TREVOR GOT HIS CALL ?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So.... crying in an internet shop.... surrounded by a bunch of teenage Filipino boys playing video games... because TREVOR GOT HIS CALL!!!!!!!!!! TO HUNGARY, BUDAPEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOODNESSSSS!!!!!!!!!! 

I can't even type right now because I'm shaking so much- from happiness of course. Wow, Hungary. I never would have guessed that but now, I'm like... yeah. Of course. Where else would he go? 

To be honest, my guess this whole week was Taiwan. Kind of close. I just can't believe he's actually going and we will actually be serving at the same time as one another. I'm so excited for you Trevor and I'm looking forward to skyping you in the coming weeks for Mother's day! 

Haha, "That's pretty cool!" 

Wow, everything I've got say doesn't hold a candle to Trevor's call... but I'll do my best.:) 

So, picture this. Running on a treadmill in a Sauna. And if you can picture that, you'll know how the weather feels here in the Philippines right now. Seriously. Saturday- THE HOTTEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

The sun was boiling down upon us... and then it had to go and rain- which before my mission I would have thought would feel really good. Nope. No. It doesn't. Not in 100 degree weather. Because rain- it's humid. And when it's already 100% humid and 100% HOT and then you add 20% humidity from the rain.... Yikes. It's like running on treadmill in a Sauna. 

Seriously, there came a point on Saturday where I was like- "Wait, why am I still walking? Why am I still alive? Did I die? Am I zombie?" I honestly believe angels were pushing me along because I had no- absolutely NO energy. I was completely drained. I could barely think, let alone speak in lessons. IT.WAS. HOT. 

But, I'm not a zombie, I'm a missionary- so onward, ever onward. 

This week, besides the heat.... 

*We taught 5 different families. It was AWESOME!!!!!!!! I love teaching families.

*Saw a filippino look alike of John Wayne. But like for real, he had the pot belly, the squinty eyes, the furrowed eyebrows. Everything except a cowboy hat. 

*Sister Waldrom got transferred to San Pablo area so we have a new housmate- a Phillipa named Sister Ebuen. (Ebwen) 

*Our convert spoke in church this Sunday. Man, she nailed it!!!!!!!!! She's so good!!!!! I loved her talk. It was about prayer. 

*While waiting for a member at their house, we saw a bit of a movie called Breakdown. It has Kurt Russell in it. (Is that his name?) Anyway, I think you'd like it mom. Sister Feinga didn't realize it had been dubbed in Tagalog. After about 10 minutes, she turned to me and asked... "Wait... do they speak Tagalog in America?" Man, I can't wait to be that good that I don't recognize when someone is speaking Tagalog or English. 

Other stories... 

When in the Philippines, the way you get someone to answer the door is by standing at the gate and calling, "Tao po!" It means, literally, "People!" As in, "People here!" :) Well, we started calling Tao po outside of this tall gate (flat so you can't see through) and we watched as their 2 year old daughter came running out to open the door. But then... half way through she stopped and started opening a candy wrapper. It was HOT and we were tired and ready to teach a lesson and this little girl stopped to eat her candy!!!!!!!!! Sister Feinga pressed her face up against this tiny slit in the wall and started going, "Pst!!!Pst!!!!!! Open the door!" I just started laughing and laughing because here she was, all creeper like with one little eyeball pressed in between the cracks. Man, I love my companion.  

I saw my first huge spider. It was about the size of my fist. I wasn't scared of it, but it's definitely not tissue-killing material. We all decided that Sister Feinga would kill it, (This was when Sister Waldrom was still here) and she ran to get the dustpan. She smashed it against the ceiling and then as she tried to show it was dead... accidentally dropped it onto Sister Johnson's desk. She screamed and screamed. Man, it was so funny. I got a video. I hope it uploads. :) 

Lastly, I had my first experience with someone up front telling me I was wrong and spreading lies. It was one of the Jeepney drivers who started it out with saying loudly so that everyone could hear, "Are you proud that you are here spreading lies?" I told him politely that It wasn't a lie. He responded by asking how I could benefit from such a lie. I continued to try and bear a simple, short testimony in a very polite manner- all the while thinking, "Now didn't Elder Holland just talk about this?" He continued to be a little rude as he asked question after question until finally we got off. 

Anyway, I was surprised to find that his words didn't hurt me at all. Because I know it's true. 

I KNOW IT!!!!!!! 

And that really came as a testimony to me in that moment that this is the truth. That I am preaching Christ's gospel. If I wasn't, I know that I wouldn't have felt as calm about responding to him. This church is true!!!!!!!!!!! 

I'm out of time now. I love you!!! I'm so happy for Trevor!!! 

