October 26, 2014

Morning Family!

We actually have had a really good week! We had STL exchanges and both of us had a positive experience, so I guess you can say it was better than last time :) Our STL's are both super sweet and nice, and I think we both learned a lot of things from them. 

This past week, we've found a lot of investigators that have a lot of potential to progress. Our two investigators family came to the primary activity this past Saturday and to church again yesterday, so they're progressing well. We're also teaching a couple others that came to church for the first time yesterday as well! This next week should be fun, because on Saturday, it's what they call Kalag kalag, which basically they spend all day at the gravesides of their relatives. So we get to proselyte in the cemetery again all day like last year! I'm hoping it's less awkward than it was last year... but we shall see :)

Also, this past week, members have been so nice. I can honestly say that we were fed every night this past week. From last Tuesday up until last night, we've been fed. We're both so full. Sister Vai woke up this morning and was like "I can still feel dinner in my stomach." Members have been really nice and willing to work which is always a blessing.

There's only one more week of the transfer which is so weird.... time is really ticking but I'm trying to soak up every minute and realize that life really will never be quite like this ever again. I've learned so much and have grown so much, but I know I still have a lot more I could learn, so I'm going to take the next two months and truly do all that I can to help as many people as possible come closer to Christ. 

xxx,

Sister Fitzgerald

October 19, 2014

Good morning!

This week has seriously gone by so fast. I feel like everything has just been a whirlwind as of late and it's making me nervous because things are just moving too fast. Last Tuesday we had our zone conference at the mission home, and it was the best. I love President and Sister Lopez so much. He's definitely strict and expects a lot out of each and every one of us. It makes the mission stressful, but it truly is because he loves us and knows our potential and in the end, he's so precious. A snuggle bug. But when he speaks, his words are so powerful. I think he's going to be a future apostle :)

This past week went by fast, but it's been good. This past weekend we had L's baptism and it was so great. She along with another Relief Society sister got baptized and it was a very simple, but spiritual and powerful experience. All of her kids were so excited, and I think they'll be a great addition to the ward. There's a certain area in our ward, and except for one Relief Society sister, all other members which consist of four families, are all recent converts. It truly comes to show how the church is growing and the Lord is truly hastening his work.

We have two families that we've been teaching the past week and they came to church this past week for the first time. The only problem is that neither one of them are married, but they have a lot of potential, and I really think they'll progress. The two moms are so sweet and humble and are always reading in the Book of Mormon! 

This past week has been the highlights of the Masskara Festival so it's been a little crazy here in Bacolod. But Christmas lights and trees are popping up everywhere! 

I love you all!

xxxxx,

Sister Fitzgerald

 

Zone Conference Pictures

 

October 12, 2014

Mayung Aga!

The sun is actually shining today, which has been a nice change after this past week. It's been raining all week, a constant down-pour, and I've broken two umbrellas because of it but that's what life in the Philippines is. It's been a little difficult working but we've tried to make it work. The storm has moved out of the Philippines supposedly, so this week should be hot and sunny per usual. Everything has been so wet, slippery, and muddy while working, I even fell once, but we're both still alive and healthy!

This past weekend has been so spiritually overwhelming and exciting. We were able to watch the general conference sessions, and all the messages were so inspiring and great. Before conference Saturday morning, we had our zone baptism which was actually a really cool experience. R got baptized along with the rest of the baptismal candidates in the zone. R is 14, and basically found us. He's actually been going to church and activities for the past couple of months, but we didn't even know. But then we actually met him a couple of weeks ago, and now he's a member!  He's a boy that really needs the direction and purpose that the gospel brings into our life. He's so smart and will be a great future missionary!

This upcoming week we also have Sister L's baptism! We had an amazing lesson with her this past week, and she basically asked us when the soonest she could get baptized. She's the mother of all of our recent converts, and seeing them all at church together is so great. We had FHE this past weekend at their house, along with the other recent converts in the area, and it's always so great seeing all of these families now united through the gospel. 

It's been a pretty good week, despite the rain. Tomorrow we have our zone conference at the mission home, so we've had one exciting and extended weekend :)

Send all my love to the family! Especially Grandma Fitz and Grandpa Bodily!

xoxoxo,

Sister Fitz

October 5, 2014

Mayung aga!

It's been a surprisingly good week. It started off terrible as in Tuesday night, as in I was fighting off tears the whole ride home on the jeepney. The mission is definitely filled with frustrating and depressing days, but for the most part, most days are so rewarding and spiritually gratifying. The past couple of days we spent them exploring new areas within our boundaries, which has been exciting. After walking through the same neighborhoods for so long, you need some new scenery and people to talk to. 

