Lehi was married to Santa Claus...

So this week I get to use the WHOLE hour just for you! Yeah! And hopefully I won't run out of things to say cause I have 2 week to tell you about.

But lets get business out of the way.... My Phone Call HOME! So what's the time difference again? If I call you Christmas morning here is that too late for you? Or when should I try and call? Cause I think I can use the Couples phone (which is free!) but there will be a lot of us so I think there is a scheduled. Just remind me of the time difference. Excited ako!

And the Thank you's!

Kevin- I love the pics of Mara and the house, I can't wait (ok I really can) to see them in real life

Deb- My mom told me you gave me money for Christmas, Marami Salamat po! I am really grateful and will put it to good use! :) 

Paul- Thank you for your note, but I still have a very loooooooong time left to go! I hope you have a great Christmas!

Rachel- Ummmmmm..... I would really like to thank you for the pictures.... that I hope will be here next week. But I still Loves you tons! 

And the apologies, I still can't send pictures. :( Sad day. Later on I will see how much a card reader costs. 

We have had so many investigators come to church this last couple of weeks! 8! That's a lot for me before the last two weeks the highest I ever seen is 6! And the was a miracle! We won't be having any baptisms in December but we will hopefully have a bunch in January! 

So the funny stories for this last two weeks...

We are teaching this really cute family, the Lagat's, they are less active and two of their kids haven't been baptized yet. They have ten kids all under the age of 16 and one grandchild. So it's a zoo! But we love them! But every lesson we have to make EXTREMELY interactive or we lose them all. So we were teaching about the Book of Mormon so we took a map so they could see where the Bible come from and when Nephi traveled. They thought it was epic. But when Clyde, the little boy, saw America, we all lost it because he was like, "hey, that's were Captain America lives!" Yes, that would be the thoughts of a nine year old. Then we asked the question, who was the wife of Lehi? Nothing... ok, it starts with an 's'  Then cute little Judea, "Santa Clause?" Yes Santa Clause is married to Lehi. and Christmas is coming and that is all a 8 year old girl can think of! We love it there, it is always so fun, but we never know what is going to come out of their mouths! 

The second story... We were teaching another kid, Eric James, who is 12 and who's whole family are members but him, but less active. Just to explain him, he took my camera and took a picture of himself acting all cool. When his whole family comes to church, he doesn't, cause he is just a little independent punk. He has 9 brothers and sisters and is ADHA. So our lessons there are also interactive. One time we were teaching and he was super distracted, and I butchered a pronunciation of a word, so simpre he totally started making fun of me. And being the punk that I am, decided to switch to teaching in English. Two can play that game. :) He busted up laughing! He didn't understand anything. (cause I was saying really big words) I asked him a question in English and told him to answer in English. It was so funny to hear what he thought English sounded like to him. It is like when we 'try' to sound Chinese. So now, every time he is out of control we threaten him with English. Very effective.  And last time we taught about Sabbath Day and set things on fire. Needless to say, he came to church finally! So yes, mom, it's not just the Elders that are pyros. 

Now for the Spiritual stuff...

I love the Plan of Salvation! We were trying to teach the Plan of Salvation to a family. They aren't members but the wife and the daughter are interested but the father is kinda combative and just wanted to bible bash with us. It was just so sad to see how little people really know about God's plan for us, when it is all so clear, even in the Bible. He couldn't except that we lived before this world. To him we just come from dust and will go back to dust. It just made me realize how much I have taken for granted the knowledge that we are more then dust and that we really did live before this life, and this life now isn't just some accident. And that their is more to come. At every little point in the lesson he would tell us we were wrong, although he could not support it with the Bible. When we said Jesus created the world, it was almost more then he could bear. We finally told him that we were not here to Bible bash or debate. That we did not come here to prove him wrong, so we would like the same from him. I really thought he would leave. (cause I was kinda bold.... yes I am even stubborn in Tagalog) but he didn't he sat down and actually listened and we were actually able to teach him. The next couple of days Sister Hunt and I really studied the Plan of Salvation. It's all there in the Bible, even that Christ created the world. Shocker! But it is even that much clearer in the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price. Sister Hunt and I have been just really talking lately how much the Gospel makes sense. How much knowledge we have always taken for granted because we have been members our whole lives. It's just been another testimony to me about the importance of missionary work, because people really don't know. I love being a missionary! I can't believe I have been doing it for a whole year! Gahhh! 

