Week 36

Maayong Hapon!!!!!! (Cebuano ko na) :)

Well, life in Cebu is progressing :) My Cebuano improving. This is my first area that is Cebuano and I miss Waray-waray soooooo much! But, I will continue! Because I know that I am needed to learn all these languages for a reason! And to share the gospel with these wonderful people. Throughout my mission that has been something I have noticed. I need these languages to help specific people with specific problems. I can testify that it is really hard, but all worthwhile when you see the Light of Christ grow in someone’s eyes. 

This still is a pretty big city coming from Tacloban. I had my first ever lesson on a couch this last week. It was the weirdest sensation ever! Hahah, I am used to dirt floors and swatting my legs every minute to keep mosquitoes away, even though I still have to swat the mosquitoes :) they just love that foreigner blood! I am like a five star buffet here! But, throughout my whole stay here in the Pines, I continue to grow and recognize even further the beauty if this place and culture. These people are amazing! And are eager to hear what we have to share. I don’t care if it is just because I am white, it gives me an opportunity to plant a seed in someone’s heart that will eventually grow. 

I am still working on reading everyone’s emails since the storm, so please be patient! It has been pretty crazy. But I would love to continue to hear from you all, so I will put my new address at the bottom. The President Aban, the stake Pres of Tacloban, evacuated with his family to my ward, so it has helped with my waray-waray hunger :) They shared with us this week that most likely, everything will be back by January. Here's hoping! Hahah, I love this place, don’t get me wrong, and I know that I am needed here for a purpose, but I miss my home back in Tacloban. I miss the people, I miss my friends, and I miss the culture there. Trust me, one island hop and it’s a whole new world! For example... you never saw people holding hands or being lovey-dovey anywhere, here... it's like an LOC problem everywhere! Hahah, but, adjustments are key to every new thing. 

I am so continually grateful for this blessing to serve the Lord, and for this call to help all that I come in contact with recognize the great plan that our Father has for him. I know that through every trial comes something to help and bless our lives. I can testify of that and the great happiness that comes from following the commandments. I hope that you all have a great week and that you all will continue to pray for those who are devastated by the storm. I love you all sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much :)

SISTER BRAY 

Philippines Cebu East Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints Compound
Bajac, Liloan, Cebu 6002
Philippines 

PIC: My companions: Sister Diongco and Sister Ande.....They are amazing!!!!I 

Week 35

Maupay nga udto nadto tanan,

So we were evacuated to Manila last week, and it was a crazy week up there. Full of emotions, full of just about everything.It took about 2 days for us to get up there. A ferry ride and a very long bus ride. But we made it! And immediately ate some yummy pinoy MTC food! Then had a meeting with the area presidency. They shared with us about the devastation. coping, and moving on and the safety of others. Sister French, the area Mental advisor shared some very profound things with us of we chose this in the Pre-existence. That we didn't want others to go through this and offered up ourselves. That we are of the Elect and were needed for that specific reason. I am grateful for her and her sharing that, because I don't know how most of us could have coped without that. WE were still waiting for two zones to arrive! WE still had very little contact with them, but knew of their travels and that they should be arriving within the next day. Our stay there was fun, it was amazing to be with all our friends again and joke to get it all off of our minds, but at the same time, it was rather sad. Because we kept having flashbacks, thinking of all that were lost, thinking of it all, and then finding out that the 204 MISSIONARIES would be getting reassigned. That our PTM family would be getting separated, and that the Elders and Sister assigned to go home in the next 4 months would be going home now, was pretty insane. And then that we probably wont be going back for 5months+... IT will be entirely different from now on. Most of the Foreigners were assigned in Cebuano Speaking areas, and the Pinoys in Luzon areas, where there is Tagalog. 18 of us came to the Cebu East Mission, and again it has been the gnarliest adventure yet. We keep hearing of the church and all they are sharing about us right now and even non members and the help we have been  receiving, so many blessings.

Some of these missionaries again are just lost now. They will not be the same again. Along with the 3 batches that the church asked to go home to accommodate for all of us, many other missionaries went home from trauma, depression, injury, and worry. Since being transferred here in Cebu East, those feelings have started to creep in, but I don't want to go home yet. So I am still fighting on.

This Mission is entirely different than PTM.... I will set it up in ways for y'all to understand. So the Philippines for the church is set up into regions. We were region 8 (District12 from Hunger Games), and moved up to region 7 when we got transferred to Cebu East (we give it a District 4)(With Manila being the Capitol of course) It is entirely different here and for some who have been Waray their whole missions, switching back to the 6weeks of bisaya that we slightly remember adds on to the weird factor. Hahahah, Ok I just have to share what I said when we got to the mission Home... "Guys, I'm not even kidding.. It feels like I was livin' in West Philadelphia and moved to Bel-Air, right now." It seriously does though!! Hahah, everything here is so different. Psh, and in Tacloban, you rarely saw white people, and when you did, you honestly questioned "what are you doing here?" We come here and see a bunch of Joes! They are everywhere and it freaks us out! Its a really big adjustment so far and I hope that It will continue to be at least ok. Because we are all kinda home sick... We want PTM back. We keep crackin jokes about going back to region 8 and how use we are to poverty and bukid. There is no bukid here! Hahah, but we love it too. Especially the Tanners, they are amazing and when the Area presidency told us of our new callings they specifically said that it was to our mission presidents, and we are needed to help them and those we are now called to serve. I know the Lord will help us through this time and wew will be able to bless so many through this time. 

