Family!
Happy Thanksgiving! I have a lot to be grateful for!
Spiritual
1) Luke 14:26-33 (include JST) Are we firm in our belief and are we going to hold out until in the end? "Settle these things in your heart". Good for all of us--missionaries and our investigators. If they do not think they will hold out to the end, don't baptize them until they will--otherwise there will be a greater condemnation. As missionaries, we better finish the job we were called to do. As members....Endure to the End!
2) From Jesus the Christ, beginning of Chapter 15: the Sabbath is a covenant between God and His people which sets them apart--a new thing to add to my list to help my investigators understand just how holy the sabbath day is, and how important it is to keep it!
3) Luke 15, the story of the prodigal son. Not only for investigators, but members as well. In essence, we all need to realize what state we are in and humble ourselves enough to repent and return to our Father in Heaven. [the part about the older brother is also for members, but I want to focus on the humbling ourselves and repenting part]
Some interesting experiences this week. The guidance of the Lord is with us, and I can really feel the power of prayer as far as the Lord leading the prepared to us, and us to them. We had another member who recently moved into our area walk up to us again. Awesome experience. We already have two solid investigators from them, and will probably have more. The work in our area is really growing. First, backround. At the beginning of this transfer they split our area. We took the area that was "new", meaning less focus had been placed on it because it is far from our apartment, and far from the church. And it is the really poor section of town. We are essentially opening up the area. Well, we intend to leave it fully staffed and prepared when we leave, so much so that they will have to build a church over there soon. They are getting ready to split the two wards here--four missionaries in both of the Cainta Wards (sisters in ours (cainta 2nd) and elders in cainta 1st). We already have so many solid, prepared investigators over there. And we are continuing to discover more members! This is great, because our area presidency has just started a rescue action--they want us to focus on less active members. The numbers struggle--8 out of 10 baptisms here go inactive. In their words (and I agree wholeheartedly) this is unacceptable. They want us to focus on reactivating who we already have, and building centers of strength before we spread ourselves too thin...especially in cases when people are far from church because they tend to go inactive. This represents a bit of a problem for our area because 1) far from church 2) as far as we know right now, not a lot of members. We are working on that :). So, lots of strong, great investigators now, and we just baptized 3 yesterday! One is them is definite missionary material, and is so excited. He is going to start working with us. The others, a mother and a daughter (who are technically in the other area now) are such a miracle. The mother has changed so much, and so excited to continue to become better. Her daughter really looks up to me, and has asked me how to become a missionary. She is 9. So cute.
So, interesting story #2. We sat down to teach a lesson, and first understand that our area is a floodway squatter's area. Many of the "homes" are very open, and over or right next to the water, and everyone is together. So we sat down, and started to teach our investigators with a lot of neighbors and roommates listening in. Well, turns out one of the neighbors is a preacher. He started about how the Bible is perfect and complete and there cannot be any other scripture, etc. In many ways he was kind of trying to pick a fight with us....kind of. He wasn't too rude about it, just very emphatic. Well, we were pretty emphatic as well and bore strong testimony that God does speak to us through prophets today, and that the Book of Mormon is true. I bore heartfelt testimony of our purpose there and our love for them--that we were there for them, not for us, and I am so far away from my family. I refused to scripture bash with him (which in some cases would be fun, because everything that he was saying actually supported us). I invited him to read Ezekiel 37:15-16 and Luke 11, and gave him some questions to ponder. We will see what happens tomorrow when we return to that area. Our investigators were so embarrassed--I am really glad for that experience though, because it is a good trial of their faith to make them stronger. I emphasized to them that they should always ask God, and that they needed to ask God if we were true (what we are sharing), if Joseph Smith is a true prophet, and if the Book of Mormon is true. I am excited to see the result it produces.
Ooh, another interesting thing. I get shouted at a lot "what is your name"? Well... Anyway, the army of children that always somehow manages to coalesce around me always whispers my name. Well yesterday adults started saying "Hi Sister Biggs" to me, and I know it was not from looking at my nametag. This is a very interesting result. I am going to pray for very positive results, as in they will realize we have truth, everyone will start wanting us to teach them (sincerely), etc.
Last night the mother of one of our investigators truly became an investigator. She went to church learned a lot, and has a lot of respect for us missionaries. She is "catholic", but really likes how we have knowledge and explain everything, and sees that as a deficiency in the catholic church. She is happy with the good things we have taught her children--her son, our investigator, was "gay" (he is 12), mostly from the environment. Her 14 almost 15 year old daughter is pregnant and has a live-in boyfriend, but she and her mother read the law of chastity pamphlet and she wants to change. I'm so impressed with their desires to do good. A thing about missionaries here: she is so impressed with us (and she is not the only one), and respects us so much especially above other missionaries because we actually stick around and teach them things, and have a different spirit about us. There are a lot of missionaries around here, but we are the first ones to really stick to that area. The other missionaries of different faiths are here to "share the word of God" only: they share some things and then ask for money. They are also paid, so we try to make it clear to our investigators that we are paying to be here. The other missionaries never ask them to do things--share only, ask for money and leave, usually never to return again. They are not able to answer questions, and bible study here means memorizing verses, not actually studying the meaning of scripture. I like her because she is very honest and straightforward.
All my love to my friends! All my love to my family! Have a wonderful week, I love you love you love you love you! Thank you so much for your prayers, and continue to pray! We really appreciate it!
Kat
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
10/17/2011
Things are great! We had two baptisms this past Saturday--a girl age 9 and another 18. And we are excited for another baptism next week--a young father whose wife is a member (if just slightly inactive--but not anymore!). The family is so kind. We can only visit them on Sundays because that is his only day off, and they always feed us. He is a great story of diligence. He grew up in a the poorest of the poor families, and decided he wanted more in life. He has worked diligently to be able to read, and continues to work on it. He already has a great understanding of the gospel principles. The district leader told us that in his interview on Sunday he gave one of the best answers he has ever heard as to who Joseph Smith is--that God sent him, a prophet, to restore His Church because He knew we would need His Church in our lives (something to that effect). So awesome. They still live in the slums area, but God has already blessed them so much already. I am so excited to see him continue faithful--he will be a great leader.
We picked up a lot of new families this week, and we are really hopeful for them. So excited to see the Lord continue to make this area more fruitful!
We had a great FHE yesterday with the Stake President's family. It was on Obedience and Faith and how those are our bridge to blessings. If we want more blessings, we need to increase BOTH obedience and faith (included in faith is positive thinking--my addition). This was so good, and a refreshing reminder that my goals are worthy as a missionary, I just need to ask, obey, and have faith*positively think I will achieve, with the help of the Lord*. The lesson came from a workshop with Church employees, and the speaker said that the members of the Church ought to be some of the richest people on the earth(many examples in the scriptures)--the only reason they aren't is they aren't obedient/have faith. Ex: give tithing, but give grudgingly. If your fists are closed, you cannot catch the blessings that come from heaven. But when you are generous, and have your hands open, that is when you can catch the blessings of heaven. I really liked that. A lot of this reminded me very much of "As a Man Thinketh".
***many missionaries set their standards low, which is sad. I cannot tell you how many times in the MTC we were told by leader after leader that we are meant to be Ammon's and Alma's--their are MANY waiting for us. Oftentimes missionaries sell themselves short by not thinking that they can achieve more. But God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Why would He give missionaries back then large success, and us not? I am convinced that the only thing holding us back is lack of imagination as far as goals are, and that we fall into the trap of everybody saying "that is too high of a goal, you are just focused on baptisms", when in reality if we really believe and work for it God will give it to us. I pray every day to God that He will set events into motion that will result in the words spreading like wildfire here, that people's hearts will be prepared, and that I will say and do everything at the right time. Because I do not know how to reach thousands of people on my own, but God does, and He wants them to be reached. And He will provide the way, just as He did for Alma, Ammon, and all the other ancient missionaries.
