Week 34 - 9/23/2013

I just feel like the most blessed person this week. A few weeks ago, I found out there would be a trainers/trainees meeting and I was so bummed because my whole batch( all the sisters I came with) are training. Actually all the sisters basically! Except me! So I was sad I wouldn't get to see them. Then, last Sunday, I was told that all the foreingers needed to go to Tacloban on Wednesday if they're going home by July to be fingerprinted due to a new policy in the Philippines. And that's the same day as the as the meeting! So I was so stoked! So my whole zone goes because they are all training/ foreigners except Sister Repollo and Estes because they don't need to go yet and I can just go with everyone else. So we left at 4 am and got there and I saw all the sisters! And it was the happiest reunion ever! Especially since everyone knew about my sicknesses and were worried but i was doing so much better! And I got to see my Nay (Sister Somera) one last time before she goes home! It was just the best. So they get people to start being fingerprinted so we're waiting in line, there is like a million of us. and then they are starting the trainer/trainee meeting. So I wait still then Pres. Andaya says, "why aren't you going sister?" And I said, "I'm not a trainer!" "Well, they are out of paperwork right now so you should just join them!" So I did and I got to be with everyone still and the training was awesome and then we ate lunch and everyone just talked and caught up then I remembered, "Oh yeah, I'm here to get fingerprinted and it never happened! I should follow up on that!" So I ask someone and they said, "oh they're out of forms. There was a misunderstanding, only the people going home before January were supposed to come so they're coming back for everyone else in October." So I literally was not even supposed to be there, I didn't even do what I came to do but I got to see everyone! And I didn't realize how special it was until I was saying good-bye to my really good friend, Sister Robinson who said, well, see you maybe for Christmas Conference, maybe not even then. I forget how rare these opportunities are to see other missionaries! So grateful.

I rested the other days this week and Sister Repollo went home yesterday so I'm officially getting back to work and I'm so excited! This is a good week because there are lots of other activities so we won't be working too hard and I will not push myself. Sister Estes and I actually haven't taught a lesson yet but it should be interesting considering she hasn't been here super long and I not completely there on my Cebuano yet but it will be great. Be ready for lots more adventures to come, I am sure haha The more I talk to others, the more I realized, it's not my mission that's adventurous, it's mostly just me... the craziest things happen! It's way fun though. Then we had a birthday feast for Sister Repollo on Saturday, homemade fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy with corn... introducing her to American food! And we ate the Mac and Cheese from jenny's box the day before and we made s'mores that night. She loved it! I love introducing American food to my pinay companions. 

The past two days we had brown outs like all day which made our ward FHE on Saturday and Church on Sunday very interesting. Church was sooo hot, definitely appreciate the fans. And the Fhe was actually really awesome because we needed to use candles and it definitely brought an added reverence and attention to the speakers. Sunday, our investigators didn't come to church for really random reasons and then next weekend is district conference in Biliran so we have to drive super far away so it will be really hard to have people to come. But I'm sooooo excited to get to know all the people and the area, there is only a few weeks left in the transfer and if Sister estes gets transferred, it could be trouble, so I need to learn everything as fast as possible! My eye is so much better and I have another follow-up appt. in Tacloban this Saturday. And that's about it! I just feel so blessed to be a missionary here and it's amazing how much you can learn studying all day long! I really have loved it so much and I don't even get bored! And I'm excited to be able to learn Cebuano better by teaching lessons and just getting back into the flow of teaching. Thanks for all your support!

Love, Sister Pike 

Reunion!

Our Branch's meeting house