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!

Week 12

Well, this week was reeeeeeeeaally boring! So last Thursday the same day I had Balut, I woke up and my legs looked like I was a leper. No joke! My mosquito bites were wack! I didn't even think they were mosquito bites because of how different they were! They didn't itch and they were red and just.. yucks! SO we went about our day as usual, but near the end of the day I was just crashing! My back was hurting so bad and I just couldn't work. We went home early because of it! While planning I kept falling asleep, which is normal sometimes, but this time I really just could not hack it. MY eyes were hurting and they just wouldn't stay open! So we quickly finished and I hurried through my nightly routine, half-bath and climb into bed. But this time when I went to take my usual half-bath bucket shower with cold water, I was freezing! This water felt like glacier water! IT woke me up with the first pour. And I knew right then, "Oh sweet. I have a fever..." SO I went and took my temperature after that and sure enough, 101. So I took some fever reducer and slept it off! The rest of the week until Tuesday, I felt normal. I was weak, but I figured that was from my back going crazy. I guess my fever never wore off, and from the heat, I didn't really notice it. But Tuesday, my whole body felt so weak. We were in district meeting and I just was dying! M whole body was crashing down I felt so weak. So when we got home, which was about 30minutes later cause the jeepney ride takes forever, I ate some grub and went straight to my bed. I was later woken up to Sister Baylon, a sister who lives with Sister Quijada and I, rubbing my neck. I had rashes covering my arms, torso, and legs and was burning up! I had to stay in bed all day Tuesday because of it. The next day we went to Tacloban to go to the doctor  to see what the heck was going on, and they said the words I never wanted to hear.... Dengue Fever! It's a sickness from mosquitos and I guess I was in the last part of it with the rashes. Go look it up! Apparently I had it easy and my case wasn't nearly as bad as it could get. Plus, I am no where remotely near a Dengue area. I am the first ever in Tacloban Zone to ever get Dengue. Super weird! So we had to spend the week in Tacloban so we could be near the hospital. They had to monitor my blood every morning and every evening. So my fingers are dead! They have so many holes in them needles and taking blood! These needles were safe though! SO don't worry!

We finally were able to come home to Tanauan on Saturday night! We missed everybody so much!! We got off the jeep and saw little Shera Mei and she was the best thing I could have asked for! She said, "I miss you! Where you been?" So then we told her and she just gave me a big squeeze!  "Oh, Sister Bray. Diri maupay! You need to rest ngan tubig! Yana!" And I just started laughing! Cause that is all anyone had told me to do all week, and now a 14 year old was telling me the same thing! Hahah, But all is well now! I am finally able to get back to work and do something!

Because we were in Tacloban all this week, I was able to get my mail!! I was so happy! I could not wait another week to get everything! I wanted to hear from everyone now! I still have to wait until July-ish for packages though. But Still I was super happy!

Well, like I said, this week was really super boring, but I did get McDonald's twice! And it was freaking delicious!! :) I missed McDo so much!!! Well, I love you all so much and I am so grateful for all of you and for your constant prayers! They have really meant a lot this week! And I am so grateful for your emails and letters and your constant encouragement! Y'all are awesome!! I'll tell you all more next week!!!! 

LOVE YOU, SISTER BRAY!

Week 11

This email will be very short. I really don't have any time today, the sever is slow and we have a bust day!

BUT, I had my first and last balut this week! It is the most disgusting thing I have ever had! I wish I could send the video, but it exceeds the size! I didn't toss my breakfast thought, thank goodness! And I didn't get sick either, but it was disgusting and a little crunchy. It had feathers too. Don't eat balut. Words to the wise!

The week has been good! And I have loved every bit of it!  I am improving more and more in the language and have learned so much this week. Especially from Sister Quijada. I becoming more comfortable with sharing my simple testimony. Which I never really have enjoyed, because I have felt that It doesn't really give my full feelings about it, butI have become more and more comfortable with saying my simple, "Maaram Ak...(I know....)"

I love you all and I am so grateful for all of you and forever keep you all in my prayers! And I hope the picture doesn't make any of you sick :)

Until next week :) 

Sister Bray  

Week 10

Hello everyone!!!!!!

This week has been so awesome! I want to share everything about it but again just the highlights :) 

This week we had companion exchanges! I was with our AA Sister, Sister Garcia! I just have to say, she is so awesome! She has the strongest testimony ever! Only her and her mother are members and she has had to go through many hard times with family members because of it. And she has never let that hinder her! WE had such a fantastic time together and she shared so many testimonies with me all throughout the day. She knows it's true! :) She shared something with me while we had our companionship study. IT was about prayer and missionary work. I have heard over and over "a missionary in the hands of the Lord" and things similar. And I know how big of an impact the Lord has on us as missionaries and how close we are to the spirit. But she held out her hand and pointed to the center of her palm, and said, "You are right here." The lord carries us all throughout this service and is literally guiding as where we are needed to go, what we are needed to do, and what is that we are needed to say! Such an profound thought that I had simply gone over! IT made me so happy to know and actually feel the presence of the Lords hand in the work.