---my statement: There is no reason to set low goals, and every reason to set high ones.
1) So we have cockroaches in our apartment (I even saw one on my first night here), and permethrin to spray them and any other bugs. One night there were some, and a particularly weird one creeping on the wall and on the ceiling, out in the open. I started spraying him like crazy.....and he kept moving (it takes a while to kill them).
Me: "What do I do now?"
Sister Sojor (roommate): "Wait for him to realize he is dead."
Soooo funny. My desk ended up getting splattered with all the permethrin from the ceiling and wall.
All my love, (send my love to the grandparents too!)
Kat
We picked up a lot of new families this week, and we are really hopeful for them. So excited to see the Lord continue to make this area more fruitful!
We had a great FHE yesterday with the Stake President's family. It was on Obedience and Faith and how those are our bridge to blessings. If we want more blessings, we need to increase BOTH obedience and faith (included in faith is positive thinking--my addition). This was so good, and a refreshing reminder that my goals are worthy as a missionary, I just need to ask, obey, and have faith*positively think I will achieve, with the help of the Lord*. The lesson came from a workshop with Church employees, and the speaker said that the members of the Church ought to be some of the richest people on the earth(many examples in the scriptures)--the only reason they aren't is they aren't obedient/have faith. Ex: give tithing, but give grudgingly. If your fists are closed, you cannot catch the blessings that come from heaven. But when you are generous, and have your hands open, that is when you can catch the blessings of heaven. I really liked that. A lot of this reminded me very much of "As a Man Thinketh".
***many missionaries set their standards low, which is sad. I cannot tell you how many times in the MTC we were told by leader after leader that we are meant to be Ammon's and Alma's--their are MANY waiting for us. Oftentimes missionaries sell themselves short by not thinking that they can achieve more. But God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Why would He give missionaries back then large success, and us not? I am convinced that the only thing holding us back is lack of imagination as far as goals are, and that we fall into the trap of everybody saying "that is too high of a goal, you are just focused on baptisms", when in reality if we really believe and work for it God will give it to us. I pray every day to God that He will set events into motion that will result in the words spreading like wildfire here, that people's hearts will be prepared, and that I will say and do everything at the right time. Because I do not know how to reach thousands of people on my own, but God does, and He wants them to be reached. And He will provide the way, just as He did for Alma, Ammon, and all the other ancient missionaries.
---my statement: There is no reason to set low goals, and every reason to set high ones.
1) So we have cockroaches in our apartment (I even saw one on my first night here), and permethrin to spray them and any other bugs. One night there were some, and a particularly weird one creeping on the wall and on the ceiling, out in the open. I started spraying him like crazy.....and he kept moving (it takes a while to kill them).
Me: "What do I do now?"
Sister Sojor (roommate): "Wait for him to realize he is dead."
Soooo funny. My desk ended up getting splattered with all the permethrin from the ceiling and wall.
All my love, (send my love to the grandparents too!)
Kat
Monday, October 10, 2011
10/10/11
Pamilia! Thanks so much for all the prayers, and all you do for me. Michael, it is funny how a picture from your apartment can inspire....my companion thought that squatters/slums were only in the Philippines. When she saw that picture she was so surprised. It think it helped her understand that people in the Philippines aren't the only ones who suffer from poverty. A thought that came from General Conference (which we watched this weekend b/c of time difference), was that of gratitude. We must have an attitude of gratitude, and I wonder about the people in my area. Many of them are squatters, and are extremely poor. But some things popped into my mind: a) they have a roof over their heads, and a building to sleep in b) they have food to eat c) the Lord has brought the gospel into their lives d) they have their family....and the list could go on. The more we are grateful, the more we will receive. Attitude (and what we focus on) is of utmost importance, and makes all the difference!
Things are great with my companion....we are continually working on patience together. She gets tired of speaking English sometimes, but everything is great. She is very supportive, and I am so grateful for her.
Awww, no more tomatoes :(
Did you get a Daughters of our Kingdom mom? I am so excited they came out with it. I am sad they are not giving the sisters in the field one.!
Some Spiritual Thoughts of Mine
1) General Conference was AWESOME
2) Satan whispers to us that what we have and do is weird, but in reality it is the other way. It is weird that people do not have the Gospel, and are living their lives not centered around Christ.
3) Be like Christ (which should be #1)
4) I am the messenger of God, not the author. [What I say and prophesy to my investigators comes from God, not from me. I am working on a way to make this more clear.]
5) God does not waste the time of His servants. They may waste their time, but He does not because every moment is precious when it comes to the salvation of the souls of mankind. Lesson: always be on the errand of the Lord, and not a moment will be wasted. [I have seen this for myself. The Lord really guides us in everything.]
Well family, I love you so much and am continually grateful for you and all that we have. I have a bunch of pictures and David and Jacqueline's drawings all posted above my desk. They give me strength and comfort. Keep up the good fight! God is sooooooo aware of each of us, and wants us to be our best!
Kat
PS I am happy to make you look good. You make me look good too! I proudly bear the name of Biggs (or "mga malaki" in Tagalog :)
Scripture for plaque: I think Alma 36:24-25. This really encompasses the spirit of my mission.
Things are great with my companion....we are continually working on patience together. She gets tired of speaking English sometimes, but everything is great. She is very supportive, and I am so grateful for her.
Awww, no more tomatoes :(
Did you get a Daughters of our Kingdom mom? I am so excited they came out with it. I am sad they are not giving the sisters in the field one.!
Some Spiritual Thoughts of Mine
1) General Conference was AWESOME
2) Satan whispers to us that what we have and do is weird, but in reality it is the other way. It is weird that people do not have the Gospel, and are living their lives not centered around Christ.
3) Be like Christ (which should be #1)
4) I am the messenger of God, not the author. [What I say and prophesy to my investigators comes from God, not from me. I am working on a way to make this more clear.]
5) God does not waste the time of His servants. They may waste their time, but He does not because every moment is precious when it comes to the salvation of the souls of mankind. Lesson: always be on the errand of the Lord, and not a moment will be wasted. [I have seen this for myself. The Lord really guides us in everything.]
Well family, I love you so much and am continually grateful for you and all that we have. I have a bunch of pictures and David and Jacqueline's drawings all posted above my desk. They give me strength and comfort. Keep up the good fight! God is sooooooo aware of each of us, and wants us to be our best!
Kat
PS I am happy to make you look good. You make me look good too! I proudly bear the name of Biggs (or "mga malaki" in Tagalog :)
Scripture for plaque: I think Alma 36:24-25. This really encompasses the spirit of my mission.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Update 10/3/2011
Pamilia!
I love you all so much and I miss you! Michael, I am glad to hear that things are going so great! I am excited for all of your investigators!
