"Yuck! Where's your husband? Where's your husband?!"

I had a creepy man yell this at me as we were passing by him this
morning. I'm just not sure what he meant to say....

We had such an incredible week this last week. We had 3 investigators
that were baptized. We had a baptism on Christmas, which was maybe one
of the most memorable Christmases I've ever experienced. Last
Saturday, we had a wedding and then a baptism afterwards. This
particular couple is fairly poor and the branch was so so awesome and
they prepared food and a wedding cake for this couple. Then they were
baptized afterwards. They cried and I did too. it was an exquisite
feeling to have been a small part of that day. It was one of those
days that I will not forget. :)

We have a new investigator, who's name is 'Helo Denzel.' He is Aeta.
(Feel free to google that.) His mother has been a member for a long
time and she referred us to her son for us to teach him. The Aeta are
the natives here. They are distinguished by their black skin and
shorter height. I have been so so curious about these people and am
very excited about this opportunity to learn more and also help this
boy. He's 13 years old and doesn't know how to read. We are hoping to
be able to get him started to learn how to read. He knows the
alphabet, but doesn't yet read. I also noticed that I'm not really
sure where we are going to start, but we're just going to start and
see where this goes. His mother told us that they live 'near the
mountains' and that if we wanted, we could just teach her son after
they come to church, for convenience. Sister Ticzon and I are
insatiably curious about where they live and we've already talked with
some members about going up and visiting them at their home. I will
keep you updated on how this goes.

We had a companion exchange last week. Sister Palmer from Washington
came here to GuaGua and it was such a great experience. Memories came
flooding back to me when I was still new and struggling with the
culture/mission life. I also realized just last Thursday during the
exchange, that her speaking/struggling to speak in Tagalog was such a
humbling experience for me and for everyone who watched her. It made
me remember when I was new and I would just cry during the lessons.
Nobody understood anything I was saying, but they would cry with me.
It was so powerful and I never knew it, until I watched Sister Palmer
struggling like I did.

Last last week, the relief society lesson went from Tagalog/English to
straight up Kapampangan. I felt like I was new all over again, and I'm
officially deciding to learn basic Kapampangan, out of frustration.
I've heard that there aren't any books written on how to learn
Kapampangan, and so I asked my friend Jerome to write down basic words
and pronouns. We'll see how this goes... :)

The new Sunday School Manuals are incredible and I am really excited
about them. I remember something that my friend Melissa told me about
the gospel. She said that maybe the first step in learning the gospel
is understanding the facts and then we are left to connect these facts
for the rest of our lives. These new manuals are more about making
connections and finding application in real life. How do we connect
timeless principles/truths to our time?

I remembered a conversation with my friend Peter in fall of 2010. We
were sitting in my living room and he told me that he believed that
there was something after this life, but he wasn't sure what it was.
He said that the idea that we die and then are gone forever, just
didn't connect with him. I think he was in some sort of transition
period in his life. I still remember that conversation, and I'm not
sure why I remembered it yesterday during church. I thought it was
interesting that despite having a different understanding of God, that
the idea of 'living again' or 'living still' after our bodies are
buried was something he was sure about. (What are you sure about?)

OKAY. I love you.

-Sister DV


X-tine-- Loved your postcard. Take a picture for me of the pet sharks.
Show it to me next spring, when I come and visit you in Chicago. Ok?

Magkanta Tamu

HELLO,

This week was full of excellent surprises and some surprises that
weren't really surprises. About 4 or 5 days before the transfer, I
kept thinking about Gua-Gua, Pampanga, and about maybe or hopefully
getting transferred there. 'Gua-Gua' would not leave my head during
my last week in Pilar. Anyways I found out that whatever I was
thinking/feeling was actually right and I got transferred to Gua-Gua,
Pampanga. It's more of a city, which I'm still adjusting to. I got
pretty used to more of the rural feel in Pilar, so Gua-Gua is a bit of
a change for me. Gua-Gua actually used to be an 'elders' area, and the
last sisters here in Gua-Gua were in 1986. Last transfer, my former
companion, Sister Lumanog and my former housemate in Lubao, Sister
Ticson were 'white-washed' into Gua-Gua. It means that both of the
missionaries in the area were pulled out and two new missionaries were
placed. At the end of last transfer, Sister Lumanog went home and I am
now Sister Ticzon's new companion in Gua-Gua. Our mission president
has plans to place another set of Sisters in Gua-Gua and so we are
looking for a larger apartment. It means that at some point, we would
split and each have a new companion. Very exciting.

My first area, Lubao is also in Pampanga and is pretty close to
Gua-Gua. We attended the district Christmas Party in Lubao last
saturday and it was soooo great to see my dear friends in Lubao.
Anyways, I'm excited to improve on my Kapampangan. (This is the
language here in Pampanga.) Everyone speaks Tagalog, but sometimes
kapampangan gets mixed in with their tagalog, which makes everything
really interesting.ha.

