Amy's February 5th Email home!!
Hello my wonderful family!
Thank you for all your letters and
emails. I am so blessed to have such supportive family
and friends! We had mail run today, and I got the Christmas package
from Jerry and all the priests in our family ward. Tell them thank you
for me! Thank you Jerry! And thank you to all the young priests! I get
to share the goodies with my companions now. We are so spoiled!!
Sister Acenas tried the top ramen for the first time last week and
thought it was delicious. We finished off the beef jerkey. Hickory Smoke
was the favorite of everyone. :) Masarap iyan! Salamat po mom!! You are
the best.
Sister Acenas will be going home after this, and I think it's starting
to really hit her. It's interesting to see how Filipino's cope with
stress and change versus Americans. Filipinos tend to laugh at
everything and joke joke joke. Nothing is ever serious. If it is, they
often feel a bit uncomfortable. It's funny because I tend to be more on
the serious side, so they are always reminding me to laugh and have fun.
I am definitely finding a balance, but I'm grateful for what I have
been learning from them. We not only have to endure to the end, but also enjoy to the end.
Tyler,
thanks for the awesome pic. It made me laugh and I'm going to have to
show it to my comps. :) Mom, you asked about when I'll be getting a new
companion. This transfer is actually two weeks longer than usual ones,
so we have until the end of the month until the next transfer. I will
get a new companion, and so will Sister Abonitalla, so our area will go
back to two separate areas. The areas are both very large, especially my
area. I'm not sure how many miles/kilometers they cover, but it's far.
We can walk to all the appointments Sister Abonitalla's area from our
apartment, but my area is too far. We take jeepneys almost every day. A
jeepney looks kind of like an elongated jeep, with two long benches
inside along the sides perpendicular to the driver's bench. There are
two metal bars on the ceiling parallel to the benches to hold
on to, because you often have to secure yourself when riding inside.
Driving here in the Philippines is crazy, and you must be very
aggressive if you want to get anywhere. If you want to ride a jeepney,
you wait on the side of the road and wave them down. You get on, pay,
and tell them where you are going, and then when you have reached your
destination, you say, "para po." So the jeepney is always stopping and
going, very abruptly, too. It's almost like a roller coaster sometimes.
:)
This past week, we've been blessed to be able to teach an old man in
his 70s. We taught more people than him, but he is a really special
investigator. We have taught him 3 or 4 times now, and helped answer
some of his questions. He is so sincere and really wants to learn. The
spirit is always so strong when we teach him, and his heart is changing.
Right now he is so excited about the gospel!! He's reading the Book of
Mormon, the pamphlets we've given him, and is praying for his answer to
find out for himself if the things we've been teaching him and he's been
reading are true. He actually came to church with us this last Sunday,
and loved his experience. When he talks about God's love that he feels
for him, he gets so excited and loves noticing the blessings God has
given him in his life. There is so much I am learning from him. This
gospel truly brings joy to our lives, and we shouldn't be afraid to show
it, like Tatay Jun. He's so enthusiastic, and
really has a desire to come unto Christ.
Our Heavenly Father is so merciful. He gives us the scriptures and
gives us prophets to guide us! How amazing is that?? We have a living
prophet today! Thomas S. Monson! We have scriptures with the words of
the prophets from before! Heavenly Father loved His children before, He
loves us today, and will continue to love them fo. He is the same
yesterday, today, and forever. I love this gospel! Heavenly Father loves
us so much that he provides us a way to return to him. He's given us so
much, and all we have to do is follow His commandments by coming closer
to Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost,
and enduring to the end. That's all! And it can be so easy!
I love you all and you're in my prayers! Thank you for all your love, support, and prayers, too. You are the best.
Love,
Sister Harston
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Amy's January 28th 2013 Email home!!
Kamusta po!
You all sound so busy, but happy!! Thank you for all your emails and letters. They are truly a highlight of the week. :)
Dad, yep, rice is awesome. We are ALWAYS eating it, especially since my companions are both Filipino. No complaints from my end. :) I'm eating all kinds of different foods. I had the opportunity to try balut yesterday, but I politely declined it. But then the Ogay family (the family that feeds us twice a week) found out and they are planning to serve it tonight. Ahh! We'll see. I'm a bit hesitant.... haha. I'll have to let you know if I end up eating it.
Jerry, you asked if we were still a threesome. Yes, and we will be for the rest of this transfer. It makes it a little more difficult because we have two areas to cover now, and planning is a little more complicated, but we're making it work. Lots of walking, lots of eating. ...And the broadcast for the stake sounds awesome! You'll have to let me know how it goes.
Mom, you said that Luke is now DRIVING to the house by himself for piano lessons???? HOLY SMOKES! I forgot that he took his driving test on my birthday! That is crazy to think about. Luke, put your growing up on hold for me, ok? ;) Just joking. I'm proud of you for all you are doing. Mom gave me an update. Keep up the good work!!
Christina, keep working hard! It sounds like you are doing awesome in school still, and I'm not surprised. You are an amazing example!
It has been another great week of learning and growing. I am learning more and more every day about how VERY WEAK I am. Holy smokes. It's amazing how Heavenly Father really does constantly remind you of your weaknesses when we are trying to learn. But I take great comfort in the scripture Ether 12:27. I know I've mentioned that before, but it's one of my absolute favorites. And like Mom always says, 1 Nephi 3:7. Go and do!! He has prepared the way for us! We just have to put our trust in Him.
It's amazing how we constantly must ask for the guidance of the spirit in our lives. Especially as missionaries, it is imperative to have the Holy ghost with us as we teach. If the spirit isn't present, we can't teach effectively. That's the truth. I am constantly learning how to listen and follow the promptings, especially now since I can't understand everything yet. I have to listen to them and pay close attention to the thoughts and feelings that come into my mind. Sometimes it is a challenge, especially with mga bata (children) running around or music blaring from their neighbors' houses or people coming in and out, etc. It is rare if we aren't interrupted during a lesson. But it is still possible!! I've experienced it.
It is still a constant battle to understand what is being said sometimes, especially when the people speak in Bisia (sp?), another language here in the Philippines. It's pretty common here in Quezon City. It's very different, and I still don't understand hardly anything of it yet. But who knows? I may learn two languages while I'm here! I'm excited to learn. I have a little notebook that I carry around with me to write down unfamiliar words. It's a really weird feeling if we see some of the American couple missionaries and then have to speak in English. I rarely speak English anymore. I try my best to speak Tagalog and then fall back to English only if I can't express at least the idea of what I want to say in Tagalog. I often find myself responding in Tagalog when people talk to me in English because that's what I do when Filipinos speak to me in English. I have to take "a step back" and think, "no, it's ok to speak in English now." Haha. It feels really weird. I am pretty much in total immersion right now. It's painful at times, and I still don't understand quite a bit, but I understand a lot more than before, and the grammar is slowly coming. I feel like it's taking FOREVER to learn, but I have to remind myself I've only been here for two months now. People often act surprised when they find out I've only been here for such a short time, so it's comforting to know that I'm doing ok with the language, even though it doesn't feel like it sometimes.
I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It truly is the way to become happy and strong as families and to be able to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. He loves us sooo much! This church is TRUE! I love being a missionary. I am learning so much each and every day about this gospel, about my Savior Jesus Christ, about how to love others, and about myself.
I love you all!
Love,
Sister Harston
Amy and her Companion with their stockings my mom sent them for Christmas!! They were filled with lots of goodies and practical items.
Kamusta po!
You all sound so busy, but happy!! Thank you for all your emails and letters. They are truly a highlight of the week. :)
Dad, yep, rice is awesome. We are ALWAYS eating it, especially since my companions are both Filipino. No complaints from my end. :) I'm eating all kinds of different foods. I had the opportunity to try balut yesterday, but I politely declined it. But then the Ogay family (the family that feeds us twice a week) found out and they are planning to serve it tonight. Ahh! We'll see. I'm a bit hesitant.... haha. I'll have to let you know if I end up eating it.
