emails every week. I've read back the last couple and they sound like
the scribblings of a crazy person. But to be fair, thats kind of how
it gets on p-day, you're so busy and so focused all week when Monday
rolls around you don't have time to get a rational thought out.
But, sana you all still love me!
So this week was another week for earthquakes. Theres apparently so
many now that about 10 times a day I think theres an earthquake and
have to check if anyone else is freaking out, and they're not so its
fine. Mondays was big. Sister Baguio was grabbing my arm and shaking
me while I continued to type incase they were my final words....haha
nah its was fine. But we were on the second floor of a big concrete
building so if any were to go down it would have been us, except I
would have hoped to walk out Alma and Amulek style. Its for the best
that were all safe. There was another big one on Tuesday when we were
walking across a bridge. Sister Baguio always notices them first
because shes little and closer to the ground. Oh speaking of, random
strangers are constantly referring to me as the 'tall American'. So,
theres that haha. I never thought I'd be referred to as the tall
anything in my life.
This week we had our interviews with President and the AP's and the
main thing they told us to focus on was helping the progressing
investigators to progress, and giving baptismal dates to everyone. I'm
still not all the way to humble, so when they tell me I have to give
out baptismal dates to every investigator first go I think I know
better and that I'm gonna wait until I wanna do it, but since I'm a
little more humble now I only thought this for a second and then just
took their advice and did it. At the beginning of the week we had 5
investigators with baptismal dates and now we have 20, so I really am
developing a greater testimony of just doing what I'm told, especially
by geniuses like President Barrientos :-) We've been trecking it back
and forth to the far away chapel for meetings and the van that takes
us has the most random selection of great music playing at all times.
Everything from the classics to Celine Dion live to the latest stuff
from when we all came out. Every new song that comes on is more
excellent than the last and everyone screams out NO! and covers their
ears and tries not to sing it. I forgot the real world was a thing.
It also happens to be Antarctica here. Its so cold, there are some
warm moments where is nice, and then bam its like living in a freezer!
It wouldn't be so bad except I just don't own the appropriate clothes
for this weather and theres no way to escape it. Its just an extra
trial of obedience for us because its a rule in our mission that you
have to shower twice a day and its like sweet sweet torture because
you have to stand there in the cold shower hole and tip buckets of icy
water on yourself. But, obedience is obedience, and obedience brings
blessings!
I've also been working hard on learning Ilocano since up here its the
more common language, but learning two languages at once is
rediculous, but I'm doing surprisingly well at it! Except I'm
apparently not good yet as this morning I went into a bathroom in a
store and the lady told me in Ilocano not to shut the door and I
didn't catch it and shut the door. So I was locked in the worlds
skechiest bathroom and there was no way out because the windows were
barred. They pulled out the vents in the door and the tiny store owner
crawled through the hole and her friend was pushing her butt and
trying to shove her in. Redic. Immediately after she got inside the
door opened by itself. Lol indeed. I know that whenever I have these
moments after I walk away they just judge Americans. Lucky I'm not
American hey!
My love for our investigators is growing here every day. We had a less
active lady come to church yesterday after being inactive for 12
years. She talks a million miles and our and doesn't let us say
anything and never does what we tell her because she still thinks shes
a good member even though shes been going to the Catholic church for
12 years, and finally we got a word in enough to commit her to come to
church with us. We couldn't believe it when we saw her walk in with
all her kids. We went to visit her at night and she told us in a
million miles an hour that she felt the Spirit as soon as she walked
into Sacrament, and during the hymn, and when she drank the water, and
she thought angels were going to come out of the sky, and she was just
SO HAPPY, and she was like wow I should've just come the first time
you told me to. Yep. So were like, we're going to teach your husband
now, run outside and make him sit down and she tells him they're
mormons again. Love it when things go right!
My study this week has been edifying to say the least. I've been
focusing on the Atonement, and I just love the relationship between
Peter and Jesus Christ, and how Christ just loved him despite his many
weaknesses. I've really come to see how Christ would tell the Apostles
over and over again that the time would come when they too would have
to take us their cross and it scared them, but when the day came that
He was gone, they stepped it up, and they went and preached, and Peter
became one of the most amazing missionaries in the history of the
world. I just keep thinking about my life if I didn't come here. I
just can't even describe to you all. Just....man just serve a mission,
just get married in the temple, and just convert everyone you know!
I love you all,
Sister McKim
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