1. Zone Christmas Party
2. Legazpi District
3. The presents we made for the Mulligans and Pres. Guanzon. Sister Delgado did one for Sis. Guanzon and Iza.
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Pictures Week 38
1. dinner on Sister Delgado's Birthday
2. My present from the Relief Society... haha
3. Christmas Party at the Mission Home
4. With Pres. and Sis. Guanzon's daughter. She's in the Law of Chastity pamphlet (In Tagalog). We're now famous.
Isang Bagong Taon
Hello everyone! This was an absolutely amazing week! So many good things happened and it was a great Christmas time!
Tuesday was Sister Delgado's 20th birthday and we were able to celebrate it partially at the Relief Society Christmas party and partially at dinner with the Mulligans, our senior couple. We love those two so much. They've been like my grandparents here on the mission.
On Wednesday we went on our weird exchanges. It ended up being me and Sister Delgado with Sister Jimenez who is a visa waiter going to Salt Lake City East mission. So we were in a trio all day except in the evening when I went on splits with a member. For lunch we went to Iza's house with the Mulligans and it was AMAZING. Iza is a caterer and she lived in Japan for a while, in fact her husband lives there still. She made some killer Shoimai. I think that was the best meal of my whole mission. Then we taught Fred and it was GREAT.
On Christmas Eve we went to a Christmas Party at the mission home which was so fun. Then we went with the Mulligans to bring some food to some elders in the hospital. One of them has Dengue Fever. His companion was in my batch so it was cool to see him. So basically I had a Harry Potter Christmas Eve because I visited a hospital and I was with British people. And we had a feast worthy of Hogwarts itself.
Christmas Day was wonderful. We had another lunch appointment at the Abello family's house. They invited all of the missionaries assigned to our ward (we are 11 total. In one ward. It's crazy.). It was so fun and of course delicious. I'll really miss Filipino food when I leave this place. That evening we had a Zone Christmas Party which was an absolute blast. I love my zone. I got defeated in rock paper scissors though..
Saturday was the best day because I got to Skype my lovely family. It was so great to talk to all of you guys! Tell Jayda and Jenna I missed them and I love them! We then got to attend a baptism for some elders in our ward. We taught Fred with The Mulligans. It was such a great experience. And then they took us out to dinner at this cute place called the Patio. I'm getting pretty good at sounding like a real Brit.
On Sunday Fred had his Baptismal Interview and he's SO ready. He's so excited (and I'm so excited) for Saturday! After church we were able to attend another baptism. It was so spiritual. The investigators were so golden. Legazpi has so much potential. There are so many prepared people. There have been lots of baptisms lately and coming up. It's just such a blessing to be able to see the fruits of your labors. The Lord is really blessing Legazpi Ward! It's close to being split because there are so many people.
Life is good. I'm excited for the upcoming New Year! I've got lots of goals set and lots of plans. It's gonna be a great year! 2015 has been such an amazing year and I've grown so much and learned so much. I've grown a lot closer to the Lord this year and strengthened my faith in Him a lot more. He is good to me. Here's to an even better 2016!
Mahal Kita!
Sister Wilkins
Friday, December 25, 2015
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Week 37 Photos
1. our evacuation in one photo
2. During evacuation with Sister Matthes. I love her.
3. headstands...
Maligayang Pasko!
Maligayang Pasko! Wow! I can't believe Christmas is on Friday! that went by fast. This was a great week! It went by so fast but like it seems so long ago we got evacuated..
Yes, I did in fact survive the Typhoon. We ended up being evacuated to the Daraga Sisters' apartment instead of the chapel (thank goodness, because a million members were at the chapel). We pretty much just hung out in the dark because no electricity or water. It was great! And let's just say Sister Delgado is super fun to be around when she's bored (she's crazy. in a good way.) haha :) We had a headstand competition (I won) and filmed creepy videos of each other that you can all see after the mish. haha... we're insane.
I was able to skype the fam on Tuesday after we didn't die so that was an AMAZING early Christmas present! Two skyping sessions. I loved talking to you guys! After that blessed event, we literally ran to a jeepney and then ran to a tricie to get to the mission home to say goodbye to the departing batch of missionaries and to give them stuff to take home for me.It was great. Then Sister Guanzon let us charge our phone and take a shower in the mission home because no water or power there... haha. But it was the first hot shower I have had on my whole mission and it was glorious. Definitely worthy of being in the weekly email. I will never take it for granted again.
