Toledo: the City of Copper with a Heart of Gold

No I'm not just being char. Those are the exact words on the sign by the bay in the city. And did I have an exciting week or what in the 'copper city with a heart of gold'.


Wednesday: Of course I went to the temple. The bus was so hot on the way home. One of our less-actives hid from us but we hunted her down and taught her anyway. It was very exciting.


Thursday: Bandeau's birthday. I hope y'all celebrated right! He deserves the best. My companion told me I needed to humble myself. I was embarrassed. Thank you for the wake up call Nay, I needed it.


This woman we OST'ed when I was only a week in the field, we walked by her house and she invited us in and let us teach her, and she told us her husband has been reading the BOM! Awesome.


The elder's gave us 'perfect directions' (no joke they even titled them that when they handed us the slip of paper), to Talavera. We taught a woman there named Charmain, and I botched the first vision, but the lesson was still really good. I just need to do better next time.


My companion stepped on a tiki and it was smashed so bad. Just killed it dead. It was an accident, it was really funny. But we were so tired we didn't throw it away till the next morning.


Friday: HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT LINDA! I haven't forgotten about you! We had a CSP and they blasted 'Complicated' by Avril Lavigne. I was laughing so hard. Rocking old school there. Norein and MaiMai treated us to Jollibee that night. Spaghetti and reeses mix in. Fabulous.


Saturday: We FTE'd a group of incredibly drunk men. Want to know why i hate alcohol. It makes people ridiculous. One of them went back and forth from yelling at me, and being nice to me. And then he bought us soda. I don't know. It was very strange. We celebrated Sister Abenoja's birthday in style. We ate mexican food! It was delightful. We got to go to the halls and have snacks for dinner! One of the member's kuyog'ed to an appointment.


Sunday: We went to Casoy in the morning for special sacrament but it got canceled so we just took pictures and hung out. Fabulous. We almost lost each other too. Whoops. It is the cutest little mountain village. We said our goodbyes to sister Lamoglia, she's heading home #char. There were tears, not from me.


Monday: Transfer calls. and guess what... I'M TRANSFERRING! to the other island. I'm going to the land of Milk and Honey. My new area: Bacong. bukid. fun! Let's go. I'm gearing up for follow up training. I'm not a baby anymore.


We have spent the past few days saying goodbye and packing up. I'm scared, I'm stressed, I got this. I love all of you


I have a challenge for anyone willing to embark. Read the Book of Mormon before I come home, and you will get a boss gift.

Gihigugma ti mo!


-sister katrina dunn

Temple Trip & Skype

Let me just start by saying this week was FABULOUS! Well not all of it, everything has it's opposite. Honestly I never know how to start the emails. Awkward... I need to type fast though I don't have a lot of time.

Wednesday: we went to the Bato Fish Sanctuary and there were rainbow fish that kept jumping out of the water at us when we fed them. The water was like glass, and the dock went out over the reef. We could see to the bottom. So cool! Also update: Jollibee has fantastic reeses peanut butter mix ins. 

Thursday: We took all the WOW items from an investigator and disposed of them for him. He was shocked, but willing to let us take them. He wants to change. YAY! One of our Tatay's is reading his book of mormon every day :D

Friday: I experimented with pasta. The cheese situation here is very kalo-oy so i used a 'cheese spread'. I'm not sure what it is actually made of, but everyone assures me the pasta was great. We OST'ed in a field too, while the sun was setting. It was beautiful. 

Saturday: I cooked Bicol Express (i'm sorry I talk so much about the food, I just really love it, and Bicol is amazing). We found a new girl to teach, she is so ready for the gospel. Her name is Vanessa, her husband is working abroad right now. They have a tiny baby. She was really upset when we first brought up baptism because she said "I don't have money to pay for my baby to get baptized" I was shocked on several fronts, but we assured her that her baby doesn't need to be baptized because he is perfect :D She was really happy after that, we have another appointment with her this weekend. 

It was also Nino's baptism, I was so happy for him. He was so excited he came to the church 3 hours early. He sprinted to the bathroom when it was time to change into his suit :D I held his CTR ring for him. He's been waiting for this day for 5 months, because neither of his parents are members he has to come to church for a long time before he qualifies for baptism. He's 14 years old, I love him! He wanted the Melchezidek priesthood pronto but we had to tell him he has to wait haha. 

