A Trip to Cauayan and Speaking in Church

We had FHE with the Reyes family and our investigator family Medaros came! it was so much fun! I Have a bunch of pictures, but the internet is kinda slow (I will never complain again about slow internet) so I'll have to print them out and send them to you. at the end of my mission I am going to have to print them all out

So Manila Flooded... Ok It's been flooded for like three days but we found out. We also found out that some of the members we teach are stranded there, like Tatay Tayag the leather worker we visited his house and said a prayer with his wife.

We had Training meeting! It was fun to see my old MTC district. It was a good meeting. We had to wake up at 4 to get to the bus and missed the one that the rest of our district was on. I cried... I was so confused and tired, and I thought that was our last hope.
We made it to Cauayan and back ok. On the way back we had and in bus movie I just talked to the other missionaries around me and slept but I couldn't help but notice that it was the Gods must be crazy hahah I couldn't help but think of Dad.

My Kasama's heart and back have been hurting her and the other day she said her left face felt numb and that her left arm went numb, I know that is a problem. but it has seem to go away now her back still hurts when she breathes. She told me she would tell sister Rahlf because they are down for interviews. I hope she does. If not I'll tell the Mission President in our interview. I am super excited!!!

Thursday 22 of Aug. I wasn't feeling focused at all. we visited a lot of families I was just glad that we had our branch President there to pick up my slack. We talked to nanya Neila, all I got out of it is that she was mad and we started to talk about pride. then I hear "self Defense" and we switched to God wants you be at church. later I found out she had had a death threat!! but she still came to Church WITH HER WHOLE FAMILY that never happens, she just comes and her daughters stay home and take care of their kids.

We dropped off our laundry at Rubiliza she is so sweet her husband (kind of) was helping his brother get out of Manila. We talked to her about eternal marriage and how she must have courage to talk to her Husband (kinda) about it and that when they work together to a goal they will be blessed. There is no divorce here so it is common to have a family that isn't married in any form.

 We also went to Nanya Taborta. She is running for a leadership position and joined another church to get votes, also doesn't go to church because she gets confused. We told her that she could have just asked and not stopped going to church. She loves the missionaries too. She loves listening to the word of God but doing the word of God....She feels she has a complete life and doesn't need to do anything more. Oh well we still have a lot of work to do.

That day we lost Sister Diolas (my kasama) tag. We went back to our apartment to get it, it was a long walk in the rain, but it was fun. We had FHE with sister Tibong (the tallest Pilipino I know) we invited our Investigator Mariam Bunsay. I showed her and sister Tibongs Daughters the cup game, where you tap out the beat and then pass it. It was fun.

We walked. hahah It was really fun. we try to go out around the afternoon when people are taking their naps (they get released to just take naps in the middle of the day) because that is when they are home. then we go to houses that have stay at home grandmas taking care of the little kids when everyone works.  (most families work really hard from 8 to 4. school ends at 5.) after visiting Rose Go we were in that awkward time where everyone is back to work, so we walked and talked to everyone!!! It was so much fun. there were kids everywhere because it was. so we just talked to them and their Grandmas until 4. We got a new investigator and walked around the part of town I have never seen it was calm. We visited the Orleano fam. the Punk kid and his mom. We talked about tithing and asked her if she would go to church again.  the Kid gave me a pinky promise again (I love that kid , and he knows my name which is cool cause most kids think my name is strange sounding and forget it) But I am going to have to chop it off because they weren't there. Bummer hahah. Na I'll give him a second chance. (but just one.....) haha

We talked I gave mine about the atonement! It was so good. Everyone needs to read the Atonement by....(I forgot his name) the one where he says the atonement is like piano practice. The ward Pianist Came!!! He was Sooooo good. usually we just sing off key acapella. except for the teenagers, they are amazing! anyways he added many flairs and it just sounded so pretty! and the old branch President came It was amazing too! and our investigators the Bunsay. So happy. we visited the investigator fam Mendaros but the only ones there where the auntie and the 18 year old kid. He told us that he was alone a lot because he dropped school. We told him about our investigator Marvin Bunsay who is in the same situation and should be friends. We finished lesson one and went to Fansisco family. The kids 11 and 10 are our official investigators and we are working hard on their nanny that wanted them to meet with the missionaries. She Refuses to go to church or pray, but she was once a member and she knew it would be good for her grand kids. The Tatay is very noble he is the one that lost his leg, he helps us when we are talking to her.

