Week 8: ULAN ULAN GO AWAY

Hey everyone!!! 

Another crazy week in the Philippines. Transitioning from the MTC to the field was crazy (as in the whole they-didn't-teach-me-that-language-in-the-MTC is VERY real haha) but the people are amazing and my companion is great. I'll just go over the highlights of this week:

TONS of rain (ulan) here. Yesterday we had our umbrellas and were walking through the rain and NO jeepneys would stop for us so we had to walk so far in the rain. We were totally soaked when we got home and had to shower because the water from the roads is hecka nasty. 

Food here for me is I either love it or it's really... out there. Menudo and pancit are amazing and so yummy. I also tried dinuguan.. pigs blood.. and it actually wasn't bad. Wouldn't eat it again though haha. Also this is random but you see tons of people here snacking on the same brand of saltine crackers, "SkyFlakes". Like literally everyone you see everywhere is eating these things. I have an old lady in our ward that gives me a package of them whenever we see her.

Other random things.. there's a lot of lizards called "Tiki's" and my companion is absolutely terrified of them. Every time she sees one I have to swat it with a broom until it'll go away, it's so funny. I've thought of maybe a prank to do on her but she's too nice for pranks haha. 

I'll include a picture of my favorite people (not my favorite-I love everyone but... my favorite). We call them the "basketball boys". They live around a lot of bad influence but the two oldest in the photos are recent converts from almost about two months ago and the three others are siblings and friends, all investigators. The one in the back with the pink shirt is Marlon and he's so gentle and respectful and always gives us these squishy rice things called "puto", so yum. 

So that's about it, thank you everyone for your emails and support, believe me it is greatly needed and appreciated. Have an awesome week everyone!! Until next week!

Sister Pope

1) Some of the crazy primary/young women that help us teach one of our investigators. They always are touching my arm and playing with my hair, so cute.

2) The best people!! Marlon and Ricky are spiritual giants and great examples to the other boys that live in their area.

Week 7: BACOLOD!!!!

Kamusta kamo!!!

So I'm finally here in the Philippines at long last!! There's a lot to do still today but I want to just share what the Philippines is like. So everyone here calls me Sister Barbie, I don't even know. The children on the street will run up to me, say something really fast in Ilonggo and then put my arm and say "awwww puti gid!!".. puti means white. Everyone, like EVERYONE here says how "guapa" I am but it's really just because of my really white skin. But, it's a great confidence booster haha. 

So I have my trainer, Sister Tongco, and she's seriously so amazing! She is a great teacher, a great friend and just so sweet. We even have the same first name! We both freaked when we found out haha. Our investigator Analy, 11, was baptized on Saturday and she's just so sweet. I'll include a picture of her and her parents. Her mom is a member and her dad is an investigator. The people here really are prepared to hear the gospel, it's incredible.

The members here are amazing, we have more member present lessons by far than other lessons, it's amazing! Like a big family. Bro. Lotayo gives us TONS of fruit all the time and gives us free rides on his tryke to appointments. 

Oh yeah, trykes and jeepneys. Lets just say that the traffic here is literally insane and I'm thankful I'm alive haha. 12 people on one scooter = indi maayo (not good). 

To finish I'll try and compile a quick list of what Filipinos love: roosters, sweeping (at 5 am...and sweeping nothing haha), sweet spaghetti, karaoke, and smiling. They're great. Although I;m hard on myself, I'm hoping this next week will be good. Love you all!

Sister Pope

​​​​​​1) Investigator, Samuel, with his wife and recent convert, Eva. Both have great faith and are really humble. I'll try and take a picture of their house next week

2) The rice fields here! Classic Philippines

3) Analy and my trainer, Sister Tongco. Both are amazing!

4) My two day companions, Elder Okerland and Elder Lee. Awesome companions haha, I miss them a lot​​​​​​​​

Week 6: RABIES

Kumasta kamo!!!

