okay- shoutouts :)
Gyo, Candice, Deidre, Valerie, Melissa Everett, Madd, Mars, Sister Christensen, Maya, Diane, John, Mom, Dad, Kaycee,
KEEP DEAR ELDERING ME. i got dear elders from gyo and candice and i was SO happy. dear elder me more often :)
Okay- this week went by fast on some days and slow on friday & saturday. im gonna just be completely truthful in my emails that way you all know whats happening here.
On monday after i got to skype the family and john, which btw was awesome. i miss all of your faces, we went to the SM which is the mall here. i bought a few things, like groceries and stuff for my 72 hour kit. it was stressful. pday stresses me out. i feel like i dont have time to do anything. haha. i went to crocs at SM cus i need to get another pair of flats, but dont worry. the biggest size is 9 and that wont fit me. so whenever you can- NO RUSH, send me more flats. the same ones would be fine :) after that we bought more groceries and fruit and stuff and went home. i hand washed my clothes- which only took an hour but thats an hour i need on pday so tomorrow i am paying a nanay in our ward to wash my clothes. its 150 pesos or like 4 dollars(ish) that night we had FHE at Bishop Santos' house. his wife made us chicken curry, which was soo good. ill send pictures of everything. :)
on tuesday i cooked lunch for the house. just gulay, chicken and rice. lots of veggies (potatoes, carrots, green beans, cabbage) it was really good. i also sent out two letters and two postcards. let me know when they get to vegas. mail shouldnt take too long im told. so maybe youll get them this week. i hope. i will try to send a letter each week. I taught a lil 9 year old, bishops niece all by myself. her name is Juliana Liwanag (RJs sister) and she is adorable. she reminds me of Jenelle Libatique. She is always reading the BOM and always wanting to be taught. she is helping me with my tagalog. haha we also taught RJ that day. we asked him what hymn he wanted to sing before the lesson and he chose count your many blessings. sister dullete asked him why he chose that song and he said how soo blessed he is. it really took me back for a second because being here at first was really hard, trust me it still is, and im still adjusting, but here people live completely differently. they dont have all the things that i think are necessary in life and they are so happy. worldly things dont matter. the gospel is what matters. i literally could have nothing but the gospel and be happy. it is the only thing that really matters. the priesthood, the temple, the scriptures, prayer, those things matter, not whether i have a stove, a washing machine, shoes, air conditioning. regardless- i am blessed because i am a member of the church. i get to spend forever and ever with my family, i have the opportunity to communicate with my heavenly father anytime. i am blessed. we taught mario santos- hes less active and disabled. also taught a family preparing for baptism- Alma and Michelle a mom and daughter, christian the son wasnt there that day- but they will all three get baptized on June 8th. Also we taught two women- both named gloria and about 10 little kids running around in the neighborhood. haha i love teaching. my tagalog isnt great. but its coming. PRAY FOR ME TO RECEIVE THE GIFT OF TONGUES. i need it. i have faith that heavenly father will bless me with the language- but i get so frustrated because i want to say so many things and still cant. it progresses everyday. i have only been here really like 2 weeks so i know i am just being impatient. i have faith in the faith heavenly father has in me. he sent me here because i can do this.
on wednesday was my 1 week mark of being here. we had DDM and i got to meet my district leaders and zone leaders. plus i got to see sister marcucci. seeing here is seriously the best. i miss her all the time. shes become such a huge blessing in my life. afterwards the APs drove us all to the SM and we went to KFC. which btw is alot better in america. haha there are limited choices. but rice with EVERYTHING. haha we taught 6 lessons that day and i tried to OYM (open your mouth) more. it helps me with my tagalog. i watched this church movie called "Mountain of the Lord" watch it- but its really good and one thing i liked was that Joseph Smith said that the saints should be a record keeping people. i seriously make sure i write in my journal every night. it is so important for me to remember these experiences that i have and especially to have a record of it because i want my kids and their kids to be able to understand how important the gospel is to me and what i really feel.
on thursday i was really frustrated. i cant sleep through the entire night ever. i wake up no matter what at 3 or 4 and it takes me forever to fall back asleep. i was even taking sleeping pills but it isnt doing anything. pray that i can sleep. i need to sleep. hahah. also on thursday i was SOOOO grateful that Rose bought me all of those wet wipes. haha. they are soo useful. we taught Jusmin Noto on the Holy Ghost, Juliana Liwanag, and a couple the Ramil family. they are less active. and the Pimintuan Family. they are also less active but came to church on sunday! HUGE DEAL. also there was a HUGE spider above my bed i cried. sister dullete killed it for me, haha
on friday we taught gloria, Ephraim, and Ilijiah- she is preparing for baptism. The end of june. and Anjulie Noto. i am sooo grateful for my cold shower. btw. it is so needed. i sweat like crazy here. and btw i have SO many bug bites. they itch like no other. what do i do about them??
on saturday i had a huge breakdown. i was frustrated because i feel like im going to be here forever and that i will never be fluent and so many other things. i was just really lonely and having a super hard day. but i was reading the BOM in 2 nephi chapt 3:13 and i felt a lil better. i am weak right now- but the lord stregthens me as i continue to pray for his help. the entire chapt- chapt 4 too helpeed me alot. i trust in the lord. it is hard. everyday i feel like i cant do this, but i am trying. i am doing my best. my breakdown was in the morning and i seriously pleaded with heavenly father to help me. help me not to be homesick, to have strength and continue to progress in tagalog. it was a hard hard morning. we went to teach juliana after that and i committed her to baptism- july 6. i was so happy. i felt the spirit like crazy. after that, and after seeing her so happy about having a baptism date i felt better. we taught the Deocampo family that are getting baptized and walked in the rain for 45 min to our next lesson. i am SO deaf still. its so hard for me to hear especially in tin roof houses when the rain is pouring and the people here speak either so quietly or so fast that i cant understand. hopefully my hearing is healed. thatd help haha. that night we had MCM at bishops and ate dinner there too. i was SO grateful for treys bag. i had to buy a new umbrella cus both of the ones i got in the package broke already. haha i was soaked but thank goodness treys bag is waterproof. i love it. and everyone wants one haha.
