December 18, 2013

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!!!!!! MAAYONG BASKO SA TANAN UG SA TANAN SA MAAYONG GABII

First of all I just wanted to say thank you all SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for your sweet letters for my birthday :) I got to read them all today and they just made my day. I feel so loved and have loved hearing from as many people as I did. Getting caught up with their families, and just hearing a nice warm welcome. SALAMAT KAAYO para all your kind words and your support. I could not be happier right now!

My birthday was AMAZING!!! The cake was different than America, but still so yummy. It was dense and moist, but not super sweet. I do miss my favorite confetti cake though. Right as I woke up I was sung to by the 4 sisters in our appartment and the yummy fruit jello was made for breakfast and many notes and cute things were made to me. It was cool to celebrate my birday here and not focus on me the whole day. Like who will be at the party and what will I get ya know. You focus on other people, and then when you are at the appartment you can celebrate it. It was super cool for sure!

This week has been great!! Just yesterday we went on exhanges with sisters in our zone and it was great. Honestly I was so scared at first. I just didn't know who was going to take charge, if we'd be able to be unified in our teaching and if the people were going to understand what we have taught, but it was a wonderful learning experience for me. I was companions with Sister Sousa and she is so sweet! She is also from Utah and really taught me a lot. Sister Sousa made me a lot more confident in talking to people and in lessons. I felt like we had the Spirit with us and we actually got an OST (on spot teaching). It was freaky at first since we weren't used to each other's teaching skills, but it went well. It was way fun. They seemed really interested and said we could for sure come back. Because of our service project we were able to do in that area a lot of people know who we are now. They say, we saw this group cleaning the beach, was that you? We let them know that it was a group of missionaries and our purpose is not only to teach and share our message with them about the gospel, but to be here to help them with whatever they need. Service is fun and it is a great way to share about what we know to be true. I'm so glad we were able to finally get a service project, we have been trying to get one for a really long time. And all the kids would come out and help and also some neighbors. It was just a neat experience.

Church was so wonderful, this last Sunday and we had less active members come back. It makes you feel so good to see people there and think, few, I'm glad we were able to teach them and invite them to come back, the Spirit really must have been there to give them that desire to come back. We were really surprised to see this one Brother inparticularly. (Is that a word) We almost didn't teach him because he kept saying he was busy and everything, but we said, it will only be short, so can we just share a few thoughts? He agreed after a little while of dissagreement and we were able to teach him. His name is Brother Canada. He says he's been a member for a long time, but hasn't been to church, his kids and grandkids are active, but he doesn't come very much so hopefully he comes back. He has forgotten how to pray and he just seems to be a little arrogant and doesn't see the blessings that come from church attendance. But he was there, at church, SO COOL!! Also we had 2 investigators come to church. Nick and Ovelia, they are wonderful. They came late, but at least they came right? We greeted them right as they entered the church and the member from the ward that has been coming with us to teach them was there right at the door waiting for them to come in. It was SO INCREDIBLE. It seriously felt like Christmas to see them there. We talked with them a little bit after and they said they liked it, but we will talk with them more tonight since they didn't really explain a lot of their feelings or thoughts about it. It was great to have fellowshippers at church and an actual class for investigators.

In the 12 week program (training program) it mentions the importance of asking people to be baptized during the first of 2nd visit, so we have been better at that lately. I have felt like that is really soon, but it's been really neat. People seem ready, and I think if we ask them right away they actually understand the purpose of our visits. That we are not there just to talk to them, but that there is a purpose. To help them grow closer to Christ. It also shows our faith in them that we know they have potential and can progress no matter what has happened in their life before. We brought it up to one Sister in the first visit, wow, the Spirit was strong. And we have another IBD, and have more plans for them this week. It was actually on my birthday too, SWEETEST BIRTHDAY GIFT EVER, to invite someone to be baptized and have them agree on your birthday, that was a nindot kasinatian (cool experience). It's wonderful to see all the people the Lord has been preparing, so hopefully, having them agree to baptism they really realize the importance of it and are serious about it instead of just agreeing to something, they don't understand.

Every day is different with the people we talk to and learn from. Some days I feel like I totally am getting a hang of the language, but other days I feel like I don't understand anything. I really need to stay focused. I sometimes will start to tune people out because it's this whole other language that doesn't sound familiar. Then I get lost and wonder what has been said. When I really focus it is a lot easier to get certain words. Sister Tandiman is showing her faith and confidence in me more which makes me want to do better. Instead of her always taking the lead, she has me start lessons or start talking to someone. It's hard, but it's good because I'm not always going to have her there with me to rely on. It's like the saying, don't always rely on borrowed light, sometimes it's good, but you should do things on your own or you can't progress. It reminds me of Baylie's quote, " A testimony is like a toothbrush, you can use your parent's, but you really should use your own." Or something like that. I feel like she is making me such a better missionary and is really always there for me. She and the other Sisters in our appartment and just everyone in our zone made my birthday fantastic. I had such a good time and really was able to celebrate my birthday in the morning and at night, but really focus on investigators throughout the day. Sister Tandiman's testimony is so strong and she just is an INCREDIBLE missionary. And she is AMAZING at the language, BISTAK SIYA. I can't believe she knows so much and just finished her training. She gives me hope and courage that I can develop some of her qualities as a missionary. I think it will help a lot throughout this mission. Being obedient, staying positive, even if we didn't get to talk with the people we have planned, she talks to everyone and really lets people know our purpose and takes FTE's seriously. It has been great to learn from her and be with the people we have. Members are wonderful and helpful. We've been able to meet with members to meet there friends and be introduced to come back and teach them. Also we have had family home evenings with them and dinners. We are very lucky. People mostly just eat meat and rice, which is AMAZING, but it would be nice to have some fruit and veggies with the meals. That's what I usually have at home. With every meal I eat I make sure I add fruit and veggies, it is so much better.

