Zone Conference and a busy, busy week

The work is done!

Haha just kidding. But that's what we kind of feel like. This week was crazy! We didn't even have a full day in our area this week. But we're excited for this upcoming week because we have NOTHING going on =]

Alright, so this week. We'll start on Tuesday. Tuesday we had our zone training, where all of the missionaries in our zone get together and then we all talk about what happened at MLC. The best part? Sister Sia and I got to give a workshop. We were so nervous! But it actually went pretty well. We talked about committing people to read the Book of Mormon and go to church and why those are so hard. After zone training, Sister Sia and I went on exchanges with two sisters in our house. One of them was sick, and so they hadn't worked for about 5 days or so. I stayed home with the one that was sick and Sister Sia took the other one to their area. It was a bit boring just at home, but we got a lot of cleaning done =]

Wednesday was zone conference. Actually, it was way good! We had two zones get together, and then the APs, ZLs and President all gave workshops. And then Sister Sia and I gave another workshop! We were even more nervous for this one because President and his wife were there, and there were a lot more missionaries. But again, it went well. This time we talked about using the new pass-along cards that we got. We learned a lot during the conference! We talked a lot about the plan of salvation and using time wisely. And then I got a cupcake for my birthday! (They give out cupcakes for birthdays when we have zone conference every 3 months.)

Wednesday night and Thursday, we had exchanges! I got to go on exchanges with a fantastic sister. Sister Pullicar is the best! She's so tiny, but she has a strong personality. And she's a fantastic missionary. 

On Thursday night and Friday, we had exchanges again! This time I got to go with Sister Cagicaucau. She is also another fantastic missionary. She's from Fiji and it was cool to go with her! I had a lot of memories coming back from my training when I went with her =]

Speaking of training, Sister Wilwand got to say goodbye to Sister Lavador (her follow-up trainer) who is finishing her mission and heading home.

On Saturday, we were supposed to do a service project, but it was raining. So we went our to our area, and nobody was there. And we didn't have anyone to work with because all of the relief society had an activity. So we just came back home and did our weekly planning instead.

On Sunday, we had church and then some meetings with some of the church leaders.

It was a full week!! But it was a good one too. I learned a lot this week from workshops and our exchanges. But we're also excited to have a full week in our area. We're going to visit all of the people that we possibly can. It's going to be great.

I love you all, and I hope you're all doing well!! I know that this work is true, and I know that this church is the true church of Jesus Christ.

Ingat kayo!

Love,

Sister Wilwand

Sister Wilwand's current missionary apartment

The view from their balcony window

Eastern Washington (and Utah!) may seem a bit dry when she comes home after this!

Boodle Fight!

Hi!! This week has been such a great week!!

Since I emailed last Wednesday, I guess my week will start with Thursday. Actually, Thursday was a really good day. We had our MLC, or missionary leadership council, and it was way fun. We listened to some workshops from our President and the APs and then gave accountability about what's going on with our sisters. I actually learned a lot, and it was a neat chance to see how things really go in our mission.

Missionary Leadership Council

On Friday, we have our weekly planning! For those of you who are not yet missionaries, weekly planning is 3 hours or more, because you sit and talk about the people you're teaching. It's such a great opportunity to really discuss everything, but sometimes it gets a little long. This week it was even longer because we were planning for the two workshops that we get to give tomorrow and on Wednesday. We're excited though!! Hopefully they will go really well. Wish us luck!

Sister Sia and Sister Wilwand

On Saturday, we were so excited because we finally had a full day in our area!! It was so fantastic. You never realize how much you love working in your area until you never get any time there. So it was fun.

Sister Wilwand and some of her kabahays

Sunday was so great! We had so many investigators and less-actives come to church, most of which were priesthood or potential priesthood. It was so great!! It was so awesome to see all of these people that we've been teaching come to church and realize how important it is for them.

