What to do when a monkey grabs your bag.....

Kumusta Po! 

I hope you are all well! 

Today was kinda awesome! We woke up at about 4 to get up and get ready to head to the Underground River as a Zone activity for Pday. It was absolutely beautiful! There is a boat you take to an island and then walk to a canoe. On the island there are just monkeys walking about!!!?? So there was one walking by me and I was trying to be calm. Then it got up and tried to pull my water bottle out of my bag!?? Haha I was like ahh do I give the monkey my bag? Is it going to eat my face off? Our tour guide was just like hey monkey move and it went away..Haha whattt? It was kinda hillarious. 

So if a monkey ever grabs you just say hey monkey move and hopefully it listens like they do here. 

So this week was full and busy! 

The sister training leaders came and we went on exchanges with them, Sister Thompson and I only got a few appointments with them though because they had to catch their flight back to Manila..but the time we had was so useful! 

They are so amazing at short and powerful lessons! People dont need to sit with you for hours to know the message you share is true. When you have the spirit and bring it to homes and teach simple truths about the restored gospel, it will testify to them. 

I also just have such a gratitude for my parents especially now. I have realized I am often selfish. My teacher in the MTC always said, the time before your mission and after your mission you will always have reason to be selfish, but this time this time you have is for the Lord and others, not yourself. And it just makes me think about you mom and dad and how much you care for me and for others. You are both two of the most positive influences in my life and I am eternally grateful that I have you. 

So this past sunday we met with Boboy again who is super interested and really enjoys reading the Book of Mormon. We taught him the Word of Wisdom and committed him to follow it and start a little here and work towards be completely obedient to it. So me and Sister Thompson are looking up scriptures for him to read each day. So he has his daily dose of scripture power! 

I know there is power in reading the words of God. He has given them to us for a reason because he wants to help us! We need only ask and search out diligently in the resources he has already given us! 

Love you all and I hope with all my heart your week is full of happiness!

Sister Mahe

from Sister Vanessa's baptism

in another part of the island with our branch missionaries on Pday

Eating crocodile

Sister Thompson passing out candy. Hahah that's how you get the kids to listen. This is at the Hernandez's our investigator. And some members the Gonzalez kids who came over for Angel Hernandez' birthday.

Our zone trip to the underground river! We got to ride in a boat and wear flip flops hahha it was weird. And soooo beautiful!

The underground river

Chicken feet and Croc face

Kumusta pamilya at mga kaibigan, 

Subject line? Two of the things I ate this week! 

The Chicken feet we ate with Sister Bombase, she was coming to appointments with us and we were waiting for another sister in our ward and she bought us some bbq. It looks like feet, well claws actually. Sister Thompson looked at me and said dont ask just do. So we ate it. It was weird. 

Crocodile face, we ate that today on a little outing to the crocodile farm with our branch missionaries. It was maybe the best tasting thing I have had here yet. Sobra MASARAP! Did I feel a little bad about looking at the crocodiles after eating one? Yes. I am sorry crocs. 

Oh also I need to make a shout out to Jaqui Ramsey!!! So after last pday and zone meeting we went back to the chapel and I got a package they forgot me to give me earlier. Jaqui sent me a CD of night in Bethlehem and swiss miss hot chocolate! And the sweetest letter ever, because she knows how much I missed being home for my favorite part of the season! It was just what I needed and I nearly started crying and showed it to everyone around! Love you Jac! 

This week was really great, Im starting to get a hang of the mission life and my sense of direction is getting a lot stronger..haha jk Im still always lost but not as much as before. Anyone that knows me can attest to my inability to remember directions. Oops, but its good because most of the time we just ask people where other people and places are. And thats how you are always finding new people to teach and I know we get lost sometimes because we need to find others on a different road. 

We were looking for a less active when we met Mylean, but she didnt know so Helen and Jane came over to see if they could help. We didnt even end up finding our less active appointment but we got return appointments to teach all of them! Coincidence...I think not! 

Oh also we had Vanessa's baptism this week! Ahhh she is the greatest. When she bore her testimony it was so sweet and pure and she expressed how she cant wait for the rest of her family to join her one day too. 

Oh also I had to speak in Church on sunday..I used taglish so some of what I said could be understood..haha. But I always just rely on the Holy Spirit, because well I have to. I dont know personally every person that I talk to and the needs in their hearts. But I know our savior does and that his gospel can help ANY problem or concern. And when you speak what the Spirit would have you. You just cannot go wrong no matter how horrible the words you say sound. Because the spirit speaks to hearts and minds more clearly that any person ever could. 

Tagalog 101

Agad- Immediately

We used this word a lot with Boboy on sunday. We were talking about faith and how faith it is seriously such an action word. When you read the scriptures and pray, it is rarely ever that a loud booming response will come agad. Or when you pray for faith it doesnt just appear all the sudden in your heart and mind like magic. You have to take that leap and when you do you will soon see how our Heavenly Father will allow your small leaps of faith to become the foundation of your life. 

PS. I have so many pictures to send and hopefully I can do that next week. I am technologically challenged soo... sorry bout it. 

