Pictures from Week 60

Pictures!  My awesome new companion, Sister Butler, has a cool converter thing which makes it much easier to download these pictures! :D  Sorry, I can't explain all of them right now... some from San Jose, most from my new area here in Oton!


 

 

 



 

Do you remember when we would get a new pair of shoes and were permitted to stand on the table or counters as long as the shoes had never before touched the floor??? I don't remember if that was like a real rule that you created... or if we just made that up as an excuse to stand on the table... anyways... we bought new shoes and thought it would be fun to stand on the table!

 

We also had an activity with President and Sister Pagaduan earlier this morning which involved water balloons... :D  They are being replaced next week! :'(

Week 60

This week has been SOOOO crazy.... and wonderful!!! Last week, I got a phone call from President Pagaduan calling me to be a Sister Training Leader... which is like a zone leader for sisters.  They are brand new in this mission.  I of course accepted the call... I'm just hoping and praying that I will be able to do a good job.  Thursday I went to an orientation and training for that assignment... there were only 5 of us sisters who were to attend that meeting.  Then Friday was transfers.  Sister Butler, who was the Sister Training Leader for the sisters in our zone before, transferred to my area... and now the two of us are STL's together.  Last transfer was the first transfer that we got STLs, but there was only one... and Sister Butler was also training a new missionary at the same time.  So far it's been an amazing experience... because both of us are pretty experienced missionaries and we both are trying to magnify this call.  We are working together and have been coming up with tons of ideas to help our area and branch to progress and I love it so much.  With both of us... combining the skills which we have gained so far in the mission and praying like crazy... we are excited to see what we can do with this area and how we can also help the other sister missionaries in our zone to become the very best that they can be. :D

 

When I went to the Orientation, I met another sister missionary who is serving in my previous area in Roxas and she told me some things that made me SO happy!  She said that sister Mary Ann... I don't know if I ever wrote about her... I only taught her once or twice, but she told me that she wants to be baptized so badly and she has no doubt that the church is true.  She said that I had made a huge impression on her and she misses me. She hasn't been baptized yet because of some family problems, but I'm so glad to hear of the progress she has made.  As well as many of the other people.  Karla and the Bermejo family are both doing really well and some of my other previous investigators have now been baptized! :D 

Yesterday was the best Sunday ever... in my whole mission.  Of course I've had other really great Sundays... but this one just made me so happy and gave me so much hope.  This area so far has been struggling a little bit... there aren't very many people... and we haven't really been very successful getting people to church.  But, this last Sunday, we had 3 potential priesthood holders come to church.  We are very excited about each of them.  Brother Reynaldo... we've been teaching him for a few weeks... and he's always willing to listen, but he hasn't yet accepted a baptismal date and he just keeps saying that he really wants to know first for sure before he agrees to be baptized... he's always been a great investigator, but this last week, we really saw a change in his countenance.  After we taught him about the Plan of Salvation... when we came back this last week... he totally bore testimony about it... I almost thought he was about to cry... but he just pulled out the pamphlet and said, this message right here... it's just... really great.  :D  We taught him about faith and the whole lesson, he just had a huge smile on his face and I could tell he just felt good.  And then when we saw him at church... I was just more happy than I can remember. :D  We passed by his house last night and he said he really enjoyed his experience at church and is planning on coming again next week! :D  The other potential priesthood holders who came to church are also really great and they also have baptismal dates. :D

Yesterday I also had my first opportunity my whole mission to help an old woman carry her groceries... of course it's not a huge thing... but it made me and Sister Butler so happy... and we carried them all the way to her house and she said that she would love to listen to our message and maybe someday make us dinner!  Sweet! :D  We've been seeking the middle and upper class lately as we've been finding.  Usually, we only teach really poor people because they're usually more willing to listen... they have more time or are less intimidating or something... but sister Butler and I have made it a goal to seek among the richer and more educated people and families... because everyone needs the gospel... and the people who are richer...  can really help the church to become strong and to grow even more.   We're just trying to talk to everyone and so far it's been great. :D

I don't know if I've ever enjoyed missionary work so much.  I really feel like I can make a difference here and that with the Lord's help, anything is possible.  We're going to see miracles here. :D

Sister McClellan

Week 59

I don't really have anything to talk about today... do any of you have any questions for me??? Anything maybe I'm not explaining very well or that maybe you're confused about?  I'd be happy to answer some questions... because I really don't remember what things would be interesting to you all and what isn't.  Everything here is pretty much normal to me now.  By the way, the ketchup here is really good!!! Oh... and also tang!  I think in America there's like only orange tang... but here there's all kinds of flavors!! My favorite is mango. :D

This week is transfer week... we'll see what happens.  I already know what's going to happen... but it's still confidential :D  So you'll find out next week.  Ummmm.... it was a good week... lots of walking... we get punted a ton every day... and we are getting really good at just talking to everyone and anyone... we're getting lots of new investigators but we're punted gihapon, haha. :D  But we also have some that are progressing.  We have an investigator, sister Preslyn... she had a baptismal date before, but her mother does not want her to be baptized.  We were finally able to teach the whole family the other day... we shared about the plan of salvation because their dad passed away just a few months ago.  It was a really good and spiritual lesson, but they still aren't sure.  They still need to do their part and actually read and pray and come to church to know for themselves, but at least I hope we were able to give them some comfort and hope.  I sure hope they accept the gospel so they can be an eternal family.  It breaks my heart to see broken families without the gospel.  They need it so badly and they don't even know it!  :D  Love you all!

