dito sa pilipinas

Hello my family,


I feel like a celebrity here. Everyone stares at me and tries to talk to me in English. "Hi", "Hello", "How are you?". Everyone comes to me like I'm a magnet when we stop in the street to talk to someone. People honk at me when they drive by. Everyone says I am beautiful. It is funny. I wish I could talk to them.

Well, the Journey was long. The bus ride did not feel as long as it was. I was able to sleep pretty well. (Thanks to a sweet filipino sister missionary who insisted I use her shoulder) But I am still drowning in jet lag. I don't know what it is, but I am extremely tired ALL of the time. Especially around 7 or 8 O clock, my body just shuts down and since I don't say very much in the lessons and I don't understand very much and its just SO hot, I start to doze. It is not good. Hopefully I will adjust quickly to the time zone and heat.

We went to the MTC in Manilla when we first arrived. We picked up 9 missionaries there who rode to Cauayan with us. They told us we could go to the temple because we had about 4 hours before we had to leave. I WAS SO STOKED. But they didn't mean we could do a session. They just meant we could go over and walk around the grounds. I was so sad. Maybe on the way back.

It is a beautiful country here. There are lots of rice fields in my area. Everything is beautiful and green. Some houses are nicer than others. Ours is actually a lot better than I was expecting. I will include some pics for you. We have a porcelain toilet but it doesn't flush. Actually it does, I just have to pour a big bucket of water in it and it flushes it. Weird. Also, there is no shower. My first shower was rather humbling. We have these scoopers (like a big plastic bowl with a handle). I fill a bigger bucket with water and just scoop water out of there onto myself. Pretty fun stuff. The water is cold but not very and it feels good after the initial scoop because I'm so hot.
I'm continuously sticky. my face, my neck, everywhere. I'm already getting used to it.

My companion is so sweet. She is Filipino. She has been 11 months in the field. Sher is 24. Her name is Sister Valdoz. She speaks English very well, so I am grateful for that, and she is very patient with me. She is a hard worker and she likes to sing too! She cooks for me and cleans my dishes and lets me take naps after lunch! But I'm starting to recover so I am trying to do my share now.

It took us nearly 3 hours to do laundry this morning. That is a LOT! I didn't even realize it until i had finished. It didn't feel that long. And I didn't even wash a full weeks worth of laundry! My hands got really tired though. I have to scrub and wring everything out three times because I rinse, wash, then rinse again. But it's still better than doing laundry at the MTC. :)

I have been able to play the piano TONS since I have arrived. I played for transfer meeting, for church, at a youth activity, (which no one showed up to, so we waited for an hour and I played piano the whole time) for choir practice, and for our district to sing in zone conference on Wednesday. The pianos are pretty decent too. One was a nice digital, the other just reg and old, but in tune pretty well. I have been blessed.

We have been eating rice. Rice and egg, rice and sausage, rice and "meat loaf". There was no food at the apartment when I arrived so we've just been scrimping until we could shop today. Hopefully we can get some fruits and vegetables, that's what i want! But I really like rice too. It's such a great food, it goes with everything so nicely.

I got some bites on my legs, quite a few. I'm not sure what they are, maybe mosquitos? And there are little ants everywhere. One day I came home for the night and they were all over my desk and crawling up the wall. It was weird. It doesn't bother me, It's just annoying. All part of the adventure :)

And there is a pack of dogs outside our house that get set off every once in a while and they bark like mad for about 10 seconds. (while we are sleeping)

Our neighbors slaughtered their pig this morning while we were doing laundry. It was the most horrifying thing I have ever heard. I'm glad I couldn't see it.

It has been a very difficult adjustment. The first two days with my companion were very hard for me. I don't understand much and I can speak less. But I know if I am patient and work hard that it will come. I have the mantle. The lord has called and he will qualify me.
Well I think it is time to go. Thank you for your prayers. keep praying and writing.

I love you and miss you.

Much love, Sister Webre

Note from Heather

Attention, Friends of Jenny!

I have finally added pictures to the blog (about two on every post) so check 'em out!

Also, in order that you might keep supporting my lovely sister, her new address has been updated on the sidebar >>>

Thanks for the love and support! You guys are the best!

Ingat MTC!

Kamusta!

Hey, we probably wont have enough time to pack as it is, so we're not going to use all of our e-mail time today.

But have no fear because I get to call you at the airport tonight!

I will eat my 175th and last meal at the MTC tonight and report to the travel office at 6:30!!! I can't believe I'm really going to the Philippines!

We had a testimony meeting last night, just our district, and it was the sweetest ever! So many memories have been made in such a short amount of time. So many tight relationships, so much love. Each person in that district was there for a reason and I consider each one a gift! I will love them forever and wait to give them hugs, darn it!!