Jerry, you asked if we were still a threesome. Yes, and we will be for the rest of this transfer. It makes it a little more difficult because we have two areas to cover now, and planning is a little more complicated, but we're making it work. Lots of walking, lots of eating. ...And the broadcast for the stake sounds awesome! You'll have to let me know how it goes.
Mom, you said that Luke is now DRIVING to the house by himself for piano lessons???? HOLY SMOKES! I forgot that he took his driving test on my birthday! That is crazy to think about. Luke, put your growing up on hold for me, ok? ;) Just joking. I'm proud of you for all you are doing. Mom gave me an update. Keep up the good work!!
Christina, keep working hard! It sounds like you are doing awesome in school still, and I'm not surprised. You are an amazing example!
It has been another great week of learning and growing. I am learning more and more every day about how VERY WEAK I am. Holy smokes. It's amazing how Heavenly Father really does constantly remind you of your weaknesses when we are trying to learn. But I take great comfort in the scripture Ether 12:27. I know I've mentioned that before, but it's one of my absolute favorites. And like Mom always says, 1 Nephi 3:7. Go and do!! He has prepared the way for us! We just have to put our trust in Him.
It's amazing how we constantly must ask for the guidance of the spirit in our lives. Especially as missionaries, it is imperative to have the Holy ghost with us as we teach. If the spirit isn't present, we can't teach effectively. That's the truth. I am constantly learning how to listen and follow the promptings, especially now since I can't understand everything yet. I have to listen to them and pay close attention to the thoughts and feelings that come into my mind. Sometimes it is a challenge, especially with mga bata (children) running around or music blaring from their neighbors' houses or people coming in and out, etc. It is rare if we aren't interrupted during a lesson. But it is still possible!! I've experienced it.
It is still a constant battle to understand what is being said sometimes, especially when the people speak in Bisia (sp?), another language here in the Philippines. It's pretty common here in Quezon City. It's very different, and I still don't understand hardly anything of it yet. But who knows? I may learn two languages while I'm here! I'm excited to learn. I have a little notebook that I carry around with me to write down unfamiliar words. It's a really weird feeling if we see some of the American couple missionaries and then have to speak in English. I rarely speak English anymore. I try my best to speak Tagalog and then fall back to English only if I can't express at least the idea of what I want to say in Tagalog. I often find myself responding in Tagalog when people talk to me in English because that's what I do when Filipinos speak to me in English. I have to take "a step back" and think, "no, it's ok to speak in English now." Haha. It feels really weird. I am pretty much in total immersion right now. It's painful at times, and I still don't understand quite a bit, but I understand a lot more than before, and the grammar is slowly coming. I feel like it's taking FOREVER to learn, but I have to remind myself I've only been here for two months now. People often act surprised when they find out I've only been here for such a short time, so it's comforting to know that I'm doing ok with the language, even though it doesn't feel like it sometimes.
I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It truly is the way to become happy and strong as families and to be able to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. He loves us sooo much! This church is TRUE! I love being a missionary. I am learning so much each and every day about this gospel, about my Savior Jesus Christ, about how to love others, and about myself.
I love you all!
Love,
Sister Harston
Amy and her Companion with their stockings my mom sent them for Christmas!! They were filled with lots of goodies and practical items.
More pictures!!
Amy and her companions at the Temple!
Amy and her zone! She says "Our zone! We took a tour of the CSB....something. I forgot what it was
called. :) But a big building where they shoot movies and such. Lots of
famous people that I don't know."
And this is that place that she was talking about. :)
Amy and her companions at the Temple!
Amy's January 14th letter home!
Well hello my wonderful family!! (And friends) :)
Thank you thank you thank you for all the emails of support and love. I feel your prayers and your love flowing over the ocean. Thank you Dad for your beautiful letter. I really needed to hear that. I really love that talk by President Deiter F. Uchtdorf. Mom, Jerry, Christina, thank you also for your wonderful letters. Mom, you always know exactly what I need to hear! I don't know how you do it. It must be a mom thing. :)
Before I forget, thank you again Mom for the Christmas package. I'm actually glad it came late. It's been a lot of fun sharing it with Sister Acenas. I don't know if her family sends her anything or how much they support her. They are not members, so I'm not sure she gets a whole lot. It's been fun trying to guess the gift from the scripture clue. She says, "your mom is so creative!" She's never had Macaroni and cheese, tacos, or several of the things. She was a bit confused when we opened the chapstick. She asked if we use that stuff over in the US. Haha. The air is so moist over here that people rarely use chapstick. Anyway, it's been fun. Normally, we wouldn't be able to find the ingredients for some of these things, but because we're in the city, we have the mall. We haven't looked yet, but we may try to buy some of the rarer ingredients and make some American food. But the sisters always want rice. I offered to make pasta once and they sweetly declined because they needed their rice. :)
I am becoming more familiar with the city and the streets. We take jeepneys every day because our area is really big, and it's about to become bigger! We'll be covering two areas after next Wednesday because one of the sisters is going home. We will become a threesome, with Sister Abonitalla (Filipina too). I am getting to know the people better now and I'm feeling a great love for them. Even though my Tagalog is still limited, I hope I am able to express my love to them for the gospel and for them. I miss the people in my last area and often think about them and how they are doing. It's amazing how much of a love you gain for the people you serve. I am really starting to love the people here, too. The kids are always a plus. They love you no matter what. :) I love them too!!
If you have any ideas for object lessons for teaching any principle of the gospel I'd love it if you could send them to me! We often have children in the lessons, and sometimes we are in charge of FHE activities with the families. I know children love visual aids (even adults, too) and they can be powerful, especially when related to a scripture or principle/doctrine.
I love this gospel. I love the people and I love my companion. It's amazing how much Satan tries to work on the thoughts of missionaries. He doesn't like our work and is determined to make us get discouraged or relax on the rules. But I will NOT give in to him. I am trusting in my Heavenly Father. With Him we can do anything. If there is anyone reading this who has thoughts of self doubt or thinks that life is hard, DON'T GIVE UP. Keep pushing forward. Those thoughts are NOT from God. God trusts you. He sent you to this Earth at this time to SUCCEED. I am so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am thankful for my wonderful family who taught me about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you. I love you all.
Love,
Sister Harston
Sorry...I can't figure out how to turn the picture!
Well hello my wonderful family!! (And friends) :)
Thank you thank you thank you for all the emails of support and love. I feel your prayers and your love flowing over the ocean. Thank you Dad for your beautiful letter. I really needed to hear that. I really love that talk by President Deiter F. Uchtdorf. Mom, Jerry, Christina, thank you also for your wonderful letters. Mom, you always know exactly what I need to hear! I don't know how you do it. It must be a mom thing. :)
Before I forget, thank you again Mom for the Christmas package. I'm actually glad it came late. It's been a lot of fun sharing it with Sister Acenas. I don't know if her family sends her anything or how much they support her. They are not members, so I'm not sure she gets a whole lot. It's been fun trying to guess the gift from the scripture clue. She says, "your mom is so creative!" She's never had Macaroni and cheese, tacos, or several of the things. She was a bit confused when we opened the chapstick. She asked if we use that stuff over in the US. Haha. The air is so moist over here that people rarely use chapstick. Anyway, it's been fun. Normally, we wouldn't be able to find the ingredients for some of these things, but because we're in the city, we have the mall. We haven't looked yet, but we may try to buy some of the rarer ingredients and make some American food. But the sisters always want rice. I offered to make pasta once and they sweetly declined because they needed their rice. :)
I am becoming more familiar with the city and the streets. We take jeepneys every day because our area is really big, and it's about to become bigger! We'll be covering two areas after next Wednesday because one of the sisters is going home. We will become a threesome, with Sister Abonitalla (Filipina too). I am getting to know the people better now and I'm feeling a great love for them. Even though my Tagalog is still limited, I hope I am able to express my love to them for the gospel and for them. I miss the people in my last area and often think about them and how they are doing. It's amazing how much of a love you gain for the people you serve. I am really starting to love the people here, too. The kids are always a plus. They love you no matter what. :) I love them too!!