We had dinner at the Halls (the senior couple in the area) and they made COSTCO LASAGNA AND THERE WAS CHEESECAKE FROM THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY! WHAT IS THIS MAGIC?!?! I stuffed myself full I was so excited. We discussed what intelligences were. I love doctrinal talks with Elder Hall he is soo smart. 

Sunday: I got to skype with my lovely mother, my father and my sister and they all look great! I bore my testimony, I don't know how it sounded. I hope they didn't tell anyone I'm fluent because.. I am not hahah. Not yet that is. 

On the way to church I saw one of our less actives who always gives us free rides places and I just thought "He's coming to church today" so I marched over and climbed on the back of his motorcycle and said "okay lets go," and he drove us to church and tried to get away but I told him to park his trike and come in with us. He was worried because he wasn't dressed for church but I assured him it was no big deal. He stayed for 2 hours, I was really excited. And he liked it.. he just needed a push.
I helped an Elder sing "mother i love you" to his grandmother, it was fun although i don't think I have ever sung that song before. 

Monday: the goat that lives outside our apartment was murdered. A few days earlier we had made jokes that he had died because he had gotten quiet but then we heard him again so we knew it wasn't true.. but then he was killed on Monday. It's like that moment in Jurassic Park where they are all like "where's the goat?" and then the leg lands on top of the car. It's actually kind of funny. The owners cooked him up hahha, I hope he was good.

We also went back to an OST's house and met her granddaughters and they are soo good, we're teaching them again later. We're basically rebuilding our teaching pool right now. 

Tuesday: We got up SO early to play games at the church and then I was exhausted all day. Not a lot happened. 

Wednesday!! WE GOT TO GO TO THE TEMPLE!!! I SAW SISTER QUINNEY!! It was all perfect. I'm out of time. I love you! I'll try to leave a spiritual thought next week when I have more time, I've been traveling all day so less time than usual!
bye bye!


-sister dunn

Dusters, Death, and Leonardo DiCaprio

We went to the beach this week! Beautiful. Talavera has got it going on! We took a lot of char pictures, I'm still laughing over them. Our dusters and my dress are finished, they are both fabulous. We look awesome when we are dressed like Nanay's. 

We made tuna carbonara, brownies, and cookie dough and the sisters from downstairs brought us cheese and potato soup. No wonder in weekly planning this week I made a goal to jump rope every day (even on the days I don't want to). 

We played football and volleyball on Saturday, it was really fun. I amaze people with my mad football skills haha, joke ra, but at least i know how to throw it. 

So there's an investigator we've been working with, he was doing so good. He was smoking wayy less, and he was really receptive, we've been teaching him for about 3 weeks and.. he died on Monday. He was only 51 years old. It was really sad, he has a few sons. We went to his viewing yesterday he looked so peaceful. 

We were sick again this week, it's probably because I consumed dairy again. This country is trying to teach me a lesson, stop eating dairy its of the devil.. but it is so good. 

We found this really awesome family when we were fasting, they were so prepared. She is like a cross stitch pro, she had a giant cross stitch of leonardo dicaprio it was spot on. I can't even explain how fabulous it was. It looked like a photo. She also had a cross stitch of the manila temple we were like "do you know what that is" and she was like "no, it's just pretty" so we taught her about the temple. We got a return appointment. :D 

We had dinner at a member's on Sunday, it was chinese food weirdly enough haha, and we had my favorite for dessert(one of my favorites, I have too many) jelly and kondensata. and they gave us a ride home in their motorcycle/cart thing and we went down this hill soo fast it felt like a roller coaster. 

It's week 11 of the training so that means... I lead all the teaching and planning of this week. aka.. terrifying. 

As a result we sari-sari'ed for a few hours on monday and got 4 OST's! It was fabulous, we taught a woman who belongs to the united pentecostal church. very interesting. They aren't allowed to cut their hair, wear make up, and girls have to wear dresses or skirts. They can't wear pants. She was very nice. 