I love you all so much and I am so very grateful as well for this great experience to come closer to my Brothers and Sisters through this experience and as well, My Father and Kuya. Please continue to pray for those devastated by the storm and that all will be well in the Leyte and Samar..

SISTER BRAY

PS D&C6

Week 34

Maupay nga udto sa aton tanan

So I am not sure if everybody heard about the signal 4 super typhoon that hit the Philippines recently... But our mission is gone. Everything in Tacloban is literally gone and has been washed out. There is no more mission head quarters. No more chapel there. Everything is gone. We keep hearing different counts of how many have died. As of right now, we hear that it is 10k.....and mostly the homeless children that live around the church... I still can't wrap my head around it, or come to fathom that my last area there, my friends there, could be dead.... I'm starting to cry in this small computer shop so lemme change he subject....

So, as of right now, here is all the we know... We will have a 2-3 month brown out(no power at all, no water except for the boomba that is all rusty. Thankfully the drinking water place has a generator). There is only one computer shop here that has a generator and it is in UEP(university of eastern Philippines). We see all the videos of the devastation did to and actually how bad it is. All of us are accounted for, though. We are all alive. My area is an 8 hour drive from Tacloban and on a different island. So we were not hit at all. It built up here like a plane landing, and then it landed in Tacloban.

 We went to our Zone activity this morning, preparing to get it off our minds, and President Andaya called, and we have had no contact with him the for the past 3 days. We finally got signal on Saturday night and found out more news, but still were not able to find out how Tacloban was. President called with news from the Area of the Seventy and told us what we needed to do. That plan changed 3 times within the next hour. We were to go to Allen, which is 2 hours away and get on a ferrie and go to Bicol, and from there a flight to Manila and stay there for who knows how long. Then, that changed to trying to get an airplane to land here in Catarmans airport, but that didn't work either... So now we have been asked to wait in our areas for 3 days and then we will know what we are supposed to do. And when we are all to be transferring. That's all we know so far.... And other than that, we are lost. No one can focus and get their minds off all that has happened.... We are all just basically here. And everyone is accounted for!

It still breaks my heart to know of all the pain that has just hit, ans knowing that we can't do anything. Even the bridge that is required to get there, is broken. So we have no way to get there! But, we do have the Lords promise that all will be fine, that everyone has their own plan to return safely to Him and receive eternal happiness, His eternal promise, "And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold, I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise."Moroni 7:41...The psalm of Nephi has brought great comfort to all of us here and knowing that the Lord will never forsake us, His children. And that we will continually receive his comfort. 

I love you all so very much and hope that all is well in all the places you are. I'll be sure to keep you posted on everything that we are doing and where we are really :) LOVE YOU

Typhoon Update

Sister Claire Bray called this morning. She is safe and doing well. She and other missionaries were moved to a safer location before the storm hit. The area she is currently serving in was hit pretty bad. She worries for her friends and is ready to get back and help. I am not sure when she will be emailing again but we will continue to post her emails to her blog. 

Week 32

Hello Everybody,

Soooo this week has been pretty great! We had companion exchanges, which was probably one of the best experiences! I learned so much on that exchange with Sister Cabrera. Hidden talents that I have and blessings the Lord has given me. And especially the blessing he gives all His children. We worked in Sister Cabrera's area, Catarman First ward, and we actually live in the same apartment :) Sangkay kami  :) (We're best friends) Their ward is more, well i will be blunt, they are rich. But we worked in the area that i love the most, the pobre area, because these people are always more than willing to hear what we have to say, grow in their faith, and always are so happy:) We met a brother, who hasn't been to church in a long time. He shared how his son said the week before that he couldn't go because he doesn't have actual shoes, tsinellas la(only slippers). He lost his hand in an accident when he was younger as well. We were only able to talk to him and invite him to come to church, even in tsinelas, and he did! IT was the best thing ever to see his faith come back and to see that big smile as we walked into the chapel.

We are also preparing for cute Kelisha Mae this Saturday! She turned nine yesterday and couldn’t be more excited for her baptism! Her family too! Such a blessing! We made some new investigators this week as well, Antonio and Rhenia Emanyo. They are Born Again, and even finished Sister Douds How to Begin Teaching.... it was kind of crazy! hahaha, they have the biggest faith in the Lord and are so amazing! We taught them at their Fruit stand on the side of the highway, which was rather noisy, but at the same time, so filled with the spirit. They are busy all the time though with selling fruit and church stuff, but they want us to come back! And they even gave us free saging and thanked us for sharing with Filipinos so that they can prepare for the second coming. People here are rather terrified of it, so they all want to prepare the best they can. our investigator Regina especially. She saw in the news a Catholic church that was destroyed by the earthquake and took it as a sign that she knows where the kamatuoran(truth) is. She just needs to come to church. She knows it is true and is doing everything she can. She hasn’t come to church before. Kind of hard really. But, the Lord truly has her prepared, because everybody at church always asks how she is doing.

Well, I love you all and hope that you all have an amazing week! I love and miss you all, so y'all  better keep in touch all the time!!!