My Nanay, Sister Stonick, goes home next week. Weird. I am now one of the old sister missionaries. Most of the missionaries now in the field will go home after me. I still feel super new and can't believe I am hitting my year mark. Days feel like week, and weeks feel like days. 

I get to go to the temple the day after Christmas! (that is if I don't transfer, but I'm pretty sure we are both staying, but then again, I though I was set in Carmona.) 

I love Sister Hunt! We are always laughing about something. I can't remember if I told you this but she is from Australia, but her parents are Samoan. So her accent is super cool! And she has see a real kangaroo in real life! We are already planning my trip to visit her. Now just for the money part....

 I have yet to have a companion from the same country. Canadian, American, New Zealander/Tongan, Filipino, Pakistani, Australian/Samoan. Cool huh?  I wonder where my next  companion will be from? 

Well, I hope that was a long enough letter to satisfy all of your wishes and desires! But I want to make sure that you know that I love you tons! ALL OF YOU! And I can't wait to talk to you all in real life... or at least over the phone. Can you believe it's been 6 months since we last talked? Crazy! It went by so fast! 

Love you all! 

Sister Lyons

It's not like I'm in another country or something...

Magandang Hapon po galing sa Naic.....

Waaaaaa?

That's right... this email finds me back in Naic. Kinda. Earlier Sister Asif went home and our transfer day isn't until thrusday, so am temporarily here in Naic (Trece to be exact, so not the same as my first area, but I am super duper close!) Ah Nako! I just want to go visit every one I know and love here, but I can't so I won't.

So this week consisted of a lot of packing, tears, saying goodbye's, and marami marami dinner appointments! I am so full! Yesterday we had three dinners. And they all want to feed you more then your stomach can possibly hold... and then times that by three.

But we also had lots and lots of good experiences.

First Tatay Ernesto. A long long time ago, we gave him a pamphlet, almost in passing. And we forgot where he lived so we really never thought to go back to him. One day, we were walking and we got a text. And I have this inability to text and walk at the same time. So we stopped. Right in front of his house. He saw us and said, "Sister's! Come inside! It's hot and I read your pamphlet." He then asked if he could ask us some questions about it. Sure, why not. :) He was a pastor before and left his ministry, because he felt people served to get money and recognition. So the fact that we have lay (is that right?) was very appealing to him. He had so many good doctrinal questions about the Godhead, people seeing God, and even that we lived before this life. He knows that Bible like the back of his hand. He sure keeps us on our toes, when it come to knowing our Bible. But luckily I had had the impression to start reading the New Testament again, and we were able to answer all of his questions.  We gave him a Book of Mormon. And his basically begged us to come back. When we had come back he read all the way to Alma. I loved it! But once again he had so many questions! All we did for 2 hours was answer his questions. But he wouldn't except what we said unless we could prove it with the Bible and the Book of Mormon. He even told us, "The Book of Mormon is the same as the Bible. Everything that is in the Bible is in the Book of Mormon!" Highlight of this story (so far!) is he came to church yesterday, and accepted a baptismal date. But in December pa! KC he want's to know know before he gets baptized. So if you have any references about how Jesus Christ becomes the Father, that would be helpful. He understands that they are three seperate beings so that concept of Christ becoming our Father because of the Atonement. Just the scripture in Alma 11 (I think, the one where Amulek and Zeezorom are taking) is really thowing him. We tried to explain about the atonement, but it is just not making sense to him. So if you have any brilliant ideas, that would be awesome!   

