Live-In Partners

Family!

I can't believe how fast the time is going I feel like I just got here yesterday! I'm never going to get used to the time on the mission. It seems like the time goes so fast because its go go go all the time, and I love it.

This last Saturday January 29, 2011 Sister Grace Hardy was baptized it was really awesome. She definitely was one of those people who was ready for baptism. She has one of the strongest testimonies, and she has such a good heart. She always wants to feed us and even if we wanted to we cant escape her house without her feeding us. Her baptism was small, but her sister ended up coming which was good i think for Sister Grace. On Sunday Sister Grace and Brother Hardy came late, because they were coming all the way from Sister Graces home in the Providence and so she wasn't confirmed. She was really disappointed, but we made sure she knew we would do it next Sunday.

On the Dyipney (jeepney) ride the other day the conductor (the man/boy sometimes there are 14 year old conductors who takes the money) the guy asked Sister Caluyo if she was our tour guide. Haha I never heard that one before it was hilarious. I think that's probably what many people think of us when we are walking down the street.

Sister Williams and Sister Caluyo always make sure I say to say Hi to everyone in Bisayan because I "wouldn't want to disappoint my fan club" they are always teasing me about me having a fan club. They tease me about everything actually but its just what I call love.

Sister Mitch Minosa has a baptismal date of February 12, 2011 and she is ready for baptism. Although we didn't assign her to she has begun to read the scriptures from the beginning and she is already in Jacob.

Many of our investigators right now have Law of Chastity problems. Their are many people who have live-in boyfriends with children, so its really difficult trying to convience them to get married. Our investigators are willing it's the boyfriends that are having the issues, and two of them are members. Sister Sally Abella, and Sister Emeley Pardillo both have live-ins that are members it's sad because they are not living their covenants and so they are holding their families from blessings. Its really frustrating!

I love you all and hope all is well!

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!!