The plane ride was great, for the most part things went smoothly. Half of our party threw up while we were landing in Hong Kong, or me, threw up right after we landed. It was because of the breakfast food they fed us--something was not right with it, and we were not the only ones on the plane to throw up. It's okay--we all felt much better after ejecting the bad stuff from our stomachs. My companion is Sister Segovia, a native. She is great, and so patient with me. We both really want to work, and we are eager to really make our area prosper (double our numbers as they said in missionary in-field orientation). We are in the Taytay zone, Cainta 2nd Ward area--it is new! The ward is awesome and so eager to help us. We hope to get a lot of referrals from them to help us with our goal. We started working the day I arrived--we got back to the apartment and then went to teach a progressing investigator. I was so tired I had a hard time staying awake during the lesson, but it went well. The Lord has really helped me--I slept more on the planes than I usually do, and I have adjusted very quickly to the schedule here, even though it is opposite from what I am used to. I do not feel much jet lag at all, which is really good because it is work, work, work. No rest for new missionaries :D
A couple months ago the Church came out with a new 12 week missionary training program--Michael, I am sure you are going through it, aren't you? The goal is to make missionaries effective and able to train themselves (minus language stuff) after the 12 weeks. I think they were getting sick of people to take 6 months to get adjusted. I think it is a great idea. We are starting it today (tomorrow really), but we have already applied a lot of the principles-- the new missionary teaching lessons and extending commitment invitations, and we also get another hour of companionship study. The one downside to that is we don't leave our apartment until 1pm because we have four hours of study plus our hour of lunch (and breakfast + getting ready).
We ate dinner at the Bishop's house on Friday, and I think we are eating at the Stake President's house tonight. Don't worry about me getting enough food mom--everyone is so eager to feed us. We gave a lesson to a progressing investigator last night and they insisted on feeding us dinner. We also had a baptism on Saturday--two sisters, Heidi and Pamela. Their dad came to see the baptism, and he came to church on Sunday! We are hoping to be able to teach him as well. We have a baptism planned for each Saturday, except this coming Saturday because President DeLaMare did not want them to have to wait a week for confirmation. (FYI, Sister DeLaMare asked for your e-mail address, I do not know why. I gave her the sisterk one and the digis mail one).
There is so much going on it is hard for me to take stock. It is a good thing I have my companion because I would not know how to get home. They do have jeepney, and tricycle things that are motorcycles with a car thing attached to them--they stuff people in the car thing and on the motorcycle where they are not sitting. Wow! It is a good thing I am not much bigger, otherwise I would be having some problems. I can discern words usually (depending on the speaker), and sometimes I understand what they are saying. They tell me I have very good grammar, and that I am clear and easy to understand--I just need to be faster, because right now I am really slow and it is sometimes a little uncomfortable for them to listen to me because of it.
Everyone stares at me--I would stare at me too, because so far I am the only tall very blond and very white person I have seen on the streets (not counting the other American missionaries who we only see at meetings). I hear "parang Barbie" a lot. I am the average size of a male here, and oftentimes bigger, actually. So different.
I have to go now. I love you all so much, and thank you for all your love and support!
Kat
I love you all so much and I miss you! Michael, I am glad to hear that things are going so great! I am excited for all of your investigators!
The plane ride was great, for the most part things went smoothly. Half of our party threw up while we were landing in Hong Kong, or me, threw up right after we landed. It was because of the breakfast food they fed us--something was not right with it, and we were not the only ones on the plane to throw up. It's okay--we all felt much better after ejecting the bad stuff from our stomachs. My companion is Sister Segovia, a native. She is great, and so patient with me. We both really want to work, and we are eager to really make our area prosper (double our numbers as they said in missionary in-field orientation). We are in the Taytay zone, Cainta 2nd Ward area--it is new! The ward is awesome and so eager to help us. We hope to get a lot of referrals from them to help us with our goal. We started working the day I arrived--we got back to the apartment and then went to teach a progressing investigator. I was so tired I had a hard time staying awake during the lesson, but it went well. The Lord has really helped me--I slept more on the planes than I usually do, and I have adjusted very quickly to the schedule here, even though it is opposite from what I am used to. I do not feel much jet lag at all, which is really good because it is work, work, work. No rest for new missionaries :D
A couple months ago the Church came out with a new 12 week missionary training program--Michael, I am sure you are going through it, aren't you? The goal is to make missionaries effective and able to train themselves (minus language stuff) after the 12 weeks. I think they were getting sick of people to take 6 months to get adjusted. I think it is a great idea. We are starting it today (tomorrow really), but we have already applied a lot of the principles-- the new missionary teaching lessons and extending commitment invitations, and we also get another hour of companionship study. The one downside to that is we don't leave our apartment until 1pm because we have four hours of study plus our hour of lunch (and breakfast + getting ready).
We ate dinner at the Bishop's house on Friday, and I think we are eating at the Stake President's house tonight. Don't worry about me getting enough food mom--everyone is so eager to feed us. We gave a lesson to a progressing investigator last night and they insisted on feeding us dinner. We also had a baptism on Saturday--two sisters, Heidi and Pamela. Their dad came to see the baptism, and he came to church on Sunday! We are hoping to be able to teach him as well. We have a baptism planned for each Saturday, except this coming Saturday because President DeLaMare did not want them to have to wait a week for confirmation. (FYI, Sister DeLaMare asked for your e-mail address, I do not know why. I gave her the sisterk one and the digis mail one).
There is so much going on it is hard for me to take stock. It is a good thing I have my companion because I would not know how to get home. They do have jeepney, and tricycle things that are motorcycles with a car thing attached to them--they stuff people in the car thing and on the motorcycle where they are not sitting. Wow! It is a good thing I am not much bigger, otherwise I would be having some problems. I can discern words usually (depending on the speaker), and sometimes I understand what they are saying. They tell me I have very good grammar, and that I am clear and easy to understand--I just need to be faster, because right now I am really slow and it is sometimes a little uncomfortable for them to listen to me because of it.
Everyone stares at me--I would stare at me too, because so far I am the only tall very blond and very white person I have seen on the streets (not counting the other American missionaries who we only see at meetings). I hear "parang Barbie" a lot. I am the average size of a male here, and oftentimes bigger, actually. So different.
I have to go now. I love you all so much, and thank you for all your love and support!
Kat
Monday, September 26, 2011
9/26/11
Pamilia!
TRC: was not huge this week, but just as great as ever. The topic for us this week was revelation through the Book of Mormon. Elder Russell M. Nelson gave the devotional on Tuesday, and the highlight was the Oct. Ensign dedicated solely to the Book of Mormon. In fact, all of us missionaries at the MTC received one. AWESOME. Some great advice he gave was to start at the Title Page and read from there--for us and for our investigators. Pinakamahalaga! (Utmost Importance!) It has some great information in it, and was written by Mormon. With the two volunteers we taught at the TRC on Thursday we highlighted that it was written "..for Jew and Gentile....by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation." How important this is for us in our day--it was written specifically for us by prophecy and revelation! It has within it the answers to all of our problems if we prayerfully and sincerely read it. It teaches with plainness and clarity, unlike any other book of scripture. We also shared with them D&C 84:54-59, highlighting that the Book of Mormon is not to be treated lightly because of its importance and sacredness. We also highlighted v. 59, in that Zion is based on the law of the Celestial Kingdom--how can we expect to live there or build it up if we are not obeying that law? We also shared with them Mosiah 5:2, about how the word changes hearts. It was pretty great. In the end, even though we taught them about revelation through the Book of Mormon, we challenged them to read D&C 84 (wonderful section!), specifically looking for how God shows his love and the promises given to the faithful--promises we still have and can see even when we are not missionaries, for they are promised to the faithful. We also asked them to keep the Book of Mormon in their study--for even though study of other scripture is very important (I will be the first to admit it), we cannot ignore the Book of Mormon and its role in bringing us unto Christ--otherwise we bring upon ourselves the condemnation spoken of in D&C 84:54-57.
