February 4, 2014

FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!!!!!

Man crazy craazy week!!! We were able to have interviews with our Mission President, President Schmutz, and talk about how things are going for us. I feel so lucky to have him as the President here. He feels like another Dad or Grandpa for me. He is so sweet and loving and kind, and gives us confidence and I just love him dearly. All of his workshops are so doctrinal and just incredible. I have never met another person like him before that knows so much about this gospel and really dives deep in the doctrine. It's amazing for us as missionaries, so we gain that knowledge for ourselves and then we can become stronger to bring others closer to Christ. Every day I realize something new I either need to learn and just feel why I really need to be here. And why I am on a mission. It has been talked a lot about with different people, but especially in my old zone, we had talked a lot about why people are even on missions. People do it because they feel it is a sense of duty or to please their family or friends, and so many other reasons. And I was thinking, was I just caught up in everything and just went for the fun, but no, I did it because I love Jesus Christ and know that he has done so much for us, for me, that this is a way I can do something for him. Plus, as members of this church we have such a wonderful responsibility, opportunity to share what we know. Seriously, people just don't know about their purpose here on earth and have thought about things in life, but not really come to a certain conclusion, like Joseph Smith. I feel like we are just their aids, but they really need to find out for themselves, not for us, but for them. I want to be able to bring people back to this knowledge and let them know how much their Father in Heaven loves them as well as Jesus Christ. There are some days I feel like I don't know that much about the gospel, but I just have to be patient and study to do my part. It will come eventually and as long as I have a good attitude and just keep telling myself it's okay, I can do this, than things will work out. Just keep smiling, just keep swimming, what do we do we smile, swim, smile! I was just realizing this time goes by so fast so I need to make it count and take things seriously, and most importantly be obedient, and I have seen the blessings of that. 

This week has been GREAT! I have loved getting to know Sister Villasis and been able to work well with her. I feel a lot more comfortable in lessons now with the less active members and recent converts we have been visiting. They are all very welcoming and just excited to visit with us. Especially since we are new missionaries in the area. We never have a dull moment with this companionship and with the people we are teaching. We have a ball, laughing and getting to know these people better. It is so nice that Sister Villasis knows this area, because if she hadn't been here before, man would it be hard to find these people. It's great too, because members see a familiar face which lightens the mood a lot. So in the lesson they already have that trust. Sister Villasis is so fun and reminds me of Raven Simone sometimes. She talks to everyone and is smiley all the time. Also she is bold when talking to people so when we commit them to things, she makes sure they understand what they just committed to do and have them say it so it's in their mind and we know they understood the committment. I love that. Also in her FTE's she really makes them count, she doesn't just introduce herself than invite them to church she talks about smoking if they are smoking and relates basketball to this life, or just other little things, and they are all different, it's helping me come up with different ways to teach according to needs and FTE. Also there is one girl we visited named Bhlessie. She is 15 and is a less active member. The first time we came in contact with her she ran away from us and it was pretty much like hide and seek. We waited for her to come back and she finally did. We tried to talk to her and she really was not wanting to talk at all. She gave us a few answers and then would look away and just not answer. Man, it was pretty frustrating, but we didn't show it, we just would either wait patiently for her to answer or just sit in silence waiting for her to answer or for the Spirit to let us know what to say. At first it was weird just sitting there in silence, but now I know that it's okay, it's almost better not to push anything or put thoughts in their mind when they are still thinking.  It was a long time that we sat and would talk and ask questions, but no answer, not even a nod. Later on we finally got some answers and she had said she really only got baptized because of Sister Cora, her mother figure in life right now. She pushed her too much and she just really didn't understand the importance of baptism. We were sad that she was pushed, so we asked her if she wanted us to come back and see her and even though it took a while, she finally said, Yes. So we made a return appointment and man, it was so much better. When we went back, she was happy and she would speak to us and was participative, same with her friend. I'm pretty sure it was because Sister Villasis was there. Bhlessie said that she never really understood Sister Weschler, the last American Sister that was here, so it was hard for Bhlessie to visit with her. But she felt comfortable with us I guess, that's what is good about How To Begin Teaching and Build Relationship Trust. In the beginning of the lesson, whenever I would talk they would either laugh or just not really pay attention. I asked if they understood me, and they said no. I think they just have something weird with Americans, so Sister Villasis would let me talk and then clarify if they didn't quite get it. Later on, it was so much better, she shared her thoughts about church and talked to us, which was good. She got more used to me I think and then was able to get what I was saying. That lesson turned out well and hopefully she will progress and maybe come back to church.

 We have met mostly with less actives and recent converts since there are a lot here, but we will have to tract for new, prime investigators since we don't have any IBD's and only a few Progressing Investigators from the last companionship, we'll have to hasten the work here! It's so sad to hear how people were members and then somehow something little makes them fall away. That's why missionaries are here huh? We will look for a lot of investigators this week and do our best to stay focused. Sometimes we spend a long time at a house because we get talking, which makes us not have that many lessons, so we'll have to be better at using our time wisely. We both just talk to much I think, which is good though because I am feeling so much better at the language, but there still are times, I feel it is so hard. It will come, I just have to keep working hard. 

I really do love this area, I do miss my last one SIEMPRE, ug tanan sa mga tawo didto, (and all the people there), but I have really enjoyed this area. We have a bukid area so we get to go up in the mountains and man is it gorgeous. And jeepneys don't really go up there so we get to ride motorcycles, and our bishopbric take us up there. Well branch Bishopbric, it is so cool. They are sweet and so fun. They are very helpful with the missionaries and just super fun to be around. I can be myself in meetings with them and they just keep saying that they can see I am a sarcastic, fun, missionary, and I like to party. I'm glad that I feel like I can be myself even in a third world country in another language. I am able to joke now, a little in this language and things are just getting better every day. There are still some days that I feel like I don't know what is going on, but mostly I feel great!!! I am happy with my new companion and things I am learning from her and how she supports me and is there for me, with the three of us, they'd either talk or have me talk and there wasn't a lot of building off each other like there should be. Things are just great, and I still see people at the church so it's nice. Also every morning during companionship study I hear birds chirping and it totally reminds me of Grandma and Grandpa Pace with all their bird things. The clock, the hummingbird feeder and all the birds we see there during Spring, it's great. I do miss you all, some days I just think, man, I'm worried i'm missing out, but then I remember, what a wonderful opportunity to have to be here, serving these people. I have seen so many people change and it really makes you feel so good and so excited. I have really been able to learn so much from the scriptures, and about the doctrine of Christ and just so much more as a person. I feel so lucky to have a calling as great at this. I love you all, and hope you remember who you are and how important it is to be members of this church. 

Sister Riggs