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