01/18/2015

Napakagandang hapon!

I'm finally in my 3rd area and I'm absolutely loving it! This week started out pretty crazy. After I met my trainee and we had our meeting at the chapel, the office elders handed me an empty area book, a cell phone with no numbers in it, a few packages of pamphlets and dropped the two of us off at our new (and very empty) apartment in uncharted territory. First missionaries to work in the area, and first to live in the house. I don't think I've ever prayed so hard my whole mission. So we said a prayer, unpacked our study materials and went out to proselyte with what little daylight we had left. We ended up teaching a mother and daughter we contacted on the street and I encouraged my companion to extend her first baptismal date, which she did! We came back to that apartment that night, happy that we had done what we knew how to do and having given the day our best effort, and the blessings immediately followed. The elders showed up a little bit after that with an area book with updated teaching records of those people who were once their investigators and those peoples' current phone numbers. They volunteered their help the next day to take us around the area and they also gave us the number of ward members who wanted to show us around. 

(Side note to my family: My area is only like 1/4 squatters, calm down. I wish more of it were that way because those people are the best!) 

My new companion is Sister Strickland from New Zealand -- I get to train a foreigner! She is basically the dream companion and her accent is the greatest. Aside from the language, is pre-trained. Even though the language for now is a challenge for her, she doesn't let it keep her from fulfilling her purpose. She still talks to everyone at every chance she gets, smiles always and makes everyone she meets laugh. She doesn't beat herself up over her weaknesses but smiles and enjoys being new and can laugh at her mistakes. And the best part is... she sings! We're a dynamic duo, woo!

Yesterday at church, we  received the warmest welcome from the ward I've had my whole mission. They were so excited to receive sister missionaries in their ward. There are now 6 missionaries in Batasan 2nd, 4 elders and 2 sisters. It seems like every sister in the ward wants to work with us and we have at least 2 workers scheduled for every day this week. The ward is really supportive and not just in words, but also in their actions. We've had dinners provided for us almost every night and we have already had 3 productive meetings - 1 with the bishop, 1 with the ward mission leader and ward missionaries, and 1 with the ward council. They have a great vision and a great plan of attack to help their ward split. They told us after church that there was a different spirit there having sisters in the ward.

As for our work, we have 4 investigators on date for baptism, 2 of which we did on our own and 2 of which were taught by the elders. Sister Melanie is one that we found - she came to church yesterday because her uncle kept pushing her to come with him. She finally went and she said she felt good there. We got her number and visited her after our meetings. She was pretty quiet at first, but as we did the how to begin teaching she really opened up to us. She told us that she has never understood the gospel growing up as a Catholic and was really happy that we were there. Sister Strickland and I felt the prompting at the same time to extend a baptismal date and she accepted it happily. This area is my first area that has truly poor people. Because of their circumstances, they are a lot more humble and receptive to our message. It wasn't fun, however, getting caught in the rain last night in that area, for reasons you don't want to know.

That's all I have to say, but I'm really happy where I am right now. Things are going great and I can feel that we will be having a lot of success here in the Batasan 2 ward. Love ya'll.

Sister Wilson

P.S. Yesterday we actually experienced truly cold weather. There was a brisk, cold rain with heavy wind. We drank hot chocolate and wore coats. The cold makes my bones ache now. I'm not sure I can ever go back home after this. Sorry! ;)