SISTER BRAY

Earthquake Update

We had a pretty gnarly earthquake this morning.... we were getting ready and i started feeling light headed, because I was swaying. But ends up once I saw the chandelier(sp) doing the same thing, it was an earthquake :)

We have been asked to email our family to let them know that we are alive and well, and that the earthquake did no harm to us. PS if anyone knows the magnitude or will look up the earthquake that happened in Northern Samar and let me know what it was, that would be really sweet!

I love you all and will write again on Monday!

Week 31

Hello Erabody

So Conference, AWESOME! I know I am little behind and that it was last week, but hey, It's the Philippines:) We gotta watch the Priesthood Session as well, and I will tell you, that one was amazing! I loved it! My favorite would have to have been from Uchtdorf. And how he related the story of his falling down while skiing and having his 12 year old grandson com and say "You can do it now!" Just as our Heavenly Father continues to encourage us to succeed and to accomplish much!  And even helping others as the main point. To be the one to tell the world you can do this! Don't worry. Someone has your back and they will never leave! Gah, I love it! And Randy D Funk, Missionary work, there is nothing greater :) hahaha I truly love it here and being with all these people and to see heir desires to have that backbone of strength that comes from our Savior.

Other talks that I really loved were Sister Carole M. Stephans and of course, the basically sports announcer, S. Gifford Nielsen, and holy crap, looking back on my notes right now, pretty sure i loved every single one and learned from each of these wonderful people! It was amazing to say the least! :)

This week as well, our investigator, who is still having trouble making it to church, shared with us in our lesson on faith, something really profound.... She told us she knows it's true! All of it! And she even called us instruments in Gods hands to come to her and bring the restored gospel to her.. I was like, "YES!!!!" But on the inside of course :) Hahaha, I am still in amazement at how great a lesson it was and this whole week as well, I can definitely tell just how much we are all cared for and loved for! I love it! Well, I love you all and hope that you all have an amazing week as well :) And keep me up to date on y'alls lives ha?!??

This picture is from a couple weeks ago when we got locked out of our apartment in a brown out at 8m... we slept in the other sisters area and got to do weekly planning on the beach.... it was heaven!

Week 30

So one year ago, something really amazing happened... I was able to serve 2 years earlier than planned :) And it's been an amazing journey since! 

TO celebrate it with a baptism, FHE and so many amazing families here, was probably the best day ever! Minus the all day brown out! Which almost pushed the baptism back... we were about to bring buckets of water and fill up the font even! Hahah, you know how black outs in America are like an adventure? "Okay , everybody grab the candles and flash lights and get ready for the best night ever!"..... ya, it's not like that here. Hahah, its really a burden and especially with how recurrent they are. BAsta, it was the best day ever!

We had lessons in the morning, and one with Kate and Marife, who i swear, i cry every time I go there because of just how strong their faith is and how amazing they are. They are mother and Daughter and reminding me exactly of Mom, with how big their hearts are and how strong they are even with all the massive trials they have in their life. Even if they have to wait for forever, they wan this in their lives so badly. See they aren't married to their asaua's so they have to go through a bunch of finance stuff to get it... but they will continue to fight on! :)

We also had a great FHE to celebrate Brother Abel's birthday and a recent convert, Sister Jenny! It was amazing! Although, i lost at bitoy botobotoy bitotoy ans had to share a talent..... I sang Justin Bieber "Babay"......  I'm noy proud, but they loved it! Hahahaha, we bought a cake as well and ate delicious pancit and partied until curfew :) Hahaha, t was such a great day to celebrate!

Oh, we have also started teaching English! All members so fat, but we invited them to bring their friends by next time! It should be really fun! We also got punted for a lesson, but their neighbor was like, "Sulod Soster!" Come inside sister! WE got three new investigators! :) Filipinos are the best! hahahah :)

Well, I love you all so much and hope that you all had a great week and enjoyed conference! Can't wait til the weekend to see it! :)

SISTER BRAY

Week 29

Sorry this is short, i was responding to emails and then BAM, we gotta brown out. (black out, but its called a brown out here... i don't get it) So this will just be pictures because most likely another one will be coming soon. We went shopping to pass the time until the power came back on, so now here i am retyping :) 

So highlights this week... we were walking in our normal Barangay(neighborhood) and pass the basketball court. These kids are like "Sister! Sister! Sister Bray, come play!" and i was like "We have work!" they were very persistent and very cute, so i caved :) "Alright, just one shot!"..........THREE POINTER!!!!!!! WHAT!!! :) Hahahah, best thing ever, now everybody over there knows me as Utah Jazz :) Hahah, its awesome!

Another highlight, this happened today..... I pet a Tiger!!!!!!!!! Coolest thing ever!! And we totes became best friends! There was also a white wolf, but he was kinda more sketchy :) who would think that right? But it was! Hahah :) I will send pictures of my experience... PS this is all at the gym. Only in the Philippines :)

Really big highlight..... we have a baptism coming up on Saturday :) Her name is Jenalyn and lives with her Aunty in our ward. The family she lives with is all members and she is super awesome. She came to church i guess 12 times before anybody said anything or the missionaries found out. But she is really so awesome and gets it all! Gah, such a blessing to see how the Lord truly has prepared His children. Just awesome!

Well, i love you all and hope that y'all have the best week ever! 

