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
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