But this week has been full of surprises! It's funny because the people you expect to be at church, don't come but then people you've almost given up on, surprise you! You get to the point with some investigators where it really all just comes down to their personal agency- they've learned everything that you have to offer, and they know and have the testimony of what they need to do, but just won't act on it. But yesterday, was so great. L is the mother of our recent converts back in April. We taught and baptized all four of her children, and even though she would always listen, is so spiritual, and totally supported them, she would never make the commitment herself. Her relatives, neighbors, kids, are all recent converts. She would come to activities all the time at the church on Saturday, but when Sunday would roll around, her children would arrive without her. The past couple of weeks, we've been really trying with her. Her hearts in the right place, but her youngest daughter who's only 6 is sponsored at another church's school who's offering her full-ride through college if she attends church there... so she's been really struggling figuring things out. She knows what she needs to do, so even though we still teach her, we've kind of left it up to her regarding commitments, but she came to church for the first time yesterday! We haven't followed up with her yet, but I hope she had a good time. We have investigators come to church all the time, but with her, it really was a sign of commitment, and hopefully she will continue to take those steps which will eventually lead to baptism. But yesterday was also great because two of the cutest, funniest Relief Society members came with us to work. Sister C and E came with us like normal, B and T came with us for the first time. They're older and were baptized at the beginning of last year, but they are so funny and cute and they basically know everyone too.

A funny story this week.  We went Saturday to watch the women's session rebroadcast, but they told everyone 2 when it actually started at 1. so everyone gets there for the last talk by President Uchtdorf, and then it ends and we wait thinking maybe they could restart it, but then the Utah State and BYU game comes on ahaha. so we watched five minutes while they tried to figure out if they could rewind it or rebroadcast it....but they couldn't. so we only saw about 20 minutes of the Relief Society broadcast. I guess I'll just have to read the other talks :) 

This past week we had Sister Viatohi's follow-up training which was fun because she got to see everyone from her batch. We were also supposed to have our STL exchanges, but they got moved to some other week because they had a meeting, but overall, the week ended good!

I love you all! Hope you enjoyed conference! Sister Vai and I are so excited for it and have been looking forward to it. We've been sharing about prophets to every member and recent convert we visit, and every morning I read a talk from previous sessions, but we still have five more days to wait! Their messages and talks are always so inspiring and encouraging and I can't wait!

You're always in my prayers! 

Love,

Sister Fitzgerald

September 28, 2014

Good morning and Merry Christmas!

Christmas trees are now officially up in every members' house that we visit! But we haven't starting singing Christmas hymns in sacrament yet, but hopefully soon!

We've have had a very busy week! Yesterday we had the precious little baptism of A, who's so tiny and cute. Her mom was a less active, but they're now all coming to church again!

The weeks just seem to fly by these days, and I struggle to just even think about what has happened this week to tell you. The new arrivals just came last week, so Sister Vaitohi and her batch are no longer the newbies in town. We had Sister Foote with us for a day this past week which was fun. Santa Fe was her first area, so she was able to visit all of her recent converts and former investigators. But weird to think that some of her recent converts aren't even recent converts anymore. They've graduated, being a member for over a year. People always ask how long you've been here, and now that I say over a year, it's weird. It really doesn't feel like I've been here for that long, but now it's been a year and two months already. Time truly flies and thinking about my limited time left just makes me sad. Bittersweet in its truest form.

We had some new investigators come to church this past week. They really have some potential.... except two of them need to get married before they can get baptized.... oh the joys and struggles of mission life. But I truly love missionary work! The most rewarding work I've ever experienced.

Sorry for the poorly written email. I promise to write more next week! love you all! and I'm so jealous that both of you spent a whole day in the temple!  Can we go there the weekend I get home?

xxxx
Sister Fitzgerald

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September 21, 2014

Maayong aga!

It's transfer week again and thinking about how fast this past transfer went, I don't even want to think that I only have two left... I'm already a little homesick for my mission. I swear that Sister Vaitohi just got here last week, but then to think a whole transfer has already passed. This past week was pretty good, it went by fast, but then when I think of what happened, all of it felt so long ago already ahha, the mission really plays tricks on your brain regarding time. 

But it's been a busy week. On Thursday we switched apartments with the elders... we went from a huge three-story apartment to a tiny, three-roomed house. Our house is now a little box that requires the fans to be on full blast 24/7 because it's so hot, but the good news we now have normal water! I'm no longer scared to take a shower or brush my teeth from the rust! And it's way closer to our area. Elder Rasmussen called Wednesday night saying that President didn't feel comfortable with us staying in our current house, because it's so far away from the road, hard to access, etc. and suggested us switching with the elders, so come Thursday morning, we were all packed, ready to move.

But this week we've been finding, teaching, and have been busy doing missionary work. We're seeing progress with our area, but it's all just step by step, little by little. Patience is my weakness, I like to see immediate results, which is something I've definitely have been working on while serving. But we have a lot of potential investigators, and the members have been so helpful. But some exciting news is that this past week, M's husband (the couple we married in July.. remember?) came with her to church this past week! He's really shy, but seeing the whole family together, two of them with their cute kids, was so sweet. Except he is shy, and then he was called upon to say the closing prayer in gospel principles class... which I still can't decide if it a good move or not... so I just pray that he won't be too shy to not come back...

But the week has been really good. I don't like to talk a lot about investigators, especially in the early stages, because they come and go so quickly, but I think we found some real potential and will keep you updated :) This week is the baptism of the cutest little girl, A. Her mom is a less-active, but she's now returned and even cried when A prayed in our lesson this past week. She's so excited for her baptism, and is so precious!

Love you!

Sister Fitz