Moments

Maupay na Aga ha iyo ngatanan. 

Kamusta Kam? 

These last two weeks have been busy. Last Monday we had a Zone Activity in Tacloban! It was combined with Tolosa Zone and Carigara Zone so we got to see a lot of missionaries and friends. We played missionary tag then went outside and played basketball and volleyball. It was a lot of fun and reminded me of the MTC days. 

Then this past week we had 3 FHE's and 2 of them were surprise birthday parties! They were so fun. The first FHE's here in Tanauan and all in one week! Oh by the way, this coming Wednesday is Transfer day!! I have no idea what will happen and will not know until Tuesday, but I am pretty sure Sister Esekia and I are splitting! Which will be sad. We have come a really far way and I'm going to miss her. 

Friday I learned how to play a Filipino game, Sepa! You hit a little coin thing as many times as you can then kick it. I asked these two little girls who are part-member investigators what their favorite game was, then asked them to teach me. All the little kids in the neighborhood gathered around and we played. haha They were going crazy. It was so fun. 

Sunday, Sister Esekia gave a short talk because it is probably her last, then we had a musical number!! I played the uke and the two of us sang the song "How Can I Be." It reminded me of Girl's Camp days and EFY when we would sing it. haha I was so nervous and was pretty shaky as we started, but once we got into the chorus I calmed down and it went well. 

In the last two weeks I have also caught 9 mice by chasing them down with a plastic bag around my hand. . . . the mission really does prepare for life.

This morning we woke up at 3:30 and went hiking! It was so pretty. It ended up raining on our way back down so we all got wet, but it was still a lot of fun!  

Sorry no update last week, but I am still alive and kicking. :) Loving missionary life. I'm in denial of how little time I have left. Just trying to take it one day at a time and really appreciate the little things. Even though we have so many stresses in our day to day lives, one of our main purposes in life is to be happy, and happiness does not equal fun. Happiness is peace and joy from knowing you are doing the right thing. 

https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/moments-that-matter-most-2

Hope you all are doing well. Keep on keepin' on! Hinay!

Sister Healey

Playing with the neighborhood children

FHE birthday party

Another FHE birthday party

Catching mice

Views from early morning hike

Views from early morning hike

Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?

Maupay na Aga! 

Kamusta man kam? Sorry no update last week. I was too busy skyping my family for mother's day!! This last Monday was election day here in the Philippines so it was super busy. It was dangerous to work so we stayed home most of the day, (except to skype). It was so good to see them and hear their voices. It is so funny. One of the first things they told me was that I have a Polynesian accent. I think they have accents! It's so fun to hear them pronounce Filipino words and things. :)  After all it's more fun in the Philippines. ;) 

We had a ZTM (Zone Training Meeting) this past week and we had Stake Conference. Recently Sister Esekia and I have been really focusing on finding Less Active families and members. It has been so fun meeting all of these amazing people and doing all we can to love and serve them.

Yesterday when we were walking down the highway at night because there were no service cars or pedicabs, we passed this little house and a little girl was out fetching water. She saw us and just came and hugged me then went back to fetch more water. It was so random. But sweet. haha The filipino kids love foreigners. They always yell out to me and practice their English or "He Joe!" or "Americana, Americana!" There is never a boring day here. 

We had a CSP (Community Service Project) in one of the Barangays (kind of like a big neighborhood). It was SO hot. But we wore the yellow Mormon Helping Hands pennys and picked up garbage around the Barangay Hall and playground. It was so fun and one old tatay that lives there was yelling at all the other people that live there passing by, "Why don't you help?! You live here! They have people not from here cleaning up your garbage!" Then he said something about some of us members cleaning being from Africa. haha It was so funny. 

I love missionary work and doing service. "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God." Right? :) So lets all look for opportunities in our day to day lives to serve. I heard a quote the other day from a Quorum of the Seventy, that I really like. "Happiness does not mean fun. It is peace and joy from knowing you are doing the right thing." 

I know that is true and that true happiness in life comes from following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2009-05-21-hope-ya-know-we-had-a-hard-time?lang=eng

I love you all. I hope you had a good week. :) Take care always. 

Sister Healey

Sister Esekia and Sister Healey

Helping Hands Service Project

9 Months na. Half way X(

Maupay na Aga! 

Kamusta kamo?! We are finally starting to get better! Hopefully we will return to the work this week. (I'm so sick of sitting at home) Sister Esekia and I are doing great! This past week I lost my voice, but the few days we did work, we saw some miracles. 

This one cool experience was, we were waiting on a Tricycle (A motorcycle with a big side cart for passengers) to go out to a far area and as we waited, I started talking to this lady next to me. One thing led to the next and she asked, "How does someone become Mormon?" and it was like "ding ding ding! Correct question!!" Missionaries love that question. Right then right there, even as we were squished in this little cart, surrounded by people, needing to shout because of the wind, I taught her the first lesson. When she got off the tricycle she gave us her number. The next morning we went and taught her and she cried as we all felt the Holy Ghost testify of the truth. Her name is Cherry. It just goes to show that we don't know who will receive the message. Who is ready. 

Our job as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to open our mouths at all times and in all places. Sharing the good news of the restored gospel. The Lord is preparing those ready and willing. We just have to find them. You never know. Just get out there and "swing" It doesn't matter if you are rejected. What matters is that you tried. 

As for the rest of my week: 

I killed a gigantic spider in our bathroom. 

My Hawaiian housemate taught me to play the ukulele. 

I got a little more updated in my journal. 

I went to a funeral and helped dress the dead person for burial. 

Iton la. I'm still alive and kicking and loving serving the Lord. 

As for all of you, why don't you ask yourself. "What more can I do?" Or as the Apostle said, "What lack I yet?" 

I ask myself that everyday. Let's all continue to improve and become more Christ-like. 