If you have any ideas for object lessons for teaching any principle of the gospel I'd love it if you could send them to me! We often have children in the lessons, and sometimes we are in charge of FHE activities with the families. I know children love visual aids (even adults, too) and they can be powerful, especially when related to a scripture or principle/doctrine.
I love this gospel. I love the people and I love my companion. It's amazing how much Satan tries to work on the thoughts of missionaries. He doesn't like our work and is determined to make us get discouraged or relax on the rules. But I will NOT give in to him. I am trusting in my Heavenly Father. With Him we can do anything. If there is anyone reading this who has thoughts of self doubt or thinks that life is hard, DON'T GIVE UP. Keep pushing forward. Those thoughts are NOT from God. God trusts you. He sent you to this Earth at this time to SUCCEED. I am so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am thankful for my wonderful family who taught me about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you. I love you all.
Love,
Sister Harston
Amy's January 7th letter!
Hi everyone!
Sounds
like my girl has been given a challenge. She's been there in the
Philippines only 6 weeks, has been transferred to an area that has not
been thriving and placed with three Filipino sisters. Her language
skills are going to improve rapidly! I suspect the Lord knew that this
area needed my sweet, positive-attitude girl to get it going! Please
send extra prayers for my Amy!
Amy
finally received our Christmas package!! In it, I included two
stockings stuffed with daily gifts to open for the 12 days before
Christmas, plus Christmas day gifts. Each gift included a scripture. I
decided to send two stockings because my son, who served in the
Philippines, told me that the Filipino missionaries are not well
supported and don't get very much, if anything at Christmas. When I
learned that Amy's companion was from the United States, I thought "Oh
well, her companion will just get a lot of gifts!" Well, the package
didn't arrive on time and now Amy has the package to share with her new
companion - a Filipino! Perfect! Though I wish Amy had received our
package for Christmas, it's interesting how it all works out!
Happy New Year! Take care!
Wendy Toms (Amy's proud mom!)
Hello my wonderful family!
So I am now in a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT area from my last area. My
last area was province, where I was spoiled with rice fields, beautiful
sunsets, and many investigators/recent converts. Everyone was sooo
friendly. Here is quite the contrast. I have been assigned to the Quezon
City South Zone, so I'm smack-dab in the city. People here are very
business-minded, and often "too busy" for the missionaries to stop by.
We have a ward though! Instead of a branch, we have a ward! That was
exciting. Our area is HUGE, and we walk a LOT. But we are also fed a LOT
by members. I've been told several times that I will gain weight here, so we'll see. I'll keep exercising and hope for the best! :)
I am the only American in our apartment this time, which is
definitely a change, but I think it's what I need. There are three
Filipinos and me. One of the sisters, Sister Sanchez, will be finished
with her mission and is leaving in about 2 weeks. She is VERY "trunky"
for home, and that's all she talks about sometimes. It's understandable I
guess, but it's kind of frustrating, too. This transfer is my
companion's last transfer, too. Sister Acenas! She's awesome and crazy.
We are sooo different, but I think it's bringing out the best in us.
We're still finding our balance. Because it is her last transfer, she
has started thinking about home and being trunky, but I am determined
that that will not happen. She wants to finish strong, and that's what
we're going to do. I am determined to make this transfer a good one,
full of hope and faith.
All the missionaries in my zone always say, "This is SUCH a hard
area!" or "the work is dead! It's sooo hard!" and things like that. I
don't like that attitude. Yes, it's pretty challenging, but we are not
going to improve with an attitude like that. We need to have faith and
hope. We have been assigned here in this zone for a reason. We each have
an important part here, even if we don't see it right away. It is
tempting to get discouraged, but I am determined this transfer to do my
best and spread the joy of the gospel. I have faith that we will find
more people to teach, even if it's just a few more. There are people
here that are ready to hear the gospel.
We are so blessed in this area though. We have a wide range of
living styles that we teach to. It is humbling to teach to the people in
what we call the "squatters." Their living conditions are TERRIBLE!
It's shocking that people live like that, but they do, and make the best
of it. We also teach to a pretty wealthy area, with big houses, and
they even have cars! That was extremely rare in my last area.
I am learning so much and I have felt twinges of discouragement,
but then I remember 1 Nephi 3:7 and Ether 12:27. They give me great
strength and comfort.
I love you all! I pray for you every night.
Love,
Sister Harston
p.s. I finally got your package! Sister Acenas and I have been
going through the scriptures and goodies. Thank you! So creative! We're
having a delayed Christmas. :)
Amy's January 1st email home!
Maligayon Bagong Taon po!! (Happy New Year!!)
I am sorry for the confusion of letter writing this week. It is transfers, and guess what????? I am being TRANSFERRED!!!! I've only been here in Morong for 6 weeks and it feels like I just got here. Sister Cope is staying here and will be training again! Tomorrow is transfer meeting, and that's where I'll find out who my new companion will be and where I'll be assigned. So I get to pack my bags tonight, get on a jeepney at 5am with my luggage and the rest of our zone, and head down to the Aurora chapel near the mission office. We will have mail run at 7am, so I might get the package then! I'll let you know if it comes. :) I get to perform for the transfer meeting, too. The original plan was to have me play "Oh Lord, My Redeemer" on the piano while two other elders from my zone would sing, but then we decided to have me and one of the elders sing it while the other played the piano. But yesterday I woke up with no voice, and today it's been pretty scratchy. So we may have to go back to plan A with me playing the piano if it's not back by tomorrow. It will be fun either way. The elders have gorgeous voices!
Last weekend, I had a pretty neat experience. I wrote about it in my journal, and I wanted to share a section of it with you.
"I had a beautiful experience this morning. Last night, the sisters brought up the idea of doing exchanges within our companionships for today. I was honestly scared to death. The original idea was for me to stay in my area and Sister Repollo would be my companion for the day. Sister Biggs would lead the other area with Sister Cope as her companion. I felt so inadequate for the responsibility. I don't feel like I know the area well enough or the people, or even the language well enough to lead in the teaching.... This morning, we approached the idea again, but we decided to make it a matter of prayer. We wanted to ask Heavenly Father if we should have exchanges, with whom, and when we should do them. We knelt down and prayed together in one of our bedrooms, asking for guidance. We then said our own individual prayers. The Spirit was so strong, and what we were doing just felt so right. I was totally overwhelmed and fought the tears, but they came anyway. I wanted to receive an answer so badly. I don't think I had enough faith though, because I didn't know or have an answer when I got off my knees. We discussed our feelings, and they weren't all the same, so we prayed again, pleading for clarity of thought and guidance to what we should do. But before we prayed the second time together, I went to my scriptures briefly and pulled out my patriarchal blessing. My eyes went to a phrase that had a beautiful promise to me. I was in need of revelation, and I knew that I could receive it. So I asked Heavenly Father to help me and to help me listen more carefully. When we prayed as a kabahay (all the sisters in our house, or bahay) for the second time, the Spirit was super strong again, and Sister Cope asked Heavenly Father to guide our thoughts and let us know when, where, and who. We then prayed individually again. This time, I prayed very specifically, expecting to receive and answer because I knew I could with the help of the Holy Ghost's guidance. When I finished, I pondered some and then said another prayer. I had a strong feeling that I needed to stay in my area today with my companion. As we all discussed for the second time, it was amazing and wonderful to see that we had all received the same answer that today was not the day. But we all felt that exchanges were important and that they needed to happen soon. Sister Biggs is leaving next week, but we feel like it needs to happen before that. We'll continue to pray about it, and we may go out on Monday with exchanges if not sooner.
After we had come to our conclusion, we again went to the Lord to confirm our decision. I said it this time, asking God to confirm our decision to each one of us and to help us always remain worthy of His trust. I had a hard time getting through it because I was crying so much, but the Spirit was super strong still. We then said our own prayers again. Everything just felt so RIGHT. We didn't have an answer, so we turned to the Lord in prayer, When we still didn't know, we returned and pleaded again, first as a kabahay and then individually. We have been commanded to turn to the Lord in all our doings and pray always....
