A Request from Kenna....to everyone!

Hello! This is a shout-out to all those who love me and want me to be happy in life. Will you pleeeease take a few minutes to send me through email your MP3 files of church music so I can put it on my USB and have something to listen to in my apartment? Me and my companion are going crazy without music. It has to be an arrangement of a church hymn but it can be anything. Instrumental, vocal, I don't care. Just send it as an attachment. Thanks, love you all!

March 16, 2015

Maayong araw..

This week has been really great for finding people. One of our less-active families just lost their baby to health complications which has really stirred in them the desire to attend church again. The father of the baby is not a member and was very interested when we shared our first message with him last Tuesday. Their whole family showed up at church yesterday and they got a lot of support from the ward. The relief society presidency also introduced us to a recently widowed woman with two young children. Her husband died in January and it felt so good to be able to give her comfort through a short and simple message about the plan of salvation. It broke my heart to see people grieving so much but I can feel Heavenly Father's love for them as we teach them. 

Unfortunately, our baptism had to be pushed back because our candidate suddenly got caught up in her new job. It was really hard to see that her spark and excitement was gone when we came back yesterday because she hadn't had time to read the Book of Mormon or come to church. Overall she just seemed different. You can tell when people are reading and when they're turning their hearts towards worldly things. The discouragement is hard to handle but we taught her about fasting and how she can make a good decision with the Lord's help through this divine means. 

I'm also grateful for the priesthood! Bryan, who will be baptized on Saturday, has been a long time investigator who has had a problem with social drinking. He was too embarrassed to decline when offered alcohol so we suggested a while back that he receive a priesthood blessing from the elders. They gave him one and ever since he's had no problems with the word of wisdom. He said he's found it helpful when he brings the Book of Mormon to work and reads it in his down time. I'm so excited for him! Anyway, that's it this week. Short on time. 

Lahat ng aking pagmamahal,

Sister Wilson

01/26/2015

I like this picture because inside the tricycle, we noticed that little sign down at the bottom... it means, "Strive to observe... Not allowed to fart here" 

She's crazy.

This was our family home evening last night. I'm in disbelief that we fit so many people in this itty bitty living space with so few chairs. There are several people here you can't even see because they're hidden from view

Hello,

Is everyone still alive? All is quiet on the western front... Believe it or not, I still care about the boring details of everyone's lives. 

We've had tons of success this week in our area. President Bertin has made fantastic goals for the mission this year and to help, he has made giant maps of our areas for each apartment and given us stickers to mark each member with a number according to the CMIS as well as investigators so we can see the location of our members, investigators and less actives. This will help in planning, fellowshipping and tracting. 

This ward is the most hardworking and best fellowshipping ward I've ever been in. They're giving us at least 5 referrals per week so baptizing is going to be a ton easier. This week was the highest number of lessons I've ever taught in 1 week and I can see how the members really and truly make the difference. Each day we have 2 or 3 sisters working with us and friendships are forming quickly with our investigators. Along with the help of the ward, I know these great things are happening because of our commitment to be exactly obedient. We have been practicing it each day and I don't even have to think about teaching anymore, it just comes. The spirit literally drops thoughts into my brain and I finally understand the feeling of being "simply an instrument." It's a miracle and I'm amazed. President Bertin always promises us, "If you're being exactly obedient, you have the right to expect miracles." We've been teaching like mad and we've found 14 new less active members this week. I know it's inspired that we have been assigned in this ward because the sisters told us, "We've been waiting for sisters to come here so we could visit the people with the missionaries. Before, we were never allowed to work with missionaries because we only had elders." There is a cesspool of less active members in our farthest area who have been overlooked for the longest time. Now that we've found them we're going to work on them. A good number of them even showed up at church yesterday, and one of them has, since our lesson, begun the process of becoming worthy to be endowed. I'm so excited for her. 

Pope Francis came and visited the Philippines this past week and it's really putting a cramp in our style. "I <3 Pope Francis" t-shirts and mugs and banners and his red carpet event that everyone was watching on TV has caused a revival of Catholic pride in the hearts of the people. We've had to make a special focus on priesthood and prophets in our lessons because people really don't understand how prophets are called by revelation. 

My daughter ate balut from a street vendor the other night! I'm so proud of her. She did it in 2 big bites and didn't say anything about it except, "I'm sorry little bird, don't tell your mum!" Haha, she's fearless. We were walking down the street the other day and this guy has a gigantic snake wrapped around his body and he asks us if we want to hold it. She immediately held out her arms to take it and says, "Oh yeahhh, she's a beautyy!" as it hisses emphatically in our direction. It's been super fun being her comp, you don't have to worry about safety when you're always with a rugby player. 

