No goodbyes sa Ilonggo! Week 3 (maybe. I lose track of time.)‏

October 3, 2013

Pamilya ko!

What a lovely week. Full of opportunities and awesome spirit. I just realized I left my notebook with my outline for my family email (yes, I make an outline...) at Main Campus. Darn it all. So this email will probably be even more scattered than normal. Oops.

First off, I met an Elder Luke last Pday! His dad is Gary Luke, I believe. So, that makes us second cousins, I guess? I dunno. But cool to see some fellow Luke blood serving the Lord :) 

Second, it was so fun to hear from so many of you this week! Probably inspired by my Relief Society broadcast cameo. What can I say? I have a face of fame. Joke-lang! But I was glad to hear mom brought her binoculars to see if she could find me in the choir :) It was such an amazing experience to be able to sing with so many of the Lord's dedicated and set apart missionaries. Such an amazing experience. I hugged the choir director afterwards, and then we got to hug the RELIEF SOCIETY GENERAL PRES. after. WOW. I hugged the first counselor, Sister Stephens, and she held my hands and looked at me and said, "I saw your face on the teleprompter, and your tears and your spirit made me weep. Thank you." So, that was an unforgettable experience. I walked off the stage and Brother Eggate, the MTC choir director saw me and said, "Are you Sister Luke?" I told him I was, but I didn't know how he knew me. Then he said, "They got this, like, 30 second shot of you right at the end, your eyes were all glossy and you could tell you were just feeling it.... Are your parents members?? There's no way they didn't see you!" Haha it was funny, and cool, but I'm trying not be embarrassed about everyone teasing me about crying in front of millions of people :) I finally found an accompanist to play for me for Auditions this next Thursday, so I'm hoping I get to sing at a Devo or something here at the MTC. 

Craziness is happening. There are only 7 of us in our district and the one elder, right? So our WHOLE branch is leaving except us this coming monday and tuesday, and wednesday we are getting 56 Cebuano speaking missionaries. The most crazy. Sister Vill and Sis Ribelin are our new awesome Sister Training Leaders. I know they are going to "smash it" in the words of Sis Vill :) Crazy that we're the "old ones" now. 

We had one of our first "language mishaps" this week. We were learning existentials in Ilonggo (for those of you who are unaware.... i.e "I have a book" or "Do you have a question?") Sister Ribelin was trying to ask if Sister Tamang had a husband, or was married, and wound up asking "Do you have sex?" ahahaha. The most awk. :) Apparently the word for marriage is synonymous with that word in Ilonggo, and in that context... Well, I suppose I will try to remember not to ask that question to the Filipinos I meet. :)

Subject line explained: We learned this week that in Ilonggo, there isn't really a word that is synonymous for "Goodbye". They say things like "Halong!" Which is "take care" or "Makita ay kita!" which is like "See you later". And I love that so much! As hard as it is sometimes to be our here and away from home and family, it's never really goodbye! Just sort of a "Take care, see you later!" type of a thing. Yeah? Yeah. I like it.

Okay, Mom, before I forget, I don't need any super glue, I found some at the creamery so we're okay there. But if you ever do send anything else, those "Twistable" crayons are golden here. They make really great scripture markers. Just a thought.... No worries :)

Alrighty, quick Ilonggo lesson. Pretty much the language is phonetic, once you know the vowels, so that's awesome. A is ah, E is eh, I is ee, O is a pure O sound, (not Oh... Don't give into the dipthong (sp?) there.) U is oo, and then there are the random ones, like Ty or Ts is the CH sound. They normally put the emphasis on the second to last syllable. I'm mostly saying this because Mom wants to know how to say things..... So.... Sorry that I'm boring. Kamusta, for example, is pronounced Kah-moo-st-uh! It's a greeting for "How are you?" Or like Hello. So. There you are.

I feel like I should have more to tell you but it's just been a regular week here at the MTC, and I don't have all my notes of the things I wanted to tell you... But I think I probably hit the important stuff. 

This week I studied up on the Apostasy for our investigator, Bipoy. It was pretty cool to read up on, I feel like my knowledge there was lacking. But the more your investigator understands the Apostasy, the more they understand the need for a restoration of the Gospel, not a reformation of the gospel. Pretty cool stuff, eh? Or maybe I'm just slow on the uptake and everybody knows this already. 

My district has started doing something new... Sort of like what we do at the dinner table for birthdays. Basically we pick one person, and we all go around and say what we like about whoever has been chosen, and what spiritual gifts we think they have. It was such a good way for us to think positively about each other and become even closer as a district. I'm so blessed to have these Sister and this Elder in my life. Lovin' it! 

Just remember that Heavenly Father always, always, always loves you. As do I. In Romans 8:31 and 37- 39, remember: "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? ...... Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creatures, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord."

That is my testimony. I love this work already, I love this gospel and I love my Lord. 

I cannot WAIT FOR CONFERENCE!! Whoo hoo! We get to spend all day at Main Campus, watching conference and eating. Basically all we ever do here is eat and sit and eat some more. Work out time is like platinum gold to my soul. I'm sorry I don't always have time to answer everyones emails and letters, but I appreciate them the MOST! Pday really is so darn busy, between laundry and emails and the temple, and then class in the evening. Thank you so much for all the support, I am overwhelmed daily by the Lord meeting my needs most often through all your letters and emails and Dear elders of encouragement! And thanks for dating your Dear Elders... :)

Kabalo ako nga propeta si Jopseh Smith, kag matuod kag kabuhi nga propeta si Thomas S. Monsen. Kabalo ako nga may kita sang matuod sang ebanghelyo ni Jesukristo, sang matuod sang doktrina ni Kristo. Palangga ko kami, pamilya!

Till next week, 

Sister Luke

P.S thanks for your package momma! And huge thanks to Carlisle for sending it... I got it monday... So I think the same day she sent it! You're the best. I've been coveting my Chocolate covered cinnamon bears. Love you all so much!

Elder Luke! Second cousins!

Matching Tags

We get to go to Jamba. Free the missionaries! 

Also, missionaries get half off, how nice is that??

My favorite sister, Sister Webber. She does Miranda with me.

My cute Kaupod left these stickies all over my bed (which she made for me while I was singing in the choir!) She's the bestest.

Sister McKee and I having a matching moment. Yes, this picture was taken in our classroom..... Yes, we have class an apartment in what used to be a bedroom. Make use of the resources you have, huh?

At the Conference center with Sister Ribelin and Sister Char

Beautiful (dark picture) of the temple after the RS broadcast

So excited for my package! Much love!