Yesterday was really good. sunday is seriously so needed especially after my breakdown. bishop asked us sisters to do the special musical number, i played if the savior stood beside me and my housemates and companion sang it in tagalog. i also played the piano during sacrament. sunday school bishop taught a lesson on prayer and i was reminded of how huge of a blessing it is in my life. as a missionary i have learned to rely on the lord more than ever before. when i feel completely alone he is there to lift me up. its difficult exercising my faith but i know i am being blessed. we taught Christian after church and i cried during my testimony. i cry often. its stupid. haha. but it was a really spiritual lesson. also we had a ward council meeting and watched this video on the priesthood keys. so good. i love that we have a living prophet on earth and that the priesthood is here. it is SUCH A HUGE BLESSING!!!!! last night a family in the ward fed us. so much food. and soo good.
today we had a zone activity and played games. and i got to see sister marcucci again. i also got to see president and sister martino. i talked to president a little about my breakdown and he just advised me to be patient with myself. that it will take time to get adjusted but that i am supposed to be here. i know that. the gospel is so important to me and i love this work. its hard and frustrating and so many other things. but so rewarding. i am so grateful for this opportunity.
some answers to questions::
No, the members dont really feed us. i eat lunch around 12 everyday with our house and dont eat again til i get home from tracting that day. Sometimes members will give us snacks or a few members will feed us but def not everyday.
the people are wesome. the kids are the cutest and everyone is so kind. i feel safe so no worries.
elyssa- get mesh or drilux.
things i need: PROTEIN. i am so afraid my hair is going to all fall out because i have like no protein in my system. also crocs and a few journals if possible. i am almost done with my first one. john- i need a new one from you also. i need more face wipes. send me pictures from my farewell and luau please.
did my gym membership get canceled? and my tuition? old navy credit card? SOMEONE CALL WELLS FARGO and make sure they know i am in the philippines. i wanna use my debit card to buy new clothes- my skirts are too long and its too hot. but im afraid it wont work. so just call.
also- incase you were wondering. no one has teeth here. im so afraid my teeth are going to fall out so i brush and floss and take calcium vitamins like crazy. hahaha
top 10!
10. i committed juliana to baptism and she accepted!!
9. i cooked my first meal here and it tasted like something nanay betty would cook!
8. i eat mangoes everyday!
7. i finished the Doctrine and Covenants and im almost done through 2 nephi since ive been here in the Bom
6. rainy season is starting and im so happy cus the sun isnt a fire beam on my head when its rainy haha
5. even though i feel so inadequate, my tagalog is coming- slowly but surely
4. we had 5 dinner appts this past week. food is bomb.
3. i lost all the weight i gained in the MTC. haahahha
2. i had lumpia on saturday!
1. the lord answered my prayers and really comforted me this week. when i felt completely alone. i am so grateful for prayer.
i miss you all so much. i love you all!! dear elder me. and continue to pray for me. Mahal na Mahal kita!!!
Sister Littlefield
Friday, May 24, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
FIRST EMAIL FROM THE PHILIPPINES
HELLo!!!! Omg i am COMPLETELY overwhelmed but my emotions are a wreck but its okay :)
I have soooo much to write but i will try my best to hurry and make it as detailed as possible.
On sunday we sang the EFY medley and it was SOOOOO SPIRITUAL!!! omg i cried the entire time. so good but it was also fast sunday and i bore my testimony in tagalog and talked about the priesthood, the m\temple and missionary work. Chad Lewis the NFL player for the eagles(?) and his wife spoke at our last devo and it was sooooo good. super good. he said so many things that really stood out to me. Like the fact that i have been saved for this time and the lord is mindful of me. my mission call is divine and just like in football we prepare, drill and practice the language, the teaching and everything for these people. i am so happy that i have chosen to serve a mission. it is so rewarding. so difficult, forsure but super rewarding. i am so happy to be here.
my last day at the mtc was really sad. actually super sad. it was sad to say bye to all the younger districts, my branch presidency, and my teachers. i cried, alot. especially on sunday. it was ridiculous the spirit was SO strong and i was so grateful for all the experiences and what not and especially the gospel knowledge i got there. on monday we still had class and whatnot and stuff, then we got to say bye, pack, send things home and everything. on the way to the SLC airport i was overwhelmed. excited, scared, nervous, everything. but it was all good. i couldnt believe that my 6 weeks at the mtc were over and that i was on my way to the philippines. on the plane to LAX i sat next to sister vinson, she is the husband of a member of the 70 and is awesome. she is from australia and i lovedddd getting to talk to her and hearing about her experiences with getting called into the prophets office and whatnot. it was incredible. at LAX we had a long layover, our flight didnt leave until like 2:40 am and i was super tired but tried my best to stay awake until we got onto the plane inorder to semi set my sleeping schedule. the flight to hongkong seemed forever.
When i got off the plane in hong kong we rushed to another flight to get to manila so im really sorry i didnt get to call. i wanted to and almost did in manila but i didnt have time. so once we got here we went through immigration and customs and got our luggage and what not and then i exchanged some of my money for pesos and i still have some american cash, i figure ill just keep it until i go home so i have spending cash.