Sa aking pag-aaral sa linggo na ito, mas napansin ko kung gaano kahalaga ang pagbabayad-sala ni Jesucristo. Buhay talaga po siya at nakakita ko na kung ang mga tao ay tatanggapin ang sakripisyo niya para sa kanila, mas magiging matatag sila sa simbahan at sa pananampalataya nila. Anuman ang mga problema natin sa buhay (sa pamilya man o hindi), lahat ay pwedeng maging maayos sa pamamagitan niya. Mahal ko kayong lahat. Paki isipin po ninyo ang kahalagaan ng pagbabayad-sala sa buhay ninyo at gamitin ninyo siya. Alam ko na babasbasan niya kayo. 

Sister Wilson

03/09/2015

Nagkakaroon kami ng tagumpay! 

The work continues to roll forward in our ward. At the start of the week we had a CSP and enjoyed being able to serve Bishop Espinoza. I really love the people I serve with. They all set really good examples and make me want to be better. For our service project we shoveled cement into bags and carried it a distance in the heat of the afternoon. Things like these usually make me become selfish because all I can think about is how hot it is and how tired I am. But this time I saw it with different eyes. Some of the other missionaries and I likened it unto taking up our cross and following the Savior. As we began the project, the by-standers were skeptical that a bunch of American white kids could take on such a task. They kept asking questions if we could really do it. Other people had different responses. Some even stopped along our path and showed concern by taking our bag of cement mix and carrying it the rest of the way for us. I watched as elders supported each other and would take two bags if one was tiring out. It reminded us missionaries of how Christ lightens our load and carries us under our load when we struggle, and how he does it for us daily.  I have seen that come true as I continue to adjust to changing circumstances in missionary life. We, in turn, must do the same for others in our lives. But I know he loves us and wants to help us do this for others. We are never alone!

Sister Strickland and I both felt a brief absence of the Holy Ghost in our teaching together so we read chapter 4 in our companion study in Preach My Gospel. We determined that our prayers were pretty weak and we've been striving to pray more fervently and specifically. The next day's teaching was immensely better. We even had a sweet older lady pull us into her house off the street wanting to "hear more of the word of God" and struggling as a single mother. You can see immediate blessings when you pray with faith! We also gained the full trust of an investigator who has been ready for baptism since last month (but is waiting for her marriage license). We knew it when she opened up to us over dinner about how her fiancee has a mental disorder and was institutionalized 3 times for suicide attempts. And when she came into his life, he was able to function normally again. Then was when he realized Heavenly Father had answered his prayer and that was when he started bringing Shara to church. Now she's being baptized and they have a goal to be sealed in the temple. We were so touched by their story and the way that our father cares for his children. 

Sister Strickland is starting to really contribute good ideas to our lesson plans and I feel like she's not dependent on me anymore. The only thing we've struggled with this week is her taking control in lessons and not being afraid to be bold. We talked about it in companionship inventory and she's starting out small with extending firmer commitments. Other than that, she's great. She feels like my sister and we have a ton of fun together.

Yesterday was a fantastic Sunday. We just barely got a less-active couple to return to church the previous Sunday and the bishop had them give talks yesterday. They chose to speak on faith. We visited them after church and they explained to us how they were embarrassed that they kept telling us they were "not ready to return to church yet." They said that it made them think when even after they told us they didn't want to come back to church, we kept coming to their house and teaching them. We asked them how they felt after deciding to be active again and the husband said, "I came out of church just feeling happy. I don't know why. It just feels good and my worries are gone." And then his wife added, "I don't know why he was happy either, but since he was happy I was happy too. And we're so grateful you reminded us how to be happy again." This was probably one of the most joyful experiences of my mission. I felt like Heavenly Father really used me as a tool and the people responded. In addition to that, someone that we OYM'd on the street and taught a short 15 minute lesson a month ago showed up to church yesterday with his family. His wife told us that he never goes to church because he feels hopeless about life and bitter towards God for how he has ended up. But he remembered our invitation to him and the promised blessings that he would receive and he came. The wife said she has always wanted to attend a Mormon church because she has a lot of friends that are missionaries serving in Isabella. It was completely unexpected that they were there and they told us they would be back next week. And the last one we didn't expect was a teenager we had taught Saturday night. We thought she was the daughter of a less-active. The mother wasn't home so we just taught her thinking she was also a member. She seemed completely uninterested and we didn't really think about her again. The next day, this couple I just told you about, showed up at church with her saying that she isn't actually a member of their family, she is part of a protection program. She is in hiding after being abused by her mother since childhood and raped by her step-father a year ago. I was completely shocked. They said she was happier than they've seen her before and that our visit did her good, she is just afraid of people. I know it's not a coincidence that we found and taught her.

