Mangoes, Funerals, and Baptisms

What a week, what a week. I still can't fully grasp that I live here and that I am a missionary. Dream come true for me. So much goes on here but when we sit down to email I forget it all...

Basically life is amazing. Saturday we had two baptisms and I cried. The church is true people, I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Sister Pamela is 15 and she is a Filipina version of Annie. So of course I've grown attached to her. She left today for home, she's just been here for the summer. I'm super sad to see her leave. But the work must go on!

Fun fact about me: My new favorite fruit is the mango. Well, it might still be pineapple but I haven't tried one from here yet. But holy heck. Mangoes here fall straight from heaven, I swear. One of the families we teach has a fruit stand and I bought a ton from them just because they're so delicious. 

Also on Saturday we attended a funeral for a man in our branch. We were asked to sing a hymn together. So Be Still My Soul in Tagalog it was! I can sing Tagalog, and I can read it, and I can understand most of it, but I can't speak it. THat's frustrating. But comparing to where I was last week, all I have to say is there is no way that the gift of tongues isn't a real thing. 

One thing I've learned is that God really does prepare people to receive the restored gospel. There are people who are just ready. There are other people who need more time, and that's okay. As missionaries, we are either finding, teaching, and baptizing those who have been prepared, or planting seeds. Ang Plano ng Diyos ay perpekto!

Mahal Kita!

Sister Wilkins

The last MTC Pictures

1. President Trask MTC President) and I

2. Jacob District for the last time :( I cried shortly after this

LEGAZPI

First week sa field:

shower out of a bucket everyday: check

walk through a rice field: check

teach in a grass hut: check

butcher the Tagalog language: check

get stares for being white: check

sweat a lot: check

wear a bun in my hair and no makeup everyday: check

realize the gift of tongues: check

fall in love with the people: check

love being a missionary: double check

I have been assigned in a city called Bulan, about 2 hours from Legazpi. Our area is called San Vicente. My kasama, Sister Tarantan and I are opening an area that was previously closed and combining it with her old area. It's a lot of work but it's great! I'm the first american to serve here so you best believe I get lots of stares and double takes.

The culture here is amazing. So different than the US, but I love LOVE it. My only real struggle is the language. It's hard, but I was personally promised that if I did my best and gave my all, that I'd be fluent in 3 months. SO HERE WE GO! Anyone and everyone who has learned a language or is learning a language, what are some strategies that you found helpful or ways that helped you? yeah? I could use all the help I can get.

Since being here, the Lord has really taught me patience. We all know how impatient I was before I left, and in the MTC that was the main thing I learned. Patience with myself, with others, with God's plan for me, everything. I find peace in knowing that I am right where I'm supposed to be and that I will be where I'm supposed to be in the future.

So this upcoming Satuday we have two baptisms! Sister Sunshine and Sister Pamela. Basically I love these people so much. Even though I can't understand half of the things they're saying to me, I just adore them. I had to speak in Sacrament meeting yesterday and it was the definition of Taglish, man. But it wasn't even scary because the people are just SO loving and SO accepting. I'm very very blessed to be here.

I love you all!

Sister Wilkins

This weeks pictures

1. My kasama, Ashley, and I. We met her at the temple and she wanted a picture with us! :D

2. Some of my favorite sisters

Hello hello hello errybody! 

Last week in the MTC here I come! I am beyond ready to get out of here and to hit the streets and teach people!

I feel like the weeks blur together and I'm not even sure what happened this week so I'll try to remember...

Talking to my family on Monday was thee best! I love you all so much! Even though I missed some of you, I still love you!!!

Sooo.. one cool thing from this week: we walked through the MTC with the mission of sharing a message in Tagalog to the workers there. My kasama and I talked to a guy named Randy who works in the kitchen and turns out he's not a member. I actually was able to bear my testimony to him in Tagalog and we invited him to continue reading the Book of Mormon after he told us he has one. Whenever we see him we yell "HI RANDY" and he gets this big grin. I love people.

I went proselyting on Wednesday in the Manila mission and to be honest, it was awful. The language barrier is real. My kasama wasn't really letting me talk even when I did know what to say so that was hard. But the people are so nice. At one point she was talking to a couple and their kids were just kind of standing there staring at me so I started talking to them and they were smiling and laughing and were happy that I knew even a little Tagalog. Have I mentioned that I love the people? well, I do. We didn't get to teach an actual lesson because everyone seemed to be not home so we did a lot of OYMs and walking around. I now have the weirdest tan line on my foot because I was wearing my jelly sandals... haha. I learned a lot though. Even though it wasn't as incredible as last week. Not every day in the mission will be ideal and it's gonna be hard so I'm glad that I got to experience that.