Okay so at our Christmas Party we watched some super cool vidoes, if you want some Christmas Spirit look up the piano guys Oh come Emanuel and Angels we have heard on high, Also Drummer Boy by Pentatonix, wow, they all sing, even Phillip and Charlie, was that his name? The coolest beat boxer ever!!! I have heard some other songs too that remind me of the quartet. Man do I miss them. Mary's lullaby was song, by a girl here and I wanted to go up with her and Harmonize. For our Christmas party we actually sang a medley of Christmas songs in all the languages of the Sisters in our appartment. It was so fun!!! We sang Joy to the World in Indonesian, Tongan, English, and Cebuano, and then transistioned into Far Far Away and then into the Jingle Bell medley of our quartet, it was so much fun! Also the dance as a zone was great!! It's so nice to have a companion that sings and can hold a part so we can harmonize.

Well I love you all, thanks again for everything, your examples, your letters and just being the people you are. I hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS and I JUST WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE AND MISS YOU!!!!!!

      Magamping mo!

                 Sister Riggs

December 12, 2013

HEY ONE AND ALL!!!

 

How's the snow?!?!! SUERTE KAAYO, ( very lucky). It hasn't been as hot as where Zac is, but it's been pretty warm. It doesn't feel like Christmas really because there is no snow. Have you gone sledding or skiing or anything? I can't wait to have snow again. I thought it was so funny when they told us to pack handkerchiefs to wipe off sweat, but they have been very helpful. GROSS RIGHT? What was Abir and Miley's first experience with snow? I want to know what they first did? Have you had snowball fights, made snowman, all that jazz? and the Christmas tree, there are only little ones here, but we are just going to make one since they are kind of expensive and it would be hard to transport. Are there Christmas parties being planned? We have two, I'm so excited. One is the 16th of December with our zone, we are having a talent show and food and it's just going to be great! They put me and an Elder, Elder Ferris, to be in charge of the dance para among Zone (for our zone). I'm so excited, it's going to be sweet, its a hip hop dance to a cool song, about missionaries. It makes me realize how much I miss dance. And our other one is for our ward, it is on Christmas day, weird right, people are usually with their families Christmas Day and you stay at home, but this will be cool. There is going to be a video, a presentation by the missionaries, which I don't know yet and games and stuff. I love this time of year, and it is just cool to teach around this time of year, about Christ's birth. We have been singing Christmas songs for the Ward choir each week when we perform, but not even in Sacrament do we sing Christmas Hymns, it's weird. But every time my and akong kauban (my companion) start a lesson we sing a song. I love it so much. We feel like it really brings in the Spirit and I just love singing so it's awesome. And at the stores the cashiers all have Santa Hats, but other than that it just still feels like August. It's hard to explain, only when we sing Christmas songs or see lights does it feel like Christmas. It's funny!

 

 This week has been great! I do feel like every day, every week gets better and better although there are good and bad days. I am feeling so much more comfortable talking with people and having conversations with them. At the beginning of being here I was way shy, I just was quiet and didn't really talk to people because I was afraid, I'd mess up or something, but karon (now) I will talk to anyone, just like at home. FEW!! I was scared that what you had said dad about being afraid to talk because of the language barrier. It did happen so I should have listened to you. SORRY. I just thought, yeah right, I won't get scared, I can talk to anyone right? This is something the Lord wants me to be more humble about I think. I am told all the time that, wow you can talk to anyone and not feel uncomfortable at all, I'm so jealous, and that is such a great quality to have and so forth. Since I was told so much I think I really got it in my head and started to use that and I became too boastful with that. Man, this is Heavenly Father's way of saying, calm down, don't get ahead of yourself, and giving me this chance to show him that I need to be better about using those compliments to think to highly of myself. Does that make sense?

Oh and I had my first experience with a cockroach, ewww, I didn't realize how gross they are. I saw it in the dishes and thought okay I'll just catch it like a crab to get it out, grabbing it where it's legs can't get to you or its pinchers, but I decided I didn't really want to touch it. So I caught it with a cup. And then when I tried to get it outside it flew out of the cup to the curtains. AHHH, I screamed so loud. I didn't realize how afraid I could be of a little bug like that, but man it was gross. We were all screaming and no one wanted to touch it or get near it, I finally caught it again with the cup and successfully got it outside. FEW!!! funny, You have to face your fears everyday, no matter how big or how small, always remember that okay?

 

Okay so in our mission we do this thing called FTE, finding the elect. This is where you talk to people on the streets, in the jeepneys or just anytime you come in contact with someone and teach them something about the gospel. We introduce ourselves as missionaries and then share our purpose as missionaries and then just whatever comes to our minds about the gospel. It is hard to come up with something to say, but it is getting easier. Usually our FTE's have been together, but lately if we are on a jeepney Sister Tandiman will FTE someone next to her and I will FTE someone next to me. So we get to talk to more people. I am okay now talking to them on my own, if that makes sense. I can understand mostly what they say and even if I don't I still just testify of Christ or about what we know to be true. Our mission goal is to FTE 100 people a week, and not just going around trying to find people to testify to, really sharing with them something they will want to learn more about. So we hope that the people we talk to invite us to their homes so we can teach them. It's a cool thing for this mission, but is kind of hard. That means talking to about 20 people a day.

