In Full Swing

Written 6/8/14

Hey guys!

Summer thinks it can still be in full swing here. It feels like we're the little pieces of rice and the Philippines is a huge rice cooker. But the work is also in full swing, so I definitely can't complain :)

Last Tuesday morning Sister Oquias and I are outside washing our clothes and she just turns to me and asked,"What's pickles?" I was initially confused, and tried to explain a pickle. She interrupts me and just says, "Because that's what you were saying last night. Pickles, pickles, pickles." Ahahaha. So I obviously dream big.

Also, Sister and I went on a long, exhausting hunt for a plunger on Saturday. (I won't tell you why.) We had no plunger in our apartment, and neither did our lovely neighbors. And the church was locked. So we walked to the Barrido to buy one and had to walk all the way back to our apartment on the busy highway holding a plunger. I tried to walk with my head held high, but it turns out there is some shame in holding a toilet plunger while walking back to your apartment. It's experiences likes these that keep me and Sister Oquias laughing, and remembering to not take ourselves too seriously :)

My life as a missionary rocks. Picture this: I get to read my scriptures every morning, go visit my best friends all day, telling them the happiest news ever and then sometimes I even get fed delicious food- doing this all while getting to know my Father in Heaven better, getting to have meetings with my amazing and smart mission president, talk to my family on Mondays, and spending all my time with my Filipina other half, laughing all day. Seriously, this is the life. And Sister Oquias is the best.

VJ got baptized on Saturday. And it was raining so hard that you couldn't even hear what the speakers were saying, but luckily the Spirit was felt in abundance :) I love this boy. He's never missed a Sunday ever since the first week we taught him, and he's never drunk another glass of coffee since we taught him word of wisdom. Sister and I are playing matchmaker with him and April May. :)

The lesson I learned this week: Love is corrective.

This is something one of my recent converts from my first area always says. This week I've seen how much it's true, especially in pertaining to the relationship between parents and children. So much of the time here we (Sister Oquias and I) hear parents tell us their 15 year old dropped out of school just because he wanted to, or that their 7 year old didn't come to church because she went swimming instead. They act as if they have no power to direct their young children's lives. I guess the point that I realized was that if we really love those around us (especially those under our "jurisdiction") we will help them on the road that we know leads to happiness. Parents, of course, have a level of influence over their children. And often children don't realize what is the best for them- thus the responsibility to correct and help falls to the parents. Our heavenly relationship with our father is not too different. Whom the Lord loves He chastens and corrects, because of His perfect love for us. I guess all in all, after having the chance to see so many different homes- some centered in the gospel, some far from it, and some in between- I've seen sharply the contrast of them all. My testimony and gratitude for growing up in a Christ centered home has been strengthened.

Anyway. I just reread that and it makes little sense... Sorry for the rambling. This week I hit my 9 month mark. (Not real.) Next week we have Zone Conference at the mission home so I'll be emailing a couple hours earlier, around 8 am our time here.

I'm happy and safe and loving life! Hope you all are too.

We'll be back after these messages.

Sister Luke

1. VJ's baptism

2. This one is for Grandpa Mackay :)

3. Channeling my father's innate fix-it ability

"There is Sunshine in My Soul Today"

Written 6/1/14

Hi guys!

This has been a lovely, lovely week. I've learned a lot about service, service blessings, and the Atonement.

The funny stuff this week: We've been trying to help 3 of VJ's cousins (ages 13, 11, and 9) overcome their problem with coffee. When I asked Apple, Borjak, and Bebe, "What do we say when someone tries to give us coffee?" Bebe immediately and sincerely responds, "Salamat!!" (Which means, "Thank you!") Ahahaha. He didn't quite get the point, but at least he's well mannered :)

The adventure this week: I tried bamboo! Yeah, you can eat it. It was yummy. It's not like anything at home, so I can't really describe it (which is the case with most Filipino food here. Haha.) But bishop cooked it for us! Lucky us.

This week Sister and I got to help some members and an investigator with their laundry. We pumped the water out of the bumba (sort of like a well?) while they washed their clothes, and now my arms are super buff. It was so fun to be able to find service to do because a lot of the time here the Filipinos are super shy to ask for help. We sang to them "There is Sunshine in my Soul Today", and I felt it. I love serving these glorious people.

The highlight of the week?

