Week 17

Kumusta kamo?
I just spent forever trying to send a few pictures, and then they failed... so bummer.  At least hopefully you'll get a couple.  Karla and Aillene were baptized on Saturday! It was so good!  Actually the power went out that morning, so for some reason the water wasn't working and we had to fill the baptismal font with expensive mineral water!! That is how important baptisms are :-)

This week has been super busy! Preparing Karla and Aillene for their baptisms and traveling all the way to Panay every day... and now we have a couple new progressing investigators also in Panay.  JR is a member referral (21 yrs old) and we have been teaching him and he has a baptismal date now too.  He's really good.  He doesn't know how to read, but he really believes the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  We've been having his member friend read his assignments to him and hopefully he is teaching him how to read.  He's a really good investigator.

We had a zone conference this last Thursday and then Stake Conference this weekend.  And tomorrow... we're traveling to Iloilo to see Elder Bednar!!! I'm so excited to listen to him!

One of the pretty pictures I'm sending today I took this morning after we went fishing.  The big rock in the middle of the water is where we were fishing off of.  Don't worry, we didn't have to swim to get there :)

Congratulations Amber and Scott!!!! and Claire! and Everett!  I can't wait to see pictures!!! (hint, hint :-)

Thank you everyone for your prayers. They really do help!  I'm also praying for each of you all the time! Enjoy life!
Love you all!

Week 16

Dear Family,

This was a super good week! Two of our investigators, Aillene and
Karla, had their baptismal interviews yesterday and are all set to be
baptized this coming Saturday. I am so excited for them!  They are so
prepared and excited.  They know the covenants that they will be
making and are willing and desirous to make those covenants to become
clean and to receive all the promised blessings.  They are also ready
and willing to take the sacrament every week for the rest of their
lives and continue to make and keep those and other covenants.

I'm still the ward pianist, and I have been asked to play for stake
conference this coming Sunday as well.  So that will be fun.  The YSA
choir of our stake have also been chosen to sing for Elder Bednar when
he comes to Iloilo on the 28th of this month.  I wish I could sing for
him too!!! haha.  I'm still excited to go listen to him though... and
to have a few hours to relax as we travel :)

This morning in my Personal Study, I was studying about Charity... and
since I can't think of anything else to write about, maybe I'll share
some of the things I learned or thought about.  First of all, the
whole reason we are here on earth is because of charity.  We are here
because our Father in Heaven loves us so much and desires our
happiness. He wants to give us the opportunity to become like Him.  He
also sent His Only Begotten Son to the earth to suffer and die for us.
 Now, the love of Jesus Christ... his sacrifice... is what enables us
to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.  He accomplished the
Atonement so that he would know how to help us, so that we could be
forgiven, and be saved.  He did this even though the people persecuted
Him so much.  He forgave them.  He also lived a perfect life, always
having compassion on others and setting a good example for us.  God
and our Heavenly Father have both done their part and yet they still
bless us daily and continue to help us even though we make so many
mistakes.  Now, we need to do our part.  If we don't have charity, we
are nothing.  God knows this, which is why he gave us the commandment
to have charity.  God gives us commandments to help us!  He knows what
we need to do in order to return to His presence.  Charity is also a
gift.  We need to pray for it "with all the energy of heart."  Charity
leads to sincere action.  As I was studying and pondering and making
connections, I learned a lot that I think will help me in my
missionary work. Each of you should also strive to study this topic
more completely, to try to develop the attributes of Christ, and to
pray for help and guidance as you do so.  It is a life-long process to
completely understand all that we need to, so we can't afford to slack
off a single day! :-)

I still need to work more on making my Personal and Companionship
Studies as meaningful and productive as they could be.  What I know
for sure though is that they are so worthwhile.  I know everyone
always says this on their missions and right after and some don't end
up continuing, but I really have seen the benefit of studying the
scriptures daily.  I really do want to continue to do this for the
rest of my life, even when things get hard or busy.  I know that life
gets hard and busy, but I know also that you can do anything if you
have enough desire.  Make this an important part of your life.  Make
your daily scripture study a priority.  I know it will bless your
lives.

Halong!
Sister McClellan

Week 15

Hello Family,
This week was good!  Our baptisms scheduled for this last Saturday
were postponed, but it's okay.  They are still preparing and hopefully
will still be prepared to be baptized in the coming month.  In the meantime, we have two other baptisms scheduled for August 25th.  I am so so so excited for these, especially for Karla.  She has really been
changing her life and has gained a testimony that all she has been
taught is true.  She is doing her very best to prepare and I have no
doubt that she will be ready by her baptismal date.  She is super
progressing!  We love her so much!