Spiritual Thought: this week in choir we sang "Consider the Lilies". Funnily enough, I was studying in D&C 84 that Sunday.....and towards the end of the practice realized it had that scripture in it (D&C 84:82). But that is not my thought, just a funny aside. My thought is about something we discussed in that Sunday practice was the 99 sheep vs. the 1 sheep. The director that day made an interesting point. He said that he was teaching in primary one day, and a little girl got up and told the story of "One day a shepherd counted his sheep: 1, 2, ..34, 35,..99, oh, one is missing!" He said that he didn't really hear anything after that because his mind took hold of the thought that the shepherd was counting his sheep. He knew each and every one of them individually, and he made sure they were fed and okay and in safe pasture before going out to look for the Lost Sheep. His point was that the Lord takes care of those who trust Him and put their faith in Him first--those who are going to Church, keeping the commandments, etc. He does not abandon them for the lost one. This really struck me and I really liked it. This is a very important point--the Lord doesn't forget us because we are "okay", because we are already members of His Church: He continues to look after us and take care of us. We just forget that because we always focus on the Lost Sheep. I testify of this. I know it is true, and if we will put our trust and faith in Him, and do what He asks of us, He will take care of us!
Funnies
1) Quote from Elder Waite "I can control myself, I just don't always want to!" (In reference to baked goods ;p)
2) Quote from Elder Herr just now: "Oh no! The trees are turning orange! We gotta get outta here!" (he is from Hawaii)
3) Interaction right before class when we were deciding which song to sing to start class. Sister Cope and I had just gotten back from lunch and Elders Barrow and Herr were talking about how they had Christian rock music stuck in their head from the mail room. Everyone started talking about Christmas music and singing a Christmas hymn. (I will give you the English translation of what went down, because most was in Tagalog)
Brother Cook "Why? Christmas is so far away."
Me: "True, but it comes quickly!"
Bro. Cook: "Like the Second Coming, no?"
Me: "Yes, time to repent and be good children so we don't get coal in our stockings!"
Bro. Cook: "Time to repent so we don't become coal!"
bwa ha ha ha ha ha! It took me a while to stop laughing!
Mom, that is awesome! It you can, tell the Hammond's that I have the 11:40 AM lunch time. I hope I see them! And thanks so much for the package, it was awesome! All the Elders were so happy to get their own loaves of banana bread! If you would like to send more goodies, none of us will deny you :D You are famous here: everyone knows about your absolutely delicious baked goods, even my teachers and Branch President, and sisters not in our zone! Anything you send is coveted, because it brings joy to the soul :D
I love you all! Thanks for all your prayers and everything!
TRC: was not huge this week, but just as great as ever. The topic for us this week was revelation through the Book of Mormon. Elder Russell M. Nelson gave the devotional on Tuesday, and the highlight was the Oct. Ensign dedicated solely to the Book of Mormon. In fact, all of us missionaries at the MTC received one. AWESOME. Some great advice he gave was to start at the Title Page and read from there--for us and for our investigators. Pinakamahalaga! (Utmost Importance!) It has some great information in it, and was written by Mormon. With the two volunteers we taught at the TRC on Thursday we highlighted that it was written "..for Jew and Gentile....by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation." How important this is for us in our day--it was written specifically for us by prophecy and revelation! It has within it the answers to all of our problems if we prayerfully and sincerely read it. It teaches with plainness and clarity, unlike any other book of scripture. We also shared with them D&C 84:54-59, highlighting that the Book of Mormon is not to be treated lightly because of its importance and sacredness. We also highlighted v. 59, in that Zion is based on the law of the Celestial Kingdom--how can we expect to live there or build it up if we are not obeying that law? We also shared with them Mosiah 5:2, about how the word changes hearts. It was pretty great. In the end, even though we taught them about revelation through the Book of Mormon, we challenged them to read D&C 84 (wonderful section!), specifically looking for how God shows his love and the promises given to the faithful--promises we still have and can see even when we are not missionaries, for they are promised to the faithful. We also asked them to keep the Book of Mormon in their study--for even though study of other scripture is very important (I will be the first to admit it), we cannot ignore the Book of Mormon and its role in bringing us unto Christ--otherwise we bring upon ourselves the condemnation spoken of in D&C 84:54-57.
Spiritual Thought: this week in choir we sang "Consider the Lilies". Funnily enough, I was studying in D&C 84 that Sunday.....and towards the end of the practice realized it had that scripture in it (D&C 84:82). But that is not my thought, just a funny aside. My thought is about something we discussed in that Sunday practice was the 99 sheep vs. the 1 sheep. The director that day made an interesting point. He said that he was teaching in primary one day, and a little girl got up and told the story of "One day a shepherd counted his sheep: 1, 2, ..34, 35,..99, oh, one is missing!" He said that he didn't really hear anything after that because his mind took hold of the thought that the shepherd was counting his sheep. He knew each and every one of them individually, and he made sure they were fed and okay and in safe pasture before going out to look for the Lost Sheep. His point was that the Lord takes care of those who trust Him and put their faith in Him first--those who are going to Church, keeping the commandments, etc. He does not abandon them for the lost one. This really struck me and I really liked it. This is a very important point--the Lord doesn't forget us because we are "okay", because we are already members of His Church: He continues to look after us and take care of us. We just forget that because we always focus on the Lost Sheep. I testify of this. I know it is true, and if we will put our trust and faith in Him, and do what He asks of us, He will take care of us!
Funnies
1) Quote from Elder Waite "I can control myself, I just don't always want to!" (In reference to baked goods ;p)
2) Quote from Elder Herr just now: "Oh no! The trees are turning orange! We gotta get outta here!" (he is from Hawaii)
3) Interaction right before class when we were deciding which song to sing to start class. Sister Cope and I had just gotten back from lunch and Elders Barrow and Herr were talking about how they had Christian rock music stuck in their head from the mail room. Everyone started talking about Christmas music and singing a Christmas hymn. (I will give you the English translation of what went down, because most was in Tagalog)
Brother Cook "Why? Christmas is so far away."
Me: "True, but it comes quickly!"
Bro. Cook: "Like the Second Coming, no?"
Me: "Yes, time to repent and be good children so we don't get coal in our stockings!"
Bro. Cook: "Time to repent so we don't become coal!"
bwa ha ha ha ha ha! It took me a while to stop laughing!
Mom, that is awesome! It you can, tell the Hammond's that I have the 11:40 AM lunch time. I hope I see them! And thanks so much for the package, it was awesome! All the Elders were so happy to get their own loaves of banana bread! If you would like to send more goodies, none of us will deny you :D You are famous here: everyone knows about your absolutely delicious baked goods, even my teachers and Branch President, and sisters not in our zone! Anything you send is coveted, because it brings joy to the soul :D
I love you all! Thanks for all your prayers and everything!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
9/18/2011
We sing a lot here, so I thought I would share with you some of my favorite hymns with missionary work: Hope of Israel, Hark All Ye Nations, Called to Serve (which we sing at least once a week, and I love it), and my theme song, Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd.
My district was able to do missionary hosting on Wednesday, and it was so fun! I am proud of myself because I was able to host 4 new sisters--I pulled of doing 2 at the same time! :D It was so much fun to take them around and tell them stuff I wish I had known when I first came in. I had a blast.
Pictures are coming! Make sure you look at the captions on the back! They are grouped together in specific order!
Funnies
1) The "Do not drink the OJ" rumor is not true. I had been drinking it almost every day since my 3rd week here and nothing so far has gone wrong with my GI tract. It is a great source of vitamin C. [speaking of vitamins, thanks for those Mom. Don't worry about me though, I made sure I had plenty when we did our shopping. I gave them to the sisters that did not bring any. :D]
2) So there is some "MTC man-law" that Sister Cope and I have been trying to find out, and our Elders will not tell us. One day we were having a conversation about "man-law" and various forms therein (which Sister Cope and I think we known fairly well due to male family members), and part of the end of the conversation was this: Sister Cope "Where do you learn the man-law?" Elder Carman: "They implant it in our heads at birth." bwa ha ha ha ha ha!