My Kapampangan vocabulary so far... not really much of a vocabulary...

keni-here
manyaman--delicious
malagu--beautiful (girl)
Nanu lagyu mo? -- What is your name?
magkanta Tamu--Let's sing

I had an interesting experience on Thursday during a lesson. We were
teaching a less-active member who recently separated from her husband.
It's been an extremely difficult situation for her entire family.

I normally don't share personal things about my family or about the
history of my family, but I felt very impressed to share the story of
my parents' divorce without telling her that it was MY family. I
didn't give specific details, but mostly shared about the effect
afterwards and HOW they handled that situation in a constructive way.
I shared this story but left out their names or who they were. I don't
know if I'll ever forget her eyes widening as I told her that the
story was the story of my family, of my parents who experienced
divorce. At the very least, I could empathize in part with her
suffering and give her some hope for a better future with her family.

It was such a learning experience for me. I've never told the story of
my family in that kind of a way. It was like it was almost laid out in
my head about how I share this with her. This scripture became more
real to me through this experience--

D&C 50:22
Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one
another, and both are edified and rejoice together.

We'll have a baptism on Christmas! I am so excited for this. We also
have another baptism on December 29. This particular family isn't
married yet and will be getting married the morning of the 29th. This
is my first experience like this on my mission, so I am very very
excited for the upcoming weeks.

Thank you for your support and love!
Love, Sister DV

Picture-Transfer Day in the Philippines

Exodus 2- are you feeling strange?
1 Cor 1:27

PS. I received a package from the Holland Ward which was so so great.
I especially enjoyed the drawings and letters from the primary. :)

fantastic.

Bridges and Miracles.

This week has been incredible. Sister Alazo and I have called this
transfer, 'The Transfer of Bridges and Miracles.'

This week has been so great and although I really don't want to get
transferred, I'm feeling that I'm probably going to get transferred
this week....

We have some newer investigators in an area called, Balut 2. The Brena
family. We're teaching them as a family and it's really so exciting.
The father of the family has said several times that this is the first
time that he's ever listened to missionaries. Usually he ignores
anything having to do with missionaries (not necessarily from our
church, but from other faiths as well.) They attended the branch
activity last Saturday and he said that it was the first time he's
ever walked into another church, other than a catholic church. They
also happen to have a ton of friends that are lds, but didn't even
know. Yesterday we were able to finish the first lesson and give them
a Book of Mormon. I loved watching his face as he has gained interest
in every appointment. He told us that he's very curious about the Book
of Mormon and that he would read it. Incredible moment.

I thought about whether to include this or not because it's fairly
personal, but I felt that all of my letters are personal to me and
that there may be some benefit to others by reading it. This spawned
from an identity concern I have/had.(probably a very cliche missionary
statement?) But this has honestly been on my mind for a while now and
has been slightly urking me. (is that a word?)

I have found that there have been many many changes that I have
experienced while being on my mission. Some of the more important
changes are internal. In the midst of acknowledging these changes,
I've honestly been slightly worried about the future. Am I this person
because of my calling? Because of the work? or is it because of
culture? Which is it? Is it even important that I try to identify
where these changes have come? I don't know.

I cringe at the thought of coming home to return to be the exact same
person I was as I left. And even so, I realize that I can't be a
missionary for the rest of my life. I am left with a lot of
choices-because it is a choice who I will be when I return home. I
came up with a short list of things that I wish to include, lest I
forget of things I want to take home with me and apply to the upcoming
years so that I can live what I am learning. This is not
comprehensive. :)

Who I want to be when I get home (December 8,2012)

-Loving----> more fully and more unconditionally than before

-More full of an understanding of 'faith' and that the concept of
'obedience' to laws of an eternal nature are essential for gaining
spiritual knowledge and growth. It is in likeness of a God who is also
governed by natural laws. It is not blinding, but rather liberating.

-Familiar with the process of receiving spiritual strength so that I
can apply it everyday of my life

-Firm in my standard of morals, so as not to be pushed by worldly
influences what is acceptable or unacceptable in my life.

-Giving of the light I have received on my mission to others,
'according to their language, unto their understanding.' (2Ne31:3)

-Even more curious and even more hungry to learn and in turn create
for the benefit and learning of my fellow brothers and sisters

-Ready to understand more fully and apply the relationship between
'creation' and 'worship.'

-Seeker of truth, light, joy, and beauty wherever it may be.



