Week 39

Hello Family, Kumusta kamo?
Mayad gid ako, nagapunko lang ako dya, naga-email kaninyo... :D
Gusto ko magshare kaninyo kung ano natabo kanaken sini nga simana! sige? Sige
This was a good week, full of inspiring lessons and surprises... as
well as some disappointments, but I guess that is to be expected. We
had some new investigators attend church and the members were great
fellow-shippers for them. I expect them to come to church again!
I've been doing a lot of self-evaluating these past few weeks and I
have noticed many changes in myself. I have always been shy by
nature.. and when I was younger, I never really wanted to serve a
mission. However, when the time came, I knew that it was what the
Lord wanted me to do, so I came despite my weaknesses. Since coming
here to Antique, I think I have learned more than I have so far in the
mission. I overcame I barrier, and that barrier was myself. I am so
grateful for Sister Patricio and the things that she is teaching me.
I have really learned to rely on the spirit in the work. I am
learning to walk by faith rather than by fear. In the past I would be
afraid... afraid to say anything that was unplanned or to change the
subject or to do anything spontaneous that might upset my companion.
And then when problems would come up, I wouldn't understand why. I
was trying to be a people-pleaser, rather than a God-pleaser... and
for the first time in my life... it wasn't working. At times I have
had to learn the hard way, being forced by complete silence to make
the decision of what to teach and in what way, even when at times I
had no idea what they needed, but somehow I was able to find something
about which I could then testify. Now it has become easy for me... if
a scripture comes to my mind, I don't hesitate to share it and help
them apply it to their situation. We have really become unified and
my love for the gospel and the people increase each time I open my
mouth. Sometimes problems still come up and at times I don't
understand the cause, especially when I feel like I am putting forth
all my effort, but I have learned that I don't need to become
discouraged as long as I am doing my best. If I know I am doing God's
will, I can be happy and optimistic through any trial that comes.
That is one weakness that has been made stronger for me. I still have
many more to overcome, but I know now that I can, with the Lord's
help.
Thank you all for everything! I hope you have a wonderful week and
lots of spiritual experiences :D
You are in my prayers,
Sister McClellan

Week 38

Hello Family...
I don't know what to write about. I've been a little sick the last
couple days. :D But I'm feeling much better now.
There are many ups and downs in the mission... mostly ups :D but this
last week we had a couple downs. One of the families we've been
teaching decided that they aren't interested anymore in listening to
us... but it's okay. They have their agency. I hate agency, haha.
Joke lang, I am very grateful for agency :D
I've been learning a lot about myself these past few weeks... it's
been challenging in a way... because I still am trying to figure this
out. I had a conversation with Sister Harvey the other night. I was
telling her about how I didn't feel like I could be myself here on the
mission. My music, sports, clothes, etc. was the way I expressed
myself! It was my personality I felt like. Before my mission, I
thought I had discovered myself. I knew who I was. But here, I've
been rediscovering myself. Sometimes here I feel like I'm so
boring... I don't have the same things I had before and I'm definitely
not doing the same things I did before. She told me I was right!
When we go on a mission, we make sacrifices, but we continue to learn
about ourselves and find a new person within us. When we go home, we
will become yet another person because we will be doing different
things. There was nothing wrong with who I was before my mission, but
I need to accept the fact that I can't be that person here. I need to
figure out who I am - as a missionary! What have I discovered about
myself? What has changed? I'm still trying to answer these
questions... it's deep. I know my understanding and appreciation for
a lot of things has deepened... but I still haven't embraced a "new
me." I still feel like part of "me" is missing. Of course I still
have the gospel, which has always and will always be an important part
of me and who I am, but what of my personality? Haha, it's
interesting. :D Maybe I'm not making any sense. It's not a bad
thing... it's just confusing. I of course am still smiling, still
happy, and still working hard. Always :D
Mom, I love love love your idea about the cabin thing... fyi. When I
come home, I support you 100% and will do whatever I can to help out
:D
I continue to use my talents here. I was asked to sing for our zone
meeting this last week. We didn't have a piano or anything... so I
just sang acapela which was probably boring, oh well :D I also
continue to play the piano in sacrament meeting every Sunday. I enjoy
it.
I love you all. Never forget it. :D
Sister McClellan