We heard about that typhoon in Manilla, but it didn't really affect
us.  We just got a notice from our mission president reminding us to
make sure that our 74 hour kits are up to date.  I wish we had more
service opportunities where we are at... not meaning I wish there was
bad storms here, but other than helping with laundry occasionally, I
haven't had many opportunities to physically serve the people yet.
I'm keeping my eyes open though :-)

So... yesterday I got a new companion... Sister Ilaga joined us and so
now we are a three-some for a few weeks.  Sister Swarna, Sister Ilaga,
and me.  It should be fun!  We had a fun time moving her bed into our
tiny room :)  She is really awesome!

Good luck Dad with your court case. Sounds exciting!  And Mom, it
sounds like you're loving life!  I'm so glad you both are doing so
well!  :-)

I'm running out of thoughts...  so... I'll attach a few pictures.  The
first is my district celebrating my companion's 24th birthday.  Elder
Wilson is missing because he is taking the picture.  The second one is
my zone at our zone meeting last week.  And the last one is in the
backyard of a couple of our investigators.  Pretty sweet, huh?  It's
so beautiful!

Well, pasensiya gid for the lack of new exciting news.  Next week I'm
sure I'll have more to write about :)   I am so grateful to be here
and to be learning so much and to be meeting and helping so many
people.  I know this church and this work is true!  Continue to "Lift
Where You Stand!"  I think that's our mission motto... anyways, love
you all!

Heidi

Week 14

Hello again!
It really seems like I just wrote my last letter yesterday!  I'm
trying to think about what else has happened since I last wrote...
it's difficult.  So, maybe I'll just write more random stuff.  I'm
sitting in an internet cafe right now.  P-Days are hard for me because
we go to the Market and places like this and we can't avoid all the
music.  Everywhere we go, there are American songs playing... songs
that I like... and I have to concentrate really hard so I don't start
tapping my foot or harmonizing along with them.  I have to just start
singing a hymn to myself.  It's a weakness of mine for sure.  In this
area, we get everywhere in tricycles.  They are motorcycles (In some
areas, regular bicycles) with a little box thing attached to the right
side of it.  Two smaller people can fit inside... but it's common to
see three or more people sitting behind the driver and a few people
hanging on the back, and another person on the opposite side on top of
the wheel.  There are so many tricycle drivers around... so whenever
we need to go anywhere, we just stand on the side of the road and wait
for one to come by and take a seat wherever there is room.  It's so
much fun. (-:

I think I have a problem eating coconut. Whenever we go to someone's
house, they usually will feed us.  Sometimes, they will go outside and
cut down a coconut for us and have us drink straight from it and then
eat the inside.  Sometimes they make a special drink with it too.
Anyways, whenever I eat it, I feel sick.  It think the taste is fine,
but my stomach can't handle it.  I don't want to tell them no though,
so I eat it anyway.  I hope my body will just get used to it and soon
it will be fine.  Other than that slight uncomfortable feeling when I
eat coconut though, I've been really healthy.  I haven't been sick at
all, so I've really been blessed.  Thank you for your prayers!  Most
foreigners get sick when they first come, but I haven't had any
problems at all.

I'm still enjoying getting to some of the houses.  This last week, we
went to one house and the water in the area was much higher than
usual.  We took off our shoes... and I was glad I wasn't wearing a
long skirt.  We were walking on a super muddy, slippery path about a
foot wide with deep water on either side and I almost fell twice!
Usually, the path is more dry and we can see where we are stepping,
but since the water was high, we couldn't see where the path was at
times and had to just hope for somewhat solid ground when we took our
next step.  It's an adventure for sure!  And... a frog jumped on my
foot which of course startled me as well.  It was actually pretty
funny.  At least this time it wasn't raining too. I love it here so
much!  Some other houses, we have to walk across all these bamboo
paths with water below.  I trust them completely, but sometimes Sister
Swarna gets scared it's going to break.  It's her Birthday today!  I
have to figure out how to make it special for her.

More than anything, I enjoy all the spiritual experiences though.
When you see someone finally understanding what you are trying to tell
them or when they are keeping their commitments, it's one of the
happiest moments ever.  Especially when you see how your testimony can
bless someone else.  I love missionary work so much.  I really do.  I
am so grateful for this opportunity that I have to be an instrument in
God's hands.  Each of you have the opportunity to be a missionary now
as well.  You all have neighbors and friends who may not have
testimonies or know anything about the gospel.  Invite them to
church!!!  Or refer them to your missionaries! :-)

Elder Bednar is going to come on the 28th of this month and I am so
excited!  He's going to speak to the YSA's on the Panay Island which
we are also inviting all our investigators in that age bracket to come
to, and then he's going to speak to all of us missionaries in a
separate meeting.  I am so excited to meet him!  He's one of my
favorite apostles!

Okay, times up!
Bye!
-Heidi