Mission Time In Cebu

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

4/26

Yes Hillary I am an idiot and keep reading b/c this will just solidify your opinions...haha. So Bogo Zone has just been FULL of problems...our car keeps breaking down so the Elders are exhausted from pushing around a car and trying to fix the dang thing. One of the Elders from our Bogo Family just went home for 6 months...but he will come back. It was really hard to see him go, but Mom he will probably friend you on facebook he has a ton of good pictures...haha. His name is Ryan Galdonez. So you can make another friend. I see Elder Bennett sometimes hes a good friend in the mission, but I am always soo overwhelmed by all the missionaries I never get to see I never get to talk to anyone very long. I see Elder Stirland sometimes his trainer is our new zone leader so we share stirland stories all the time..haha. And I have only seen Elder Johnson once for 2 minutes a long time ago. So I have no idea how he's doing.

So starting on Wednesday I got to climb a house and of course all the Elders had to try and follow...haha. I'm not a very good example for them. But, they arent good examples for me...I have been suffering from large deep cuts on the bottom of both my feet from our service project on saturday. Me and Elder frecker only got into the mud thigh deep planting in the ocean. It was soo fun I ignored the pains in my feet and when I got out their were very many pretty deep cuts, haha everyone from the district knows who I am all the leaders now b/c I was the only sister out their running through the mud...haha. So yes hillary I am an idiot and I am suffering for it, but do I have any regret? no way! haha. Dont worry I clean them three times a day and am using lots of medicine so they will not get infected. After the CSP everyone doctored me up as we waited to fix the car again! and a nanay found us sitting on the side of the road I was SOOO MUDDY she felt sorry for us...we almost looked homeless so she made us lunch. and we finally got cell phones!! yay!! Oh so when we FINALLY got home we showered and had a wonderful baptism!! That we almost had to do in the ocean b/c the water was pretty dirty, I wanted to do soo bad, all the elders usually get to baptize in the ocean. But we cleaned the water (only a little...haha) But I just LOVE montesa soo much!! She had such a beautiful testimony that she did on the spot b/c we forgot to tell her she would give one...ooops. she was soo nervous but I explained to her what to do and it was such an amazing testimony. Such a little girl with a huge spirit!! She wants to serve a mission someday just like us sisters :) I was on cloud 9. then Sunday we got to celebrate FHE with the elders montesa and the susvilla family ( myFavorite family) it was sooo fun!!! I love them soo much!!! I dont know how I will ever say goodbye. uggghhh!!! Hurts my heart... I just keep getting closer and closer to people. why is the mission full of goodbyes?

Well sunday we had an area attack all of the missionaries worked in on area to help the area, We got to hear from an area authority yesterday on how to strrengthen branches. I will seriously use all the stuff my whole life...invaluable information for future leaders of the church. Its amazing.

I worked with S. Honey on sunday we laughed about you...well I laughed about you...I was like what did my mom say? and she said you said you miss your beautiful missionary...haha. I was embarrassed and just laughed...oh thats my mom. She says your super nice.

about skype I don't know how that works. and the primary program seems like a priceless experience. I saw elder mcbride, he is sooo nice! I am always blessed with good companions though. The language is something that is always difficult, even now I sometimes just wish I was english speaking, but I am thankful to be learning and humbled. Well I love you all!!! oh wait I have bad news, yes my camera is broken. I have no idea how...so what do you want me to do? use my companions only or buy a new one? I am soo sorry!!! If you dont want to buy a new one Ill just use my companions...I dont know. Ill leave it up to you.

Well love you all...I feel your prayers!!!

Love,

Cari

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Happy Easter!

You might be able to tell that I stressed to Cari how worried I was about her cellulitis a few weeks ago. I am now cracking up that she feels she has to constantly reassure me not to worry ~Jeanette

haha....Dad and I are connected, I split the back of my foot open by the screen door.( Cari is referring to me telling her that her dad cut his finger with a saw) But don't worry I'm okay.

Transfer day was good. I really miss our zone but our zone is pretty awesome now. My companion and I are working very very hard. Trying to focus on families...so we are FINDING FINDING FINDING!! We will hopefully be having a baptism this saturday with a 12 year old investigator who we love soo much....she is soo ready although she is only 12 yrs old. She is an example to me. Her name is Montesa and pray for her. We have a couple more on track, but we are really just looking for a lot of families now. My new companion is actually Sister yanoyan so her name is not has hard as I thought.

We had another Pday as a zone, and we ate pig ears, liver and rice on a huge banana leaf with our hands. Next week we are killing a pig, and eating him on the beach. Yes I will take a video. Oh and probaby the cd is ruined b/c our zl lost his bag and it got all rained on so I will send another one soon. sorry. This week we will be in knee deep mud planting on the beach. I\m excited even though I don't know if I will be allowed to participate b/c of my foot. The last csp we cut down weeds with machetes but I had to stop after awhile b/c we wanted to be extra careful about my foot. You know how I hate sitting around on the sidelines.

