Week 23 - 7/7/2013

Hey guess what? We have a baptism!!! This Saturday and I am so excited for her. She is so golden, we really didn't even do anything! The week before, the District Leader interviews them and after her interview, he said to us, "Wow, she is amazing! We asked her what why prophets were important to us and I'm pretty sure she quoted scripture." haha it was so great. Last week my companion opened her mission call! How many missionaries can say that? haha She is going to Philippines Naga Mission and we went to her house in UEP and it was really funny how anti-climatic it was. She wasn't even excited! I told her she needs to work on that before she goes. Naga is the closest mission just north of us so she jokes that she could just ride a boat for an hour at any time and just go home! haha It's so funny too cause anyone with that call in America would be SO stoked. But here if you got a call to... Idaho or something, the adventure would begin! It's also her birthday today! So we'll celebrate probably by making s'mores because since I introduced them to her she has been obsessed. We get along so well, I really love her. It was also Sister Ariola's birthday on July 4 so all the missionaries in Catarman went to a restruant for lunch and Sister Somera bought a cake and decorations, she is so thoughtful! It was really great.

Tonight we are traveling to Calbayog (1.5 hours) and staying with Sister Schaap and Sister Bingham!!! whoo!! Because the next day we are traveling even farther to Catbalogan(2 more hours) for a Mission Tour! I've never experienced it, but I hear nothing but awesomeness. I'm so excited.

Other news, we're getting a new bishop next week! And Ward Mission Leader! And Assistant Ward Mission Leader! I'm really excited, because though it's nice to have experienced people, It's also really nice to have new people that are just excited to work and start off on a good note. It's been really nice having elders in our ward too because it means we need to be much more organized and coordinate and I still don't know what I'm doing half the time because I'm still new! The organization of the mission is just so inspired and I feel like I could never really mess anything up no matter how much I don't know...It gives me confidence that I can do anything needed of me. It's wonderful.
Our new apartment is great. We have a shower..that I don't use. And we have AC... that we also don't use. haha Before when I heard of people having AC but not using it, I thought they were crazy! But it turns out if you have aircon then walk outside, the humidity and heat hit you like a brick wall and it's just really unpleasant because most the time we don't even notice anymore! And we have fans that work just great. And it's very expensive. And the shower is still cold water so it turns out I prefer the occasional shock of cold rather than constant. And The water pressure isn't very good either. But I like bucket showers. So it's all good.

It was SO good to hear that Mark is just rocking the MTC. I am so happy for him! I know he will be an awesome missionary. You learn so much here, especially what you really need to do as member when you get home so you can really help change the world. Hint: Missionaries will love you if you feed them, but a hundred times more if you invite them over to your house to meet your friend that wants to learn more about the church. And so will your friend when they accept the truth and their lives are changed forever. If you don't have a referral for the missionaries, find one. Members are 1,000X more effective at finding good people to teach then missionaries. It's crazy! Basta, I'm doing so good as usual and I hope you all are too! I love you!

Love, Sister Pike

We went to visit this one family after a rainstorm and it was flooded and pitch black, definietly an adventure.  Someone put tires across and there was also some scaffolding that we had to climb through, they call me Sister Spider-man haha And also, si Sister Jean, a member working with us that night.

Legit Filipino meal. Chicken intestine, liver, eggs and balut! And that little black thing off the plate is the chick inside the balut which I also ate. Marasa!

Cute little puppies came into our apartment when the door was open.

Sister Cornillez, my other Branch Missionary Companion

My companion put KETCHUP on her CAKE and FROSTING on her EGG. And people think I eat weird things...