Sister Perkins

Old district

Random little kids with Orleano (kid in orange)

Me and Buko (green coconut)

Mtn Dew in a bag (that is how you drink soda here - the bottle is turned in for money)

Tibong FamilyHE with our investigator Mariam at the end. the lady next to her is the branch presidents wife and kid

First Baptism!

So I am in a city called Solano in the providence of Nueva Vizcaya. My Branch is Solano 1. The President of the branch is Pres. Villiarde.

The Reyes family pet monkey.

Lunch at Misses Bakers with Sister Rahlf

Random kids that let us borrow their bike

The Pulis (Police) and Security around here just have military guns and it's cool. They just chill and say good evening ma'm. They are just 20 something and one security man has a shiny shotgun that I swear is from Halo.

Eating sweet rice - it's like candy, really good and sticky.

More flooding pictures from typhoon

Picture of a flooded house - they are ok. They saved their pet turtle.

Water up to the bridge. River that was super high and rushing and the metal part of bridge was shaking.

The Bunsay family and only 1/2 of her kids and Sister Rahlf.

Sunday amazing! After church we jump on Branch prez trycy and go and work. After we teach every family they want us to stay for snacks. (I have come to dislike snacks) it's usually pop and some kind of cracker with frosting in it. I eat and drink to be polite but man we are ALWAYS EATING then we get home or to a dinner appointment and they ask me to eat more rice you have hardly had any!  They ask if rice is weird. I say No it's not I just have a small stomach. (Reality I am sick of eating all the time!) 

OK good things of this week. We made dinner for a part member family Bunsay. We can't pay them and they are hurting for the money but the kids ( our investigators) want to help their mom be happy and not focus on how much they don't have. We learned the 16 year old boy dropped school to help out around the house. He has 9 siblings and takes care of them. But what is cool is he is still a teen. He plays b-ball at the church and he has a friend that he invites over for some of our lessons. (We can't teach him at his house because his parents are of the Inglisa Church, but when he happens to be hanging out with our investigator it’s ok and he wants to listen he really does but that's all we can do.) The kid has a lot of valor. Because he dropped out his sister can attend and he doesn't know English so I teach him in my broken Tagalog. Anyways we asked for their Tupperware and then made some pork ginger and veggy soup and they made the rice and we ate and then taught them. It was cool we never go over there at night because they don't have lights so they usually go to bed or are in other places with lights. So we ate by candle light. After teaching them and feeling the spirit so strong I felt like it was all a dream. It was soo good! 

 District conference this week the mission president came!!! On Saturday in the morning we went with Sister Rahlf our Mission Presidents wife. We went to the family we fed the night before with her. She doesn't know any Tagalog but she helped us teach anyways. It was so good. I translated for her and it was really fun. Then we went to another pretty poor less active member, Rubelzia. She does laundry to get money and is living with a family that lets her use their internet to keep in contact with her husband when he is at work. we taught her about studying the BoM and then we went to a less active family that has a bunch of American memorabilia and so many instruments he use to be the pianist at the branch. He loves all things America and has visited a couple times. We taught him priesthood responsibilities and how he probably should go to church.

After that we borrowed the Bunsay kids (our investigators) and went to work. The first house with them was a member she is a seminary teacher and she only didn't go for the last two times is because her dad was sick. (he has a sweet mustache!!!) We shared a scripture and asked her to tell us what it meant to her and then we added a little. Next was the less active Vasquez house of old ladies. I think they are all sisters and they sew clothes and patch things up for a living. We taught them and had the Bunsay kids ask the ladies some questions. Then it was the adult session of Conference. The Bunsy kids came with us.  After that we ate with our APs the other sisters that worked with Sister Rahlf at this bakery called Misses Bakery. It served American dishes. I got pasta and a cheese cake.

BAPTISM ! Marrielle (17) got baptized. Her father was going to baptize her but he just got back from work and said he was too tired (I think he didn't feel worthy enough hadn't been to church in a while) so her uncle had to do it. We were her designated mothers hahah. We told her all that would be happening and helped her when she got out. She forgot a towel so I let her borrow my face towel (we carry it around for wiping of sweat off face). She cried when she bore her testimony and so did her dad. It was really good. I just hope that she will stay stronger than her parents. Her grandma was super spunky afterwards. Saying you’re lucky! You’re Lucky! You got baptized with the mission presidents around! LUCKY! hahah This grandma is always talking to me about missionaries and missionary work but I can't hear her because she has a little shaky shy quiet  grandma voice. But not then I heard ever word and it was funny.