-Sister Beaumont 

P.S. I encourage you, mom and dad, to work with the missionaries. They actually need member presents as part of their numbers. But of course, it's more than the numbers. A mother in our ward whose daughter is on a mission said, "I'm so happy to work with you. It makes me so happy and I feel like I'm helping her!" 

So I challenge you, just like a good missionary does... to go out and help me do missionary work, by helping those missionaries in your ward!!!!!!!!!!! 

Transfer 3- End Of Taining

Hello, hello everyone! So, because I don't always have time to read your emails, I usually print them out afterward and don't catch the details until after I've emailed. Sorry if my replies are a little old. :) First off, congrats on representing our country! I'm so proud of you both! And Jessica Simpson is one too- wow, that's so cool! I'm excited to hear Trevor's call! I secretly hope that he won't get it for a while... so that I can see him open it on Mother's day when I skype with you all. I hope that Heidi Riddle is doing better now. I've been really worried for her/ praying for her this week. 

I loved the Women's Conference.Sorry I never talked about it. I cried through the whole thing and thought about how cool it would be to be watching it with you. But it was still fun to watch it here in the Philippines- especially when the Philippines came in the "I'm a child of God" video. Yes, they were singing Tagalog! All us sister missionaries were sniffling. :) 

Thanks for all of the Easter Pics. I loved them.!  And that dryer/ washer looks awesome. I think it's probably going to really weird me out when I get home. As if getting to finally use a washer again isn't going to be weird enough. :) Joke, washing by hand is not as bad as it sounds. The only downside is all the cockroaches that end up in our Laundry rooms... and the worms... and bugs in general.  

So, I think that's everything. On to this week! 

Well, I've done it! I'm done training now! Yay!!!!!!! I'm a real missionary now! I still feel like I'm barely getting the hang of things. I guess it takes a year to actually feel like you know what you doing. On the bright side, I'm really beginning to pick up the language. I can understand everything people say now and communicate pretty okay. :) I'm just happy to finally know what everyone is saying! 

So... this week we taught our new family... and one of our investigators had her baby!!!!!! We saw it when it was just a day old. So cute!!!!!!!!!! That family is so great! We now have 9 investigators at that house. Um... that's a lot. I feel like we can barely keep up with them. Stop being so awesome and referring us to everyone! Pretty soon we'll be teaching everyone in their neighborhood- I know it. And they'll have to build a church over there. 

We got some new investigators today through tracting... and the lesson was great until the prayer. Just as our investigator begins... this huge 2 liter GLASS soda bottle falls off the counter and shatters everywhere, scaring the living day-lights out of all of us.... Nice try, Satan. She still prayed and committed to reading the Book of Mormon so, all good. 

One of our potential investigators is from Nigeria and I'm just not so sure about him. He really flirted it up with me (we were on a bus), and asked me on a date twice. Then we ran into him at SM and he asked why we weren't teaching him. (um, because you're a creep.) Joke, he's a son of God and he actually has a lot of potential because his family back home are all members. We're going to give it a try... with some pretty burly priesthood as member presents or something.

But the best part of the work is the children. Seriously, I love the children here. They are so cute! Because I didn't always understand what people were saying, I started talking to the children while my companion would talk to the adults. It was really good for building relationships of trust... sometimes. I usually start talking to people on jeepneys through their children. I'll wave at their kids and ask them their names and ages... and then I'll talk to the parents. It usually works very good for getting lessons. But there was this one time where it completely backfired. This woman got very defensive and wrapped an arm around her child to separate us. Then, we ended up getting off at the same stop and following them for a while. She didn't like it and sped walked, all the while holding very tight to her son. Whoops. 

Anyways, it's not always that rough. Usually, parents love me talking to the children and some of the more supersitious parents ask me to "bless" their baby. (sign of respect where the child takes your hand and places it against their forehead.) 

This week, I had a really cute experience with the children. All of the time children will come up and hold my hand and walk with me or something. This one little girl came up and took my hand and because my companion was talking to the mother, I began to engage with the child. I started twirling her... and she giggled. She had so much fun. Each time I stopped she would make me start it up again. After a little while, she ran away... only to come back with some of her friends. She had me twirl her again, and the other children started giggling too. They all wanted turns having me twirl them. Once we started our lesson, the little girl followed us into the house and sat down next to me, placing a hand on my leg. It was so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

This week we had another FHE. It was so fun. I taught them to play simon says and red light, green light. They were all laughing so hard... one of them started coughing up spit he was laughing that hard. It was so fun. 

I love FHE's here. 

Ano pa? 

One of our members were watching The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan. I was like, wait. What? That's a movie from my childhood. It brought back memories of Cassi and I pretending to be Annie and Hallie all the time... good times! And some tricycle drivers were watching Mighty Joe Young at a tricycle stop. What? Where do they get these movies?????? 

