Merry Christmas!

Dear Family,

Merry Christmas! It was so good to see you and talk with you this week! I love you all so much! It was crazy to see how much you have all changed physically. Isaac is a giant! And his voice is so deep! 

Well, because we skyped I don't really have much to say. For Christmas we went to the Branch President's house and they fed us a christmas dinner. It was fun! But the best part was having our Christmas Skype, haha! 

Our invesitagtor came to church for the third time in the row. She is really progressing and I have faith that she can be baptized next transfer. I am so happy for her! 

My companion went to the mission home this Sunday. It was really sad to see her go, but I know that we all have our times and seasons. She is so great and she really changed my life and this area. 

The last bit of news is, I was transferred to Lipa. Yay! My new companion is Sister Dedevias. (Day-Dee-Vus.) She is Philippina. 

Love you all! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

-Sister Beaumont 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go..." 

Each night here in the Philippines we've had cute little kids come a caroling for a peso or two. We unfortunately can't give them anything as missionaries, but it's cute to here them singing. There is no snow here in the Philippines, (of course) but it's been really cold and rainy, close enough right? And we've had some wonderful Christmas Presents. They didn't come wrapped in cute paper or found in our stalkings.... Instead, it was found in the fact that we now have 5 baptismal goal dates, three new investigators, and best of all, even though we went to Cabayao this weekened because Sister Finau is going home soon, our most progressive investigator attended church and the Christmas party, even though she knew we wouldn't be there. The best Christmas present ever! :) I was so happy!  When an investigator is able to come to church with out you, it really shows that they are converted to the gospel, not the missionary. 

Well, what else? Sister Finau goes home in 5 days... I can't believe it. I am so sad and I will miss her so much! We have had such a good companionship this transfer and have seen many miracles in the work together. She has changed my life for the better! But I know that all things have their times and seasons... so I'll miss her, but I know her time has come. Speaking of time, can you believe that my MTC batch has one more transfer left in the field? They are going home in a little over a month. It is so fast! I'm so excited to see what Heavenly Father has in store for me in the time that will lapse. My dear companion, Sister Feinga is also going home with Sister Finau's batch. I got to see her this weekend for the last time. (We got to meet up while travelling to Cabayao) It was so good to talk to her one last time! I love her so much! I can't believe it's been a year since we were companions. Crazy! 

But it's okay. I'm planning to go to Tonga after my mission, (and after I've gotten some money hehe,) and visit them. I'm trying to pick up a little tongan before I go.... Sister Finau and I have been singing in Tongan this whole week. The tongan hymnbook has more hymns/ additional hymns that aren't in the English hymnbook. 

We had our Zone Christmas Party this week. It was so fun to experience! We had a lot of games and of course some really spiritually uplifting talks. I was asked to play the piano for the hmyns, and then I also accompanied a musical number, and sang Homeless with my companion. Dang, I felt like I barely sat down in that meeting before getting up again, haha. But I really encourage my brothers to practice the piano. I was the only person in the whole zone christmas that could play the piano. Even if you think the opportunity won't come, it will! Promise! 

Well, I'm so excited to skype tomorrow! Love you all so much! 

Merry Christmas! 

Remember, the reason for the season is the Savior Jesus Christ. Like an apostle once said, "There wouldn't be any Christmas if there wasn't an Easter." 

Rejoice, the Savior is born! 

-Sister Beaumont 

Short and Sweet

Well, I don't have too much time left! Sorry! This is going to be super fast.

First, Our investigator came to church again! We were so excited! And this time she stayed the whole time! 

She said something really interesting afterward that I just loved. She said, "When I attend other churches, I leave feeling hungry. Not for food... but I just feel empty. But when I left this church, I felt so full. I guess that's the spirit, right? This really is the true church." It reminded me of the scripture in Amos 8:11-12 about the apostasy Astig! 

Second- This week I had a lot of firsts. 

A woman across  the aisle on the jeep pinched my nose and said, "Wow, long and beautiful. I want one."

I saw 7 shooting stars, 5 fireflies... 

and I got my first sunburn in the whole time I've been in the Philippines. 

That's all for this week! Love you! 

-Sister Beaumont 

Buhay Pa! (Still Alive)

My dear family,

 No need to worry, all is well here in Barra, Philippines! The storm that was supposed to be a super typhoon was the slowest storm ever to landfall, (probably not actually, just exaggerating) and so by the time it reached us, it had died down so much, that it was basically no more than a strong rain storm. It took 4 days to finally hit and meanwhile we experienced really strong wind, but nothing more.When it did hit, it lasted for over 24 hours, (again slow storm), but we are okay!  As far as I know, there was no damage, but we haven't gone to our area yet to check on the members. They were all evacuated from their homes because of the storm and brought to the chapel to be safe. Poor things, they were there for at least 2 days. Can you imagine being stuck in the church building for 2 days? With little kids running around? And no soft chairs or anything?  Anyway, I think they are well on their way home now. They are up against the ocean and so I'm expecting that they will have had some flooding and maybe some minor damage, but we hope and pray that nothing beyond that. 

