Shinguards to Sandals: Big News, Big Everything

Sister Wood and Sister Fuchs in their new skirts. A member of the ward in Laoag made them. I think they are darling! What a treasure for Courtnee to always have and remember her time in Laoag.

Their investigator that came to church Sunday. This was Courtnee's last Sunday in Laoag.

Doing my laundry

Welcome Welcome, Monday Morning! Now we rest from every care. JOKES.

This week has been great. And the weather has been even greater. Lets just say that I have to boil water in the morning for my showers because it is so chilly. :) That's about all I will say reguarding the weather. :)

I have 1 set of bad news to share. This last week I misplaced cell phone #2. So my last week in the area was great without one! I know, I am ridiculous and what not, but I will explain later why it was probably meant to happen hahaha. :)

So many little things happened this week so I will just start in the order that they happened!

Tuesday, we went to the beach. Well, our area has a beach, so we walked to the very end of our area, and taught the people who live on the beach! I had never seen it before, and I told sister Fuchs we had to go out there and at least see it before I leave. So we did. The lady we taught didn't understand tagalog, but we found a good potential investigator! So it wasn't a waste of time. :)

It was kind of weird because it was the last week I will see a lot of these people. We went and said a little goodbye to a couple that we have taught before, who aren't really intersted, but they are so incredibly nice. A filipino lady and a dutch man. She I guess has gotten super attached to me, and was legit so sad that I wasn't coming back. She kept asking me when I would return and I told her probably not until I am married and come back with my parents! Well that lead into a whole other discussion when she began asking who i am going to marry and when my "goal date" for marriage was hahaha. I couldn't help but laugh. Bless her heart. She is so sweet! She just kept saying that I have a special place in her heart and that she will be permanently residing there so we have to come back! Yeah mom and dad we will be returning there!

Haha this week we have had dinner appointments every single night. No joke, we didn't miss a night. But it was for all of the missionaries in our ward. We made a little observation over the week that was quite consistant! We do not believe in segregation, but at every dinner appointment us 4 americans were in a corner, and then all the filipinos on the other side of the room. It was quite comical to watch. we would even go sit amongst them, and they would end up moving! Haha all I can do is laugh.

I have a good story to tell and am only telling it because I am leaving the area, so my mother doesn't need to get scared. Haha we were studying and these 2 creepy guys pull up in a tricy in front of our apartment. They looked scary. I kept my eye on them the whole time. Finally one of them walks away and so I just go back to what I am doing. All of a sudden we hear filipinos yelling and shouting. The door was shut and locked, so we opened it and they were saying call the police! Come to find out, those guys were going and basically jumping one of our neighbors. And he had a gun haha. They left right after I guess, and that was that. The copped showed up in a tricycle to take care of it haha.

The big fiesta went on in La paz this week. It was so sweet! But so many people out, and no one to teach. We got our nephews some souveneirs though. :) They will love them and look just like a little filipino boy! We happened to run into some members from baguio who had with them and Returned missionary who was back there visiting from texas. Haha nothing can get more random than that especially in La paz. THere were a lot of drunk people there and one guy asked me if i would be his girlfrie, he was so drunk he couldnt even say girlfriend haha. It was hilarious. The rides they had there definitely not for americans. i am pretty sure i could have snapped the poles the ferris wheel was made of with my hands hahaha. I am going to miss that place.

The Fiesta in La Paz

Yesterday walking home we were about to cross the street and i walked a little bit into the road to start crossing and i hear sister fuchs saying sister wood. sister wood. in just a quiet normal voice. i loook over and i am about to be hit by a horse and carriage! Oh my lanta. Of course I got out of the way, but I mean come on kasama, look out for me a little bit more hahaha!

Yesterday at church we had 6 investigators there. Which is a good amount! We for sure thought we would have so many more though because we have been teaching some quality lessons with quality people. As a missionary I think church is the hardest thing! Because you expect so many people, and hardly any come. THe Javier family came, but it was only for the last little tiny bit. We are worried that they are only doing all of it for the missionaries and not for the gospel. But they say they know it is true, so it is confusing. We have 11 baptismal dates right now and most of them are couples, so it is perfect. :) With some of the little things that have gone on in our area, we understand why they have happened because now we see that they have been being prepared for other people..... which leads me into the big news of the day!

I AM BEING TRANSFERRED! To Aparri, Cagayan!! WOOHOO! It is about 6-8 hours away from here, and it is next to the ocean! My companion will be a filipino names sister bacalla who is a quite a ways into her mission! I AM SO EXCITED! They are taking out a companionship from our ward permanently. So there will be a set of elders and sisters. Sister Fuchs is transferring to Laoag 2a hahaha so she will be in the same ward, just different area. I think she is kind of bummed out about it because she will see people, but not get to teach them. Kinda weird situation, but all of our transfers are inspired, so we know that it is meant to be that way! My zone leader will be elder castillo who has also been my district leader the whole time I have been here! Haha I am so excited. It is goinhg to be like a whole new world over there. No big stores, just small little city! I am ready. I can do it! haha. I think I will be living with Sister Richards who played high school soccer with me. Who would have thought! Haha. Anyways, its crazy! I won't be in Laoag anymore. I am leaving my little anak sister fuchsy! I am so grateful for all of the people that I have met and learned so much from.

Next time I will email will be in Aparri!
Kita Kits!
- Sister Wood

P.s. the little kids counted how many moles i had and they guess probably about 80+.

These are the kids that sat and counted Courtnee's moles. hahaha!!

This is sister feli. she is a crack up.all i wanted was to wear her glasses in the photo. wasn't happening. oh and this is where we take our clothes to get washed.

So we taught this less active about the word of wisdom on Sunday. afterwards, she asks us if we want a snack. we say sure.she walks outside to the road and goes and buys us a bottle of mountain dew, and corn, and dessert. hahaha. we looked at each other like whoops, well thats not good. its not the sabbath or anything hahaha!