 

We have a Sister named Bianca who is 16 and we have a baptismal date for her, but we need to change it since she didn't come to church last week. ;( We talk to her all the time about church and she knows what is best and says she wants to come to church, but doesn't come. She won't really explain what is on her mind. She just keeps saying, yeah I'll come to church, but then doesn't so we need to get her to want to have that desire. If she wants to progress that is the next step. We have extended the invitation for baptism to a few more people too! Brother Nick and Sister Ovel, they are people who a member from the ward referred us too! He has been coming with us to teach them and they seem to be doing well. They have a lot of questions and want to learn more. We feel like Brother Nick is more interested and Sister Ovel says she wants to study it a little bit more before committing to anything. They are both very sweet and seem to progress very well. We don't have a date yet, but they said they'd come to church on Sunday, so hopefully that happens. After doing part of the 12 week program in training we now are going to invite them to be baptized during the first lesson if the Spirit is telling us to and choose a date no later than the 2nd visit. We learned that if we do so, it will show our faith in them that we know they can progress. It's scary, but that's how they will know the purpose of our visits.

We saw 3 less actives at church this week that we had gone to and talked with. It is so exciting to see them there! It feels like we helped them remember how important church is and what can come from attending it. We were worried because Sister Bacus said that she didn't have enough money to come to church. Since it is so far, it is hard for people to get there and to have to pay, but we tell them that if we put The Lord first things will work out. Also Jessica Alcontin, she hasn't been to church in a while, but is very sweet. I am glad they came together so they felt like they weren't alone. And then Brother Mitch Bass came who hadn't come since after his mission in Ghana. Same as Grandma and Grandpa Pace, SUH-WEET!! I loved seeing people who we've taught, at church. They are coming back, I hope they keep coming back. We have mostly been teaching less active members and most of them are happy to see missionaries, but some don't really want to have anything to do with us, so we keep trying, and then if we think it's not worth it because they are "never home" then we will just not schedule to teach them anymore. That is why it's good to make back up plans. I always thought it was weird to teach less actives, but it's actually nice because they already know about the gospel we just remind them of things like praying as a family and the importance of the priesthood or other things like that. It has been nice to get referrals from non members and also those we FTE, It has led to On Spot Teaching, which is kind of scary, but seems to go well. We seem to get better every time we do it. We have been able to find new investigators from nonmembers and people we FTE as well. It's been so wonderful. There is a lady we FTE'd and she invited us to her house, after that we found more and more people there that had never heard of the gospel before and we go back to teach them. It's been nice.

 

The spirit is always with us, we can feel it. Especially in the lessons. As I start to understand more Cebuano I feel prompted to say certain things because of the Spirit. I am glad I am feeling more comfortable with the language, it is because we use it every day, but there is still so much to learn, I'm just grateful for all I have learned so far, the people we've come in contact with and all that I am learning from my kauban, Sister Tandiman. She helps me so much and pushes me so I can become better.

 

We had a super cool experience while teaching a 13 year old girl named Yan Yan. Wow, she's amazing. She is one who we FTE'd and she and her mom invited us to come and teach them. The lesson went well and we gave them the Book of Mormon. Yan Yan has been reading it and has so many questions. That shows that she really is interested. So we talked to her about her reading and she is understanding a lot. She wanted an English Book of Mormon because she says she can understand it better. BRIGHT KAAYO SIYA (she's very bright) but while we were testifying of Joseph Smith the coolest looking butterfly flew in to their balaye (house) and then flew back out. It was one of the prettiest butterflies I had seen so far here. Afterwards Sister Tandiman said, that was weird, it was kind of like the Spirit coming in to testify of what we were saying was true. So not only does the spirit come in the form of a dove, but can come as a butterfly! JOKES LONG, (just a joke) but it still was way cool!

 

Okay well I gotta go, I can't wait to talk to you on Christmas and catch up, I can't believe Leslie will be coming home, SUPER EXCITING!! Thanks for all your support and all that you have done for me.

 

Love Sister Riggs

P.S.

******SIDE NOTE: A balut or balot is a developing duck embryo that is boiled alive and eaten in the shell.*******

I tried BALUT.

MAN, it was very different, but not as bad as I thought. FUNNY!!! I was terrified, but got my companion to try it too! She was very brave and said I was the only one that has gotten her to try it, SCORE!! I couldn't finish it because I just kept looking at the insides and whenever I look at meet that is red at all or looks weird or different I can't eat it. I couldn't look at it, while I ate it. I saw a head and a foot and man, that was so nasty. It tasted just like normal eggs and it was fine until I got to the body of the chicken. EEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW, but we did it! The yoke was fine, the body was just the part that grossed me out, but it wasn't one that had been developing for a while to it was okay, it's texture was so squishy though, nasty.

December 3, 2013

Halo Keluarga dan Sahabat!!

That's indonesian, for Hello family and friends, who knew I would learn so many different languages coming on a mission. SWEET RIGHT?

