But!
I have a new companion, Sister Maryjoy (Jhophoy is her preferred name because everyone and their dog here is named Maryjoy and she hates it hahaha) Lisaca, she is a short term missionary and she is a DOLL. I ADORE her. So he is from here in Bacolod, La Carlota, and she was assigned in the Tacloban mission- she served there for two months but was super sick and came home (timely, she came home before the storm hit!). She stayed home and rested for 2 months then President Lopez asked her if she would be a short term missionary for one week... then asked her to extend another month.. during which her mission was hit by the storm and now there isn't a mission there for her to return to, so she'll be re-assigned just like the other missionaries from Tacloban. But when her transfer was finished, President called her again and asked if she would re-extend... another transfer! She assumed it would be with her current companion (Sister smoot from my batch) in the same area, so she agreed, because it would mean that she will be here in the mission for Christmas and New years and she lives only 2 hours away... then he told her she would be transferring and have a new area and companion! Kaluoy sa iya!! So! I now am the lucky missionary that gets her for the holidays :) Like I said, she is adorable. She's 25, probably nathan's size, and is this little firecracker! She is perfect in the language (because its her mother tongue) and so she helps me so much!! I haven't had a companion that was better than me in the language since my trainer, so its SO NICE to have some of the pressure off and to be able to become more fluent! We teach well together in lessons, she serves me left and right, I can't even keep up! And she is super hilarious! Don't take this the wrong way, but she is like a really adorable golum (I know I spelled that wrong), you know, from Lord of The Rings? Hahahaha, I'll explain it better when we skype in a few weeks ;) (SO STOKED). So yes, even though I miss Sister Becerra TO DEATH. AS IN. Like, eternal best friend siya, I'm really happy to be with Sister Lisaca :) :)
Speaking of the Tacloban missionaries, a few from my batch in the MTC were re-assigned here!! I saw one, Sister Hogge, on transfer day, oh my goodness it was SO GOOD to see her. I was able to talk to her about everything and find out what has been going on from their side... you know the email you sent me with the moms story of her daughter? Yeah, when I read that I had this weird feeling that I knew the missionary.. yep, she was Sister Lindsey from my MTC batch, she was my STL and we were really close! I love her to death! I even have pictures with her from the MTC. So my heart just ACHED to know that it was her!! But Sister Hogge said that she is re-assigned and doing well!! The Lord qualifies those He calls!!
Our teaching appointments this week have been great, lots a miracles! It's also sooooo much easier now that we understand 100% what everyone is saying, rather than the general gist I've been going off of, and I don't have to worry if I say something imperfectly because she can rephrase it to be better understood and then I know where I'm making mistakes and how to fix it! (Honestly, my language wasn't like bad before, but I literally had to teach myself the language. My trainer didn't really know how to help me learn it, so I've literally learned it my mimicking everyone here and doing my best to remember what I learned in the MTC, so its such a blessing to really have the opportunity to become fluent!!). People also open up well to Sister Lisaca because they feel really comfortable with her, people will sometimes be intimidated by foreigners here, so we've been able to find out more backstory from our investigators. It's really easy as well to be in unity and we just feed off each other as we teach. So much fun!
Last night we went to one of our investigators, Mikayla, she is this baptist youth (the one I think I mentioned who is kind of an air head? haha) and is super obsessed with Americans, so we're working to help her see the gospel, not the whiteness of my skin hahaa. Anyways! We had made a plan last week to teach Law of Chastity and then we went by and her boyfriend was there... not wanting her to think we were just teaching it because he was there and we wanted to call them to repentance, we changed and taught something else. We go back last night, same plan to teach Law of Chastity, and now not only is her boyfriend there, but another 15 year old boy. So we took the hint that Heavenly Father wanted them to hear about the Law of Chastity hahahaha so we taught it to these 3 baptist youths! It was actually a really great lesson! They were reaalllyyy accepting of it- which they showed by chiming in with "Amen!", "Praise the Lord!", "That is EXACTLY right, amen Jesus!", "Yes, Lord YES LORD", "The spirit speaks to me!", and so forth, throughout the whole lesson. (Sera, it was just like the people from Joyful Noise hahahahahahahahahaha). They had a ton of stuff to add, all about how this is so inspired and it prevents teenage pregnancy *Amen!* and broken families *Yes lord!* ... and then headed into all this stuff about the passion of christ and adam and eves transgression and how we all have a sinners heart that must be rooted out of our sinners breast *amen jesus hallelujah!*. Long story short, they totally committed to live the Law of Chastity and what I thought was going to be a very awkward lesson turned into probably one of the funniest lessons ever. When I said the closing prayer they kept adding in all the "amens" and everything and it was soooo hard to concentrate and keep praying normal hahahaha... then when we got home later that night Sister Lisaca did that to me while I prayed and I had to stop cause I was laughing so hard and she finished my prayer hahahahaha.
Other funny things from this week:
Sister Lisaca is working really hard to become fluent in english so whenever she pronounces something off she wants me to correct her, while reading the white handbook she read "opposite sex" and pronounced "sex" weird, so I corrected her, and then she kept repeating it to herself for the next 20 minutes or so to make sure wouldn't forget how to say it right hahahaha so I'm just sharing my personal study and she's whispering "sex" hahahaha.
One of our investigators, Abrar, prayed that the Holy Ghost would "be with us and control us" in the lesson hahahahaha I'd actually rather not that it "controlled" any of us, lets just stick with influence.
.... Other funny things happened, I just can't remember right now.. maybe later in the email haha.
Oh my gosh, I can't believe the snow there!!! Those pictures are nuts!! I literally cannot imagine how it feels to be cold. Like, its impossible. AND I LIVED IN IDAHO. Hahaahah, just a testimony of our amazing bodies, I don't even know how my body can live in both rexburg and bacolod. Couldn't be more opposite! (yes dad, 2 Ne. 2:11 hahaha :) )
I can't wait to actually skype you all!!! Will we have one more monday of you at home before you leave? When do you leave? Ah! So excited for you all :)
I'm so so glad that you all are doing so good!! I know I say it every week haha, but you're all doing great and I love it! Okay, I'm gonna try and send some of the pictures from this week. I love you all to death!!!!! Hope you have the best week ever!!!!!!
All my love, Sister Manwaring <3 <3 <3 :)
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