So the Typhoon actually happened right when transfers were supposed to happen so everything has been crazy. On Wednesday all of the new missionaries were coming in so we had to be in a trio in the morning and a different trio in the evening to make sure no one was alone. We got to eat lunch with our senior couple the Mulligans and I absolutely love them. We speak in British accents to them and they love us. Elder Mulligan told me that my British accent is really good. I'd like to thank Jim Dale and J.K. Rowling for that. We didn't have transfer point until Thursday and neither of us are being transferred but we went because we had to take our trio member and also Sister Delgado is the new STL so she had to be trained. This means lots of exchanges with the trainee of the other STL for me! She's a visa waiter going to Salt Lake City East mission so I will teach her English. I'm excited!
On Friday we had our ward Christmas party. I. Love. Legazpi. Ward. There was dancing and games and singing and food. Filipino food is the best, guys. Bicol Express. Mmm. Hopefully I'll be able to cook for y'all when I get home. Saturday we finally got to have a district meeting and also we got to witness a baptism for the other sisters. It was such a spiritual experience. So good.
Sunday was the best. Fred came to church for the third time in a row and he's got just one left before he can be baptized. He showed up wearing pajama bottoms and Sister Delgado and I are just laughing. He's just a sweetheart and he's definitely one of the elect that the Lord has been preparing. That night we had the best lesson in my whole mission. President and Sister Guanzon came with us to Fred's house and his brother and his family were there as well as his sister in law Iza and her son, Ichigo, who has been hiding every time we go there. Basically President bore an absolutely incredible testimony and the Spirit was SO strong. Ichigo was asking questions. Fred's brother's whole family were just staring in awe at president, even the little boys. They said after "we'll be at church on Sunday!" It was amazing. I wish President could come to every lesson. I'm very excited about this new family but they live in another sisters' area in Daraga so we won't be able to be their missionaries but still... It was amazing.
This morning we went to Cagsawa, a ruin by Mount Mayon. It's this catholic church that got ruined in a volcano eruption 200 years ago. It was so beautiful there. We made friends with some French tourists and this random guy took some cool forced perspective pictures for us. Life's good.
I'm so excited for the coming week! We've got lots of stuff happening and it's going to be a very merry Christmas indeed. I love you all and I hope you have a great Christmas! See y'all on Skype!
Love,
Sister Wilkins
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Pictures Week 36
1. We decorated for Christmas!
2. The shirt was a gift.. haha I made the tree! Excited for Christmas! :D
Pasko na
Hello people! How is life?
This week has been insane. I'm emailing way early today because we've got a signal 4 typhoon coming our way and we're being evacuated to the chapel in like 2 hours.It's Typhoon Nina and I just keep singing that Ed Sheeran song.. But don't worry, I'm alive and I will continue to be alive. We just get to have a massive sleepover. with like the whole mission. Christmas Con Part II... haha.
So we taught a really great lesson to our investigator Joanne and then we get outside to find that her dog has stolen one of my shoes. yeah ok. that's cool. So once again, I went home wearing someone else's shoes and holding one in my hand. I have bad luck, I'm telling ya.
We got to hang out at the mission home putting together Christmas packages for all of the missionaries and it was so fun! The Guanzon's daugher Princess loves me and we sang Do You Want to Build a Snowman together. She is the cutest. We kept trying to bribe the office elders to tell us about the transfer plans but they wouldn't cave. But....
Transfer Announcement came on Saturday and I'm staying in Legazpi with Sister Delgado for Christmas! It's gonna be a pretty good Christmas away from home. There's gonna be two new missionaries in our room so we had to squeeze another bunk bed in there and its rather cozy.
Fred came to church again on Sunday and he said to President Guanzon earlier this week "3 more sundays until I can be baptized". He's really excited! I'm so excited for him! He also went to the mission home and told president that he doesn't want either of us to be transferred. hah. I love him. He's a sweetheart.
We watched the Christmas Devotional last night and of course I cried. It was all of my favorites speaking. The Spirit was so strong. I'm so excited to be a missionary here during Christmas time. Also I want you all to youtube the song "Thank You For the Love/ Salamat sa Pag-ibig" It's THEE Christmas song of the Philippines this year and it's so beautiful. It's always stuck in my head. I love it.
Even though we're gonna be evacuated, I'm actually really excited to experience Typhoon Nina. That sounds horrible, but hey. You only mission once, di ba? I've never been in a natural disaster before so this'll be cool. I just hope no one dies. I'm just excited to be able to get out there and be a Mormon Helping Hands after. I just wanna help people. Spiritually and physically. Plus I'm excited to get some serious scripture study done while we're evacuated. It's not all bad, eh?
