Seperation Anxiety

Kamusta Mo!

Primero Ako nahiguma kaninyo!

Karon Semana Nindot Jud! As In Nindot gahapon!

Some days I forget how to Talk in English. I can't really talk to the pulti's on the Dyipneys it hard to switch from Bisayan to English so I talk to the white people in broken English... On the dyipney the other day there were three white girls I told them bisayan then tried to translate to English "free the tour" I said talking about the temple tours we have every Thursday. We are basically visitor center missionaries too because we give tours of the temple and explain it and explain baptism and prophets and the church. Its fun but at the same time hard because none of us had training for it so we never know exactly what to say.

I almost lost my companion the other day. We were riding the dyipney and it stopped so I got off but it hadn't stopped all the way so my companion was still on the dyipney. Luckily it only went ten feet so I could still see and hear her! Haha but it was not a good feeling to almost loose a companion. We said if we ever get separated to meet at the house. Haha.

The weeks and time has gotten shorter and it will soon be next transfers. I am most likely staying for another transfer but I don't really know. I love it here though so I wouldn't mind staying this area is awesome. I really don't want to transfer to a city area that would not be as much fun, but I will go wherever revelation brings me. It's all in the plan so I'm not complaining. I have been blessed greatly on the mission.

I Love all of You

Sister Bruno

Glad to Hear of Successes

---- Forwarded message ----------
From: Philippine CebuMission <cebumission08@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 8:07 PM
Subject: Re: Week!
To: Annika Bruno <annika.bruno@myldsmail.net>

 

It appears that you have a host of potential converts coming up.  It is great to hear of your successes.   Thanks for your update.  Pres.Hansen

Letter to president

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 10:53 PM

From: "Annika Bruno"

Dear President,

This week we have a baptism for Geniviveb Diparine she is 9 years old and is very excited about her baptism.  She has a gift for missionary work.  Her and 7 of her friends come to church, and every week we have one more come.  Its really great for the primary in the ward. 

We are teaching Ritchel, Mae Ann and Ana May Arinas and their mother has sat in on one of the lessons.  I am having a great time teaching so many children, and through them we are meeting their parents slowly. 

We have taught Sister Judith Velez's children, and it has been a roller coaster.

Their have been many great blessings this week and I am thankful for such a well spoken companion.  I love my companion Sister Caluyo she has the spirit extremely strong with her during lessons. 

Thank You,

Sister Bruno

Helping Investigator Find Work

Hello Family!

First of all I love you!

This week has been full of Drama. Lol not really but kind of. We teach about 9 kids in Tintay and when we went to teach them yesterday they all had a childrens'

quarrel and two ended up crying. We taught them Satan is happy when we fight "Ayaw Away" (Don't Fight!) We patched things over and they all listened to the lesson.

We have had many people come into our life's I know that are their not by accident. I know that God has a plan for all of His children.

We visited Marilou an investigator that we have been teaching but not progressing so we hadn't been to her house in two weeks. We went to visit her and her live in partner left one day and hadn't been back for 2 weeks. they have four children and have been living together for 12 years. She is struggling because he was the one working and now she has no income and she has two young children that she needs to feed. We walked the neighborhood Villa Lyson trying to find her work but no luck. We are going to keep looking but we had her apply for a tindahana job we are trying out our Christ-like attribute hope right now.

I am now used to the mission and feel like it is my home now. I am still picking up new things in the language everyday but that is expected! I love it here and the time is passing too quickly I want it to slow down. I can't believe that it is already Wednesday again!


Nahigugma ko kanimo

Love

Sister Bruno

Missionary Barbie

HELLO FAMILY!

First of all I love you!

Secondly I love the kids in the Philippines. Yesterday one of them asked me "Ate Barbi mao?" or (Older Sister) Are you a real Barbi. Haha they are so precious. We teach a bunch of kids in Tintay and more and more join every time we visit Tintay. We have about 10 kids that sit in on the lessons.

Another lady this week told me that I looked like a doll. Being white in the Philippines there is no blending in. It's really good for talking about the gospel though because we are recognized as missionaries. We hear whispers as we pass by "Mormons!" The Filipino people love to practice their English on me and I love practicing my Bisayan on them. The only hard thing is my listening skills to the language isn't as good as it could be because they speak English back to me when I speak Bisayan. Most people learn English when they are kids in school so their English is amazing, but like I probably feel about speaking Bisayan they are shy about their language.

