Monday, March 10, 2014

We LIVE!!

I absolutely love this picture. When Courtnee was called to the Philippines this is exactly the image I had in my mind. She will be forever changed because of experiences like this.


Welcome welcome, Monday morning! How goes it everyone? Well first off, our whole aparment is safe and staying here in Aparri for another transfer! Which is good. I wouldn't have minded some change, but its good. This week i bought cookies and cream toothpaste, and it tastes like you are brushing your teeth with icing. So that's cool. Ummm mom I got your package! It was the greatest thing ever. I swear when I get stuff it is always perfect timing. The essential oil things are sweet, but I added them in my water like I said, but I must have not noticed i put more in of the peppermint and when i drank it my lips were burning. But I had to finish it all because that would be a big waste. Other than that it is all the best! Thank you. It always makes me so happy.
The photos of the duck and chicken. Disgusting right? I guess it is called 1 day old or something. You can see why. The Gototos family was plucking all of the feathers off of it so that they could make adobo with it. Just a filipino dish. I was so grossed out. But hey, they say it is delicious. Yeah.. not believing that.
Balut - Nasty!!

Featherless
 
I thought on my mission I would be serving people all of the time. I mean in other forms rather than just teaching them. But here, no one wants you to help them. I am not joking! They all say no! Well there was this Less active lady that we just stopped by. She was really sick and complaining that her husband wasn't helping her clean, but she needed to do it. So we went in and started doing it without gettign her approval. She got so mad!!! I was sweeping the floor and she came and tried to grab the broom from me and I wouldn't let go. And I wasn't going to. She was being so stubborn. She tried to grab the broom from me for a few minutes, but it wasn't going anywhere. Finally she got tired and just sat down and went off about how she was mad now that we wouldn't stop helping her clean. makes no sense haha. Anyways, it taught me that we need to be willing to let people help us in things! Yeah sometimes it is hard, and I would be the first one to say it, but I mean how would we serve others if everyone didn't allow it? haha.
We taught a recent convert this week named Generose. She didn't come to church the last week and we asked her why. She said that we was reviewing for her tests and school. I immediately thought of my brother in law DD. I think he is the most perfect example to all of us reguarding this.I told her about derek and how he is in medical school right now and how he decided he would never study on sundays. I told her all of the blessings that have come to them and his grades because of it. I am so grateful for your example to everyone DD. I know that her and her family were touched by it even through my broken Tagalog. I am so happy that I have a brother in law that has so much faith to know that he will be blessed for something as simple as this! Thought I don't think I have ever verbalized it, it has always stuck with me and I look up to you a lot. You bet she was at church this week! :)
This weekend was district conference. Which is just like stake conference, but for our district of branches instead! It was really great. We went to a saturday night session, (all of the missionaries were invited). And Elder Villanueva from the Seventy spoke. He is a cool guy. Very small man though. haha. Yesterday we had the sunday session of it and we had the greatest turnout of people. There were so many people there! President and Sister Barrientos came up for it and they spoke. They always rock it. The awesome news is that we had 8 investigators there! Awesome right?! It was so great. A lot of them were from the Santiago family we have been teaching. There are 4-5 of them that come to church. Well don't ask why, but I decided that we should sit on the very front row with them. My companion was behind us sitting with someone else. So I was sitting in between a total of 5 young kids. Haha oh my heavens. But don't worry, I came well prepared. I brought all of my valentines candy I got and printed off coloring pages. That's what I mean that my moms packages are always perfect timing! I took all of the markers with me and I had them quiet and reverent for 3/4 of the meeting!! I was really proud actually. But I will admit that I felt like a mom and definitely got a taste of what it will be like in maybe 10 years! :) haha .Anyways, this week was such a blessing. The focus of course this weekend was on the Work of Salvation. Hopefully it motivated the members! Our branch is doing great. 
Sister Jocelyn should be getting baptized on March 22! She came to church again so we are going to commit her for her interview this saturday! It will be so good for her family. That's the next baptism and then the santiago family has a date for the 29th. I think it will happen it just depends if we wait for their mom to be on board with it as well. Annnnnnnnnd... my Tagalog kind of got better this week. But i repeat..... kind of.
Last night all the lights went out. (happens frequently). But it was so dark, and THANK YOU MOM AND DAD for sending my headlight because even though I looked like a dork, our whole place was lit up. You are the best.
I am doing good, it is all going by too fast. Thanks for everything ! :) 
love,
 

 
sister wood
Courtnee's desk

Courtnee's district leader wearing an American tie

Courtnee helped Brother Rowell (left) get ready for his prom. His jacket is one of the Sister Missionaries. Cute boys
 

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