Week 56

Dear Family!

Pasensiya Gid!!!! (I'm really sorry!)  I don't have time to read your emails or write a good email right now... but I took pictures of them with my camera, so later I will read them... and next week I will respond to them, haha.

Right now I'm in Tigbawan for a district activity. We came a little early to do our emails here because there is a brown-out (black out :D) in Oton, but we're late and don't have much time. Sorry!

Anyways, it was a really good week! Time is flying by SUPER fast!

We have an investigator, Brother Vicente... he's in his 60s and he is awesome! He's been an investigator for a long time and has had some Word of Wisdom problems and some other things that has been keeping him back from being baptized, but he is awesome and he really has a strong testimony of the church. He comes to church every Sunday and he comes early.  He studies his scriptures and we feel that he is ready to be baptized.  Hopefully he will be able to be baptized soon!  We also have a lot of new investigators that are really enjoying the lessons.  We have high hopes for all of them.  That pretty much sums it up! haha!

Love you all!

Take care always!

Sister McClellan

Week 55

My new area...

I don't think I've walked so much in my entire mission! :D  Our area is actually pretty far away from our apartment.  Oton used to be just one area but it recently split.  The other sisters sharing our apartment are in the city, where our apartment is and there are sooooo many people.  Our area on the other hand is mostly just fields... and some houses here and there...but I love it!  There really aren't very many people living out there, but it's fun.  It's so beautiful.  I feel like it's more of an elder's area because normally sisters are only in the city. It's a great area, but sometimes we walk a long ways to get to an appointment and then we're punted.... and have to walk all the way back.  I'm not complaining though... I've always loved walking. :D

Transportation... There are hardly any tricycles here, which is the main mode of transportation I've used my whole mission so far.  Now we ride on jeepneys which are like buses... kind of.  We walk out to the main road, flag down a jeepney, climb in... there's always enough room for you... even when it's already full... they squeeze together and somehow there's room.  Sometimes the back is covered in men hanging on or sitting on the top.  When we reach our area, we call to the driver to stop, we climb out... and not so much in our area, but usually, in order to get to a certain place within an area, there are c-cads, which are like tricycles, but instead of motorcycles, they are bikes.  C-cad drivers just ride their bikes all around the neighborhood and up to 2 people can sit in the little seats attatched to the side... that are really close to the ground.  Usually we just walk though, to save money.  And... I'm a little embarrassed to have them push me around... I'm a kana... I probably weigh more than most people here, haha. It looks like such a difficult job!  Imagine, riding a bike all over town all day long trying to pick people up... and depending on how many people you can get to drive around, is what kind of dinner your family will have. It looks so exhausting!  Tricycle drivers look lazy to me in comparison, haha.

I'm really enjoying this new area!  This week we focused on finding new investigators and were able to teach 12 new investigators!  And have several more that are potential that we plan on returning to.  I'm getting used to the area and the people and my companion and I are getting along great!   

On Saturday, we went on exchanges.  Sister Butler from Orem is the new Sister Training Leader... which is like a zone leader for sisters and it's her responsibility to go on exchanges with all the sisters in the zone to help them with anything.  It was a really fun day!  You get twice as much attention when there are 2 kanas.  :D  We did a service project as a branch that morning, taking down the posters from the elections.  That was my first opportunity wearing the bright yellow helping hands uniform thing for LDS service projects.  It was awesome! :D  And... we don't really have any upcoming baptisms... but I'm sure things will pick up in the next few weeks and we'll give out some baptismal dates to all our new investigators. :D 

On that day, we prepared a lesson for a father who is less active.  We shared about the Anti-Nephi-Lehis who were such good valiant people, perfectly honest and upright in all things, and then compared that verse to the verse about the 2000 strippling warriors (their children) and how they turned out.  We shared about how by his example, his children will learn to be faithful to the end.  I surprised myself by testifying that I know I am here on my mission because of the example of my parents.  If it were not for their faithfulness and example and their teaching to me of the gospel, I would not be here right now.  I can't express my gratitude for them.  I felt the spirit so strongly as I shared about my parents dedication to the church and to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I just hope and pray that I can do as good a job in my future home.  I love my parents so much... I am so grateful for all they do and have done.  I do not doubt that they know the truth.  I am so grateful that we had family prayer and scripture study every day... even though I slept through it most of the time... wrapped up in my blankets... I am so grateful for their efforts to eat meals as a family and have family council meetings... I am so grateful for their worthiness and dedication to go to the temple every week and that I was able to receive priesthood blessings as needed and desired.  I am so grateful that we attended church as a family EVERY Sunday, even if we were on vacation or if I couldn't find my shoes. I can't repay everything that they have done for me.  I am so grateful for their decision to marry in the temple and they are being true to their covenants so that we really CAN be an eternal family.  I am grateful that they taught me about principles of tithing and fasting.  I am grateful for our Family Home Evenings every Monday.  For our service projects occasionally.... for our family outings and traditions... for their magnifying of church callings and willingness to do anything asked of them... and right now, I am grateful for their decision to serve as missionaries.  It encourages me every day to work harder here and to make them proud.  Thank you for your weekly letters to me, which really encourage me and help me get through the difficult times.  There is SO much more that they have done for me and for others that I can't even begin to say, but I would like to.  Thank you so much for everything.  I love you both SO much!!! I'm sure my appreciation and gratitude will only continue to increase over the years, especially when I have my own children and actually experience what you went through. :D