I love you all and pray always that you are well, 

Sister Mahe  

Oh also my zone met all of their goals for December so we are going to the UNDERGROUND RIVER next week. I hear its a seven wonder of the world. So I mean that will be kind of amazing. 

When you set goals and prayerfully plan anything is possible! 

puerto for one month? Check.

Kumusta! 

This Saturday I will have been in Puerto for one month..Wut wut, time flys when you are a missionary! And I hit my two month mark since I left home last week! 

This week is really exciting because we have two new families we are teaching and two investigators that our branch president has referred us to! Our Branch president is really the best, in council meeting he brought us Krispy Kreme donuts he brought back from mainland manila! It was the greatest! We also had FHE at his house last night with all his family ( like half of our branch) and it was masarap so good! 

And this Friday we have a baptism!!! YAYAYA. For Sister Vanessa, she is the coolest! She understands my broken tagalog and loves speaking english so I can always understand her..hahah. Her fiance is a member from California, me and Sister Thompson are already planning to go to her sealing in the temple one day..I CANT WAIT FOR THAT..I mean like I know I have to wait but seriously she is so amazing and if she wasnt getting married I'd say go on a mission because her testimony is so strong and her questions and insights always give me new reasons to be grateful for the gospel! 

Oh also the mission president and his wife are here today..yaya they are the best! And they also brought us mail!!!! We get mail whenever someone from the mainland philippines flys down to visit us in puerto princesa. 

Mom I got your package- peter pan peanut butter and nutella! Those are like GOLD here and all the other goodies, serisouly you are the greatest! 

Lex- I got your letters you are sending to Odessa missionaries- I LOVE THEM, please keep em coming you are such a super cool RM 

Cook and Henry families- I got your Christmas Cards!! Ahh they are too cute and I love your families. I love the Odessa ward and the strength it has given me as a missionary! 

Tagalog 101

Pagbabayad- Sala which is used for the word ATONEMENT literally translates to paying for sins commited. 

When Christ suffered for our sins he paid for them, when someone pays for something they are taking it upon themselves you dont have to worry about it. Allow Christ atonement to be used in your life! Allow him to take the burdens that weigh you down and let your be free to have happiness and joy! Men are that they might have joy!! 

Love you all, 

Sister Mahe

What a WEEK

Happy New Year, 

This week has been great and also really fast. New Years ever we had to be in by 6 and we got to have an FHE at the couple missionaries home with out zone. It was great Sister Burt made us Hawaiian haystacks and ice cream sundaes. 

The fireworks at night were insane! Me and sister thompson both woke up because it sounded like a mix of the world cup in brazil and also like there was a war outside. But somehow we fell asleep thank goodness! 

Are new years goal was to run more often, so we did except its kinda like a joke because we run up the street to the bakery and get some bread and buy mangos...hahah wateves.

But I think we are going to start, because on sunday we visited with a Sister that just moved from a southern island and her house floor is planks of bamboo and wood and seriously any movement by us and the whole house creeked and moved. Nothing to make you feel fat like almost breaking someones house. 

So this week has been really great with missionary work, that lady in the above story, we couldnt find her for the longest time so we had to ask around and thats when we met Edwin and his family. He moved her from a southern island too and made a return appointment with him and his wife. They are way cool and we will see them again this week. 

The Gonzalez family is always so amazing! This week Brother has been keeping all of his commitments and shared a scripture he came across in his reading from Moroni 10:32

READ IT! 

I know that we can come unto Christ and be perfected in him, there is so much that is hard about this life. But nothing gives more hope than the gospel of Jesus Christ. AND THAT IS AMAZING! 

Oh and Sunday that was just the best and not because after Church me and Sister Thompson walked for like miles in the blazing hot sun oh and did I mention it was fast sunday so we were starving! Seriously I dont even know how long we were walking..its a blur but we did meet a lady we will be teaching this week..worth it! 

But sunday was great because of church- church is always great and this week NINE people we are teaching came to church as well as TWO less active families!!!! I could have cried as they all kept coming..like ok maybe I did a little. 

It made the day just seem so much more wonderful and beautiful I was so happy! 

I hope you are all well and keeping the faith!

P.S Side note we watch hastening the work clips all the time which Tampa FL Stake is all in. I am so blessed that it is my home stake. I love seeing so many familiar faces be examples of missionary work!! You are the greatest! 

Love you all 

Sister Mahe 

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

The days are really going by faster and faster! I can never even remember the week by the time I can write emails...so sorry if this is lame. I need to start taking notes and just send those in an email. 

We have been so busy with teaching people..if only you could see my shoes. I've been here not even two weeks and we have to go buy me some new shoes today because they are all worn out and muddy-Ya I know I'm so rugged now..haha joke lang! 

Where to start? 

Each day we have companionship study and make lesson plans and practice in english then in tagalog. I'm always annoyed because nothing I say in english can I say in tagalog so we start with really really simple sentences. Through this I've learned that the gospel of Jesus Christ is simple! It doesnt require a degree or a diverse knowledge of language. It is simple. 