So on wednesday in the philippines i got here and i was SO SWEATY immediately. it was ridiculous. i am constantly sticky and really greasy but its all good. we drove to the philippines mtc and then to the mission home. super nice. my president and his wife are awesome. i love them already. keep updated on sister martinos facebook: deanie martino. we introduced ourselves, had a little orientation and the slept. the next morning we headed to the mission office to meet our trainers and my mtc comps and i were seperated. we all cried. dont worry. my trainer is sister dullete from iloilo, she is tiny. a head shorter than me. when we got to our apartment i was surprised at how nice it was. i am so happy i got assigned to the city, its easier for me to adjust. i am assigned to the tarlac 5th ward in the tarlac b area. my zone is tarlac. the mission office, home, and the APs live in my zone. immediately we unpacked cleaned and everything. i had a few minor meltdowns. feeling like i just wanted to get back on a plane and go home, homesick, missing my old comps and everything. we went out and met some of the members in the ward. the noto family and a RM named RJ, we taught a few lessons and at first i just testified and prayed but i was happy with how it all went. we taught to a 10 year old Ilijiah, she has a baptismal date. and to her brother Epraihm. he is less active. we ride jeepneys everywhere. our area is a lil bit away from our house so we cant walk. we ride until we get to san miguel and then walk from there. that night when we got home i went to shower and a HUGE roach was on the shower curtain. i nearly died. my heart stopped and i couldnt kill it so i just let it be. haha. on my first night here we didnt have a dinner appt, but i was so hot that i wasnt hungry and just went to bed. that night i woke up a few times because i was soooo hot and couldnt sleep.
the next morning i woke up grumpy. i didnt wanna be here and just was suuuuper homesick. i needed badly to change my attitude. so i read in PMG the chapt on christlike attributes and focused on hope. which was awesome. i needed so badly to read that. i cried from pure joy of heavenly father answering my prayers to comfort me and help me adjust quickly. i have never in my life needed my heavenly father more than now. this is hard. really hard. but i know with Him i can do it. i know for a fact that i cant do this on my own. the first day i was at my lowest low so far in my mission. i felt inadequate, completely lost, and so upset. but i know you all at home are praying for me and i know it is helping. i am tryinh with all my might to be happy and make the best of this. it is tough right now but i will adjust im sure. when we went out to work that day we OYMed (open your mouth) to 15 people and we taught a few lessons. One man was Tatay Espinoza. He was about 70 and had lots of questions about our life after earth and he seemed really interested in our message. we are visiting him again this week. we didnt eat dinner again that night but i made soup when i got home and then went to bed.
my emotions have been INSANE since ive been here. each morning i wake up wondering what i am doing here and by the time i am getting into bed i am so happy to be here. teaching and meeting the people here is awesome and i am so blessed and understand WHY i am here. my work as a missionary is so important. on the 11, the noto family fed us Bulalo, pig ribs and rice. we taught and OYMed lots that day and taught the daughter of the noto family, she is a recent convert. my tagalog progresses everyday and the members really help me. i am trying to open my mouth as much as possible in order to make my language come faster. it rained super bad that night and flooded while we were tracting. up to my shins. ill send a picture. i love when it rains. its not as hot and people will let us in because we are soaked. the nice thing about the people here is no matter what they will listen to our message. its great cus that way more people hear the message and feel our spirit.
on sunday we got up and church was at 9. i had to share my testimony and people told me it was good. it was pretty short but thats okay. i just said what i felt and got teary eyed. haha my ward is awesome. about 160 people. Sunday school was good and so was RS. i was happy to be at church. it was like a total relief. i was so happy to be there. last night two families fed us. one fed us pancit and the other fed us soup.
i am so happy to be here. it is hard. literally the hardest thing ever. but i am good. i am adjusting. i can do it. PLEASE pray for me. i think about all of you always.
mom- email sister martino for the mission home address. here is the mission office address:
Philippines Angeles Mission Office
F. Tanedo Street, Barangay San Nicolas,
Tarlac City, Tarlac. 2300
Philippines
the N in tanedo is a N-YA. it that even makes sense. lol spanish n
dont send packages through fed ex or ups. reg mail only.
ratu.vunibola@myldsmail.net
JUST EMAIL ME EVERYWEEK. i miss you soooooooo much. i love you all so much i will look forward to PDAY to talk to you all.
TOP 10!
10. it rained & there were lots of flooded areas.
9. i eat pancit almost everyday!!
8. i rode a jeepney, reminded me of tatay since he drove one back in the day haha
7. i taught two lessons on my own, one on the holy ghost and one on joseph smith :)))
6. every morning i eat oatmeal, energen and mangos. MASARAP!
5. my shower is cold. ITS TOOOOO HOT to have a hot shower
4. i got to see sister marcucci today!!! soooo happy about it. i love her. we cried hahah
3. the little kids are the CUTEST. i loveeee filipino kids. even if they dont have shoes on hahaha
2. i got to skype the whole fam, and trey! i love and miss you all soooo much!!!
1.I AM IN THE PHILIPPINES, I AM A MISSIONARY. i am overwhelmed, but i am happy
i love you all so much!!
I have soooo much to write but i will try my best to hurry and make it as detailed as possible.