Do you remember the Bayugo family? They are the less active family we found in Langkiwa? We basically ran right into Nanay and they were so excited to get a Book of Mormon? Well, they come to church yesterday and they walked. It is a 20minute Jeepny ride to the entrence of Langkiwa and then a 10 minute walk to their house. They didn't have any money but they really wanted to come to church. Nanay is super old and has a had time walking and seeing, sister is 7 months pregnant, and they had a 4 year old and a 9 year old with them. Talk about sacrifice. They got up so early they didn't have time to eat before they come. By the time they got to church they we tired, hot, and hungry, but they were happy!  It is so touching to see what people sacrifice.

I don't know if I told you about kim. But she is a referral from a member, and is super interested. She always reads all of her assignment twice to make sure she really understands them. It was her birthday on Tuesday, and she invited us over. (all they do here on birthday's is eat... I think I am in the right place) We had district meeting that day, and one set appointment, so we said we would come but that we would be late. Well, district meeting went super long! So we were late to our set appointment, and thus super duper late to kim's house. All of the other guess had left, but she had saved us some food. It was fun just to talk to her while we ate. And then her husband came home. He has never listened to us. The first time he wouldn't even come in the house when we were there. So we were kinda nervous when he showed up, as was Kim. But he was super nice, and just started eating and talking to us as well. After awhile he just started asking questions about our religion, and you know what? All of his questions followed lesson one. We taught him a whole lesson without him even knowing. Sneaking! But Kim was super excited, so hopefully they will come to church next week!

I still want pictures! I have no idea what this wedding looks like. I am going to imagine that it is super ugly until you show me otherwise. I don't even know what the bride and groom look like! I haven't even been invited! What is this? It's not like I'm in another county or something. :)

Love you more then getting up at 4 in the morning... wait that's not very much love...

I love you more then wedding pictures.... that's better!

Sister Lyons

Just trying to find out where I am...

Just kidding! I haven't gotten lost once AND I have managed to get us where we need to, using jeepneys. So proud of myself! And I felt proud of myself now that people are asking ME if my companion speaks tagalog instead of the other way around. Yep, that's right my companion is not a native Fillipina. She's from... Pakistan! Cool huh? But don't worry she is fluent in Tagalog, because she is going home in october. So I probably will be the one to kill her off. Not literally, just a figure of speech here in the mish. Her name is sister Asif. She's my tallest companion yet and calls what I eat for breakfast every morning oatmilk. I think it's cute so I'm not going to correct her! :) We speak Tagalog all day long. Last night I was super tired so I switched into English. Sister Asfi said, "I've never heard you speak english and I wondered what you sounded like." I sound funny, that's how I sound, so I witched back into Tagalog and found it was a lot easier. I'm getting less and less blank stares when I teach and I'm giving less and less blank stares. So now that my bragging session is done, I probably won't be able to speak coherent Tagalog ever again. That's just how it goes doesn't it. 

So a little about the pictures. Yes, I know, I have now sent home 2 pictures of my feet. But we went tromping through a farmers field to find a less active family and it was actually much safer to take off our shoes and walk barefoot, because mud is actually a lot slippy-er then ice. Imagine that.  We also had to cross the bridge I am standing on. Yeah... that's a bridge. And you can't really tell from the picture but that is a very fast river underneath and a height that would make dad nervous. (A couple of weeks ago we went over a real bamboo swinging bridge, I can't believe I forgot to tell you that!) The 'I (heart) Manila' t-shirts are Sister Pacinio and I's companionship item. Cute huh? Oh, the picture from last week? The one where we are standing by the fence on a really steep hill? I climbed that. In a dress. With hurricane force winds. Looking for a less active. Boo-ya! Were they home? No. Aw-well... And the district photo? I just had to send it home because it makes me laugh! All of the Americans are about the same height and then there's the two Filipinos. Sister Pacinio and I laughed about that one for awhile. ;) 