I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Sorry this email is scatterbrained, I've got a lot going on at the moment.. haha. I love you!
Merry Christmas!
Sister Wilkins
Monday, December 7, 2015
Week 35 Pictures
1. Christmas Con red lipstick
2. and the Uke
3. Fred and Iza at church!
4. The office elders love us
Sunday, December 6, 2015
His hand is stretched out still
Hello from your favorite Sister Missionary :D It has been quite a week. Like crazy.
On Monday night we (being the Legazpi sisters) got to set up the stage and everything for Christmas Conference on Tuesday. I was real glad I spent so much time decorating our house with paper snowflakes last year because my skills were definitely utilized. It was a way fun night.
Tuesday was Christmas Conference! It was SO MUCH FUN! I got to see Sister Routhier and everyone I missed from Bulan – and everywhere else in the mission too because it was a mission wide conference. It was Sister Routhier's birthday and I gave her a calendar that I hand made with all of these hand drawn quotes in it and she cried. Isn't it the best when you get someone a gift and they love it so much they cry? Yeah, that was great. Our presentation went really well (I'll try to send the video if I can, it's pretty great) except the microphone died and everyone cracked up. We even won an award. But everyone else did too so yeah.
Some of the Bulan Sisters had to sleep over at our apartment because they missed the last bus to Bulan. So our house is filled with people and we're all passed out. At 2 AM we get a call from the AP telling us to come open the door because there's another sister who needed to sleep over. She got some medical problems and had to be sent to the MRC. That was crazy and I got like zero sleep. Then that night we went on splits. We had planned to meet at a certain spot and curfew comes and goes and Sister Delgado is nowhere to be found. I'm sorta freaking out at this point thinking something has happened. I was with Herlinda (she helps out at the mission home) and I didn't have a phone and hers was dead. So we decide to go to the Mission home to see if they're there, and sure enough. President Guanzon was just like what happened? And I was all good question. But he actually was very nice and understanding about it. Nothing like showing up at the mission home past curfew without your companion. Haha
On Thursday we taught our investigator Joanne and IT WAS INCREDIBLE. Oh my heavens I can't even get over it. The lesson was pretty long and I was feeling like it wasn't even done. I was feeling like there was something more she needed to tell us. So, I kept asking questions not really knowing where I was going with things, just following the Spirit, when she finally breaks down and tells us this story. When she was 15 years old, she was kidnapped by her friends' dad. He put her to sleep and tattooed his last name on her back all big and bold. She is so traumatized from the experience. As she's telling us this, Sister Delgado and I are absolutely sobbing. She was asking us if her body is still a temple. I've never in my life felt so strongly God's love for one of His children. I had never before felt so much conviction in saying that the Lord and His Gospel can heal all wounds – physical and spiritual. I want you to know, whoever is reading this, that you are loved. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for you specifically so that He whould know how to help you overcome the challenges and trials in your life. He knows. As real and as scary as anything in your life is right now, He knows. He is the only one that can fully understand and that can fully help you. So, turn to Him and let Him help you. His hand is stretched you, you just have to take it. I testify that no matter what you've done in your life or whatever has happened to you, The Savior can heal you. You just have to let Him. So act. Go to church, read your scriptures, pray. Do the simple things everyday to draw just a little bit closer to Him everyday and I can promise it will change your life. After all, faith without works is dead, right?
Saturday was one year since I opened my mission call. I can't believe that was a whole year ago. It's been the best year of my whole life. Lots of growing up, lots of changing, but I've never been so happy or felt so close to the Lord.
On Sunday our investigator Fred came to church and he really wants to be baptized! I'm so excited for him! Today we had our Zone Activity at Lignon Hill and it was way fun. Life in Legazpi is crazy, there's not one uneventful day. Saturday is transfer announcement and I can't belive it's already here. I'm just praying I get to stay in Legazpi with Sister Delgado for Christmas but I know whatever happens, it'll be great.
I love you all! Have a great week!
Sister Wilkins
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Re:
1. Chelsey and Miley Gonzales. I love them.
2. With Sister Guanzon and Iza (a less active member) at a baptism
3. Iza. I love her.
Jesus is the best
Hello Hello Hello!