The promise in Preach My Gospel from the First Presidency is making more and more sense that as we do this work, greater happiness awaits than we have ever experienced. 

Love, 

Sister Wilson

P.S. Pictured is Sister Yolly who is being baptized 

03/02/2015

I'm sooo white...

Ever had soda out of a plastic bag?

Ang isda ay kumakalabukab sa kanyang pinagkakalabukan. Hindi kakalabukab kung hindi pakakalabukabin. << Pretty cool tongue twister I learned this the other day about a fish.

Successful first week of the transfer! All except for the fact that Heavenly Father felt like one day switching on the "SUMMER" switch... It's here, and it's sooooo hottttt. Every morning I have to read the "Diligence" section in Preach My Gospel under Christlike attributes to keep me going. The hot makes me soo lazy. Anyway...

Haircuts!

This is my FAVORITE bathroom yet... It's literally just putting water down a hole. 2 weeks ago, the drain started flooding sewage so we had to bring a laundry bucket into the bathroom and stand in it over the drain, and then pour the bucket into the toilet so that the spewage wouldn't come up on us as we were showering. It's thankfully fixed now, and the toilet now at least has... a seat. Woo!

We recently got a less-active couple back out to church for the first time in years. They are part of the 15 focus families of our ward. I don't think it would have happened without the diligent fast that Sister Strickland and I had in their behalf. They were offended by someone in the ward so we've just been working on getting ward members out with us to show our love for them and it worked. They said after church yesterday that they really felt the testimonies and the spirit confirming to them that they need to come back. That was probably the greatest success of the week. Other than that we've been punted a whole lot. It's kinda hard but we're doing our best, and I can see that the Lord is still putting us where we need to be at the time we should be there. On Friday we were punted from 4 appointments in a row, but along the way we were called out by several people asking where the church was and what time the meeting starts on Sunday, they having been less-active for ages simply because they didn't know where or when church was. Also had several people come to us with questions about the church off the street. Pretty cool to see how we're placed in the right situations when we're doing what we're supposed to.
Our baptismal candidates are all doing extremely well. We have 4 working to be baptized in the next 2-3 weeks. Their testimonies are solid, they are coming to church, no issues to work out, it's simply a matter of working lessons into their schedules. I'm so beyond excited to see these people be baptized. Each one of them have told us stories of how they have received blessings since they accepted the invitation to prepare for baptism. One of them, sister Milanie, said she was offered the opportunity to work abroad at the end of the year. Another had a similar experience. It's amazing to see how the Lord blesses these people as they seek to draw nearer to Him. 

We ate our first (and last) fried chicken head the other day. Skill, eyeballs, brain and all. Of all parts of the chicken that are available to eat, I just don't understand why the head appeals. It was ok with the vinegar you dip it in, but the bones weren't quite soft enough for my taste. 

Yeah that's it, and here's a pic of the bishop's little girl. Love you all!

Sister Wilson

THIS is how you do transfer announcements!

Trunky service project - helping decorate the church for the ward valentine's party... and then them making us stay for it! >.<

02/24/2015

This was taken from the same balcony. It's stunning at night. You can see everything!

This is the most recent pic of me after district meeting yesterday... I had 2 inches cut off my hair after I got rid of my lice because the shampoo killed the ends of my hair. :'(

If you can see on the left over that hill, that's Manila in the distance where the MTC and the temple is. Probably where they shot the Amazing Race

Anong araw ba ito? P-day ulit?

Parang nandito ako kahapon lang. Ang bilis ng panahon. Well it's been another wonderful week in the rolling (cement) hills of Batasan! We're loving the enthusiasm that the ward continues to show for the work. We had two really great events that had amazing results this past week. The first one was a one-day mission where the ward split up into groups and each group took a missionary. Every group went around and visited 4 or 5 of the focus families and some investigators and invited them to the missionary fireside and shared a short message. The reaction to the ward members was honestly a lot better than their reaction when we come and visit them. The average sacrament attendance almost broke the record the next day. We nearly couldn't fit everyone in the investigator class. 

That Sunday we held a missionary fireside. Sister Strickland and I were assigned by bishop to give the main event of the fireside, and President Bertin was in attendance (which means I went pure Tagalog in the workshop, hehe). We discussed the use among members of Preach My Gospel. The elders talked about the work of salvation videos and the ward missionaries gave fellowshipping workshops. It was an enormous success! The bishop afterward distributed a free copy of the manual to each member in attendance.