It's crazy to think that one week from now I'll be out there. I'm so ready. I know I'll pick up the language much better out there. I've learned so much since being here and I've grown so much. I've never appreciated the Atonement of our Savior more and I've never felt the love that God has for each and every one of his children so much before. I KNOW that God loves us. I KNOW that He sent His son to atone for our sins and to feel every sorrow or pain that we ever have felt or ever will felt. Our Savior has been there and He is there for us. The thing my testimony has grown the most on is prayer. God truly is listening. I KNOW THAT. Without a shadow of a doubt.

Anyways, I love you all and I'm so grateful for each and every one of you and the role you have in my life, whether large or small, you've made an impact on who I am and where I am. Mahal mahal kita! Sobrang mahal!

Sister Wilkins

All Things Come Together for Good

Hello hello hello!

This was yet another incredible week out here! But I'm definitely ready to get out to the field.

So they split up my trio because Sister Ukukala from the last departing batch had to stay back because her mission wasnt ready for her. So she is Sister Loyola's kasama and mine is Sister Bell. It's been really good because Sister Bell and I are on the same level of Tagalog pretty much so we've been able to work together on it. We now teach just us two to our investigators so we have to speak up more. It's hard but I've learned a lot from it. It's very humbling. Plus I'm freaking out inside because they speak a different dialect in Legazpi and I can't even learn this one... But it's all okay because I KNOW I can do it. It will just take time. The Lord has called me here for a reason and He also called me to learn this language.

Wednesday was the best day of my whole entire life. We went to the temple and bore testimonies again and that was great. Then we went to the temple housing right next to the MTC and we had to knock on doors alone and go in and teach a lesson. I was scared beyond belief. Finally I just walked up to a door and knocked and this adorable 13 year old girl answers. I introduced myself and asked if I could teach them and she let me in. There were 3 other girls in the room. I talked about how God has a plan for us and about how much He loves us. It was super hard in my broken Tagalog, but they still understood me. Basically it was incredible and the Spirit was so strong. They wanted pictures with me and then as I was leaving, the girl who opened the door took the ring off her finger and handed it to me and said "for remembrance". Basically I wanted to cry. I hugged her really tight. I love the Filipino people. Seriously. The ring says love on it and I haven't taken it off since. Also I'm a little concerned as to why I have the same ring size as a 13 year old filipino girl. It was incredible. AND THEN we went proselyting. Like into the real world. My mgakasama were Sister Ukakala and a sister from Quezon City North mission whom I can't remember her name. ANYWAYS, we rode a jeepney from the mission home and walked to our first investigator's house, brother Samuel. His wife is a member. I cannot put into words how good these people make me feel. I know like zero Tagalog, so I'm sitting there trying my best and he's just smiling at me and nodding. He asked me to explain a scripture from the Bible to him and I actually did it. Like what even. It was so incredible. There was some serious Taglish going down, but he understood what I was teaching. THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS REAL. yeah. Then we walked to a less active's house. As we were walking, this group of three like 7 year old boys started following us and looking at me and pointing and saying "magandang" which means beautiful. Sometimes I'm okay with being white. Plus the sisters got a new contact because this old guy walked up to me and wanted to know where I was from. Being white isn't all bad. I love it here so so much. The people are amazing. So loving and so generous and so humble. They give so much even though they have so little. And there's nothing cuter than a little Filipino kid.

I basically cannot wait to get out into the field. We're the Senior Batch now and it's so weird. It feels like I got here yesterday, but it also feels like I've been here for eternity. I want to go teach real people and be out there doing the work of the Lord. I'm so so grateful to have been called here and I know it's where I'm supposed to be. 2 more weeks and I'm outta here. I know with all of my heart and soul that this Church is true and that conviction gets stronger every single day. I still struggle loads with the language, but I know it will come in the Lord's time so long as I put my effort in.

I love my life and I love you all. Can't wait to talk to you, my pamilia, on Sunday!

Mahal Kita!

Sister Wilkins

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Fwd:

I guess the mission equivalent of getting a phone number is getting an email. Bahaha. I love Filipinos! Enjoy this picture of us! haha this was the morning we got up at 4 am to say goodbye to Elder Crichton so don't look too close at me.