R. and I.B. were baptized last Saturday with little J.B. too, and it was the happiest thing ever. We arrived at the church with no water in the font and no priesthood there yet, but even after a stressful beginning, the service was beautiful. Sister Bernada and Rochelle were glowing, and I couldn't stop the tears. After the service, the closing hymn happened to be again, "There is Sunshine in my Soul Today." Sort of a theme for the week. The words came, "A carol to my King... And Jesus, listening, can hear the songs I cannot sing." My eyes blurred and throat clogged at that point. The Spirit is a beautiful thing.

We just were blessed with a lot of experiences this week where we were able to serve. We arrived at a less actives home just at the right time and were able to be the listening ear she needed. So many experiences where I had felt that I had done my all, and then the Lord strengthened me so we could do a little bit more, serve one of His children, and then feel His redeeming love in abundance.

I learned this week that through service to our Lord and Savior, we gain access to the Atonement. I chose to put a quote on my mission plaque instead of a scripture, because I've always connected with this quote ever since I was a young woman. It's by Ezra Taft Benson, and I kept coming back to it in my studies this week. Here it is:

"Men and women who will turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life."

It's so true. If we will turn our lives over to Him in the service of others- that's when we access the Atonement. That's when we are blessed with those blessings: deeper joys, wider perspective, physical and spiritual stamina, blessings, opportunities, comfort, friends, and peace. All blessings that come from and through the Atonement. Service is the key, my friends. I'm learning that more and more. I'm not perfect, and I don't always have perfect and righteous desires, but I know that service brings blessings, wherever we are, whoever we are. Lift where you stand. "What ere thou art, act well thy part."

Keep the work rolling, guys... There's no time to lose. Go find a person and hasten them!

Love you all,

Sister Luke

1. Just another gorgeous sunset.

2. He wants to give you a hug!

3. The B.'s and J.B.

The Best Week.‏

Written 5/25/14

Hi guys!

I'm never coming home. I love this too much! This has been the best week of my mission. I can't even really communicate it all in words. The Spirit has been present in abundance and just so much good going on. Manapla is on fire. 

First of all, no transfers! Sister and I are SO happy to be staying together :) I also got to hold a starfish and a piglet, so that was icing on the cake. The cake, though, was JR's baptism. It was supposed to be at 6 on Saturday, but it ended up starting at like 7:15 because the font wasn't filled. But it didn't matter that we had to wait, or that the speaker cancelled... Seriously, none of that mattered. It was still so cool to see JR make covenants he'd been waiting so long for. In his lesson on Wednesday, he told us he was 200% ready to be baptized, and when I asked why he wanted to be baptized so much, he looked at me and said, "So I can go on a mission!" This boy has his priorities straight. ("She needs to sort out her priorities..." Sorry, I can't help myself. Once an HP fan, always an HP fan.) J, our recent convert that baptized JR, was glowing. Well, they both were. They just looked like angels in their white clothing. Man, I love these people. They are the coolest! 

On Sunday we had 17 investigators at church. The chapel was full to the brim, and the talks were somehow perfectly tailored to our investigators. The Spirit is so genius! 

One thing I loved in my studies this week was in Mosiah 5:12-13 about conversion. 

12 I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts,  

that ye are notfound on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye  

shall be called, and also, thename by which he shall call you.

 13 For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto  him, and is farfrom the thoughts and intents of his heart?

When we are converted, we know the Master's voice. We recognize when He speaks and what he says. Just like Mary at the tomb of Christ when He was resurrected, we one day will hear the Master call our name. Will we be able to recognize him as she did? 

I've come to know my Savior, through serving his people. The point of the gospel and the church is to help us experience conversion- bringing the "thoughts and intents" of our heart in alignment with His. We cannot know the Savior unless we serve Him. Unless we walk a few steps in His shoes, spend a few minutes with him in Gethsemane. Go and read 3 Nephi 17 (my mother's favorite Book of Mormon chapter) and take a look at how well Christ knows His Father, His mission, and each one of us.

Keep being awesome. Go tell someone about the Book of Mormon. We have the happiest message in the world!

The MOST Love,

Sister Luke

1. This is VJ and RM. VJ is our 13 year old investigator who is being baptized on the 7th of June, but if you ask him, he's already a mormon. He loves working with us and can't wait to serve a mission. Did I mention how cool these people are?

 

2. This is a starfish. Starfish smell really gross.

3. The kissy face here is called "patorong" (paht-oh-rong). LOVE.

4. JR and I are thugs.

5. Miss Piggy! This is JR's mom.

6. My feet are the envy of Manapla.