Maayong aga family!!
Sister AmyLuke
Philippines Bacolod Mission
PO Box 660
Bacolod City
6100 Negros Occidental
Philippines
I'm here. I dont even know how to start, especially since I took a lot of time reading all the emails in my inbox! Mom, Sis Fitz said she's gotten letters in about 3 weeks and packages in less than a month too, so that's cool. But dont send packages, its not worth it.
Okay.. WEll! It's crazy here! My first flight was awesome. Nagoya Japan was sweet too. Sister Char and I gave out a bunch of pass along cards on the flight and in the airport. All the people we flew to Manila with are so nice... All the filipinos are amazingly nice. Everyone here smiles and says hello. More on that later. When we FINALLY got to Manila it was like jumping into a swimming pool and I haven't gotten out since. So that's cool :) I think I've sweat enough to fill a small dam. Thats just the life here! But i have a cute handkerchief to wipe the sweat away so it's all good ;) I love it. I love the people and I love talking to them even though I have no idea what they are saying. In lessons I can get about 30% of it. Mostly all Sister Fitz says, but in real life it's only a word here or phrase there. But the "overwhelming" feeling hasnt really hit me or anything. I know if I do my part the Lord will help me get the language. They speak a lot of English and "Ilonggish" here too. We taught a man in English last night, too. Pres Lopez likes us to teach in English where we can, but R. and his wife have been the only ones so far. It was nice though. We found his wife last night on our way home and stopeed to talk to her before she went inside. We asked to pray for her and her family inside and when we sat down andtold her husband we were missionaries he said, "Well then, where do we start?" haha. It made me laugh. He is a devout baptist... But i'm really really hoping we get to teach him again. He asked a lot of questions and we talked about the restoration. Mostly he wanted to know what the differences were between our beliefs, but I hope weget to talk more with him.
So we got here Tuesday night (I htink?) and we stayed at the Manila hotel near the airport that night. NICE hotel. My last hot shower :) The food was good too. Lots of rice and meats and yummy fish too! We slept for like 4 hours and had to get up and go to the airport. In like 30 hours of travel i Had about 8 hours sleep. Whey. I'm still trying to catch up. My first night here we had a meeting with the bishopric and mission leader and it went on and on in ilonggo... Defs fell asleep and they made fun of me. Great to know I make such good first impressions. Sorry for all the typos... This keyboard is struggling. Or maybe it's user error.
SO we had lunch and training at the mission homeand pres lopez is AWESOME. So good. KNows what he is doing. Our goal here is weekly baptisms, andthis week we met it! Haha although I can't really call it "my baptism." His name is A., and he is super old and frail (I was afraid he wouldn't comeout of the water) but it was so good. The baptism was scheduled for 2 but didn't happen till like 4. We had to wait for the bishop for about an hour.... Definitely Filipino style! But okay lang.
Sister Fitzgerald is AWESOME. Been out in the field only 12 weeks, but is great at the language and at teaching. She's from WA. We get along really well and have a lot of fun together. I do what I can in the lessons but mostly that's just testify. The people and children here are really nice andtell me my Ilonggo is very good, and myaccent is good... But i know they're just being nice :) My area is Bacolod Central stake... Pretty much staying in the city. Our apartment ispretty nice too! We have running water, and my cold showers in the morning are the best part of the getting ready process :) You're pretty much wet all day anyway but it's nice to be COLD wet instead of hot. I freaked myself out: it's SO hot, but less hot that I feared. THe humidity is awesome.
They ride in Jeepneys here, which is like a bus type of thing, or in these little side car things attached to a motorcycle or bike called a tricycle. The poverty here was shocking in some ways. They literally live in cardboard huts and we teach on wood benches with their laundry hanging above myhead, and they are still some of the happiest people I have ever met. It's inspiring. Some people here are just so ready to share the gospel. We have a hard time finding members to come teach with us... Please, anyone reading this, call up your missionaries in your area and offer to host or go with them to a lesson!! It's an easy way to contribute to this amazing and desperately important work.
Everyone here, EVERYONE, young or old stares at us like nobody's business. They call "Kagwapa!" out from busses or the side of the road... haha if anyone needs a self esteem boost... Come to the Philippines. In no makeup, sweaty faces and hot clothes...Doesn't matter! They will call you beautiful. Haha.
I love it here. It's hard, but I'm adjusting really well, it feels like. I hope i answered most of your questions... WE havent eaten with any members yet, but they have good food here from what we;ve made. Elder Anderson is coming to our mission on SATURDAY! SO stoked about that. So good to hear from all of you.. I'll try to send pictures but I dont know if I can here.. SO sorry. But you saw the ones on Pres Lopez's page so there. Dear Elders take about a month ish to get here, depende, so maybe just try them and see? I would love to hear from all of you! Love you SO much... Don't know what else to say. Remember that we are saved in and through Christ only after all we can do. When all is said and done here, I want to be able to face my Savior with pure hands, and to be able to say I placed everything on the altar of sacrifice for this work. 2 Nephi 25:23. I love you all so much, and Happy Birthday today, Daddy and Krista! Hope you all have wonderful weeks... Can't wait to hear from you.
Keep on keeping on!
XOXO
XOXO
Sister Luke