So this week has been pretty alright, a bit slower than the others though as our districts have been anticipating the flight to the Philippines. On Monday we had to move out of our residence because our floor was infested with bats. There was actually a bat in a group of sisters rooms who were leaving the next day to somewhere on the East coast but they had to stay to be tested for rabies. It was pretty funny but when the girls found out they were FREAKING OUT. Which made it a little funnier? Not sure if I'm supposed to say that but it was funny. 

Fun thing that happened this week is that our Ilonggo teacher was showing us clips from the Missionary Conference in January and we watched this Q&A thing with Elder Bednar and Will VonDoerston was in the background!! I was like "I KNOW THAT GUY!!!!" but it was just my district and the conference was like forever ago so nobody cared but it was SO awesome haha. Also speaking of our ward, one of the sisters that shares our room with us and is going to Cebu is in the same ward as Emily Carter. It got so excited when she told me that!! 

Really REALLY sad thing this week is the Elder Gonzalez is going home. He was baptized about a year and a half ago, a year after his best friend died from bone cancer. They became friends because Elder Gonzalez's brother had the same type of cancer but after his brother went into remission, he still remained friends with this guy and eventually they became super close. Anyways, he got a phone call two days ago that his brother's cancer is back and the tumors are so expansive in his body that he only his six months to live. We all walked him to the travel office this morning to say goodbye, but he assured us that no matter what he was going to make it out to the Philippines and serve his mission. Amazing person am I right???? 

On Sunday we sang "God Be With You" and sang it in half Ilonggo and half English and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. It was particularly a tear-jerker for me since that was the last song that my ward sang at my farewell. That feels like ages ago! 

Something dorky for you all is that whenever we walk to the temple on Sundays or on our P-days, we walk facing Squaw Peak and if any of you know me, you'd know that I always teach a lesson about the alternating rock layers and their varying ages, including how they fit into the Lake Bonneville era (10,000 years ago). I can always tell who will be cool if they listen to me haha. Man I miss rocks. 

So yesterday we said our goodbyes to our teachers and our district too since it was the last time we'd all be together. One of the Elders wrote in my bye-bye book and I think people that haven't known me too long will relate to what he wrote: "Sister Pope, at first I thought you hated me but I came to realize you're really kind and spiritual, you just like punching me." That about sums it up haha. 

To end, I'd just like to talk about me deciding to go on a mission. A lot of people ask my why I chose to go on a mission or why I am giving up two years of my life to go to a country I don't know to speak a language I don't know. To all of you who have that question, I am not giving up two years of my life, I am taking two years of my life that the Lord has given me to share the most important thing of my life and the lives of others. And that is that we have a loving Heavenly Father out there who gave up His son, Jesus Christ, so that we may be happy for eternity. I know there's so much more to our lives than just this frail existence and I'm going to the Philippines to share this happiness with others. It's gotten me through everything, and I'm starting to realize it is everything. 

Anyways, I love you all and thank you so much for the support! It is so greatly appreciated.

Palangga kamo sang dios! 

Sister Pope

P.S. I'll be in Manila on Thursday so this is probably the last long email haha

1) Elder Mahaffey, Elder Mills, and Elder Robins. These guys are huge goofs

2) Elder Hanks, Elder Kelly, Elder Lee and I!

3) My kaupods (companions) for the next two days, Elder Lee and Elder Okerland. Easily some of the best guys I've ever met. They are SO. FUNNY.

4) Elder Robins and the Philippines flag. I really just wanted a picture of the flag to send to you all but he jumped into the photo and posed so I just wen with it

5) Elder Charters!! Such a weird and awesome guy. He always asks if he can vacuum when we clean and when he does he slams it against the wall because he's "trying to get the edges real good". So strange haha

6) Us and Brother Meek!! Best teacher ever, we'll miss him so much!! Also pray for him to find a wife please

7) Sister Gonzales, Elder Lee and I

8) Me, Elder Lee, Elder Glenn, Elder Matsen and Sister Garrish

9) Our zone!!!! I love all of these peeps so much