Sunday was good too. We got 5 new investigators. The Medaros Parents are interested in the church. So we visited and they live in a compound kind of way. There is the parents home the newly married home and the home next to them is a Christian family house and then they have an outdoor cooking area. They were outside watching Grandma and Grandpa cooking noodles out of bamboo shoots. So we met and taught all of them 1\2 of the first lesson. It was so good! the Parents have 1 kid not married but about 18 and 2 married kids and the Christian Mom and her 12 year old listened and at the end the Grandpa came over and listened (even though he only knows Illicano (different language)) IT was amazing the Christian Mother Added a lot to the conversation and helped explain. We taught and bore our testimonies I cried. About families and how they are so great and about how being called from God and have Priesthood Authority in our lives was amazing. Then stopped at the Great Apostasy. They will have to read the rest and then ask any questions they have about the restoration of the truth when we come back.

After that we went to the Dagiuo family they had been to the district Conference except for the Father. He slipped back a little into gambling again so he felt unworthy to attend with his family. We taught him about repentance.

SSSSOOOOO GOOOOD!

Ps. so people here are obsessed with SpongeBob. My trainer has a wallet a pillow and a pen of SpongeBob. Crazy.

Our Zone and APs and MISSION President and Wife.

Baptism!!! FIRST one. Marrielle(17) us and our mission president! It was raining couldn't get outside to take pictures.

Working with Investigators

So we have 4 investigators Marielle 17 she got her baptism interview last Sunday and her parents are less active I talked with her mom telling her that the lord would bless her if she came back to church she just shrugged, so I said as long as it is a goal that you want to come back just think about it, it's between you and God. Not the people. Marielle though is great she knows that the church will help her though out her life. 

Francisco Kids they are 8 and 5 and have a grandpa in the church, He Lost his leg on a land mine, it's really cool to see him on his crunches though he's fast. The Kids came to church on Sunday with their grandpa. They love dragon Ball Z.

The Bunsay Family and a 15 year old girl Carmella. She is friends with Marielle. 

Oh and the 16 year old Mark Antony we are having a hard time with meeting him because his parents are of the Inglesa of Christ Church. It is the prettiest building here but from the sound of it, it's not that great. Mark's mother was excommunicated from the Inglesa church just for not paying the weekly donation thingy. He wants to help his mom. 

This week we have taught a lot of young boys from 8 to 17 and they all want to help their families it's really inspiring

 I like the little Philipino kids. They always ask questions in their best English like "what are you going?" "How many years are you?" and "how many.....tall are you?" they are cute. One kid was teaching me words in Tagalog while my trainer was talking with his mom. 

 We taught this ten year old kid that is such a punk to everyone. He’s the kid that will pull out cat’s whiskers. We asked him if he loved his mom and he said "sometimes". We asked him if he could be a man and be and example to his mom and wake her up for church on Sunday. When his mom was busy I taught him what a pinky promise was and I asked him if he would promise me to wake his mom up for church. He did and then I told him if he doesn't do it I'd cut his pinky off. hahah he liked it and just laughed, and guess what they both showed up for church.  I was so happy! I told him after that I was worried that I would have to take his pinky off. He just smiled. 

We teach a lot of less active members. We teach them obedience, Responsibility, repentance, and promise blessings. A lot of families came! It was so great! Like the Ang family they are Chinese and really pretty it is just the mom and her 11 year old daughter Victoria. She has a stone cold straight face but I really think she thinks deeply and feels what we are telling her even though it doesn't seem like it. She came and everyone just grabbed her by the face and said we are so happy you are here. Hopefully she felt it. 

One daughter of the Dagiuo family came the rest didn't but at least she likes to come. 

Tatay Tayag came too with his three daughters. He is a leather worker and is super talented. He has been sick lately but came anyways. He is so cute with his grandkids. He likes to laugh with is Daughters. 

There is an amazing examples of Fathers, and even if they don't have fathers they are strong head of house kids. there is the Father of the Daguio Family he looks really scary and intimidating, he wears tank tops has an almost shaved head, and kind of looks like the Asian pirate off of Pirates of the Caribbean, the one played by Chow young Fat. But we taught them once when he was rocking his little son to sleep and it was so cool!!! another time we taught him he was joking with his kids. 