Sister Wilwand already has little fans in her new area :)

And today was so fun! We started out having a zone activity, where we played a whole bunch of games. We played basketball and ultimate frisbee and some other little games. I mostly just played ultimate frisbee. It was way fun!! And then we did a little something called a boodle fight. What is that you may ask? Well, let me tell you. So us Sisters in our zone spent all of last night and this morning cooking ulam (kind of like a main dish.) We had fish, lumpias, pork, boiled eggs and menudo. And then everyone brought their own rice to eat with all of this. But it's not just a regular feast. We layed out palm leaves on a table and then poured all of the rice and ulam on them. And then you just stand around the table and eat with your hands. It's the best =] If you're in Walla Walla when I get home, we will probably be doing that!

Enjoying the Boodle Fight!

Ultimate frisbee players

Anyway, I just want you all to know that I am loving being out here as a missionary!! I am slowly coming to realize that we really don't have much time left here, and time is going so fast, but I love it anyway

. If you ever have the chance to go on a mission, do it. It's the best.

I love you all!!

Love,

Sister Wilwand

P.S. Here is a picture of what our boodle fight looked like before we ate everything =]

Miracles!

Hello to everyone!!

Well, this week was such a great week!! We've really been seeing so many miracles here in this area, and we love it!!

The first miracle we saw this week was... We got lost! Ok, just kidding. But it was actually pretty fun. If you know me at all, I'm not really great with directions, but I've been doing pretty good in this area. This week though, we got completely lost. And so we just kept walking and walking until we saw something we recognized. And you know what? Now we know our area even better, so it was really a blessing in disguise =]

Another thing that happened this week was that we had another mission tour! So we got to see everyone in our mission, and then we were able to hear Elder Lyn G. Robbins speak to us. His talk was fantastic! He talked a lot about being obedient and having goals, and then he talked talked about doing and becoming. His point was that as missionaries (or as anyone), we can't just go around doing good things. We have to become more Christ-like as well, or it doesn't really mean anything. With that, we can't just be Christ-like and then not be doing anything good either. He talked about setting goals for what we want to do and be during our missions and after our missions.

Sister Wilwand, Sister Clark and Elder ? during the Mission Tour.

Mission Tours are a favorite, as Sister Wilwand gets to see many good friends from all over her mission.

Sister Wilwand and Sister Sia

This week was also the first week that I really felt like I was an STL. We finally went on exchanges this week, and they were super fun! I was able to go with two of our sisters, and I loved it! I was super nervous at first because as STLs, we have to do evaluation with the sisters after our day. But it actually ended up being fine. I learned a lot from both of the sisters that I went with, so it was great =]

This coming week, that is when we'll feel even more like STLs. We have a conference tomorrow for all of the leaders in the mission, and then next week we have to give workshops in our zone conference and zone training. It should be fun!

Another thing that just happened yesterday was that we found a family to teach!! We've been praying and fasting to find a family here in this area that is ready for the gospel, and yesterday I think we may have found them. It was only the first time that we've taught them, but they had some really good questions and were so so very nice. I'm excited to go back to see them!

Another miracle that happened was today! We got to go to the temple! I absolutely love the temple, and I was very excited to be able to go again. It really is one of the best places to be on this entire earth. There you can really feel Heavenly Father's love for you. It was great!

Well, I just want to all to know that I absolutely love being a missionary!!! It really is the best thing in the entire world. I love you all!

Love,

Sister Wilwand

Nandito na ako sa San Jose Del Monte!!

Well, I'm here! I am now in my fourth area. Pangarap Ward, in San Jose Del Monte, and I am loving it!!

My companion is a fantastic missionary named Sister Sia (pronounced Sha), and I love her so much!! She is such a hard worker, and she is hilarious. We are always laughing while we're outside working or just inside the house. I love her! She is so obedient and just wants to go out and help all the people that are here. I'm excited to be her companion for the next little while.

