This
week was crazy! I always say it, but then it's always so true, right? So i
arrive in Cebu and i meet everyone, they're super nice, etc. it's transfer day
and they tell me i'm going to Dumagete, Negros- on the other island farr from
Cebu and talking to everyone it's like the coolest, prettiest place ever and
all my mtc district mates are there so we'll be together for Christmas
conference and i was in the same apartment as another great sister from
Tacloban so i was sooo stoked. And then i told them about my eye, that I was
supposed to get a follow-up check up in Tacloban last week but obviously that
wasn't possible- anyway, they sent me to the doctor here. he looked at my eye.
oh that is really bad. You will need surgery on that or sure. He put me back on
the medicine for the infection (which was supposed to be done) and said come
back in a week. So i go back and talk to pres. Schmutz who says another sister
who just went home (because her mission was done) had the same exact thing and
she's getting surgery on it so maybe he doesn't know you still have 8 months
yet? And then i couldn't go to my area that's super far away only to come back
in a week for my check up so he had to make some transfers but he didn't want
to make i permanent because we didn't know if i had to keep coming back every
week or what. it was just a lot of uncertainty. So i go to my area- they were a
trio so I split it up and companions with Sister Albaytar! She only speaks
Cebuano(which i love) and is just about the sweetest ever. And then we've been
working with Sister Robidillo (from Tacloban, her family doesn't have a house;(
) and Sister Lamoglia who is fresh from the manila mtc! So we met with the
bishop and split the area but I don't even know how long i'll be here or even
if i need to go home! And then on Saturday and Sunday my
super duper sleepiness came backl and i thought oh no, what is happening to me!
I already worked through this! At first I thought it was just because i was
tired and wasn't used to missionary work but it was pretty extreme. i kept
completely conking out in meetings and stuff, so unlike me! So finally on
Sunday after church- after an intense inner battle, I decided we needed to
go home to rest. i fell asleep at 4:30 and woke up at 6:30 the
next morning. Wow that's long! Didn't wake up to eat or anything. Then they
told me to go to the mission office to talk to Sister French- the missionary
psychologist for the Philippines. She mostly came to deal with the
traumatized people from my mission so i though it was weird she wanted to see
me but talking to her was the best ever!!!! She said, i'm not worried about
your mental health but I'm super worried about your physical health. here's
what happened, i think you had some weird string of mono that you overcame and
then with lack of sleep and craziness and stress from living through the
biggest storm in the history of the world, you are just susceptible so it's
starting to come back. So REST! Take a nap everyday, only work half days and
just take it easy and you will be fine. It was so great, exactly what i needed
to hear. So I've just been resting and it's great because it's so hard to rest
as a missionary guilt-free because you know there is work that needs to be done
and you just feel disobedient but now that i'm just following orders, it makes
it 100x easier and i'm super grateful. Then i got a priesthood blessing because
i still was concerned about what would happen with my eye and I went yesterday
and...drum roll please... it's all good!! no more infection. Even if i did need
surgery, it would be a very long time from now and only need to come back once
every few months so i don't have to stay in the city and i can actually have a
real area! As soon as i found that out, this weight lifted and i didn't even
realize all the stress that came from it but it's so good!!!! I'm so happy!!! i
literally thought for a second i might actually need to come home early but
phew! I made it again. Another miracle. So I'm super grateful and i know that
heavenly father hears and answers prayers. miracles still exist even if they seem
small and i'm so grateful for priesthood blessings. So right now i'm just
waiting to see i'm going to go to my area and i'm already known as the sickest
sister ever in this mission too haha word travels fast! So that's my week.
Crazy, right?
Other super cool
things- I went to the temple today!!!! perk of being close to it here in Cebu
and the zones near here get to go once every other month so lucky me that ours
happened to land on today. And that means i went to the 2 temples in the
philippines in one week and they are both not even close to my original
mission. Super cool. And on Saturday, super lucky, we went to a wedding in
the temple! my companions trainer got married to the former AP here so
president schmutz made an exception and we got to see the sealing (my first
time) and then went to the luncheon at the mission home after. Their story was
so hilarious because president Schmutz basically set them up after talking to
each of them in their exit interviews, it was hilarious. And then, we
went to a special sacrament in the bukid (mountains) and it was soooooooo
crazy!!!! imagine that you are on the back of a motorcycle and go along a
curvy, windy mountain road for about 20 minutes. you need to get off while the
driver goes through a river and you need to jump across stones and you
accidently slip and fall in haha then you get back on and continue a little
ways. Then the guy parks his motorcycle and you precede to walk up a very, very
steep mountain trail for about 20 more minutes. And then you arrived at a tiny
little house. The bishop shows up, one of his counselors, you meet the family
and then you precede to have sunday school, split up for Relief
Society and Elders quorum then you take the sacrament. i couldn't believe it!
literally one of the scariest, tiniest, muddiest trails I've ever been on and
we're on our way to church in our sunday best. I wanted to take
pictures so bad but my camera was dead. And they do this every week for one
family(except the family goes to church for fast sunday)! They just
astound me. Super neat experience though.
I'm so grateful for
all of my experiences, i just can't even believe how eventful my life is! But
it's the best. i wouldn't have it any other way. I love you all! keep praying
for those in my mission! Someone told me that even the less affected areas are
still having problems getting food and gas because all of the focus is on the
really bad areas and it's just so sad! Tacloban was the central hub of all 3
islands so without its supplies and such, the whole region is suffering. Also,
before i left, we saw President Andaya who said they're working to start
bringing in missionaries to less affected parts (the far north) as soon as
January. All of our assignments to different missions are temporary but we have
no idea whatsoever who will go back when- it's completely random so who knows
if I'll go back sooner, or later, or ever... but I'll always, always, always
consider myself a Tacloban missionary. Thanks for all your love, support and
prayers!
Sister pike
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