SISTER BRAY

Week 28

Hello Errabody :)

This week was pretty great! We had our Trainers and Trainees meeting in Tac-city(Tacloban) So we got to enjoy the most AMAZING van ride of our lives! Hahah sarcasm intended :) So, here in the Pines, there aren't any road rules really. If any of you have seen The Bourne Legacy, it is very much the same as they put it in the movie! Hahah, so we traveled for 8 hours down to Tacloban in a van full of missionaries! That is the only transportation down to Tacloban, or the night bus, which is very sketchy but also very similar to Harry Potter's :) So inside the van, Air con was dismal, and the windows don't really open, and you are all seated VERY close together. Hahahah, we enjoyed it though! And especially the part where the drivers favorite song is "I'll be watching you, every step you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you." from the 80s. Ergo, we jammed out to it on replay for THREE HOURS until we finally asked him to change it..... It went to Brittney Spears. Hahaha, but it was an adventure nonetheless that I will never forget! 

The Training was also something prayer answering! All of our investigators are all dealing with the same problem.... either marriage, or not keeping their commitments we invite them to. The training was all about the invitation and how o help your investigators, or anyone really, to apply all that you invite them to, to their lives. It has really helped as well. They can't really give us a training on how to help the people here be able to afford marriage papers and be able to pay as well for lawyers and documents needed. Although, I would honestly say, I would enjoy that so much! Because that is really the only thing keeping all the investigators I have ever had, from getting baptized. Because it takes such a long time to get the papers and it is also so VERY expensive. Especially for the investigators that truly want all the blessings of the gospel and can't receive them because they are too poor to get married. We have a family where the Mom, Marife hasn't been married to her Asaua and she is nearly 50, and her daughter Kate and her Asaua, JonMichael that are 18 and 19 with a beautiful daughter. They want all the blessings of the gospel, but cant fully have them because of the marriage problem. They read everything and take part in everything! Gah, I just want them to have this happiness!.... One day though, right? :)

Well, I am absolutely loving it here and being able to serve these amazing people! They are truly amazing and I love them all so much! This work is true and although it's hard, it is the most fulfilling income I know that I will ever be able to receive. I love you all so much and hope that you all have an amazing week :)

SISTER BRAY

Week 27

Hello errabody :)

Hey, I love you all! And I bet you wanna see some awesomeness from the Pines?? So, Here you goooooooo 

Hike one pday

Last night in Tanauan.... gotta spend it with Ninya! I love this lil girl!

Sister Woodruff, Me, and Sister Doud at the Zone activity at the beach this morning!

We built the Salt Lake temple in a sand castle form :) 

Week 26

Hello everybody,

This week was spent on bed rest, and it worked! We are able to work now! Sister Doud is up and ready to work! We were able to get the area sown when she got better, that was about all we could do. Her first nany(mother/trainer), Sister Pike,w as sick the whole time they were together. Super sad, she might actually have to go home with how bad it is. So me and Sister Doud are both new to the area basically. So we are just getting that down and learning where everybody lives. Good thing we have Elders in our ward to carry out the work while they were gone :) So we are both very excited to be able t actually go out and do stuff this week.

The area here is pretty fun! The Language here..... much different, but i think I am catching on pretty well! Or at least just picking up on the words that I do know :) The down side, There are a million lamok(Mosquitoes). I am basically dead right now. The tip of my pointer finger even has one, and my palm... it's a killer! SO, we are trying out hardest to not get dengue, aids, hiv, malaria, west nile, all that good stuff :) Hahah what is the purpose of mosquitoes?? If anyone knows a valuable reason as to why they are here, please share :)

Well, other than that, nothing else is really knew. I love you all and I am again so very grateful for you all. SCRIPTURE: 1Nephi8:31-30 It's all about the big and spacious building, "The world", and how it just gets at you sometimes and tries to make you feel less than your worth. The last line is "But we heeded them not." That we still stand firm to ourselves and our values and don't let anything knock us down. 

I LOVE YOU

SISTER BRAY

Week 25

Hahahah, I was joking when I wrote that in the last email, but I guess the spirit was just inspiring me with what would be happening :)

So I am up in the very tip of the island, Samar right now. In a place called Catarman and in Catarman2. WE HAVE ELDERS!! SO much fun! The language here is Waray S..... Kinda different than H, but I can still understand the most of it!  The ward here is super awesome too! I love it! I am continuing the 12 weeks training for Sister Doud. She is from Utah, and went to BYU. She actually grew up in Provo. Don't worry, I there is no rivalry between U of U and the Y yet :) hahaha jokes! She is really awesome and completely knows her purpose here as a missionary. She is pretty straight laced, so hopefully we can find a medium between going with the flow and being in order. I love her already though. She sprained her ankle this last week, so we can't work for a bit, so I don't really know much about the area or the people yet. But I will! :)

I am so very grateful for the growth that I received there in Tanauan and for the friendships as well, I know that the Lord is continually with me and helps me always because of all that I learned in that area. 

I love you all so much and I am so sorry that this is short, but we gots to get Sister Doud back home to put her foot back up :) Crazy that I am now a Nanay(mother). Speaking of mothers, I am so grateful for the experience that my family was able to have this week with a new baby in the family! Ruby is the cutest thing ever!! Props to the Sis for being strong as can be through it all, you are a rockstar, and to Chase for being everything that my sister needs and being super awesome all the time! I talk about the both of you all the time and all that you have taught me! I love you! And don't think that I pick favorites, I talk about all of you all the time :) 

I LOVE YOU and I will tell you more about Catarman next week :)

SISTER BRAY

Week 24

Hello everybody! This week was really great! Did some good work and Found new ways to open our Less Active members up and sharing reasons why they are less active or inactive. It's been a great experience! I hope that the work will continue and that we can continue to share with them the blessing s of the Gospel. W have transfers this week! I think I will still be here in Tanaunan, and I REALLY think I will be training, but who knows :) Hahah, I am loving it here, the heat is getting better too! LOVE YOU ALL!!! :)

This picture is from the hike from earlier today... this caribao was racist and hated me.... HATERS GONNA HATE!