Oh this week I tasted Pig blood pudding and couldn’t handle it. It was good and salty but the thought of what I was tasting was too much. Ice cream trucks here are bikes with a cooler on the back and a bell in his hand. The ice cream here is really thin but it is still good. It’s like skim ice cream. At a cell phone shop/shoe shop (weird ya) I saw some flip flops with batman on the soles and Transformers on the straps. saying the Dark night without the K. IT was funny.

The other day we found a car completely made out of wood, and scrap metal and a plastic chair, a spare motor. All last night people where hooking up car batteries to their lights. Crazy! 

Well that is all I have to say I love you all and I hope you are doing good.

Mahal Kita Sister Perkins 

I Am Safe!

There was a category 4 typhoon that went though the Philippines at 4 this morning. We knew about it because our mission pres. texted us Sunday. We bought water. We woke up at 4 and it was blowing like crazy we locked down and filled up buckets of water because they turn off the power and the water. So no power but life goes on. Nothing is damaged all safe. So P-day Monday we just walked around town because there is nothing else to do. We tried to find a place to email but no one had a generator. We ate at Jollibee’s (the McDonalds of the Philippines) they were open. We caught a ride with our branch pres. and we checked up with some of the members out in the boonies they were flooded but fine. They saved their pet turtle. One family we couldn't get to because the road was now a river. There were guys carrying puppies and dead chickens to the other side. We asked about the family and they said they are living with him. People with cows (caribou) they tied them up to the lamp posts by the road. My feet have been wet all day and I just pray that they don’t get anything. There are a few trees down but nothing too big (tubig =water in Tagalog) most places were open to shop at and the roads are littered with leaves. Our power is out and we have to wait until tomorrow to use water. We are using a family’s computer that had a generator. I am so grateful!!!! The eye of the storm came though our part and we didn't get that much damage. We have been texting (can't call uses up too much money) other sister missionaries one got flooded. 

This is just to say I am safe LOVE SISTER PERKINS

Arriving in the Philippines

Dear Family,

So at the Portland airport they gave away my seat so they had to find me a new one it was far from everyone.  So I stood up and conversed with them for ½ the ride, the other half I slept. It was a long ride 9 hours. I was next to an Asian Lady that had to get up every time I did because I had the window seat. It was a nice plane a lot of leg room, amazing because they never do. In Tokyo we met up with others from the MTC going to the Philippines, it was fun we ate at McDonalds. The ride to Manila was bad so tired so little leg room it was 3 hours, but at least I was next to people I knew. I got my suit cases all right then a man put us in two groups and took us to the motel. He was cracking jokes with us but we were slow because we were so tired. The Hotel was nice!! Had hot water tp and everything we were about ready to go to bed when room service came and gave us food like at 2 in the morning. What!? I ate some of it was fake eggs rice and sweet chicken.

Next day we shipped out and had to find our area at a small airport. We drank Litchi fruit smoothies. We got on a plane like Casa Blanca style. The jungles we flew over were amazing!!! So green everywhere, then suddenly and air strip and tiny airport with only 2 planes there. On the flight the attendant played games like the first on to show me a pen gets a toy plane and everyone naturally participated.

The President picked us up. We all waited at the mission home which was really nice (gave me hope) we ate there and I got my card I think the exchange rate is 43 pesos=$1

My new Kasama, my trainer, my nanay=mom is sister Diola(Joyls) she cares for me a lot and sometimes too much I hear No anahko=child I’ll take care of it. But it’s alright. We got on a jeepny for 3 hours. I slept through it.

Apartment is bright green on the inside it is 4 rooms, the main area is cooking and eating there are 2 couches (floor mats with cloth over it) then the bedroom, the study room and the bathroom (please never complain to me when my bathroom is a little messy). The toilet doesn’t flush so we use buckets the shower is just next to it not cut off so the toilet is constantly wet and they don’t use toilet paper they just have a hose to spray off I bought TP the next day I am not skilled. We have 3 water filters on our kitchen sink. But Sister Diola doesn’t trust it so she buys a big jug of emergency water every week.

