First Transfer

Dear Family I love your faces!

I heard all the challenges it's crazy how hard Satan is working. Transfers tomorrow... drum roll please... I am transferring to Marigondon OPENING AN AREA! That hardly ever happens for the sisters here I heard, but I am excited to see what happens. I am glad that I am trusted with this by President Hansen and Heavenly Father. My new companion is Sister Falculan she is amazing. She was in my district these last 3 transfers and now we are companions starting tomorrow.

I am going to miss Talamban my first area (it will always be where my heart is), but I heard that Marigondon has beach area! I haven't seen the beach for 6 months! Whoa crazy I have been here for 6 months! I am definitely going to miss Sister and Elder Bailey right next door they have been a huge help these last three transfers always checking up on us. They really are so kind. The best office couple ever!!

My district was the bomb Elder Holley, and Elder Daffon KA-BATCH, and Sister Brand (THIRD COMPANION) Younger Batch, we had Elder Gassaway, Elder Tan, Elder Dela Cerna, Elder Abayani, Sister Williams, Sister Tumala, Sister Caluyo, and I... NINDOT KAAYO CITY DISTRICT!We also Had 3 District Leaders Elder Hiatt, Elder Unite, and Elder Dela Cerna also our Zone leaders Elder Tan, and (Before he Transfered Elder Gubb) Elder Gassaway. Wow its crazy that we all have been together for so long.

Talamban has been really fun and this week we actually had two new investigators that when we went back to teach them turned into 5 new investigators. They all seem they are prepared for the gospel. It's too early to tell but they could be people who are really strong in the church! I see their potential they could all be priesthood holders!

I am going to miss all of my Tintay children. Vivian, Mileen, Gen, Christine, Kristin, Michael, James Warren, and all the other ones... I really loved all the tintay people Brother Joeal, Sister Jenny, Sister Judith, Sister Jams, Brother Jazen, Brother Jomar, Sister Josephine, Brother and Brother Danilo. I am definitely going to miss all the Single Adults in the Talamban ward! They were a big help in the work. Sister Salta, and Sister Arinas, The Matthews family, Bishop Abanggan and his family, the Nacar family, the Natividad family, the Leona Family, Basically all the families in the talamban ward!

Many challenges many disappointments BUT the happiness far out weighed the bad. I only have hope that all the people I taught will continue to follow God and to accept His plan.

Sister Williams and Sister Caluyo and Sister Tumala have been BESTIES Sisters for ETERNITY... I can;t even imagine it just being two of us in the house its going to be quiet. On my mission I have had at least 2-3 other people in the house its going to be weird where its just 1 other person. I guess its "preparing" me for marriage! BAHAH

Conference was soooooooooooooooo amazing! I loved all the talks but I loved even more that they talked about the boys needing to shape up or move out LOL!! JK but no really all the SISTERS died laughing when they talked about it. SO TRUE MAO JUD!

ANYWAYS until next week this has been another exciting week on the mission in the Philippines... weather report it's getting hotter and I LOVE IT Politics report... I don't really know WORLD NEWS... Dont worry about it for now but prepared!

LOVE YOU

Sister Bruno

Progress of the Work in Cebu City Philippines

So the Philippines is great I'm hot and sweaty all the time but it's an adventure for sure. During lessons ants crawl all over everywhere because most houses are bamboo huts. Some are one room. Some are two. Then we have the regular houses. I'm in the city zone Talamban so its kind of like America except not. We have a McDonalds and can get food imported but it's more expensive. I'm not adjusted to the food yet but I figure it will only be a matter of time.

Today I was riding in the Jeepney and a truck passed by and one of the guys stared at me and poked his friend next to him. They both stared at me. I just smiled and waved. I'm the minority here and when I walk by everyone stares. I just say maayong buntag or maayong hapon or maayong gabbii (good morning, good afternoon, good night). Their jaws drop and they say stuff like you know my language or where are you from!

The kids are the cutest ever they all just stare at me and laugh but probably because I sound like a child when I speak their language. Haha!