On sunday we sang the EFY medley and it was SOOOOO SPIRITUAL!!! omg i cried the entire time. so good but it was also fast sunday and i bore my testimony in tagalog and talked about the priesthood, the m\temple and missionary work. Chad Lewis the NFL player for the eagles(?) and his wife spoke at our last devo and it was sooooo good. super good. he said so many things that really stood out to me. Like the fact that i have been saved for this time and the lord is mindful of me. my mission call is divine and just like in football we prepare, drill and practice the language, the teaching and everything for these people. i am so happy that i have chosen to serve a mission. it is so rewarding. so difficult, forsure but super rewarding. i am so happy to be here.
my last day at the mtc was really sad. actually super sad. it was sad to say bye to all the younger districts, my branch presidency, and my teachers. i cried, alot. especially on sunday. it was ridiculous the spirit was SO strong and i was so grateful for all the experiences and what not and especially the gospel knowledge i got there. on monday we still had class and whatnot and stuff, then we got to say bye, pack, send things home and everything. on the way to the SLC airport i was overwhelmed. excited, scared, nervous, everything. but it was all good. i couldnt believe that my 6 weeks at the mtc were over and that i was on my way to the philippines. on the plane to LAX i sat next to sister vinson, she is the husband of a member of the 70 and is awesome. she is from australia and i lovedddd getting to talk to her and hearing about her experiences with getting called into the prophets office and whatnot. it was incredible. at LAX we had a long layover, our flight didnt leave until like 2:40 am and i was super tired but tried my best to stay awake until we got onto the plane inorder to semi set my sleeping schedule. the flight to hongkong seemed forever.
When i got off the plane in hong kong we rushed to another flight to get to manila so im really sorry i didnt get to call. i wanted to and almost did in manila but i didnt have time. so once we got here we went through immigration and customs and got our luggage and what not and then i exchanged some of my money for pesos and i still have some american cash, i figure ill just keep it until i go home so i have spending cash.
So on wednesday in the philippines i got here and i was SO SWEATY immediately. it was ridiculous. i am constantly sticky and really greasy but its all good. we drove to the philippines mtc and then to the mission home. super nice. my president and his wife are awesome. i love them already. keep updated on sister martinos facebook: deanie martino. we introduced ourselves, had a little orientation and the slept. the next morning we headed to the mission office to meet our trainers and my mtc comps and i were seperated. we all cried. dont worry. my trainer is sister dullete from iloilo, she is tiny. a head shorter than me. when we got to our apartment i was surprised at how nice it was. i am so happy i got assigned to the city, its easier for me to adjust. i am assigned to the tarlac 5th ward in the tarlac b area. my zone is tarlac. the mission office, home, and the APs live in my zone. immediately we unpacked cleaned and everything. i had a few minor meltdowns. feeling like i just wanted to get back on a plane and go home, homesick, missing my old comps and everything. we went out and met some of the members in the ward. the noto family and a RM named RJ, we taught a few lessons and at first i just testified and prayed but i was happy with how it all went. we taught to a 10 year old Ilijiah, she has a baptismal date. and to her brother Epraihm. he is less active. we ride jeepneys everywhere. our area is a lil bit away from our house so we cant walk. we ride until we get to san miguel and then walk from there. that night when we got home i went to shower and a HUGE roach was on the shower curtain. i nearly died. my heart stopped and i couldnt kill it so i just let it be. haha. on my first night here we didnt have a dinner appt, but i was so hot that i wasnt hungry and just went to bed. that night i woke up a few times because i was soooo hot and couldnt sleep.
the next morning i woke up grumpy. i didnt wanna be here and just was suuuuper homesick. i needed badly to change my attitude. so i read in PMG the chapt on christlike attributes and focused on hope. which was awesome. i needed so badly to read that. i cried from pure joy of heavenly father answering my prayers to comfort me and help me adjust quickly. i have never in my life needed my heavenly father more than now. this is hard. really hard. but i know with Him i can do it. i know for a fact that i cant do this on my own. the first day i was at my lowest low so far in my mission. i felt inadequate, completely lost, and so upset. but i know you all at home are praying for me and i know it is helping. i am tryinh with all my might to be happy and make the best of this. it is tough right now but i will adjust im sure. when we went out to work that day we OYMed (open your mouth) to 15 people and we taught a few lessons. One man was Tatay Espinoza. He was about 70 and had lots of questions about our life after earth and he seemed really interested in our message. we are visiting him again this week. we didnt eat dinner again that night but i made soup when i got home and then went to bed.
my emotions have been INSANE since ive been here. each morning i wake up wondering what i am doing here and by the time i am getting into bed i am so happy to be here. teaching and meeting the people here is awesome and i am so blessed and understand WHY i am here. my work as a missionary is so important. on the 11, the noto family fed us Bulalo, pig ribs and rice. we taught and OYMed lots that day and taught the daughter of the noto family, she is a recent convert. my tagalog progresses everyday and the members really help me. i am trying to open my mouth as much as possible in order to make my language come faster. it rained super bad that night and flooded while we were tracting. up to my shins. ill send a picture. i love when it rains. its not as hot and people will let us in because we are soaked. the nice thing about the people here is no matter what they will listen to our message. its great cus that way more people hear the message and feel our spirit.
on sunday we got up and church was at 9. i had to share my testimony and people told me it was good. it was pretty short but thats okay. i just said what i felt and got teary eyed. haha my ward is awesome. about 160 people. Sunday school was good and so was RS. i was happy to be at church. it was like a total relief. i was so happy to be there. last night two families fed us. one fed us pancit and the other fed us soup.
i am so happy to be here. it is hard. literally the hardest thing ever. but i am good. i am adjusting. i can do it. PLEASE pray for me. i think about all of you always.
mom- email sister martino for the mission home address. here is the mission office address:
Philippines Angeles Mission Office
F. Tanedo Street, Barangay San Nicolas,
Tarlac City, Tarlac. 2300
Philippines
the N in tanedo is a N-YA. it that even makes sense. lol spanish n
dont send packages through fed ex or ups. reg mail only.
ratu.vunibola@myldsmail.net
JUST EMAIL ME EVERYWEEK. i miss you soooooooo much. i love you all so much i will look forward to PDAY to talk to you all.
TOP 10!
10. it rained & there were lots of flooded areas.
9. i eat pancit almost everyday!!
