November 24, 2013

Maayong Aga liwat!

It's been another good week, but also heartbreaking at the same time. On Tuesday morning D texted us about Sister Bendoy's family and it truly is heartbreaking. During our whole companionship study, I was a teary mess. But from what I've heard from D, Sister Bendoy is doing great. It doesn't surprise me because she's such a strong person. She also told us that Sister Manwaring's sister, who was Sister Bendoy's trainee before me, started a fundraiser for her and her siblings. That's amazing, especially when they raised $5,000 within 24 hours! I know she must be so grateful. We also have about 20ish missionaries who joined us from Tacloban! There's one in our district that we met this past week, and supposedly one or two more in our zone. It's also especially exciting because Sister Maleatoa is in our mission now. She was the companion that joined Sister Young and I for a week in the MTC because she had to stay for surgery. 

Overall though, our week was good! Missionary work is continuing to move forward, and I love it more than ever. Our time as a missionary truly is precious and  I want to take advantage of the limited time we have. But I feel like it's going by so fast... especially because this past week was my five months mark! Where has the time gone?! I love the Philippines and feel so blessed to have been assigned here. It truly is an amazing place.

Transfers are next week so this might be our last week with Sister Luke and I together :( I don't want to be transferred but I've been in the area a while now and President likes to switch trainers after six weeks... but we're hoping I'm staying. Especially because the four of us in our apartment want to be together for Christmas. 

Overview of the week:

1. We're continue to teach our investigator T. He's our last appointment most nights, literally the highlight of our day. Every time we come, he's waiting for us and reading the Book of Mormon. He's preparing for his baptism on Christmas and he truly has been prepared by the Lord to accept the gospel.  Every time we visit, you can just see the light of Christ in his eyes. 

2. We had our first English class this past weekend! The Elders taught the older kids, and we took the younger kids... it was a little iffy at first, but it turned out be a really fun experience and hopefully the kids had fun too.

3. We came home one night to six cockroaches in our apartment. SIX! I can deal with spiders, etc. but cockroaches are the nastiest insects. Sister Luke and I literally spent twenty minutes trying to kill all of them... and it doesn't help they have ten lives. We trapped one in the sink, and it still wasn't dead after having the faucet pour on it for five minutes. But, we survived. Before we moved in, they sprayed something that kills all of them during the night. I don't know how it works, but by morning, they're all on their back dead. We're now starting to collect them underneath the stairs.. we're up to five.

4. I'm now obsessed with Buko shakes. I don't know how to make them, or what even Buko is, but you should try making them at home. they're delicious.

I feel like nothing especially exciting happened this past week to tell you... but do know that I'm happy and loving the mission. Thank you so much for your prayers and support and letters each week. I truly appreciate them. I love you all.

Anyways, I love you all! 

xoxo,

Sister Fitzgerald

November 17, 2013

Family,

It truly has been one amazing week here on the mission, and I know I say that basically every week, but this one has probably been the best one yet. Every day this past week, I've truly seen the hand of Lord guiding and blessing the people here in the Philippines. Even this morning, Sister Luke and I were discussing during studies how blessed we feel to be here in the Philippines. I think of my life and those decisions and moments in my life that have led me to the place I am now, as a  missionary, and all I can think about is how thankful I am for you. Because no doubt, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the amazing examples I've had growing up. I feel so blessed to have grown up with the gospel in my life, and now I truly feel joy sharing it with others. It truly is the Lord's work, and it is so spiritually gratifying knowing that I'm helping Heavenly Father's work here upon the earth. 

This week, I've felt the joy that they always reference in the scriptures. There are so many people that are prepared to receive the gospel, and I feel so honored to be able to dedicate all day, every day, to finding and teaching those who will be blessed with the gospel in their lives. This past week we taught T... I don't remember if I mentioned him last week. We met him, talked for maybe 5 minutes, invited him to church, then the typhoon happened so we didn't see him. Then Sunday morning, there he comes walking in! It was a miracle. But since last week, we've taught him twice. Last night we introduced the Book of Mormon, and before we even explained what we have to do to gain a testimony of it, he was like, you need to pray about it. His testimony is already so strong, but I don't think he even realizes it. We invited him to be baptized on December 25, and he got so excited, he was even like, "I would be baptized on Christ's birthday, yeah!" This whole story might seem so corny, but it was truly the most spiritually gratifying moment. People truly are prepared to receive the gospel, and it just fills me with so much joy, knowing that people are changing and becoming closer to Christ through us. 