All righty, so first day I was with my new companion was Thursday andwe went grocery shopping. There were so many things you could by. So many cool treats and snacks I saw that looked so good. I want to try

something different every week. There are things that look similar to things found in the US, but they look different and are called different things. It's funny. Everyone stared at me and kept saying hi, how are you but in English, I think they were surprised when I would respond back in Cebuano. The lady at the register asked if I was paying with cash or credit and I told her cash and then she said something else and I had no idea what she said. It was so fast, thankfully Sister Tandiman was there to help me. I had learned gospel related words, but not everyday words to have a conversation with people. just the basics. But we made it out fine, it was just funny and the cashier, was laughing at me.

Church was AMAZING!!! Everyone there is sooooooooooooooooooo SWEET and wants to know so much about missionaries. All the little kids come running up to shake or hand or say hi, so adorable. We met the bishop and he is the best. Warmest smile, super hilarious, and just a jolly fella. He's going to be so much fun to get to know. He speaks a lot of English as do pretty much all the people here. I just want to be able to speak Cebuano with them and not use English as a crutch, if you know what I mean. Oh and fast Sunday this past week was amazing. This is actually the longest I've ever fasted. I feel so bad saying that, but it is true. It felt good to fast all day and for specific people, investigators, friends, and family and more. We started Saturday night at 10:30 when we went to bed and then broke our fast when we got home from the day about 8 pm and said a prayer to break our fast. I thought I was going to get way dehydrated so I brought a water bottle just in case I got a bad headache or something, but all was fine. I made it without drinking my water. It just felt so good to have a good fast. And the bishop had all the new missionaries bare their testimony at church and it was cool! I feel pretty confident baring my testimony in Cebuano, but still I have so much to learn. It's just because I've practiced it a lot. I've noticed the words I use a lot get in my brain and I remember them. Who would have thought right? Well our ward is just amazing and the people there really want to help us out and make sure all is well with us. It's so great!

We get around by tricycles and jeepneys, I'll try sending you a picture, it's being really slow, but I will send some when I can. We walk to, but don't use bikes. People here weren't really effected by the typhoon. Some people's houses were tattered with, but nothing too drastic or big. Some roofs are falling apart, the houses just aren't built very well. I mean the foundation isn't very good. Not like houses in America. The language is definitely coming, but still pretty tough. I am starting to talk a lot more and being myself it feels great. I just laugh every time I can't quite pronounce a word right or say the wrong thing. It has helped. My companion is amazing. She is very encouraging, helpful, and has a lot of faith in me.

This week has been so much better! I am feeling more comfortable starting a conversation with people and just talking with them. On the street we just start talking and use How to begin Teaching on the streets, not only in lessons. The things we are doing for the 12 week program really help you. We are going to be masters at How to begin Teaching and talking with people after this program. I am glad we get to do it. I am getting better at jumping in on the lessons and sharing things when I get a thought instead of waiting until there is a quiet moment in teaching or until the time is handed over to me. I think it's because I am understanding more and more of what goes on in the lessons. I still can't understand all of it for sure, but I can pick out words and create sentences I think they've said so I can know how to answer them. I will ask questions now, share more scriptures, or other experiences I have had. I really think relating to investigators or less actives really helps gain trust between the missionaries and them and makes them think, "I'm not the only one who goes through things like this." I think our lessons have become more unified. Last week Sister Tandiman mostly took charge and explained things, answered questions, and taught, while I just kind of sat there in confusion and bore my testimony at the end of what things I knew the lesson was about. Then one day Sister Tandiman, without telling me would just stop teaching and look at me to continue on with whatever she was saying. What?! That really caught me off guard, with no warning I was just supposed to start where she left off. "Okay, I can do this," I thought. It definitely was extremely scary, but by the end of the day I felt way good. I hoped that what I had shared made sense and related. I can get what is being taught, but if the people we teach have anything to add, I get lost, so I hope that my comments go along what was just said. People are very encouraging and helpful during lessons. If I don't know a Visayan word, they let me know what it is and help me along the way. It sometimes doesn't quite get across what I have to say, but at least I am trying right? Better than last week.
I feel like each day gets better, but there are good and bad days. I just feel like I didn't add much or said something not really pertaining exactly to the lesson, but I'm sure that will come in time when I really start understanding what is going on. Like yesterday the day started out not so good. When Sister Tandiman handed the time over to me, I didn't really know what to say or how to explain things, but I just said what I felt. I missed some details and skipped over some key parts of the Restoration, but after I had finished talking Sister
Tandiman clarified if things weren't clear and just made it all good. I just wasn't feeling like I was teaching very well with her, but then after we were about to leave an area, I saw a 20 year old man holding a book. It looked a ton like a Book of Mormon. I glanced back and sure enough it was!! WOW!! We almost walked away and I had the strongest impression to go back. I asked, "Nakadungok ba ka sa Mormons sa wala pa?" Have you heard of Mormons before? And where did you get that book? We talked for a while and he said it was his father's book. His father isn't a member, but he just had the book and started reading it. He was in 1 Nephi and didn't really understand who Nephi was and some other things about the Book of Mormon. We clarified and went over
some of the questions he had and just testified of it's truth. We asked him to read the Pasiuna, the Introduction and he said he would and we are going back next Monday to talk to him about his reading. I am so glad that we turned around instead of just walking by. Wow, tender mercy right there!
   
