No transfers for Sister Santos and I! Still here in the sticks of the sticks. And loving it :)
Also.
No one sent me pictures of my nieces and nephews in their Halloween costumes. I'm trying not to be miffed.
I know Dad and Krista's birthdays passed, but I need to add my bit on "Things I love about Dad" and "Things I love about Krista" since I wasn't there around the dinner table when this was discussed.
Dad: My favorite thing about dad is that he be's my bud, even when I'm 7,000 + miles away, he still emails me and says sweet things about Mom. Also that Dad has always magnified his calling in the church and as a father. Being here on the mission has taught me to appreciate that.
Krista: My favorite things about Krista is that she is a good supporter. She looks for ways to serve always, and is not wrapped up in herself. She's a good example of missionary work, and is good at laughing at herself and her mistakes, which I admire a lot.
I love you both! Did you eat German chocolate cake for me?
This week we celebrated "Kalag Kalag" the Filipino version of Halloween. Except it's on November 1. We go in the graveyards and proselyte and talk to the people there, which always makes for some good times. And some pretty awkward conversations, as you can imagine. I mean, we basically walk up to people sitting at the graves of their loved ones and say... "So... Who died?" I'm so tactful. I would not suggest this as a conversation starter.
We met a sister outside the other day that asked Sister Santos, "Pwede ko siya hicapan?" Or, "Can I touch her?" talking about me. I stuck out my hand to shake hands with her, but she wasn't satisfied, so she pinched my arm and my nose and got really excited and then walked away.
Another adventure was when Sister Santos and I were wading through the small stream on the way back from one of our areas and washing the mud off our feet. We were nearly finished when we heard a strange sound, and turned to look upstream to see a Carabao (Is that a water buffalo in america? I don't know) peeing, like, gallons of pee into the very water we've been cleaning our feet in. Sister and I ran away barely containing our giggles for fear of offending the owner of the Carabao. Ahaha.
Also, because of Kalag Kalag we were fed 5 TIMES... This sticky rice called Suman that every single family in the Pines makes on November 1, with coconut and coconut milk... It's delicious, but you get sick of it fast. And it's the heaviest food ever invented and by the end of Saturday I just wanted to throw up the 5 (filipino sized) (meaning HUGE) servings of suman with all the pancit and noodles and sprite that everyone else had forced us to eat.
Sorry, this isn't a very spiritual email. Let me see if I can do better.
On Sunday our baptismal candidate, J.P., passed his baptismal interview for his baptism on the 8th of November . He’s the younger brother of one of our recent converts and has been coming to church for a couple months now. We’re excited to see him baptized! On Sunday, Sister R. leaned over to me in gospel principles class as someone mentioned baptism and said to me, “I’m going to be baptized here. So...When?” M., our investigator around 50 years old is still working with us and the Lord on losing her coffee addiction, but she loves church and her faith is really growing. We had 7 investigators again at church and I really testify that even though things don't always work out during the weeks like we plan, the Lord steps in and makes up the difference.
This weekend with graveyard proselyting, we started out a little rough with some people that weren't interested at all in talking with us, but after a while they seemed to warm up. We ran into a mom named J., around 40 years old with 6 kids. She had met the missionaries a couple months ago when they talked to her outside her house, but must have never returned. She was really excited about the pamphlet we gave her and let us sing for her before we left and told us to come and teach her family. I love meeting receptive OYM’s. It’s really encouraging after other people run away and hide from us.
Don't have much more to say, except I know that my Redeemer lives, that He directs this work, and that this is His restored, true gospel here on the earth. One of my favorite lyrics I came across a few months ago about the Savior say this:
No creature is so lowly,
No sinner so depraved,
But feels thy presence holy
And thru thy love is saved.
Tho craven friends betray thee,
They feel thy love's embrace;
The very foes who slay thee
Have access to thy grace.
If Christ loved even those who mocked and spit upon Him, how much more is he able to love us, even in our sinful humanness, when we are willing to come to Him through repentance,acknowledge our weaknesses before Him, and work hand in hand with Him to overcome them. I know His grace is accessible to all, and because of His infinite Atonement and love, we can return to be with Him, and be like Him.
Have a blessed week,
Sister Luke
1. Gorgeous. This is a banana tree.
2. Our Halloween Costumes and candy. We trick o' treated to each other. (I had to teach Sister about Trick or Treat general practices.)
3. The niece of one of our Recent converts. She loves my scripture case :)
4. The OKC fans here don't know how to spell Oklahoma.
5. 3 of my favorite tots.
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