Work Progressing in Cebu City

Dear Family,

First of all I love you all!

This week has been really awesome.  I got a new companion Sister Caluyo.  My trainer Sister Ramos got transferred after having her just one transfer.  Sister Caluyo though is an awesome addition.  She is our senior companion and she is super humble and meek.  Sister Caluyo is a strong person her mother died while on the mission and she decided to stay with the suggestion from President Hanson.  She is awesome.  We met with Sister Judith and she was an activist against religion in college, but through meeting missionaries she gradually was willing to listen to the lessons.  She has been going to church but has been hesitant in accepting a baptismal date. We met with Sister Judith on Monday, and after just one lesson with Sister Judith Sister Caluyo extended a baptismal date in a genius way and Sister Judith accepted it was beautiful.  Sister Williams even teared up.  And that's how missionary work is done!  Sister Caluyo is basically teaching me things that I will definitely incorporate into my work.  

This week is Sister Grace Hardy's baptism she is an awesome person.  She is outgoing and refuses to let us leave her house without eating something.  Her husband is American from Utah, and is a member.  Sister Grace Hardy has been attending church for way long before i got to the mission.  She just has been reluctant to listening to the missionaries because one missionaries approach she did not like.  When I got to the ward she decided to let us teach her I think our approach was genius or she was just ready to hear the gospel.  She is getting Baptized this week Saturday the Jan 29 2011.  I am so excited for her.  She is my first baptism that I was there to help teach all the lessons.  She is getting baptized only after 6-7 lessons.  We have given her a lot of information, but she has a great testimony and I don't see her turning away from the church in the future.

During teaching Sister Jennale Arinasa her little sister peed on the floor it was so random but that actually happens a lot here during lessons.  I have seen 3 kids already pee on the floor during a lesson.  

Emerson Ugdiman didn't go to church this week so his baptismal date was moved back a week.

Sister Cheryl Sister Mitch and Brother Nelson all has Baptismal dates and they seem ready to accept the gospel.  Sister Cheryl though is a little reluctant coming from a Catholic background.  Brother Nelson may have problems because he smokes but last appointment he didn't smoke for a whole week so hopefully he will keep strong.  

Its crazy because Sister Brand came this week.  She is our younger Batch.  The time is passing by so quickly its crazy!  Sister Brand is in my district though now she replaced Sister Robison.  I was happy and sad about that.  I love Sister Robison she was my first BFF on the mission.  But I am happy to see Sister Brand every week.  

The other day we ran all the way home to make it in time for curfew it was hilarious!

Yesterday we were walking and there was a gust of wind and my skirt flew up I screamed and sister williams and Sister Caluyo turned back to see what happened they were like What happened I told them and they laughed so hard!

Good times on the Mission 

LOVE YOU ALL
Until next week this is the life and stories of Sister Bruno

Sister Bruno   

Rain: Adventures on the Mountain

Family!!

First of all I love you and am thankful for your sacrifice to let me come on my mission.

It's been raining a lot lately because of El Ninyo it's supposed to rain a lot until March that's what one of the members said. I think it's rained everyday this week.

Yesterday was definitely an adventure it was awesome! We went to appointments in the bukid (mountain) yesterday morning, and when we left it was raining.  Sister Williams doesn't have a payon (umbrella) so she broke off a banana tree leaf with her teeth and used it as an umbrella. Here when it rains you really need to be careful of the jeepneys because one we walk everywhere and yesterday I got splashed by a jeepney it was not fun! Also there are not really driving laws here so they will run you over. Cars don't care about people walking. When we were walking up the bukid we got on a jeepney to ride the rest of the way because we were worried about time. The driver didn't let us pay because it was only a short time to Sister Emely Pardillos house and it was raining so he didn't let usbayad(pay). On the way back to theBalay(house) I bought an umbrella and the owner of the tindahan(store)helped me with my bisayan. When we went to the Balay to use the CR(comfort room) my companions fell asleep on the bed. It was way funny but I woke them up and we left. We ate at Julie's Bake Shop. They have these bake shops everywhere where you can buy bread all different kinds some with meat in them and also pastries and such. But anyways we ate at Julie's Bake Shop for Sister Williams birthday. Then after that we went to the Camangyan families' house to teach them and their house is down this Bukid part and we had to take our shoes off to get to their house because it was too muddy to try to get down to their house with shoes on. On the way home we had to change jeepneys because the one we were on broke down and we got our money back and sakay mi(we rode) the next jeepney that came by.

It was a fun day. My companions stayed up to paint their faces and I went to bed I have been trying to be obedient.

My trainer is being transferred to another area this Friday I'm super sad! We were all getting comfortable with each other as companions.

Times up we only get 30 minutes to email!

LOVE YOU ALL

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