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