Conference and Crying

Hello! What a week it was. I just love my life.

Wednesday we had another Boodle Fight with Sister Mary Rose this time. It was theee best. Filipinos know how to cook, man. Can anyone believe that Thursday was my 6 month mark? What. I can't process how fast time has gone and I want it to slow down. I mean, I miss y'all, but I love being a missionary so much. Friday we had Zone Training. My Zone is the best zone, for reals. The sisters from my district got asked to do a musical number and we decided to sing this Polynesian song that I had learned in the MTC from the Samoan sisters. We get to zone training and find out that one of the other districts had also been asked to sing and they planned the exact same song. It was hilarious. So we combined and it was glorious. I love the way that music brings the Spirit more than anything else.

I must be a really special daughter of God or something because the entire General Conference was actually all for me. Just kidding. But seriously. Saturday and Sunday were the best days of my whole life. Ok maybe that's an exaggeration but yeah. I can't even. Conference was SO GOOD. and we had 6 investigators come! I love hearing from those called of God. I learned SO much and I received so many answers to questions that I have. I cried through every session. It was amazing. We went to the church during priesthood session to see if our investigator Arturo had gone and we get there and I got to sing once again with Mendy conducting. I cried. haha Shoutout to Mr. Mendenhall. It seriously was amazing to see him up on the big screen. Elder Holland's talk had me sobbing. I love you, mom. Plus Elder Haynie spoke and I just met him last transfer! His talk was incredible! I learned so many things of how I can improve myself and become more Christlike and I'm so motivated to get started! I just have one question:

What's your verse?

I love you all! Have a great week!

Sister Wilkins

Re: Week 27 Pictures

1. The other sister's investigator who loves me. We taught her on exchanges.

2. 3 weeks left. Goodbye 12 week program. It's been my whole mission.

3. We celebrated Sister Araneta's birthday this morning by singing to her and popping bags full of flour on her. Then we had a fight. It was fun.

Re: Week 27 Pictures

1. Baby wave at General Conference. I love this branch.

2. The Molina Family minus one at General Conference :D

3. Tatay Tanada is the cutest human being.

Balut.

HELLOOOOO! Life is good. Life is crazy, but life is good.

Tuesday we went on exchanges. Sister Routhier led our area brilliantly while I learned about a million things from Sister Lapuz in Bulan Branch. It was a blast. I love exchanges because I learn SO much. for reals. AND then that evening, I finally became a real Filipino. I ate Balut. Please look it up to see a picture because we had only a video of me eating it. What it is is the half-developed embryo of a duck. It's so weird. Sister Eneja fed it to me with my eyes closed because I didn't want to see what it looked like.. haha. But I did it!

On Wednesday we had a branch activity for Family Week and it was the funnest thing. Every family did a presentation as well as the different organizations. Man, you can't get that kind of entertainment in America. Everyone is way good at dancing and singing here. It's the best. We had so many investigators attend and it was such a great night!

On Saturday we had surprise exchanges. I went back to Bulan Branch with Sister Eneja. It was the best. I love when people give me a face that says "how the heck do you know this language? you're white" It happened in our first lesson that day. We watched Women's Conference that afternoon. I cried. So hard. I absolutely can't wait until General Conference next week. I've been preparing my list of questions to be answered for about a month now. I'm well prepared.

I've been helping Sister Lapuz almost every night to study English. She's trying to pass this test they offer to Filipinos that gets them into BYU Hawaii full-ride. I absolutely love Filipinos. They are the cutest things. Also English is a weird language and I don't even understand it.

I've learned SO much this week. I'm so grateful to be a missionary. Talaga. It is THEE best thing. I hope you all are doing well!

Mahal Kita!

Sister Wilkins

Re: Pictures Week 25

1. These young women though... I love them so much

Magaling

HELLOOOOOOOOO!

What a great week. Talaga. Two Family Home Evenings, lots of less active work (they came to church!!), and a service project, and working with the young women.

We had a great experience where we tried to visit Arturo but the lady at his house (I don't know if it was his wife or what) was not very happy that we were there. He wasn't there, so the lady starts telling us this story and is rambling for like three minutes straight and I'm only picking up bits and pieces of what she's saying because she's speaking Bicol and not Tagalog. I understood that she thought he was crazy because he's looking for truth. So we didn't get to teach him this week, but he came to church again! So basically we just need to bring members with us that can actually understand what the heck is going on. I'm really excited for him! He's SO receptive. He was asking and answering questions again in Gospel Principles on Sunday. Talk about golden.

Saturday we did a service project with the branch at a school. We cleaned up and made it quite beautiful. I used my weeding skills that mum taught me. And I got to fulfill my lifelong dream of wearing a Mormon helping hands vest! It was a good day!

Yesterday we spoke in sacrament meeting. My talk was all in Tagalog. I got many compliments after about my language skills. One of the brothers in our District Presidency told me I'm a Filipina now! haha. But for serious. I have struggled SO much with the language and seeing the progress just makes me so grateful to my Father in Heaven. I don't deserve all that He gives me. The Gift of Tongues is real, people. That evening we got to do some less active work with three of the young women who are prospective missionaries. All three lessons with them were incredibly spiritual. The young women here are absolutely incredible. I wish I was like them at their age. They're pretty much all Annie.

The weeks go by so fast. I can't believe it's almost October. We are behind a week on the whole SLC broadcasts because of the time difference, so this Saturday we get to watch the Women's Broadcast, and then next week will be General Conference. I am so incredibly excited! I've been waiting FOREVER for general conference. You luckies get it this weekend.

Welp. I love you all! Have a great week!

Mahal,

Sister Wilkins

Re: Week 24 Pictures

1. I love my kasama