Funny story

I was walking down this alley way which they have a lot of those here and a bunch of guys asked hey where are you going in Cebuano and I thought they asked me where I was from and I was like AMERICA! Haha sooo funny but I made it into a contacting experience. My companions died laughing!

My companion Sister Ramos is my trainer. She is really nice and my other companion is Sister Williams. She translates for me. Sister Ramos's English is pretty good but not always the best. So I get confused sometimes. We talk some in English while in the apartment because it's mission rules to help each other if you have a native companion. English in the apartment and Cebuano when not in the apartment. Sister Robison has a blog her mom keeps up for her dad. You should try to find it. I don't have the URL right now but I can get it next Monday during district meeting.

I had my first baptism his name is Danilo Ymbing. He is 36 years old and has a really strong conviction to follow the church.

We have Sally Abella as an investigator. She has a live-in and has a baby from him. She is also married but separated. It's hard to get a divorce in the Philippines and so I think maybe we are continuing the lessons for baptism. It's a weird situation.

We also have Elicio Arinasa. His two girls just got baptized and his wife is a member. We are encouraging the two girls Ann Marie who is 8 and Jayann who is 10 to encourage their father to read the Book of Mormon and to come to church. Thus far every time we have gone to visit him he is not home. He is usually at work.

We have an investigator Grace Hardy whose husband is an American from Utah and a member. She comes to church with him every Sunday. She says she wants to be baptized. The only thing we need to do is find times to visit her when she doesn't have school or work to teach her the lessons. She is gone for the holidays but we hope to get her baptized in the next month or two.

We went to visit with a man named Lone Denoso yesterday. He has thought about suicide because he had a stroke and the left side of his body is paralyzed. When we visited him yesterday his wife was home and we taught them both. It was a hard lesson because he kept making inappropriate comments.

It's hard to teach lessons because every lesson they have Hip Hop music playing in the background and instead of talking louder over the music the people talk quietly. The favorite song right now in the Philippines is Justin Bieber BABY. It's way funny! Elder Holley who is from my district in the MTC is in my district here in the Philippines and everyone thinks he looks like Justin Bieber so they call him Justin. It's way funny but I think he might be able to use it to his advantage during contacting!!

So I am planning on Skyping probably on the 24th your time around 5PM-7PM. I'm not for sure!!

First Philippines Missionary Area: Experiencing the Custom of Alom Pulos

So I'm finally in the Philippines. It's pretty interesting. It's made me realize how much I have in the States. I miss the luxuries of life :) Today we went to the temple I love going because its a place to relax your mind for a couple of hours.

This morning we woke up at 4:30am to go play basketball with the district before it got too hot. But I am way tired now. I don't want to get up that early again, but my companions like to go. It's way good exercise. It's way hot here and I'm constantly sweating. It's some good times. If you couldn't tell by the pictures, I gained a ton in the MTC but its all good. I predict that I will sweat those off. haha...

We went to teach this woman who has a Catholic background. And on the way we passed by like 8 little kids and they all greeted us with "HELLO" and wanted to shake our hands. They were so cute they shook our hands and did the sign of respect by bringing our hands to their forehead. I do this thing called alom pulos where you poke the back of their heads and say alom pulos and they laugh or look up at you annoyed. Haha. Its fun our teacher in the MTC Brother Christensen taught us that game.

Elder Holley is in my district here. I am in the Talamban District. It's in the Cebu city zone. He was in my district in the MTC. its nice to have a familiar face around. In the city it's not too different you can still get a lot of American food and such and they have a mall.  I would send pictures but I forgot my cord I will send them next week. The camera I got takes really good pictures. I am scared to use it though in public because my companions make me all paranoid but I guess you just have to be careful with your belongings here.

We live in this three-story house and the stairs are super narrow and the bottom floor we just use as a room for our shoes and a work our room then upstairs on the second level is the kitchen we have a toaster oven and a refrigerator and a hot pan a sink and that's about it. We also have a kitchen table and three chairs their all plastic. We have two wooden desks to do our studies on. On the third level we have the bathroom and a closet with pop up closets. Then we have the bedroom with two beds. We are in a threesome Sister Williams, Sister Ramos and me. Sister Ramos is my "mom". We have a mattress on the floor. Sister Williams is sleeping on until they get us a third bed sometime this week.

