No Subject (That's her subject line this week which is normally what I name her posts...)

Written 5/18/14

Hi guys!

I hate Filipino internet cafe keyboards. But I love everything else Filipino. To quote one of my best friends,
"I'm doing so well out here. I just love this so much. Everything about it. The gospel, the people, the food, the landscape, the members, the food, the hours we spend proselyting, the food, that special feeling you get when you teach by the Spirit, my companions, the life lessons I learn, and the food. I just love it all so much."

Definitely the food.

Our funny experience this week: We were teaching Word of Wisdom  to our 4 child investigators when I told them we shouldn't tattoo our bodies. I said, "Wa'ay tattoos" (no tattoos) but what they heard was "Wa'ay katol" which means no "itchy". Ahaha. They were quite concerned about that and pointed out the many bug bites on their arms... obviously worried about how they could possibly keep this commandment that requires them to have no "itchy" :) Ahaha. We had to reexplain.

We had an earthquake this week! We were sitting on the floor teaching a lesson, when the house started to shake. Don't worry, I was in a bamboo house on stilts over the ocean, so I was pretty safe. ;)

It was a tiny earthquake, in truth, so really Mom, I am perfectly fine :)

G.G. was baptized on Saturday. We waited at the church and she never showed, and we eventually had to go search for her and take her to the church (but I mean, she went willingly) but she eventually ended up in the font :) It was a really nice service, and I never tire of seeing that look on peoples faces after they are baptized. That glowing, happy one? I'm so lucky to be a missionary.

J.R. is our long time investigator who's getting baptized this Saturday. He is 17, and the coolest ever. He's been investigating for a long time, but has only finally been able to overcome his word of wisdom. We have super strong, awesome youth in this ward, and it's totally affecting (effecting?) the work. He has so many friends here, and his friend is going to be the one to baptize him. LOVE.  Yesterday J.R. didn't have the plete (money) to ride all the way to the church, so he RAN all the way to the church from the market. I love this boy. He arrived dripping sweat and smiling ear to ear. Never seen a more beautiful sight :) Shouldn't we all be that determined and excited to come to church?

One of our Recent Converts, J., will be the one to baptize J.R. We wrote out what J. will say when he baptizes him and left it with him so he could practice the english. When we left that teaching appointment, J.R. was helping J. memorize it, and quizzing him so he could say it exactly right. My heart just swells with joy to see such worthy priesthood holders excited and ready to help each other fulfill their duties and participate in sacred ordinances.

Something I learned this week, best summarized in a quote from the Liahona (Don't condemn me because I forgot who said it.):

"The final judgement is not just an evaluation of the sum total of good and evil acts- what we have done... It is an acknowledgement of the final effect of our acts and thoughts- what we have become. It's not enough for anyone to just go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."

So true. This church is so true, and the gospel is the only path back to where we belong. We were born here to return to our Father. We have a divine nature that we are to live up to. Divine heritage, divine nature, and divine potential.

We have it all! Don't give it up.

Love you all!

Sister Luke

1. G.G.!

 

2. How is nature this beautiful??

3. My little gwapo man.

 

4. Cutie.

 

5. Some of our awesome YM recent converts. They are hilarious. 

The tall one on the right is the one that'll baptize J.R. (J.R. isn't in the picture.)

Happy Mother's Day indeed!

Written 5/11/14

Hi family!

Seems like I just talked to you yesterday.... :) Ahaha. I think I'm funny. I'm not. The Filipinos remind me of that every day... Sometimes I try to crack an American joke at them and it just doesn't really work. Language barrier, you know? Sigh. I digress :)

It was SO fun to see your beautiful faces! What a wonderful thing technology is. This week was so the best! We worked really hard and saw a lot of progress. We got Zone training in Cadiz on Wednesday and had  A.M.'s baptism on Saturday. So good! The BN.'s also came to church- a part member family with a date for the 31st of May. The mom and daughter are nonmembers and the dad is a returning less active. I really have a testimony of finding and teaching and baptizing through the less actives. I love seeing families completed through ordinances of the gospel!

