Week 72 - 6/8/2014

Hello Family, 

Great week! Still kinda sick pero a lot happened and it was so great! We went to Tacloban TWICE. The first time for a mission csp (community service project) to clean up a park in Tacloban and then we went back home and then Sister Andaya told me to come back on Saturday for a doctors appt. We expected to stay for a while just in case of testing and stuff but she gave me medicine and I was out in like 10 minutes! Super great. 

For the service project, we rode to Tacloban on Wednesday night and stayed the night in Palo (a place just outside of Tacloban). It was so fascinating talking with Sister Kramer and Duke about the work that was happening in their area. They just opened the area this transfer and everyone expected that they would have TONS of baptisms because of the tragedy they just went through but they said it's like the same. But they also said it was really hard because all the members and stuff are just still not over it. Every single conversation starts with where they were during the storm and what happened. Their survival stories and they said they just cry a lot. And they're afraid to ask them where people are cause many times the answer is just, "they washed away." The members there all say that the numbers of death from the news only counted those in Tacloban city and not the surrounding areas which were hit just as hard. It's fascinating to see how every area really reacted so differently! And then I talked to Sister Vea who is in San Jose, where the sisters were that almost drowned, just 30 minutes away, and she said their work is exploding! People literally see them walking down the street and ask, "are you Mormons? Can you teach us?" And they don't have enough time for them all! It's amazing! She's training a new missionary and I told her, "don't get used to this! No other area in the world is like this but enjoy it while you can!" Thursday morning we worked at the park and it was SO good to see everyone! We did a lot of work, cutting grass, pulling weeds, still looks pretty bad but better! And don't worry mom, I rested LOTS and mostly just sat in the shade and supervised haha I'm just fascinated how up and running Tacloban is in general. The hospital is in better shape than it was before! They sure know how to rebuild and get things done! 

After the CSP, we went and showered and got cleaned up and had our last mission gathering with the Andayas ever! It was so great, but so sad! We all went up to shake hands/ hug them and I didn't even realize how big of a deal it was (because I know I'll see them next week at zone interviews) until I saw sister Andaya crying and I then I realized this is literally the last time they will see a lot of these missionaries ever. So sad! And then afterward, a bunch of Polynesians performed the most legit haka that I ever seen in my life! Super legit/ scary. And I FINALLY received my birthday package!!! whoot whoo! just 4 months late, but it provided excellent entertainment for the bus ride home and sister brown got a package too so we got lots and treats and shared with everyone. And I love the calendar! and the pillow case really is such great quality! 

Missionary moments- finally! haha On the bus ride home from Tacloban on Saturday, when I went to the doctor, I talked to this really awesome guy! The bus ride was 3 hours and I basically taught like 3 lessons in that time! He was so cool. Too bad he's from farther up north and not in our area, but it was so cool talking to him cause he was raised roman catholic but he said when he was in high school, he started reading the bible and began to see that they practiced many false traditions that came from different cultures that are not found in the bible like worshiping saints and infant baptism. Do you know how rare it is to find a person like this?! He was quoting the bible left and right and I was able to use all of the scriptures he used to help him understand the restoration, the Book of Mormon, baptism, it was so cool! I really hope he follows through and finds our church there, he would be such a great member! It was a really neat experience just to realize that there really are amazing people all around us. Sister Brown wasn't sitting next to me, but she said she could overhear and all she could think was, "how have the missionaries not found this guy yet?" 

And then yesterday, a member brought his cousin to church and we had the opportunity to teach him and his family last night and it was such a good lesson! Members’ referrals are the best! Especially when they bring them to church without even being taught! So that's a very, very bright prospect and we're excited to continue teaching them. And I just found out Crystal and Renaldo got baptized in Dumaguete! (he's the one with the mullet that I found just through street contacting) It's harder to baptize that way, but not impossible :) So great to hear about previous areas and that the work continues! 

Still kinda sick, but hopefully this medicine will do the trick and I'll be back ready to finish my mission strong:) thank you for all your support and prayers, I feel like the most blessed missionary ever!

Love, Sister Pike

My MTC teacher Bro. Pasikala came up with a group of RM's to do service projects so we joined.

Everyone got a little sun from the service project...

Week 58 - 3/2/2014

Wow, I can't believe it's almost been a month since I came back! And I also can't believe I was in Cebu a month ago, feels like a million years! I don't have anything super exciting but it was a pretty great week. Last week on P-day just as we were going to get on the bus to head home, we ran into the other sisters and they told us Sister Ralph is transferring so they want to go to the zoo and we decided to go along! It was very spontaneous and really fun! It was just small and in the front yard of the mayor and just free but they had some crazy animals. A lion, a tiger and a LIGER and a monkey! And we got to hold some snakes! The lion and liger were crazy because sometimes they're really nice and friendly but we got there as they were about to be fed so they were really hungry so they would stare at us and if we got to close, they would reach their paws through the bars to try and grab us! But they didn't have claws so it was no big deal, but it was intense! And the monkey was really crazy too! For most of us he was just cute but with my companion, Sister Adasme, he hated her! He stole her glasses and camera he would latch on to her and go through her pockets to look for food... it was hilarious! 