Because of the storm though, we were unable to go out and work for 4 days straight. Dang! I was so sick of staying indoors!  I just wanted to go out and teach some people the gospel! I finished my Book of Mormon and got clear to I Nephi 20 again, read 1 chapter of Preach my Gospel in Tagalog... and an entire Liahona all in just one day. Yep, there is a reason we are called to labor as missionaries. Staying at home is so boring! :) Okay, so it really wasn't that bad. But I'm more than a little excited to go out and work this week! 

I did get your package this week! I was so, so excited to Elderberry Jam and the chocolates. My apartment mates and I have already eaten one bag! (But I think that's because we had nothing else to do...) I also loved all the cute window art crafts, they are so cute! And I'm so ecstatic to teach everyone how to play don't eat the snowman. We are going to use it in FHE one of these days. I will hopefully send off the last of my christmas package today, if all goes well and I find everything alright. :) It might not get to you until after Christmas though, sorry! 

I am so grateful for all the prayers and fasting in behalf of the people here. I have really thought of how amazing it is that the storm hit on fast Sunday and that it hit us so slowly. I know that Heavenly Father really heard the prayers of his people in that time before the storm and caused it to decrease before hitting our mission. We even saw some miracles because of the storm. Of Course, the biggest one was that the storm really broke down before hitting us. Another one was that as a companionship we have been praying hard that our less actives will open their hearts and receive us. (All of them refuse to be taught and ignore us when we come) When we fasted this week, we fasted specifically for  the less actives,that they might open their hearts. We fasted in particular too for the husband of one of the less actives, who is not a member and will not let us even come in through the gate if he's home. On Sunday, after our 30 minute sacrament meeting (because of the on coming storm we only had church long enough to take sacrament and it was canceled in Barra so we went to the stake center,) we went to Barra to warn our investigators that they could move to the chapel if needed. While there, we passed by this less active's home and we both felt prompted to stop and speak to them. To my surprise, the husband actually invited us in. His wife seemed so happy to see us and told us that she would be going to the church with her husband and children. As soon as she said that, I realized that this would be such a great opportunity for him to meet and speak with members and see the light that this church has to offer him. I could see the hand of God was in this and was so amazed at the small and simple ways that he accomplishes his work. 

Our investigator has the same problem with her husband and he also went to the church. I'm excited to see if their hearts were opened at all in that time. We have been praying hard. 

Well, it's time to go. I love you all! 

Thanks again for your prayers. A miracle was truly brought about through the strength of prayer and fasting this week. 

With all my love,

-Sister Beaumont 

I Wasn't Able To Work In Barra Much This Week

Happy Happy birthday, Daddy dear, happy wishes to you from me... How does that song go? Haha! I really don't remember those things anymore.

Especially in English. I speak Tagalog so much now, I feel like I can speak faster and easier in Tagalog than my own native language. 

I actually noticed today as we were practice teaching in English that I start out thinking Tagalog and translated in my head what I want to say from Tagalog into English. 

How strange.  I really hope I can speak English to you when we skype in 25 days! ;) 

I also feel like I'm forgetting that I'm American. I've had non-American companions ever since my first transfer and the last two transfers I've been the only American in the apartment. 

When I look at myself in the mirror, I get a little weirded out. I'm all like, "Why are you white?" Haha, but I love it. I love my companion so so much and I love the other sisters too! We 

have a party all the time and laugh and joke in Tagalog. 

So this week, we didn't get to go to work very much. We only worked two full days because Sister Finau went to Manila for two days, and then when she came back she was so tired because 

her travel was 8 hours one way on a bus and she didn't sleep at all that she slept from 2:00 p.m to 6:30 a.m the next day. Poor thing. So then the next day we went shopping for her because she missed P-Day and we went to pay the bills, which ended up being a 4 hour ordeal. Whew. So we didn't have the opportunity to teach. We taught on Friday though and it was really good to get back out on the streets of Barra. I was starting to really miss it! Unfortunately, Saturday it rained and flooded in Barra so 40 minutes after getting there, we had to turn around and go back. We had just enough time to help a less active do some laundry. Then Sunday we had meetings and a members Birthday gathering to attend... Anyway, I'm really excited this week to work a full week! 

While Sister Finau was in Manila, I got to do a mini exchange with another Sister named Sister Krisubanu. She is so cute! She is from Indonesia and we had so much fun working together. She is only in her training still, but

I felt like she was as good as me in Tagalog and teaching, if not better. What a fast learner! 

Anyway, I've got to go now. I love you all! See you in 25 days! 

Mahal na mahl kita! 

-Sister Beaumont