We stopped by some homes on the 2^nd day. It was fun to see how people really are skilled and inventive. They have houses that look jimmy rigged (which they are) on the outside but the inside they are beautiful. They buy rolled up linoleum and put it down as the floor, our floor is cement.

We talked to a lady that has 9 children ad lives on the out skirts of town. We bring her our laundry at the laundry shop she works at. I still have to do my garments hand wash but it is ok.

Our Zone leader is Fijian and knows Raj He is a big guy and has a kasama that speaks no English. He is cool and looks out for me.

When we go out the Branch President drives us around on his tricy. Most of the people we teach are less active members, they have so many trials that keep them from going. Sunday we went around and almost every one of them broke down and cried especially the Dagio family, they are so sweet and we told them that being obedient is showing your love for God and he will make your life happier.

Our area is goes out into the farm regions of Solano city where people live in bamboo shacks but still have electricity.  Our farthest areas we can’t go to at night because it is not safe and so we just turn in at 8.

It rained Sunday so no one came to church, they really hate to get rained on and I am all loving it. Sundaynight is karaoke night everyone sings it is so cute. They have American rock music here I love it/don’t love it, it is loud and distraction but reminds me of home.(blink 182, yellow card, young by fun). They also love Dragon Ball Z.

We had a baptism of an 8 year old she is cute so small. A young boy there was teaching me Tagalog while we waited. One family we visited loves America, Dahill, he served in the Navy and got sealed in the Salt Lake temple. He had 2 drum sets and a lot of guitars and a violin but doesn’t play any of it, he just collected American things, he also collects coins and toy airplane models.

Sunday we ate at a part members house they have their sister living with them she is like a skater chick but doesn’t have a skate board but wears a Bennie even though it is so hot.

Love you all I’m doing fine don’t worry. I am being safe and even if I am a little uncomfortable about the bathroom I am fine. I am having spiritual experiences.

Love Sister Perkins

First Letter from the Philippines

Flying here wasn't too bad except for the flight from Tokyo to Manila, it was small and I needed to sleep but couldn't. We got a hotel and it was really nice but they served us breakfast at 2 in the morning when we got there.... weird. My new kasama is sister Diola, She calls me Anak ko (my child) She takes care of me, I feel weird cause I’m not use to being babied. ahhhh well. My apartment is bright green on the inside and the bathroom doesn't have flushing toilets, here they use a hose to wipe and not TP.  But I bought some because I am not that talented at using it. To get to our apartment we took a 3 hour Jeepney ride up there I slept though it...   We had a zone meeting the second day. My zone leader is a big Fijian guy that knows raj he went to BYUH too!  The next day we visited some less active members which is almost all of our work. My kasama talks and I bare my testimony. 

It's interesting what the people make their houses out of - really anything, but on the inside you would never know. They buy rollout linoleum tile things as floor and they have big bookcases and it just looks like a normal house. They collect the most random things but it's fun because they are American things so there are always things here to remind me of home. 

We met with a sister that had 9 kids and lives on the out skirts of town. And we met with a girl that is 13 - she studies at the church house after school. And we talked to a mama and papa (I call them that because they live at the farthest reaches of our area and look like the Philipino Kent's (superman’s mom and dad). While teaching him he broke down and cried. Our branch president gave him a blessing. It was sweet. We asked them if they could come back to church. Most of our work is with less active members. Another one we visited was a woman that got offended. OFFENDED! She has dirt floors.  We taught her and it was nice.

Now for the miracle, we tried to visit some investigator kids but they were gone so we visited the Dagiuo family and my kasama said that they never answer the door. But they did and we taught them and both the mom and dad cried. We told them that even though life is hard and they have trials you have to stay obedient and then you will get blessings. We asked them to have family home evening and we are going to be there to teach them about it. 

After that we ate at a part member family that had their sister living with them and she was dressed up as a skater. She had a beanie on even though it was so hot. They where chill. We gave the wife a BOM and said that even if it gets hard just remember that these are the words of Christ. I'll tell you more later K? 

I love you all and it is so nice to hear from you Love Sister Perkins

(mom send this to Todd) 

They love Dragon Ball Z here! hahah There was a house here that had a really good chalk drawing on the wall of Goku. Also, they play a lot of American rock music here. It's weird like I have heard a song from Blink 182 here at least once a day.

Eating pineapple from a less active member...

 My Branch President and his Trycy

She made it!

Sister Perkins has arrived in the Philippines!