Yet another week has come and gone. I have no idea how to deal with time here, every single day seems soooooooo long but then all of a sudden we're home for the night and then I wake up in the morning and I'm like "whaatttt I have this entire long day ahead of me!!" and then all of a sudden it's P day again!!!! I'm pretty sure a mission is 2 days and 26 billion years all at the same time. If that makes sense haha.
Before I forget, and cause it's father's day, Dad I'll answer your questions from last week first!
Okay as far as tracting goes, we don't do any of that. Instead, we are putting a big focus on finding through members and other people so that the ward becomes involved and the chance for staying active in the church after baptism is increased. Plus, you don't knock on doors here cause there aren't any doors hahah you just walk up to the home and say "Tag balay!" and then wait and they come outside or if they want you to go away they just say "wa'ay tawo!" which means "without people, or no people" hahahaha even though there is OBVIOUSLY people hahaha. But that doesn't happen super often.
The main part of our investigators come from referrals, street contacting, and the former/ potential investigator charts in the area book. For instance right now, we have 2 investigators that are member referrals, one that is a former investigator, and a few that were street contacts that we are teaching now.
The people here are really generous and nice and usually if you're at their house for longer than 5 minutes they give you food or something, usually crackers and soda or fruit or baked goods. We've had a few dinner appointments and we go to the bishops for dinner every other tuesday night. (quick sidebar- you have got to make this dessert!! It's so simple and sooo yummy. You take a few avocados, like 3 or 4, and mush them up, then add about half a can of sweetened condensed milk, and freeze it, and then you have this delicious avocado ice cream stuff! sooo good.)
And as far as packages go, if you guys don't mind it might be good to send like a test package just to see how easy it is to get stuff here that way I can know if I can ask for stuff from home, or find a substitute here, or make do without it. I'll write some suggestions at the end of the email in case you end up sending one! But you guys don't have to do that at all, honestly you've already given so much to me and the fact that you're sooo generously making it possible for me to be here is by far enough for me :)
Okay! This week! Good week, even though a lot of people weren't home or busy, we still had some really awesome lessons and were able to meet people we otherwise wouldn't have! Our next baptism is Mieca on July 6th and she'll be my first "real" baptism!!!! So excited for her, she's awesome!! And the way things are going right now, we should have weekly baptisms all throughout July. The Lord really is placing prepared people in our path!!
On Wednesday we went to the mission home for our 6 week specialized training with my entire batch, so I got to see Sister Roos and everyone that I haven't been able to see since we got here!! It was so so so so so awesome!!! I missed them sooooo much. And as of this wednesday, we won't be the youngest missionaries in the mission! Yay! The meeting itself was really really good, President Lopez said that in July we have a batch of 24 missionaries coming in and 20 of them are sisters!!!!! Whaaattt??? And so because of that, he's asked my batch to step up these next few weeks and prepare to train them. :O
Sooooo crazy!! But I'm actually really excited, even though I'm just a baby in the mission still, I really want to train!! It helps me so much to be able to take the focus off myself and help someone else, and even though it would be nice to have more in field experience first, I know the Lord qualifies those He calls and if He needs me to train then he'll make sure I'm ready :)
Abbey Hafen wrote and asked me advice for what to bring since she's coming into the MTC soon so I wrote down some things I wish I had known before coming that I've learned since being here, and if this goes on the blog then maybe it can help other Sisters coming to the Philippines as well!
-Handkerchiefs. All you do is sweat all day hahaha and it's so much nicer to have something so keep your face somewhat dry. Also bring 5-6 so you don't have to use the same gross one every day until laundry on P day
-Extra garments still in the package. You'll want them after a few months and it's nice to have them here instead of having to ask home. And I've found that the silk and cotton type are most comfortable in this climate.
-Any beauty products that aren't generic but remember that 1. it'll most likely sweat off your face anyways and 2. don't believe the myths I heard before going, yes you can get toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, all that stuff here. Even feminine products. So don't do what I did and load up on things you can just buy here haha
-Pinterest workouts and a jumprope. Keep you from going crazy during morning exercise!
-Pictures of your family AND your hometown. People always ask to see both
-SHOES: Crocs for proselyting, nicer shoes for church and meetings, flip flops for around your apartment.
That's all I've got right now, but if anyone has any specific questions just let me know and I'll do my best to answer them next week!!
Now for a small fathers day tribute!!! While I was thinking about what to write, all the came to mind was the many many many many awesome memories we have together dad. Like when we went to the Mall of America and when we went to gap and I liked that one shirt so you bought it in 4 colors and asked the sales lady all about how to wash it to make sure that it wouldn't shrink or something so that nothing would happen to it- and all of our daddy daughter trips and dates- watching the office and star trek on saturday mornings while stuffing our faces with ice cream- that time you thought that tom tuttle was kidnapping us and turned into the dad from Taken to save us- How much you love mom and how incredibly selfless you are. You give everything you possibly can to make sure that we have everything we could ever want or need. Now that i'm reading back on this I feel so dumb cause this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what I'm trying to say or how awesome you are, but just know that I love you so so so so much Dad, and my future husband better be studying up on how to be exactly like you. I can never ever thank you enough for everything you've given and sacrificed for me. You're my protector, my hero, and my best friend :) I love you so much. I hope you have an amazing Father's Day :)
To the rest of the family, thank you so so so much for your letters!!!! I love hearing from you and even though I don't have time to write you all individually know that I miss your guts and love you all to pieces!!!!!!! Keep writing me, I LOVE your emails!!
Mom I'm SO excited for your colorado run!!!!!! I know you're going to do amazing, it looks like such a crazy awesome course and I know you're going to do so so so good. Please have more conversations with me during the race hahaha, I'll be thinking of you the whole time!!!!! Thank you so much for your selfless dedication to our family, we're all who we are today because of you and dad :)
CAM. I want to hear about this amazing week you've had! write me!!! And I know you've all been busy but please please please send me mission stories!!!!!!
I love you all so so so so much!!!!!! Have an awesome week!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE FOR INFINITY AND BEYOND- Sister Manwaring :)
PS. the most hilarious thing ever happened at church yesterday- in primary the teacher was teaching about the crucifixion and said "Even Heavenly Father cried when Jesus was crucified" she then asked the class why they thought He was crying and a little boy answered "Probably cause he was scared they were gonna crucify him next!" hhahahahahahahahaha soooooo classic, I almost died laughing hahaa. also some more pictures!!
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