So I don't know if you have heard on the news or anything, but last week half of the Philippines was in a state of calamity because of the Typhoon in Japan/China. 90% of metro Manila was flooded. All schools were cancelled and in Naic there is now a new island that didn't used to be there. BUT before mom freaks out... Carmona a is relatively high elevation and the drainage systems are pretty good. So we just had a lot of mud but no floods. But half of the Elders area was flooded so they we evacuated to the chapel. That was sad to see. And our Branch Presidency spent a whole night going to members houses to see if they were flooded and I mean the whole night. Many of the missionaries in the city were just doing community service and distributing goods to people. They weren't sure if we were going to be able to have transfer meeting, because of the floods. So they cancelled all of the extra stuff and told only the people that had to come to come. And we had it. God loves His missionaries. And He loves me, too and that is why I am here and not in the city. 

I wish I had some grand story to tell you but as always my mind always blanks when you give me a time limit. I have like 10 minutes more and can't think of what else to tell you but in about 20 minutes, I'll have like a billion things to say. Hummmm.... 

How are my fellow missionaries? Andrea, Ashley, Charlotte, Faith, and Emily? Have you heard anything from them? Being a missionary is great and I've decided 18 months is not long enough. Maybe 4 years would be a good amount. Sometimes p-days are too long. Every week I get excited for them but but by 2 or 3 I'm ready for them to be done. I have a new found love... jogging. Yes I love to run. I'm not even joking. I'm now the one that wants to keep running and running while my companion is way behind panting and saying she's done. Switch! But it's fun! 

I love you more then Reese PB cups (which I found today at the store... so of course I bought them) 

Sister Lyons

And the rains came down...

But don't worry the flood didn't come up!

It just been another great week here in Carmona. I love, love, love it! Let's start with Monday. So after I emailed you we had a zone activity at the Fornash house. It was really fun and the food was great! And I got your letters! It fun because the letters get here really late so I am still getting you reactions and comments about Naic, which is kinda fun to relive the memories. So next week is Jackie's baptism. And I am so excited. She is the 16 year old niece of the primary president, and has a HUGE desire to be baptized. We were there every day this week so get her ready for her interview, and everyday she would tell us how many days until her baptism. Her testimony is so strong and she says she wants to serve a mission. I told her that I will pray that she gets called to the new mission in Salt Lake. But then again Sister Pacino will be prayer for Jackie to go to her home mission. So we'll see who wins. But because there house is super close to ours, we always had it as our last appointment, and Sister Omendto always fed us. Yummy! It started to feel like home there. It's like we belong there. Later on tonight we are going there again, and we are bringing treats because they always give us food, so we thought we'd switch things around. Jackie had her baptism interview on Saturday and all is well! We are good for the 4th of August. I am so excited!

There is this couple, Harold and Lisa, that has been investigating the Church for over a year now, but they couldn't get baptized because they weren't married. They've been coming to church and paying tithing and everything. But then they went to  Lisa's provence so she could give birth to her baby, who is super cute! Well they are back now, and their paper are being processed for their marriage. They should be cleared to get a marriage licence by the August 3rd. And then they just have to wait for that part which could take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. It is actually super hard to get married here in the Philippines and really expensive and you cannot get a divorce. So most people just live together. But the point is they are super close and super excited. As are we! Sister Pacinio is a little sad because transfer day is Aug 8 and she has been here for 4 transfers, so she is probably not going to be here for their wedding or baptism. And once again I will be leading the area. I don't know where anything is... this could be fun. I just tell my companion that this is my first transfer here too... we'll she if she buys it.