3) Saying from the ever-stoic Elder Carman in reference to his and Elder Oettli's dorm room, which for a while now has been known at the "party room" b/c they like to party and they are the only ones in there (until this week when they got new roommates). He said it because we were all starting to go insane this week from being here so long and being so close to our departure date: "The party room is going to become the insane asylum"......and for a moment there we all really thought we would go insane.
4) Brother Cook, one of our teachers, is scared of Sister Cope's laugh. You should see his face every time she does, and he is so careful to try and not make her laugh. It is because her laugh is really loud and obnoxious....I do not know how to describe it. Anyway, it was really funny when he admitted this. He makes the funniest faces, which always induce laughter from Sister Cope and myself.
Spiritual
1) An epiphany I had this week: I was thinking about all of the scriptures that talk about how miracles follow those who have faith, and all the signs and wonders that are supposed to follow missionaries (the most recent scripture being the last verses in Mark). I realized that I should being seeing miracles on my mission all the time: if I am not, something is wrong and needs to change. I am so excited to see them, and I feel like I have already started to see them here in the MTC.
2) Sunday Fireside: President Brown (MTC president) showed us the Music and the Spoken word from that morning. I urge those who can to try and watch the 9/11 Music and the Spoken Word. It is so beautiful and wonderful--I love it!
3) Elder Ballard came for our Tuesday Devotional
4) I got a priesthood blessing last night from Elder Waite and Elder Su'a. I have been having a really hard time sleeping, especially in the past week. It was a wonderful blessing. I want to share some thoughts that I had about what happened: at first yesterday morning when I thought about asking for a blessing, I wondered if I shouldn't because I thought that maybe I was not having enough faith, and that for some reason I was being a bother to everyone, including God for asking. But last evening when Sister Cope returned to the room for daily planning I just had this feeling to do it. So I did. The Elders felt like I had come out of nowhere. I was talking with Sister Cope about my struggle through the day, and I shared with her my thoughts about it--It has been iterated to me many times in priesthood blessings that God is happy I am seeking blessings from Him. Why should I feel like I should not ask for one? That thought is not from Him, but from the Devil. Also, it is demonstrating your faith when you ask for a blessing--you are showing that you believe He can and will bless you, and that the priesthood holder really does hold authority from God. Sometimes we have to ask for blessings in different ways than just prayer--is that not one of the functions of a priesthood blessing? I am so grateful that I did ask.
TRC
Great, another 40 minute lesson with one person. The young man we taught had returned from his mission in the Philippines the day after we went into the MTC. So funny. We had a different kind of experience with him. We ended up talking to him mostly about necessity of sincere, heartfelt prayer, and how a mission is not only to serve the Lord, but it is preparation ground for what we need to become (like Him), and how that process needs to continue after the mission. I talked to him about what the Lord wanted him to be doing, and Sister Cope shared with him Alma 5:26 ) and after she shared with him Enos v. 4, and asked him to read the entire book when he returned home. I told him to Magalak! (rejoice!) This is meant to help you, and the Lord has great things in store for you if you will work for them. The Lord needed him to prepare now for things he would be called to do in the future.
I love you family and I hope you have been having a great week!
My district was able to do missionary hosting on Wednesday, and it was so fun! I am proud of myself because I was able to host 4 new sisters--I pulled of doing 2 at the same time! :D It was so much fun to take them around and tell them stuff I wish I had known when I first came in. I had a blast.
Pictures are coming! Make sure you look at the captions on the back! They are grouped together in specific order!
Funnies
1) The "Do not drink the OJ" rumor is not true. I had been drinking it almost every day since my 3rd week here and nothing so far has gone wrong with my GI tract. It is a great source of vitamin C. [speaking of vitamins, thanks for those Mom. Don't worry about me though, I made sure I had plenty when we did our shopping. I gave them to the sisters that did not bring any. :D]
2) So there is some "MTC man-law" that Sister Cope and I have been trying to find out, and our Elders will not tell us. One day we were having a conversation about "man-law" and various forms therein (which Sister Cope and I think we known fairly well due to male family members), and part of the end of the conversation was this: Sister Cope "Where do you learn the man-law?" Elder Carman: "They implant it in our heads at birth." bwa ha ha ha ha ha!
3) Saying from the ever-stoic Elder Carman in reference to his and Elder Oettli's dorm room, which for a while now has been known at the "party room" b/c they like to party and they are the only ones in there (until this week when they got new roommates). He said it because we were all starting to go insane this week from being here so long and being so close to our departure date: "The party room is going to become the insane asylum"......and for a moment there we all really thought we would go insane.
4) Brother Cook, one of our teachers, is scared of Sister Cope's laugh. You should see his face every time she does, and he is so careful to try and not make her laugh. It is because her laugh is really loud and obnoxious....I do not know how to describe it. Anyway, it was really funny when he admitted this. He makes the funniest faces, which always induce laughter from Sister Cope and myself.
Spiritual
1) An epiphany I had this week: I was thinking about all of the scriptures that talk about how miracles follow those who have faith, and all the signs and wonders that are supposed to follow missionaries (the most recent scripture being the last verses in Mark). I realized that I should being seeing miracles on my mission all the time: if I am not, something is wrong and needs to change. I am so excited to see them, and I feel like I have already started to see them here in the MTC.
2) Sunday Fireside: President Brown (MTC president) showed us the Music and the Spoken word from that morning. I urge those who can to try and watch the 9/11 Music and the Spoken Word. It is so beautiful and wonderful--I love it!
3) Elder Ballard came for our Tuesday Devotional
4) I got a priesthood blessing last night from Elder Waite and Elder Su'a. I have been having a really hard time sleeping, especially in the past week. It was a wonderful blessing. I want to share some thoughts that I had about what happened: at first yesterday morning when I thought about asking for a blessing, I wondered if I shouldn't because I thought that maybe I was not having enough faith, and that for some reason I was being a bother to everyone, including God for asking. But last evening when Sister Cope returned to the room for daily planning I just had this feeling to do it. So I did. The Elders felt like I had come out of nowhere. I was talking with Sister Cope about my struggle through the day, and I shared with her my thoughts about it--It has been iterated to me many times in priesthood blessings that God is happy I am seeking blessings from Him. Why should I feel like I should not ask for one? That thought is not from Him, but from the Devil. Also, it is demonstrating your faith when you ask for a blessing--you are showing that you believe He can and will bless you, and that the priesthood holder really does hold authority from God. Sometimes we have to ask for blessings in different ways than just prayer--is that not one of the functions of a priesthood blessing? I am so grateful that I did ask.
TRC
Great, another 40 minute lesson with one person. The young man we taught had returned from his mission in the Philippines the day after we went into the MTC. So funny. We had a different kind of experience with him. We ended up talking to him mostly about necessity of sincere, heartfelt prayer, and how a mission is not only to serve the Lord, but it is preparation ground for what we need to become (like Him), and how that process needs to continue after the mission. I talked to him about what the Lord wanted him to be doing, and Sister Cope shared with him Alma 5:26 ) and after she shared with him Enos v. 4, and asked him to read the entire book when he returned home. I told him to Magalak! (rejoice!) This is meant to help you, and the Lord has great things in store for you if you will work for them. The Lord needed him to prepare now for things he would be called to do in the future.
I love you family and I hope you have been having a great week!
Friday, September 9, 2011
update 9/9/11
Thanks for all your prayers, I really appreciate them. I am glad to hear that Michael is doing so well, and a baptism! YAY! I am so excited for you my brother, and I am happy that you received the honor of baptizing him. Keep up the awesome work!