Sister Wilwand and her new companion Sister Sia

So I've had a couple questions about what exactly STLs do. Well... That's a really good question. So far, we've had a leadership meeting, and we've set up one set of exchanges. That's about it. But mostly what we do is take care of the sisters that we are in charge of. So, we go on exchanges with them, strengthen them, inspire them and help them work out any problems they might have. Basically, we're kind of like zone leaders or district leaders, but just specifically over the sisters. We also have to give workshops at some of the training meetings that we have, and that is one thing we're a little bit nervous about... But hopefully it'll be fun =]

Anyway, this past week has been pretty great! Last week we actually had transfers where we had to travel and everything. There were actually four of us that traveled together, 2 sisters and 2 elders. I got to travel with Sister Clark! And we traveled together all the way to the mission office. We dropped off the elders at another meeting point where their companions were. We had a lot of mix-ups and miscommunication, but we eventually got everyone where they were supposed to be.

You might be wondering how our area is going since we don't really know where we are. Well actually, it's going great! Heavenly Father has definitely blessed us this past weekend. He definitely has some great things planned for this area over here. We've only gotten lost a few times, and sometimes, we'll just meet random members on the street who then end up working with us. It's great!! And yesterday, we got the biggest welcome from the ward! I love it here! Our ward mission leader, and all the other leaders here are fantastic, and I'm excited to work with them. It's going to be great!

I think that might be just about all that's going on here. I'm excited for this week and next week! We have a mission tour this week, and then we have temple p-day next week!!! I'm way excited for that.

Well, I guess the last thing I want to share is a cool scripture I found this morning. Alma 53:10. This talks about the people that Ammon helped to convert, but it emphasizes that it wasn't really Ammon that converted all of those Lamanites, but the power and word of God. I just love this verse because it really shows us that this isn't our work. It's the Lord's. 

I love you all! Hopefully you all have a fantastic week!

Love,

Sister Wilwand

Transfers Na!

(not sure what "na" means, but it seems to be almost a "you know" like comment.)

Well, it's transfer week!!!

And it has been a crazy week.

So we'll start off with yesterday. We had transfer announcements yesterday. And I found out I was transferring. But actually I've known for a while. About a week or so ago, I got a call from our APs, and they told me that I was going to be transferred. The reason they were calling me was because I just got called to be an STL (one of the traveling sisters), and we are going to open an area. So, the sisters that are there right now are Sister Benesch and Sister Miner. They are going home tomorrow. So me and my companion, also a newly called STL, will be going to an area that we've never really been too. It'll be fun =]

Sister Benesch, Sister Kalama and Sister Miner all finished their missions this week and headed for home.

So because of that call, last week I actually got to visit this area. I went on exchanges with the two sisters there, and we worked for a day. Seems good right? But it'll still be pretty new because it's hard to memorize that many people in one day. But hopefully we'll be fine. So I was with them last week on Wednesday, and then kind of hung out in the office and went on splits with another set of sisters on Thursday. It was pretty fun =]

And that's why it's been a crazy week. Yesterday we also found out that Sister Clark is going to be an STL!!! I am so excited. That means that we will see each other every month at our monthly meetings. I was pretty excited when she got called. It will be awesome! And, my trainee, Sister Bugtong doesn't yet know who her companion will be. She'll find out tomorrow when she goes to get her at the mission home. But right now, we think she might be from Fiji, so it should be fun =]

Sister Wilwand and Sister Bugtong, before Transfer day

Other than that, we've just been trying to say goodbye to everyone, and make sure that everything is going well in our area. It's so hard to say goodbye!! Especially to some of our recent converts. But I know that the Lord needs us in other places, and that's why we're going. 

Saying goodbye to all those she has come to love

This is probably the favorite picture Sister Wilwand has sent home - the joy on her face and the love of these sweet little ones. Just awesome to behold for this momma missing her girl!

We also have a baptism this weekend!!! I won't get to go to it, since I'll be pretty far away, but I'm excited anyway. It's a girl that we've been working with for a while, and she is definitely ready to be baptized. We're pretty excited for her =]

Otherwise, I just want you all to know that Heavenly Father really does love us. He knows who each and everyone of us are personally. He love us so much. He doesn't want us to be sad, he doesn't want us to have a hard time... He just wants us to be happy. But he knows that this life is filled with trials and challenges. And that's why he has given us prayer, scriptures, church, priesthood power, family, friends, and so many other things to help us. I love you all! Have a fantastic week!

Love,

Sister Wilwand

ONE YEAR!!