We taught this boy named ammon about ammon, because he had no idea who ammon was, it was very cool, watching him just amazedly read the scriptures in that lesson. 

Sorry my english is so kalo-oy. I miss cinco de mayo, I miss mexican food haha. I'm surprised that so much of the spanish culture stayed in the philippines except for the food. We actually discussed that yesterday. 

There is a scripture i found in my personal study yesterday that I really liked. Jacob 2:8 - And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul. 

Tinuod siya! I get to help heal souls here with the word of God. And I know every day that it heals my soul, I'm humbled by my trials, and then lifted up by this gospel. I'm thankful for the atonement, this week I wrote in my study journal what the atonement means to me. I challenge all of you to do the same. It gives you a new perspective. 

Love you all, stay safe!
-Sister Dunn-

P.S. Banana mango smoothies are fabulous
P.S.S. I got to try raw sugar cane, very good.

Hiking, Spaghetti, and the Stalking Truck

Hello, kamusta mo? This week was surprisingly short. Time is moving faster and faster. It's true when Missionaries say the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. 

On Thursday morning we went hiking! We went up to the grotto at 6:30 in the morning. It was already burning hot, and we talked to this man who used to live in america, who's a Catholic missionary. He was really nice, and wearing a rocking jogging suit. The only downside of the hike was that afterwards I felt really sick. Heat exhaustion i think. 

I made spaghetti this week. My companion was excited to try what she calls "american spaghetti" because the spaghetti here is sweet, and the kind i made... isn't. I made it the way I make it back home. 

And the explanation behind the stalking truck. There is this bakery truck that has a loud speaker on the top and when it makes deliveries it plays just the first 4 chords of Jason Mraz's 'I'm Yours' on repeat, very annoying. And we were walking down the street, and it kept making deliveries right by where we were walking so it felt like it was following us down the street, it was really funny. 

We discovered this hot chocolate machine right by Marlina's house and it only costs 5 pesos for a cup. It's beautiful. I love it. For our CSP this week we helped sew these little circular rugs that they use for cleaning. They aren't actually rugs, they are the size of an oven pad thing that you put hot foods on, i dont remember what those are called, but they are used for cleaning. All of the sewing machines here are the old singer ones, like the peddling ones, they are so cool. We had another CSP where we cleaned and painted at this old school and on the way there the members let the missionaries drive the sikad haha, Sister Poteki did it first and we were all in it and she crashed it into some bushes, so i took the wheel and got us there safely, although there is this ramp into the entrance of the school, and i was like "Wait, no i can't do this," but it was too late haha and we went rocketing down it. Very fun. The brooms we used to clean we spent like 15 minutes plus trying to get a picture of all of us jumping at the same time so that we would look like witches. We never got the picture haha, but sister poteki has got some mad hops. She can jump, high! 

The highlight of my week, the baptism. It was so lovely, an entire family was baptized gihapon, but the girl we taught, she bore the most beautiful testimony. I cried. It was so spiritual, i was so thankful for that. I needed it, especially because this week was pretty difficult. 

We found out one of the people we are teaching not only is a missionary for another church, but she CREATED the church. It just gets harder and harder haha, i love her to death though, she is so precious to me. 

I've started making brownies for everyone. They love them. It's a hit, well I make them for all the missionaries in our ward because there are 6 of us, as well as the sister's downstairs. 

We had exchanges yesterday and I had to lead the area, it was really hard, but i survived. I'm understanding more, but i still really struggle with the language. We are writing up a new study plan for me now.

I loved my study this morning. Alma 58. the verses 9-12 stood out to me, about how we need to take courage, and the lord gives us our trials because he knows what we can handle and that we need to keep growing, there was a line in jesus the Christ i really liked as well, that God knows what we need before we even ask, and i added in in my study journal, before we know what we need as well. I've changed so much since i left home I don't even recognize myself. but i think these changes are for the good. 

Well I'll keep it short, well shorter than usual haha. I love you all.


-Sister Dunn-

No Bake Cookies & Faith Building Experiences

The title of the email, sums up my week pretty nice. I made no bake cookies this week, delicious. It was like a little taste of home. I shared them with the Sisters downstairs too. They loved them too. My companion wants me to teach her how to make them.