Week 23

Hello era'body!!!!!!!!!

Hahah, this letter may be little bit small, haha, there is just never enough time! :) Someday I will be able to manage time better... just not today :)

So this week was pretty exciting and boring all at the same time. So They have things here called, Fiesta. It's usually a celebration for a barangay(neighborhood) or a city, kinda like Draper Days, Alpine Days, Pioneer Days, you get the picture. But they are much bigger! They are really fun! Plus, everybody will invite o\you to come and eat with them :) you best believe I love that part! Hahah, but it's sketch to just up and eat anywhere, so just at members houses! The bad side to Fiesta, no work. Too many drunk people and it's not safe at all. So we have to some home super early. Like 6 or 7 for three days. SO I was able to read some Liahona's and have our own little Fiesta at our apartment :)

Something this week that was really amazing to witness, was actually noticing that Lord's hand in helping his children. I have seen so many people regain the Light of Christ in their lives and gain a real smile. When I say "a real smile", that's truly what I mean. You can always tell when someone puts on a fake smile, and you can always tell a real smile. I have always been able to notice it and I always ask, "Why don't you smile?" Then sometime later after, when they give a real smile, I call em out and say," Now that's a real smile!" Hahaha, Such a great thing to witness someones life actually become happy and to grow even closer to true happiness.

This week I felt really down about everything in the ward. Still not a lot of help in the ward. There really is no unification and the ward has a lot of problems with the organizations. It's been kinda frustrating to realize that that is the real reason why they don't wan to come to church anymore. They just can't seem to let it be and go on. So this week I fasted, I prayed, I pondered, and listened for a way to help. Through that fast, I was actually able to receive so many other things. SO many other blessings :) Our church attendance.... 71! SEVENTY-ONE!!!!!! I was shocked seeing everybody there! SO many less active families, and members who were ready to receive that happiness back in their lives! Such a blessing!

Well, I love you all and hope that this week will be an amazing one for everyone! And that my little niece will be able to arrive here safely and enjoy being spoiled and held by everyone! hahah LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!

SISTER BRAY  

Week 22

I hope that this week I will have more time....

WE have had such a great week, we spent I think roughly two days full of walking and looking for a place for our new Elders that will be here the first week of September, so we have been so tired this week. We found some ok places and then we found s place that was like a dream!! We were told it would be 2.4k in pesos, we went back to follow up about it..... 10k. Dream crushed! So we are going to the mission office after this to go and talk with the office Elders and maybe president on the places for these amazing guys.

WE also had Companion Exchanges this week, where you work with the Sister Training Leaders over your zone. I was with Sister Garcia again, she actually served in my area! And it was her first area too! She is amazing lemme tell you! I have worked with her for my first exchanges and she has literally helped me grow so much every time I see her! Her testimony and strength is phenom! Sister James was able to work with Sister Fina'i, who I actually graduated with like all her cousins:) and one is actually one of my good friends! It's a really small world! Especially in PTM I feel... We have two or three sets of cousins, I went to school with I believe 3 here, but I have only met 2 of them so far, and a bunch of other stuff too ! Crazy! It makes me super happy though to be here with all these amazing missionaries! And to have had the opportunity to gain all these friendships :) And especially our Zone Leader, Elder Moriss, he heads home this coming week and I could not be more grateful for him. His testimony and his constant skip in his step, such an awesome dude! :) 

We were able to witness such amazing growth in our members as well this week. Like I have said, we have many less active members, and it has finally picked up! We reached rough;y 50 this week in attendance!! :) Such a blessing! :)

Well, I love you all so much And I am so grateful again for you all!

LOVE YOU

SISTER BRAY

Week 21

Hello Everybody!

 

I love you all so much!!!!! This email will be really short, I am out of time today! But I do have something that is really good!!

 

So, it's official! They are adding Elders to the Tanauan 2nd ward in 3 weeks! Hahah, It will definitely help with all the work and help the ward so much! I can't wait!!

 

Our investigator as of three months now, will hopefully be able to get her records within this month and next month she can FINALLY be baptized and her whole family will be sealed next year!!!!! I can't even tell you how happy I was when they told us the great news!

 

Well, I love you all so much and I am so continually grateful for you all! Have a wonderful week!

 

SISTER BRAY

Week 20

Hello Everybody!!! Sorry I really don't have any time today, but I will send you pictures! That is the easy part! Especially right now..... see, I had a run in with a metal electric fan... my ring finger on my right hand was gushing blood for like 4 days! But it is basically healed over now! Oh, the magic of super glue :)

1: Our relief society class. Hahah, lame!

2: Tanauan sisters waiting for the Jeepney this morning to go to Dodgeball

3: Me and some of the girls of San Roque at Bachelor. Mahusay hira hinuro!!!!!!!!!

Week 19

Kumusta kamo tanan!!!!!!!!