Family and friends I know that as we do all we can to follow the example of Jesus Christ we will be blessed. We will see the blessings as we are obedient to the commandments of God. They may not come exactly how we expected or when we expect, but they always come. 

I'm running out of time. Expect more next time. 

Be happy! Happy New Year! 

Sister Mahe

Adventures in Palawan

Kumusta Po Kayo!

Family and friends! I am now in the mission field and in my first area of PALWAN.
I am so grateful to be here! All the manila missionaries dream of coming here- so lucky me! There are only 8 sisters on the island and we are all in the Puerto Pricessa area! So last Wednesday we went to transfer meeting in Manila and they announced I was going to Palawan, and to get there you travel by plane and I could only take one bag that was 20 kilos! So momentary panic attack because I have two suitcases both well over 20 kilos. So I still have a bag at the mission home in Manila and I cant even remember what I left and what I brought? I brought my clothes some shoes and my scriptures..the rest is well apparently not going to be important for now.

 We got here around 10pm on Wednesday and I met my trainer Sister Thompson from Idaho, she is great and helps me a ton! I call her nanay which means mom and I'm her anak (or child) haha so glad I have a cool nanay. Her tagalog is great and she is white so whenever we ride in tricycles (the main for of transportation- think motorcycle with a seat attached on the side) everyone is so surprised that she can speak and understand them. My understanding is getting a lot better and my vocab is expanding tons- I just want to have it perfect right now!!! But I know that will come with time. The ward we are in is super wonderful! Our Branch president works for the church and goes to mainland Philippines and Manila a lot and this pastsaturday brought us back krispy kreme donuts- he is a saint! 

Last night we had a brown out (or loss of power) and just as we were finishing prayers and going to sleep it came back on! Yay for fans in the night so we don't die of heat! 

A part member family we teach a lot is the Gonzalez family and I love them! Sister Gonzalez was just recently baptized and we are teaching her husband and cousin. The live in a small thatched house and there is not electricity so whenever we teach it is by candle light! It is a blessed experience to be teaching in such humble circumstances- but really they are spiritual giants and love the gospel of Jesus Christ...and they always help me with my tagalog and smile and agree even when I know they have no idea what I just said..haha bless their hearts! 

Something I have really learned so far is about true conversion- it is not just having a testimony and being baptized..It is truly being converted to the true gospel of Christ, it is being so converted to the Lord that even when life becomes a struggle and challenges come our faith will not waiver. Being converted means truly becoming a disciple of Christ- following his example and following it forever. Of course we will make mistakes, but if we have faith enough in our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit we can have an assurance that we can be forgiven- that all that is unfair in life can be made right.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

I really do hope its a good one and that it finds you happy and surrounded by love ones! 

Mahal Po Kayo

Sister Mahe

Manila, Manila, I'm going to MANILA

Maligayang Pasko lahat! Merry Chirstmas everyone! 

Funny story to start off with, this week I was playing basketball at gym and we were all getting really into it. Sister Haffen and I were running after the ball and she dove for it and I slid on my knees to reach it first, we all had a good laugh and then I looked down and realized not only had I bumped my knee but I burned a hole in my pants..I KID NO, friction or the laws of motion or whatever, there is a melted hole in my workout pants now. The lesson? Get up and keep playing even if you burn holes in your knees of your pants-cause the pain is temporary but that free shot I made..priceless!  

I am so excited Christmas is almost here, I love the Christmas season and so does the Philippines. Of course it is still like 90 degrees outside and humid as ever..but it is Christmas and there are lights everywhere and the spirit of the season is abounding! 

This week has been really great. It is our last week here in the MTC and my batch will leave for the mission field on Wednesday! It is sad of course to leave the MTC, it feels a bit like we are at missionary college and have this awesome job lined up already! But we are all mainly excited to get into the field and GET TO WORK! 

This past wednesday we went on outside splits with in-field missionaries again and this time we went to the MANILA mission!! So exciting, I loved meeting people and seeing areas I will be serving in sometime.

 The traffic in Manila is a little insane though! I'm pretty sure absolutely no driver here follows the rules of the road- the meaning green means go and red means stop and stay in your lane really have no relevance here. Driving is always an adventure, which is probably why manila is just a walking mission. 

Earlier this week we also got to watch The Christmas devotional broadcast from Salt Lake City! It was wonderful, I loved President Monson's point that Chrtistmas isn't about giving things, its about giving of ourselves. We should all be as the wise men and make that journey to Bethlehem bringing with us our whole heart as a gift to The Lord. As he expressed, The true spirit of Christmas comes if only we'd drop the last syllable and have The true spirit of Christ. In many on our lessons with people we shared messages of Christmas, most people don't have the means to buy their children and fancy gifts or sweets. But we all have the opportunity to share with them the love the Christ has, there are so many that need their burdens life, so many kind words to be said, so much peace to give. 

LETS give those gifts that matter most, give gifts of yourself and your time, because those are gifts that last, those are gifts that change lives. 
This is my Christmas wish for you all. 

Sister Mahe