On Wednesday there was a family we've kind of had to stop teaching but when we walked by their house Tatay was outside and we talked to him for a few minutes and then said "oh well we'll share with you sa sunod" (means next time)
And he just replies "karon?" (now)
And we said "dili, sa sunod." thinking he just didn't hear us.
But he repeated "Karon." more sure so we said "sige, karon." and followed them inside and taught them. It was so good, they are much more prepared now than they were before. The next night when we walked by his tindahan we asked him if he read his book of mormon and he said "yes, it made me cry while i was reading" because he was so touched by the messages there.

On Thursday we were leaving Upper Drilling and there was a bunch of yelling and shouting from the forest area right by us and i said to my companion "I bet there's a cockfight going on right now" and so we asked some children who were watching the sikad's what was going on and they said "cockfight" I win. I don't know, it's totally legal here. It usually results in a lot of really drunk men.

Speaking of drunk people, we FTE'd this group of just absolutely hammered people, at like 2 in the afternoon it was the funniest thing ever. One of them was so bad he was just laughing to himself the whole time we were there.

One of our IBD's his mom doesn't want us coming by so often to teach him, and we went to go talk to her about it.. bad idea.. she murag... yelled at us and walked off. There was a lot of drama surrounding that.

We FTE'd an old tatay this week who kept insisting there is a 'Jesus Junior'. We were like "pagsure?" it was wala'y claro. Funny though.

When we were leaving the apartment on Saturday there was a joe (middle aged white man in the philippines who comes here looking for a wife) and he was getting out of a trike and he saw us and yelled "hey white chicks!" Sister B just says "Consider me woo'ed" when we were walking away.

I discovered a new song this week called "born in bethlehem" and I suggest everyone listen to it, its so funny. It's got like a country twang to it. It's like a country book of mormon version of 12 days of christmas and it's so funny.

Someone was watching Gnomeo and Juliet in the church when we went there for district meeting and I was like "no!! I love this movie" just turn away Sister Dunn, ignore it. Luckily it was in a different room.

So the miracle of the week. (Oh yea my companion and I also started to try and find a tender mercy in ever day). We had zone interviews yesterday, and so no time would be wasted we had to go on splits in our area, and I had to work in my area with a new companion, and i was so nervous like "I'm not going to understand the less active, he always talks so fast" and Sister Conjelado just says "you will understand today" so I'm like sure, whatever. So I'm walking with my new companion to the appointment, giving her the background of the family and what the lesson will be and she's like okay. So I'm stressing out, and we get to the house and we sit down and I'm just thinking, she said i'm going to understand so I will' I just said that to myself and... I understood. I was able to do the lesson. It was so good. I wasn't lost, or confused. Faith building experience. not a fear building experience. It's important that we all remember (believe I'm still trying) to make experiences, good or bad, faith building and not fear building.

I loved the interview with the President, and Sister McCurdy made really good cookies for us. I ate like 7 they were so good. We had a workshop in the morning too, I loved getting to hear these thoughtfully prepared messages. The AP's gave a workshop on the "culture of the gospel" and I was able to relate it to pure cultures in microbiology. It was cool, I could make an analogy with science!
Anyways, love you all! Stay safe palihog.


-Sister Dunn

I took it for granted.

Hi all! How have your weeks been so far? Hopefully, fantastic. I pray for everyone back home, every day. I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for your lives!

This week was good, the spirit was definitely with us as we tried to find more people to bring to the truth. I loved General Conference so much, it is truly revelation given through our prophet and apostles, specifically meant for us on the earth today. All the talks about marriage were scaring me though, haha... not yet. 

We FTE'd these three women last Wednesday and one of the little girls ran up to her mom and yelled "I know an american!" it was funny, and also very humbling, The people in the provinces are so nice.
We found a less active who is a seamstress and she is designing a dress for me, I'm so excited. I have to go find material today though. She's so nice, although the reason she is an LA is because she doesn't like all the gossip at church. We are trying to help her see she can be the example. Set the example of no gossip, or discouraging it where possible, but I don't know if it made a difference or not. 