Our funny (and slightly traumatic) experience this week: Being kissed on  by a 70+ year old man. He was outside our gate one morning and i was talking to him as I unlocked the gate. Then he suddenly came close and despite my firm words said, "Just one kiss!" and laid one right on my neck. 

 Sister Oquias was busy talking to someone in the house next to us and the dog was barking so she didn't hear my cries of alarm. But lets hope thats the first and last bit of action Sister Luke sees in the mission field. ;)

One thing I loved this week from our Zone Training was a scripture from the creation story in Genesis. I'm slightly obsessed with studying Plan of Salvation, especially Adam and Eve and the creation. But this thought hadn't occurred to me before. Our Zone Leader shared in Genesis 3:9- when the Lord says to Adam, "Where art thou?" Of course, this is when Adam and Eve have just partaken of the fruit, and hid out of shame. As our Zone Leader shared, I thought immediately that of course, the Lord wasn't asking geographically where Adam was. He knew, as he does all things. He was asking an inspired question: Where was he spiritually? It brought some good self reflection to me: Where art thou, Sister Luke? Are we standing in holy places, saying holy words? Are we participating in activities that we could be found giving a positive answer to the Lord when he asks us, "Where art thou?" Are we prepared to face the Lord at any time, when he turns to us as asks where each of us is? It's become a favorite scripture of mine this week, and inspired a lot of self reflection. The gospel is so cool. The more I learn the more I realize how much more there is to learn and how little I do know. But that's the beauty of it!

That's it for this week, my loved ones. Please enjoy these pictures :)

XOXO

Sister Luke

1. I've never been so scared of a child. 

2. Happy Baptism to April May! 

 

3. 8 months, ya'll!

Mom is always right.‏

Written 5/4/14

Maayong aga family!

Let's just say that Mom was always right about everything and anything. I can fully admit that now. Allow me to explain:

When I was in high school and was having a stressful night, Mom would always say, "It always looks better in the morning. Go to bed, and things will work out tomorrow." I would refuse to believe her and I would spend more time than necessary worrying about the next day, sometimes wasting tears or exerting excess amounts of stress.

 Then I would go to school the next day. And whatever the problem was... Well, it would just work out. Just like mom said. Plus our teacher would bring us donuts or something lucky like that. 

I've come to see that transfers here are the same way. I worry and wail and don't want to leave my old area, lacking the faith that any other area could possibly be as good as the one I was leaving. Then I grudgingly give in, we transfer, and things just... well... Work out. And I discover that the new area is better than I thought it would be. (That's the "teacher bringing donuts" part of the analogy.)

Moral of the story: Always listen to Mom. 

2nd point of the story: I LOVE my new area. It's almost as north as you can go on the Island of Negros, in the Cadiz zone. My area is called Manapla, and if I thought Silay was a small town... Well... Silay has got nothin' on Manapla :) We're right by the sea, (you're allowed to be jealous) and I get to walk by the ocean every day. Yes.. It's completely gorgeous.

My new companion is my "Batch mate" meaning we arrived in the Philippines on the same day. LOVE her. Her name is Sister Oquias and she's my favorite little Filipina. She's super good at teaching and I love learning from her every day. Last monday we went to transfers at the Mission office, and then got lunch and went straight to the mission home for Mission president's training that night. (I was nearing the end of my selection of clothes because i had so much laundry to do and didn't do it on Monday because of transfers... So that was fun, getting to go to the mission home looking like a little ragamuffin. Hi, President!) That night was SO good with the training, and then I actually stayed at my first apartment in Bacolod that night. That was so weird to be back in my first area.Man, there's just so much that has happened the last week! Bear with me here. (That's such a Mormon expression.)

