Sister Laurel Riggs: January 1, 2014

HAPPY NEW YEARS or MALIPAYONG BAGONG TUIG!!!!!!

I think I thought of the thing I miss most about the U.S.: air conditioning. Some places have it, but people mostly just use fans. And when the power goes out, yeah we don't have cool air, which gets kind of tough, but it's all good. I'm just grateful for fans. And the thing I like best about the Philippines, is definitely the people. They are so happy kanunay (always) and welcoming and sweet and kind and adventurous and soooooooooooooooooo much more. Everyone will let us come in and give us soda or a snack even if they don't have that much for themselves. Philippinos are so Christlike :)

I hope you all had a FANTABULOUS CHRISTMAS and NEW YEARS EVE and DAY!!!! Have you all made new year resolutions? I'm sure you have, I have too! After the training workshops and wonderful zone conference given by the AP's and Mission President and Wife, I have a lot of things I want to do for this new year. I can't wait. I hope to become a much GREATER missionary and get so much out of this part of my life. I know that I need to do all I can and the Lord will help me with the rest, but if I don't do my part, nothing will happen. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will be there for me when I need them if I can't do it all on my own, but I do need to do things to show my dedication. I have so many things I want to happen and to be able to grow so much in this gospel and just as a person and I know with the help of my Father in Heaven I can do it.

Wow, this week has been insane. Well, first off, I am staying here with Sister Tandiman in the same area!!!! At times I felt like I was a burden to her because I didn't help out that much in some of the lessons because I don't know enough Visayan or I don't know all of the doctrine yet. But I have been feeling better. I add my comments whenever I have thoughts come into my mind and I take more of a part of the lessons so she isn't just teaching it all. So I was worried that I would go with another companion to finish my training because I needed to learn to say more in the lessons or not rely on her as much, but I realize I can just push myself more during the lessons and just help out with all that I can now. GIVE MY ALL, like what President Scorseby said. What are you going to give on your mission? Well, I'm going to give him all I can. I feel like we have grown so close as a companionship these past few weeks. Time has gone by fast, I can't believe I am halfway through training, there,. . .living on a prayer! (name that song) Anyway, I was worried too we'd be transferred somewhere and I didn't want to because we have just found so many new investigators and I didn't want to leave them. We saw potential and hope with them. We are hoping things will work out with them and we can get them to have a desire to come to church and closer to Christ.

Wow, we had a few nindot kaayo events happen this week. First of all we went to Irish, Ivan, and Kenneth's house. There are all between the ages 19 and 22, I think and they are siblings. They have lost both of their parents and are all working or going to school as of now. BUSY KAAYO SILA (they are very busy) all the time, except Sunday nights, so we decided to go and teach them the Plan of Salvation on Sunday. We were only going to teach the first few lessons with them, but their first question was, what happens after this life? (Unsay human niining kinabuhi?) Will we get to be/see our parents again? (makakita among mga ginikanan usab?) What's going to happen? Man, we couldn't just answer a little bit and then say, we'll talk about that our next visit. We both felt strongly to teach all of lesson 2 in one visit. I haven't felt the Spirit that strong, in a lesson, since being here. Sister Tandiman and I left feeling extremely happy and exhausted almost since the Spirit was so strong. I loved sharing with them what we know and how this Plan is so important and made just for us. You should have seen their reactions when we told them, they can see their parents again. What a wonderful moment in time for them. They want to live life well so they can make it back with their parents and of course with our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. Personal Experiences were shared and things just went so well. And that was the first time we had taught the whole Plan of Salvation lesson in Cebuano, well at least for me. That's why there are two of us huh? So we can help each other out and testify of each other. At first I was worried, but we felt like it flowed so well. I love the Spirit and know that without it there, it is extremely hard to get the message across. We can teach the same lesson to different people and totally have a different feeling coming out of it. That's what is so cool. Sister Tandiman and I have used different scriptures for each lesson so we really can cater to our investigators needs. It so works, and it helps us get to know more about the Book of Mormon and where things are found.

Okay another one was there is a girl named Bianca who is about 16. She is AMAZING! Every time we visit her she is just so good. She knows what's right and that this is the true church, she just doesn't come. We have been wondering what was keeping her and she never would tell us. But when we went to her house she opened up to us and shared how when she went to church, the only time she's ever been there, she didn't really have that great of a day. The youth weren't super nice or welcoming. It was so great to finally hear her thoughts and so we knew how to help. I told her I felt the same way when I first got here. I didn't know anyone, but I still went to my first day of church. I didn't stay home, I went and was able to meet a lot of people. Plus you can't make friends in one day, it takes time. I told her even after a few Sundays I still didn't really know a lot of people and Sister Tandiman knew everyone since she had been in this ward before. But overtime you start seeing the same people and it's great. I have come to realize how important it is to really connect to your investigators and share personal experiences. It is touching for you, or the person who shares it and the investigator.

Also we weren't planning on going to a lady's house, but Sister Tandiman had a strong impression to visit this one Sister. I said okay, sure, let's go! So we did and Sister Vicky actually wasn't there, her sister was, GiGi. She told us to come right in and that she had been taught by other missionaries before. It was great!! We used How To Begin Teaching to develop that trust and so we could find out more about her, and she shared so much about her family. She actually started crying. I didn't know exactly what had happened, but I felt empathy for her. It's cool that even if I don't quite understand what they say I can feel for them because of their body language or their facial expressions.

Oh and actually earlier today we met with Sister Vengi and Brother Ben. They have AMAZING faith (hugot nga pagtuo). They come to church every week and always read/keep the assignments we give them. Vengi, has done some things in life that might keep her from being able to get baptized. Our mission President sent a letter to the First Presidency to see what they could do, but still hasn't hear anything about it. But, on the other hand, Ben is totally fine. We have just been putting off the invitation to be baptized because we didn't know how to ask him to be baptized, but not her. That's just sad right? We prayed and prayed, studied, and really prepared for how to do this, but we just needed to ask the Brother and tell the Sister she'd have to wait. We did, and Sister Vengi took it so well, a lot better than we thought. She is fine with the thought of him getting baptized first and we just let her know that there is hope. The date for Brother Ben is January 25th! We are so excited and hope it works out. It was wonderful because right as we said, Imo bang sundon. . . (Will you follow. . .)he said, SIEMPRE!! (OF COURSE) It was great. BUt we still finished the invitation and he is so ready!!! ANDAM KAAYO SIYA!! We can't wait. Sister Tandiman and I think she understands and is glad she is taking it so well.

I have learned so much from Sister Tandiman and have so much more to learn from her, I'm sure. We have so much fun together, have so many spiritual moments together, and strengthen each other every day, it's FANTASTIC.

HOPE YOU ALL ARE HAVING A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR, AND REALLY PARTYING HARD AND BEING EXTREMEMLY LOUD!! hehehehehehehehe. We were loud. We actually got to watch movies last night for New Years Eve, we watched Frozen and Kon Fu Panda 2!! I loved it. I was so happy we got to do that. And we got to stay up until midnight and watch the fireworks and scream HAPPY NEW YEAR. It was GREAT!! You're having our annual party diba? (right?) I sure hope so.

CHEER LOUD, and make some AMAZING new goals/resolutions sigi (okay)?

LOVE YA TONS!!! Sister Riggs

I tried chicken feet, what, It wasn't really meat, I felt like I was chewing cartalidge, which is kind of was. It had a great flavor, but interesting texture.