6 Months

I realize now that I have promised a lot, so I left plenty of time to write, ayaw kabalaka (don't worry). Take it back now y'all...

Wednesday: I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that it is July... No. I refuse to accept that. Also I owe another 2 mass happy birthdays, I am a failure. Happy Birthday to Sawyer and Mallory! Shout out to the two of you, even though you're tiny tiny. 

After email we went to McDo for lunch, obviously. I'm not missing out on a chance to have MSG and deep fried chicken. No way. When we were at Robinson's (it's like a giant mall, it doesn't belong here, it's TOO American, we are always wildly uncomfortable there) we went into the Department Store to buy something really fast and there was all this popular country music playing and we were just gritting our teeth to get through it haha, we ran out as fast as we could. When we were in there we saw a white family and we were entirely too overwhelmed. Sister Beyer pointed them out and said "It's a family." We watched them for a few minutes, it felt like we were in a zoo. Very weird feeling seeing other white people. 

When I was checking out my groceries there was an Australian man in line in front of me who declared to me that he was from the "Queen's land". Bully for you brother...
That night the Bayawan sister's stayed with us because the next day was....

Thursday: TRANSFER DAY!! Very exciting! For everyone but us, we ain't going anywhere. But it's okay, we have things to do in Bacong right now. People to find, to save, the whole shebang.
I split with Sister Serapian who is fabulous! She's from Luzon, she's so cool. And she FTE's like no other, she bears testimony with such power and authority, I was insanely impressed. 

We visited one of our investigators in SacSac and she had done her reading and she started talking about Priesthood and explaining it to us, my jaw just dropped. I was so excited. Halfway through the day Sister Serapian and Sister Beyer went to Dumaguete to pick up their new companions. Sister Koyamaibole and I just spent the rest of the day tracting. 

Friday: I decided it would be a good idea to hike up a mountain into the bukid to find new investigators... bad idea diay. On our way back down though we started talking to this old Nanay and she asked us if we shared with people in their houses and we said yes and she just says "Follow me!" and we followed her into the woods to her little house and we taught her. (We were able to teach her again on Tuesday, she's super buotan." 

So earlier this week I discovered a man who sells cotton candy, but he is a tease because he only showed up ONCE! I have looked for him practically every day since but he decided to slink away into the shadows, or sell his cotton candy in greener pastures aka outside of OTHER elementary schools than the one by our apartment. 

Oh by the way, there was 3 typhoons here this week, the wind is so kusog! (strong) it was interesting to be sure. The rain likes to do what it will, I had to change halfway through the day on Sunday because I got SOO MUDDY! 

Saturday: Independence day! I encourage all of you to go eat a burger and like 10 hot dogs, and as many BBQ chips your stomach can hold. Because I cannot. I did splurge a little bit and bought a bag of cheesy Doritos... almost as good. Sister K thought it was called America day... basically. Another day of pure tracting. We hiked up into the bukid and when we were FTE'ing this family I found this long stick of bamboo and used it the rest of the time we were up there. Bamboo staff = fabulous.
There was this girl struggling to carry buckets of water so we helped her carry them up the hill to the house. We just talked to the woman who lived there, but we went back on Tuesday and were able to teach their entire family. It was awesome. Tracting is hard, but it can pay off if you do it right. I know the word tracting sounds scary for young people preparing to serve missions, but here in the Philippines, it's awesome, because everyone is nice. 

Sunday: Our IBD was at church, so success! The wind that night was so strong our last appointment for the night practically kicked us off her porch so that she could go inside and barricade the door hahah, it was all good though. 

Monday: We took a jeepney out to Siaton for district meeting because they changed us from Dumaguete zone to Bayawan zone. I'm not sure why, but it's okay. 2 really nice nanay's from the ward in Siaton made us lunch, it had pineapple and this sweet pork that practically fell off the bone. So good. On Thursday when we go back for Zone Training Meeting we requested Bicol Express, my absolute favorite (don't worry mom, I'll cook it when I come home, my bicol express if amazing).
The whole rest of the day was rough, tracting and only 1 lesson, but we got Chooks-to-go for dinner so all is well. 

Tuesday: my 6 month mark on the mission, we celebrated with chocolate soymilk. also the day of miracles. zzUsually it is my least favorite day of the week. Not this week. Our less active in Poblacion was home, so we were able to teach her. We were then able to visit the nanay that invited us to her house on Friday. We also were able to teach a family, an ENTIRE FAMILY. That is a big deal to me. One of our investigators who wasn't progressing before is FINALLY progressing, and they had chocolate ice cream and the ice cream place after weeks of only mocha crumble. I will strive to change by attitude about Tuesday. 

Well, that was this week. This morning was same old same old, with studies and riding to the Internethan. So... I promised a personal study:)

I'm currently studying Doctrines of Salvation, I exhort all of you to read it. Joseph Fielding Smith does NOT beat around the bush. I read the chapter on the plan of salvation, and focused my study on opposition and our purpose in life. He said "this life is the most vital period in our eternal existence. It is filled with awful responsibilities and dangers". Think about that, our eternity is resting on... eh, 70-80 years of time. GAMAY KAAYO. So we need to learn. The good and the bad. "Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other". Believe me the temptation to do wrong is out there, it's pretty dang prevalent. I'll just close this email with a quote that my trainer always said to me: "If you don't want Satan to tempt you, don't act interested!" 

I love and miss you all!
-Sister Katrina Dunn-