A little more about my new area. Sister and I go jogging every morning together, and I've never been so hot in my whole life. But it's okay. All the roads here slant UP, and so we're walking uphill a lot of the day. We used to ride tricycles a ton in Silay, but here we do a lot more walking, which I like a lot more. It's a good thing, too, because we have 5 dinner appointments a week. 5! We always eat with Bishop on Fridays, and then Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday we're at the R.'s house. They feed us a ton of dried fish here, which believe it or not, is delicious. Yes, Sister Luke has learned to like fish. Dried fish. You just have to not look at it too closely when you eat it or you'll get grossed out.

I've already fallen in love with the R. family... The mom is LDS and the dad is (currently) not, (but we're hoping to sneak in there and baptize him. Bam.) and they have a daughter serving in the mission right now. Which explains why they always feed us. :) Then they also have their son and his wife, Ro., who is the one we interact with the most. Ro.'s baby sister, A.M. is our baptism this Saturday :) She's 13 and the cutest thing you ever did see. Ro. and her husband were just sealed recently in the temple, and they have the CUTEST little boy in the whole wide world. I've never see the show Frozen, but I know the song "Let it Go" probably better than all of you back home because it's like the ONLY song people listen to here. Anyhow, this little boy is 4 and can sing the whole thing complete with actions and facial expressions and costume changes. (Mostly meaning he wears layers of blankets and casts them off one at a time. The most entertaining thing ever.) Anyway, they are already like our 2nd family.

The youth here in Manapla are super strong, and we have a lot of recent convert Young Men who are like mini T.s. They are the coolest, and it's so fun to help them get excited about serving missions. 

The area rocks, and Sister and I had such a good week. We're really going to fulfill The Vision of weekly baptisms here in Manapla, starting this Saturday with A.M. 

The funny experience of the week: The R. family just got a new tricycle this past week and wanted the missionaries to come... I don't know what you call it... Dedicate it? That sounds so sacrilegious. Just like, say a special family prayer that it will be safe etc. Of course they ask the blonde white American girl to say the prayer. No pressure. So last night I prayed over a tricycle. That's probably the most filipino/Mormon thing I can think of :) Ahaha.

Just lovin' it here in Manapla. I want to close with my testimony: In 2 Nephi 9 (one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon) verse 41 we learn that "the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel, and he employeth no servant there". I just want to add my witness that Christ is indeed the keeper of the gate. He knows us perfectly and He is always, always there. He is pleading with us to repent, and to stand worthy at the gate so that He may grant us His grace. We must answer to no one but Christ, He is our light, our joy and our strength. This is His work, and I have come to know Him so much more because I am doing His work, and striving to walk in His footsteps. I testify that when we are pure before Him, it is the that our confidence will wax strong. 

The most filipino love coming to all of you-
Sister Luke

1. I ate this crab. It was the most delicious thing ever.

2. My new paradise. Gorgeous right? Bekah- imagine the sunset. (I bet you don't have to dig too deep for that. Lucky duck.)

3. My cutie Sister Oquias. (oh-key-us) She rocks.

4. A.M. (who will be baptized on Saturday) and the YW president here. Isn't she the CUTEST??

 

5. Buko! (Coconut.) I've been wrong my whole life. Coconuts are GREEN when they are on the tree. The brown ones are just really old coconuts. Children are mislead in Utah about the true nature of coconuts.

 

6. The R.'s little singing boy. Funniest little guy ever.

I'm sensing a pattern here...‏

Written 4/27/14

 

Hi Family-

This has been the BEST week ever. So awesome and wonderful.......and then I got a call at 6:35am this morning. This was my conversation with President:

"Good morning, Sister! Is this Sister Foote?"

"No, President, this is actually Sister Luke." (trying to put on my "I didn't just wake up 5 minutes ago voice".)

"Oh, Sister Luke! How are you?"

"Great, President, how are you?"

"I'm wonderful. I'm sorry it's such short notice and I couldn't delegate this to the assistants, but you're going to be transferred. Today. So meet at the mission office at 1pm. Thank you sister!"

........ So there we are. I'm transferring later today. I wish I could be super upbeat and happy about it, but to be honest I'm devastated. Sister Foote and I saw SO many miracles this week, and yesterday was the best Sunday I've ever had here in Silay... and now I'm transferring. But I dont want to go on and on about it, so lets talk about the miracles this week.

