April 20, 2014

Happy Easter Family!

I've spent this week thinking about how it's Easter and the celebration of Christ and his resurrection. In the Philippines, it's called "Holy Week" and people go crazy. Some people don't leave their house for the whole week, others fast for three days, and the churches are packed! They celebrate it Wednesday through Friday, and all buildings/businesses are closed. You don't see anybody out on the streets, everything just feels deserted. It's kind of a weird feeling. But there is a church across the river from our apartment, and people were singing for three days, day and night. We didn't get any sleep! They were so loud, and it was nonstop. I don't know when they slept! It's interesting though because during the week, people are so spiritual, but then on Sunday, not anymore. But it did seem like we had more members at church on Sunday than normal. 

But being Easter, you can't help but just reflect on the Lord, our Savior. If there's one thing I've learned while being on my mission, it is the amazing redeeming and enabling power we receive from the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I don't think I will ever be able to fully comprehend what he truly experienced there in the Garden of Gethsemane, but when I think of all that he suffered, just for me, you can't but just be filled and overwhelmed with his love. Because of him, we are able to start again. We are able to be fully cleansed and free from all of our regrets, mistakes, and despairs. We don't have to be burdened down from our inadequacies or weaknesses, but can look to him for the power to grow and become better. He truly is the light and life of the world. He's the light that shines in the darkness of our lives and fills the pains and holes in our heart. I know that he lives and that's the knowledge that will carry me through the trials and whirlwinds in my life.

On Saturday, we also had the baptism of L and C! Two weeks ago, their other two siblings were baptized. (I'll send pictures) They are two of the sweetest boys I know. We weren't able to visit them until Friday this past week, so we weren't sure if their baptism would still be this past Saturday or not. But we finally were able to teach them on Friday, and they were just so excited and spiritually prepared! We had their baptism Saturday morning, and even though it was simple, the Spirit was there and confirmed to me the blessing of baptism, the opportunity to be reborn and cleansed. 

Other than that, our week was pretty ordinary. We've been struggling living in our apartment. The water is sooo rusty, the filter isn't even able to filter it so we have to buy drinking water. But we have to use the rusty water to shower, wash dishes, wash our clothes, etc. and it's having not so cool effects. It's turning our garments orange and dries out our scalp so we all now have dandruff(!), and it's turning our hands and feet orange! haha, It shouldn't have any effects on us health wise as long as we don't drink it... at least that's what the senior couples tell us... but we're trying to convince them to let us move. So hopefully, we'll be able to get it all figured out this week. I don't like to complain and I think I would be able to deal with it, but knowing that I'll most likely be here until December, I don't want to think what the long term effects  will be from using it for nine months straight... But don't worry. All is well.

I love you all! and have a happy Easter!

xoxo,

Sister Fitzgerald

 

 

April 13, 2014

Family,

It's been such a fun week with departures, transfers, arrivals, general conference, and our baptism yesterday! Super busy, but exciting. Last Monday we had a meeting with President about transfers and the schedule for the following days because within those two days that's when the departing missionaries head home, transfers are happening with the missionaries, and the new batch of missionaries from the MTC is coming as well. So Tuesday, we dealt with the departing batch. They were in and out of the office until around 3 when they had their farewell fireside at the mission home. The funniest part of the day was when we pull out their suits from when they arrived in the mission. Because elders never wear their suits here, the mission takes them after arriving in Bacolod, dry cleans them, and keeps them until they go home. So we pull out their suits for them and they try them on, and they are sooo big. They basically can wrap it around themselves haha. Then on Wednesday, we had transfers and arrivals. The couples take the departing missionaries to the airport in the morning and pick up the arriving missionaries and bring them to the mission home for their fireside with President Lopez. While that's happening, we have transfers at the mission office. There were so many missionaries in and out of the office. It was fun because I got to see everyone. I saw Sister Luke and Sister Rey and Sister Foote, and all my favorites and we were able to talk. Then that afternoon, after transfers are over, we head to the mission home for the arrivals orientation. It was kind of a small batch, only 9 new elders and sisters. Sister Canimo and I gave a mini training, welcoming them to the mission and sharing a little information about it. Then the couples share what they do, and the AP's give a training on the mission vision, etc, and then we had dinner! One of the traditions at the mission home is that we always have ice cream after dinner. It's one of my favorite traditions because you know that if you ever go there, you'll eat ice cream :) The next couple days, we just continued with our training in the office. Sister Rasmussen trained me on how to input records, so I've been trying to help her as well as I'm being trained in the other areas. Then on Saturday and Sunday, we had general conference! It was so good, and so spiritual. They just get better and better every year. The exciting part is that I'm back in my old zone, the same stake. So I got to see everyone from Bacolod 2nd ward! I saw some members, and I saw T! It was seriously the best. Then on Sunday afternoon we had our baptism!  Her name is R and she's the smartest nine year old I've ever met. Her story is kind of interesting, and her baptism was unforgettable in the most funniest way. I'll tell you about it later.

Overall, it was an amazing, spiritually full week, in the best way. I love the gospel. I love missionary work. I love my family.

xxx,

S.Fitz

August 6, 2014

Family!

It's definitely been a very busy, stressful, but exciting week. I survived my first week in the office! So last Monday, Sister Canimo and I transferred into our new area/apartment, etc. It's an apartment for four sisters but two have only been living there for the past two transfers, so our room was so dusty and full of bugs because it's the basement in the apartment. But we cleaned, and got unpacked, and settled in. We got transferred to the Santa Fe ward in the Bacolod Central Stake. Last summer, there were only two elders, but when my batch came in August, they split it to have four missionaries, but in January, it got combined again to just two missionaries, but now they split again for us. So now there's four of us in Santa Fe again--two elders, us, and we even have the Neff couple in our ward! So technically, six missionaries :)

Tuesday morning we had missionary leadership training with all of the sister training leaders and zone leaders. It was my first one! Afterwards, we had our first day in the office. I'll eventually get trained in all the jobs, but since Elder.Pulsipher is training the new senior couple elder who will be finance, I sat in on their training. Stressful! There's so much to learn! The following days, it was just training gihapon. The office elders have been in there for a year, so they know what they're doing, they have a system down, and have all this knowledge already and then we come in just completely blind basically but we're learning little by little.  It's nice being in the aircon, especially now that's it's summer and soooo hot in the afternoon, but I miss proselyting. Granted we get to proselyte at night time and on the weekends, but it's sad knowing that I'll never have a normal missionary life for the rest of my mission. I also went to the LTO again to get my license, but since my visa already expired, we have to wait for the new one to come in which could be a couple of weeks.

On Wednesday, we were finally able to proselyte, after getting our area book from the elders. Our area seems good, lots of houses and people. It will be hard because our proselyting time is so limited, but Sister Canimo and I are excited to help as much as we can in this ward to grow and expand. We even had three baptisms this past weekend of youth and primary! One was a son of a recent convert mother, and the other two are their cousins who's mom is preparing for baptism as well for next month! On Saturday as well, before the baptism, they broadcasted the general women's meeting. It was soo good! I loved it, and maybe even teared up a little bit. I'm so excited for general conference this weekend, especially because I'll probably see members from Bacolod 2nd ward there at the stake center! I hope T is there! 

My brain is so frazzled right now, sorry for this random email. We had to go to the office earlier this morning to call the area office regarding passports, and then later this afternoon we have a meeting with an IT rep from the area office and afterwards a meeting with president for transfers this week. So much for our p-day :( but this is now our life, so we're embracing it... at least trying to.

I love you all! Continue helping the missionaries!

halong kamo permi,

Sister Fitzgerald