July 20, 2014

Family!

It's been such a good week, as is in so good! Miracles are just happening all over the place, and I just feel so blessed to be able to witness them. The most exciting news that we have is that we are planning a wedding! M is getting married this Saturday and then will be baptized right after. I'm so excited and happy for her. She's been waiting for so long and now she'll finally be able to be baptized. We finished her marriage papers earlier this morning and got them notarized so everything is set for Saturday... all we need now is a wedding dress :) We've been asking around the ward and found clothes for M that he can wear, the members and Relief Society are going to help out with some refreshments afterwards, and even President and Sister Lopez are going to attend! They're the family that we visited when Sister Lopez came and worked with us, and then she even joined in our fast a couple of weeks ago to help M agree to be married and let M be baptized. And now, our prayers have been answered and the time has finally come. We're seeing so much progress and blessings in our area, which is exciting so we can baptize all of our investigators before Sister Canimo goes home :) I don't know if next transfer President will have me stay in our area or transfer me out.... I guess we'll find out haha, he's very unpredictable.

We're also teaching this other family who is so prepared to receive the gospel. She's the sister-in-law to a less active family is returning. A couple weeks ago I think I sent a picture of our FHE with them but I don't really remember. They're the S Family. The mom is pregnant (due on September 1) and has four precious little kids. The mom and daughter are preparing for their baptism on the 3rd of August! The daughter has been coming to church this past month but this past week was the mom's first time and it was like she was already a member! She offered a beautiful prayer in our Sunday school class, was fellowshipping all of our other investigators and members, and just looked so happy there. Seriously an amazing family. The past week it's been really rainy and windy (I think there might be some kind of storm) and we visited them on Saturday, and they said that rain or shine, they'll be there at church :) We haven't been able to teach the husband yet because he's always been away at work but he's supportive of them and she said that he likes the idea of raising them in the church :)

That's the most exciting news lately. We've been really busy, especially today because we only have 45 minutes to email before we have to head to the mission home. We've been running errands all day today and just came back from the airport... so much for a p-day but I only have three more weeks of this so I can't complain!

I love that you get to spend so much time at the temple. One of my goals when I get home is to try to attend the temple weekly while at school, considering the temples are so close there. When does the other Provo temple open? and I hope everyone has fun on trek. Also, Mattie sent me pictures of their new house! It looks so nice! I can't wait to visit them in Arizona! Tell them I'll reply next week to their email and that I love them! I can't think of anything I need right now to include in the package :)  Also tell Taylor congrats for me on her upcoming wedding

palangga ko kamo!

Sister Fitzgerald

July 13, 2014

Mayung gabe!

There were emergency transfers today, so we're emailing at night since we have to head to the mission home at nine to help drive missionaries home after their appointments.

But our exciting news, we're planning a wedding! Just kidding, but seriously :) M's husband has finally agreed to be married, and they picked the date of July 26! So we're planning a simple, simple wedding, followed by M's baptism! I'm so excited for her! She's been wanting this for so long, and now we'll be able to make it happen. We have the paperwork for her to get married, we just need to fill it out, and have everything notarized, and it should all be set!

We're running out of time to email, but I sent a couple of pictures that basically summarizes my week! We had FHE with a less active family, and the neighboring family who's our investigators (they came to church yesterday!).  We had our ward fireside on Saturday which was a success (!), and it rained a lot.

I love hearing updates about everyone's lives! Tell everyone that I love and miss them!

 I love the mission! Heavenly Father truly knows the desires of our hearts. Stay faithful and he will lead you to what he has planned for each and everyone of us.

I'll write more next week!

xxx,

Sister Fitzgerald

Rain and traffic. Classic Bacolod.

 

We had halo-halo to celebrate Sister Canimo's last transfer!

We had FHE at the S family this past week! Behind us with all of the food, this is what you call a tychangge. Tychangges are little stores that are a part of people's homes, where neighbors will come to buy snacks, food, basic needs, etc. They are all over the place, every couple of houses there's a tychangge.

Driving to the airport!

July 6, 2014

Maayong aga!