We have a bunch of plans for our ward, including area attacks where all the missionaries just work in one area for a day. I just am loving the work...I am having soo much fun, the harder I work the happier I am and the more fun I am having.

And I am excited for all my packages...Tell Rhonda thank you, and thanks mom for the clothes all of myine are pretty ruined for my horrible/lazy hand washing skills.

so here is the Filipino tradition for easter, it is huge here. They have a week off b/c they are predominately catholic here and they have these traditions where they crucify people on the cross so they can be forgiven for their sins or whip them. They don't die...well usually. So yes that is the Philippines for you. You gotta love them.

Well love you all... glad all is well, dont be to stressed mom. Love you and tell Greg thanks for the cds we all LOVE them soo nice of him!!!

Love you!! Cari

oh by the way our apartment is super weird as in SUPER WEIRD...dont be worried but we have been having our underwear stolen...underwear only, when we hang them out to dry, nothing is stolen but garments. I have now put two pairs out for bait and we have had a stake out the past couple nights. We think our apartment is haunted...if you saw it, it looks like a haunted house and we always hear noises at night, in the upstairs that we never enter. So I am living in a haunted house at this time. But we feel safe so do not worry. The Elders teased us and said we were going to be emergency transfered and I almost cried b/c I love my investigators/recent converts soo much and I couldn't stand being pulled out. But we are keeping an eye out and have to report anything else that is weird...it has happened several times since I arrived here in Bogo.

Monday, April 11, 2011

The Unstoppable Sister Robison

Ok...Pdays are just changed this week. President has a meeting so transfers are tomorrow. and I must really stink at english right now, b/c no I am not transferring. haha. I am getting a new companion whose name is really hard to pronounce, But i know her b/c there is only 20 plus sisters in the mission, so I know who everyone is. She is awesome and very friendly. Visyan too. Her name is sister Yangoyan. Sister Martin is transferring to mabolo. How did you get to be friends on facebook with sister Honey? haha. Thats funny.Shes in my ward. We love her. Elder allen will be a district leader in the south zone. I am soo proud of my batch. and 3 others are transferring...our zone is being split up which we are SUPER sad about...but expected. Transfer day is tomorrow...so hasn't happened yet. wow...I guess I really didnt make any sense last email.

LOVED conference!! Its like missionary christmas...and to think before I would accidently fall asleep while these spiritual giants talked. I just recieved revelation in each talk. I am really studying about temples, the priesthood and motherhood and how they all work together. Ive been getting into some pretty deep doctrine and LOVE studying. Its amazing how close to the spirit and how there are no secrets just sacred things that the Lord has to open your heart too. But literally everything is in the scriptures. I am really finding out how little I do know.

So my foot is basically healed. The Lord must love me b/c I gave it literally no rest. I figure I have one time to be in the philippines on a mission and it is short...But, don't worry I still take care of myself.

We had a beautiful baptism with Maricar. I remember when she cried the first lesson b/c she was soo afraid of us and terrified of elder hardin for the interview but she overcame it all to bless her inactive family and herself. Amazing blessings.

So yes I have ringworm now...haha. and we have termites in our apartment. yes!! haha the philippines. But ill just borrow the medicine from one of the elders...he just had it. We just printed four cds of our amazingly fun times here in Bogo...so you will love to get those. I don't know what picture your talking about...but the american elders are frecker, allen and hardin. You probably dont know their moms..haha.

Yes I heard about the sedgwicks in the talk by Elder cook. I was proud, but conference always makes me a little homesick. Its okay.

I just got back from the temple. AMAZING!!! I just saw a couple that has just been endowed and I moved from the couch so the could sit together. They were an older couple so I assumed they were converts and I was just filled with joy to the point of tears as I looked at them and thought of my converts and how they will be able to have the same experience one day b/c of their baptism. I am learning more and more the blessing of temples that I never understood before. Its amazing how real everything becomes to you on your mission, Your testimony just comes alive.

So I decided I miss american food. Even though I love the food here. I could use your cooking mom. I cannot wait to just come home and have a big family dinner. And I want all the food youve been talking about. Oh by the way we havent received americans in our mission for the past few transfers and not until August b/c there are no mtc teachers for cebuano in provo. So our american numbers are shrinking...haha. But its okay b/c I love the filipinos. I'm really gonna miss sister martin...we had soo much fun together, and worked soo hard. But at least I know she will take good care of my Mabolo and all my people there.

Well I love you all. I ate Goat this week....sooo good and balut again, I'm about eating that every week. By the way one of my favorite filipino elders is moving to utah after his mission and wants to write courtney so I'm giving him permission and pray they marry....yes!! haha Love you!! Carry on!
Love Cari

After Watching Conference


Wednesday, April 6, 2011

AYAW KABALAKA!!! Dont worry!!