What a fun week! Well, I am not training!! I am pretty grateful bout that! But Sister Quijada is! :) and she is opening an area too! Her trainee, my "sister", is from a place by Payson that starts with an E, I forget what it is called. But I was able to meet her and she is super amazing! 

Which means I get a new companion...... Her name is Sister James and she is from Pakistan!! Far out right???!! :) She is super amazing and will totally help the ward. And she is the biggest joker! I love it! She is hilarious! 

Hahah, on transfer day, Sister Baylon, Tanauan 1st sister, and I went to the Burgos chapel downtown to pick up our new companions. I had mine, but her companion was still traveling down from Catarman. Well, long story short. We spent the rest of the day with the AP's looking for our lost sister in Tacloban! Hahah her name is Sister Gaono and she is from Samoa. So our house right now is culture central right now! Philipina, Pakistani, Samoan, and and American (1/4 Hawaiian reppin, yo!) Who wouldn't want to get baptized? :)

On Sunday, the stake president came to our ward, which is different. Then he asked to have a meeting with us..... Apparently, Tanauan 2nd is the biggest concern in the ward right now. Legit. We have 600+ members in our ward and only 45-60 active members, and 100 returned missionaries. And we also had a ward meeting about how we need unity in the ward. No one likes each other. And the members especially do not like the Bishop. He has been serving for 8 years and last Sunday he was the concluding speaker, more like the venting speaker though. he called the ward out a lot. It was kinda rough because he isn't doing anything to help it. The stake president, President Aban told us that he might be adding additional missionaries in our area as well. I told him PLEASE! It has truly gotten so hard this past three weeks, so hopefully with the additional coming in this next cycle it will be able to help! :)

Well, I love you all so much and I am so grateful again for all the blessings each and everyone of you are in my life! And remember who you are and what you stand for, don't talk to strangers, all that good stuff :)

Sister Bray

PIC: Sister Quijada and I's last night with the Solayao family

Week 18

Hi Hello!!!!

I finished my 12 weeks training this week!!! Haha, can you believe it?! :) Crazy! And the new batch of 17 sisters is coming in this week as well, and I very well could be training one of them! I don't feel ready at all for this big adventure, but if it is needed :) The big wave of missionaries is really starting to hit and most word on the street is that most of my batch, so 10 sisters, will be training! .... I can't even describe my emotions. Scared, nervous, excited, basically all wrapped into one :) I can barely even get by, so I am kinda hoping I will not be training. because then we will just be a bunch of lost girls here in the PI. Hahah, but I guess we will just see! :) But I am so grateful for all the learning that I have obtained through these 12 weeks, and how closer I have been able to became in trying to do the work. There are many days that I wish it were English, and I would fully feel like I was fulfilling my purpose, but I know that with relying on the Lord I will be able to!

This week, we also had Mission Tour. Elder Teh of the Seventy spoke to us and gave such inspiring words! He gave us all notice and asked us to prepare 2 minute talks on the following: Preparing to teach with the Spirit, Having the Faith to Find, and Using the Lords Time Wisely. SO all the missionaries he had chosen were called out on the spot, all surprised and nervous, because well, he is a seventy, and worried if they were prepared. So he had said all three topics and who would be speaking on them. So I thought I was for sure off the hook.... Nope, He chose Four. And I was asked to talk on having faith to find. Hahah, I started freaking out! I had everything prepared and was ready to give a talk, but still I was so nervous! Hahah, but I was still ready! So I start walking up there, and in my mind I'm thinking, "Don't trip! Don't fall! Don't throw your scriptures if you do fall!" Hahaha, so i get up to the pulpit and confirm that I had heard right that I was supposed to talk and I was to talk on faith. Haha, then I turn around and set my scriptures on the pulpit and say, "Maupay na Aga!... Oh my gosh!...... I just totally broke my scriptures!" MY scriptures broke right as I had set them on the pulpit! They paper fell right off the binding "Well, this totally blows!" Hahah, everyone was asking how my scriptures were after the meeting and quoting me being a dork. Great impression, right? Not to mention that I said crap over the pulpit as well... What do you do? :) 

But it truly was a great experience! And I loved being able to speak to the missionaries of the faith that we need in our finding efforts. Finding in Tanauan is hard. Really hard. And I have had to have that faith constantly. Elder Murdock, who spoke on Having the Faith to Find as well, said something really provoking. His best friend is not a member. And he loves him so much, as we all love our best friends as well. He wants for his best friend to receive the best happiness in the world, this gospel, so badly!.... And if we want that for someone we love, we should want that for everyone! And work towards it! Love everyone and WANT for them to receive this! I can truly testify that there is no greater work. And there is no other work with a greater income than this. I know that to be true! 

Well I love you all so much and I am so very grateful again for all of you and for this amazing opportunity! Please, go and help the missionaries and give referrals, they will appreciate it so much and it helps the work so much!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Sister Bray 

Pic 1: the scriptures

Pic 2: Patrick, Ninya, and Jpoy; Sister Myrna Alfon and Brothe Solayao's cute kids

Week 17

Hello Everybody!!!!!!

