Wow. I have survived more than a month here in the
Philippines! It's been pretty crazy but pretty wonderful. I am learning
to love this work. Yesterday as I rode on the back of the motorcycle
"nagbackride ko" I realized how much I have grown and how much I am
enjoying my time here. Sure, it's not always easy but most of the time
it's pretty entertaining...I mean rewarding! haha.
Our branch is doing alright. We are having a meeting
with the leaders on Saturday about "Becoming a Ward Missionary".
Because we don't tract here we have to find investigators "on the way"
which kind of means through members. But we haven't received any
referrals. So we are going to do a fun little role play and also
schedule FHEs on Mondays with different families in the branch and ask
them to invite their non-member family/friends. We had an FHE this past
week and it was so fun. Peoples hearts are softened when they see that
we are normal people who like to have fun :)
On Sunday we went on splits. Which mean that I was
torn apart from my companion Sister Gumayao. I was with 2 other ward
missionaries so I was okay. One of the families we had to teach about
the Tree of Life vision and yeah...that's hard to teach when you aren't
fluent. Haha, but I did it. We went up into the bukid (mountain) and I
love it up there. While we were teaching one of the families it started
to rain...like buckets of water!! And they all have these tin roofs so
it is SUPER loud...you can't even hear anybody talk! Anyway since they
don't have running water they all panicked and grabbed their big buckets
to collect water. It's Summer season right now so it hasn't rained that
much lately. Anyway the bukid is nindot. And they build fires and
that's how they cook their food. It's awesome. I took lots of pictures
with the animals. Can I just say how awesome it would be to grow up in
the Philippines? Well at least this part? Oh, you'd have the best
stories.
You know what else is funny? The road kill here is
frogs (baki). You will be walking on the road and you will just see all
of these smashed frogs, haha. We have a frog that lives just outside of
our apartment where I wash my clothes. His name is Fred. They have lots
of cockroaches here too. And these NASTY beetles which they all play
with. Also, tons and tons of lizards everywhere.
Our work is great. 32 lessons last week. Our goal is
35 this week. Kaya namo! (we can do it!) My Cebuano is getting better.
My comp says that in a month she thinks I'll be fluent. Haha, that will
take some work and some faith but I NEED to be somewhat fluent before
she leaves me in 7 weeks! We have 2 progressing investigators- one we
are still waiting for them to get their marriage papers. So she probably
won't be baptized until Mayish but she is amazing. She always has the
right answers and is very bright. We are also teaching a 7 year old who
is in a part-member family. She is so fun to teach. I always get to
teach her because she is not intimidating and I LOVE little kids.
Anyway, thanks for all of your emails. It means a
lot to me! I have the best family in the world. I hope you know that I
think about all of you and pray for you in every prayer that I offer :)
Thanks for your support. I am one lucky sister missionary.
I've got to run. We are having lechon baboy (a
roasted pig) and playing volleyball on the beach for P-Day with the
Elders. Boy are we excited :) Love you all!!!
Sister Nicole Trayner
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