Hiii

Dearest Family,
     So we went and were following up on some former investigators and
the wife of one wasn't there but the husband was, and he is like this
34732943 year old man with 2 teeth, anyway, so we were just leaving a
book of mormon with them and going when all these little kids come and
gather around and the old guy is like wait! And tells all the kids to
come over and he grabs a chair and tells me to sit down, so I sit,
then he tells all the kids to listen because the American is going to
sing for them. Um.... What??  No no no, brother, the American is not
going to sing. So now I'm sitting on a plastic chair in the middle of
the street surrounded by children and one man with two teeth and they
want me to sing. So I motion to sister Cinco and we sing "The wise man
built his house upon a rock" with the hand signals and told the kids
to follow, the old guy LOVED it and was yelling at all the kids to
follow and do the hand motions.
We were visiting with a less active who got offended because someone
made a comment about her calling as choir director and now she is
going to give up the celestial kingdom, anyway, while we're teaching
her daughter comes in COVERED in blood. She wrecked their scooter
cause she got chased by dogs (THE DOGS HERE LITERALY ARE THE WORST)
and she had road rash everywhere and was just bleeding so much and I
was like "Oh no, here comes the barfing and fainting" cause, you know
me and blood, so I just prayed that I wouldn't faint and tried to
think of anything but all her blood and somehow I made it out of there
alive and conscious with my lunch in my stomach. But it was a really
close call.
Being white here is not helpful to the work of salvation. NO ONE CAN
FOCUS. I will totally pour out my soul to these people, trying so so
hard to know their needs and listen to the Spirit, and I finish and
they say "You know, you should go on foreign eye!" (google it)
cmooooooooon I just told you that you and your dead wife can be
together again!! The worst this week was in one lesson with a mom and
her pregnant daughter and the mom whispers to the daughter "Stare at
her honey, just stare at her. It'll make your baby white." Okay, no it
won't. And its really uncomfortable when you look at me like that.


While walking down the street a bug flew DIRECTLY INTO MY MOUTH. Like,
a big one. It hit my tooth and was fluttering around my lips and I was
spewing and spitting to get it out and it goes out and then flies
away. YUCK. I could still feel like wings on my lips for like 20
minutes.

So... I think that Punked is doing a Philippines edition because
basically ALL of our investigators dropped or rejected us this week.
I'm not even exaggerating. And that DOESN'T HAPPEN in the Philippines.
 Every time sister Cinco and I just stared at each other, not knowing
whether to laugh or cry because it was so weird it was like a joke.
That's the thing of people here, they ALL want to listen to the
message because its about God, right? They don't always have any
intention to keep any commitments or change religions, but they will
ALWAYS listen. Yeah, its like someone went and spread a rumor around
Sipalay that the missionaries are from the devil, no one will listen.
So I've come up with a few reasons for why this is happening.
1.      Voldemort has come and is turning everyone against us and some
coming day I will have to fight him #Avada Kedavara
2.      They read about opposition in all things and think they have to be
the evil opposition
3.      Heavenly father has a lot that he wants us to learn and sees a lot
of room and opportunity for growth


Yeah, its most likely number 1. No, I really am learning soooooo much.
Normally you can't see your personal progression day to day, like
watching grass grow, but every day that we get home this past week
I've been shocked at how much I have learned, visible growth. And just
because we've been having a strange week doesn't mean that we've given
up, we've been working hard and smarter and even fasted. I tried to
fast just myself earlier in the week and it happened to be the hottest
day of the week and we were walking to our farthest area and I was
literally going to fall over I was so hot and dizzy and I had to tell
sister cinco that I was trying to fast but was going to die and needed
water haha #the natural man is weak. So on Saturday I asked her to
fast with me so that I wasn't alone and wouldn't die and she did and
it was great. Fasting here is realllllyyyyyy different because you
don't just sleep and listen to music and read and hang out with
family, you walk in the hot sun for 8 hours and talk all day and your
voice changes and gets super raspy and when you try to sing to your
investigators you fail and just have to give up. BUT the blessings are
a lot stronger.  Fasting is ridiculous, it totally opens the window to
divine assistance and an outpouring of the Spirit. You just feel so
calm and peaceful and go-with-the-flow and know that you don't have to
freak or stress because Heavenly Father is bound to help us when we
keep His commandments and give our best effort, such as fasting in the
Philippines. Yeah, it might not mean that all those people who
rejected us are suddenly going to realize what they did and come
running back begging to be baptized, but it does mean that Heavenly
father will bless us exactly how and when He knows is best for us and
these people. SO  GRATEFUL this church is run by our living Savior and
not just on the wisdom of men.

Nate! Can I just give you a shout out to say HOW COOL YOU ARE. I loved
hearing about your scout camp, you are so so great Natey! Keep it up!!

Mom, I'm pretty sure its Wednesday that I'll be home. Yeah, I'm open
to salt lake airport, more of a crowd to welcome me home ;) hahaha
jokes. But the office staff said that I'll be home on the 24th so....
That.

Yes, I'll be going to Bacolod next Monday!! We have our MLC AND a
mission presidents training AND our zone training. So a long days with
lots of meetings but I love love love our conferences and meetings so
I'm stoked. Also, we'll have a general authority at our MLC so double
excited.

I think one more package would be just right ;) hahaha you guys are
seriously the best and deserve a massive award for all of your
packages. I should be fine now on Zip Fizz haha and journals. But if
you could include some henna hair masks that would be wonderful. I
can't think of anything else at the moment but I'll let you know in
the coming weeks.

I love you all to the moon and back a million billion times! Your
emails are one of the favorite parts of my week!!!!

Sister Manwaring

hiking in this cave!

me and sis. cinco