YAY! Pictures finally! :) The Narciso and Baultista Family (FHE I'm so tall. HA HA HA!) and the Pendon Family at the Temple. Their kids are so CRAZY, but I love them. :)
Favorite picture with the Pendon kids. It cracks me up! HA HA HA!
Our Freezer accumulated a lot of Ice. So Snow in the Philippines. YAY! We had to boil hot water and melt it out of the refrigerator.
Star Apples! They are in season now and their super good. Also corn is in season. There are stands all over the place selling them. Super good. My body and soul are really happy. :D
Companions hard at work buying Fruit. :)
View from a investigators house. Sister Aree calls it the promise land, because every time we go up there we have to hike up a really steep hill. As we hike up she is always saying out of breath, "we... are... alMOST... to the..... Promise... Land" HA HA HA! She cracks me up.
From: Mandy Elsmore <mandy.elsmore@myldsmail.net>
Date: March 18, 2013 12:41:04 AM CDT
Kumusta!
Hope you all get this letter! :)
This week I've been so tired, not sure why. So to lighten things up, we celebrated my Half Birthday on Thursday. We got a little cake, (which later got demolished in Sister Christensen's backpack. HA HA HA! However, Sister Christensen salvaged it.) and cut it in half. Then put a match in it and sang half of the birthday song. Yes, we are ridiculous, but sometimes you just have to take time to celebrate the little things in life. ;)
Funny Story:
I was teaching to a less active when I felt like something was scratching my arm. I look down and there is a baby gecko on my arm about 1.5 inches long. I was like, "...what?..." Then the Less Active looks down and says, "Lizard yen." (Its a lizard) and then brushes it off my arm. Inside I was like, NOOOOO!!! Its so cute! I wanted to catch it; however, perhaps it was a good thing, because we were in the middle of a lesson.
Cultural Fact.
People here for their Birthdays wear red and are suppose to give gifts to others, instead of receiving a gift. Usually they invite everyone in the neighbor hood, and even people they don't know to celebrate. (been formally invited to crash a couple birthday parties already.) They always have pancit, kind-of like yakisoba, (fried noodles with vegtables and meat.), and if they can afford it, other food. Then they have this thing called Videoki. Which they can rend a TV with Karaoke, mikes, and these weird videos that people watch as they sing. You hear it all over the place. And since most Filipinos are Tone Deaf, and the adults are usually drunk, the singing gets 10 times worst and it is heard all over the neighborhood. HA HA HA! Its hilarious and horrible all at the same time. But I love it. The sad thing is it makes most people not look forward to their birthday here. Some don't even know WHEN their birthday is or how old they are.
This week we had Stake Conference; however, this one was Special because it was a broadcast from Salt Lake. Elder Evans (70), Sister Cook (Relief Society), Elder Holland, and Elder Robert D Halls spoke. IT WAS SUPER AWESOME! So many people came to listen. So many that we ended up giving up our seats to our investigators and sitting on the floor in the back to listen. Elder Holland focused on the life of Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail. And bow even a Jail can become a Temple. Spiritual Experiences can come to us no matter where we are, or what stage in life we are at, in any situation. If we want it, and seek for it, God will give it to us. "Man's Extremity is God's opportunity" If we are humble, God can turn our burdens into Temples. Times or places where we can feel even closer to the lord, find peace, a sanctuary. He challenged us all to read D&C 121-123. Its a great section in the D&C.
Elder Hall talked a little bit about everything in general. That the Gospel is our Anchor in life. The more we live it, the more stronger it becomes and the more prepared we are to face the storms of life. The Atonement is center to every doctrine and we learn it when we live it. So DRIVE YOUR SPIRIT DEEPER! Live the Doctrine, and withstand the Storms.
Sometimes we live in self pity or forget that commandments are for our benefit. That life is so much better when we live them. We become stronger. Even though its hard to see it at first, or to live it, but with time you realize the blessings that come with being obedient. You see the hand of the Lord in our trials and tribulations. We sometimes don't understand why we have them, but later the Lord comforts us, we overcome and look back seeing how far we have come. The gospel prepares us for anything that may come our way. And when the storm in our lives strikes unexpectedly, we are grateful the Lord prepared us for it.
Hope you enjoy the pictures! Thank you for all the Support and the Love!
Love,
Sister Elsmore
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