Other exciting news, Saturday we were trying to find this less active family that lives in our area. We have the street address so basically every few houses, we'll ask if they know them or where they live. After going down basically the whole street, nobody still knows them. But at one family, when we ask, they're like sorry we only moved in three months ago. So we're talking a little bit, they let us in, we share a little message with them, we invite them to church, and they said yes! Then we got to pick them up Sunday morning, and they're there, with their three teenager girls, all ready for church! It was so exciting. We're going back to teach them tonight and were excited. Those are those most exciting stories I have that happened during the week, overall it's been good and I feel like I'm finally starting to see progress. We have a lot of new investigators, and I'm excited to continue to teach, etc.

As for J, she still doesn't have permission from her dad for baptism. Every time we visit, she takes ten minutes just to explain what she read in the Book of Mormon. It's just heart breaking because she's so ready, yet once again, other people get in the way. 

We heard yesterday that Tacloban missionaries are coming. We think some might be staying at our house tonight... It's heartbreaking. The other day we saw an article talking about it and it had some pictures of the missionaries. Both Sister Luke and I recognized someone we knew in the MTC because the Tacloban missionaries were in our zone there. 

I love you all! I'm safe, and everything is back to normal here in Bacolod after the storm. We even got our water back so no more bucket showers from typhoon water! Life is good. I miss you all but am so glad to be serving a mission! Send my love to everyone!

xoxo,

Sister Fitz

November 10, 2013

Pamilya!!

Maayong aga! This will forever be known as the week that Typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines... and definitely far from a normal week here on the mission. It all started on Wednesday, when we were finishing zone meeting, and the ZL's said that there was one last annoucement from President Lopez and prefaced it by saying "Okay, so don't freak out while we read this text from president" so we knew then something bad must be happening. So they read the message that a typhoon was heading towards the Philippines and that we need to get enough food to last three days, and to be prepared to stuck inside starting Thursday night until Saturday. Within two hours, we got another update saying we should have plenty of food, buy candles as well, and that starting that night, we'll not be able to head outside. That afternoon as well, our bishopric called us asking us to go to all our member and less actives, to warn them of the storm and to tell them that they would be able to evacuate to the church at anytime if they feel unsafe and that there would be water and food there if needed. So all day wednesday, we just went house to house. We came home wednesday night, prepared to be stuck inside for a long time. We were inside all day thursday, but other than a little rain, not much happened. We would get updates every few hours, but not that much information, we didn't know when we should expect it, or how strong. We waited all day Thursday, but other than a little rain, nothing. Friday morning is when it got stronger and heavier... and we were told that it would hit around noon, but that during the night it turned a little bit and was heading towards China and we would only get the tail part of it. At 11, the power went out and the it was hard to hear each other because of how heavy the wind and rain was. We finished our studies by candlelight and had PB&J sandwiches for lunch. It was weird being inside for so long... we were all going a little stir crazy, we definitely had cabin fever. We would have studies in the morning as usual, and then just spent the afternoon talking, lounging, etc. Friday afternoon, we got a text saying that we would have a CSP Weekend, and to be prepared to head out the next morning helping fix the damage caused by the storm. But there really wasn't that much, there was debris all over, and several trees fell over, but no major damage to any of the houses in our area. But on Sunday, when we went to church, that's when we learned of how much damage happened to other parts in the Philippines, especially Tacloban, entire baranggays just completely demolished. It' s crazy to think if that had happened here in Bacolod. I don't even know where you would even start to help/clean-up/rebuild an entire city. (I don't know if that made any sense but I don't have time to go back through so sorry if it's all over the place)

So it was definitely one crazy week. But most of Bacolod is okay, not too much damage that we've have seen. Our power came back on Saturday morning, but we still have no running water... we're back to taking bucket showers from rain water, which really isn't that bad but it's hard because we have no water to wash dishes or wash clothes.... So hopefully, it will come back soon. 

It' weird because the two days stuck inside the house, I was reminded of life back at  home. No agenda, no appointments, just a whole day to spend however you want... and it made me realize how easy it is to return back to my life before the mission, to just waste entire days lounging around, which isn't necessarily bad to do some days. But missions are really just a time to reprioritize everything in your life. My mission has helped me see everything so clearly. Everyday during studies, I think to myself "What was I doing with my life before the mission?" "what was I doing with all that time?" I think that's one of the blessings from serving a mission. I've realized what's really important in life, there's so many things that I've already learned from the mission that I don't think I would have learned any other way, or at least wouldn't have learned for a long time.I'm so grateful to have the gospel in my life, to have had the courage and faith to serve a mission, and to be here in Bacolod. And I'm excited, knowing that I still have over a year to continue serving, to continue growing, and to continue sharing the gospel, so they can feel that comfort and love from Heavenly Father I feel every day.