The Salayao family are still progressing! The record system in the Philippines is a mess... SO they can't get married for a while. They need to get records that say that Sister Mierna is Sister Mierna. Then they can get more paper work, and more paper work, and more, and then they can get a marriage license and get married! And then Sister Mierna can get baptized, because she REALLY wants to! And Says that every time and always shares her spiritual insights about it! I really want to see Brother Jim be the one to baptize her, but I'm not entirely sure how that will all work out, but still it's a hope that all of us in the ward have for them :)

The language this week has really progressed and I can speak very broken Waray and can understand a little in conversation. When we are in quiet lessons, I am able to think clearly of what it is I need to say and how to say it. I say 'Quiet Lessons" because here, it is never quiet! There is always kids coming in and disrupting the lessons, major distractions outside and inside, everything possible that could distract and disrupt, usually does! But, when we have a semi quieter setting and are able to converse and be understood and have the spirit in the lesson, it makes it all that much more better :)

Well, I love you all and wish you all the best of weeks! It's crazy to think that this week, I will have been here in the PI for ONE MONTH!!!!!!!! Crazy!! It is going by so fast! And to think that the next set of missionaries (which 18 are sisters and 4 are elders) will be coming in a short amount of weeks, is insane! The time really is flying by! And I am making sure that I love each moment of it that I can!

Once again, I Love you all!!!!!!! And I am so grateful to have each of you in my lives!! Have an amazing week! And hey, you're awesome!

Sister Bray :)

Pictures!

1. Bridge in Caboynan

2.The road to Socme

3. Sister Quijada and I with the kids in San Roque. They beg for pictures everytime we are there!

4. and 5. Carlo Villegas birthday

6. Sister Quijada and I got to sit shotgun in a Jeepney

7. Bachelor beach

Week 9

Hello Everybody!!!!!! And a Happy Mother's day!!! Although, I am writing this email on Monday afternoon and most of you are getting it on Monday at 1am :) but none the less I wish you all the happiest of Mother's day's!!

While in the MTC one of my teachers gave me a talks he had gotten from the devotional he had been to the night before, all about motherhood and being a woman in Zion. Regretfully, I did not bring them with me to the Jokap(internet cafe). I finally got around to reading them, and what better day than mother's day? :) It made me so happy to have a mother! And to sometime later in my life, to have that opportunity as well! Hopefully that won't happen for a while though, because I don't think I could raise a baby right now :) so that's far down the line. But I am so grateful for the powerful roles mothers play in all of our lives! I have no doubt that all that my mom did in raising me was to get me to this point in my life. And I am so grateful for that! And for her amazing example of spirituality(hippie-ness and all). Just like the story in Alma of the stripling warriors, they knew because their mothers knew. We all learn by example and through teachings, and my mother taught me A LOT! And I couldn't be more thankful!

I feel my emails are getting shorter and shorter as I get further into my mission! But always know that all is well! That the giant rat outside my house, that is the size of a fat wiener dog, will not scare me away :) The language is coming better! I am able to understand better what people are saying, but the responding back in waray-waray is what gets hard. Bu I know that in due time and through trials, we become greater people. We just have to allow ourselves to be!

I had my first baptism this week! Shera Mei Quintana! A 14-year-old that is lit with Christ all in her life. She is the biggest example to her family of that too! Her two younger sisters have even started coming to church with her! I have no doubt that this girl will go forth and accomplish so much in her life! Her happiness and smile have helped me so much this week. She could tell I wasn't at my happiest and tried her hardest to speak English and crack a good joke at me! I love her to pieces! She came to her baptism service about an hour late, which Filipino time is far worse than Hawaii time. So I will not be learning how to manage my time better on my mission :) even church starts late! But she came ready to receive something she longed so much for! She was baptized on Friday and had to wait till Sunday to be confirmed and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, but you could tell, the minute she came out of the water, how happy she was!

Well, the computer is about to kick me off, but know how much I love each and every single one of you! And I am so grateful that I was able to skype with my family today, and to see my beautiful sisters belly! That little growing girl is definitely my motivation! I love you all and wish you all the best of weeks as well!

1Nephi 3:15 -"As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down....until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us."

Week 8

I'm so sorry! I once again do not have time to write to you all!!!! I wish I could and tell you all of the amazing things here! But we only have about an hour to do so! 

The week went well! We have an investigating family, the Solayao family, they contacted us on Monday and want to be baptized!! We have FHE with them tonight! And a 14 year old girl named, Shera is getting baptized on Saturday! She is amazing and has such a testimony of the gospel!

My emotions this week could have been better.... I have always wanted to serve and to share the gospel and being so happy, but I have had such a hard time being happy here. I am still trying to adjust to everything and to feel of the love of my heavenly father, it's just so hard. I have never felt farther away from the spirit. Please pray and help me! 16 months! I just need to make it! and return with honor! I don't wan to quit! I love you all and wish that I could share more! 

I love you all so much and wish for the best of each of you!

Sister Bray