Anyway, I think that's all for this week. I love you so much family! Anxiously waiting for May! (Mothers day.)

Love you!

-Sister Beaumont

This is the family that we are teaching right now. This was from last week, when we were travelling to General Conf.

A woman in our ward did the other companionships make up- filippino style. It was so intense. We just kept laughing and laughing. 

Sister Johnson was supposed to be Elsa. Her hair was pretty good- but... her face... she kind of looks like a brat doll or something. (We all thought it was perfect here at home, I think the sister missionaries just aren't used to wearing very much makeup in the Philippines)

Another pic of them with their make-up. They were purposely being sassy. :) 

Playing simon says 

                                                    (I'm it) 

Week 11 - One More Week Until Training is Over

Hello everyone! Sorry that this email is coming so late this time! I didn't have time to stop at the internet shop and tell you I would be late this week. 

Schools out over here and there are a bunch of boys in this internet shop playing a game and sucking up all the internet juice- Sana, (hopefully) I can send home some pictures. If not, sorry! I do have a lot to email this week though so hopefully that will compensate.

First off, thank you for the pictures of dad on his mission. Those were so fun! I put them on a thumb drive so I can print/look at them more often. It looks like he received a "baptism" into Filipino food. (A member coined the phrase and has invited us to her house in the near future for our own "baptisms" into the Filipino food which includes half a chicken each and balut) Second, thank you again to all of those who have been emailing me. I'm sorry if I don't write back always. Mission life is so busy and hectic! But hopefully, I can email you in the near future. I print out all emails to read at home. I love it!  

So, onto this week! First, we deep cleaned out apartment this week. Who knew that it was as bad as we found it to be?! Many dead cockroaches occupied the laundry room and our fridge had food from 6 transfers ago. Yum. Not to mention all the hairballs that we found in closet spaces and underneath the stairs. It's really nice to have a clean living quarters now though. 

Abby's farewell was this week. It was sad to say goodbye to her! She has been so fun and sweet to work with! I actually started crying at her farewell party when we hugged because I realized- I might never see her again in person. And then I decided I don't like goodbyes on the mission. And I decided I don't want to transfer. Batangas mission forever!  (But I know that I'll probably be here for at least another transfer so its fine.) Sister Waldrom, our housemate is due to transfer though. It's going to be sad to say goodbye to her. We've all become such good friends! 

I can't really think of any funny stories- except for ones that occupy pictures so I'll just tell them in the email that I send the picture with. With that, I'm going to jump into the spiritual part of today's email! 

This week we've had a lot of meetings- so not a lot of time to teach. We had Zone P-day, Zone Meeting, General Conference, and Zone interviews. Whew. I feel like I just ate a thanksgiving feast like twice over- but spiritually. Today we had our Zone Interviews and it was so amazing. We got to see President! I love him so much!!!!!!!!!! Dad, you were right about mission presidents! :) We got to have interviews with him- which were about 7 minutes each.Too short! But I learned more in those 7 minutes than I have all week! He's so inspired- I wish I could just absorb all the wisdom he has for us. He's coming home in June- I wonder what the new mission president will be like. But hey, Parents, if you are ever in Arizona- you should stop by and say "Hi" for me! (He's from Arizona.) 

One of our greatest investigators suffered a death in her family this week. Her father passed away from heart failure. It was very sudden and very hard for them. We stopped by their house this week. I wish I better understood the culture when it comes to funerals. I didn't know how to comfort her. They have a viewing inside the house of the family for a couple of days usually, and it was a little different than I'm used to. I was afraid of taking up family time but it turns out that they have many friends stop by and stay all day at these viewing sessions. I just wish that we could have done more I guess. 

But we are getting along really well with our other investigators. We have two families that we are teaching. They are both progressing really well. The first family, (the family we found through tracting) is still as amazing as ever. Sometimes I feel like stopping a lesson and saying, "Okay, really. Are you faking us out? Are you really members? Is that why you accept everything so easily?" Everything we teach them, they strive to follow. And seriously, every other lesson we gain a new investigator. (All family members that live close by one another) One recent investigator (Of like, Saturday of last week) has read all the way to Alma 32 now. Crazy. I have NEVER  even met an investigator who read more than the first book of Nephi before being baptized! He's awesome!!!!!!!!! 

They came to General Conference with us this week.  They were so excited that morning when we went to meet them. The children kept jumping up and down saying, "We are going to church with you to today!" In their pretty little dresses. I almost started crying- it was so cute! 