It was such a good reminder to me of who we really are, and how much God really does love and look out for His children. I was so overwhelmed with the power of prayer and its role in our lives. We really can and should expect answers, because we are entitled to them when we live worthy of the Spirit.
There are always ups and downs in the weeks, and that was definitely a good booster to the week. To top off the weekend, we also had a baptism on Saturday! Laarni was baptized along with two 8 year olds in the branch and a young man that the other Sisters were teaching. It was beautiful!!! I'll have to send pictures next week. I forgot my card, so I have no pictures with me. I have lots to send. :)
We ended up doing exchanges on Monday, New Year's Eve. It was perfect. Sister Cope and Sister Repollo both went to the transfer meeting that morning while Sister Biggs and I stayed home and studied together. We had a lunch appointment, then went out to work. We had a short day and had an early curfew because of New Year's Eve. People get crazy around here with fireworks and all kinds of explosives. If it makes a loud noise, they use it. If it explodes, they use that, too. Because it gets dark early, we had an early curfew of 6 pm. We came home and studied a bit, planned, and then watched The Testaments. Our neighbor, Vicki, was SUPER generous and made us a FEAST. She gave us a huge tray stuffed with food and another couple plates of food. We had also had a dinner appointment right before that, so we were STUFFED. We're not going to have to cook very much this next week. Or at least the sisters that will be in our apartment won't. :) I'll be somewhere else by that point.
Oh, Mom and Jerry--Happy Late Anniversary!! It sounds like you had a great time. I'm glad you found some time to get away. Family relationships are sooo important. I have to say thank you for making family scripture study and family prayer a priority in our home. I know that it is sooo important, and really brought us all closer. I actually shared that experience with a couple families this past week. I wish I could help them see the importance and effect of it with families. Keeping the gospel central in families is essential. That's how families become strong. Even though we all have different situations, the gospel is what can bring us together and heal broken hearts.
I love you all and pray for you every day. Thank you for all your great examples. Sorry for writing you a book. Make sure you make New Year's Resolutions if you haven't already! What a great way to start off a year!
Love,
Sister Harston
Maligayon Bagong Taon po!! (Happy New Year!!)
I am sorry for the confusion of letter writing this week. It is transfers, and guess what????? I am being TRANSFERRED!!!! I've only been here in Morong for 6 weeks and it feels like I just got here. Sister Cope is staying here and will be training again! Tomorrow is transfer meeting, and that's where I'll find out who my new companion will be and where I'll be assigned. So I get to pack my bags tonight, get on a jeepney at 5am with my luggage and the rest of our zone, and head down to the Aurora chapel near the mission office. We will have mail run at 7am, so I might get the package then! I'll let you know if it comes. :) I get to perform for the transfer meeting, too. The original plan was to have me play "Oh Lord, My Redeemer" on the piano while two other elders from my zone would sing, but then we decided to have me and one of the elders sing it while the other played the piano. But yesterday I woke up with no voice, and today it's been pretty scratchy. So we may have to go back to plan A with me playing the piano if it's not back by tomorrow. It will be fun either way. The elders have gorgeous voices!
Last weekend, I had a pretty neat experience. I wrote about it in my journal, and I wanted to share a section of it with you.
"I had a beautiful experience this morning. Last night, the sisters brought up the idea of doing exchanges within our companionships for today. I was honestly scared to death. The original idea was for me to stay in my area and Sister Repollo would be my companion for the day. Sister Biggs would lead the other area with Sister Cope as her companion. I felt so inadequate for the responsibility. I don't feel like I know the area well enough or the people, or even the language well enough to lead in the teaching.... This morning, we approached the idea again, but we decided to make it a matter of prayer. We wanted to ask Heavenly Father if we should have exchanges, with whom, and when we should do them. We knelt down and prayed together in one of our bedrooms, asking for guidance. We then said our own individual prayers. The Spirit was so strong, and what we were doing just felt so right. I was totally overwhelmed and fought the tears, but they came anyway. I wanted to receive an answer so badly. I don't think I had enough faith though, because I didn't know or have an answer when I got off my knees. We discussed our feelings, and they weren't all the same, so we prayed again, pleading for clarity of thought and guidance to what we should do. But before we prayed the second time together, I went to my scriptures briefly and pulled out my patriarchal blessing. My eyes went to a phrase that had a beautiful promise to me. I was in need of revelation, and I knew that I could receive it. So I asked Heavenly Father to help me and to help me listen more carefully. When we prayed as a kabahay (all the sisters in our house, or bahay) for the second time, the Spirit was super strong again, and Sister Cope asked Heavenly Father to guide our thoughts and let us know when, where, and who. We then prayed individually again. This time, I prayed very specifically, expecting to receive and answer because I knew I could with the help of the Holy Ghost's guidance. When I finished, I pondered some and then said another prayer. I had a strong feeling that I needed to stay in my area today with my companion. As we all discussed for the second time, it was amazing and wonderful to see that we had all received the same answer that today was not the day. But we all felt that exchanges were important and that they needed to happen soon. Sister Biggs is leaving next week, but we feel like it needs to happen before that. We'll continue to pray about it, and we may go out on Monday with exchanges if not sooner.
After we had come to our conclusion, we again went to the Lord to confirm our decision. I said it this time, asking God to confirm our decision to each one of us and to help us always remain worthy of His trust. I had a hard time getting through it because I was crying so much, but the Spirit was super strong still. We then said our own prayers again. Everything just felt so RIGHT. We didn't have an answer, so we turned to the Lord in prayer, When we still didn't know, we returned and pleaded again, first as a kabahay and then individually. We have been commanded to turn to the Lord in all our doings and pray always....
It was such a good reminder to me of who we really are, and how much God really does love and look out for His children. I was so overwhelmed with the power of prayer and its role in our lives. We really can and should expect answers, because we are entitled to them when we live worthy of the Spirit.
There are always ups and downs in the weeks, and that was definitely a good booster to the week. To top off the weekend, we also had a baptism on Saturday! Laarni was baptized along with two 8 year olds in the branch and a young man that the other Sisters were teaching. It was beautiful!!! I'll have to send pictures next week. I forgot my card, so I have no pictures with me. I have lots to send. :)
We ended up doing exchanges on Monday, New Year's Eve. It was perfect. Sister Cope and Sister Repollo both went to the transfer meeting that morning while Sister Biggs and I stayed home and studied together. We had a lunch appointment, then went out to work. We had a short day and had an early curfew because of New Year's Eve. People get crazy around here with fireworks and all kinds of explosives. If it makes a loud noise, they use it. If it explodes, they use that, too. Because it gets dark early, we had an early curfew of 6 pm. We came home and studied a bit, planned, and then watched The Testaments. Our neighbor, Vicki, was SUPER generous and made us a FEAST. She gave us a huge tray stuffed with food and another couple plates of food. We had also had a dinner appointment right before that, so we were STUFFED. We're not going to have to cook very much this next week. Or at least the sisters that will be in our apartment won't. :) I'll be somewhere else by that point.
Oh, Mom and Jerry--Happy Late Anniversary!! It sounds like you had a great time. I'm glad you found some time to get away. Family relationships are sooo important. I have to say thank you for making family scripture study and family prayer a priority in our home. I know that it is sooo important, and really brought us all closer. I actually shared that experience with a couple families this past week. I wish I could help them see the importance and effect of it with families. Keeping the gospel central in families is essential. That's how families become strong. Even though we all have different situations, the gospel is what can bring us together and heal broken hearts.
I love you all and pray for you every day. Thank you for all your great examples. Sorry for writing you a book. Make sure you make New Year's Resolutions if you haven't already! What a great way to start off a year!
Love,
Sister Harston
Amy's Christmas phone call home details and her December 27th letter!
It was sooo good to hear your voices and talk to you all! You all sound so good. Thank you for all the love and support. Christina, I forgot to ask you about your finals and your recital! How did everything go?? And Steph and Richie, too. Did you all survive?
