Yogad

Yogad is an Austronesian language the language spoken primarily in Echague, Isabella and other nearby towns in the province in northern Philippines. 

So this is where I am right now, with its own language. 

I am not being transferred and I have been in this area 4 cycles or 6 months and will be here for 8 in total. crazzzzzzzzy kind of ready for a change but it's ok. My companion needs some more time to learn the area she has only been for a little while. 

For some reason everyone knows that transfer day is about to come and that is when they leave. it makes me think did I leave my house every six months is this a universal thing?? 

Monday: Had a dinner appointment/party at our RC house. They celebrate everything here. The anniversary of a death = karaoke party. A birthday of a kid that lives in the Middle East now = karaoke party. A baby got baptized in the Catholic Church = karaoke party. hahah it is really fun here. 

Tuesday: Zone meeting about being organized, if anyone of us gets transferred or pulled out could someone take over?  We then had a really good Family home evening at the Jaramillo family about doing things in our families that make them strong then sealing them in the temple.

Here there are a lot of live in partners and they have kids and are totally committed to each other. It is because there is no divorce and it is tradition to have a huge party for a wedding and some can’t afford that, but we told them to make plans to go to the temple. 

After every lesson we ask her to pray and she totally expresses all that is in her mind and how grateful she is and how she is excited for her baptism. She looks up all the scriptures we give her and prays and told us (in prayer form) that she needs to pray more and repent more but she loves read the scriptures. 

Strange thing that happened was a lady wanted us to give a blessing for her baby. We had a lesson and went on a scripture chase with her. It was fun. Had to clarify that para para Paradise and the Celestial kingdom was different. Then she told us that her baby had a fever and she gave the baby some medicine but wanted us to bless her so that she could get better quickly. So we just told her that we would say a prayer for the baby. So we did. Next time I'll explain that we don’t hold the priesthood and that she could pray for her baby but it was all kind of fast. 

Thursday: a lesson with our new investigator but our lesson was short because there were noisy kids asking for ice candy (homemade otterpops) in the end we bought some too but her prayer was so pretty. She asked that she could learn more and more and that the next lesson will be longer. 

Our investigator that is so cute! Wants to be a member is so humble and just lights up the world with her smile. She loves her life. She told us she found a hymn book on the side of the road and wants to read it but doesn't know how. We sang hymns to her and played with her baby. Until she could kind of hum it out. Then we taught about the Holy Ghost and she told us that every time her babies are asleep She reads with a question in her mind and gets answers all the time. She has begun to love to read, before it was hard with two noisy babies and one on the way. But she loves the peaceful times when she can. She loves Cosplay (it is like halloween but you dress up as your favorite character and act like them for like a day at like a toy convention or video game convention, to impress your friends.)  So I told her that Nephi was a cosplayer. He dressed up as Laban and even used his voice. hahaha we had a good lesson about how each of us is different but we all can get something out of the scriptures that is for us. ;) It was good because sunshine is kind of like "you have nothing to offer me that I am interested in" but we found out one of her interests and used it. 

A less-active totally schooled me. Told me all about faith, prayer and healing and about how she almost died but she prayed and got better right away. She bore her testimony, and then told us it was her birthday on Sunday and she wouldn't be there. hahah at least she had that time to bare her testimony.  

An investigator, the most level headed person I know, is so down to earth and so kind. She always helps us with Tagalog but not like correcting us or say "oh just speak in English and stop struggling." But like a mom does when a kid is reading. I love it. We taught her several things because she had some questions it was good. 

Today I got my haircut in the strangest place ever. It was in the city and the front looks like a legit place but inside smelled of cigars and had a bunch of manikins in it. The walls are cement painted black and some broken couch was there for those waiting and the guy that cut my hair had like painted his face on. There was so much makeup on his face but he did a good job and was fast and it was really good. Oh Philippines you give me a lot to talk about.