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!

Maayong aga, pamilya ako! Week 2

September 26, 2013

Maayong aga! (Good morning!) 

This will probably be another throw up "wall of text" email, but okay-lang! (Add lang to any word... It's fun! It means just, or only. Ex: okay-lang! Just okay! Pronounced "long".)

First of all, big shout out to Charlotte Mae, for sending me hand drawn pictures AND words! "I love you, Amy" and a picture of a cupcake, I think. Or a temple. Either way, it was the best part of my day! Oh, also all the other awesome peeps in my life that have sent the MOST mail. You guys are the best. 

For those of you sending Dear Elders... Please date them! :) It only says the day they are printed, and sometimes they stop printing after a certain time of day, so let me know when you write it. Salamat! (Thank you! Say it like Salami... But without the i and with a soft "at" instead. :) )

Read Elder Hollands, "The First Great Commandment". Seriously. One of my favorite talks. If we love Him, we'll feed His sheep! Can't believe I'm lucky enough that I get to do that. 

So the big pieces of news from this week: We moved to West Campus (Mom, tell Stacy! I go to class in Raintree... I hope I get to see her!) and I get to sing in the Relief Society broadcast!! Woo hoo!

West Campus is great! The food is healthier there (relatively) and we get to go to Jamba Juice, Great Harvest, and the BYU Creamery and other places like that. A lot more freedom, but a lot of responsibility as well! We live in Wyview apartments and that is WEIRD because only a few months ago I was playing cards with the Mitch, Colton WIlliams, and Carly in the same apartments!

We sing Saturday, and basically we will spend all morning getting ready, and all afternoon in Salt Lake! Lucky us. Outside food! I'm so excited for the song choices... Make sure to watch the broadcast, not just for the choir, but the music will indeed be amazing... What an opportunity to get to literally sing with the Lord's angels. These sisters here are incredible! I love the MTC. Our directors are fabulous, and the MTC choir director, Brother Eggate (sp?), who is helping us prepare is really funny. Somehow it just makes me miss WJ Mads and DeHaan. Things can never be quite the same as that! But how blessed we are to have those memories and teachers!

The Lord is blessing me in so many ways. Even the little things! I get up at 6:15 and mostly feel pretty awake within the first 5 minutes of my morning. If any of you know me.... Miracles do indeed happen. Ahaha. But I don't mind even when I am tired, because it means I'm doing something! I love having such purpose in my life. The small things don't matter so much because this work is the most important thing I can be doing right now. We listened to Elder Holland's talk "For Such a Time As This" given in an MTC Devotional almost a year ago on Sunday, and he had so many good things. I loved especially that he pointed out that this is our real lives. We don't return from our mission to "real life". He pounded that pulpit as he said, "This is as real as your life is ever going to get." I loved that. Real people, real testimonies, real lives, and real souls! Isn't this work astounding? He also said, paraphrased, that we will do nothing more important than this work, nothing will surpass it. Marriage and family will match the importance, but there is nothing better that I can be doing. What a comforting thought.

At Devo on Tuesday night, we sang "Sing We Now at Part(ies)" and I thought of you, Mom and Dad :) I giggled a little bit. Hopefully I don't get struck down.

I want to share a small experience I had yesterday. We have class in Raintree apartments now, which have just been converted into classrooms. In one of the empty classrooms, I was studying PMG and I was looking at the painting in there. It's by Simon Dewey and it's of Christ visiting the Nephites (i believe, not sure though). I loved it because the light from Christ touched every figure in the painting, whether they were touching him, or standing behind him, or simply looking on. Every one of them had some degree of His light, although the brightest light fell upon those closest to Him, and as I considered the painting, I thought that we are the same way. Each of us is born with the Light of Christ, but some of us have developed it to a different degree than others. Many of us now have the Gift of the Holy Ghost, the opportunity to keep the Spirit with us at all times. We have the most Light from Christ when we are closest to him. I don't know if that makes sense, or is said in the most eloquent way, but it touched my heart. In order for us to feel the warmth and light of the Savior, His Spirit, most often, we must be as close to him as we can. 

I studied in Mosiah this week and found these scriptures on the Atonement as we were preparing a lesson for one of our investigators, Bipoy. In Mosiah 4:5, it says,  

4 Surely he has ^aborne our ^bgriefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

 5 But he was ^awounded for our ^btransgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are ^chealed.

6 All we, like ^asheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.

This brought to my mind the line from Les Mis, "I have bought your soul for God." Not much to say on this, but it's simply brought me comfort. Later in the chapter, verse 11:

He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall^abear their iniquities.

I will return home in March of 2015. Will I see the travail of my soul, and be satisfied? 

Last, verse 12:

.......he hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sins of many, and made ^cintercession for the transgressors.

This one I loved because as I think of the Saviors sacrifice, this brings to my mind thatafter he had gone into Gethsemane to suffer and then found his apostles asleep, afterhe had been betrayed, after he had been beaten and scorned and spit upon and literally torn, the Savior was still the Savior. He healed the guards ear, he comforted the thieveswhile he was on the cross, he forgave those who crucified him, and he literally poured out everything in his soul unto death. He didn't just die for us, he suffered for us, he poured out his entire soul for us, and after he was empty, then he gave up his mortal body unto death, STILL, for us. I always knew about Christ's sacrifice, but as I read the accounts of the Crucifixion I felt Christ's personal love for me. He is there, and He listens and loves us, and I testify that He lives! He lives who once was dead! What a joyful gospel this is. 

I love this gospel, and I love the Savior. My testimony has already grown leaps and bounds! Sorry for the huge beast of an email again, but I love you and I hope you have a wonderful week! Your prayers are felt, and I pray for you every day.

can't wait to hear more about your lives and adventures.

XOXO

Sister Luke

P.S. My New Zealand sister, Sister Viliami always says, "That's a crack up!" and I love it. She is awesome :)

Sister Haun and I being Bootiful

(http://www.mirandasings.com/)

Language anyone?

Temple walks are the bomb