This week has been really funny! Especially the weather! One day it is super blazing hot and there is ABSOLUTELY nothing you can do about it, the next it will rain all day! Hahah, I don't get it! But I found out that rain season picks up in August :) couldn't be happier right now as I am sweating my butt off whiling typing! Hahah :)

We found out that our average attendance is 42...  yep. And with the recent broadcast we deciding that really needed to change. The Canete Family(ps there should be a squiggle above the N) is mostly active. There son is the wards first counselor in the bishopric, but with school he isn't able to make it as much. And his sister has recently been called to be one of the ward missionaries. Their parents have started to go less active so we decided to go and visit them. 

Before we started anything, Nanay Canete left the room and went into their kitchen. She didn't realize I was in the right position to see her in the mirror on their wall as she started to cry... She came back a little later and we began watching a little church film from the 80s about families called, Together Forever. It's pretty cheesy, but the message all through out it is one of love and testimony of the gospel. Nay was crying for most of the film and Tatay too. All of us, Me and Sister Quijada, and Brother and Sister Canete bore our testimonies.... The Spirit that was felt was amazing, and something that I had been missing so much since being here. Nanay and Tay bore their testimonies as well and told us that we needed to come over every Tuesday and visit with them. They made it to church on Sunday.

It's these little beautiful things that make me so happy to be here. I wish everyday and every lesson could be like this and that everyone could realize their Heavenly Fathers love for them. But that is why it's called work I guess :) Hahah, I am so grateful for this experience and hope that this Tuesday will be the same! 

I love you all and pray for you all as well! Please pray for rain :) Hahah. it is much needed right now! :)

Sister Bray

Week 16

So, on about Thursday I was talking to Sister Quijada and I was like, "Well, another boring week.... What am I going to write home about!?" That night we got a text form our ZL's (Zone Leader's) saying to head home and charge our phones, get food and water, and stay inside... A Typhoon was coming and would last about a day.... Hahah, I would say prayer answered, buuuuutttt I won't!

Hahah, so while teaching a lesson the storm started and the wind was cray! Same with the rain! Hahah, so it was a quickie and then we started heading home! It died down though... lame right? So the whole night it had rained, and the ZL's had told everyone it was a signal 1 warning, which is basically toddler sized storm. In the morning it got to Signal 2, the highest is 5. They told us to continue staying inside and not to work until they had texted in the afternoon. But in Tanauan, it seriously wasn't that bad. Well, it was a typhoon, but me and Sister Quijada were both like, "Oh we so got this!" So, we worked through a Signal 2 typhoon... WHADDUUPPP! Hahaha, we got turned down though. Who turns down Sisters that come to your door during a typhoon?!? Unsa ma na?! ( What the heck?! ) 

Ok, spiritual moment..... I hope you all watched the Leadership Broadcast! We were just able to watch it yesterday(Sunday). And It was amazing!! PS There is a scene in there from my work in Draper... So I was freaking out and saying THAT'S MY WORK! THAT'S MY WORK!! Hahah, but it was seriously something that we all needed. The missionaries and the members! I recomend everyone to go and watch it! We are all called to do the work and share the happiness we know! And get this..... there are currently 70,000+ missionaries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How amazing right?!?! It couldn't be a more amazing time right now! I'm still a little nervous about the possibility of training in a few weeks and not having follow-up, and barely knowing the waray waray language.... but, if the Lord needs this many of us at this time, we will do all we can to accomplish what He asks.

Well, I love you all and hope the summer heat is good to you! I figure by the time I get home, which will be fall next year, that I will feel like I am in an ice age from going from SUPER hot and humid weather to the chill of fall! Hahah, But I love you all and pray for you all constantly and I am so grateful for all of you as well, and for your constant encouragement. LOVE YOU!!!!!!

Sister Bray

1- The picture is us working through the typhoon... PS it was one beach too:) 

2- Sister Quijada and I with the Solayo Family.... Please excuse Ninya, she  hates the hot weather as much as I do! But I don't take my clothes off in public! Hahah :)

Week 15

Hi Hello Everybody! 

Well, we found out some news this week..... This was once again after a hospital visit :) Sister Quijada had Dengue.... So we have really been asked to move now! By President Andaya, Sister Andaya, and our Zone Leaders on constant occasion! With the big out break in our bedroom, because the outside of the house has a drainage that lines it and our window is next to it, we have moved our bed pads into the living room/ kitchen to get away form them! :) hahah, and then we have another downfall..... finding an appt is really hard here! No one knows if one is renting and to find one that is suitable for living and can be approved, is also really hard. So that has become our finding :) Haha, only joking! But that does remind me to tell you this..... finding here is really hard! If you find someone on the street and want to share more, good luck finding their home, because waray address! It's all based on description and they are very vague as well... So finding here is hard! Pero, going tracting has helped us a lot in fulfilling! Pero, waray new investigators.... Just Myrna! 

Something else really cool happened this week..... I ATE STINGRAY!!  Hahah, it was the coolest thing ever! We were on companion exchanges and Sister Karagdag and I went to the market to get fish, which by the way is really sketchy, but as we were walking through and looking at all the dead little Nemo's; well they are actually pretty big, we found something that was already cut, she talked with the guy about something and all of it I didn't understand. Then he turned around and there was a sting ray on the table!! I was like what the heck! :) SO, stingray is delicious! Haha, a lot better than Balut! Never again! I can't even look at eggs the same anymore! Oh, and eggs here... waray expiration date. Even more sketch! So I have stayed away from eggs for quite awhile and most likely the whole mission! :) Hahah

The week has been good though! Just doin the work and such! Nothing really big happened this week again... You would think the Philippines would be like an Indiana Jones movie constantly! We gave The Solayao Family a Book of Mormon Stories this week! Their reaction was priceless..... It made me so happy to see just how eager they all were to read even more! Which Their reading, is amazing! They read ALL the time! And it makes me so happy! And everyone here is basically Catholic, and so are all the schools, so there is a lot of prayers. Little J-boy Solayao got in trouble for praying with his eyes closed, head bowed, and arms folded.....:) We all kinda laughed and smiled when he told us! But, apparently one of the other teachers is Mormon and cleared it all up and invited that teacher to church I think! So, we'll see! 