We each got blessings this morning from a few of our Elders. It was the first blessing they ever gave, for each of them and I was so happy to give them the opportunity. They were all so nervous, it was so cute! But they did a beautiful job. I will miss them so.

If you start sending me snail mail now, I might get it in a few weeks! Heavenly father blesses those who write letters to missionaries. It's true.

I'm going to an unfamiliar country, with unfamiliar people and an unfamiliar language. I'm pumped! But I think it will be a very big adjustment and I'll probably feel really alone for a little while. I'm just preparing for that. I think its going to be a big change not to get any mail on top of that.

But we're never alone, because the savior is always by our side and I KNOW THAT. I am here because of my love for him and his love for me.

Thank you for your prayers, your love and support.

Sis Webre
 

maraming nakakatawang mga bagay!

This week was pretty awesome,
A lot of funny stuff happened.

So we have a prayer, hymn, and spiritual thought every time we start class each day. These are written on little papers that rotate around from missionary to missionary as well as the teacher. (Each of our names are written on a pouch on the wall) So I said last week I said "we should keep putting the prayer slip into the teacher pouch every time we start class with the teacher and see if they notice". Well of course the Elders loved that idea, so even though I was half joking and would have never gone through with it, they ran with the idea. That tends to happen a lot. I need to be more careful about what I say!

So anyway, it's been a funny joke this week and I think Brother Slade finally caught on saturday but I couldn't tell for sure. He didn't say anything.

Then Elder Heninger (District leader) messed up the computer in our classroom somehow and it wouln't work at all. He was getting a lot of crap for it and then the next day there was a note on his desk. It said he should report immediately to A101 to recieve counseling on the misuse of computers. It was signed by "Cameron Johnston, IT manager, MTC campus" He thought it was a joke, but the teacher told him he had better go. Well he was getting really nervous because (he later told us this) he had e-mailed someone that wasn't a member of his family the week before and thought somehow maybe they found out and he was gonna get sent home or something.

Turns out someone in my district wrote the note to be funny and the people in the IT office didn't think it was. Pranks are really discouraged here. But we all still got a good laugh out of it. Probably mostly because it happened to Elder Heninger.

I guess Elder Heninger was feeling like it was his duty to spread the prank love because he got the sisters and I pretty good that night. Morgan, our progressive investigator totally stood us up at our appointment that day. We hadn't heard anything from him, but that night there was a note on the board that said "Morgan had something come up today. Pray that he will be prepared for baptism and prepare to teach him at your next appointment. Try harder to keep the spirit in your lessons though." We were really concerned about the last part in particular because the spirit is particularly strong whenever we teach Morgan. After a couple minutes of distress, All the Elders bust out laughing and tell us that they added that last line onto the note. It was not cool. After they said that I could tell that the handwriting was different though. Those stinkers!

So that night I felt that the Elders only deserved a little something in return. Something simple and harmless of course. I came up with the idea to rush into the room and tell them we had just seen a general authority. So we went into the room and there were only 4 elders in there. Elder Heninger was among them. Perfect! I say in the most urgent and serious tone I can muster, "We just saw Elder Nelson, just outside of 1M, I bet you can catch him if you go now!" You should have seen their faces. It was priceless! Elder Heninger just bolts and Elder Andrews follows. We didn't let them get too far before we broke the news. We said NO more pranks though.

Elder Burton is the funniest EVER. He's the one who looks really young. Last week we got to host the new missionaries and it was super fun. I think it was during lunch, Elder burton flipped his tag over (so it is just blank and black) and he has the red dork dot stored there as well. He goes up to some new missionaries and says "How did you get your name on your badge" the responding elder is confused--"...I don't know it just came like this...." Then Elder Burton voices deep concerns about his blank name badge. Funny stuff.

Gotta go! love ya tons!!!!!

More in my snail mail!

I got my flight plans!!

SISTER WEBRE :)

Mahal Ko Kayo

First I just want to say I love you. (mahal ko kayo)

You are the best.

Second, we are learning some games that I can't wait to bring to FHE!!! So be excited.

Heather is really really good at writing me and telling me all of the sweet sweet happenings in brigham city. It sounds like everybody decided to throw seven parties every day and all of my friends are now home from their missions and hanging out with my sister! Thanks for the updates sis.

Just kidding Heather, I really appreciate your letters. And I missed you more than ever this week.

We got the packages! I didn't get mine until tuesday and I didn't know about the other girls until monday night, so sorry I couldn't tell you they got here alright.

Thank you SO MUCH for giving me lots and lots of junk food and making sure i get really fat. I hope someday I can repay the favor. I would ask you to send me something healthy to snack on, but by the time it gets here, I'll only have a week and a half left!! How crazy is that?

