Pictures of the Week

Sometimes I'm not sure how to explain how much I love my life here in the Philippines, so hopefully my pictures do a better job than my ever worsening English!

Pictures

Tracting in Toms

Hey y'all!

What a great week. I have to admit I went to bed on Tuesday night feeling a little overwhelmed. Kabahays, tracting, split area, 8 missionaries in Meycauayan, etc.  I woke up the next morning and just prayed my heart out about the whole new situation. After that I felt as ready as I could have. We studied and welcomed the new sisters to Sto. Nino. Our living room temporarily is a storm of maps, directories, lists, pictures, teaching records, and planners. We are doing our best to help them settle in. Their new assignment is just as hard as ours is. That evening, we took them to meet some of the ward members.  Then on Thursday we started our huge finding project by tracting. I have to say I have been so humbled by this new finding effort. I have seen the Lord open doors for us. He has not only opened the hearts of these people, but also my own. I have discovered in myself a new found courage to speak to people, to knock on their doors, and tell them my purpose. It's been a great experience. You know, once you get past the crushing heat, endless walking, and abrupt rejections, this tracting stuff isn't all that bad. I can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm actually excited to go out and tract. I can't believe Sister Clark goes home at the end of this transfer. I don't want her to go! This transfer is really going to fly by. It's going to be a great one!

The whole experience makes me remember sleeping over at Gramma's house as a kid. On weekdays, at 10pm, old re-runs of Cheers would start. I loved that show. I actually thought I was seeing them all for the first time! This week I have to agree with Cliff Clavin when Sam asked what the point was to life and he answered, "Comfortable shoes. If you're not wearin' comfortable shoes, life is just chaos. I mean, the greatest accomplishments in history have been made by men wearin' accommodating shoes." So here's to making history this transfer!

Mahal,

Sister Cork

Whew.

Hey y'all, what a week it's been. Here's a run down of one of the busiest, longest weeks of my life:

Tuesday: Our mission president attended our district meeting and pulled my companion and I aside. He told us that this next transfer we would make room in our (tiny) home for two new sisters. We will spend the next transfer training them in the area and then I will be pulled out and relocated to my final area. It was a hard pill to swallow. I have grown to love this area and it will be tough to hand it over in April. But I am so thankful I get these next six weeks to work harder than I ever have in Meycauayan and leave behind my love. 

Wednesday: We had a CSP (community service project) and helped one of our members clean up their front yard. I got to feed all the chickens and then give the 11 baby ducks a bath. We had so much fun chasing them around the yard and then giving the poor, ugly things a much needed bath. Afterwards my companion and I came home and made homemade Najavo tacos. It was awesome. 

Thursday: We had another early morning CSP this day. As a zone we repainted an entire outdoor gymnasium. It took about five hours and afterwards we were all covered in green paint. It was a lot of work, but we had fun. That afternoon we were proselyting and saw two brand new baby goats. Sister Clark said, "Bet you won't pick one up." Well I couldn't let that be true, so of course I had to pick it up. They were so sweet, like little puppies. It absolutely made my whole day. 

Friday: On Friday morning we had a house full of people. The apartments elders came over and set up new beds, desks, etc. for the incoming sisters. Our house is going to be pretty cozy for the next couple weeks. They also had to fix our ceiling because last week, at about 3AM, a cat stepped on our skylight and fell through the ceiling. Totally scared us to death. This day our mission president came and toured our area and decided that for the next six weeks Sister Clark and I will only be tracting. It's going to be a huge challenge. 

Saturday: I spent this day on exchanges with Sister Funaki (Sydney, AUS) in Novaliches. We had a great day together. At one point in our day, I was surrounded by, no lie, 30+ children. Pulling my bag, dress, and hair, asking me about a billion questions. They were darling. I was so happy I was beside myself. I love the children here. 

That's a brief run down. I also picked up a baby chick and the mama hen was so angry she flew up my skirt. Three times. And I got to attend three special sacraments on Sunday afternoon. It was a rollercoaster of a week. I love being a missionary. I'm going to enjoy every minute I have left.

Have a great week!

Sister Cork

A Breath of Fresh Air

Hey y'all, we had a great week. After being sick for so long, my motivation had kind of taken a hit, but this week was a breath of fresh air. We worked extra hard in our area and have already begun to see the results. You know, Heavenly Father has promised us that if we do our part, He will do His. Every time. I think we forget that. We aren't doing this alone, we never have been. Sometimes we just need to pray, pull together all of our faith, and get going. We can't just wait around for great things to come find us. And we have to be happy about the little miracles. Seek the small joys and smile when you find them, they will add up. 

Here are a few pictures of our trip to Angat River in Norzagaray. 

Have a great week!

Sister Cork

Pictures

Some pictures from my weekend with Sister McCarthy! The little girl at the top in the yellow shirt got her pallet repaired by Mabuhay Deseret (like Operation Smile run by a former mission president here in the Philippines) She totally melted my heart and made me miss my Gracie girl! 

Hello February

Hey y'all! Is it warming up yet over there in the States? It sure is hot over here lately. We are staying super busy. Meetings, trainings, and exchanges keep us away from home a lot lately. I've missed sleeping in my own bed! I just wanted to share a quick story that happened while I was on exchanges in Valenzuela this past week. 

I was proselyting with Sister Gementiza, a newer Filipina sister. She is fantastic. As we were walking she stopped to talk to a woman sitting behind a table. As Sister G was speaking to her I felt the prompting to share a Plan of Salvation pamphlet with her. But, we usually don't start with that one. But I couldn't shake off the feeling. And lately I have been really studying Chapter 4 of Preach My Gospel about recognizing spiritual promptings. I have realized Heavenly Father really likes to help me learn through experience. So, I decided to pull out a Plan of Salvation pamphlet and I felt immediately prompted to testify to her about resurrection. I thought to myself, "Are you serious? That's how you want to start this conversation?" I gathered up all my confidence and said to her, "I know that after this life we will be resurrected like Jesus Christ and obtain perfected bodies." She was taken aback and asked me to repeat myself. I thought, "Oh no, what have I done?" But I repeated myself, twice. Nervously, to be honest. With a surprised look on her face she asked me if that was really true. With a little more power, I said yes. She continued to sit back and show us that both of her legs were missing from the knee down. Long story short. She invited us to return and teach her family. It was by far one of the most powerful spiritual experiences of my mission. Don't ever ignore a prompting from the Lord. He will do all that he can to hasten his work. He doesn't need us, but he uses us for our own benefit. Trust in Him and He will lead us always. 

Y'all have a great week. Mahal ko kayo!

Sister Cork

Making real homemade pizza

Making caramel popcorn in our laundry tubs

All the girls I went on exchanges with!