I want to include some enlightening things that I found in the Book of
Mormon about 'truth:'

Jacob 4

vs. 13 "...for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore,
it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really
will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly for
the salvation of our souls. But behold, we are not witnesses alone in
these things; for God also spake unto them unto prophets of old.

vs.14 "But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they
despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought
for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their
blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must
needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and
delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because
they desired it. And because they desired it God hath doth it, that
they may stumble."


I found something that Neal A. Maxwell had said about this exact same
thing, "In the Book of Mormon, Jacob speaks of ancient Judah as having
rejected the words of its prophets because individuals living then
'despised the words of plainness' and because they 'sought for things
that they could not understand.' ....Intellectual embroidery seem to
have been preferred to the whole clothing of the gospel- the frills to
the fabric. In fact, one can even surmise that complexity was
preferred over plainness by some because in conceptual complexity
there might somehow be escape, or excuse, for noncompliance and for
failure. In any event, this incredible blindness which led to the
rejection of those truths spoken by prophets and which prevented the
recognition of Jesus for who he was, according to Jacob, came 'by
looking beyond the mark.' Those who look beyond plainness, beyond the
prophets, beyond Christ, and beyond his simple teachings waited in
vain then, as they will wait in vain now. For only the gospel of Jesus
Christ teaches us of things as they really are and as they really will
be."


Lovin you all,

Sister DV

"Binasa ko iyan! Binasa ko iyan!"

This week was incredible, full of interesting experiences and miracles.

We had a companion exchange and I was able to work in Orani, Bataan
for a day with Sister Pavino. ( We were former housemates in Lubao.) I
had such an interesting experience that I would just love to tell you
all about. As we were about to begin teaching to a less-active member
there in Orani, a man named Antonio walked up and starting talking to
us. He asked us about our work and then the conversation started to
turn. He mentioned a 'dwarf' that he had in his wallet. Sister Pavino
asked if we could see it. He pulled it out and showed us his 'dwarf'
which was a small piece of "gold" in the shape of a small man. It
looked like some expensive souvenir, but he claims that he got this
'dwarf' in the mountains. I asked him where he bought it and he told
me that he didn't buy it, but that it walked up to him. He said that
this dwarf was the 'queen' of the other dwarfs, despite it looking
very much like a man. He informed me in the past that there was an
american sister missionary who was assigned in Orani. This particular
missionary had problems sleeping and he 'remedied' her insomnia
through his 'dwarf.' He then gave me a prized opportunity to see how
he 'remedied' this missionary. He took my arms and rubbed this 'dwarf'
several times on both of my arms and told me that I 'wouldn't have
insomnia anymore.' I couldn't help but laugh at all of this. Before I
realized what he was doing, he was rubbing this small piece of gold on
my arms, 'remedying' a problem that I don't have. Anyways, Antonio
finally left us and we started teaching. But, during our lesson, a
drunk man who's name I forgot, walked up to us and started speaking
broken english to us. He told us that he read the Book of Mormon
before and that he knows that it's true. He kept repeating himself and
at the same time worked himself into a sort of karate stance with his
arms and legs. I wasn't sure where he was going with all of this, and
he also started to cry at one point. Sister Pavino handled the
situation very smoothly and just set a return appointment with this
drunk man. He finally left and we were able to finish our lesson. :)

In addition to that cherished experience, we had such an exciting
week.Sister Alazo and I come home most days just completely in awe at
the kinds of miracles we are seeing. Our attendance at church is
continuing to grow. We found many less-active members and in turn,
have found many new people that have become investigators-people that
are interested in learning.

It's incredible. I'm dreading thinking about leaving this area and
starting all over again somewhere else. I feel like my 6 months here
has brought me to this point where the work is progressing at an
incredible rate. I find working so much more enjoyable, the longer I
am in an area. I used to think the opposite would be true, and maybe
is for many missionaries, but I'm seeing that there is a reason why I
am still here. I'm so grateful for this glorious blessing that God has
given me to be a small small part of this divine work.

I wrote in my planner- "The most exhausting and life-giving work I
have ever experienced. I'm basking in the light." It's come to the
point that I don't like Mondays, our preparation day, because we only
have a few hours in the evening to go out and work.

We had an investigator yesterday who set his own baptismal date for
December 22. We were completely surprised. Before, he wanted to be
baptized in January. I guess he realized yesterday that he was readier
than he thought he was and set December 22 as his baptismal date.
Incredible. His mother, Luisa was a less-active member who is starting
to return to activity again in the church. I'm truly in awe at the
kinds of small changes we are seeing in people.

"Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say
unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to
pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." -Alma
37:6

I love you all. I mean it.


Pictures:

Crossing the river in Ala-uli, Pilar ( Every Saturday we go to this area.)

Margie's baptism!

 I took a seat in this hammock and was surprised to find my head rubbed

up against a small fat child. I didn't know he was there.

 THE best cat.

 Yellow watermelon.