It's cool to just bring up the gospel to pretty much everyone we come in contact with, well the ones that look nice and that would be receptive to what we have to say. I just think it is so neat to have people out and about. We have an amazing opportunity to share what we know when people don't even know what we believe. That wouldn't happen in other places. Usually people have heard of Mormons before. The members are very helpful and want us to talk with their friends and come with us to teach. It's wonderful. I feel like we have been so blessed this week and have really gotten more unified as a companionship in our teaching. We do need to feed off each other instead of just one person teaching. That's why we go two by two right? I also was able to invite one of our investigators to be baptized. That was an INCREDIBLE experience. Her name is Bianca and
she is just a very sweet girl. She actually mouthed the baptismal invitation with me and so she must have remembered it from before or something. I'm not sure, but it was funny. She agreed and we have a date for January 4th. She needs to attend church at least 4 times and then she can be baptized! She didn't come last week, and says she is busy this Sunday so we need to let her know how important church is and the blessings that come from it. We shared with her 3 Nephi 27:21-22. She does know what she needs to do, she just needs to do it!

Well, that's our week and I'm grateful for all we've been able to do.

There is so much more I have to say, but there you go, I hope that questions were answered and everything. And I do get dear elders, so go ahead and send them if you can. If not no worries. LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!! Have a great week, and until next week. .  . . .

Love, Sister Riggs

November 25, 2013

FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!!!

WOW, I AM HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES!!!
I am so sorry that you never heard from me, I lost my calling card that I had bought and then a Sister was going to let me borrow hers, but when I went to call it didn't work. I think she didn't have enough minutes and we just didn't have enough time. We thought we'd have all the time in the world at the airport, but nope, that was wrong. It takes so much longer than you think to get through security. Also the mission President said we were going to e mail our families the night we got here to let them know we were safe at that all is well, but he never did. AHHHHH, so sorry to keep you waiting, EVERYTHING IS GOOD AND ALL IS WELL!! I was kind of sad, just cuz I hadn't talked to you in a while, but that's okay, now I get to send this and tell you of my adventures.

Okay where to begin. . . . .
                Well, the last few days at the MTC was INCREDIBLE!! I feel like we had so little time to do everything, but were blessed because we were able to finish mostly everything we had planned to. BLESSED? I KNOW SO. Tender Mercies are coming from everywhere. Okay so Sunday was a perfect last day at the temple to take pictures with our zone and our district and just whoever else we wanted to take pictures with. We also heard the funniest speaker ever on Sunday night! Her name is Mary Ellen Edmunds and wow, she was hilarious. She shared stories about her missions that she went on and all she learned from them and advice to us. She showed us her journal she had written on her mission and that if she hadn't gone on one she wouldn't have had this much to go back and learn from. She mentioned that she was glad she pushed through because think if she went home, how so many memories would have been taken away and she wouldn't have known as much as she does now. That was a good analogy so think if times get hard, you can definitely make it through. she told us, don't even think about coming home. I hadn't planned to, but if there is ever a time that gets hard I need to remember that. Members of my district were saying that I was going to be her someday. They think I am way funny and will be the next Mary Ellen Edmunds. I thought that was funny, but very nice too! It really made my day. She had spiritual things to say too, so it was a good balance. We also decided to celebrate Christmas as a district our last Saturday in the MTC. OH MY GOODNESS, IT WAS SO WONDERFUL! We drew names just like at home and got each other gifts that were 2 dollars or less. We read the nativity, and sang Christmas songs all day. It also was the day that it snowed, well slushed a little, PERFECT CHRISTMAS RIGHT?! Funny thing is Sister Rimai got two presents because someone mixed up both of our names. I think Elder Ellis forgot who he was supposed to get a gift too, so I actually never got one, but it's totally fine. I feel like she needed it so much more than me. I have so much and hopefully it was able to make her day getting two gifts. But Sister Warner's family did send the whole district some things, so I did get some gifts, and that was wonderful. Our tree was pretty cool too, made out of toilet paper roles and paper, I'll have to send you some  pictures. HEHEHE. We also got to write in each other's journals, like yearbooks to remember people and be able to keep in contact throughout  our missions or just after. Also we got blessings Sunday night from Elders in our District. Mine was given by Elder Lasalosi, he said he had never given a blessing to anyone before, so I was his first one. AHHH, SO COOL ;) He blessed me with comfort because as time got closer I did get a little more scared. And told me that the language will come in time and that I will be a very powerful teacher. I was so grateful for the words he said and how much they helped fears go away  and how he was willing to give me a blessing even though he hadn't done it before. That is an EXPERIENCE I will never forget.

