Sunday, February 24, 2013

Adventures of Sister Elsmore 10


From: Mandy Elsmore 
Date: November 25, 2012 11:00:35 PM CST

Kumusta Family!

So the first week is going well. I am in a three-some yet again. My companion's are Sister Ramilo and Sister Sojor. They are SO FUNNY! They remind me so much of Emily and Erikka. So, if Emily Daw and Erikka Beam were Filipino missionaries, they would be Sister Ramilo and Sister Sojor. HA HA HA! They are a unstoppable force of nature. ^_^ They are great and helping me gain confidence in teaching. They are also great at relating to the people and becoming a friend to them. They are a great example to me. I hope that I can be a spiritual and good at teaching as they are. ^_^

I'm doing better in the Language than I thought I would. Everyone, especially my companions, are so surprised to hear me speak. They are keep asking how in the world I learned Tagalog, because there are no grammatical mistakes. Which is surprising to me, because half of the times I have no idea whether or not I'm saying things right. HA HA HA. They say I have "THE GIFT." I'm very grateful to my Heavenly Father for this. That I can teach people quicker and communicate to them the doctrine of the gospel. So they can understand who it relates to them and how to draw closer to God. I can understand about the general gist of what is going on if I concentrate (which can sometimes be hard when there is so much going on around you. Like on a busy street, etc...) I know it will take a little bit of time before I can be completely fluent; however, for now I'll keep striving to understand what people are saying and write down things I don't understand and/ or ask my companions what things mean.  

The things that I am struggling most with is probably gaining the confidence in actually teaching people. There were several time where I had no idea what I should say to them, in Tagalog or English for that matter, because of my fear of saying the wrong thing to them. Practice Teaching during companionship study had helped a little, but I guess I'm a little frustrated with myself in this area. I should not fear people. I need to have greater faith in the Lord, keep preparing myself and learning the gospel, so I can be ready to be a instrument in the Lord's hands. This is my goal mainly for this week and for my whole mission. 

The other thing which had been a struggle these couple days has been getting used to the time zone. HA HA HA! Sometimes during the Evening, I start to doze off during daily planning, or once even fell asleep. I'll keep praying that I won't fall asleep during something important like a teaching appointment or meeting and get used to the time zone. 

The people of the Philippines are great! I can't believe how spiritual they are. They are all so humble and wanting nothing more than the best for their families. There have been many families we have visited that have almost literally nothing, but they still have so much Joy. Because they have their families, food on the table, and their faith. They struggle with going to church because of reasons like, If I don't work, my family will starve. It makes me think how spoiled I've been in America, how my concerns have been sometimes be so self-centered and materialistic. It has been very humbling. I know that the Lord will provide a way for these people. They have such precious seeds of faith, I know they have the potential to grow strong and great if they act on it. I just love these people. They are so AWESOME! 

Food has been great. All tastes so good. I have no idea what they are called; however, my companion Sister Sojor is going to teach me. I ate Balut. It wasn't bad, just a little chewy sometimes. But I can kind-of understand why they love it. I don't think I'll ever have a craving for it; however, I'd eat it again. My companions are surprised I have not got sick at all. They said that usually foreigners get sick the first week because they are not used to the food. Another thing I am grateful for. That I can serve the Lord without feeling sick. Showering is pretty much a bucket and water. Its so AWESOME! Its like camping everyday here. LOVE IT! 

Anyway, Got to go. Love you all. 
Sister Elsmore

PIC- Me eating balut. I've had no time to take pictures of the area around me. Only allowed to take pics on PD. Send some next week.

Sister Elsmore With Sister and Mission President DeLaMare and Her companions,Sister Sojor and Sister Ramilo.









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