I participate in MTC choir every week, and the songs are always so great. I had a feeling this week that I should share the one we sang: "I Marvel at the Miracle" I feel like it is really important to share this highlighted 3rd verse. Lyrics by John V. Pearson, music by Janice Kapp Perry.
I pled with God to shed his grace
And take away my sin.
He did and, yet, I turned away
And stumbled once again.
At last I knelt before His throne
And offered Him my soul.
He wept, then gave it back to me
Renewed, and washed, and whole.
I wonder at the grace divine
And power to redeem;
That Christ alone could overcome
And change eternity.
My thanks cannot sufficient be.
My praise is incomplete.
For all I pay, my debt remains
For God's great gift to me.
Spiritual
TRC: We gave a 40 min lesson this week instead of 2 20 min lessons. So great! We still went a little over time, but we think we were jipped a little time-wise. We taught 2 freshly returned missionaries--they had returned July 28th, which was really funny because we went into the MTC on July 27th. We had a nice chat with them and talked to them about the difficulties in adjusting to "normal life" after having everything schedule out for you, and how hard it is to make the life-important decision (both going to BYU). It was so awesome at the end to call down the powers of heaven for them, and speak to them about things I had no way of knowing. I told them that the extremely important decisions in life--major, career, when to start a family--are so important that if we treat them lightly God will not help us with them. My promise to them (in a nutshell) was that God wanted to reward them for their service but they 1st needed to demonstrate their faith in Him (as Sister Cope had told them), and think about what they wanted in life. What careers their major would lead them to, if they wanted those careers, and what kind of family life they would have if they chose that vocation. Only after they had made a plan and decided what they wanted would the Lord answer clearly to them if that was right or wrong, and what path they should take. So cool.
Thoughts during personal study: one morning I was thinking about the commandment of the Lord to missionaries that they must leave everything behind. Many see that as a hardship, but I see it as a blessing. I was thinking that if I had to worry about everything back home plus doing my best to serve the Lord I would go insane. This leaving behind everything is one of the greatest commandments/blessings I think. We get to serve the Lord and do only that, while at the same time He takes care of everything back home for us in a way that is best for us (although some people don't always see that when they get home). We are blessed many times over for serving. How awesome is that?!!
Funnies
1) I have been playing the piano in sacrament a lot, and also for our sacrament meeting musical numbers. On Sunday the two districts that were leaving were practicing their parting song, when Sister Cope and I heard "Who is playing the piano for us? Someone go ask Sister Biggs, has anyone asked her yet?" She and I started laughing as some of them walked down the hall to us. They were so confused. It was really funny.
2) We had some funny things from two different progressing investigators. One was a guy that wanted to know where we lived. We said "Quezon City" and he said where? We just repeated "Quezon City" somewhere. He gave us a really weird look and asked us if we knew where we lived. We finally got it across that it was bawal, or forbidden. That confused him and he said that we knew where he lived, why couldn't he know where we lived? We said we would explain next time. The other was a mother who asked us if we were married, and how our kids were. When we said we weren't married she asked us "Why? You are beautiful girls! Are you here to marry a Pinoy [Philippino]?" Nooo...... "I know lots of Pinoy boys I can find you one to marry".....We finally explained to her that it was forbidden for us as missionaries. Then she was okay. It was so funny, I burst out laughing several times.
3) So during lunch one day Elder Waite looked in my direction, but not at me, then back at the person he was talking to. I was bored, and I suddenly got this idea to wiggle my eyebrows at him the next time he looked in my direction. I leaned down to Sister Cope and invited her to join me. We put our heads together and stared at him until he looked at us, then we wiggled our eyebrows at him. So funny! Later he told us it was pretty creepy. We would have done it to any of the Elders in our district....he was in the right spot at the right time!
The two oldest districts have left, and now we are the oldest. So weird. Sister Cope and I miss them at mealtimes because they were so funny and kept us well entertained. Our Elders are doing okay as far as that is concerned. One of the Elders in our zone drank 16 glasses of orange juice for lunch one day. So gross.
I have been released as coordinating sister, and now it is Sister Tatafu. So nice to not have to go to meetings anymore!
Okay Mom, I will get the addresses of those you could send packages to! Elder Su'a in our district, his family is in Samoa so he does not get any packages. If you want to send him homemade treats that would be great for him. He has the same address as me, just address it to "Elder Su'a". They loved the cookies btw, and said you could even put more coconut in them. Everyone loves your banana bread. Sister 'Ofa and Sister Tatafu were jokingly fighting over some the other day :D
I love you my family and have a great week!
Kat
I participate in MTC choir every week, and the songs are always so great. I had a feeling this week that I should share the one we sang: "I Marvel at the Miracle" I feel like it is really important to share this highlighted 3rd verse. Lyrics by John V. Pearson, music by Janice Kapp Perry.
I pled with God to shed his grace
And take away my sin.
He did and, yet, I turned away
And stumbled once again.
At last I knelt before His throne
And offered Him my soul.
He wept, then gave it back to me
Renewed, and washed, and whole.
I wonder at the grace divine
And power to redeem;
That Christ alone could overcome
And change eternity.
My thanks cannot sufficient be.
My praise is incomplete.
For all I pay, my debt remains
For God's great gift to me.
Spiritual
TRC: We gave a 40 min lesson this week instead of 2 20 min lessons. So great! We still went a little over time, but we think we were jipped a little time-wise. We taught 2 freshly returned missionaries--they had returned July 28th, which was really funny because we went into the MTC on July 27th. We had a nice chat with them and talked to them about the difficulties in adjusting to "normal life" after having everything schedule out for you, and how hard it is to make the life-important decision (both going to BYU). It was so awesome at the end to call down the powers of heaven for them, and speak to them about things I had no way of knowing. I told them that the extremely important decisions in life--major, career, when to start a family--are so important that if we treat them lightly God will not help us with them. My promise to them (in a nutshell) was that God wanted to reward them for their service but they 1st needed to demonstrate their faith in Him (as Sister Cope had told them), and think about what they wanted in life. What careers their major would lead them to, if they wanted those careers, and what kind of family life they would have if they chose that vocation. Only after they had made a plan and decided what they wanted would the Lord answer clearly to them if that was right or wrong, and what path they should take. So cool.
Thoughts during personal study: one morning I was thinking about the commandment of the Lord to missionaries that they must leave everything behind. Many see that as a hardship, but I see it as a blessing. I was thinking that if I had to worry about everything back home plus doing my best to serve the Lord I would go insane. This leaving behind everything is one of the greatest commandments/blessings I think. We get to serve the Lord and do only that, while at the same time He takes care of everything back home for us in a way that is best for us (although some people don't always see that when they get home). We are blessed many times over for serving. How awesome is that?!!
Funnies
1) I have been playing the piano in sacrament a lot, and also for our sacrament meeting musical numbers. On Sunday the two districts that were leaving were practicing their parting song, when Sister Cope and I heard "Who is playing the piano for us? Someone go ask Sister Biggs, has anyone asked her yet?" She and I started laughing as some of them walked down the hall to us. They were so confused. It was really funny.
2) We had some funny things from two different progressing investigators. One was a guy that wanted to know where we lived. We said "Quezon City" and he said where? We just repeated "Quezon City" somewhere. He gave us a really weird look and asked us if we knew where we lived. We finally got it across that it was bawal, or forbidden. That confused him and he said that we knew where he lived, why couldn't he know where we lived? We said we would explain next time. The other was a mother who asked us if we were married, and how our kids were. When we said we weren't married she asked us "Why? You are beautiful girls! Are you here to marry a Pinoy [Philippino]?" Nooo...... "I know lots of Pinoy boys I can find you one to marry".....We finally explained to her that it was forbidden for us as missionaries. Then she was okay. It was so funny, I burst out laughing several times.