Okay so this week. man, On Monday we had so much to do, last minute errands to run, people to see and say  goodbye to, but we did it all. THANK GOODNESS, we were so blessed. Well the plane ride was long, but I was able to sleep a lot, and read, and  write in my journal. We started out on a plane to LA and me and Elder Jacobs talked to a lady name Ulinda who was actually Philippino, she heard me say Salamat, and recognized that was a tagolog word. She speaks tagalog. SOOOOOOOO NINDOT KAAYO! So we talked to her the whole plane ride about randome things and actually ended up giving her a Book of Mormon. SO SWEET! I always thought it was weird to just bring it up, but with us dressed up and name tags and so many of us on the plane she had a ton of questions so it just kind of lead into it. She said she would read the intro and Moroni 10:3-5. WOW, coolest experience. She got our contact information and told us we'd keep in touch by e mailing. I sure hope she reads it and learns from it. Then we checked into the Philippino Airport which took forever, transferring luggage and everything, but it's all right. All my luggage was under weight and things went splendid except not being able to talk to you. ;( The plane to the Phillippines was 2 stories, wow, I don't think I've ever seen one that big, insane. It was cool and they fed us dinner and breakfast and snacks, it was wonderful. I talked to some other people on the plane, a girl name Sam who was 19 in the US for 7 months for culinary school and gave her a pass-along card, and a guy named Roy who travels all over for work who just came from Germany. Both were super talkative and it was fun to get to know them more. We stopped in Hawaii because there were strong winds in Manilla which delayed us  about an hour which made us late for our next flight to Cebu. I didn't get too restless because I mostly slept, but I was excited to get off. So we landed in Manilla and had one more flight to Cebu, this one was only going to be about an hour and then we would be there! OH BOY! Looking through the window was awesome. I loved seeing all colorful houses and everything. It made America seem boring. hehehe. We arrived, and none of my luggage came. uh. . .What?! I was a little worried. They told me that it will most  likely come in the next flight, so I was hoping. It did come eventually, but was still missing one of my suitcases. They told me it was still in LA and that it will come in the next few days I was so lucky to have had the luggage I did or else, that would have been hard. I would have died without my toothbrush and shampoo. Our mission President and wife were there to pick us up and HOLY COW, they are sooooooooooooooooooooo sweet, I can't even begin to describe them. Right as we met them, they both had the hugest smiles, came up and hugged us and shook our hands and they are just so excited for us to be there. They both remembered skyping with me and said they've been waiting for me to come. So funny! That made me feel AMAZING. I was just so happy to be here. I was jumping, and skipping, singing, and smiling. A GREEAAT Day!! Ugh, it is so humid here though. I could feel it right as we got off the plane, EWWW, I sure hope I get used to this. We all went back to the mission home after saying goodbye to people in our zone at the MTC going to Cebu East. Had dinner, talked with us about what to expect in this mission, got to know each other a little bit and talked about other essentials such as health and money. I haven't gotten sick!!! And all the people here speak CEBUANO, which is a blessing. I feel so bad for Kody that he had a hard time with everything at the beginning!

The mission home is right on the temple grounds, so cool, gorgeous temple too!! And is super nice. Everyone was telling me to expect certain things, but it has been different than they've said. There is milk here, toilet paper, flushing toilets, and showers. We can use a bucket and ladle to shower if we want, but the place I am at now has one that comes down at you, it's just cold. But honestly it feels good after a long day in the heat. There really is only toilet paper in some places. You can buy some, and were actually recommended to use it by one of our teachers because it's safer and there are weird things in the water. Bugs and e coli and stuff. There is plenty of water and just all that we had worried about is fine.
My trainer is Sister Tandiman whom I loved and adore already. I thought she was only going to speak Cebuano to me, but she speaks a lot of English to me, which helps. She is from Indonesia and super sweet and an excellent teacher. She encourages me and helps me with Cebuano and in lessons and communicating with others. The language is pretty tough. We taught 2 lessons the first day I arrived. I understood most of it, but didn't really know how they responded. People speak so fast and it is just hard to hear them sometimes. Plus we've been taught all the vocab used in lessons, but not really responses like they have. It's been kind of  a struggle, but I know in time it will come. Sister Tandiman knows a lot of cebuano because she's been here since August, this is her third transfer so she is pretty much fluent. She is the one who mostly teaches the lessons and I mostly just testify, but I have been getting better at just adding in certain things, stories, experiences or scriptures. And people here actually do speak a lot of English, but I want to learn Visayan to speak more with them. People at church were surprised it was my first area, they all say, WOOW, you speak Cebuano very well. WHAT!? That's crazy, I don't feel like it, but that is very nice of them. I am getting more sentences down and am getting more comfortable starting a conversation with people, but in the middle I just get mixed up. Oh well, it's the fist week right?

Oh man, also. EVERYONE HERE STARES AT ME! It's so funny. Everyone just keeps saying GWAPA, GWAPA, GWAPA, which means beautiful. It is so sweet, but kind of scary sometimes. It does make my day though. So if any of you are feeling down on yourself or have low self esteem, just come here and they'll love you. I have seen some crazy things here already that i wouldn't see at home. Dogs are just all over the streets and aren't in very good condition it's pretty sad actually. Also people who go to the bathroom just on the street, very interesting. People are just a lot more open here it's funny. Well I am out of time, I have so much more to say, but I will talk to you next week, and I will send pictures for sure. I'm so sorry you won't get any this week, I was excited, but we had computer problems and we have 2 hours to write the mission president and you and friends. and read e mails, AHHH, not enough time. Oh well. And I do get Dear Elder Letters here, so send them if you like and thanks for all you've done for me and letting me come here. It's been INCREDIBLE to see all these people so happy with what they have, when they don't have a ton. A dollar for America is 42 pesos here. Crazy. and gas is 49 pesos or something. it's insane. we get to ride tricycle things everywhere which is nice and only 8 pesos. I haven't tried any weird food yet but will keep you posed.

