Desire.

Written 6/22/14

Hey friends.

It's been a super, weirdly fast week. I feel like yesterday I was sitting here emailing you. Monday was absolutely crazy and exhausting, but sooo good. Zone Conference at the mission home is like Christmas. President Lopez is definitely the reason I'm here in Bacolod.

The funny things this week:

All my nieces and nephews are "called" by my recent convert children and their friends. They always argue about who gets Laila and Charlotte and Sophie to be their brides when they grow up and come visit me in America. (Don't worry Heather and Sarah, they are only like 6-9 year old boys. They mean no harm ;) )

I got asked by a very drunk investigator this week, (roughly translated here) "If you met a man who looked like Jesus, and then he told you he loved you, and you weren't a missionary, would you fall in love with him?"

Talk about stumped.

Also:

You all failed in sending me your personal conversion stories but I guess I just need to follow Elder Ballard's advice and be diligent in my follow up :) I really do want to hear them!

Alright. We had a more rough week this week in terms of numbers. F. (my 72 year old investigator- his baptism is on the 5th) biked to church again because he had no plete. He's the coolest.

I've learned a few things this week.

1. The R.'s are my favorite family in the whole Pines. I think they've found out that the pathway to my heart clearly also makes a stop by my stomach. I wish you could all try the dried fish in spicy vinegar here. Manapla's specialty, and Sister Luke's favorite.

2. I've gotten to know Satan a lot better. The Book of Mormon is cool like that. Take Alma 30 for example.

3. Covenants and promises are crucial to our salvation.

In regarding number 3... Yesterday was my 1 year anniversary of having gone through the temple (shoutout to Janine and Megs. Happy 1 year to us!). In light of that, this week I have been studying and reflecting on temple covenants. I had an interesting experience with a less active this week. We'll call him Brother O. Brother O is a good example of many of our less actives and even investigators. We commit them to come to church and they tell us, "Indi ko pasalig, Sis" which is basically, "I can't promise, Sis."

What I've learned, however is that what they are really saying is, "I have other priorities, Sister." (which is already breaking the first of the 10 commandments.) In the gospel and in our salvation, there's no room for disarranged priorities. Mom always taught me that you always have time (or make time) for the things you really want. Our desires dictate our priorities.

Brother O. also shared that he had the opportunity to go to the temple, but said he didn't go because he was afraid to make promises he couldn't keep. How sad! I've really learned this week that our covenants are the very thing that enable us to keep the commandments more easily. I looked up the word "Salvation" in my dictionary, and it says words like "preserve, deliver, rescue." Looking at real world use of those words, all those things require some sort of price. Preserving fruits and veggies requires you to buy the cans, the materials, and spend time canning. Deliveries of packages to your doorstep require an extra fee and a signature. Calling an ambulance in times of emergency is expensive. In all these situations, there is a price expected; so it is with Salvation. The price has many aspects, but part of it is making covenants with the Lord. It may not be as simple as signing the FedEx guy's delivery paper, or writing a check to the hospital; it requires a pure desire to gain exaltation. Like Elder Holland said, "Salvation is not a cheap experience." It requires that our priorities are in order and that we cling to the promises the Lord expects and requires of us.  

I would encourage you all to read Elder Oak's talk "Desire" from a couple conferences ago. Such a lovely talk.

Well, time is ticking. I love you all bunches. My camera is being funky so no pictures this week... Just imagine a happy Sister Luke, eating dried fish and looking super haggard in all those Zone Conference pictures from last week :)

Love,
Sister Luke

Jokes! I got it to work.
1.This is the inside of a tiangge. They are just these tiny stores full of wonderful junkfood. There's like 10 on every street. Most of the time they are just at the front of people's houses. This is the Romero's tiangge. (chung-gee)

2. They have these fabulously colorful paintings on the walls here lining the highway. This one is my favorite because of the green. I love Manapla.

3. This is one of our less active sisters. HAD to get a picture of the shirt. A Potter fan's love never dies.

4. I just had to attach this one. I mean, how can you not? My Friday nights are probably better than yours cause I get to spend them with these kids :)

Happy Father's Day!

Written 6/15/14

Hi guys!

Shoutout to the best Dad in the whole world... I love you Dad! Happy Father's day! :) I don't know if you all know how cool my dad is, but he is the one who taught me how to sweep, how to clean the kitchen, how to plunge a toilet, how to cry at church, how to work hard, how to dress up and play with the kids, how to balance your time, and how to read footnotes in the scriptures- all of which has come in more than handy out here in the mission field. Thank you Dad! I love you!

It'll be a short email today because we get to go to BACOLOD today!! Woot woot! Civilization at last! I'm stoked. Also, we have Zone Conference tonight in the mission home, so that means bottomless ice cream and a really excited Sister Luke and Sister Oquias.

This week was fabulous. B.K., B.E., and A. all got baptized (cousins of VJ and the kids of a less active member). They are the cutest things ever, and now we are working on their Aunt's boyfriend. The work continues here in Manapla. Have I mentioned how cool this place is?

We saw miracles this week. Brother R. (the grandpa of A.M. and the only nonmember in the family) let us teach him this week. TWICE. And he wasn't drunk. It was amazing! He totally felt the Spirit, and Sister and I were directed by the Spirit in what to say, even though we were nervous and unsure. Looking back on these 9 months I'm so grateful for where I'm at and for who I am, and the fact that I can be even better! I've become more familiar with the whisperings of the Spirit and how He speaks to me, and that is something so comforting. The mission is really a refining time.

I've been studying lately on conversion, in order to better help my investigators and members experience conversion. especially the conversion of Lamoni when he was taught by Ammon. Lamoni is a golden convert (he even gives referrals!) and as I was reading in the Book of Mormon, I realized that I don't know all of my families personal conversion stories. When was it that you became fully invested in the gospel? When and how did your conversion happen? Who was influential in your conversion? I would love to know anything you would like to share with me.

Mom, thank you for teaching me how to play Charades when I was younger... We played it at an FHE the other night and my team won. We owe it all to you ;)

Moroni 10:32 has become such a wonderful scripture to me. "Come unto Christ and be perfected in Him". I know that through His grace, we gain full access to His Atonement. It is an infinite and eternal atonement, and none of us are denied access to it, if we choose to repent. What a wonderful invitation; repent and He will receive us. I testify of that.

Love you all, keep up your missionary efforts! Shoutout to the Taylor family for their awesome missionary efforts this week. No effort is wasted.

Love always,

Your Missionary

1. Cuties.

2. Baptism!

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.

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!