We had to travel to a nearby city to watch it. There was 5 adults and 5 children in our company and thankfully the ward provided a service so it wouldn't be so expensive. As we waited for the cars to come at a nearby parking lot- I noticed the children running around, seconds from going out into the street and being flattened by the car. I kept thinking, "We need to keep this children engaged-but how?" As soon as I asked the question, the answer came. I started singing primary songs like "Do as I'm doing", "Popcorn popping", "Snowman", "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes," and invited the children to join in. Even though they didn't understand the words they enjoyed the motions and the tune. It was a really, fun sweet moment. 

General Conference was a bit more boring than they were probably expecting for those children though and I was actually thankful for all those years of practice with my rambunctious brothers during sacrament meeting. I was able to help engage them and keep them seated quietly. I have come to love this family so much! I get so excited each day that we are going to teach them. Seriously, I wake up and think, "Today is the day we teach them!"

Well, that's all for this week I think. I love you all and I can't wait to see you in a month- face to screen! 

-Sister Beaumont 

Sisters Again

"Wacky!" - Filipinos always say this when they want a funny picture. 

Raining in the Philippines. I literally feel like we are always chasing the rain here! I love the rain because everything cools off and I would way rather be wet from rain than from sweat. But we always seem to be just seconds behind it. Oh well, rain season is coming up in a few months and then I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune.

Saying Goodbye to Abby!  :(

Sister Fienga "posing" just seconds before a member entered the room. 

There I was, about to begin our planning session prayer one night, when I look up and see a "Who" from "Whoville" had switched places with my companion. I just about died. Seriously, I had to start my prayer three times before getting through because I was still laughing that hard! 

Sister Feinga hunched in the tricycles. We don't exactly both fit in your average Filippino tricycle and many times one of us has to take the floor. Sister Feinga loving offered herself this time. But she still looks squished and you can see that her head is touching the top there. 

When life gives you cancelled appointments, eat some ice cream. And you'll find a reason to smile. ( smile on the inside of my ice cream lid.) 

Another Week Passes By

Well, it's officially been 10 weeks here in the Philippines. This coming week I will hit my five month mark (including MTC time.) Wow. Where did that come from? I feel like it's only been a month at best. Time- it's really speeding up. I'm not sure I like that. 

Well, due popular demand (aka all my brothers asking twice...), I am going to answer the question..."Have I seen a snake here in the Philippines?" 

Yes....but it was dead and flat against the road. I still screamed and jumped back. Same old, same old. Don't worry brothers. I'm sure a big, scary one will cross my path one day and you'll definitely hear about it when it does. But speaking of things crossing my path- a frog scared me half to death yesterday. There it was, lurking creepily in the dark, waiting for us to approach our member's house. And as soon as my foot touched that porch- "RIBBETTT!!!!" It jumped into view and I screamed bloody murder. He was very crafty for a frog. 

This week was April Fools. I couldn't let it pass without doing something- It only comes once a year after all. We decided that Sister Feinga would hide in the bathroom and wait behind the curtain to scare the first victim who tried to use the CR after coming home... So it was a little old school- but we're missionaries. I hid in the Laundry Room to listen to the screaming. Well, the other sisters came home.... and didn't use the bathroom. It got to be like, 45 minutes... and we were still sitting there, hot, sweaty, and ready to just come out and give ourselves up. Finally, I heard Sister Johnson coming toward us.... I listened anxiously for the scream---- and instead, was startled by her opening the laundry room. Well, our plan didn't work exactly the way we wanted, but the effect was the same. I scared her so bad she couldn't scream. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. Finally she sputtered, "What are you doing in here?! Why are you here?!" I guess I looked pretty scary. A person just standing in the dark, staring back at her. Anyway, it was really funny and I wish I could have recorded it for you to see. 

And then our fan decided to have an April Fools joke of its own. Because there is rarely a place that has air conditioner, everyone uses fans. We have two in our room because it gets SO HOT upstairs while we are studying. Anyway, it was running fine as the sun hid behind the clouds- and then at the very moment that the sun emerged, it died. I watched it give it's last spurt of life before it slowed to a final, pathetic, stop. I wanted to cry right then and there. That fan has always been there for me when I needed it, and now it's gone. 

Anyway, it's been extra extra hot these last few days without it. Darn.

BUT.... Despite dead snakes, creepy frogs, failed pranks, and broken fans.... the work was good this week. We got another investigator family to teach and they actually came to church this Sunday! Yay!

Our other family investigators are still going strong. We've caught them reading the Book of Mormon several times before lessons and I always want to cry right then and there! It's one of the best things- seeing an investigator read the Book of Mormon. They are just as wonderful as last week, if not better! I feel so fortunate to be able to teach them! 

Love you all, 

Sister Beaumont