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 65 - 4/20/2014

So, I really just wanted to send you a bunch of fun pictures from this week cause they really are the best! but my computer doesn't like me today so... it's lame. I got some to work! Wow, never mind. This week... Tuesday was a really excellent day! Mission conference was postponed until next week so we went finding and I really have just learned to love it! Definitely have the funniest experiences. Then we planned on teaching a less active but she wasn't there so we decided to go an active member and follow up on a referral she gave us. Her referral was a teacher and they're still busy doing their after school reports (it's summer and school is out) BUT her granddaughters who were visiting from Catarman were there (18 and 20) so we got to teach them and it was a really awesome lesson! It was sooo weird to hear Catarman waray-waray but super cool. I'm getting to the point I just understand everything everyone says and the only way I can tell it's a different language is if my companion who hasn't served in those areas yet has a look of confusion on her face. It's not too horribly different, just random words. They are returning back home this week but it's our goal to get them in a great position to be handed off to the other missionaries in their area! They were so awesome though. Definitely not a coincidence that we happened to visit that active member completely unplanned. 

Did not feel like Easter AT all but all in all a great weekend. We had district conference so the other missionaries came and stayed with us and the area authority and 2nd counselor in the mission presidency with his wife spoke and they were all the funniest people ever! Seriously, never laughed so hard in a meeting. Also, fun fact, one session, one talk was waray, one Cebuano and one Tagalog mixed with English. I understood all but most don't know Cebuano or  very much English, it's really cool how much we all rely on the spirit so much to understand. This was a very typical meeting and it never ceases to amaze me! One night after planning was soo fun because Sister Vea lives in our house with us and she is from Tonga so she was teaching us Tongan hymns! So cool. So I will come home from my mission having studied 3 Filipino languages but singing Tongan songs. haha they are so legit though! I don't know if you knew this but we sing all of our songs in English. Never in any other language, it's so interesting! but it's so cute with their different pronunciations. I love getting to know so many cultures from all over the world! And we all are united in the gospel. So great. Who knew missionary work was so much fun? And of course, so incredibly rewarding. I love being missionary. Thank you for all your emails and support! 

love, Sister Pike

Week 63 - 4/7/2014

This week was wonderful!  Didn't work as much as we would've liked because I took a few rest days.  I've been doing pretty good but occasionally I need to crash especially since it's hot season and we walk a lot and my body just wears out faster than the average human!  Which I'm very used to and it's wonderful because Sister Brown is so incredibly patient and understanding and we just have a great time all the time!  When I'm asleep she just studies and listens to my general conference talks which she is in love with!  Definitely getting us pumped for general conference this week.  This week, she discovered our roof because she got tired of sitting in our house and we went up there at night just to talk and the weather was so beautiful!  like perfect!  not hot at all with the most beautiful breeze so we decided to move our mattresses up there (we always just sleep on the floor anyway) and slept and we even woke up cold the next morning!  We loved it so much that we've done it the past 3 nights in a row.  Luckily, it hasn't rained on us and we are definitely counting our blessings.  My favorite is in the morning, the wall blocks the sun so we don't wake up too early and if you look over the wall, it's a perfect view of the mountains.  Literally feels like we're camping and I just feel 100x better about getting out of bed in the morning! 

What I love about Sister Brown is that we are such good friends and can talk about everything and anything but can also work hard to do our best as missionaries.  Even though we didn't teach very many lessons, each had such a special spirit that was so fulfilling!  And we've been finding a lot because we have like 1 investigator and I was really bad at finding at the beginning of my mission, but now I love it because you meet so many weird/funny people.  Even when we get rejected, I just walk away laughing because it was hilarious.  I'm sure we'll find some great investigators soon.  One huge success was that our investigator (who is the wife of one of the counselors in the branch presidency) finally came to church!!  They live 45 minutes away and they have a motorcycle so it should be pretty easy but we've had to work for a few weeks, but she came!  And I love our relief society, there are actually quite a few relief society sisters and they are all very welcoming.  It's so exciting when someone new comes to church and you can tell they feel so welcome. 

Also, we got to see Women's conference which was so exciting!  In the past we haven't been able to.  We invited some less actives who said they would come but when we showed up at the start, there were literally just 4 of us sister missionaries but a few more showed up late at the end.  But it was so cool to be able to see that very first women's conference, Sister Brown was like crying the whole time, it was hilarious but such a special spirit that gives you the recharge you didn't even recognize you needed!  Definitely looking forward to all General Conference which will probably just be in English which I feel bad for those that can't really understand but they feel the spirit and the love of the leaders of the church for us which is better than nothing!  It's so sad thinking this is my 3rd and last general conference here, time flies so fast!  I love you all and think and pray for you often. 

love, Sister Pike 

p.s. cool story, while finding, we met the cutest old lady who doesn't understand a word of English or waray-waray so I pulled out my Tagalog I've been studying and it was so great!  My companion (who had the biggest nosebleed of her life-> a Filipino phrase which means their brain was working so hard that it bled and comes out the nose) just stared in awe like, since when did you know Tagalog!  It's fun.  But now I need to focus on learning waray-waray more in depth so I won't be able to study as much.