The bad news is that none of those shirts fit me because I'm too fat. Actually the baggy pink one fits. That's all. I'm sorry for all your dilligent shopping efforts in vain. Pero mahal ko kayo and salamat.

Maybe they will have some sweet blouses in the philippines and I will be so glad that I didn't bring so many lame american ones.

But seriously, sister Jackson and Vaipulu were really grateful to get your packages, and Sister Viapulu just barely heard from her family. (after three weeeks) They expressed how awesome you are and I said "I know she is. She is my favorite." And my companions always say "Probably Aunt Betty", whenever I get a package slip! It's funny. Aunt Betty you are going to heaven!

Just a little side note: On dear elder, there is a place you can choose to have the letter e-mailed to ME and there is a place you can have it e-mailed to YOU, for confirmation. I think some people might be a little confused about that. Dear Elder doesn't work on weekends, so there's always a small famine for letters on those days.

We did initiatories this morning and one of the names, Sophia Rauer, was born in 1680! I was so happy that after 320 years her temple work was finally being done. That is a long time to wait. I love to read the names and think of the celebrations that are going on the other side of the veil for these special people. My testimony is strengthened that we are all the family of God and I have such great love for these women that I don't even know.

Temples are so amazing! Gods plan for us is brilliant beyond understanding.

I saw the picture renduring of the BC temple. It looks way sweet!

I love you all. I'm so happy to be a missionary. I miss you and pray for you.

Remember "fear makes moutnains out of molehills but faith makes molehills out of mountains". Try an experiment and you'll see this is true!

I have gained so much here at the MTC and not just pounds either!

-Sister WEbre

Be Committed

So, I came up with two little motto's or slogans that I want to use for the rest of my mission and life.

They are: Be commited and Be contagious.

I decided that I've had a problem my whole life because I usually know what I should do but often don't do it and the real issue is just committment! I just need to make that honest inner committment to do the things that I know I should do and then do them! Might sound like a no-brainer probably because it is. But I needed to come to that realization. Someone said this week about how our happiness and light should be so tangible to people that it is contagious. I am COMMITTED to be a better example of Jesus Christ in all that I do, think, and say. Then I won't even have to teach people about the gospel for them to want what I have and know who I represent.

This week Elder Shultz was teaching us and he told us that the wicked Jesus killed for us. I hope I don't say anything like that in the field! All it takes is switching the word order and there is disaster!

My favorite teacher. Sister Fotu is leaving our class. There are too many new teachers and she has to go team up with one of them for a new district coming in. I am still sad about it, but I know she will bless their lives SO much, so I feel okay about it.

Saturday night we had a scavenger hunt thing for class and for one of the tasks we had to look up certain scriptures and write down the fourth or third word etc. in the verses. Well we didn't realize we were supposed to use the tagalog scriptures so we went to Mos 2:29 in english which reads "And moreover, I say unto you that I have caused that ye should assemble yourselves together, that i might declare unto you that i can no longer be you teacher". We were wondering if it was some kind of sad joke that she picked that scripture. She came in to check on us and we were all depressed like. She noticed that we were using english scriptures and told us it was in tagalog. Then we told her the verse she had picked (she didn't realize what the verse was) and how confused we were. She just laughed so hard and we all laughed together at the irony. Funny to me, probably not so funny to you. sorry.

So I was reading my patriarchal blessing and I just noticed again how many times it mentions service in there. like every other sentence. It is cool. It reminded me again that it's not about me! Ever! Well, it is, but not like I think it is. Anyway it says "you will be able to retain and use the information which you gain in the service of others". I thought that was a WAY sweet promise that I never really understood before. If I study and work for myself, I wont learn as much or be able to retain and use the things I gain. BUT, if the work and study I do is in the service of others, that is when I will truly be able to retain and use those things forever.

I have a new goal to read my PB at least once every week.

Will you all read your PB's at least once every week? I know that if you do this, your purpose in life will be renewed to you and you will have a greater ability to follow the covenants which you have made and recieve the promised blessings. We humans forget things very quickly and we must have constant reminders and repitition!!

There are SIX new sisters coming into the zone on wednesday! Hooray! Then we will have 11 sisters in the zone! That gives me a LOT more responsibility but I don't mind. It will be a good opportunity for me. Two of them are coming to my mission so that's pretty cool.

I have memorized the first vision in tagalog. Its pretty sweeeet. I'm going to share it in our teaching appointment this thursday. I'm so excited, you have no idea!

I got cinnamon rolls from Aunt Betty on Wednesday and Donuts from Kristen on thursday. Probably the best donuts I have ever had in my life!

The Helquists are on a roll! Thank you all SO much!!

If you haven't checked out Mormon.org you should go there. Watch the video clips on peoples profiles they are really cool.

Remember! Never let your faith be difficult to detect.

I love you all so much! Thanks for your prayers and your love.

_Sister Webre