Well, I love you all and again I am so grateful for this great opportunity to serve and to be where I am now! The whole deja vu thing is just another proof that I am where I am meant to be! And I couldn't be any happier! Love you all and hope your week is amazing!

Sister Bray

Week 14

Well, the Tanauan 2nd Sisters should really just move to Tacloban and live in the AA Sisters apartment with how sick we keep getting. Sister Quijada has had a some sort of sickness for over a week now. She has had some fevers and rashes/hives, headaches, vomiting, dehydration,  body pains, all of it! The Doctors suspected Dengue fever, just like I had last week, or two weeks ago, but the test came out clear. Everything just pointed to UTI and viral infections. We have had to go to the hospital everyday for check up and monitoring and today they finally gave here the clear! But, she is still really weak and not doing so good. But, this week has been really good spiritually for the both of us! We have both been able to just dive into studying and growing our testimonies! Hahah, and have delicious food at the mission home! :) We had to go to church at the Tacloban 1st ward though... we miss Tanauan! WE got so many texts from the youth asking how we were doing and if we had been admitted into the hospital. They rock! They really are always so wanting to help with this work! SO AWESOME! 

From being in the Mission Office so much again this week, we were able to find out more about the coming plans for the mission....... Get this, 26 missionaries will be in the next batch. 17 are sisters. SEVENTEEN!! So guess what that means, 5 Sisters from my batch will be training in 4 1/2 weeks! Or we will be serving with someone from our batch, so someone from the MTC with me. We don't have follow up training anymore, we just go straight into work. So I could be training someone in like 4 weeks!! The only stuff I know in the language is gospel stuff, conversations are still super hard and I definitely don't know much of anything here yet. Hahah, but if the Lord calls, you answer! So I guess we will just wait and see and have A LOT of language study and praying and fasting Hahah :) 

On another note, I would like to give a shout out (s/o) to the greatest guy there ever is..... Mah Popsicle! I love you so much, Dad and I am so grateful for everything you have done for me and getting me to this point! It really means the absolute world to me. And being here, sharing all the my Heavenly Father has done for me makes me just as happy! I hope you all have had an amazing Fathers Day and Sunday and enjoy every bit of your coming week! I love you all times a million!!!

Sister Bray

Week 13

Maupay na Kolop bison mga tawo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Good afternoon everybody)

Well, this week has been awesome! And I loved hearing all the amazing emails from everybody! You are all truly amazing!

Something truly amazing happened this week! I have told you of the Solayao family before I believe in an email talking about Shera. But they have truly grown so much! Brother Solayao last week when we went to visit them on Saturday after I was better said "Guess that tomorrow is?" My first guess was his birthday, but that was the wrong answer. "No, it's fasting testimony meeting!" Sure enough, the next day he was the first to go up and share his testimony to our tiny congregation! It was about 50 that week, this week was a little less. and don’t forget, we are a ward of 600 members. So It is always sad to see people who made covenants, even in the temple, and them not coming to church. Even when inviting them and having them say that they will be there and they never show. But back to Brother Solayao! His testimony has truly strengthened my own. He shared again with every one of his inactivity form the church since his mission in Naga seven years ago and how he could tell his family has been missing something the last couple of months. He knew exactly what it was and was eager to find the missionaries to bless his family. He reached out to the bishop and asked for us to come to teach his family, especially his wife, Myrna. They both have grown so much in the gospel! The day after our first meeting with them, Sister Myrna told us of her experience with receiving a sure answer that this is truly the Lords church. And ever since has been striving even further to follow Christ. His testimony last Sunday though...... made me so happy! His family has received so many blessings in the past month since his reactivation and their coming unto the gospel. And they REALLY want all the gospel has to offer in their lives. So much that they have made ginormous sacrifices! They sold they phone, which with how distant everyone is here, is vital for most families. they have sacrificed something even bigger.... food. All for their marriage papers! So that they will be able to find Sister Myrna's records and they will be able to get married and she will be able to be baptized...... How amazing are they?? They make me cry all the time! Hahah, they have the biggest testimony of faith and love for the savior I have ever seen and I am so grateful for them and having them be my first actual family I have been able to teach. They have already blessed my life immensely and truly mean the world to me!

I love it here! This week for some reason has finally made me love the Philippines! Heat and all! Even being in an air con for 10 minutes makes me freezing now! So coming home to Utah in September I may be in a sweater and sweats a lot Hahah :) But I truly have grown this week in having a love for everything that the Philippines has in store for me and for all the people here. I wish I could share every piece of this with all of you, but tying so much really cramps up your hands! So I will share every bit of it with all of you when I get home!

I Love you all and wish you the very best of weeks!

That Picture is of the sunset as it was raining! Rain season has started this week and every night it looks just like this! GORGEOUS!