Not much slows this girl down! I am so grateful she is healing and listening to her body. She will be transferring next week. They watch conference a week late there, so she hasn't seen it yet. The prank she is referring to is for April Fools Day Courtney made some brownies with something added to them that made all of us....well to put it delicately, see blue when we went to the bathroom. Then Brooke pulled the old, "Hey dad, can you roll this quarter down your face?" Which Rich fell for and had a black line running down his face that he didn't know about until he looked in the mirror. Yes, they had fun! And, yes, I was slightly freaking out this week over Cari's infection. I guess I need to be more faithful, but I can't help being a mom.

~Jeanette



So I'm okay...I finished my medicine and the swelling has gone down. But, I cant lie...I dont know how to take it easy, but I know my limits I always do. We only worked two days, I was super weak so I took it a little easier. We have just had a blast this week. I'm going to miss my zone a ton, I just love these elders and my companion soo much. I don't know if I have ever had soo much fun on my mission. Byu the way all our investigators missed us a TON and were soo glad to have us back. We got to ride back up with the APs and President and Sister Hansen. I was soo glad to get back to the mountains, with my beach breeze and trees. I am not a city girl. We got to watch General Young Women's conference, which was awesome. But, I am ashamed the first time I watched that ever was on my mission. Wow...I used to take this stuff for granted soo much and now I look forward to it for months. Its like the highlight of our month for us.
Monday, we built a bridge over a river so the children would have a way to walk to school. So FUN. E. Hardin and I made a poll vault or the river, all the other Elders wouldn't do it...but we had fun. Don't worry I have a classic video, I couldn't land on my sick foot so I just completely land on the ground on my body, and then the elders were so shocked I actually did it they needed another video so I had to do it again. haha. It was soo fun but kind of hurt. haha it reminded me of the experience when I jumped off the roof with dan on to the top of a bounce house with my hurt leg. haha... Dont worry b/c I'm telling you this. I decided I will not tell everything if your going to worry. You should all be use to me by now...haha. When do I not do stuff like this? But I decided after that Mom would probably be mad at me, so I decided after that I need to take it easy...I didn't even climb up this super amazing mountain and this tree that was like 5 trees combined in one (coolest tree ever) b/c I just thought about how Mom and Sister Hansen would not be happy. I don't want a scared mom email next week. So Im settling down mom, for you.

But, today was just AMAZING!! I still cannot believe how breathe taking the Philippines is. We traveled to Botayan-no missionaries are there, so we were probably the first americans they have seen and of course I gave them all pass along cards. They are just amazing friendly people the missionaries are soo lucky who get to open the area. But there is just amazing beaches there. We hiked on the cliffs and there was just some of the most amazing views you will ever see. Then we sat right by the ocean and ate cooked fish. I am just in love with the Philippines, but transfers are next week and Pday is on tuesday by the way. So you will be getting your email on Monday night. I will miss my zone soo much. Best zone in the mission, and hopefully my next companion is just as good as S. Martin. I've had a lot of time to ponder this week and think of Joseph Smith and about how all the prophets sacrificed so much that we could have the fullness of the Gospel today, and that it is my duty to spread the truth of the Book of Mormon to everyone. I know when I see Joseph Smith and all the prophets in the BoM I want to be able to stand before them and say I testified with all my heart about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I know a lot of the power from the Book of Mormon comes from their sacrifices. Sorry I don't have to many updates on investigators and things b/c I havent been able to work too much. Which was soo hard. I spent about the whole week worrying about investigators and converts and itching to get back to work. I was soo happy to see their faces again and know that they had continues. Well most of them we had one the decided to stop. Heartbreaking, BUT we should have another baptism this saturday. Super shy investigator...she cried the first time she saw us she was soo scared. But her family is not active in the church and she is doing great now and excited for her baptism. One of our investigators w/ a baptisimal date was drunk last night during the lesson, which was hard for us too. We are having a lot of difficulties w/ our investigators. I mean our area kind of died with out us there for 5 days and with General conf. it will be hard to work a lot too and temple day the transfers moved up to wednesday. BUT we will carry on. And Bogo will continue to progress and my foot will heal. DO NOT BE WORRIED. haha.. Dad I can't believe you fall for their tricks. I had already told you about that trick when I pranked my whole ward with that. haha. funny kaayo. I laughed out loud. and I want to see turty!!! CUTE!! There are a lot of turtles here I get to see, they are cute. So once again, dont worry. I am taking care of my self and still having fun, my companion is calming me down. I know my limits though. love you all...I will continue to carry on. AND...work hard play hard. LOVE LOVE YOU ALLL! I get to see your faces soon :) *She's talking about getting to talk on video with Skype on Mother's Day

Love,

Cari