It's been a very long and busy week but I think those are always the most exciting! Except I think we might have worn ourselves out a little bit because we've both been a little sick this past weekend with colds, but all is well! The work continues :) This past week the old batch of missionaries left, new ones came in, and everyone else was transferred all over the place. It was a little hectic but somehow we managed to make it all happen and work out. President seems to be reducing the number of missionaries in the city and opening up new areas farther out which just comes to show how the work is definitely hastening. The church is definitely growing here in Bacolod - just last week our mission had over 100 baptisms and confirmations! 

Today and tomorrow we have our MLC again at the mission home! I'm excited because it's the first time sisters from my batch were made sister training leaders so I will actually get to see them! On Saturday we've planned a ward musical fireside as well, centering on the Restoration so we're excited. Hopefully it will be successful! 

Yesterday, A was baptized :) She's one of the funniest investigators we have. The first time she came to church with the Lopez family, I thought she was a young women haha! Turns out she's 30, is married and has two kids who are 9 and 4. At first when we starting teaching their family, she didn't seem too interested personally, would come in and out of the room when teaching, and was kind of loud and making jokes, but every week she would tag along with them to church. And then after V and T were baptized, they were like, A's next! and all of a sudden, she was the one answering all the questions and encouraging everyone else to read, pray, go to church, etc. She's the best and she has the cutest little girl, who reminds me a little bit of Lizzie and Maddy because even though she's sometimes sassy, she's the best at showing endearment and is so smart. She's only four, but already memorized I'm a Child of God and gives a hug and kiss before we leave every day from teaching. We're still working on M's wedding. We haven't been able to really focus on it this past week, but we'll have time this week. We're meeting with our stake president who's a lawyer and will be able to help us in the process and then M will be baptized. She's the one holding the little girl in the photo I sent earlier.

I'm glad that everyone had so much fun this past week in Utah! We celebrated the Fourth of July by waking up early to call global services before they closed in Utah and for lunch we celebrated by going to this restaurant we found that actually makes real Mexican burritos. But even though we had Mexican food, it reminded me of America. I love the Philippines... but I miss the states. This past week it's been rainy and overcast which has been nice because it's cooler, even if we do get a little wet from the rain :)

Tell everyone I love them!

xxx,

Sister Fitzgerald

June 29, 2014

Dear Family,

I hope you're enjoying the sunny weather of Utah! This past week has been kind of on and off overcast with rain showers. It's been nice because there's been a cold breeze, and the humidity isn't as prevalent as it has been. I even wore a sweater the other day! It felt like Gig Harbor weather. But then the sun will come out, and you're sweating, and then I remember I'm still in the Philippines. It's weird to think that it's the Fourth of July already. Last year at this time, we were still in the MTC. They had all of us missionaries gather in the big gyms and watch 17 Miracles so we wouldn 't be outside listening to concert at the Stadium of Fire. But then afterwards, they gave us ice cream and let us stay up late to watch the fireworks. I have a soft spot for country music, so I hope you love Carrie Underwood. I went to her concert last year, it was really good.

I don't have too much exciting news. It's been one of those weeks where it kind of felt like the same old things that are happening. We had our transfer meeting this morning, and departures and arrivals are the next couple of days so we'll definitely be busy. Yesterday was the baptism of Sister A! She's 14 and the granddaughter of V, the grandma we baptized a couple of week back. Last week, A's mother came to church with all of them for the first time, and then the very next day she gave birth to her little boy! She wasn't due for another two months! But they're the best family. In the next couple of weeks, the rest of them should be baptized. We just love going to their home. Their testimonies and faith are strong. We see them every week sacrifice and work, just so they'll have money to travel to church. They all are just the best :)

Sister Canimo is now officially on her last transfer! The weird thing is that by the time she goes home, I'll have the same amount of time left that she did when we became companions. And then I think how fast the past couple of months have gone, and don't even want to think about the how fast the next couple will go. Before we know it, it'll be Christmas, I'll be home, and we'll be heading off somewhere on vacation to relax for a week ;)

Sorry for this unexciting letter. Not much news, and my brain is too tired to think of what else to write....

I love you all! Give a hug and kiss to all our relatives in Utah and Idaho when you visit, especially Grandma Fitz and Grandpa Bodily!

xxx,

Sister Fitzgerald

Sister A's Baptism