And then, a tender mercy, Sister Bingham and Sister Woodruff came to do exchanges with us! Sister Bingham was my MTC companion and Sister Woodruff and I also go way back to the MTC so that was really fun. They're STLs so they travel around the mission and do splits with a bunch of sisters so it was really fun to get an update on everyone and where they were and how they're doing cause it's been so long since we've seen everyone! And then I was companions with Sister Bingham for a day and that was cool cause we were comps a year ago! So it's cool to see how far we've come. And we had a few interesting lessons so it was fun to just laugh with her. It was such a tender mercy because they weren't supposed to go with us but they rearranged their schedule at the last second and then they were supposed to go with the other sisters we live with the next day but while we were with them, they found out Sister Henshaw and Sister Lindsay- the other sisters in our branch- just became the STLs for our area so they don't need to go on exchanges with us anymore! And they found out they had to return immediately so they couldn't stay as long as they were planning! So it literally worked out SO perfectly and I'm so grateful! And then the next night, the workers had to come back and replace our doors and work all through the night again so we stayed with the sister again- I feel like we have wayy more sleepovers in this mission than any other, but it's so great! Especially since their house is so huge and there's even enough room for each companionship to be far away and focus on our own studies. And when the STLs stayed with us in our apartment, we fit 4 on two mattresses in the tiniest room you've ever seen. Our bedroom is hilarious because it literally just barely fits our beds perfectly on the floor and nothing else- I actually really like it! Especially when you fit four, no one can fall off the bed! Hopefully we'll be getting our apartment in Naval soon because we just got a bunch of referrals and the elders are so busy with all of our investigators! It's a crazy life! I love you all! Thanks for your emails! 

Love, Sister Pike

LIGER!!

Walking to an appointment across rice fields - the path was so tiny and muddy from the rain that my companion slipped and got her foot stuck! It was quite the adventure. The member we were working with thought it was hilarious that I had never walked across one before - it was so hard!

Week 39 - 10/27/2013

So, this week I hit my 9 month mark, scary huh? I can't believe how time flies! This was a good week because Aneliza and Mary Ann got baptized! And they are just the cutest. We had their program(talks and such) at the meetinghouse then we all piled in the truck and drove to the beach about 10 minutes away and they were baptized then we drove back and heard their testimonies, it was so cute. They actually had the program all printed and ready a week before which is unreal! but then we started 45 minutes late and not a single person on the program was there. When it's up to you, it's so stressful and frustrating! But President Ang, the branch president, took care of everything and we didn't even worry about a thing so that was so nice! Their testimonies were so cute. Most just say thank you but theirs was a real testimony. Super simple but you knew they believed every word. My favorite was Mary Ann (10) said I know Thomas S. Monson is the living promise and I promise that he chooses where the missionaries are assigned to serve through the power of the Holy Ghost. haha They had asked the other day how we decided our missions so we answered, she is so smart! Then we taught the english class which is so hard because so many members are so interested and they say they're coming but then they don't! There are a faithful two but we can't teach just them, they're needs to be others so it just gets complicated, but whoever is there it is always fun even if it takes up our whole night waiting for people. 

I think that's one of the hardest things about being here is as missionary, time is so important! But there are days you spend 3 hours just sitting waiting and if you had known it would take that long you could have been finding and teaching! but to come late just encourages it to continue. And a quote from Sister Estes, "Filipino time is never on your side." Whenever you are late, they start on time, when you are on time, you sit around forever! But there's nothing you can do, but learn patience haha. So that was our day yesterday- waiting for 2 hours to help the branch with the choir and then they ended up cancelling. And then it's too late to teach anyone! such is life. 

I'm trying to think what else has happened but I think that about covers it! Our investigators have been disappearing for various reasons so we're basically starting over and finding! all the time! It's definitely a first for me, we never really found before, they kinda just found us! But I'm excited to get better at it. This area is harder because a lot of the referrals from members are ready to accept our message but they live so far away that it's basically impossible for them to go to church. It's such a big area and includes so much of the mountains so it's soo different from Catarman, but even then it was so hard for them! 

Oh, we went to Ormoc(2 hours) for zone conference and I saw a bunch of missionaries from the MTC! It was great seeing everyone and getting the training's from our leaders, they always help so much! So that took a full day but it's always fun to switch things up. And that's about it! I love you!