8. i rode a jeepney, reminded me of tatay since he drove one back in the day haha
7. i taught two lessons on my own, one on the holy ghost and one on joseph smith :)))
6. every morning i eat oatmeal, energen and mangos. MASARAP!
5. my shower is cold. ITS TOOOOO HOT to have a hot shower
4. i got to see sister marcucci today!!! soooo happy about it. i love her. we cried hahah
3. the little kids are the CUTEST. i loveeee filipino kids. even if they dont have shoes on hahaha
2. i got to skype the whole fam, and trey! i love and miss you all soooo much!!!
1.I AM IN THE PHILIPPINES, I AM A MISSIONARY. i am overwhelmed, but i am happy
i love you all so much!!
i miss you like crasy but i am so happy. continue to pray for me. i could use the prayers. pray i can learn tagalog and start to speak fluently. MAHAL MAHAL KITA!!!!!
i think about you always and pray for you always!!
Sister Littlefield
i think about you always and pray for you always!!
Sister Littlefield
Before she left the MTC
Kumusta po kayo lahat?!? Hopefully pinakadebes. but anyway hello everyone! so just a heads up- my entire schedule haschanged and my pday got changed to saturday so i will get to email on saturday RIGHT before i leave. SO STOKED. plus i get to call MONDAY NIGHT. i will talk about my flight plans but just so everyone is aware of what is happening. hahah
shoutouts to: Sierra, Kayla D, Madi, Jake, Kaycee, Landon, Mitchell Cavada, Madd, Mars, Aunt LaAna, Chiane, Sister Thorn, Momma, Daddy, John, Senia
Just FYI- i can only get mail here for ONE MORE WEEEEEK :O i leave in 6 days! if you are trying to get anything to me before i leave you MUST send it by friday at the absolute latest. dear elder me before i leave- I will get mail on monday but thats it!
HOW INSANE. time has seriously gone so quickly. ITS PINAKADEBES! (the best sa tagalog)
On tuesday night we had a devotional and Elder David F Evans of the Seventy and his wife spoke. His wife talked about not being distracted on our missions and how it is time to turn my heart over to the lord. to leave all thoughts of "me" behind and focus on the work. Elder Evans called us to repentence and about the spirit and how to teach through the spirit. After his talk i have made it a goal to submit to the fathers will. i think multiple times in my life i have prayed for guidance and in the end wanted to do what i wanted to do. but it is so important to remember that when we pray we must follow what the spirit tells us and have faith that it will be for our good.
My week has pretty much been really fast and i cant believe it is already P-day.
Wednesday was aweeeesome. I got to "host" two international sister missionaries. I pretty much got them settled in their rooms and what not and helped them get all their classroom materials. Both of my sisters were from Tonga and literally the SWEEEEETEST sisters alive. they were both going english speaking- one to Boise ID & one to Oakland CA. they were both so excited and super nice. After that I was waiting for my companions to go to lunch and i sat in the hallway where the new missionaries were coming in. I saw Jordan Ruesch- Ive only seen him that one time. but im sure i will see him somemore before i leave. That day i saw Skyler killian too & Patience Jensen (Sonny Smiths Cousin, mom) & we went to east tech together the one week i went. haha but im SO SO SO excited for this wednesday- Karlie FINALLY gets here. Jordan Parker too. Itll be awesome. I get to host tomorrow so im keeping my fingers crossed that i get to host sister tanner :D if not karlie- we MUST meet up somewhere. hahah
On Thursday I fasted, for multiple things. I needed answers and guidance and it was SUPER good. The spirit here is so uncomparable and i love that i get to experience everyday. I will miss it for sure. Thursday we were SUPPOSED to get our flight plans and they didnt come. it was certainly the upset of the day but it was no big deal. I had a good day still. We taught both of our investigators, Laura and Roy and they are both progressing like crazy. Its so cool. I love seeing them change and get stronger in the gospel.
My companionship was assigned to teach our district for sunday and we started preparing this day. Ill talk about our amazing lesson later.
On friday our elders (the foreign ones) got to go to temple square so our class was super tiny. Just the sisters with our teach Sister Watkins & it was super cool. we practiced teaching and i felt sooo much more comfortable in the language and i am understanding so much more. i did have a bit of an anxiety attack because i couldnt say some of the things i really wanted to and my grammer was off. so a zone resource teacher came and talked to me and made me feel a whole lot better. he said this: "you are fluent. you can communicate and that is what matters. you may not be able to say everything you want but it will come." he told me when i teach an investigator they arent going to think when i leave "wow she had her 'ang' 'ng' and 'sa' in the wrong place" but they will remember how they felt when i taught them. that is what matters.
" it is frustrating because i want SO badly to just say everything i want but i know that it will come so quickly. once i am surrounded by tagalog i have no doubts that the lord will bless me with the gift of tongues to preach His gospel. no doubts. i am so happy i am learning this language. it will forever bless my life. plus mom, when i get home that is the only way i will speak to you so brush up on your tagalog hahaha. marley- you too.
On saturday we got our TRAVEL PLANSSS :D :D :D best day thus far at the MTC. So here are the details. I have to meet at the travel office on Monday night at 4:30pm. My flight leaves from the SLC airport at 7:50 pm. and i land in Los Angeles at LAX at 8:50 pm i will probably call mom from SLC just for a second and call again at LAX for longer. i have like a 4 hour layover. my flight doesnt leave until 1:15 in the morning and that is my long flight to Hong Kong and i land there on may 8th at 7 am. All of my companions and i are right next to eachother so itll be way good. Mom please- or anyone, send me uno, phase 10, something to do at the airport. coloring books- IDEC. just something. I will most likely try to sleep for r some of the flight to Hong Kong. and then from hong kong i get on a plane to Manila at 7:50 and that is where we will say bye to the elders in our district and sisters in our zone. ill be SO sad haha. We land in Manila at 9:55 am and there ill get on a bus to head to Tarlac where the mission home is located. I cant even handle that i leave the MTC so soon. I cannot wait. I am stoked to finally get to the philippines and just sweat. bahahaha but seriously, i am beyond excited. i will hopefully get to call or skype or SOMETHING on mothers day which is the first sunday im in the philippines so mom- talk to kaycee about skype and figure it out. This saturday i ripped my skirt. no worries tho- it was in private but it was the cute yellow and black polka dot one. i was so sad and i was gonna get it fixed but idec so im just gonna send it home in the package. We also played sisters vs elders sand volleyball. it was hilarious. i should have played in high school cus im pretty beast hahahah. oh and john- i have also been playing basketball. i can take you one on one when i get home. im a pro.