One day (I really can't remember when... everything kinda turns into a blur after by the time monday rolls around) we went to go visit a less active sister who is coming back to church. She is super nice and always reads the Book of Mormon. But I have never seen her smile. It is so sad. She literally never smiles, which is really quite odd for Filipinos. She always has this look of pure exhaustion when we go there. But we went there unexpectedly, because both our plan and our back up plan fell through. Her sister-in-law was there because her and her husband are moving in with them. She is not a member but her husband (who is not on our records, because they moved from a different lugar) is a member but less active. She we taught them both and they both came to church on Sunday. And Sister Joanne seems really interested. This finding through less actives really works. Tell the Elders that are living in your basement, if they are lacking in the investigator area... visit less actives and they will find them. I wouldn't know how to do missionary work without this focus on Less active members.

We also found a new Less Active family through a recent convert. Rachel would love him. His name is Cyrus and is covered from head to toe in tattoos. And is such a punk. He really is like the boys she used to work with. Cause he is a softy at heart. :) Anyway, he just want everyone to be a member, so he told us that we should go with him to his friend JP. So we went. Come to find out his Grandpa had died and there was a sit in. So of course we had to go pay our respects and then they shoved us full of food, even they didn't know us. Well, a sit in is a really good place to talk to people about the Plan of Salvation, oh di ba? So the first Nanay we talked to asked us where our church was. So we told her. Her answer, "I used to be a member." We get that a lot. No Nanay you are still a member, can we come visit you? Yes. Sweet! Then when we went back to her house, come to find out it's been like 20 years since they went to church (once again in a different lugar) so half of their children aren't members. Thank you Cyrus!

The Paglinawan Family are recent converts. They are a cute young couple with two cute little girls. Sister Liza was baptized in October and Brother JoJo was just baptized in March. Anyway, Brother JoJo had someone at work who had a question about people that died without baptism. He said that they were damned. Brother told him he was wrong and bore his testimony about history and baptism for the dead (even though he hasn't been able to do baptism for the dead yet, himself). We were so proud! He want's to look for his family's name when they go back to their province. We said we would go with him to Binan to help him look up the names on the church site. He got really excited, and of course so were we. I've never taught anyone about Family History yet, so this will be fun!

It rained again really hard yesterday, so Sister Pacinio and I were worried that there wouldn't be any people at church again. But there were so many! And we had 7 investigators at church. So cool!

You all sound so great, and I love you letters! Pictures! Send me more Pictures! Lots and Lots of them! That's my favorite part is the pictures. Salamat for all of the letters, they make me feel like I'm home, in a good way, don't you worry. Love you all! 

I love you all so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much!
Mahal kita!
Sister Lyons

I'm in love....

With Carmona... don't worry. :) A little about the pictures I am sending you... The one with the food is the Cusile Family. They are both returned missionaries and newly married, and they feed us every week because they miss being missionaries and they say we are like their children. The other boy in the pictures is Jewel, he works with us almost everyday and is preparing his mission papers right now. The family with the 3 little boys, is my favorite family, the  Evangalista family I told you about last week. Aren't they the cutest? The two little girls are neighbors, and always tell me how beautiful I am and always touch me and my clothes. I love them all! And the duck. He belongs to a member (as does the little boy holding the duck).

So last Tuesday was Zone meeting and it was super good! The San Gab district only needs 30 more active Melchizedek (or how ever you spell that) Priesthood holders to become a stake! Malapit na! As a Zone we set the goal to have it happen before October. We are all so pumped. We are the smallest zone in the mission. There are only 5 companionships and most of us (including Sister Pacinio and me) are actually working two areas. So it's a lot of work for just a few of us but President Stucki has asked us to make it happen, so we are refocusing our efforts again on retaining and reactivating. It will be cool to see it happen too. The branches are excited.

On Friday we had interviews with President and Sister Stucki, which of course is always good. Poor Sister Stucki, though, so many missionaries are getting sick and some are even in the hospital. One Sister in our zone was out for three weeks and one of those weeks she spent in the Hospital.Her phone never stopped buzzing the whole time she was there. She looked tired. President always know just what to say to make me feel better about what I am doing and gets me excited to continue pushing on. They are both so good.