I love you all! 

xoxo,

Sister Fitzgerald

November 3, 2013

Maayong Aga!

It has been such a good week! So spiritually inspiring and so fun. Every week I feel like I was just sitting at the computer writing you, and I know that I probably say that every time, but it's because it's true.

I officially completed my second week as a trainer! Sister Luke is seriously the most inspiring and courageous girl I know. Her batch didn't waste anytime in the MTC because I feel like she knows so much of the language already. She has such a great desire to just head out each day and talk to everyone which I truly admire. At times I feel a little overwhelmed, especially in lessons just because I'm afraid I'm not able to explain something clearly enough for them to truly understand the importance of our message. Especially because everyone in the Philippines already believes in Christ. They already accept him as our Savior and Redeemer and understand how He should be the center of our lives. And that's a blessing, because of course people want to hear a message about Christ, but it's also our struggle, because they think what they're doing now is already enough, that they're already following Christ's example in their life, and that their church and religion is what they need. And it's hard for them to accept or understand about the Restoration, and about Apostasy, and about Priesthood Power, and I feel like maybe they're not fully comprehending that aspect because I'm not teaching it effectively enough. But I'm trying, and I know that what I lack as a trainer, as a teacher, and as a missionary, Heavenly Father will make up for it and help me strengthen those weaknesses that I have. 

On Friday, was Old Saint's Day (maybe Old Soul's Day.... not exactly sure) but all missionaries had the opportunity to proselyte in the graveyards. On that day, families go to the cemeteries to honor those family members that have passed on. So they pack up food/tents/etc. and spend the day on top of the grave of their deceased family members. Sister Luke and I were a little hesitant at first, because how do you just walk up to people as they're sitting on a gravestone, but I'm pretty sure we probably handed out at least 15 lesson two pamphlets about the Plan of Salvation. And we were fed at least four meals from random families we talked to. I've never been so full in my life. But it was definitely a fun experience.

On Saturday, Elder Anderson came! It was definitely an exciting meeting. And even though we were one of the last ones to walk in, they squeezed us into the front row! We got to shake their hands, and I definitely made eye contact with Elder Anderson several times and he would smile. The whole mission was there, all 234 of us. Both Elder Anderson spoke and Elder Clayton, focusing on missionary work and the Atonement. If there's one thing I learned from them and from President Nielsen visiting us last month, is how connected the Atonement is to missionary work. There's so much I have learned about Christ and the Atonement the past couple months on the mission, and I know that there's still so much I have yet to comprehend or maybe never will fully understand. But this much I do know, that Christ is there to help through every aspect of our life. Whether it's to be cleansed through the redeeming power, or be comforted during trials, or to be strengthened through his enabling power as we try to become more like our Savior. Often I feel unprepared or incapable of doing something, especially as I'm training and still learning the language myself, but then I realize that my trust and confidence shouldn't be in myself, but in Christ. Because when you put your faith and trust in him, it's easy to continue, because of course He's able to do everything, and of course he'll help me accomplish what he would do if he was here.

We've seen some progress in a lot of our investigators this past week. I never know what stories to tell you because it seems like they come and go every week, but we found a new family that we've taught twice this past week, and Sister Luke and I are really excited to continue to teach and see what might come of it. In other news, we taught J, the 13 yr-old we've been teaching for a while now. She is one of the sweetest girls I know and one the first investigators  where I've truly seen her become converted to the gospel. She has a testimony already that is so strong of the Book of Mormon and has that desire to be baptized. But the sad news is that this past week, she told us that her dad and grandma said before we ever started teaching her, that we can teach her and she can go to church, but that she can't be baptized. So that was our sad news this past week, but we're not losing hope. We taught about Heavenly Father preparing a way, and I know that as her testimony grows, and as her family sees her desire, that their hearts will be softened and eventually she'll be able to be baptized.

I love you all! And I received my Christmas package in the mail this past week.... do I really have to wait for Christmas? or is this just a Halloween/Thanksgiving present and you're sending another package for Christmas? :)

Anyways, thank you for all your support and love and prayers.

xoxo,

Cami