2-22-15

Awkward first time for an American

It was a really great week... It has been so busy!!!

We had a baptism! Yay! It was a really good service. Obviously, it is super fulfilling to see that, but before my mission I thought baptisms would be like this way cool spiritual experience where everybody cries and stuff but it's not like that. I mean, it is still a spiritual experience, but I realized why it's like that... Because it's not just the baptism... it's seeing how people have changed overtime. Just like our conversion, it's not in one moment that it happens, bu over a period of time. The baptism in this case is just the icing on the cake and the needed ordinance :) 

We also had zone conference! I learned a lot and even saw my anak, Sister Macabanting! I haven't seen her since August and maybe she cried when she saw me :) She's super sweet. But I learned so much and we talked a lot about Real Growth, the mission theme for the year. It doesn't mean we have to be perfect at once, as long as we are trying our best. Even the workshop we gave went okay :) Can I just say though.... My companion is an English Major and her English is really good... I'm pretty sure it was better than mine. :( haha. 

Tarlac Stake had stake conference as well. Elder Bowen came and talked... it was really good! The Stake President talked about our need for charity and it was a beautiful talk. President Clark and Sister Clark spoke... but I really liked what Elder Bowen said. He said that there two kinds of missionaries: Full-time missionaries in the field and full-time missionaries that stya in the ward. He went on the share some really cool missionary experiences when he went on his mission and after that as well. All of us are full-time missionaries! :) 

Also... last Monday I got a haircut. A man cut my hair and it was really awkward because he touched my neck.... haha. Also he took a picture of me while he was cutting my hair because he said it was the first time he ever cut an American's hair. So that was one big awkward experience. 

Alsooo... I realized there is one thing that I have NOT learned and that's haggling. It's a common thing when you are buying stuff ot the market to haggle,, but I have definitely not mastered it because I got ripped off big time without realizing it :) haha. Oh well. Walang magagawa  :) 

I love you all!

xoxoxo,

Sister Holmes

First Love then Sacrifice

Well... We had a really good week this week. It's starting to get busy... We have zone conference this coming week, exchanges,. and a baptism! It's exciting, but it will be another crazy week. :)  My companion and I have.. I mean get to give a workshop at Zone Conference about the Area Book... So that should be fun. :) haha. 

Maybe I'm a little nervous but it will be fine. 

This week, one of my kabahays told me that I'm like a Filipina that's really good at English... So that happened. Those kind of comments just make me laugh. I don't feel like it's true, but okay I'll take it. 

I had a date on Valentine's. Sister Gerardo and I went to Pizza Hut with a member that worked with us.(Yes, they have Pizza Hut here. It's a sit down restaurant and considered fancy) One thing I always remember from the MTC is something the MTC President said. "First Love, then Sacrifice." (Haha that's the only way I felt like I could connect to Valentine's)  It's so true though. We love the things we sacrifice for and sacrifice the things we love. Love always needs to come first. :) Sacrifice was really hard for me at first because I was doing it wrong. Once I allowed myself to love the poeple, the culture, and everything, the sacrifice became much easier. Love and sacrifice didn't begin with us though. Heavenly Father would not have sacrificed His Son if He didn't love us, and Jesus Christ would not have sacrificed His life if He didn't love us. 

Anyway, I love you all!!  Have a fantastic week!

xoxox,

 Sister Holmes

Christ needs disciples

What an adventure. . .This week was really fantastic! We had a meeting on Tuesday and spent the whole day at the mission home. So that was really fun. I learned a lot, but there is two things that really stuck out to me.

The first is President talked about the gift of tongues. Even though I can speak Tagalog (not that I'm perfect or completely fluent) I was really inspired. Learning a language is hard,but I have really learned how to rely on Heavenly Father. President talked about how if we don't open our mouths, we won't learn. I think that's how Heavenly Father works though. It is an act of faith. It's not just learning languages though.. Whether we feel inadequate in our callings, our responsibilities  or if we feel like we can't fully live up to the expectations of Heavenly Father, we just need to show a little faith, act and he will make up the rest. Help from our Heavenly Father does not come in great big spurts, but is the constant power that helps keep us going. :) 

The second... Christ needs disciples. He does not need us to do things our own ways, but He needs us to do it in His way- the perfect way.

We've also been house hunting this week looking for a new apartment. I don't want to grow up and have to do that for myself... it's such a pain. :) I'm learning a lot of valuable lessons I think. haha. 

Also, Valentine's Day is this week! I have a date with my companion, Sister Gerardo! :) Our investigator has his baptismal interview!! :) 

Anyway, I love you all and hope you have a good week!! Happy Valentine's Day!! 

I am no longer an ailen .I am Sister Hole-miss

Another transfer week has come and gone and I'm freaking out because maybe I get my departure letter soon. :(

But in good news, my companion and I stayed together in the same area! Yay!! I don't think I've said much about Sister Gerardo, but I really love her. She is a really kind person and I've learned SO MUCH from her. I have now offically spent almost one year of my mission with companions that speak illonkno. Which is fine by me, because they are known as some of the nicest groups of people here in the Philippines and it's super true! 

This might be my last area... but in all honesty, I have no idea. We will find out again in March!

So we have this new thing called another pilot program. This time... it's a little bit more complicated. Normally there are only supposed to be four of us in the house, but now there's six of us. It's super fun, a little crowed, and a little bit stressful but it's good. :) The two of them, Sister Leemew and Sister Sambajon will be just be focusing on finding in my area and well as the area of the other two sisters. Once they feel the investigator is truly prepared for the gospel, they will pass the investigator to us. So it's pretty cool, and we will see how it goes! :) 

This week... a little kid kissed my arm. So that's was pretty weird. And the kids that called me alien (Which they do ever single time I see them) FINALLY learned that my name is not alien... But there is still a downside because they call me sister Hole-Miss. Pambihira. 

We had a really good week though. :) The work is still going on and I love it here1

Mahal ko kayo!!

xoxox Sister Holmes