Mom, it sounds like you were busy, busy this year with cooking! I wanted to make some type of Christmas goodie for our zone Christmas party, but we don't have an oven, so that scratched out most of the cookies. Also, it's pretty hard to find any of the normal cookie-type ingredients like chocolate chips or butterscotch chips. I was hoping to make butterscotch haystacks, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. :) Sister Cope had a yummy recipe that we made instead.
Jessica (her brother's girlfriend), it was nice meeting you, or at least hearing your voice. :-) I don't know you very well, but I'm excited to get to know you. My mom sent me a pic of you and Tyler, so I also know what you look like now! It was a cute picture.
Dad, you sounded great. Thank you for your support and great suggestions and advice. I needed to hear it. Love you!
I love this time of year. The Christmas season brings so much joy to everyone. It's so much fun to see peoples' faces light up as we visited, served, carrolled, and shared messages with them. The greatest gift our Heavenly Father has ever given us is his son, Jesus Christ. He loves us soooo much that he was willing to give his begotten son to us so we could have a way to return back to our Heavenly Father's presence again. The way we can try to make it up to him and show our gratitude to Him
is by living our lives in such a way that would make Him proud. We must strive to be the best that we can and live the commandments and always strive to be better.
I love you all so much! You are always in my prayers. Thank you for all you do for me and for each other.
Love,
Sister Harston
P.s. I got to use my ASL the other day!! We were in the city for our zone Christmas conference and we went out to get a little something to eat before the meeting started. Two young men were chatting away in sign, so of course I went over and introduced myself! After chatting for a little bit, I told them who we were as missionaries and asked them if they'd be interested in hearing more about our message. I got their contact info, and some other missionaries will be able to contact them. It was awesome.
Hello everyone!
I
hope you had a wonderful Christmas. We had a wonderful, special day
that ended with a sweet conversation with Amy. What a treat! She
sounded so positive, healthy and thrilled with life. I am grateful that
she is able to serve in this way and that her mission is going so
well. Here are a few things that we learned in our conversation with
her:
1. She is living in a two story apartment with three other sisters.
2.
There are ants and cockroaches all about (!), but she has become used
to them and just knows that she has to wash all dishes before using
them. Ick!
3. There is
much poverty. Many of the people live in homes smaller than her
bedroom here. They draw curtains to separate spaces in the home.
4. She lives in part city, part country. They often walk near rice fields.
5.
She has NOT received our Christmas package! Grrr. We sent it in early
December and were told it would arrive in 7-10 days. Next year, I'll
send it in early to mid November!
6. She spent
her Christmas day going to different investigator, less active and
non-member homes taking goodies and singing carols.
Thank you again for your love, prayers and support of my girl,
Wendy Toms
(proud
mom!!)
It was sooo good to hear your voices and talk to you all! You all sound so good. Thank you for all the love and support. Christina, I forgot to ask you about your finals and your recital! How did everything go?? And Steph and Richie, too. Did you all survive?
Mom, it sounds like you were busy, busy this year with cooking! I wanted to make some type of Christmas goodie for our zone Christmas party, but we don't have an oven, so that scratched out most of the cookies. Also, it's pretty hard to find any of the normal cookie-type ingredients like chocolate chips or butterscotch chips. I was hoping to make butterscotch haystacks, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. :) Sister Cope had a yummy recipe that we made instead.
Jessica (her brother's girlfriend), it was nice meeting you, or at least hearing your voice. :-) I don't know you very well, but I'm excited to get to know you. My mom sent me a pic of you and Tyler, so I also know what you look like now! It was a cute picture.
Dad, you sounded great. Thank you for your support and great suggestions and advice. I needed to hear it. Love you!
I love this time of year. The Christmas season brings so much joy to everyone. It's so much fun to see peoples' faces light up as we visited, served, carrolled, and shared messages with them. The greatest gift our Heavenly Father has ever given us is his son, Jesus Christ. He loves us soooo much that he was willing to give his begotten son to us so we could have a way to return back to our Heavenly Father's presence again. The way we can try to make it up to him and show our gratitude to Him
is by living our lives in such a way that would make Him proud. We must strive to be the best that we can and live the commandments and always strive to be better.
I love you all so much! You are always in my prayers. Thank you for all you do for me and for each other.
Love,
Sister Harston
P.s. I got to use my ASL the other day!! We were in the city for our zone Christmas conference and we went out to get a little something to eat before the meeting started. Two young men were chatting away in sign, so of course I went over and introduced myself! After chatting for a little bit, I told them who we were as missionaries and asked them if they'd be interested in hearing more about our message. I got their contact info, and some other missionaries will be able to contact them. It was awesome.
Amy's December 17th letter home!
Kamusta!!! (Note from Wendy: How are you? This is very close to "Como esta" in Spanish. The Tagalog language has had a lot of Spanish influence, so some of it sounds similar.)
I don't have a whole lot of time today, but I want to say thank you thank you thank you for all your wonderful letters!!! I am so spoiled. You are all so thoughtful. It really makes the day that much better! :) I wish I didn't have a time limit to read them all though. I am sorry if I don't respond to everything asked. I have to skim them, jot down a few notes and go from there. I have an hour total to write to my fam, the mission president, and read any emails. Thank you for all the talks, scriptures, etc. I'll definitely print the talks off and study them.
Mom, you asked about the phone call home for Christmas. Me and my companion will be calling our families around 11am here, the day after Christmas, so it will be Christmas day for you. I will be limited on time, but I get make two phone calls so I can talk to you Mom, and also to you Dad!
Dad, will you be in town and be able to access a phone?
Also, we have the option of making a phone call or we can even use skype if we want to. I don't think you have skype, so the phone call would be fine for this time. If you happen to get skype before Mother's Day next year, that would be fun! But phone calls are great, too. I can't wait to hear your voices. :)
I am so excited for this time of year! We were able to go to the chapel and listen to the Christmas Devotional yesterday evening. We are soooo blessed to have a living prophet on the Earth today. God truly does love us. For this Christmas season, us missionaries are putting together the spiritual part for our branch's Christmas party. I thought of what we do with the Harston family every Christmas Eve! So I am gathering the scriptures and getting music together, and we're going to read/sing the nativity with the branch members that attend. Then we'll open it up for testimonies at the end. Thank you, my wonderful family for your Christlike examples. I am now going to be able to share that special time with others. Also, for our Zone Christmas party, I am going to be able to play the piano for a couple of elders who will sing "Oh Lord My Redeemer." I am soo excited!!!
Well, I have to go now. I'm out of time. But I want you to know how much I love you all!!! I feel the prayers coming my way every day, and I am so grateful for them. It is hard at times, but when I trust in Heavenly Father, he lifts me up without fail every time. There are so many people that need the gospel of Jesus Christ! We have so much, and have so much to share! I love these people so much. I learn so much from their humility. Their faith and desire to follow Jesus Christ is so strong. Of course there are those who are not ready, but there are so many who are!! I love this gospel so much!!!! I love you all.
2 Nephi 4. I re-discovered this in my personal study. I feel so much like Nephi! I know that we can have those feelings of joy when we focus on the Savior. I LOVE the Book of Mormon, and I KNOW it is true. I want to read every chance I get. Read it!! You won't know it's true without reading it! Pray about it! I am so grateful for the scriptures in my life.
I love you all! Remember that you are a child of God. Remember the focus of this time of year. It is our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Love,
Sister Harston
P.S. I decided to send some pics. One of our investigator's dogs had brand new puppies, so we couldn't resist. :) Then I think I added one of our zone in a jeepney on our way to the mission home, and then one from today's Christmas zone party.
Kamusta!!! (Note from Wendy: How are you? This is very close to "Como esta" in Spanish. The Tagalog language has had a lot of Spanish influence, so some of it sounds similar.)
I don't have a whole lot of time today, but I want to say thank you thank you thank you for all your wonderful letters!!! I am so spoiled. You are all so thoughtful. It really makes the day that much better! :) I wish I didn't have a time limit to read them all though. I am sorry if I don't respond to everything asked. I have to skim them, jot down a few notes and go from there. I have an hour total to write to my fam, the mission president, and read any emails. Thank you for all the talks, scriptures, etc. I'll definitely print the talks off and study them.
