Some weeks are tough!

Hello sa inyong lahat! Kumusta kayo?

Well, this has been an interesting week! Tough, but good all at the same time!

So this week, either a lot of people were gone, or we just weren't going to them at the right times, but we got bunted a ton! (missionary terms are funny! I'm assuming bunted means stood up.) We had a few days where we pretty much walked all day trying to find people to teach. That was kind of a bummer, but it's all part of the missionary work! We did find some cool people because we got bunted so much, so it was all worth it.

But we definitely had some good lessons this week! We have a less-active family who we absolute love going to see! Their kids are the best, and they love when we come over. Before, they'd had a few problems, but the last time we went to see them, they said wala na! (An interesting note: when Sister Wilwand tells people she is from Walla Walla, they laugh because wala in Tagalog means "nothing." So she is from Nothing Nothing!) Basically, they said their problems were all gone! Yay! On Sunday, the parents did not end up coming to church, but two of their boys did!! We were very excited to see them!

Everyone else in our area is doing pretty well! We think our ward is doing at least a little bit better. They had a kind of home teaching caravan yesterday, and that was way cool! We joined them because they were going to all the people that we are teaching, so it was good!

One cool thing that happened this week, we met a Filipino Justin Bieber! No joke... One of our recent converts is a fantastic singer, and he sang some Justin Bieber for us. He sounds exactly like him, just with a little Filipino accent. It was way cool!

Is it possible? Sister Wilwand has learned to like rice?? They made adobo and she said it was really good!

This Sunday was a pretty good Sunday too. Sister Kalama and Elder Te'e talked, and then Sister Kalama and I sang the rest hymn. We sang I Am a Child of God, and it was so cool! We sang the first verse just all melody, and then the next verse, I split into a harmony part, and then the next verse, I did the descant. It actually went really well. I never thought that I was a good singer, but the entire chapel was dead silent while we were singing. It was so awesome! You could feel the Spirit so much!

I guess the rest of our week was a little boring... We didn't do much, just trying to find more people to teach, and trying to build up the people that we have. We're really excited for this week and next week though! We have mission tour this week, and every missionary is going to be there. It's going to be crazy! But I think it will be way fun. And next week we have zone interviews and temple day! We're way excited for that!!

Well, I love you all! I know with all my heart that this church is true! My testimony gets stronger and stronger every day, and I'm so grateful for it!

Love,

Sister Wilwand

Worn out shoes and fashion shows

Hello everyone!

Well, this week has definitely been a fun week and a hard week!! 

So let's see. We had kind of a tough day on Saturday. It was super hot, and since our workers cancelled on us, we only had one lesson the whole day. But! It was a really good lesson with one of our investigators. She asked questions about everything from Joseph Smith to baptism to the Plan of Salvation. It was a crazy lesson, but it was really cool to answer all of her questions. She's way awesome =] That day, we also did a little bit of tracting... Up in the mountains. We talked to this less-active that we found on the street, and we decided to go find his house. Come to find out, he actually lives in the mountains in our area. Just a little ways up, but it was an interesting little hike up there.

What happens to shoes in the Philippines! The shoe on the left was one Sister Wilwand originally took with her. The shoe on the right was one she just received in a package from home.

Our area is doing well! We've had a lot of less-actives who are starting to come back to church lately, which is really cool. I love all of the families we have here!! They are amazing!!! I absolutely love being in this area, it is great!! We have some really cool people here that we get to teach everyday.

Our investigators.. Well, we're still working on it. We have some who are progressing, and some who aren't, but we love all of them, so it's sometimes hard. The ones that we are teaching are so cool though! We just have to solve some of their concerns, and get them to church!! It'll be great =]

I love my kabahays as well! They are awesome!! We have me and Sister Kalama and Sister Rasmussen and Sister Munoz. We have so much fun here!! This is Sister Munoz's last transfer, so we're trying to make it fun. We go and play in the rain, we have fashion shows, all that fun stuff =] I love it!!

Playing in the rain!

A kabahay "fashion" show

Gotta wear shades!

Even in the rain :)

We went to Wawa again today! Even though we've all been there several times, it's always fun to go there! Today, we went with one of the office couples, Elder and Sister Ence. They're awesome! They wanted to go up, and we didn't really have anything to do today, so there you go. P-day planned! It was really nice. We went up a little bit earlier this time, around 6 or so, so it was a lot cooler today than it was last time.

On the road to Wawa with Sister Kalama

Most of the group that hiked to Wawa for P-day

Elder Ochoco was transferred before they got the jerseys they ordered. I think they all miss him!

Beautiful sister missionaries in a beautiful spot!

Sister Ence, Sister Wilwand and Sister Rasmussen

What else... I think that's about it. We're doing great over here! I think this is going to be a great transfer!! I love it already!! I know that this gospel is true, and I know that what I'm doing is what I need to be doing right now!! I love you all!!