 

SIster McClellan

Week 58

I am so happy right now... and I don't even know why.  I am just so happy to be here right now. I had one of the hardest trials of my life this last week, but I learned one of the most important lessons from it that I don't know how I would have learned otherwise.  I really feel humbled and ready to change.  The mission is really one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life... but it is really the BEST thing ever!  I am SO grateful for this opportunity to be here.  I KNOW I'm supposed to be here.  I know God is happy with the work that I'm doing and he also knows I can do better.  I can't believe I never really wanted to serve growing up.  I almost missed this opportunity.  Then what would my life have turned out like?? I'm sure it would have been fine... but... I'm glad for this eye-opening experience.  

It's been raining a lot this last week.  I accidentally left my payong in my last area at an investigator's house... so I got soaked gid the other day.  My first payong broke, my second one I accidentally left in a tricycle, the third one I gave away to my companion because I had another one... which I left in San Jose... so now I have none.  And I try to share with Sister Falogme, but then we both ended up getting wet.  So... I'm going to go buy my fifth payong today. (bet you can guess what a payong is?) :D  I'm also buying my fifth bag today... because all my bags kept wearing out or breaking, I finally spent some extra money on a really nice backpack that would last the rest of my mission.  This week, a new rule came out... that we can't use backpacks anymore.  They want us to use nice black side sling bags. haha...  they are really focusing on image... which is super important.  I guess they don't want us to look like school students... and the backpacks really hurt the Elder's white shirts too I think... because of all the sweat, haha.  I also have to buy some new shoes today because our rubber shoes are now bawal also, at least to meetings.  Should be a fun day :D

I just got finished playing some ULTIMATE FRISBEE!!! I feel SO good right now!! 

I got a letter from my bata, Sister Aurelio in San Jose the other day... Brother Renato got baptized!!! I'm so excited for him!!!  I'm a little disappointed I wasn't there for his baptism, but I'm so happy for him.  

Brother Vicinte, our investigator right now, had his baptismal interview this last week and so his baptism should be coming up soon. He is excited also for his baptism.  Our branch really needs him!  

Amo na lang! That's all for now. :D

Love you all!

Have a fantastic week everyone.  Keep working hard and never stop progressing. You've never learned everything you can learn.  :D

Sister McClellan

 

Week 57

Congratulations Heather!!! I am so excited to meet beautiful Eliza! :D  I now have 5 new family members who I haven't met yet! I can't believe how fast time flies and how fast our family is growing!  Dallin is already 1 year old!? And Everett! And Emma! haha.  I am excited to meet them all! And of course my new sister in law, Jennifer. :D Am I missing any? :D  

This week was good. What happened? Today was the first day of school.  It's always fun seeing all the kids in their cute school uniforms all over the place.  Sometimes it's unusual for me to see these tiny little kids getting on a big jeepney all by themselves to go to school.  It's nothing like a school bus, haha.  

Yesterday in fast and testimony meeting, there was an adorable little girl who got up... maybe she was 10 years old?  She said she wanted to share her testimony about the sabbath day and then opened up the bible and started reading from the first verse.  Every few verses she would stop and translate the english into Hiligaynon.  She got to maybe the 4th day of the creation before the branch president asked her to just share her testimony... because she was taking a long time.  :(  It was kind of sad... but she was so cute!  

We found a really big family with 10 kids the other day!  The mother's name is Rebecca... easy for me to remember :D  she had seen us pass by every day and hoped that some day we would stop by and talk to her, but we never did because we were always on the way to an appointment... :(  I learned a lesson from that... but anyways, we taught some of her kids at another home the other day and asked if we could go back to them another day to meet their parents.  They said sure, so we were finally able to meet them.  We are super excited for them!  We taught the first lesson, and when we extended the baptismal invitation, found out they were hoping that we could just have "bible study."  They have no intention of being baptized...even if they feel that our message is true... they were just hoping we could entertain their kids every once in a while... but we are still excited to teach them and believe one of these days... if they really pray sincerely like they said they would, they will feel the truth and change their minds about baptism.  Sometimes it's a little discouraging when they say no,  but if we don't give the invitation, we're not fulfilling our purpose as missionaries.  Now they at least know that we're not there for bible study and maybe they'll listen more attentively in the next few lessons. :D  They are really a great family. :D  Her son-in-law is a jeepney driver and he drove us home that night... and wouldn't accept payment.  They are super nice.  We have so many other new investigators as well... that's never been a really big challenge for me... getting new investigators... getting investigators to progress is the challenge for me... :( When they ALL commit to coming to church... and then NO ONE shows up??? It's a little sad... but hey, they do have their agency.

Let's see, what else?

Yeah, that's about it for now :D

I really am enjoying this work.  This area is different than my others.  All our investigators live far apart so we're doing a lot of walking every day... and it takes half an hour to even get to and home from our area sometimes, so we don't have as much proselyting time as I'm used to either.  But it is a beautiful area with beautiful people and I'm excited to help this area to progress.  It's hard work, but it's worth it.  There's nothing more enjoyable than seeing someone's life changing because of the gospel, and we are seeing that in some of our investigators.  It's a wonderful feeling. :D  

Thanks everyone!

Halong

Sister McClellan