Mom, you asked about the phone call home for Christmas. Me and my companion will be calling our families around 11am here, the day after Christmas, so it will be Christmas day for you. I will be limited on time, but I get make two phone calls so I can talk to you Mom, and also to you Dad!
Dad, will you be in town and be able to access a phone?
Also, we have the option of making a phone call or we can even use skype if we want to. I don't think you have skype, so the phone call would be fine for this time. If you happen to get skype before Mother's Day next year, that would be fun! But phone calls are great, too. I can't wait to hear your voices. :)
I am so excited for this time of year! We were able to go to the chapel and listen to the Christmas Devotional yesterday evening. We are soooo blessed to have a living prophet on the Earth today. God truly does love us. For this Christmas season, us missionaries are putting together the spiritual part for our branch's Christmas party. I thought of what we do with the Harston family every Christmas Eve! So I am gathering the scriptures and getting music together, and we're going to read/sing the nativity with the branch members that attend. Then we'll open it up for testimonies at the end. Thank you, my wonderful family for your Christlike examples. I am now going to be able to share that special time with others. Also, for our Zone Christmas party, I am going to be able to play the piano for a couple of elders who will sing "Oh Lord My Redeemer." I am soo excited!!!
Well, I have to go now. I'm out of time. But I want you to know how much I love you all!!! I feel the prayers coming my way every day, and I am so grateful for them. It is hard at times, but when I trust in Heavenly Father, he lifts me up without fail every time. There are so many people that need the gospel of Jesus Christ! We have so much, and have so much to share! I love these people so much. I learn so much from their humility. Their faith and desire to follow Jesus Christ is so strong. Of course there are those who are not ready, but there are so many who are!! I love this gospel so much!!!! I love you all.
2 Nephi 4. I re-discovered this in my personal study. I feel so much like Nephi! I know that we can have those feelings of joy when we focus on the Savior. I LOVE the Book of Mormon, and I KNOW it is true. I want to read every chance I get. Read it!! You won't know it's true without reading it! Pray about it! I am so grateful for the scriptures in my life.
I love you all! Remember that you are a child of God. Remember the focus of this time of year. It is our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Love,
Sister Harston
P.S. I decided to send some pics. One of our investigator's dogs had brand new puppies, so we couldn't resist. :) Then I think I added one of our zone in a jeepney on our way to the mission home, and then one from today's Christmas zone party.
Amy's December 9th 2012 Letter!
Kamusta!!! (Note from Wendy: How are you? This is very close to "Como esta" in Spanish. The Tagalog language has had a lot of Spanish influence, so some of it sounds similar.)
I don't have a whole lot of time today, but I want to say thank you thank you thank you for all your wonderful letters!!! I am so spoiled. You are all so thoughtful. It really makes the day that much better! :) I wish I didn't have a time limit to read them all though. I am sorry if I don't respond to everything asked. I have to skim them, jot down a few notes and go from there. I have an hour total to write to my fam, the mission president, and read any emails. Thank you for all the talks, scriptures, etc. I'll definitely print the talks off and study them.
Mom, you asked about the phone call home for Christmas. Me and my companion will be calling our families around 11am here, the day after Christmas, so it will be Christmas day for you. I will be limited on time, but I get make two phone calls so I can talk to you Mom, and also to you Dad!
Dad, will you be in town and be able to access a phone?
Also, we have the option of making a phone call or we can even use skype if we want to. I don't think you have skype, so the phone call would be fine for this time. If you happen to get skype before Mother's Day next year, that would be fun! But phone calls are great, too. I can't wait to hear your voices. :)
I am so excited for this time of year! We were able to go to the chapel and listen to the Christmas Devotional yesterday evening. We are soooo blessed to have a living prophet on the Earth today. God truly does love us. For this Christmas season, us missionaries are putting together the spiritual part for our branch's Christmas party. I thought of what we do with the Harston family every Christmas Eve! So I am gathering the scriptures and getting music together, and we're going to read/sing the nativity with the branch members that attend. Then we'll open it up for testimonies at the end. Thank you, my wonderful family for your Christlike examples. I am now going to be able to share that special time with others. Also, for our Zone Christmas party, I am going to be able to play the piano for a couple of elders who will sing "Oh Lord My Redeemer." I am soo excited!!!
Well, I have to go now. I'm out of time. But I want you to know how much I love you all!!! I feel the prayers coming my way every day, and I am so grateful for them. It is hard at times, but when I trust in Heavenly Father, he lifts me up without fail every time. There are so many people that need the gospel of Jesus Christ! We have so much, and have so much to share! I love these people so much. I learn so much from their humility. Their faith and desire to follow Jesus Christ is so strong. Of course there are those who are not ready, but there are so many who are!! I love this gospel so much!!!! I love you all.
2 Nephi 4. I re-discovered this in my personal study. I feel so much like Nephi! I know that we can have those feelings of joy when we focus on the Savior. I LOVE the Book of Mormon, and I KNOW it is true. I want to read every chance I get. Read it!! You won't know it's true without reading it! Pray about it! I am so grateful for the scriptures in my life.
I love you all! Remember that you are a child of God. Remember the focus of this time of year. It is our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Love,
Sister Harston
Kamusta!!! (Note from Wendy: How are you? This is very close to "Como esta" in Spanish. The Tagalog language has had a lot of Spanish influence, so some of it sounds similar.)
I don't have a whole lot of time today, but I want to say thank you thank you thank you for all your wonderful letters!!! I am so spoiled. You are all so thoughtful. It really makes the day that much better! :) I wish I didn't have a time limit to read them all though. I am sorry if I don't respond to everything asked. I have to skim them, jot down a few notes and go from there. I have an hour total to write to my fam, the mission president, and read any emails. Thank you for all the talks, scriptures, etc. I'll definitely print the talks off and study them.
Mom, you asked about the phone call home for Christmas. Me and my companion will be calling our families around 11am here, the day after Christmas, so it will be Christmas day for you. I will be limited on time, but I get make two phone calls so I can talk to you Mom, and also to you Dad!
Dad, will you be in town and be able to access a phone?
Also, we have the option of making a phone call or we can even use skype if we want to. I don't think you have skype, so the phone call would be fine for this time. If you happen to get skype before Mother's Day next year, that would be fun! But phone calls are great, too. I can't wait to hear your voices. :)
I am so excited for this time of year! We were able to go to the chapel and listen to the Christmas Devotional yesterday evening. We are soooo blessed to have a living prophet on the Earth today. God truly does love us. For this Christmas season, us missionaries are putting together the spiritual part for our branch's Christmas party. I thought of what we do with the Harston family every Christmas Eve! So I am gathering the scriptures and getting music together, and we're going to read/sing the nativity with the branch members that attend. Then we'll open it up for testimonies at the end. Thank you, my wonderful family for your Christlike examples. I am now going to be able to share that special time with others. Also, for our Zone Christmas party, I am going to be able to play the piano for a couple of elders who will sing "Oh Lord My Redeemer." I am soo excited!!!
Well, I have to go now. I'm out of time. But I want you to know how much I love you all!!! I feel the prayers coming my way every day, and I am so grateful for them. It is hard at times, but when I trust in Heavenly Father, he lifts me up without fail every time. There are so many people that need the gospel of Jesus Christ! We have so much, and have so much to share! I love these people so much. I learn so much from their humility. Their faith and desire to follow Jesus Christ is so strong. Of course there are those who are not ready, but there are so many who are!! I love this gospel so much!!!! I love you all.
2 Nephi 4. I re-discovered this in my personal study. I feel so much like Nephi! I know that we can have those feelings of joy when we focus on the Savior. I LOVE the Book of Mormon, and I KNOW it is true. I want to read every chance I get. Read it!! You won't know it's true without reading it! Pray about it! I am so grateful for the scriptures in my life.
I love you all! Remember that you are a child of God. Remember the focus of this time of year. It is our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Love,
Sister Harston
Amy's December 2nd, 2012 letter!
Kamusta!!