Thank you wonderful family, I love you all. Your letters of support really help me a lot.  They help me get from week to week.  

Take care!
Sister McClellan

Week 54

This was a wonderful and event-filled week!  On Thursday, our investigator Brother Renato finally got married!!! It was SO exciting.  They've been saving and working towards marriage for a really long time!  I was so glad... and lucky... to have been able to be there.  Because the very next day... I was transferred.  Now their next goal is for Brother Renato to be baptized.  Sister Aurelio actually missed the wedding because she and Sister Harvey had to go to Iloilo for a meeting... because Sister Aurelio is now a trainer!!! I'm a lola now! (grandmother!) She's training an American. :D  I'm so excited for them both, for my daughter and granddaughter! :D.  They are going to have a lot of fun in that area.  I'm going to miss it though. 

I, on the other hand, have been transferred to Oton.  Oton is really close to mission headquarters so I expect I'll get to see the mission president more often than usual, haha.  So far, I like the area!  I don't get to see the ocean every day like before, but there are a lot of fields and it's still beautiful.  I haven't met very many people, but those who I have met are wonderful and I'm very excited to get to know them all.  It has been easier to adjust than in my previous areas because I can actually speak the language and really talk to people now... but it's still hard to learn the area and remember faces and names.  I've never been very good at that...  The language here is a mixture between Ilonggo and Karay-a... which is wonderful because right now I'm speaking mostly Karay-a and they still understand me!!! whew!  It's a little difficult to switch back to Hiligaynon, but it's coming. :D

My new companion is Sister Falogme.  She is from Valenzuela? Close to Manila I think.  She came at the same time as SIster Aurelio, so I am her follow-up trainer.  She's really good!  I think we'll have a good time here.

I think that is everything!  It was good to talk to mom earlier this morning on Skype.  :D  Happy Mothers Day!!!!! once again!! :D  Love you all! 

Sister McClellan

Week 53

Hello wonderful family!

It's been a great week!  Sister Thelma was baptized this Saturday and was confirmed yesterday in Sacrament Meeting.  It was so happy!  On Saturday, we were a little nervous at first because the font wasn't filled yet when we got there and the water was really dirty and it takes SO long to fill up.  It ended up okay though.  It was a little lower than it should have been but by the time the talks and songs and prayer were over, it was acceptable. :D  We should probably have explained better about what she would have to do because she was a little confused... and scared... she had to go under twice because the first time she didn't go all the way under... but when she came out of the water, she had such a beautiful smile on her face!  :D  

It makes me so happy when I have a baptism. It makes me sad that I know I won't be here to see all of my investigators enter the waters of baptism while I'm here, but I know I'm at least planting seeds while I'm here and some day they will accept the gospel. :D  It really is like the best thing ever... to help someone's life change through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have no doubt that it's true and that it is God's plan for ALL of his children.  :D

That afternoon we had a branch family home evening which we organized.  It was really fun!  With a really good interactive lesson by the branch mission leader and fun games and talents and dessert!  It was great!

And... this morning... we had our first Zone Activity!!! It's been my first one since I came on my mission.  You can get a zone activity if the WHOLE zone has celestial apartments and celestial area books.  We are always celestial :D  of course :D  but finally everyone was!!! so, this morning we went to Sibalom and went on an awesome hike to some waterfalls which were SO beautiful!  It was the best thing ever! AND... I think I may have tanned just a little.. haha. :D  I have amazing pictures, but... unfortunately, the more pictures that are on my memory card, the more impossible it is for me to upload them on the computer.  If it loads before my time is up on the computer, I'll send a few. :D

I tried last week to put my pictures on a USB... but for some reason... it's so PALAKPAT!!! ridiculous! I spent so much time loading them, and then it froze and was all deleted from the USB. That's the second time that's happened with USBs I bought here. I give up. :D

I love you all. Keep up the good work.  I love you all to death!  Write me!!!!!! :D

Sister McClellan