Sunday was the best. It is my favorite day of the week.Sister Bonnie Oscarson, the new general young womens president spoke to us for relief society. it was such a good talk. first of all she and her husband were called to be a mission president/wife at age 25!!! isnt that insane?!! but she just said how she felt like she didnt know anything but it was okay. She related that to us as missionaries and said how even when we feel like we dont know anything it is okay, we are just barely called, we will learn. I just have to have faith. I know without a doubt that the lord will labor by my side. I will not be alone. She had us listen to this song called "the olive tree" but one line in there hit me really hard- until he comes & his work is done- we'll serve the king of kings.
we are small in number compared to the world but we are doing the greatest work and spreading the greatest message. if you are questioning whether or not to go on a mission- GO. you will never ever ever regret it. ever. i know that i have been preparing for this mission since before i came to this earth. i am qualified to be a witness of Christ. I know he is my savior & your savior. The work of saving souls is JOYOUS. we sang i feel my saviors love in closing and this is awesome " HE KNOWS I WILL FOLLOW HIM, GIVE ALL MY LIFE TO HIM." it is so true. i would give all for this gospel, Jesus suffered for MY sins, i will do all i can to build up his kingdom. My lesson with my companions was on Enduring to the End and it was so so so so good. seriously. We used the talk Always in the Middle by Utchdorf from the July ensign, daddy im sure you remember it, its the talk you read to me the day i decided to for sure serve my mission. but i think it really helped all of the elders and sisters in our district. it is so true, i am so happy i am here serving the lord. it is just a short time in the eternity of things and it has already been such a HUGE blessing. I am so so so humbled to be a servant of the lord and doing His work. It is truly incredible. We talked about experiences with enduring to the end and i talked about Papa Lanny and his liver transplant. OBVI i got extremly emotional like i do anytime i talk about him but i just said how he was literally the perfect example. never complaining, always having faith, just knowing that the lord would bless him. Other
people in our district shared too. it was a super good lesson. In sacrament i said the closing prayer and my branch presidency said i did really good. and my companions said i was speaking super fast. thats a good thing hahaha. Our sunday devo was Elder Stephen B Allen, the managing director of the missionary dept. He said a lot of awesome things- but ill just say a few, make the next day better than the day before. This doesnt just apply to missionaries- but to everyone. you have the power to start over, days arent always going to be great but we can make it the best the following day. Another thing he said was that we are at war with satan, he is angry with me for serving a missiona dn he knows how to push my buttons, he wants me to quit but i will not. my call as a missionary is eternal.
I am part of a chosen generation and i have a role to play in his work. Generations will be changed through the teachings of the missionaries. The lord needs more missionaries.
Some other misc things- i saw patience jensen (sunny smiths cousin) she used to be in treys stake and is going to russia, i saw skyler killian, and this kid from treys stake i recognized from his mission prep class.
Landon- Thank you for the dear elder. and for all the pictures. i loved it. Thank you so much for praying for me. i was so happy when you wrote that. you are the greatest cuz. Love you so much!!!!! & i think kaylah wrote me too? tell her i love her :) and let me know what your future plans are. im out of the loop :)
Mad- you looked beautiful at prom. i cried when i saw your pictures. im super sad i couldnt be there to help you get ready and take pictures with you.
Jake- youre a stud. you looked fresssshhh! Thanks for your dearelder. i seriously crack up everytime you write me. the fact that you gave the girls in your group welts and that you won the wildcat rally. it runs in the family. i won my junior year too. SUCKAHHHHH.
Cruzty- youre a freaking punk. i didnt hear from you this week. loser.
Martan- YOU ARE A BEAST! congrats on making cheer! i am so proud of you!!!! im sure you will just do awesome things at harney. excited to hear all about it!!!!
Mom- youre dear elders make my day. seriously- thank you so much for writing me and filling me in on everything. youre great. i NEEEEEED an umbrella. somehow mine is gone. a sturdy plain colored dark one. also did you get my letter about the diva cup?? FIND ME ONE PLEASE. haha but also a waterproof thin watch. target has a bunch of cute ones. i am sending home a package with garments and misc things i will not bring to the philippines. i sent home a tag and a schedule-- have you gotten them?? expect the package this week. love you moms!
Daddy- thanks for writing me. im glad you arent sick anymore!! youve been sicking sick a lot lately, ive been praying for you and mom to have good health so hopefully that helps. i love you daddy-o!!!
John- i got your package. YOU ARE INCREDIBLE. i was shocked when i saw the rose in there. hahaha my comps were surprised and very impressed. haah i love you seriously. keep writing me. i love it. you are the best best best boyfriend EVERRRRR.
Kaycee- i got your letter. thank you for the picture. i loved it. i miss you and i miss telling you everyyyything :/
shoutouts to: Sierra, Kayla D, Madi, Jake, Kaycee, Landon, Mitchell Cavada, Madd, Mars, Aunt LaAna, Chiane, Sister Thorn, Momma, Daddy, John, Senia
Just FYI- i can only get mail here for ONE MORE WEEEEEK :O i leave in 6 days! if you are trying to get anything to me before i leave you MUST send it by friday at the absolute latest. dear elder me before i leave- I will get mail on monday but thats it!