Week 37

Mayad nga aga family,
Kumusta kamo? I am doing super good. It has been a really fun week.
Sister Patricio is going home in just a few weeks and she is super
sad... she doesn't want to go home. I guess that's how I'm going to
feel when it's my time to go home. But, since she is leaving soon,
she's been taking me to areas that we haven't gone to yet... really
far areas and the beach :) We went to Belison, which is one of our
farthest areas. We have a few less-actives out there and a few
investigators... but the investigators weren't there, so I don't know
how I'm going to go back to them... it's kind of sad. But the ride
there is so beautiful. We took a jeepney, and there were so many
fields and mountains and trees. It was amazing.
We finally have some progressing investigators! Brother Renato is
doing really well. He still needs to be married, but we have set his
baptism date for Feb 23 and we are positive he will be able to make
it. I have really seen his testimony grow since I've arrived here.
Yesterday, even though his wife (returning less-active) was out of
town, he came to church all by himself, which we were really impressed
with. Usually he is super shy. Church attendance is one of the very
hardest things for people here, so he really showed his desire. Our
other investigator Ronnel, is also progressing. He wants to be
baptized and his date is for Feb 9, but he still hasn't recognized an
answer that our message is true. So we are helping him so that he can
meet those qualifications before baptism. I love that we are teaching
men... because usually only women are willing to listen, but our two
investigators that are really working towards baptism are both men
with families who could be really valuable priesthood holders in the
church someday. I am so excited for both of them. We are also
teaching a family with 4 kids ages 2-13. I love them so much. I am
really hoping that they accept the gospel soon! I love teaching
families.
Only 25% of the members here are active. Most missionaries around the
world focus more on investigators I think... but we spend just as much
time, if not more... on reactivation and retention. The other day we
attended an area broadcast all about the new area goals for the year.
I am excited to help my area to accomplish these goals. One of the
goals is for each member to rescue a less-active this year. Good
goal, don't you think?? Also, when missionaries return home, they
need to find someone and prepare them to replace them in the mission
field. They gave several ideas to help the members put in their
effort to bring back the less-actives. Members really are important
in this work. We might be able to help someone come to church once,
but if there isn't any fellowshipping from the members, they won't be
that excited to come back. I know when I go home, I am going to be so
much more observant about who is attending church... who's new, who's
missing, who's sitting alone... and make an effort to make them feel
welcome. It's SO important!!!
I hope that each of you are having an amazing day and week and that
you are always smiling. :D Palangga ko gid kamo!!!
Love, Heidi

Beach Pictures! Sorry, it's been a while since I sent pictures.

Week 36

Hello family, it's been a good week! New Years Eve. The Sister's in
our house prepared a meal for ourselves. We had Pasta, Fried Chicken,
Rice (of course), Pizza, and Icecream! We ate outside while listening
to the fireworks all around us. The other sisters hardly were able to
sleep at all. I was actually lucky. We went to bed at the normal
10:30, I was able to fall asleep around 11. Woke up at 12 from what
sounded like a battle going on in our front yard (all our neighbors
were setting off fireworks at the same time. I could see the
explosions on the ground from where I was laying in bed) and then was
able to sleep again from 1 until 6:30. It was super loud!! But I was
grateful I was able to sleep.
On Tuesday we had a really good district meeting. I felt enlightened
as we discussed about prayer. We too often get into routines while
praying - especially me as I'm trying to learn this language. It's so
important to realize that when we pray, we really are conversing with
the Lord. We should "speak to the Lord as one man speaketh to
another" -Pres. Hinckley. Elder Scott, one of the couple missionaries
in our area shared an experience when he and his wife were in the
temple and as they listened to one man pray, they really felt that he
was speaking to God and it was so sincere, as though God were really
there. They felt as though if they had opened their eyes, God would
have been standing there in the room right in front of them. When we
pray, we really ARE speaking to God. And he really IS listening.
Elder Scott then gave one of the most sincere prayers I have ever
heard... and it reminded me of the way that Dad always prays. I
testify that God hears and answers our prayers. I am so grateful for
my parents and the wonderful example that they are to me and for all
the things that they taught me without even noticing it at the time.
So Dad asked me to describe a typical day. I will attempt to do so...
On a typical day... I wake up at 6:30 exactly, we pray together as a
companionship and then say our personal prayers. We go outside or in
the front room and exercise for half an hour. I do jumping jacks,
jumprope, sretching, whatever I can think of. Then I take a shower
out of a bucket... It's becoming very routine. I'm beginning to
realize just how much water we waste when we shower back home. I eat
my breakfast... usually a mango and toast. Then at 8, we start our
personal study which begins and ends with prayer. I've been working
on reading the bible all the way through. I prepare and study for my
lessons that day and if I have any extra time, I'll read from the
Liahona. Then at 9 we start our companionship study. We sing and
pray together, read from the handbook, and share what we learned in
personal study. Then we practice teach or study or whatever else if
we have extra time. 10 should be language study, but usually we have
too many lessons and don't get that hour for language :( We eat lunch
together, usually rice and pork or adobo or something like that. Then
we pray and go out. We walk out to the main road and flag down a
tricycle. They drive us to the area where we will be proselyting in
that day... in San Angel, Mala-iba, Comon, Dalipe, or other places.
We don't usually have set appointments... we usually just drop by each
house. If we get punted, we just walk to the next investigator's or
member's house. When they let us in, we teach them a lesson according
to their needs. I'm really starting to enjoy teaching actually.
Especially when you see their understanding and faith growing. We
teach from house to house... sometimes we see someone on the road and
we stop and talk to them, give them a pamphlet, invite them to church
or ask if we can visit them. If we have time we will ask if we can
teach a short lesson right then and there. This continues until 8pm
and we catch a tricycle home... tired... and sometimes very much in
need of the CR (comfort room aka bathroom). I really don't like to
use people's restrooms here... it's scary. Once they guided me to a
small little wall made of leaves out in the open and just told me to
go behind it.... where there were open fields behind the wall. I
couldn't do it. When we get home we pray and talk about the day...
who and what we taught, and plan for the next day and set goals. At
the end of our planning, we pray again and then update our area
book... each person we teach has a record where we update what we
taught them and how they are progressing. Then we eat dinner... and
then have some time to write in journals, wash laundry, whatever...
until 10:30 when we pray and sleep.
It's hard and tiring... but I love it. Not every day is the same...
sometimes we have additional meetings or service projects... but this
is basically my life. It's fun. And it's time to go :D I get to
play FRISBEE today!!!!!! I'm SOOOOO excited!!!!!!! I can't wait. :D
Anyways, love you all. Have a good week. I hope everyone is doing
well. Halong pirme,
Sister McClellan