We went to the temple this morning its really awesome to be in the temple and when walking in the doors of the temple i can just feel all the stress or worries come right off my shoulders. I love the temple and have realized what an amazing gift it is.

I feel the time slipping by, and Sister Brand just reminded me that it's been 5 months already here on my mission, and I just can't believe it. Time really is a strange thing. I really don't want my mission to be over I have learned so much and still have way to much to learn in such a short amount of time.

I hope all of you are amazing.

Nahigugma ko kaninyo. Amping mo kanunay. Gwapo lagi mo. Istoria uban sa kaninyo sa sunod nga semana! Hungtud sunod nga panahon.

Until Next week this has been a weekly update brought to you by Sister Bruno in a small Lahug Internet Cafe.


Sister Bruno

Recognizing Blessings

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Philippine CebuMission <cebumission08@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 1:51 PM
Subject: Re: Week
To: Annika Bruno <annika.bruno@myldsmail.net>


A missionary that not only experiences blessings, but also recognizes these blessings as to their source are always blessed with the spirit of their calling.   Continue to work and pray for those recent converts................truly, the ward should be doing the bulk of the shepherding now that they are baptized...........perhaps this can be brought to the attention of the bishop through your WML.    Have a great week..   Pres.Hansen

On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 12:13 PM, Annika Bruno <annika.bruno@myldsmail.net> wrote:

 

Dear President Hansen,

This week has been really great.  I am enjoying the work, and love my investigators.  We have been trying to teach a recent converts son Jassen Velez.  He is really one of those people you know will be strong when they convert.  He wasn't home when we went to teach him on Saturday, but he went to church.  We were all really excited, but again when we went to teach him on Tuesday he wasn't there.  I wasn't so much frustrated as sad that we couldn't teach him. 

Our recent converts are 50/50 some are strong going to church and some are back to old habits.  We are working with them all and I hope that they can stay strong.  I hear that the first year of a converts life into the church is the hardest for them.  I only hope that we are strengthening them to withstand the adversity they face!

One of our recent converts when we went to visit him he was smoking and drunk!  When we taught him the next day his prayer was a powerful plea for help to resist drinking and smoking.  We pray for him and continue to encourage him to remain strong! 

I feel the love that God has for His children when I teach especially the little children.  The children in the Tintay area love when we come over to teach, and ask when we are coming back.  There is a whole group of kids that attend church with our recent convert Sister Judith.  She is a strong woman and she has helped her neighbor Rose Flores to have a greater desire to be baptized.  I love her she is such a special spirit.

Sister Caluyo is an amazing teacher and I hope that one day I can have her gift of teaching.  She is a great companion she always makes me smile.  I could not have asked for a better companion. 

Living with the four of us in the house in really fun we talk about our investigators, and Sister Tumala and Sister Williams has given us really good ideas for our lessons to help our investigators.  Sister Williams is a great trainer I can see her love for Sister Tumala.

The language is progressing, and my goal for no english except on P-days has really helped the progression go a lot faster! 

This week has been filled with many blessings from Heavenly Father.

Thank You President Hansen!

Sister Bruno

Progress of Work

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Philippine CebuMission <cebumission08@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 8:07 PM
Subject: Re: Week!
To: Annika Bruno <annika.bruno@myldsmail.net>


Thanks for sharing the wonderful experiences ..............it is very evident that the Lord is working with you.   Have another great week.   Pres.Hansen

On Wed, Mar 9, 2011 at 11:29 AM, Annika Bruno <annika.bruno@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Dear President!

I am loving the split it was revelation without a doubt.  We had 40 new investigators last week and we find several people a day.  The area is so large and there are people we never would have met if the area wasn't split. 

This week one of our recent converts son's Jassen Velez decided to let us teach him.  He is 21 years old and his mother said he is extremely shy and doesn't like to talk, but he seems to be voicing his concerns with us.  He is a very humble person and we are excited to continue to keep teaching him. 

We have been teaching many children this transfer I can see why Jesus loves the little children.  While we were teaching Grace Oporto the law of chastity and talked to her about being modest she said excuse me ran home and changed into modest clothes!  She is so cute!  Sister Genevievea Diparine is 11 years old and has been going to church with our recent convert Sister Judith Velez.  Her mother and her have a baptismal date.  Jenny her mother is willing to listen to our lessons and we love teaching her. 

Sister Williams and Sister Tumala taught Emerson Ugdiman and he seems to be progressing to his baptismal date. 