It's not too bad living here. The only problem I have is not being able to understand the language. It's so frustrating. I am studying and yet I still don't understand. I can remotely communicate ideas and wish I was fluent in this language. They speak super fast and super soft.

I thought I would get away from music and TV and such but actually they blast American music all day long outside with the bass and it always seems to be blaring during a lesson. They listen to all American music here mostly hip hop. The music I would listen to at home. It's hard not to listen when its blasting everywhere. They also watch American TV shows so when we are at a house usually members' houses they are watching TV.

I am trying not to be discouraged but the language is hard but besides that it's not too bad of a place.

Love you all!

Annika

Letter to Parent: Teach with the Spirit

October 29, 2010

Dad!

So I have my camera and have been taking tons of pictures.  Turns out you can't take pictures in the gym or cafeteria but I took some for you anyways.  I have them on my memory card but on the computers they don't have a place to plug in your memory card so I can't send them in emails.  I'm going to try and develop a few or see if they can put them on a CD and send them home for you maybe tomorrow.

Elder Russell M. Nelson came and spoke at the devotional this week.  His message was that short powerful messages with the Spirit bring people unto the gospel as long drawn out messages.  I think the reason that we can't take pictures in the gym is because they have the devotionals in there so that's most likely why but anyways hope all is well at home.

My district is pretty good.  There are 6 elders in my district:  Elder English, Elder George, Elder Azerus, Elder Holley, Elder Andrus,  and Elder Ausban.  My teachers are still great.  I really like them a lot.  I love the messages you learn every day at the MTC and how easy it is to teach with the Spirit.

My Elders tear up but their eyes get red.  I am amazed that anyone falls away from the Church after being at the MTC.  There is no way you can deny the Holy Ghost or God or anything about the gospel after being at the MTC.

Love you and glad you taught me to go on a mission.  Its amazing and I love it.  Hope I can rely on God and have faith in learning the language.

Nhigugma ko kanimo.

Love Annika

Elder Scott Invokes Apostolic Blessing on MTC Sisters and Sisters Who Go Home to Marry Given Honorable Releases

This week has been really crazy. The other Cebuano district left yesterday and its been really quiet without them. They were all amazing people. Basically everyone loved them! So in crazy news in the MTC Sister Russell left the other day the same day as Sister Brinton. Sister Brinton went to the field while Sister Russell went home to get married! She has a date set for December 6th. You forget there is a real world outside of the MTC sometimes and that people leave their missions.

I guess though that when girls leaves their missions they are considered as having served honorably. Their records say they served a full time mission even if she was only out for 2 weeks. It is weird how that happens.  I was sad because think of all those people that she would have met.  But I think she is happy about her decision about her going on a mission and. I think it was the best thing for her, because she is now getting married.

I am blessed though because Sister Chang is now my companion. God answered my prayers because I didn't want to be left without a sister and only elders. I might have gone crazy. Boys are hard to understand at least I don't get them, especially not 19 year old boys. Arg!! Anyways I love my district actually, so its not too bad. Their humor is just super random.

I got new companions this week Elder Holley and Elder Azerus. We have taught together once and we are still figuring it out. But we will get it right when its time to change companions again.

So the coolest news ever Elder Richard G. Scott came and spoke this week. That is 2 weeks in a row to hear an apostle speak which is so amazing. Elder Scott spoke about praying for guidance and how God will answer you in time. You just need to be patient. He invoked a protective shield on the sisters. He invoked the gift of tongues, and he invoked confidence all through the authority he has as an apostle of Jesus Christ! I love hearing from the apostles so cool!

So i probably sound ridiculus but im racing against the time clock here and its crazy so basically cant write too much so anyways the new sisters and elders are about to leave it seems like they just got here and they are about to leavee im pretty sure we have seen so many people come and go already and we still have 6 more weeks basically weird!!  Time here is so weird and it seems as if i have been here years!  But loving it still!

Nahigugma Ko Kanimo!

Sister Annika Bruno