Love,

Sister Wilwand

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! Especially to my mom and grandmas and great-grandmas. I love you all!

She made me a cake for my birthday! In the rice cooker...

So this week has been a good week!! First of all, I got to skype my family!! That was awesome!!! I got to talk with them for a couple hours, and it went by way too fast! But I loved it. My family is amazing, and I love them a lot!!!

Well, this last week was transfers. And what a sad day it was! We really have had the best zone this past transfer, and now half of our zone is gone. Of course, I still love all the missionaries that are here, but it will definitely be a different zone this next transfer. It's all good though! I'm sure we will have lots of fun. Sister Kalama and I are really excited to stay together! It'll be great =]

Last time together as a Zone before transfers

Some of Sister Wilwand's favorite people!

More favorites!

Not much else has happened this week, so I'll just tell you all about yesterday. Yesterday was probably the best Sunday that I have ever had in my mission, for several reasons. It really was a fantastic Sunday. For one thing, we had 4 investigators come to church. That is the most I have ever had in my entire mission. I think... Anyway, we also had 15 less-actives that came to church, which was another high for my mission! I just love this area so much!!! I was just so excited that I was able to see all of these families here at church! There are so amazing, and I just love them so much. We have some amazing families here. I am so grateful for each one of them.

And some really favorite people!

Another cool thing happened yesterday. I had been talking to Sister Kalama lately about how I'm kind of bummed that I haven't had any baptisms yet. But yesterday, I absolutely felt satisfied with the things that I have done on my mission. We have had so many families who seem like they are doing amazing, and I can't help but think that even if I don't have any baptisms, less-actives are still part of missionary work. It's hard to think that sometimes, but it's so true. Missionary work is not all about getting converts. Because if you convert someone and they go less-active, then what was the point of that baptism? It was just good to finally feel like I was satisfied with what I have done so far. Of course, I still have lots more work to do, but I love the families that we have been able to help so far, and I'm so grateful for each one of them.

I absolutely love being a missionary!! I love this church and the work that we get to do here for our Savior, Jesus Christ. I love you all!!

Love,

Sister Wilwand

P-Day hike

Stealing the Zone leaders' hats

Sister Kalama and Sister Wilwand in their San Mateo Saints jerseys

Almost time to Skype for Mother's Day!!

Wait, what?? It's Mother's Day this weekend?? Yay!! I get to skype my family!! I'm super excited for that!!! And of course:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM THIS WEEK!!!! I won't tell you how old she'll be, but it's somewhere around the 20s ;)

So let's see. What's going on in the Philippines today? Well, we had transfer announcements yesterday!! And Sister Kalama and I are staying together!! We're both super excited for this next transfer!! But we do have a lot of people transferring in our zone, and we're really bummed about it. We had a really good zone this transfer, and I'm going to miss everyone who's transferring. Hopefully we'll have some cool people coming in!!

The Montalban Zone. I asked her what was on their faces. She said "tape." So literal, my girl :)

Sister Wilwand and Sister Pristopher (one of her kabahays) made a cake for transfer announcements. Baking is always interesting without an oven!

Some things that have happened in our area this week: We were supposed to have a baptism here in just a couple weeks, but it looks like that might not happen. The girl's Dad wants her to be 9 before she gets baptized, for several different reasons. We're hoping that we can talk to him and kind of find out what's going on soon. And we also hope that this might be a way to teach the whole family. So it's a bummer, but we're trying to look at the bright side!

Sister Wilwand and her kabahays - she told me it was just the start of the rainy season!

This week we had another CSP, where we helped a member clear a lot for a house. Woo! That was some hard work. I even got to chop down a tree!! I mean it was a small tree, but it was a tree!! It was awesome! It took us a while because there were these huge ants that kept crawling all over us. They were these orange ants that would bite us. It hurt, but it was more annoying than anything. We had to keep stopping to wipe them off and try not to get bit or anything.

We also met some cool people at church this week!! We met this member from Peru who is here with his wife. She's from the Philippines, and isn't a member yet. She seems really interested though, so we're going to try and go teach her this week. We're super excited!! The guy from Peru is way cool too. He doesn't speak Tagalog at all, so I'm not sure how that's going to work for him, but he does speak pretty good English. I wish I could remember more of my Spanish though...

We went up to Wawa again today!! This time I definitely got a few more pictures because my camera did not die. It's so beautiful up there!! It was nice to breath some clean air and it was a bit cooler up there next to the waterfall, so it was nice. I loved it!!

On the road to Wawa

Good thing I can't read Tagalog - the sign may or may not say "do not climb." I do know "bawal" means forbidden!

I love you all so much!! I love being out here as a missionary, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity that I have been given to serve the people of the Philippines. The people here are amazing, and the gospel is true!! I know that with all my heart, and I'm so grateful for the gospel in my life!! Have a fantastic week!!

Love,

Sister Wilwand