3) So during lunch one day Elder Waite looked in my direction, but not at me, then back at the person he was talking to. I was bored, and I suddenly got this idea to wiggle my eyebrows at him the next time he looked in my direction. I leaned down to Sister Cope and invited her to join me. We put our heads together and stared at him until he looked at us, then we wiggled our eyebrows at him. So funny! Later he told us it was pretty creepy. We would have done it to any of the Elders in our district....he was in the right spot at the right time!
The two oldest districts have left, and now we are the oldest. So weird. Sister Cope and I miss them at mealtimes because they were so funny and kept us well entertained. Our Elders are doing okay as far as that is concerned. One of the Elders in our zone drank 16 glasses of orange juice for lunch one day. So gross.
I have been released as coordinating sister, and now it is Sister Tatafu. So nice to not have to go to meetings anymore!
Okay Mom, I will get the addresses of those you could send packages to! Elder Su'a in our district, his family is in Samoa so he does not get any packages. If you want to send him homemade treats that would be great for him. He has the same address as me, just address it to "Elder Su'a". They loved the cookies btw, and said you could even put more coconut in them. Everyone loves your banana bread. Sister 'Ofa and Sister Tatafu were jokingly fighting over some the other day :D
I love you my family and have a great week!
Kat
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Kat mission update Sept 4th, 2011
Hey pamilia!
Another good week: time goes by so quickly! I got your banana bread mom, and my patriarchal blessing. Thank you so much. The bread was gone so fast! You are hero worshipped here ;) No, the Elders have not made me die of laughter yet. I will let you know if they do. I really enjoyed the Keefer zoo story. It made me laugh. Keefer, you are so cute!
The TRC yesterday was great, but not quite the overwhelming experience it was last week. It still is so cool to be able to promise specific blessings to people from the Lord. I will never get tired of it. Is this some of what you feel like when you give priesthood blessings, dad?
(Dad here, answering kat's question: Yes!)
I am starting to feel a bit of a plateau with my language learning....will you pray for me to have my mind opened to be able to hold all that I must learn? Thank you :D [specifically remembering verbs, what they mean, and the different conjugations that they have--it is not like latin languages where it is apparent, it is a bit like English and right now feels random to me]
Funny stories:
1. I brush my teeth after every meal (or at least try to), and the Elders have been teasing me about it. Sister Cope has started to do it a little bit as well. Lately they have been talking about "cupcakes". We found out what that meant on Wednesday, when after lunch they all took their toothbrushes and toothpaste out, shook them at us, and proceeded to the bathroom to brush. They called it "operation cupcake". It was hilarious. Just as funny was that Sister Cope could not stop laughing! When we went to the bathroom to brush our teeth she was still laughing so hard that our teacher came by and asked us what was going on.
2. Teaching our progressing investigator: we were teaching him how to pray, and we wanted him to pray with his family, so we read to him 3 Ne. 18:18-21 and asked him to pray to his family. Yeah, apparently I asked him to pray TO his family. So funny. He got this really confused look on his face and said something about praying to God. That is when we realized what I had said. We finally ended up reading vs. 21 to him to get the idea across. It was a morning of language faux-pas (?). The Elders (Barrow & Herr) who taught him before us came in saying "We asked him to kneel in prayer with us, but then he just started laughing hysterically! What did we say??????!!!!!" When we came back, we found out that instead of asking him to kneel, they had asked him to drown with them! How funny is that! One of my favorite funnies of the week!
Tagalog can be a tricky, but easy language at the same time. One must be careful though, because if you mix two noun markers up (no articles in this language), you can end up saying "Jesus killed the people" instead of "the people killed Jesus", really easily. Thankfully I don't think any of us have had a huge problem witht that so far.
Dad, did you share that same scripture (D&C 19:29-31) with Michael? I think it could help with his companion..... Thank you so much for that by the way, I really like it! I am glad you are enjoying the fun language mistakes. We really had quite the laugh....and are still laughing about it! So exciting about Keefer's friend. Guess what? There are quite a few missionaries in our district from New Zealand, or the islands. Two of the sisters that just left were from there, and one of the new sisters that came in on Wednesday is also from there, plus some more Elders. So 4 sisters came in: 1 from New Zealand, 1 from Riverton UT, 1 from Tonga, and another from a really tiny tiny island by Figi. According to Sister Stott (our Branch President's wife) she is the second missionary to ever come from that island. So now our room is split in half: 3 white girls, and 3 girls from the islands! They seem to be adjusting okay, and we will see how it goes. So much to do for a Coordinatin Sister! We (myself and the two zone leaders) oriented them on Wednesday night and on Thursday night. So glad I am not a Zone leader and in charge of a bunch of Elders. I only have to worry about 6 people. It is great!
Thanks you so much my family! I love you tons! [And I luva luva luva you too momma meatball! ;D]
Kat
Another good week: time goes by so quickly! I got your banana bread mom, and my patriarchal blessing. Thank you so much. The bread was gone so fast! You are hero worshipped here ;) No, the Elders have not made me die of laughter yet. I will let you know if they do. I really enjoyed the Keefer zoo story. It made me laugh. Keefer, you are so cute!
The TRC yesterday was great, but not quite the overwhelming experience it was last week. It still is so cool to be able to promise specific blessings to people from the Lord. I will never get tired of it. Is this some of what you feel like when you give priesthood blessings, dad?
(Dad here, answering kat's question: Yes!)
I am starting to feel a bit of a plateau with my language learning....will you pray for me to have my mind opened to be able to hold all that I must learn? Thank you :D [specifically remembering verbs, what they mean, and the different conjugations that they have--it is not like latin languages where it is apparent, it is a bit like English and right now feels random to me]
Funny stories:
1. I brush my teeth after every meal (or at least try to), and the Elders have been teasing me about it. Sister Cope has started to do it a little bit as well. Lately they have been talking about "cupcakes". We found out what that meant on Wednesday, when after lunch they all took their toothbrushes and toothpaste out, shook them at us, and proceeded to the bathroom to brush. They called it "operation cupcake". It was hilarious. Just as funny was that Sister Cope could not stop laughing! When we went to the bathroom to brush our teeth she was still laughing so hard that our teacher came by and asked us what was going on.
2. Teaching our progressing investigator: we were teaching him how to pray, and we wanted him to pray with his family, so we read to him 3 Ne. 18:18-21 and asked him to pray to his family. Yeah, apparently I asked him to pray TO his family. So funny. He got this really confused look on his face and said something about praying to God. That is when we realized what I had said. We finally ended up reading vs. 21 to him to get the idea across. It was a morning of language faux-pas (?). The Elders (Barrow & Herr) who taught him before us came in saying "We asked him to kneel in prayer with us, but then he just started laughing hysterically! What did we say??????!!!!!" When we came back, we found out that instead of asking him to kneel, they had asked him to drown with them! How funny is that! One of my favorite funnies of the week!
Tagalog can be a tricky, but easy language at the same time. One must be careful though, because if you mix two noun markers up (no articles in this language), you can end up saying "Jesus killed the people" instead of "the people killed Jesus", really easily. Thankfully I don't think any of us have had a huge problem witht that so far.
