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Maajong Buntag family!!

Well....I fee like so much has happened in this past week. Wow! So I will try to update you all on the happenings of the exciting life of Sister Trayner! (pronounced here: Seeeester Trayyyyner)

When I got to Cebu City for transfers President Schmutz asked me to come talk to him in his office at the mission home because he wanted to talk to me about my new assignment in Bohol. He told me that we were switching out the elders in Cortes and of course just told me all of the problems of the area...all of them just adding up to that there has been no progression in the Cortes Branch in over 2 years and that the Branch was having some issues. But he reassured me that our apartment was clean and ready for sisters. So I met up with my new companion, Sister Sabio, at transfer meeting.

We arrived in our area Friday night at 11pm (it was a LONG day...I woke up at the 3am that morning to travel to Cebu!). Yes, we took a ferry! It was really fun. Our ZLs have a van so they were able to drive us to our apartment. When we got to the apartment it was basically the opposite of what President had described, haha. So we went to bed and the next morning we woke up and cleaned, cleaned, and cleaned some more. Then we looked at the Area Book. Yeah, that thing has only been slightly touched. There are hardly any teaching or progress records..and just no updates. So we started to realize...we are starting from step one. One of the elders who was last assigned was able to come and show us around, but of course they drove the ZLs van so it is just a lot different from walking. I tried SO hard to memorize the places, the names, and the members in the different areas.

Long story short....we have asked for directions a BILLION times. I am not even kidding. We even had to ask where our church is. I am sure they were all just thinking, "How is it they don't even know where their own church is?" haha....then we got lost going home and so we had to ask the people "Where do the American missionaries live?" And of course, they all knew and we were able to return home in safely!

We will be moving into a new apartment today due to the fact that our last just isn't safe....don't worry we are fine! But someone did try to break in one of the nights...probably just some drunk. Mom, don't worry...they were NOT successful.....they just forgot to take the bobby pin out of the door handle...haha! These past couple of nights we've been traveling to the city of the other sisters in our district and sleeping there.

We just have so much to do here and it just is a little bit overwhelming! Neither of us know our area, and my companion is more reserved than my last 3 so I am the one who asks questions. It's a great opportunity for me to grow! I feel bad that our investigators and Less-actives have been neglected these past few days due to our other tasks but I know once we get this move over with we will get to work.

My companion is awesome. She is from Ilongopo and is a Tagolog speaker. She will go home this transfer...which means I have a curse of 6 week companions. Haha! She is awesome. She has quite the life story....she was taught by the missionaries for 5 years and was actually going to become a nun! Haha,  very cool, huh! Her name is Sister Sabio. I have so much to learn from her!

BOHOL IS SO BEAUTIFUL. I love it here. It is so clean and the people are so nice! I am so excited to come back here with Mom and Dad (hah, yes I am already planning my return trip) The branch here is small...only about 30 on average go to church each week so there is so much work to be done! But I know we can do it with the Lord's help. President Schmutz did tell me that I will be here for a while which is great. Because it's not a big dirty city :)

I love you a lot and think of you all often. Don't worry about me...the Lord has given me a challenge but I am not alone in this :) Thank you for your prayers! I love you all!
Love
Sister Trayner