HOW INSANE. time has seriously gone so quickly. ITS PINAKADEBES! (the best sa tagalog)
On tuesday night we had a devotional and Elder David F Evans of the Seventy and his wife spoke. His wife talked about not being distracted on our missions and how it is time to turn my heart over to the lord. to leave all thoughts of "me" behind and focus on the work. Elder Evans called us to repentence and about the spirit and how to teach through the spirit. After his talk i have made it a goal to submit to the fathers will. i think multiple times in my life i have prayed for guidance and in the end wanted to do what i wanted to do. but it is so important to remember that when we pray we must follow what the spirit tells us and have faith that it will be for our good.
My week has pretty much been really fast and i cant believe it is already P-day.
Wednesday was aweeeesome. I got to "host" two international sister missionaries. I pretty much got them settled in their rooms and what not and helped them get all their classroom materials. Both of my sisters were from Tonga and literally the SWEEEEETEST sisters alive. they were both going english speaking- one to Boise ID & one to Oakland CA. they were both so excited and super nice. After that I was waiting for my companions to go to lunch and i sat in the hallway where the new missionaries were coming in. I saw Jordan Ruesch- Ive only seen him that one time. but im sure i will see him somemore before i leave. That day i saw Skyler killian too & Patience Jensen (Sonny Smiths Cousin, mom) & we went to east tech together the one week i went. haha but im SO SO SO excited for this wednesday- Karlie FINALLY gets here. Jordan Parker too. Itll be awesome. I get to host tomorrow so im keeping my fingers crossed that i get to host sister tanner :D if not karlie- we MUST meet up somewhere. hahah
On Thursday I fasted, for multiple things. I needed answers and guidance and it was SUPER good. The spirit here is so uncomparable and i love that i get to experience everyday. I will miss it for sure. Thursday we were SUPPOSED to get our flight plans and they didnt come. it was certainly the upset of the day but it was no big deal. I had a good day still. We taught both of our investigators, Laura and Roy and they are both progressing like crazy. Its so cool. I love seeing them change and get stronger in the gospel.
My companionship was assigned to teach our district for sunday and we started preparing this day. Ill talk about our amazing lesson later.
On friday our elders (the foreign ones) got to go to temple square so our class was super tiny. Just the sisters with our teach Sister Watkins & it was super cool. we practiced teaching and i felt sooo much more comfortable in the language and i am understanding so much more. i did have a bit of an anxiety attack because i couldnt say some of the things i really wanted to and my grammer was off. so a zone resource teacher came and talked to me and made me feel a whole lot better. he said this: "you are fluent. you can communicate and that is what matters. you may not be able to say everything you want but it will come." he told me when i teach an investigator they arent going to think when i leave "wow she had her 'ang' 'ng' and 'sa' in the wrong place" but they will remember how they felt when i taught them. that is what matters.
" it is frustrating because i want SO badly to just say everything i want but i know that it will come so quickly. once i am surrounded by tagalog i have no doubts that the lord will bless me with the gift of tongues to preach His gospel. no doubts. i am so happy i am learning this language. it will forever bless my life. plus mom, when i get home that is the only way i will speak to you so brush up on your tagalog hahaha. marley- you too.
On saturday we got our TRAVEL PLANSSS :D :D :D best day thus far at the MTC. So here are the details. I have to meet at the travel office on Monday night at 4:30pm. My flight leaves from the SLC airport at 7:50 pm. and i land in Los Angeles at LAX at 8:50 pm i will probably call mom from SLC just for a second and call again at LAX for longer. i have like a 4 hour layover. my flight doesnt leave until 1:15 in the morning and that is my long flight to Hong Kong and i land there on may 8th at 7 am. All of my companions and i are right next to eachother so itll be way good. Mom please- or anyone, send me uno, phase 10, something to do at the airport. coloring books- IDEC. just something. I will most likely try to sleep for r some of the flight to Hong Kong. and then from hong kong i get on a plane to Manila at 7:50 and that is where we will say bye to the elders in our district and sisters in our zone. ill be SO sad haha. We land in Manila at 9:55 am and there ill get on a bus to head to Tarlac where the mission home is located. I cant even handle that i leave the MTC so soon. I cannot wait. I am stoked to finally get to the philippines and just sweat. bahahaha but seriously, i am beyond excited. i will hopefully get to call or skype or SOMETHING on mothers day which is the first sunday im in the philippines so mom- talk to kaycee about skype and figure it out. This saturday i ripped my skirt. no worries tho- it was in private but it was the cute yellow and black polka dot one. i was so sad and i was gonna get it fixed but idec so im just gonna send it home in the package. We also played sisters vs elders sand volleyball. it was hilarious. i should have played in high school cus im pretty beast hahahah. oh and john- i have also been playing basketball. i can take you one on one when i get home. im a pro.