Dad, did you share that same scripture (D&C 19:29-31) with Michael? I think it could help with his companion..... Thank you so much for that by the way, I really like it! I am glad you are enjoying the fun language mistakes. We really had quite the laugh....and are still laughing about it! So exciting about Keefer's friend. Guess what? There are quite a few missionaries in our district from New Zealand, or the islands. Two of the sisters that just left were from there, and one of the new sisters that came in on Wednesday is also from there, plus some more Elders. So 4 sisters came in: 1 from New Zealand, 1 from Riverton UT, 1 from Tonga, and another from a really tiny tiny island by Figi. According to Sister Stott (our Branch President's wife) she is the second missionary to ever come from that island. So now our room is split in half: 3 white girls, and 3 girls from the islands! They seem to be adjusting okay, and we will see how it goes. So much to do for a Coordinatin Sister! We (myself and the two zone leaders) oriented them on Wednesday night and on Thursday night. So glad I am not a Zone leader and in charge of a bunch of Elders. I only have to worry about 6 people. It is great!
Thanks you so much my family! I love you tons! [And I luva luva luva you too momma meatball! ;D]
Kat
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Sister Biggs Mission Update
My P-day is on Fridays....long time ha ha. Yeah, apparently the whole MTC started the program on wednesday. Both Sister Cope and I believe that we were all purposely sent here together. Especially her and me. Apparently her availability date was June as well. Also, we know that the two districts that came in ahead of us had no sisters, even though the two of us were ready to go earlier. All in the Lord's time and the Lord's way. He knows best. We have the most awesome district, and the Elders make Sister Cope and I laugh so much, it is great. Although I think sometimes too much....we need to focus a lot more during study time.
Yeah, I have been getting frustrated with language class. My brain has not hurt yet, which makes me sad. I try and go ahead and teach myself a lot, which works, but sometimes the things in the book they gave us do not make a whole lot of sense (it is the first draft). It just means I have more space for vocab, I guess. I have been doing about 20-30 words a day (besides what we do in class, but that is not a lot). I have seen the Lord's help with this, because I know he has helped me remember all of them, day to day. I find that when I wake up the next day I remember most all of them, and need very little review. It has been a great blessing. I just have to tell myself to be patient, and work as hard as I can, and I know the Lord will help me with my goal. I know the Lord is helping me grasp the language quickly and understand it, which I am very grateful for. Right now I feel that I am on the cusp of being able to start thinking in Tagalog, and more smoothly make sentences. That will be a lot easier when they teach us more about sentence structure and conjugation. Tagalog is a bit funky with that, and very different from the latin languages that way (no articles-kind of, and no "to be" verb).
I was asked to give the closing prayer on Sunday, and I did the entire thing in Tagalog. Everyone not in my district was so amazed. We can ask simple questions, pray, and bear our testimonies in Tagalog now. I am curious to see what they teach us next week, and if we get far enough along I may be able to go even farther on my own. I sure hope so. Well, the Lord knows what he is doing.
The Elders in my district absolutely love you now (banana bread). So does my Branch President, who happened by when I was sharing. Also the four other sisters in my zone, who are my roomates (and Sister Cope of course). They are leaving on Tuesday, so we hope that new sisters are coming in on Wednesday (especially my Branch President, who loves sisters--did I tell you that he was so diappointed when the group ahead of ours contained two districts of only Elders for him?). We are pretty sure there will be some because there are 40+ Tagalog missionaries coming in next week. We are pretty sure our zone (branch) will be getting at least one district, and maybe even two of those.
So on Sunday I was assigned to be coordinating sister. She is like the zone leader for the girls. Right now my job is really easy, and will be even easier if it is just Sister Cope and myself. But we are really hoping that sisters comes in on Wednesday so we won't be alone.
Dad, some of the Elders have been really impressed by my knowledge of weight lifting (they saw me doing it properly). I thought you would like to know that :D
Hi Keefer, Super Dave, and Jac! Keefer, you better start getting used to the idea of school again ;D Keefer, have fun in school! How has your job been going? I want to hear all about your awesome dates :D
I love you all,
Katherine
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Mailing and Package Instructions
Okay, addresses and instructions below.***Please, please, drop me a line and let me know how you are doing!
MTC:
Sister Katherine Nicole Biggs
MTC Mailbox # 224
PHI-QUE 0927
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793
Please do not send anything that will arrive on Sept. 27, 2011 or later. That is the day I will be flying to the Philippines. I will not receive anything that arrives on that day or after.
Field: *Expect a 10-15 day delay*
Pouch Mail
Sister Katherine Nicole Biggs
Philippines Quezon City Mission
POB 30150
Salt Lake City UT 84130-0150
Packages/Normal Mail
Sister Katherine Nicole Biggs
Philppines Quezon City Mission
P.O. Box 13873
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
1600 Metro Manila
Phone: 63 2-913-3863
Pouch Mail is done for countries whose mail system is unreliable, so a group of letters is sent by "pouch" from Salt Lake to the mission by a reliable carrier. To use pouch mail your message must be written on either a post card or on ONE side of a single sheet of paper. The paper must be folded into 3 panels and taped at the top only (words inside). DO NOT PUT IT IN AN ENVELOPE!!! Address and stamp the sheet directly. Packages cannot be sent through pouch mail. If any of this does not make sense, e-mail my mother at sisterkbiggs@gmail.com for clearer instructions.
About packages when I am in the Philippines: I request that you wait to send anything until I can send better instructions. Missionaries have to pay the customs charge, and until I understand the system better I would rather wait. Mom will post my instructions when I send them.
Awesome FYI: DearElder.com will send letters to me in the MTC for free, and because I am in a pouched mission they will send letters by pouch for free as well. THIS IS A GREAT OPTION. While I like getting hand-written messages, this is very simple and easy and I prefer using it myself. Just go to dearelder.com and click on the "write a letter" tab at the top. Pick either the Provo MTC (July 27th-Sept 27th) or Philippines Quezon City Mission (after Sept 27th) and fill in all the information. Again, if you have any problems or questions you can e-mail my mother at sisterkbiggs@gmail.com.
Thanks! I look forward to hearing from you!
Katherine
MTC:
Sister Katherine Nicole Biggs
MTC Mailbox # 224
PHI-QUE 0927
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793
Please do not send anything that will arrive on Sept. 27, 2011 or later. That is the day I will be flying to the Philippines. I will not receive anything that arrives on that day or after.
Field: *Expect a 10-15 day delay*
Pouch Mail
Sister Katherine Nicole Biggs
Philippines Quezon City Mission
POB 30150
Salt Lake City UT 84130-0150
Packages/Normal Mail
Sister Katherine Nicole Biggs
Philppines Quezon City Mission
P.O. Box 13873
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
1600 Metro Manila
Phone: 63 2-913-3863
Pouch Mail is done for countries whose mail system is unreliable, so a group of letters is sent by "pouch" from Salt Lake to the mission by a reliable carrier. To use pouch mail your message must be written on either a post card or on ONE side of a single sheet of paper. The paper must be folded into 3 panels and taped at the top only (words inside). DO NOT PUT IT IN AN ENVELOPE!!! Address and stamp the sheet directly. Packages cannot be sent through pouch mail. If any of this does not make sense, e-mail my mother at sisterkbiggs@gmail.com for clearer instructions.
About packages when I am in the Philippines: I request that you wait to send anything until I can send better instructions. Missionaries have to pay the customs charge, and until I understand the system better I would rather wait. Mom will post my instructions when I send them.
Awesome FYI: DearElder.com will send letters to me in the MTC for free, and because I am in a pouched mission they will send letters by pouch for free as well. THIS IS A GREAT OPTION. While I like getting hand-written messages, this is very simple and easy and I prefer using it myself. Just go to dearelder.com and click on the "write a letter" tab at the top. Pick either the Provo MTC (July 27th-Sept 27th) or Philippines Quezon City Mission (after Sept 27th) and fill in all the information. Again, if you have any problems or questions you can e-mail my mother at sisterkbiggs@gmail.com.
Thanks! I look forward to hearing from you!
Katherine
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