Sister Pike

p.s. we fit 8 sisters in this tiny trike.we were so squished! 

p.p.s. elections are today so we can't go out again tonight but I love seeing all the political posters because they literally look like fugitives. All of them. What a different world! 

Week 8 - 3/25/2013

Maupay na Kolop!

Well, This is going to be much shorter cause I have less time, but things are going great! And I even have some pictures!! Highlights: The Ordonez Family got baptized on Saturday! Yay! And we are just making sure they have their sights set on the temple for next year. So, it's interesting, I feel like I know the language pretty well considering I've only been here like a week, but whenever I have the chance to talk, I just smile because I don't know what to say! Not because I don't know how to translate it, I just literally don't know what to say haha And everything I can think of saying is not worth translating haha so I need to work on that. The baptism was pretty crazy because it was supposed to start at 4 but it didn't really start until 5 and even though we told the Ward Mission leader to organize the program (who is speaking and everything) a few days before, literally 5 minutes before it started he was asking people. And then they jokingly asked me if I would talk and I laughed and said "No, I've been feeling sick" and I don't know anything and I thought I was off the hook. Nope, they start and call me as the first speaker. WHAT?!?!?! Luckily, Sister Somera is a saint and took over me because I literally felt like a was about to fall over. And I could've said something, but I felt like they deserved something better than 5 sentences for their baptism. But in church they asked me to bear my testimony and it went really well! They said it was perfect Waray-waray and I definitely have the gift of tongues because they've never seen someone pick up the language so fast. I just really feel like it was a result of the change in the MTC program because even though it's a different language, the grammar was the same and a lot of the gospel terms are similar and I had a really firm foundation in that coming out of the MTC so it's been really good. Today, we went to beach! Most of the time, I forget we are on an island so close to an ocean, but it was so beautiful! Hopefully my pictures to it justice. I honestly don't think it's that hot here, there is always a nice a breeze and we are in the shade most of the time. I really don't think I'll ever get sun burnt ever. It has rained quite a bit this week, and it comes down HARD, but it hasn't been too bad. Filipinos avoid rain like the plague, it's kinda funny. I don't think I mentioned this before, but people stare at me all the time! We were teaching a lesson to a recent convert this past week, she was like 17 and she told me I was beautiful then just kept staring at me through the whole lesson haha It's pretty great especially since I wear no makeup and my hair is a mess all the time. I basically discovered braids are the only way. And the other day we were walking down the street and this little boy yelled, "Hello Sister Pike!!" And I looked at my companion and said, "do you know him?" She said, "Nope, looks like you're famous!" haha Hmm... I love talking to my companion cause I never realize how blessed I am. She asks about how close the temple was and if I've ever seen the prophet. When she found out I've been to General Conference like 4 times and went to the temple every week for years, she always says, "you are so blessed!" She had never been to the temple until she went in the MTC in Manila and received her endowments. And she didn't learn any language at the MTC so even though she knew illongo and tagalog, she had learn the languages here! And she was telling me about her other companion that was from Pakistan and learned English, all the characters, Cebuano and Waray-waray all in the field, no formal education at all! I cannot even imagine!!!! I feel really blessed! Nahigugma ako sa inyo!!!! 

Sister Pike

Leftovers from the MTC

Our Elders with our teacher, Brother Elmer

Our whole district with our teachers, Brother Pasikala and Johnson

Our District goal: "Don't let Pike shoot the 3 in your eye."

With a few other sisters from our zone headed to Iloilo, Hiligaynon speaking.

The last time I'll see Sister (Kristin) Ricks for 16 months!

Now Entering the Philippines!

Staying at the hotel in Tacloban

View from the hotel, didn't really do it justice! The whole sky was bright pink!

My MTC companions on the day of transfer

Our batch of new sisters

Sister Somera and President and Sister Andaya! They're just the greatest.

Ordonez Family with the Elders in our district and the sisters in our apartment.

The Ordonez Family baptism!!! They are just the cutest.

Revelation and Elton John Ordonez, can you believe he is 9?!? They are all so tiny!

Sister Somera and I, so pretty!

Jumping pictures, can you believe it wasn't even my idea?!

Sister Somera and I at the beach

Nahigugma ako sa Dios (I love God.)

Sister Somera and the outside of the trike. It's pretty tiny! On the way to the baptism, we fit the Ordonez family of 10 with us in one that size! It was crazy! Luckily the kids are pretty small so they packed in.

The girls in my apartment in one of the little trike things. Like a car but it's a motorcycle with just a shell of a car over it.

Doing my laundry this morning! No washboard or rocks, just our hands and tubs of soap haha