Sunday was the best. It is my favorite day of the week.Sister Bonnie Oscarson, the new general young womens president spoke to us for relief society. it was such a good talk. first of all she and her husband were called to be a mission president/wife at age 25!!! isnt that insane?!! but she just said how she felt like she didnt know anything but it was okay. She related that to us as missionaries and said how even when we feel like we dont know anything it is okay, we are just barely called, we will learn. I just have to have faith. I know without a doubt that the lord will labor by my side. I will not be alone. She had us listen to this song called "the olive tree" but one line in there hit me really hard- until he comes & his work is done- we'll serve the king of kings.
we are small in number compared to the world but we are doing the greatest work and spreading the greatest message. if you are questioning whether or not to go on a mission- GO. you will never ever ever regret it. ever. i know that i have been preparing for this mission since before i came to this earth. i am qualified to be a witness of Christ. I know he is my savior & your savior. The work of saving souls is JOYOUS. we sang i feel my saviors love in closing and this is awesome " HE KNOWS I WILL FOLLOW HIM, GIVE ALL MY LIFE TO HIM." it is so true. i would give all for this gospel, Jesus suffered for MY sins, i will do all i can to build up his kingdom. My lesson with my companions was on Enduring to the End and it was so so so so good. seriously. We used the talk Always in the Middle by Utchdorf from the July ensign, daddy im sure you remember it, its the talk you read to me the day i decided to for sure serve my mission. but i think it really helped all of the elders and sisters in our district. it is so true, i am so happy i am here serving the lord. it is just a short time in the eternity of things and it has already been such a HUGE blessing. I am so so so humbled to be a servant of the lord and doing His work. It is truly incredible. We talked about experiences with enduring to the end and i talked about Papa Lanny and his liver transplant. OBVI i got extremly emotional like i do anytime i talk about him but i just said how he was literally the perfect example. never complaining, always having faith, just knowing that the lord would bless him. Other
people in our district shared too. it was a super good lesson. In sacrament i said the closing prayer and my branch presidency said i did really good. and my companions said i was speaking super fast. thats a good thing hahaha. Our sunday devo was Elder Stephen B Allen, the managing director of the missionary dept. He said a lot of awesome things- but ill just say a few, make the next day better than the day before. This doesnt just apply to missionaries- but to everyone. you have the power to start over, days arent always going to be great but we can make it the best the following day. Another thing he said was that we are at war with satan, he is angry with me for serving a missiona dn he knows how to push my buttons, he wants me to quit but i will not. my call as a missionary is eternal.
I am part of a chosen generation and i have a role to play in his work. Generations will be changed through the teachings of the missionaries. The lord needs more missionaries.
Some other misc things- i saw patience jensen (sunny smiths cousin) she used to be in treys stake and is going to russia, i saw skyler killian, and this kid from treys stake i recognized from his mission prep class.
Landon- Thank you for the dear elder. and for all the pictures. i loved it. Thank you so much for praying for me. i was so happy when you wrote that. you are the greatest cuz. Love you so much!!!!! & i think kaylah wrote me too? tell her i love her :) and let me know what your future plans are. im out of the loop :)
Mad- you looked beautiful at prom. i cried when i saw your pictures. im super sad i couldnt be there to help you get ready and take pictures with you.
Jake- youre a stud. you looked fresssshhh! Thanks for your dearelder. i seriously crack up everytime you write me. the fact that you gave the girls in your group welts and that you won the wildcat rally. it runs in the family. i won my junior year too. SUCKAHHHHH.
Cruzty- youre a freaking punk. i didnt hear from you this week. loser.
Martan- YOU ARE A BEAST! congrats on making cheer! i am so proud of you!!!! im sure you will just do awesome things at harney. excited to hear all about it!!!!
Mom- youre dear elders make my day. seriously- thank you so much for writing me and filling me in on everything. youre great. i NEEEEEED an umbrella. somehow mine is gone. a sturdy plain colored dark one. also did you get my letter about the diva cup?? FIND ME ONE PLEASE. haha but also a waterproof thin watch. target has a bunch of cute ones. i am sending home a package with garments and misc things i will not bring to the philippines. i sent home a tag and a schedule-- have you gotten them?? expect the package this week. love you moms!
Daddy- thanks for writing me. im glad you arent sick anymore!! youve been sicking sick a lot lately, ive been praying for you and mom to have good health so hopefully that helps. i love you daddy-o!!!
John- i got your package. YOU ARE INCREDIBLE. i was shocked when i saw the rose in there. hahaha my comps were surprised and very impressed. haah i love you seriously. keep writing me. i love it. you are the best best best boyfriend EVERRRRR.
Kaycee- i got your letter. thank you for the picture. i loved it. i miss you and i miss telling you everyyyything :/
Auntie Mariechu- i am praying for you and my new baby cousin! love you so much! 2 lbs is tiny but im sure she is strong!! Nanay Bridgida will be helping her from the other side, i have no doubt.
kayla d- i got your dear elder- I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!! you are amazing! i know this job will be perfect for you. and thank you for the image of senior year and kloeker and kinect. i died. ill write you back soon!! i love you!!!
Sierra- you are the best for writing me all the time. I LOVE YOU!!!
MAHAL KO KAYO!!!! i love you! everyone please write me before i leave please!! i would love to hear from everyone!!! I miss you all but you are ALL in my prayers. keep me in yours as i head to the philippines in just SIX DAYS!!! :D :O :X But seriously, i am so excited. i love this work, and i truly love being a missionary. You are all incredible and mean so much to me. Love, kapayapaan at mga biyaya (peace and blessings hahahahaha) I LOVE YOU!!
-Sister Littlefield
PS- im sending pictures a lil later. today is nuts cus its "fake" p-day and i have to spread out my time. weird i know.
Sierra- you are the best for writing me all the time. I LOVE YOU!!!
MAHAL KO KAYO!!!! i love you! everyone please write me before i leave please!! i would love to hear from everyone!!! I miss you all but you are ALL in my prayers. keep me in yours as i head to the philippines in just SIX DAYS!!! :D :O :X But seriously, i am so excited. i love this work, and i truly love being a missionary. You are all incredible and mean so much to me. Love, kapayapaan at mga biyaya (peace and blessings hahahahaha) I LOVE YOU!!
-Sister Littlefield
PS- im sending pictures a lil later. today is nuts cus its "fake" p-day and i have to spread out my time. weird i know.
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