side and it was just awesome!!! Bohol is sooo beautiful...rice fields!!! our apartment is okay but I think they are gonna make us move. I’m gonna be known as the moving sister....grrrr... I hate moving. We get to our apartment and it is a mess b/c there were elders there before. Plus they leave us a note that said this is a HARD area and they have had very little success. I look at the area book they usually only have 10-14 lessons a week. But I have FAITH...I am soo excited, I just love challenges and I LOVE hard areas. Never seen an easy one yet. Everything I hear about how hard it is just gets me excited. So after lots of planning and strategy we meet the president of the branch (super nice) super willing to help and we schedule PEC meeting with them on Sunday morning. I don’t think they’ve ever had one...haha. But i learned from Bogo success starts by meetings.

We spoke on Sunday and I gave the story about the sons of mosiah and about them being assigned to a super hard area -the lamanties. and having tons of success through fasting. So I decided I was gonna fast- then BOOM miracles!! That afternoon about 10 members of the branch went on splits and we visited less active members plus we scheduled to have members work with us all week, PLUS we received 11 referrals. They loved the elders but after 3 days they were like its super nice to have sisters :) I love them already soo much!!! I told them through faith, fasting and prayer we will see miracles. YES!! I am soo excited to work everyday. WORK WORK WORK...I am as happy as ever. But yes ITS HARD!!! We were left with 0 investigators...not even one!!

Tuesday I climbed a mountain to visit some referrals...it was awesome....breath taking views...you can see cebu island. Then today I went to the chocolate mounatins (they were formed b/c Bohol used to be entirely underwater, that’s why there are sea shells on the ground everywhere in the philippines..hha) AMAZING and yes I held a tarsier....so creepy and sooo funny and cute. Its illegal but we paid the guy under the table...shhh. :)

My companion is fun, good worker...we get along. Im just expecting so many miracles....I want you to know though. My mission is not easy. Its hard, hardest time of my life. I have spent soo many times crying myself to sleep over people that have rejected us, people that I have loved. I have felt physical pain from the intense emotional pains I have felt. I have never felt such horrible emotional pain in my life where my body aches and I just cry out to heavenly father to help me. A mission is hard, I have soo many trials and weaknesses. But I’ve learned not to focus on them, once I learned to completely forget about myself is when I learned to love my mission. AND I LOVE MY MISSION!! I don’t focus on the disappointments and the trials, that’s just wasting my time. I am soo happy, I have never been happier, despite everything, I am happy and soo full of love for everything. I can’t wait to come home and just teach...I love teaching- just wait for my family home evenings. :)

oh by the way got your package...it was perfect-loved it all, your the best mom ever i mean it. Loved the pictures but just wait till you and dad come to the philippines you’ll have an adventure of a lifetime.

By the way elder frecker just ordered a plate of chicken butts, he thought it was chicken nuggets...haha.

I love you all soo much, I feel your prayers. Im in a hard area and I love it. Pray for miracles, this is gonna be the sweetest experience of a life time.

I’m in paradise, working for the lord, with all the potential to happen in the world. priceless gyud.

Carry on!

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