How was Thanksgiving? We didn't even celebrate it. They don't celebrate it in the Philippines. I was literally sitting in District Meeting and looked at my planner and said "oh, it's Thanksgiving today" but sister Delgado and I have planned to go to this fancy restaurant on Wednesday to celebrate it. It won't be the same, because pretty much it's the family that makes the holiday but it'll still be fun!
This week was great! still working, still tracting, still seeing miracles. To answer your questions, I have one bruise and a few scrapes from my fall last week. I'm A-Okay. no soreness or lasting anything. It was seriously a miracle. Some of the investigators we tracted last week are progressing so much! They haven't been to church due to some family problems, but oh man. One of them, her name is Joanne and she is SO RECEPTIVE. We gave her the assignment of reading 2 Nephi 31 and she read it and she was telling us how she had this super spiritual experience as she was reading it and she cried. She said she really wants to repent and be baptized. It was one of those experiences where I was like "oh yeah, the Lord REALLY DOES prepare people. She's so ready it's incredible. Another one is named Michelle and she's my favorite. When I met her I just clicked really well with her and we were able to joke around and stuff. She is the one who totally said she was feeling the Spirit. She read part of the pamphlet we gave her and she said the same feeling came back as in our first lesson. I just know that there are people out there literally just waiting for someone to come and give them the Gospel. That's the beauty of the Philippines. They are very strong Christians and want to do whatever He wants for them, we just have to help them realize truthfulness. It's beautiful.
On Wendesday we taught a lesson and the lady's husband was drunk and decided he wanted to join. It was mostly just funny. he said in a total slur "Jesus is the best" and I'm just cracking up. We just ended the lesson and left because we weren't getting anywhere with that present. But really guys, Jesus IS the best. I was thinking about that the whole week. Our Father in Heaven loves us SO much that He gave us His Son. And Christ loves us so much that He gave us His life and EVERYTHING that He has. It's all because of love. Literally everything. He's totally the best.
On Saturday night we had a church tour. It was absolutely incredible! Lots of investigators came and it was SUCH a good experience. Legazpi Ward is the best ward in the Philippines. I swear. I absolutely love these people.
On Sunday we learned Tagalog Christmas Songs in Relief Society and I'm SO excited to sing them at our ward Christmas party! The Philippines knows how to Christmas. Tomorrow is our Christmas Conference and I'm SO EXCITED! I taught Sister Delgado a song on the Uke for it and it's gonna be great! Wehad a practice earlier and it's just... yes. There's dance moves and everything for our Zone presentation.
and then that's all I've got for now. Until next time. I love you all!
Sister Wilkins
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Re: "Your companion is felling!"
Ah! i forgot! Our mission finally got a senior couple! Elder and Sister Mulligan from... England! Dad they're from Birmingham! (for y'all who don't know, that's my dad's mission) They're cuties! Sister Mulligan is Filipino and and Elder Mulligan is pure British. Theyr'e amazing. They were converts to the church in the 70s or 80s but they were in London South Mission then so I don't think you'd know them dad, but small world talaga!
Re: Week 33 Pictures
1. That hair is getting cut later today. Hello short hair again!
2. Hi Jazz. i miss you.
3. relief society activity
4. After the Fall...
Week 33 Pictures
1. The Coh family (less actives) owns a Karaoke bar. The definition of Filipino.
2. the Coh family
3. Your gurl and some foliage
4. More foliage
"Your companion is felling!"
HELLLOOOO! This week was absolutely amazing. I love being a missionary.
I haven't cried this much in lessons on my whole mission. Ever since I got into the MTC, my emotions when it comes to gospel things just kind of stopped. It was definitely a blessing because I was scared that I would be crying in like every lesson on my mission. I only cried in two lessons in Bulan, but I cried in three just this week. We tracted this woman named Michelle and I connected with her so well right from the start. The Spirit was SO strong in the lesson and it was just like exactly what I wanted my mission to be like. It was like I was just being completely guided by the Spirit in EVERYTHING and she was SO prepared to hear the Restored gospel. She accepted our baptismal invitation and I just can't really explain in words how amazing and sweet the experience was. That lesson was the definition of why I wanted to serve a mission in the first place. I love being a missionary. We picked up lots of amazing new investigators this week and had some amazing lessons. The spirit has been so strong in every lesson this week. I love life.
In the Philippines when the power goes out, it's not a blackout, it's a brownout. haha. I don't know why they call it that, but we had like 3 this week. And we're not allowed to proselyte when the power is out. It hindered our work a lot, but we were eating dinner at this little cafe with a generator when the power went out so we just stayed there and waited out the rain and it was so nice to be able to just talk and relax. Missionary work is my favorite, but every once in a while, I need a break. I think we all need to slow down sometimes in our lives. Plus there was a Utah Jazz game playing on the TV and it felt like home. I was trying not to look at it but I mean come on. The restaurants here are about the closest as it gets to America.