It was a week of a lot of first, too! I showered out of a bucket for the first time, because there was no, and I mean NO water pressure. I also showered with a butike. I pretty sure I spelled that wrong but it's pronounced boo-tee-key, and they are the noisy little lizards that lose their tails if you scare them. And they have a nasty habit of jumping off the ceiling and scurrying who knows which direction. So needless to say I showered with my glasses on and was ready to jump at a moments notice. Luckily he waited until I was done before he dropped right to the place I was standing not two minutes before. :)

It's rained for 3 days straight. No joke. Manila is flooding, but what else is new. It's always flooding. Some of the city missionaries weren't allowed to work some days this week because the rain was up to their hips. Luckily the rain is only to our ankles here, although it has come into some people's houses. But they are amazing. They just scoop it out and move on like nothing happened. And we go out everyday, armed with out umbrellas, rubber shoes, and scriptures covered in plastic. And come home soaking wet and have to put out everything (including our money) to dry.

Sunday attendance was pretty low, because of the rain. At 9, you had the missionaries and the Branch Presidency. At 9:10 the RS and Primary presidents rolled in. And by 9:15 the EQ showed up, and right after the sacrament the speakers squeaked in. We only had one investigator, which is super low for us. The branch president was a little discouraged as were we. but hopefully next week attendance will be back up again. One of the counselors had us over a couple weeks ago for a FHE and I was in charge of games, so we played Big Buddha. They loved it! I guess they play it all the time as a family now, and every time they see me they sing the song and do the actions. So if Big Buddha becomes the big thing in the Philippines, you will all now where it started. With me.

So I haven't gotten any letters recently. Not because you haven't been writing them, but because I no longer live right next door to the Zone Leaders, and they keep forgetting to bring them. But we are having a zone lunch later on today, and Sister Pacinio has threatened them repeatedly, so hopefully today I hear some news.

I love you all so so so so so much!

Hugs and Kisses from Carmona!

Sister Lyons  

Pictures :)

First Transfer...

Danielle has been moved... and yet she still finds herself stranded on a beautiful tropical island. How does that girl swing stuff like this?

This week's email and pictures:

From Carmona! That's right I am still in the Provence! Yippee! Sayan, walang apalaya dito, pero maraming magangang Mountains (wow you have no idea how long that took me to figure out how to spell that) and maraming rice fields. My companion is native. Her name is Sister Pacinio, and she is super cute! I love her and the area already. I love that everyone assumes I speak Tagalog. It's great! Because guess what? I can now answer back... most of the time. And it's language study 27/7. I am starting to think in taglish, because it is a lot easer then thinking in English and then translating. Wow! I am really struggling to write this email. I can't imagine not having any investigators, like Andrea. Here, they basically find you. Like this one experience. One day we were having many unplanned opportunities (we don't use the word punted any more) . At this one point both Sister Pacinio and I just stopped and started talking to the same person. While we were talking to her, her friend came up and started listing. Come to find out, she is a less active member and her family is active in her home town. She moved here a year ago and is married to a non-member. She asked us when we could come teach her husband. He eventually came out, too and started talking to us. And then a wife of a less active member we were on out way to visit walked down the street, and asked for a Book of Mormon. It was like one right after another! And because there were so many of them Sister Pacinio and I were talking to 2 different groups. That's right I gave a lesson on the side of the street, all by myself, in Tagalog, and the guy is willing to listen. My Tagalog has improved so much just over the last 3 days.

It was really hard to say goodbye to Naic. So many people fed us that last week. And Evelyn (the one that lives really close to us and was the one that always said hi to us?) gave me these really beautiful diamond earrings. Wendy said she would hide me. And I'm pretty sure I made a few Nanays cry. And I cried. I don't have anything else really to say so I just send you the last batch of Naic pictures. After this Carmona lang!