Miracle #1: Sister Foote broke her toe on Wednesday. Ahaha, that's not the miracle part, by the way. The miracle is that we got to organize member exchanges, and by Saturday she was as good as new. So we didn't miss out on the work.

Miracle #2: The C. family. I want you to all imagine 8 T.-like investigators. Yes. They are the most amazing family I have ever met, and I love them SO much. L.T. (Grandma) is one of them, and she's the coolest 80-year old I've ever met. She showed up at church yesterday before anyone else... Before the gate at the church was even unlocked, and she was wearing this fantastic brown flowered suit thing that i just love. I just wish you could understand how amazing and cool this family is. We introduced the Book of Mormon last night and reviewed Joseph Smith with them, and it was one of the most memorable lessons I've ever had on my mission. Literally, all 8 of them (parents, and one of the mom's brothers, 2 couples, and grandma) were involved in the lesson, asking good questions and then explaining and answering their own questions to each other. They all looked at their Book of Mormons with such interest and excitement, and wouldn't let us move on in the lesson till they ALL understood what we were teaching. It was so, so, SO COOL. Missionary work is indescribable. 

Miracle #3: 7 investigators showed up to church. And we only picked up 1 of them! 

Miracle #4: The investigator we DID pick up for church is named R., and is the sweetest 17 year old I've ever met. She's also deaf. Sister Foote knows sign language a bit from College, but this is one of those times I wish I had my trusty cousin Janine with me to help us teach and translate. But the people at church were amazing. We have a boy at church who signs, and even the youth who don't sign, but typed out messages on their phones for her to read and respond to. The youth in this ward were amazing. 

Miracle #5: The M. family showed up to church. They are our recent convert family (my recent convert R. is their son?) that has been sort of less active for a month and a half... and we've been working a ton with them these past few weeks. We've missed them at church for a long time now, but we had a really good lesson with them on Tuesday, and Sister M. told me, "Sister, I don't know if R.S. [her neighbor she normally goes to church with] is going to church, but I'M going to church this week no matter what."

The sweetest words I ever did hear. 

And then she actually DID! And she brought her kids! Sister Foote and I were walking on the sidewalk just a ways from the church and heard someone from a bus calling our names. I looked and waved, and then realized that it was the whole M. family, sticking their heads and hands out the window and waving at me. I've never seen a more beautiful sight. I started jumping up and down and waving at them... I couldn't help myself!! I've never been so happy. Sunday was so, so lovely.

Our week was just too filled with awesomeness. Hilarious experiences- I hardly ever stop laughing with Sister Foote, and such miracles. I've LOVED this area, and I'm so sad to be leaving. I'll definitely be leaving my heart here. But I'll go where He wants me to go.

I'm feeling a little flat today, and our time is really short to email, so sorry for this cobbled mess of an email, but what can you do. This first picture is me and Sister Foote at the Ruins in Talisay last monday. The second is the C. family- Grandma is on the right. (I think you could fit a whole cup of water in that collar bone chasm of hers.) The one closest to the front is the Mom- J. LOVE this woman. The third picture is mine and Sister Davis' feelings this morning on the transfer. 

Love you all! Can't wait to write to you next week about my new adventures. Pray for Sister Foote- this will be her 14th companion, and she's only been out just over 10 months. 

The most love coming your way!
Sister Luke

P.S. Mom, I got your package. You are the best!! Happiest birthday to me. And Becky Vogler's package came! She's the best ever. Me and my companion are addicted to that Crystal Light :)

PPS I just got a call from the AP's and the transfer might actually be tomorrow. Okay, not that that actually applies or matters to any of you, but I thought I'd at least share the news :)

Happy Easter!

Written 4/20/14

Maayong Aga, ang mga langga ko!

