Bruise

Hello family! Okay so I totally forgot to mention that I ate Balut the night before transfer day. It was really good, you should all be proud of me. Luckily it was dark because someone took a picture and I looked at it the next day and I was like "good thing I couldn't see it because I never would have eaten that". I would eat it again though, it was like a really hard boiled egg. Cge let's get to the weekly.

Wednesday: There was a brief amount of Ukayukay (thriftshopping) before we went to the church to practice for the Christmas conference. Turns out Irish dancing is actually incredibly hard and none of us our very good at it, but we have fun and that's what matters. One of our zone leaders looks like a leprechaun when he does it, it's really funny.
That night we bought a cake and we went to the Lopez family to celebrate Emma Hale's 4th Birthday. I'll attach some pictures, they are so cute. We had a Family Home Evening with them. Russell's baptism is this Saturday. 

Thursday: We began a tremendous undertaking. It was originally intended to be something we do every day but we burned out after one time. We went JOGGING! Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, I JOGGED. It felt very nice, but the following mornings we were too tired. If we get around to it will do it again.
We got punted ALL DAY. We did manages to get some lessons, don't think we're entirely ineffective. I did manage to find 5 peso batchoy, something I haven't eaten since my first area. 

Friday: An investigator ran from us #missionarylyfe. We ate dinner from a calendaria, which I usually love but then I found a piece of plastic in my soup. 

Saturday: We got punted and then got trapped at a member's house because a huge storm hit and we didn't have an umbrella, and then her house was like flooding and we just had to wait for it to pass before we could run home and grab our umbrellas. 

Sunday: I gave a talk in church, but I was asked to give the talk 2 minutes before Sacrament meeting started. I talked on missionary work. It was in visaya, everybody clap your hands I'm officially bilingual, hahha. I just chose a scripture and managed to follow the spirit for 7 minutes while I talked about it. I shared about how Ammon and his brethren pray unto the Lord for the power of the spirit to go with them. GANI, every day I pray for that. It's a NECESSARY part of missionary work.
We decided to tract for all the less actives that have been hiding from member's for years. We found 2. I'd like to think I'm pretty good at finding them.
That night we get home and the STL's scared the living lights out of us I screamed so loud, and they got it on video so that's great. And then later I was trying to go to the kitchen and our water thing was leaky and there was water on the floor, so I slipped in it and my arm caught on the cabinet I was standing next to as I was reaching out to stop my fall and now I have this giant multicolored bruise on my arm. It makes a good story. 

Monday: There was a brownout from Sunday 3pm until Monday 10am so we were roasting all night, and the water went out too. And we had ran out of drinking water on Saturday night. Life is very exciting. When it came back on in District Meeting we all cheered! And immediately bumped the aircon on. Fabulous. Also I am really good at eating with my hands. Just saying. We're also doing a Samoan dance for the Christmas conference. I am not a graceful human.
Our IBD asked me if it was true we have to fight a multi-headed/multi-eyed monster to get into heaven. Her questions keep me entertained. 

Tuesday: We OST'ed an elect woman but she lives in another CITY so I am devastated. I was trying so hard! We found a few more less actives today, and I'm trying my hardest to help one of the Recent Converts in the area. She's special, I know she is, but she won't come to church. I tried to help her with Laba but she won't let me. She body blocks me from the laba bucket.
I spilled my ice cream on myself what else is new.
I hope everyone is having a good holiday season in America. I'm having fun here, don't worry. We laugh every day, we keep on smiling. Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I hope your breaks are fabulous. 

We've been sharing a lot about the atonement lately and I've been reading in 1 Nephi and there is a scripture that I love, 1 Nephi 19:9. "And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men." He was bruised for us, he didn't have to be but he was. I continued my reading in Jesus the Christ yesterday and the part I had left off at was when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane. I was amazed that the apostles could sleep. And then I thought of all the times that we "sleep" in our lives, even in our missions. Do we not stand up for what we believe? Do we 'take breaks' when things get hard? Are we embarrassed of our Savior. I remember in my training whenever I didn't want to FTE my trainer would ask me "Are you embarrassed of Jesus Christ?" I want it to be absolutely clear, especially in this tough last days, that I am not. Even when people are willingly walking away, when they are 'sleeping' as it were, I don't want to walk away.
I love being a missionary! I hope the gospel of Jesus Christ is 'working for you'.
-Sister Katrina Dunn