I have officially been in the Philippines for over a week! How crazy is that??? Like Tyler said, as soon as I got off the plane, I felt like I was definitely in the right place, but wow, it is definitely humid! haha. It's actually not as bad as I was expecting. I am completely used to it now. I'm lucky though, because I came in the coolest part of the year, so I have time to adjust. :) It has only rained once this week, and very lightly. We got to walk home in the rain from church yesterday. It felt good! It's only about a 5-10 min walk from our home. By the time we got home it had stopped completely.
Ok, to answer some questions. Christina buggety-wuggety, ;) you asked how many investigators we have right now? Well, we are very busy. We haven't hardly had any time for tracting because we have so many investigators and even more less actives. Our focus right now is the less actives, but we are always looking for opportunities to find new people. It's hard because I still am struggling to say a lot in Tagalog, but I am understanding a lot more. So anyways, I'm not sure I could give you a number, but there are a lot. We hardly ever have down time. We are always going from appointment to appointment. The people are so ready here. It's amazing.
Mom, you asked if my comp was Filipino/American. Nope. :) She is Filipino height, but she's definitely American. Hopefully the picture turned out great. She's awesome. As far as sleep, I am sleeping like a rock. It's super warm, we have a fan that we keep on each night, and we have really comfortable beds, so I rarely wake up in the middle of the night. No, I have not had any ant issues thus far-I guess I'm not as lucky as Tyler. ;) We always have ants in the house--they are everywhere. You can't avoid it. But you just keep things clean, and rinse your dishes before you use them, and all is well! You just deal with it. I'm just glad we don't have a spider problem! I think I've only seen two in our apartment so far, and they've been tiny. We do have geckos! They eat the bugs, so they are welcome guests. Mom, you also asked about the ward. It's still pretty small here, so we have a branch, but it is growing. I'm not sure exactly how many people come, but I'd say close to 100 or so.
We had one of our less-actives come to church yesterday!!! He hasn't been to church in about 8 years, and he has a testimony, he just struggles because he usually works on Sundays during church. We have gone to his house quite a few times these last couple of weeks, and it's been amazing to watch his faith and testimony grow as we taught him and his family. I love this gospel so much!! It has been amazing to watch the faith of these poor, humble people who have been prepare by the Lord to hear His gospel.
There was one lesson in particular that really stuck out to me this week. We taught a woman named Jane the lesson about the Restoration of the Gospel. The spirit was so strong. I think we all cried at one point or another during the lesson, including her. Her mom is a recent convert, and she is a rock in the gospel. She bore her testimony, and she cried. She is so amazing. Jane's heart was touched, and she is willing to keep moving forward.
I love this work so much! I love teaching these humble people. I still can't say a whole lot, but when the spirit is there and I put my trust in the Lord, I find that I can say things more smoothly in the limited vocabulary that I have. I am so glad that I am not the teacher, but that the Spirit is the teacher, because if it was just me, I would fail. This past week I had to continually remind myself that I needed to stop thinking about me, but to focus my whole attention on loving the people and invite them to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. That's our purpose! I love this work. I know it's super challenging at times, but I know that I can do anything that the Lord wants me to do. I received a blessing this morning from the Zone Leaders, and in it I was blessed that I would learn the language quickly. I trust that, and I know it will happen. :)
I love you all so much!! Thank you for all your support, prayers, and love!!
Love,
Sister Harston
Kamusta!!
I have officially been in the Philippines for over a week! How crazy is that??? Like Tyler said, as soon as I got off the plane, I felt like I was definitely in the right place, but wow, it is definitely humid! haha. It's actually not as bad as I was expecting. I am completely used to it now. I'm lucky though, because I came in the coolest part of the year, so I have time to adjust. :) It has only rained once this week, and very lightly. We got to walk home in the rain from church yesterday. It felt good! It's only about a 5-10 min walk from our home. By the time we got home it had stopped completely.
Ok, to answer some questions. Christina buggety-wuggety, ;) you asked how many investigators we have right now? Well, we are very busy. We haven't hardly had any time for tracting because we have so many investigators and even more less actives. Our focus right now is the less actives, but we are always looking for opportunities to find new people. It's hard because I still am struggling to say a lot in Tagalog, but I am understanding a lot more. So anyways, I'm not sure I could give you a number, but there are a lot. We hardly ever have down time. We are always going from appointment to appointment. The people are so ready here. It's amazing.
Mom, you asked if my comp was Filipino/American. Nope. :) She is Filipino height, but she's definitely American. Hopefully the picture turned out great. She's awesome. As far as sleep, I am sleeping like a rock. It's super warm, we have a fan that we keep on each night, and we have really comfortable beds, so I rarely wake up in the middle of the night. No, I have not had any ant issues thus far-I guess I'm not as lucky as Tyler. ;) We always have ants in the house--they are everywhere. You can't avoid it. But you just keep things clean, and rinse your dishes before you use them, and all is well! You just deal with it. I'm just glad we don't have a spider problem! I think I've only seen two in our apartment so far, and they've been tiny. We do have geckos! They eat the bugs, so they are welcome guests. Mom, you also asked about the ward. It's still pretty small here, so we have a branch, but it is growing. I'm not sure exactly how many people come, but I'd say close to 100 or so.
We had one of our less-actives come to church yesterday!!! He hasn't been to church in about 8 years, and he has a testimony, he just struggles because he usually works on Sundays during church. We have gone to his house quite a few times these last couple of weeks, and it's been amazing to watch his faith and testimony grow as we taught him and his family. I love this gospel so much!! It has been amazing to watch the faith of these poor, humble people who have been prepare by the Lord to hear His gospel.
There was one lesson in particular that really stuck out to me this week. We taught a woman named Jane the lesson about the Restoration of the Gospel. The spirit was so strong. I think we all cried at one point or another during the lesson, including her. Her mom is a recent convert, and she is a rock in the gospel. She bore her testimony, and she cried. She is so amazing. Jane's heart was touched, and she is willing to keep moving forward.
I love this work so much! I love teaching these humble people. I still can't say a whole lot, but when the spirit is there and I put my trust in the Lord, I find that I can say things more smoothly in the limited vocabulary that I have. I am so glad that I am not the teacher, but that the Spirit is the teacher, because if it was just me, I would fail. This past week I had to continually remind myself that I needed to stop thinking about me, but to focus my whole attention on loving the people and invite them to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. That's our purpose! I love this work. I know it's super challenging at times, but I know that I can do anything that the Lord wants me to do. I received a blessing this morning from the Zone Leaders, and in it I was blessed that I would learn the language quickly. I trust that, and I know it will happen. :)
I love you all so much!! Thank you for all your support, prayers, and love!!
Love,
Sister Harston
Above: Me and my signing buddy in the MTC! She was studying to become an interpreter for the Deaf as well! We chatted in sign whenever we saw each other. So much fun! It felt so good to sign!
Below: My district in the bus off to the airport!! We were on our way!!! It was a weird feeling to drive out of the MTC boundaries....
Below: I found Elder Jordan Cook in the MTC, so we had to get a picture together! (side note from Stephanie: Jordan Cook is an old family friend from many years ago!)
Amy's November 26th letter!
Kamusta kayo pamilya ko at mga kaibigan ko!!!
I am in the Philippines!!! How crazy is that?? I officially missed my birthday! Steph, I'm sad to say it, but you are now one year older than me. ;) I had about 5-10 minutes or so of my birthday, and then the time zone changed and it was the next day. It's been a fun joke. :)
It was so good to talk you at the airport! Dad, I am so sorry it didn't work out. I think Steph sent you an email telling you what had happened, but I didn't see your other email telling me which number to call until later, so I called your cell a couple times, and it ate up minutes. I wanted to try to call you in Hong Kong, but unfortunately we didn't have any time. We had to go straight away to our next flight.