Hello! What a week. Ahaha I think I say that every time. My birthday was the BEST ever. Because of my awesome companion. She just rocks. We found a restaurant with a BURRITO. In the Philippines. I can't even find flour tortillas here... But somehow there is a restaurant that has a burrito. So I ate the most awesome food on my birthday. Also, because the awesomeness of Sister Davis is unending.... Her and Sister Javier, our other STL, snuck into our house while we were gone and bombarded my bedroom with decorations and balloons. Who is the best? They are. I don't know why I got so lucky to have such awesome people surrounding here, but I am a very "yucky girl." :) 

Other funny happenings this week: The craziest rainstorm ever on Tuesday when I was on exchanges with Sister Javier. We got absolutely soaked to the skin. Can't wait for rainy season :)

Last night as Sister Foote and I crossed the river on the balsa (raft thingy), we got into quite a predicament. Long story short, I got sunk in the mud up to my knees in (what sister foote claims to be quicksand) and nearly lost my crocs in the sludge. (That is a sentence I never dreamed I would have reason to type...). I had to cross this muddy, quicksandy place to tie the raft to a stick so it wouldn't float away... But just as I got back through the muddy place, someone arrived on the other side of the river, so I had to cross back through the quicksand and untie the raft to send off to the other side... Needless to say, Sister Foote and I had the worst case of the giggles I've probably ever got, and I nearly wet my skirt. (TMI?) I'll attach some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Sister and I have been frustrated with our lack of progressing investigators recently, so we set some goals and got to work. This week we found 44 new investigators. I have never been so exhausted, but it was the best. I love missionary work. The Lord is right there with us in all things.

The lesson I learned this week was about obedience. I may have mentioned this before.. I probably just repeat myself in emails every week, but oh well :) I've been reading in 1 Nephi again which is so much about obedience. I've been the MOST frustrated with our peeps here lately that have been participating in what Sister Foote and I have dubbed, "Convenient obedience". And I'm so tired of it. Which makes me realize how patient Heavenly Father is. 

We hear so much here, "Sister, it's okay that I didn't go to church. As long as I don't lose prayer in my life. I always pray." 

We do not get to set the terms of our obedience and blessings with God. It reminded me of Elder Hollands talk from last conference, "Talk about making God in man's own image." A God that doesn't demand much. But that is just not the case! This quote (again, from Elder Holland) explains perfectly the concept that I feel was cemented in my head this week: 

"We must live the gospel at all times, not just when it is convenient, and not just when things are going well. Indeed, the real test of our faith and our Christian discipleship is when things are NOT going smoothly. That is when we get to see what we're made of and how strong our commitment to the gospel really is. ...That is a hard thing to ask, when we're hurting or have been offended, are tired or stressed out or are suffering innocently. But that is when Christian behavior [and might I add, obedience] may matter the most."

So true. I simply testify that sometimes the Lord just asks us to square our shoulders and do it. Salvation is not a cheap experience. We cannot expect to pick and choose at the spread of commandments and then have God on our side when we need him. Daily commandment living and covenant keeping are what give us the spiritual stamina needed in our times of desperation. We build up, bit by bit, week by week, our armor of righteousness so that when temptation and hard times come, we don't have to go running back to our Father in Heaven, because we never left His side.

I love you all so much. I love this work. It's hard and it's hot and it's a heavy load, but we don't carry it alone! Man, this gospel is true. I love you with all my heart! Keep being obedient. The blessings are coming!

Love Always,
Sister Luke

 

1. The lovely muddy quicksand sludge...

 

2. A close up

 

3. I love everything about this picture. The children.....

This is L., a Recent Convert in the ward. Love her.

 

4. You can all feel free to be jealous. I love this little thing.

 

 

5. My amazingly photogenic companion :) Love this girl.

6. Birthday balloons! 

"It's my birthday gift to me!"‏

Written 4/13/14

Dear Loved ones-

The subject line? Movie movie. 

So, that's it kids! I'm out of the teenage years for good. Can't say I'm devastated but I also can't promise I'll ever really stop being a 12 year old. 