So funny story, last night we went to our investigator's house that's up a mountain. We get up there fine and we teach a great lesson with two members, but the rain starts pouring and it gets dark. It gets to a point where we just have to leave, so we tag team it down the hill moving really slowly holding flashlights and umbrellas. Their house is probably like 30 feet up but there's stairs until about halfway and then you have to hike the rest. I of course was the leader with my Utah Girl experience with climbing mountains (seriously no one here knows how to handle a steep hill). I was almost to the stairs, you just have to cross a rock. So I go to cross the rock and the next second I'm flying through the air thinking "this is it. I'm going to die right now." but for some reason I'm alive. It was like when you die on a video game but you come back to life and the character is just standing their blinking and you can't move for a little bit. I only fell like 4 feet, and I'm trying to comprehend what happened and I hear Sister Delgado screaming and our member present yelling in his Filipino accent "your companion is felling!" All I have to say is it's a miracle I'm alive. I escaped with a few scratches and that's it. The way the hill and everything was set up, I should've rolled down the mountain. One of my shoes did and it didn't make it out. (Yeah, there's gonna be a charge on my credit card for new shoes, mom). There had to have been some divine intervention in that, there's no other explanation. I was promised ministering angels when I was set apart and I'm pretty sure I claimed that last night. I'm still laughing that that happened though. But don't worry mom, I'm fine. I'm still breathing.
I love you all so very much! Thank you for your continuous support towards me! Have a great week!
Sister Wilkins
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Re: Pictures Week 32
1. The closest thing to an art museum here. The coffee shop. Where we get hot cocoa.
2. Living the life.
Pictures Week 32
1. Sister Hill and I
2. Sister Padre. I love her.
3. Princess, the Guanzon's daughter. So cute.
4. biboy. and My hair. haha
Splits, splits, and more splits
Hello! It was a crazy week! So much happened.
Tuesday was MLC, so all of the STL's came to Legazpi and slept in our apartment. Two of the STL's are also training so we went on exchanges with their trainees all day. I had been in our area for one week at that point, but praise the heavens because I actually remembered places. But leading the area after one week? Rough buddy. I went with Sister Hill. She's from Utah and it was basically like I was training again. I think I've been a little spoiled not having to lead so much and I needed a reminder of what it was like. That night Sister Delgado and I went out for dinner because let's be real we deserved it and it was so much fun. There was even Michael Buble Christmas playing. It was like America all over again. I'm definitely being spoiled here. Let's just hope I'm here for Christmas.
On Wednesday we went to the mission home after tracting in that area. The Guanzon children love me. And we made the facebook page, so I hope you enjoyed that, mom. Sister Guanzon was like "Let me take a picture of you. Your moms are on the facebook page. They'll love this" haha We went on splits that night with their daughter and another member. On Thursday we did splits again with Sister Atun (she's 71 years old and more youthful than I am. Wut.) and Aiza. Then Saturday Splits again with Sister Atun and Nanay Fe. Basically I'm learning the area the hard way.. haha.
We had Zone Training on Friday and earlier today we practiced for our zone presentation at Christmas Conference. I'm in charge of a musical number of Silent Night and I'm playing the role of "mother" in the "golden family". We're gonna win. I got a boat load of mail at the meeting so I've got lots of responses to write, but THANK YOU to all who sent me a letter or something. It was much needed.
At church on Sunday, Biboy wanted to sit by me and he stole my planner and wrote his name in it for later that night and he planned his own lesson. It was the cutest thing. I taught them how to play "I'm Yours" on the ukulele and we sing it every time we go over there. When we were leaving their house, Aleah (their cousin who's our investigator) pulled me aside and told me she had to tell me something. She whispered in my ear and said "you are the best sister we've ever had". My heart melted. Basically I love people and I died.
We're planning a church tour in two weeks and I'm so excited! We're working on our progressing investigators trying to get them to church, but things keep coming up. Dang it, Satan. We tracted 9 hours this week and lots of new investigators are coming up. We're looking for a golden family that I know the Lord is preparing for us.
Basically I'm loving this place and I'm learning so much. And you get a longer email because here in the city, the internet actually loads fast. I love life.
I love you all so much!
Sister Wilkins
Sunday, November 8, 2015
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