We had dinner at a members house and she was asking about the wild animals back home and I was telling her about squirrels and raccoons and no one had any idea what I was talking about.. weird haha. 

One of our old investigators has been hiding from us this week, we finally surprised her on Sunday night and we sat down and were talking with her, and I almost cried I was testifying to her "yes there are a lot of trials in this world, but that is why we have the Savior there beside us at all times, to help us when we feel lost" it was just really sad. We don't want to give up on her. 

Thursday afternoon we left the apartment and were heading to our first apointment and we saw that someone had painted a basketball court in the middle of the street. haha like what? And since then, every night on our way home there is a basketball tournament, just in the middle of the street, and we have to bypass it. Luckily the Tarongoys are always selling green mangoes there so I always buy one on the way home. They are my favorite! 

General Conference was fabulous. I think my favorite talk was 'Waiting for the Prodigal' by Elder Brent H. Nielson. It was so powerful, and humbling to not only think of our loved ones, but about ourselves, we could be lost and not even know it."All of us need the Savior's Atonement to heal us. All of us are lost and need to be found." 

I also really loved the talk that said "the church is like a giant hospital, we all come here for healing" We need to be patient with those around us, and allow them space to grow and improve. Just as we need space to grow as well. 

All in all I loved general conference, I was so pumped the days leading up to it.
There is one family we teach in Lawis and they are so good. They pay such rapt attention when we teach, and ask a lot of really good questions. I'm excited to see what's in store for them. 

On Sunday in between sessions we had a picnic in one of the classrooms with a few of the members. We all just shared food and talked, it was so nice, how giving and kind everyone is. My companion made food to bring too, don't worry haha. We didn't just mooch off of everyone else. 

Now to explain the title of the email... We had two separate investigators this week, who are so desperately searching for the truth. I didn't realize this, till we were sitting with them in their houses, and they pulled out stacks of books from different religions. They had read them all, and were wondering, and searching so badly for the truth, not knowing where to find it. And it hit me. 

I have taken it for granted, having the truth at my fingertips my whole life. I never had to wonder if I was saved, or where the truth was, or where we were going after this life because I had always known. And here were two people, in the same day that we had the privilege to teach, who are looking for something I've just always known. It was extremely humbling, looking at them, holding those dusty stacks of books with a confused expression in their eyes. 

One of my favorite and least favorite moments during the teaching process, is when the investigator tells us they don't want to continue because they are "getting confused". I take this as a good sign. this is the time we fight for them, and fight hard, because we know how much the gospel can help their lives, and we know its confusing them because... they are getting a testimony of it. They know its true, but they are clinging so desperately to the knowledge of their old religion, the one they grew up in. 

Every day I learn more about how each one of these people we talk to, are so loved by Heavenly Father. I pray for the gift of charity, so I can see a glimpse of the love that Heavenly Father has for them. So that I can become the kind of missionary he wants me to be.
I love you all, have faith, watch, and wait.
love, sister dunn

Holy Week

I won't go into detail on the things I witnessed this week. But I do want to impart a special message to everyone. PLEASE GO WATCH BECAUSE HE LIVES ON LDS.ORG! Keep the focus of this easter season on his resurrection, not on his death. Because he lives!
He lives to grant me rich supply.
He lives to guide me with his eye.
He lives to comfort me when faint.
He lives to hear my soul's complaint.
He lives to silence all my fears.
He lives to wipe away my tears.
He lives to calm my troubled heart.
He lives all blessings to impart.Please remember that we are beloved children of our Heavenly Father and we all have the opportunity to become like him, to live with him! I'm am so happy for this opportunity to be in the Lord's service, and we can all be whether we are serving full time missions or not, embrace missionary life. Spread the gospel to your friends! And have charity for everyone you meet!

and a lot happened this week, but I'm out of time haha, so i'll keep this short.
I'm excited we get to go Casoy next week, its absolutely beautiful. We have a new investigator and our last lesson with her was probably the most spiritual lesson I have had since I came out to the field. I'm so excited to see what the Lord has in store for her.
Love you all, stay safe! And remember the real reason for this easter season! (sorry this email was kind of char)


-Sister Dunn