The flight was long, but I was able to sleep for a lot of it, so it wasn't so bad. I was able to get a lot of journal writing time in, and studying, too. It was weird to be in the plane for about 16 hours without seeing the sun until the very end. When the sun finally caught up to us, the sunrise was gorgeous! When we arrived, we gathered our things, and found our way outside into the humidity to find our ride. A Filippino brother approached us and let us know he was our ride. He spoke very little English, and we spoke very little Tagalog, but we were able to communicate well enough. :) I think we were all pretty nervous, but I was stinkin' excited at the same time! We drove to the mission home, and I was soaking up every detail I could. Tyler, you're right. Driving here is crazy! There aren't really any rules or lanes, so people have to be extremely aggressive if they want to get anywhere. Traffic is crazy, and people jay walk all the time. I was pretty shocked at first, but I think I'm used to it now. The roads are very noisy.
After meeting with the mission president and his wife along with all of our trainers, we had a meeting, and we each got to have an interview with President DeLaMare. He is awesome. He is definitely an inspired mission president. I can tell already. I'm excited to continue working with him. I got to meet my companion! Her name is Sister Cope (with an accent over the e), and she is awesome. She is American, and stands about 4' 11" tall. She is a huge sweetheart. I love here already.
It is extremely humid here, but it really hasn't bothered me that much. There are fans in almost every house we go to, so it's not bad at all, plus I barely notice it because it's so beautiful! I am not directly in the middle of the city, but in a province area, so we have some city, but also some areas with rice fields and caribou, etc. There are tons of palm trees, and we get to hike a little bit to get to some of our investigators and less actives houses. I feel like I'm in a picture that I've seen in the MTC! It almost doesn't seem real sometimes, but it definitely is.
My trainer and I went home that night and we carried my things upstairs to our room. We got cleaned up a little bit and went out to work! We went to two investigator's houses that evening. Sister Cope introduced me, and they started talking. I was actually able to understand a lot more than I expected, so it lifted my spirits. Everyone always comments on my height. I am about a head taller than most of the women, and usually a few inches taller than the men. It's fun. It is really contrasted next to my Filipino-sized companion. :)
The next day we went out again after personal and companionship study, and went to several houses. I fought discouragement throughout that day, because I found out I didn't know or understand as much Tagalog as I had originally thought. I had to keep reminding myself to have patience with myself and to trust Heavenly Father. It's not all going to come all at once! Siyempre! I have prayed really hard these past few days for patience and for a greater love for the people. Sunday was beautiful. I got to bear my testimony in church, and met a lot of new faces. It was so real and so beautiful to see God's hand in His work. His church is true, no matter where you go! It is the same here in the Philippines, too. My heart was so full! I was overwhelmed with God's love for me and for His children.
Yesterday, we had a district meeting, and we talked about how to improve our teaching, and how to help our investigators feel the Spirit and help bring people to Christ. I took a lot of the things they said to heart, and decided to try it out. We had a full day of teaching and did a little tracking, and I really focused on the people and felt a huge love for them. As I listened to their concerns and their answers to our questions, I was able to understand a lot more than I have been able to in the past, and I felt the Spirit so strongly! I was able to express my thoughts more and do more of the teaching. I still am soooooo weak and new at this, it's crazy. But I KNOW that when we put our trust in my Heavenly Father, he DOES strengthen us. I have witnessed this this week in my experiences, and I know I will experience so much more here on the mission and afterwards.
I love this gospel. I love the Philippines! I love the people here! They are so sweet, so gentle, so humble, and many of them are so ready to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. I am so excited to continue learning and growing. Our purpose as missionaries is to "invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." I want to do this! My testimony is being strengthened each and every day. I am determined to do my very best and to do what my Heavenly Father wants me to do. I encourage you to do the same! It is so wonderful! Trust in Him, and he will direct your path.
I love you all!! Thank you for all the emails!
Love,
Sister Harston
Kamusta kayo pamilya ko at mga kaibigan ko!!!
I am in the Philippines!!! How crazy is that?? I officially missed my birthday! Steph, I'm sad to say it, but you are now one year older than me. ;) I had about 5-10 minutes or so of my birthday, and then the time zone changed and it was the next day. It's been a fun joke. :)
It was so good to talk you at the airport! Dad, I am so sorry it didn't work out. I think Steph sent you an email telling you what had happened, but I didn't see your other email telling me which number to call until later, so I called your cell a couple times, and it ate up minutes. I wanted to try to call you in Hong Kong, but unfortunately we didn't have any time. We had to go straight away to our next flight.
The flight was long, but I was able to sleep for a lot of it, so it wasn't so bad. I was able to get a lot of journal writing time in, and studying, too. It was weird to be in the plane for about 16 hours without seeing the sun until the very end. When the sun finally caught up to us, the sunrise was gorgeous! When we arrived, we gathered our things, and found our way outside into the humidity to find our ride. A Filippino brother approached us and let us know he was our ride. He spoke very little English, and we spoke very little Tagalog, but we were able to communicate well enough. :) I think we were all pretty nervous, but I was stinkin' excited at the same time! We drove to the mission home, and I was soaking up every detail I could. Tyler, you're right. Driving here is crazy! There aren't really any rules or lanes, so people have to be extremely aggressive if they want to get anywhere. Traffic is crazy, and people jay walk all the time. I was pretty shocked at first, but I think I'm used to it now. The roads are very noisy.
After meeting with the mission president and his wife along with all of our trainers, we had a meeting, and we each got to have an interview with President DeLaMare. He is awesome. He is definitely an inspired mission president. I can tell already. I'm excited to continue working with him. I got to meet my companion! Her name is Sister Cope (with an accent over the e), and she is awesome. She is American, and stands about 4' 11" tall. She is a huge sweetheart. I love here already.
It is extremely humid here, but it really hasn't bothered me that much. There are fans in almost every house we go to, so it's not bad at all, plus I barely notice it because it's so beautiful! I am not directly in the middle of the city, but in a province area, so we have some city, but also some areas with rice fields and caribou, etc. There are tons of palm trees, and we get to hike a little bit to get to some of our investigators and less actives houses. I feel like I'm in a picture that I've seen in the MTC! It almost doesn't seem real sometimes, but it definitely is.
My trainer and I went home that night and we carried my things upstairs to our room. We got cleaned up a little bit and went out to work! We went to two investigator's houses that evening. Sister Cope introduced me, and they started talking. I was actually able to understand a lot more than I expected, so it lifted my spirits. Everyone always comments on my height. I am about a head taller than most of the women, and usually a few inches taller than the men. It's fun. It is really contrasted next to my Filipino-sized companion. :)
The next day we went out again after personal and companionship study, and went to several houses. I fought discouragement throughout that day, because I found out I didn't know or understand as much Tagalog as I had originally thought. I had to keep reminding myself to have patience with myself and to trust Heavenly Father. It's not all going to come all at once! Siyempre! I have prayed really hard these past few days for patience and for a greater love for the people. Sunday was beautiful. I got to bear my testimony in church, and met a lot of new faces. It was so real and so beautiful to see God's hand in His work. His church is true, no matter where you go! It is the same here in the Philippines, too. My heart was so full! I was overwhelmed with God's love for me and for His children.
Yesterday, we had a district meeting, and we talked about how to improve our teaching, and how to help our investigators feel the Spirit and help bring people to Christ. I took a lot of the things they said to heart, and decided to try it out. We had a full day of teaching and did a little tracking, and I really focused on the people and felt a huge love for them. As I listened to their concerns and their answers to our questions, I was able to understand a lot more than I have been able to in the past, and I felt the Spirit so strongly! I was able to express my thoughts more and do more of the teaching. I still am soooooo weak and new at this, it's crazy. But I KNOW that when we put our trust in my Heavenly Father, he DOES strengthen us. I have witnessed this this week in my experiences, and I know I will experience so much more here on the mission and afterwards.
I love this gospel. I love the Philippines! I love the people here! They are so sweet, so gentle, so humble, and many of them are so ready to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. I am so excited to continue learning and growing. Our purpose as missionaries is to "invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." I want to do this! My testimony is being strengthened each and every day. I am determined to do my very best and to do what my Heavenly Father wants me to do. I encourage you to do the same! It is so wonderful! Trust in Him, and he will direct your path.
I love you all!! Thank you for all the emails!
Love,
Sister Harston
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