Love you tons and can't wait to tell you more about the people and experiences here next week.
hope all is well and things are fun with friends and family.
              Love Sister Riggs

November 14, 2013

Mauri Utu and Raoraon!!! (Hey Family and Friends in Kiribati)

Thank you everyone for your comforting words in all that we have been through. I love you all sooooooooooooooooooo much! This was our last full week!!!! Insane right? We got our travel plans and leave on Monday, November 18th. Yeah, a day earlier than I thought. Weird, but so exciting! I just really want to be able to get out there. I am loving the MTC, but seriously, I can't wait to be in the Philippines! This week has been wonderful! I got to be a host yesterday and greet all the new missionaries coming from all over the world. It was weird because there weren't as many missionaries as usual because the 6 week mark from today is Christmas and they didn't want people to have to leave Christmas day so people being here for 6 weeks will come the next week. Only 301 people came instead of the usual 600. INSANE!! So many missionaries it is wonderful! A teacher was telling us how inspired the timing was for new missionaries and that we are running out of time. That is kind of freaky. But AWESOME!!! Maybe the 2nd coming is on it's way. We have gotten to hear stories about the Philippines and just get more excited! It has been hard to focus though since it is our last week. It seems like there isn't much else we can learn here now, we'll just have to get the hang of it once we arrive. But we did have both of our MTC investigators agree to BAPTISM!!! It was so cool. Even though they aren't real, the Spirit was totally there when we talked with them and had them agree to baptism. It made us feel so good. The language is definitely coming, but there is so much I still have to learn. I know what I will be doing on the plane. Studying vocab and phrases, reading the Book of Mormon, and sleeping, hopefully catching up on sleep. It will be so nice to have so much personal time ;)

Okay so the speakers this week!! NO WAY, i feel so blessed. seriously. I got to sing in the MTC choir again and sang Redeemer of Israel, it was SUH-WEET! And I love the director. But anyway we heard from Sister Cheryl Esplin, the 2nd counselor in the Primary General Presidency who spoke to us on having faith and bringing people to Christ. In 2 Tim chapter 3 it talks about the perilous times that were going to happen, that are happening right now. It's crazy. Then we heard from Richard I Heaton again and loved it. He speaks with so much power and what he talked about really applied to our lives right now. Then, just wait for it. ... . we got to hear from . . . . . 

Elder L. Tom Perry and his wife!!! WOW, I couldn't believe it. The choir director said that enthusiasm is L Tom Perry's favorite word and it sure is. He says that to L Tom Perry uses it all the time and says it means full of the Spirit. I wanted to test it to see if he really was enthusiastic, he sure was! He jumped right up to the pulpit and throughout his talk he really showed enthusiasm. He talked a ton about the Philippines and it was neat to know about how many people know about what is going on. L Tom Perry said that the Quorum of the 12 actually talked about it today, meaning Tuesday. HOLY TAMOLEE, that's so cool. Our mission was talked about this week by the quorum of the 12 apostles.  It is so scary, but where we are going hasn't been hit. Apparently there is a lot of flooding, like always and strong winds, but nothing to harmful. I can't wait for all the service we will be doing. I know now why we all had to wait until now to go, this is so cool. I can't believe this has all happened, but hopefully  we will be able to help in some way spread some love and hope. He talked a ton about staying with your companion and how we will be protected if we are with them and love them. And so many other things I just don't have time. The main thing he stated was to 1. make sure companionship inventory happens. It is IMPORTANTE KAAYO! (super important) 2. Teach them the Scriptures, they are the most powerful tool in conversion. 3. Teach by the Spirit so be worthy to have it with you.
 4. Be a good listener to the spirit and to your investigators. 5. NEVER LEAVE a congregation without baring your witness of the truth. Wow, that was amazing. I learned so much from him and his wife and it makes want to strive to be better. I love it!

His talk made me think of my companion and things are so much better. We have gotten so close, she talks to me more now and is super cute. There still are days she doesn't talk a whole bunch, but it's probably just because we are speaking English and she really doesn't have a ton to say. she will tell me what her and her friends talk about and she includes me more. We got to talk to her parents and it was so great. They actually speak English incredibly well, I was impressed. After she talked with them she felt so much better has decided to stay on a mission for sure and it's just been wonderful. I think she just needed time with her parents to talk. She was so giddy last Thursday when we did get to talk and so cute. I LOVE HER TONS AND HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM HER. I know why we were companions, so thanks for the prayers. LIFE IS GREAT ;D

So we leave this Monday and here is our itinerary: We leave Salt Lake City at 4:58 pm November 18th. We arrive in LA 5:56 pm, leave from LA at 9:10 pm, AR in Manila at 4 am, YIPEE, LV Manila at 7 am, and AR in Cebu at 8:15 sa buntag (morning)! It will be long, but so cool! Oh and we get to call our families in the Airport so I would expect us to be at the airport in the afternoon so maybe expect a call around 2, 3, or 4. If you have a time you'd like me to call please write a Dear Elder Letter to let me know when and what number to call!

So my address in the Philippines will be: 

                               Sister Laurel Ann Riggs

                               Philippines Cebu Mission

                               Temple Complex CJCLDS

                                   Gorordo St. Lahug,
                                         Cebu City
                                          6000 Cebu

as far as I know, but if it is different I will let you know for sure. Also I found out that it works better if you send things with pictures of Christ or Virgin Mary on it because then the people think that it is for the church and won't think it's valuable. But really, I won't need anything while being here. I am totally fine just waiting to receive gifts and things when I return. E-mails mean just as much, plus it will take a while to ship and is expensive so really, AYAW KABALAKA!! (don't worry) about sending anything :) k!

Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Ellie, Grandma Riggs, Grandma Pace, and Desi, and others I missed. Sorry about such late notice. I have been thinking about you on your birthdays and hope all is well!!!! AND have a WONDERFUL, FANTASTIC, INCREDIBLE, MAANINDOT THANKSGIVING!!!! I'm going to miss being with family for Thanksgiving, but maybe we'll do something cool in Cebu, who knows.

I wish I had more time, but I have to get going thanks again for all the letters and packages and prayers that I've been getting I feel so loved.

Have a MARVELOUS WEEK, EAT A TON,  a little extra for me hehehehe ;) and I LOVE YOU ALL. 

    Sister Riggs

November 7, 2013

HEY ALL!!!! KOMUSTA KA? (HOW ARE YOU DOING?)

I'm doing just dandy! Loving life, learning a ton, and studying.I keep wondering if time has gone by fast for you all or not. I feel like since there is so much packed into the day the days go kinda slow, but weeks are sooooooooooo fast. WEIRD!! 

So this week we have been doing pretty much the same thing, nothing super exciting has happened, but I am still learning a ton. The investigators we teach are our teachers, which makes it fun, but one of our investigators agreed to baptism!!! AHHHH, it isn't the REAL word, but we still got so excited, I couldn't believe it. His name is Jerrick and he is really doing well. He said he doesn't feel ready, but wants to get baptized so we will just keep teaching him until he feels ready. I can't wait. It will be nice to actually have people commit to things and do things for real, it's kind of scary, but cool! 

Tuesday, was a very interesting day. We started out the day with personal exercise and my companion didn't really want to join us. She did the same thing last week, but we just kind of let her be. So Sister Grigg, a Sister in our district and one of the Sister Training leaders went to go talk with her and tell her that exercise is important and that it will relieve stress and that we need to be obedient and do the things we are supposed to. Sister Tune, my companion was already feeling stressed and homesick and who knows what else so she started crying. Something just triggered it I guess. So we went to breakfast, but she didn't want to eat so I just let her be, but Sister Grigg kind of forced her too and that made things worse. After Sister Grigg talked with her for a little bit we came to come check on them and see what was going on. Both of them looked sad, but Sister Tune was the one crying. She said she wanted to go home and to see a counselor right then? OH MY GOODNESS. That triggered something in me and I started to cry to. What is this? I hardly ever cry. Well, maybe just everything is piling up inside or something, basta (anyway) while they went to go see the counselor Sister Warner took me back to class. I was blaming myself for everything. I was worried she wanted to go home because I wasn't being a good enough companion. I kept thinking that I wasn't being there for her or just so many little things that I thought I was doing wrong. She had joked about going home before, but I didn't think she was really thinking of it. During personal study I wrote her a letter telling her how much I love her and that she has such a strong testimony and that she can totally do this. I encouraged her as much as I could and told her Heavenly Father wouldn't have put her here if he knew she wouldn't be able to handle it. He only gives us trials we can get through. It's great! I also added some scriptures in their and gave it to her later that day. We were not getting a lot of studying done because I just kept thinking of her and hoping she was doing fine. Every time I would look over at her tears would be streaming down her face. It made me feel so bad. She made an appointment to talk to her parents, but when we went to go try, we couldn't get through. It just kept saying, "Calls are not permitted to this country." We tried so many times with the sweet counselor man, and it still didn't work. So he told us we could come try again on Wednesday. After taking a nap she felt a ton better and then we got some food in her. As the day went on she did get better, but still seemed sad. Singing songs would trigger emotions or other things. It was just sad. Later that night we heard from Sister Jan Zwick and W. Craig Zwick of the 70! I feel so lucky to be hearing from all these wonderful speakers of the seventy! All that they said went perfectly with what had gone on the whole day. They talked about obedience and how doing what's right brings blessings and how disobedience brings spiritual/physical pain and unwanted consequences. Also we were given principles to follow. 1. Follow inspired Priesthood counsel 2. listen and act on the voice of the Spirit. 3. obey the commandments. We will be protected if we follow these commandments. Also the Preach My Gospel book is a sacred gift-an inspired book so we need to use it all the time. And Christ has a pattern we can follow. 1. Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ. 2. Have a perfect brightness of hope. 3. have a love of God and for all men 4. Feast upon the words of Christ 5. Endure to the End. Elder Jacobs in our district mentioned that he doesn't like the word endure because he thinks it sounds like a bad thing and we are hanging on for dear life. We need to triumph and prevail through trials not just endure. We talked about the devotional after and I love hearing everyone's insights, it's wonderful! She is so much better now and wants to stay, but it was scary at first. 

And fast Sunday was so wonderful here! We had Mission Conference and heard from all the members of our District Presidency. They all are so inspiring and I admire them for all they do for us. I loved hearing members of our zone bare testimonies during sacrament meeting. I got to bare mine and it was great. It was cool to hear a little about everyone's background story and what they know about the gospel. And we made it until 5:30, dinner time!! YIPEE! It feels good to fast until dinner.

Well, I gotta go, I so wish I had more time to e-mail, but that's been my week. We just keep studying so there's not a ton to report back to, but here's what happened. It was intense. So thanks again for all the letters and things that have been sent to me, I am so spoiled. You are all wonderful, and the church is true. I have had so many tender mercies being here and I hope you are all looking out for them everyday. 

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK!!!!!