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