Monday, January 20, 2014

Higko! (dirty)


Dear Family, 

How are all of you doing? Thanks for the emails. So the bad news is that not a single investigator or less active came to church. :( We were so sure!!!  This week will be better. On to the good stuff.... 

On Friday we (tried) had a CSP. We wanted to work in the garden of one of our investigators. She didn't go, because it was sprinkling rain, but her husband was harvesting some "lobati," so she had Lea Jane and Clarisse lead us to where the garden was. Yeah...we had no idea what kind of an adventure we were getting ourselves into. We scaled two concrete walls, and walked/slid/slipped through a huge shared farm. Halfway there, we gave up wearing shoes because they just made it harder to balance on the little raised mud paths. We provided endless entertainment to our two little "guides." We slid our way across a bamboo bridge. And then we finally got to the little garden, harvested a little bit (while standing in 5 inches of mud), and then it was time to go back. I learned three things from this higko (dirty) experience. 1) Being a Filipino farmer should be an extreme sport, 2) I am SUCH a city girl. As in. and 3) I should NEVER have complained for working in our garden growing up. That was cake! haha. 

Last Tuesday we gave a combined training about "Finding." We used 1 Nephi 2:20 for part of it, which I really like because you can replace the word "land" for many other blessings. This is what we used: "And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to 'an investigator' of promise; yea, even 'an investigator' which I have prepared for you; yea, 'an investigator' which is choice above all other 'investigators.'" Finding golden investigators starts with our own obedience. :) I love the scriptures. 

Speaking of...I have been studying about Moses this week and the children of Israel. Go Exodus! Moses really was able to perform miracles and lead the Israelites because of his humility and faith in the Lord. He never gave up, even when everyone (including the people he was trying to help were against him). That is a comfort to me. Our area is challenging. The last baptism we know of was December 2012. But I know that no effort to share the gospel is wasted. So we continue in faith and never give up. Because these people need the complete truth. They just don't realize it yet. 

There is this one part active/part less active family in our area. They are awesome. Brother is the Elder's Quorom president, and his son, John Leo, is the Ward Mission Leader and he is preparing to serve a mission. Sister is super good at cooking. Ariane reminds me of Emily. Queenie and Jane are HILARIOUS. They would get along really well with Rachel and Emily. We started teaching them about the Restoration yesterday, but then we started talking about how blessed we are to have worthy priesthood holders in our homes, and then Brother was exhorting his daughters (John Leo was at work) to marry worthy priesthood holders in the Temple. It was really sweet. And really entertaining, because they are all so funny. I love them. 

So, I've been developing a love for cooking. I was alright at baking before, but now I am finally learning to like stove top cooking (with FIRE). You really learn a lot of skills on a mission, in every aspect of life. It is the best! I made Arroz Caldo with black rice last week, and I want to make eggplant parmesan (like at Olive Garden) this week. YUM. Sister Yang and Sister Marchant have opened my mind to the many possibilities. They are so sagad at cooking. 

Oh, also, transfers were last Thursday. We stayed put, but Sister Yang transferred, and now Sister Rappleye is training Sister Daroy (a Filipina). She is a sweetheart. The house is definitely quieter without Sister Yang around though. I'm glad I get 6 weeks more with Sister Marchant! :) 

Love, Sister Winward

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