Transfer time! Sister De Castro moved on to become an STL (and her new companion is Sister Nielsen, my last companion! Small world.) and Sister Foote is here with me in Silay! We were both in my very first district together in Bacolod, and needless to say I am STOKED for this transfer. I was sad to see Sister De Castro go, but I love Sister Foote already. We've already had some ridiculously fun times together. Wanna hear?

1. We were sung to- a COMPLETE song about Jesus and the resurrection- by a new 60+ baptist investigator, who burst into song for a full 2 minutes and then afterwards straightfaced asked us, "Do you know that song?" as casually as if he had just mentioned the song title, and not sung the WHOLE song to us. I now know what it truly means to hold back the giggles.

2. A miracle: We were walking along a dirt road when a pickup truck ( A real pickup truck!) pulled up next to us and the guy asks, "Are you Mormons?" and then the sweetest sentence I've ever heard, "How do you become a Mormon? I wanna know." We gave his number and address to Sister Davis and Sister Javier and I can't wait to hear how that one turns out.

3. I cannot physically teach the gospel in English right now. I tried. I found an American from West Virgina (thanks Adam, for living in Virginia and giving me a talking point) and gave him a pamphlet... In the most awkward english ever. Something like "Here in this pamphlet you'll learn.. like... You know, there's a lot of simba.. I mean, Churches here in... the whole world right now, right? And when Jesus Christ was here still on earth he...." 

Yeah, I'll spare you the rest of the painfully awkward details. It was a source of even more giggles for the rest of the day. But he was really nice, and come to find out, the missionaries had visited their home in West Virginia twice already before they had left for the Pines! The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Okay. General Conference. Can we just talk about that for a sec? Man, it was so, so, SO good. So much good.I felt like the talks all tied back to obedience, pressing forward, and keeping covenants. Some favorites were from Elder Zwick, Elder Christofferson, and of course, Elder Bednar. Also from Elder Holland, that the path doesn't have a lot of latitude, but it can be thrillingly enjoyed. God is not made in man's own image... He is not man made at all. He sets the terms of our covenants, our blessings, and we either choose to accept them or not. We do not get to pick and choose when it comes to obedience. Pres. Eyring's talk was also fabulous, but I had a special experience while listening to Pres. Uchtdorf. 

We had one of our investigators (one who was almost baptized, then backed out) finally promise that she would be attending General Conference, and we even made sure there would be someone there at her house to watch their tiangge (store). She text us 15 min into the first session and told us she wouldn't be attending, because she was watching her sister's baby. I lost patience then, and in exasperation, chucked the phone into my bag. Just as this happened, I returned my thoughts back to conference only to hear Elder Uchtdorf about having gratitude, "Even when we think, 'What in the world do I have to be grateful for?' ". Well, that was certainly what I was thinking. But that was a good and immediate (and needed) chastisement from the Spirit. His talk was life changing, and I feel like it was directly to me. Lately I've been feeling like I've been failing in this area- our RC's are going less active, our investigators aren't progressing... But I've realized now what I need. I need gratitude, and i need obedience. My resolve and faith was strengthened immensely this conference. Today I'm turning 20. What better time to set goals such as these? 

I've learned here on the mission that our testimonies aren't to be changed according to the weather or conditions in our lives; it is in fact our testimonies that change us instead, no matter what the weather or conditions. Let us not fall into the trap of "convenient obedience". Let us not be "fair weather" saints. Let us be grateful, and let us be obedient.

He also had a couple other thoughts I fell in love with: 

"Let us put down the bottle of bitterness and take up the goblet of gratitude." 

"Why is there something in all of us that hates endings? Because we are made of the stuff of eternities. Endings are not our destiny; there are no endings in this plan, only everlasting beginnings. Have we not reason to rejoice?" 

I can't say it any better than that. Thank you all for the birthday wishes, today has already been a fun day :) It's my favorite weather right now- cloudy and simply pouring, and not too hot. It's the little things. 

Love you all so much. I have the best family in the world- I am more and more convinced of that every week!

XoxO

Sister Luke
Captions for the photos by Megan:

 

Birthday Princess!

 

New Companion! Sister Foote