We have been walking in the path that the Savior has layed out for us because I feel like all the people we have met this week have been blessings, and I feel a strong love for all the people we have met.

Sister Mitch hasn't been coming to church since her confirmation.  She works with her mother a lot and has been working for the last couple of weeks.  We hope that she does not fall into the devil snares.  I hear the first year of someones joining the church is the hardest on them.  We only are trying to strengthen her testimony.  She is strong in reading the scriptures and her testimony so we will only work hard to help keep her strong. 

This transfer as all my other transfers have been great.  I look back and see the many blessings that heavenly Father has given to me. 

Sister Caluyo has been teaching me a lot and I have made high goals to meet.  The language seems to not be a huge barrier as it once was.  I have set a goal not to speak English this whole transfer I know its hard but possible!  Sister Caluyo has been helping me a lot with the language and I love her for sacrificing her time to help me! 

Thank You President!

Sister Bruno 

Making New Friends: 40 New Investigators in A Week

Dearest Family!

This week has been awesome. We have been having an adventure and finding many new friends. Many people are prepared to hear the gospel and I love them all. We have been teaching many children lately and they are so precious. I can see why the children are favorites. We have been doing a lot of finding this transfer, because I only have one companion now Sister Caluyo and the area is split so there is four of us. Sister Williams and Sister Tumala. I love the Greeny she is so nice and is way fun. We all live together and it's definitely good memories!

Our area is split so we basically can go any where in the area we want. We didn't set specific boundaries for our companionships because we can discover new areas if there are no limits! We got to choose how the area was split. It seems like there are a million people we haven't met yet and we had 40 new investigators this week and invited 500+ people to learn! We are only increasing everyday.

Everyday on the mission is a good day. It seems like the happiest I have ever been is in the service of the Lord. Teaching about Jesus and His ministry only brings happiness to missionaries. I have always wondered why missionaries were so happy I know why now.

We got to help a lady cut apart sandal straps yesterday. I didn't even think that people actually hand made the straps of the sandals!

This really is the perfect place for me I don't miss the cold one minute! The weather has been really perfect my whole time in the Philippines. we get a little rain and then sun. Sun brings happiness in my opinion! That's probably why the people are so humble and happy here! All the people always say good morning and such or wave at you they are the most friendly people I have ever met. I feel like I am now Itom and not Puti (black and not white haha). The people either whisper puti or American then I shock them with speaking Bisayan to them and they are amazed! Too many tourist in the Philippines haha!

Well I love you all and you are in my prayers!

Nahigugma Ko kaninyo!

Sister Bruno

Splitting the Area in Cebu City

Nahigugma Ko kaninyo!

First of all I love you!!

This  week is transfers week and the power of three is being seperated. Our area is being split in two and we will have four people in our apartment. Sister Williams is training for the first time, and me and Sister Caluyo are going to be companions. Our zone leader Elder Gubb is transferring and so is our Assistant to the President Elder Gatdula.  Sister Bundac is going home this week and it makes me realize how fast the time has been going by. People I know are going home now!

We had a baptism this week Brother Nelson. He gave  up smoking and drinking. He comes to church faithfully. He is a little bit slow on the processing, but he is a kind person. I know he will  grow through the church. We cleaned out the Pit-os house this week and  are settling into our new apartment in Apas. We need to find an apartment in our area, but haven't seen anything we like yet. We love the house we live in now with hot showers a washing and dryer and all the perks. It's funny what you miss while on the mission and see how many blessing we have.

This transfer I have been getting along with my  companions really well. I love the adventures we have been having.  They are tons of laughs. We laugh at least a million times a day  either joking around or something one of us says. It's much better in life if we can just laugh at the trials we have!

Yesterday was an awesome day. Emerson Ugdiman said he wanted to be baptized, and we all thought he was going to be a lost  cause, because he went on vacation and before vacation he was not  progressing. When he returned though he not only looked older and was  growing up, but the Lord has been preparing him to be baptized. When we asked him what his desire was for baptism he surprised all of us at his  declaration of wanting to be baptized, but knows that he hasn't been going to church so he couldn't. We ensured him that he could go at his aunt's and the Elders over there could teach him. It's sad to give him up  to the elders but if he gets baptized and grows in his testimony I will  make the sacrifice and give him to the elders. We know that the elders  will be better for him being a teenager and not having any brothers in the house it will help.

I miss you all

Love you

You all need to continue to keep you covenants. And don't forget you are special each one of you individually!

Sister Bruno