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

September 7, 2014

Family,

First of all, congratulations to Maddy and Garrett. I truly am so excited for the both of you and will be counting the days for you until December 30! 

Second, Merry Christmas! It's now the "ber" months here, so technically it's officially Christmas season! Although it' weird to think I'll be home when Christmas actually rolls around. And even more exciting to think that Maddy will be married a week later too :)

Anyways, it's been a pretty good week here in the field. We've still been doing a lot of finding, trying to really focus on the members, because referrals really are so much more successful than personal contacting. This past weekend we had stake conference, and President and Sister Lopez attended and spoke. It was so good, and I really think it inspired the members. They mentioned how the Lord is hastening his work, and how we as members need to be moving at the same speed he is. They mentioned how the Lord might be hastening is work, but that means that Satan is hastening his as well, and we need to do all that we can to help in this battle. Sister Lopez mentioned about not being afraid to open our mouths to invite our friends and neighbors to hear about the gospel, invite to church, etc.  She mentioned that fear we have to share the gospel needs to be replaced with faith. And then President Lopez is always so inspiring when he speaks. Listening to the two of them, you can't help but catch the missionary spirit. I truly feel so lucky to have them as my mission president. We visited some members last night and I hope that missionary excitement will stay with the members and we continue to see some progress and positive results from it.

We're continue to find and to teach, and to find joy in missionary life. The members have been really willing to come and work with us this past week, and that's always a blessing. We've also found some promising potential investigators, so hopefully we'll continue to see some progress this week. But it's always hard at this point because all of them are still so new and you can't really predict who will progress and who won't but we're keeping the faith that all will work!

The men of the L family though are slowly softening their hearts which has been such a miracle! Last week E came to church with N and now they all come out to listen whenever we come so it's a slow process, but I hope things continue to go well with them because it would so amazing beyond words if the men joined their wives in the gospel and church. We'll keep working on them :) Last week we had FHE with them and it was really fun and they enjoyed it!

Anyways, there's other miracle stories but they'll have to wait until next week because we're now the last missionaries in the computer shop and we still haven't written president.

love you!

xxxx

Sister Fitzgerald and her companion at Stake Conference

August 31, 2014

Mayung aga!

It's been an interesting week, but a good week. It's rained all week which makes proselyting really hard. It started last Monday. All day during preparation day it was fine. We wash our garments in the afternoon and I told sister maybe it'll rain so we'll hang them up inside to dry so they don't get wet. Then five minutes later, it starts to barely sprinkle. And then we leave a little before six, just barely sprinkling. We get on the tryke to take us to the highway to catch a jeep to our area, and then it starts down pouring. As in, downpouring. So then we get off the tryke half-way soaked already and run to hide under the waiting shed. The thundering is so loud, and then you can see the lightning bolts strike. It was Sister Vaitohi's first real rainstorm. But since then, it's rained the whole week. Which sometimes makes it hard to proselyte, at least to find. But we're trying. We just baptized the last of our progressing investigators, so I think the next month is going to be a little rough because we kind of need to start over with the whole finding process, but I think we'll be okay. But speaking of baptism, it was J and V's baptism this past weekend. It was so great even though it was kind of small event. It's kind of fun being with a new missionary, because I notice things that she points out that I feel like are just so common now. I've forgotten what's normal and what's different here in the Philippines. But they shared their testimonies and of course I teared up. It's always such a humbling experience being a missionary, and teaching the gospel.

Anways, it really has been an okay week. Yesterday we had our combined third hour in church, and it was on temples and family history. They had a couple of LDS videos and Mormon messages we watched, and I was crying through it. The blessings of the temple truly are worth all the trials we go through in life.

Also yesterday at church, Elder and Sister Mower came. Elder Mower told us that he went up to Brother V and said sorry that they couldn't make his baptism a couple of weeks ago, but then Brother V said "It's okay, you can just come to our sealing next year." They're seriously the best family ever. Brother V already is in Moses, he already finished the D & C and the Book of Mormon.

I love you all!

Sister Fitzgerald

August 24, 2014

Mayung aga!

 

Can I just say that it's so weird that summer’s over and fall semester is starting next week... also another missionary just pointed out to me that I only  have 16 more weeks, or four more fast Sundays if you want to count that way. say what?!

Our missionary work is going okay. We have J and V's baptism this weekend  which is really exciting! They're so prepared! They're two amazing YSA-aged, future missionary elders! So precious and so funny. When we taught V about the law of chastity, he was wearing an earring and then R (our recent convert) was explaining how we shouldn't have tattoos, only one piercing for sisters, and none for boys. and then immediately, V was like, oh! and he took out his earring and was like "well, I guess I'll just throw this" and was going to throw it into the bushes. They're the best.

 

Also exciting news, V blessed the sacrament this past week! and he's already half way through the Doctrine and Covenants! He's one of the dads we baptized a couple of weeks ago... totally the next bishop.

 

We spent this past week finding.... which is always depressing and hard. But we're doing okay. We finally rearranged our areas within the ward so we have a new area to explore. But yesterday two mothers with their kids finally came to church for the first time! They've been taught for so long, and are so receptive, but have never really committed to church, but we're starting to finally see some progress with them which is always exciting. We almost were about to give up on them. Hopefully we'll continue to see some progress in them this week.

 

Tomorrow we have exchanges with the STL's and Sister Vaitohi is a little nervous because she's staying in the area, but I think she's going to do great! I will be going to the sa magsungay ward and their area :)

 

We're both doing well. we're both happy, and working on our area. It's been pretty hot the past couple of days but we're both healthy... considering. my hair is falling out. You know how it's always falling, but it's ten times worse. like a wad of hair every morning when I comb my hair. I know of other missionaries that's having the same problems..

I  miss you all! I have to go but I'll talk next week!

Love,

 Sister Fitzgerald