The ward is also doing incredibly with referrals. We received one last week of the neighbor of a sister in our ward. The referral given to us is undoubtedly prepared. In our first lesson, she explained to us that she had given birth to 16 children in the course of her life, and 8 of them died in their younger years while they lived in the province. The 8 living children and she live in a 10 x 10 room and there's hardly room to sit when we teach them but she's so patient and grateful for what she does have. She also just became a widow last year and moved here to Manila because it's cheaper to make a living. She was more than eager to hear the plan of salvation and came to church with us on Sunday. As we sat in sacrament meeting, I could just see the peace come over her in her face. She's on date for baptism in March. 

I LOVE THIS CHURCH. It is true. The Savior is the head and this is his work! I apologize for the lack of pictures. Since I transferred here we've found that none of the internet shops will upload photos or they will only upload 1 or 2 the entire 2 hours. We'll look for another place. I'm also sorry if people don't get responses or answers to their questions. Please forgive me! The internet is so... slow. You have no idea. I still love you regardless. :) 

Love,

Sister Wilson

P.S. THANK YOU ALL for keeping my Post Card Wall of Fame alive and well! 

02/16/15

Every dang day is an adventure out here...

I'll start out with the spiritual side of things. The other day I was trying to figure out how to become a better gospel teacher because I've felt my skills slipping a little bit. So I read in Preach My Gospel in one of the study and application sections. It asked the question, "How well are you doing in fulfilling your responsibility to love and serve those among whom you labor?" And it had a scripture next to it: 1 Thessalonians 2:8-9, 20 Which is the apostle Paul describing the joy of missionary work, "So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us... for ye were our glory and joy." I really thought about how I could impart of my soul to our investigators and how to show to them and to God that they are our joy and glory. I then proceeded to write down the names of the top 5 we have who need the most help and I'm praying about each of their names specifically and what we can do to help them. Now, me and my companion are making a plan to do these things to help them. I really feel more guided by the spirit and I feel like I received a direct answer to my prayer. We are now making very specific plans for each person we teach and the spirit is much stronger when we do. It brought the Holy Ghost back to our teaching. 

I can feel his influence stronger as well. For example, last night we were about to head home when a name was dropped inside my head I hadn't thought about for a month. We went and visited this brother immediately and found that he's not only trying to read the Book of Mormon, he's living the word of wisdom for the first time of his own free will and he expressed the desire to be baptized. He explained that he feels clarity for the first time in his life. And to make it even better, we figured out that his real concern was not having a fellowshipper. And it just so happens that that night when he was put into our thoughts, we had a brother his same age working with us who is more than ready to be friends with him. So cool! 

On Valentine's Day, I hit my 1 year mark. Holy ANTI-TRUNKY feelings! I was reading my journal entry from my setting apart and I can see how every gift that was given to me by the stake president has been fulfilled or is currently being fulfilled. I'm so grateful for the priesthood and the spiritual gifts I was given because of it. It grows my faith that Heavenly Father remembers and fulfills his promises when we are faithful.

So last Tuesday afternoon as we were waiting for our worker to come meet up with us, I noticed a crazy man walking down the street babbling gibberish to himself. I didn't think much of it except, "Woah. He's crazy." Then I noticed him again about 30 seconds later standing a safe distance from us. We took a few steps to see what he was up to and he followed each step we took. I started walking in circles and he even followed that. So we went in the gas station to get away and he waited outside, sucking on the rosary cross in his mouth and having a full-on conversation with himself. When our worker showed up, she had the security guard escort us into a tricycle and when we got in, this crazy man went in a full-on sprint to chase the tricycle. We finally got away and about 10 minutes later he shows up again (no idea how he caught up so soon) and then just walks away never to be seen again, staring at us as he goes. I think he was possessed or something. We were, at the time, OYMing a guy who started conversation with us about church and religion. He told us he would be glad to have a discussion with us so we went into his house. I thought he meant that he wanted to share with us, but no... he had different plans. He walked out with a briefcase that had all kinds of locks on it and pulls out a large book. He hands it to us and it's just full of numbers, or "codes." Then when we look up again he's wearing a purple and yellow cloak with the same codes on it. He goes on to explain that it was "the language of God" that one cannot understand without writing their own "book of codes." God gave him the name "Excavius" and he goes and does demonstrations in the Muslim area of the country. My poor companion, having little Tagalog in her, had no idea what was going on and I was trying to push us out before we got initiated or had to be killed for knowing too much or something, haha. I couldn't bear to stay any longer without losing it so I told him we also have a book that doesn't require any codes and tells us how to live in peace. I gave him a Book of Mormon and then we high tailed it out of there and about busted a gut laughing. 

Heavenly Father really likes to keep my mission interesting. Mabuti n'lang.  Love you all.

Sister Wilson

P.S. Please enjoy this picture of an itty bitty frog I caught last week. It took half an hour to upload so you'd better enjoy it cuz it's all you're getting.