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