I love you all! Take care! And happy mother's day next Sunday to all of you mother figures in the world. :) 

Sister Healey

P.S. That spider is holding a dead cockroach. 

The gigantic spider in the bathroom!

Resting because of sickness and anxious to get back to work!

Maupay na aga!! 

Kamusta man kamo!? I am still in Tanauan 1st Ward with Sister Esekia as my companion. waray transfer namon. :) This past week we have mostly been confined to the balay (house) because we both have a head virus. Coughing, sneezing, congestion, the works. But we are still alive! (Buhi pa) 

Our kabalay Sister Balucos transferred to Catarman, Samar, and our new kabalay is Sister Sulunga! haha so it's pretty fun and noisy in our apartment. We were in the same zone back in Biliran so we already know each other and are friends. It has been fun catching up. :) 

Hopefully we will get better soon so we can return back to the work! 

Take care! And make the most of each day! :) 

"Everyday you have 2 choices, to wake up and chase your dreams or stay asleep in your dreams."  Wake up and start now, becoming the person Heavenly Father knows you can be. Reach your full potential. #justdoit

haha Hinay! Until next week!

Sister Healey

Balut!

Maupay na aga! (Good morning!) 

How are you all? What's new? As for me:

This last Monday, we were able to borrow the movie 17 Miracles from a member and watch it with some investigators, pausing occasionally so I could explain what was happening because it was in English. It was so good! Afterwards we shared about faith and trials and how we have to make sacrifices to follow the commandments of God. If the pioneers could do all of that, then the LEAST we can do is what He has asked of us. Attend church every week, pay a full tithe, keep the Work of Wisdom, etc. I know that He will bless us. We have commandments to guide us and keep us safe, just like parents give their children rules, so that we can be blessed and happy if we follow them. And we need to follow ALL of them so that we can return to live again with our Father in Heaven. 

This week is transfers. It came so fast. I don't know what will happen but I guess you all will find out next week. :) 

This week we had exchanges in Tacloban! And man, it's even hotter over there than here in Tanauan, but it was fun. My companion was Sister Odlime.  I met this nanay who lived in Salem Oregon for 1 year with her husband!! She would do temple work all the time in Portland! Small World right?!?! She said she's planning on going back and living there permanently. She said she loves Oregon. That it's really pretty. :) I hope when I get home from my mission I will be able to go meet her again in the States. 

And I ate balut again. It was... ok. 

I crossed this really ghetto bridge of bamboo, that almost broke. 

And I'm still alive! Doing well! I love you all! And until next week! Hinay! 

Sister Healey

Crossing the bamboo bridge

Sister Esekia and Sister Healey

Sister Odlime the the naynay who loves Oregon :)

Eating Balut

Balut (Eww!)

Miracles still happen

Maupay na odto! 

Kamusta!? This past weekend was so great being able to watch General Conference! 4 new temples! That's so exciting! I am so thankful for our living prophet Thomas S. Monson. I know that he is a prophet of God and receives latter-day revelation for all of us. For those of you who missed conference, go www.lds.org for the talks to read. :) 

It is so true that they say the further you get into your mission the faster it goes. I have now been in Tanauan for over a month!! Things are going good here. It's gotten a lot hotter. It's now "Summer." Really every day is summer but the already hot weather, is just getting hotter. 

This week we had a miracle while contacting. We were trying to contact an investigator's family and find their house, and as we were asking around if anyone knew them we were directed to a house. We thought it was the person we were trying to find, when the mom welcomed us in and sat us down with no questions asked. It turns out that they are former investigators and stopped coming to church last year after typhoon Ruby. She saw us walk by the first time and was disappointed we didn't stop to teach her, but then we came back when someone pointed us in her direction. She was so excited to see us. 

I know that missionary work is truly spirit led. Who knows, maybe now is the time for this family. We found them for a reason. :) 

#miraclesstillhappentoday

I love you all! Take care! Until next week! First, Go back and study the general conference talks and Second, look for the miracles in your every day to day life. :) 

Halong! 

Sister Healey

Thank you for the birthday wishes!

Maupay na aga!!

Kamusta kamo ngatanan!? And thank you for the birthday wishes! I can't believe I'm 20 now. That's so weird. The Filipinos don't believe me. Even though I'm really tall, they say I have a baby face. haha I'm so thankful that I was able to spend my birthday serving the Lord. My kabalay (Roommates) made me a sign and my companion bought me some ice cream. :) So it was a good day.

It's so crazy how fast time flies. I'm sorry my emails have gotten shorter. I can't believe I've been out for so long. It feels like I got here to the Philippines just a month ago. Things just feel normal now. I never had culture shock but I would definitely notice things that were different when I first got here. Everything is just so normal now, like riding in pedicabs or Tricycles or jeepneys, and eating rice with every meal; catcalls, everyone yelling "Sister" or sometimes "Elder" when they see us, the staring, buying fresh meat from the market, constantly having bugs everywhere - ants, cockroaches, spiders, mice, and SO many mosquitos.  I'm used to seeing Filipinos brown skin and flat noses. It's so weird seeing white people (most of the time old men) with big noses and pale skin. It makes me uncomfortable. hahaha No wonder people stare at me!!  I think when I go home I'm going to have culture shock. I'll probably point at things with my lips and who knows what else. So if you guys have questions for me just ask! :)

Elections are going on right now here in the Philippines, at least here on Leyte. There are posters EVERYWHERE, and there are cars blasting music that just drive all over town with banners for the election. 

Yesterday we were able to watch the General Woman's Conference and it was SO good. I loved how they had a choir filled with people from all around the world. It was such a good session and I am excited to watch General Conference this coming weekend.

I love you all! Paghinay kamo permente!

Sister Healey

Happy birthday Sister Healey!