Well, this week was a big week!! Sister Clark and I finally hit our year mark! Which means we only have 6 months left in our missions. Which means that time is going by soooo fast over here.

Sister Wilwand and Sister Clark celebrate ONE YEAR in the mission!

And we also had another little surprise yesterday as well! Congratulations to my trainee, Sister Bugtong! She just got called to be a trainer next transfer. I'm super excited for her! She is going to be great. And since she is my child in the mission, this means I'll have a grandchild here! (Weird missionary lingo - your trainee is your "child" and your trainee's trainee is your "grandchild."  They had similar vernacular in Matthew's Scotland/Ireland mission, so it must have widespread usage.)

Sister Bugtong is a little overwhelmed after the phone call telling her she will be training!

This week was also really great because we got to watch General Conference!! We pretty lived at the stake center this weekend when we watched conference, and it was so awesome! If you haven't gotten to watch it all, go watch all of the sessions. ALL of them. And take questions with you. When I watched conference, I had a few questions, and they were all answered. No joke. It was the coolest thing ever. There were even some questions I had that you wouldn't think would be in general conference, but they were there anyway. It was the coolest thing ever.

Everything else is going so great out here! I love this area, but unfortunately, it looks like I'll probably be leaving. Which stinks, because we have some really good potentially progressing investigators that we've recently found. But I know that Sister Bugtong will take good care of them. She is a fantastic missionary, and this are is going to progress so much with her leading it. I'm excited to hear all about it.

I think that's about it. Exciting things are happening over here!! I hope you all are doing ok!!

Mahal ko kayo!

Sister Wilwand

The Church is true, the Book is blue :)

Well, another week has passed by! And the time just keeps going faster and faster and faster! It's crazy!! And I love it =] Being a missionary really is the best thing ever.

I guess I'll start on Monday. So after we emailed, we were riding on the bus ride home and the zone leaders called saying we needed to come and clean the chapel. Well when we got there, it turned out to be a little surprise birthday party instead =] It was way fun! And one of the elders decided he would like to put chocolate icing on everyone's face... So by the end of the night, we all had chocolate everywhere. But it was way fun!

Surprise birthday party the Zone leaders threw for Sister Wilwand

Complete with chocolate icing!

On Wednesday, we have our zone interviews with our Mission President and his wife. It was so good! They really have been called of God to be the leaders in our mission. You can just tell by the way that they lead and give workshops and everything. They are fantastic. Things in our mission are definitely changing for the better, and I love it! We had some inspiring workshops about finding, teaching, manners, and all sorts of other things. It was great.

On Friday, we ended up having a CSP where we cleaned up a whole street full of garbage and grass. It was actually super fun. And we even found some really really cute tiny frogs. I mean like super super tiny. I'll make sure I send some pictures.

CSP, or Community Service Project (and those pants again!)

And the teeny, tiny frogs...

On Saturday, we got to attend the general women's session of general conference! (We watch all the sessions a week later here.) We actually ended up watching the sessions from last April, but it was so good! If you haven't watched it yet, I would go watch it. It talked a lot about missionary work, and opening our mouths. It talked about how there are 'help wanted' signs all over the world that we can answer to. It was really great.

On Sunday, we had church! I love church! Sunday is probably one of my favorite days of the week. It's always so great! And yesterday, we had such a good experience with one of our recent converts. She is an even better missionary than we are. She helps to start teaching all of her neighbors that live next to her. She's not shy to share the gospel with anyone at all. It's way awesome =]

Oh, and on Saturday, my companion and I went jogging, and it was the best. And on our way home, we stopped at a bakery and got some fresh bread for breakfast. And that's the way you go running in the Philippines =D

Well, I love you all, and I hope you are all doing well!! I hope you all had the chance to watch General Conference. If not, go watch it =] The Church is true, the Book is blue ;)

Love you all!

Love,

Sister Wilwand

One thing Sister Wilwand misses is real milk (and real ice cream) but she did find some decent strawberry milk recently.

Although her Hump Day package (Half-way mark) arrived almost two months after her actual Hump Day in July, Sister Wilwand's birthday package arrived just in time - cute blouse!