Loves you all so so so so so so so so so so so very much!
Sister Lyons  
A little more about the area. It is huge! Some of the members have to spend more the 200 pesos to get to church. That is a huge sacrifice, because most only make about 100 peso a day. But they come. It is still a branch, but alot smaller then Naic, people wise. But the members are amazing. They love to feed us and work with us. I am super duper excited about this transfer. I've been reading the Priesthood talks... there amazing! (yes we are just barely getting the conference issue) Keep sending pictures and letters and boxes (just kidding on that one!) But I still love you tons!

MORE PICTURES!!!!!

PICTURES!!!!!!!!

A slight chance of rain...

Hello Family and Friends,

I didn't think the Philippines could get any greener, but you would be amazed what a little (hahaha) bit of rain each day can do for the greenery. And we are not even in the rainy rainy season. Now that I have done my weekly weather report.... 

So the exciting news for this week (there is actually a lot of exciting news) is the we had Elder Russel M. Nelson come and speak to our mission. He came to rededicate the MTC here, and do a bunch of firesides. I got to shake his hand! Cool huh!?! Do you remember that talk that he gave where he showed the pictures of his daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter? And those intense blue eyes they all had? Well, they inherited it from him. He has the most intense, piercing blue eyes ever! It was a cool experience. Instead of giving us a talk, he had missionaries come up and practice teaching him, from the very beginning. And he gave us tips and ideas of how to do things better. Can you imagine teaching an apostle about the first vision? I wasn't brave enough to volunteer. But it was still good, and of course he had really awesome ideas and insights. 

Because we have so many Less Active families in our area, Sister Afu and I decided to block out a whole afternoon for finding less active families. Now you have to understand in the Philippines they don't have addresses. And only once in a while does a street have a name. So you just have to ask... everyone. So we did. Puwede po ba magtanong? I am getting really good at that phrase. We were having no success. We were finding the houses but there were either no people or they were not, how should i put it, interested. Finally we decided to move on to the next closest area. The first family we ask about. Boom home. Boom interested. Boom there were offended along time ago, but know the church is true and want us to come back. Yeah! They are a great family and with a lot of love and work will come back. We set up a return appointment, at which they fed us (here that means you are family). We moved on to the next family on the list Manalo. Turns out every one in that Baringay has that last name, and i mean everyone. We had the WHOLE Baringay trying to help us find this person. It was like a circus. We had about 40 people trying to help us at once. People would just find the closest Manalo they could find and pull them over to us. Once they realized they were not the right Manalo, they would go find another Manalo, and this process just kept going and going. We were all laughing so hard. But there was one lady, that had the most beautiful smile, and I was like, "I want to talk to her." when she came up to us, and said that she used to be a member. She was not the one we were looking for but she said we could come back (she of course had married a Manalo... so that will be fun trying to find her again). It was just a cool experience. And someone said I sounded like a Filipino, which of course made my day. But then I realized he asked me one question and I answered it. Boo, oh, well. 

Tatay Godofredo, is so excited to get the Priesthood. And he payed his tithing yesterday. He didn't think anyone was watching, but it was so cute to see him struggle to fill out the form. And he was basically glowing, when he handed it to the Branch President. And his tie was tied wrong. But one of the members helped him, it was just so fun. 

Irene Tutol has returned! She was the one that didn't go to church, so her mom would go. She is active now, and is even one of our fellowshippers for the new family we found last week. She sat by her in Relief Society and everything. I basically did a happy dance! 

RJ has been working with the Elders twice a week now. He loves it! The Elders say he is one of the best people they have worked with. He shares scriptures to answer the peoples questions and introduces and explains the scriptures like a missionary. The Elders said at one point they didn't know what to say to this one investigator, and RJ just jumped in with a scripture that shot the mans argument right our the window. He is going to be baptized next week, and it will be so exciting. 

It's festival again, which means fireworks and radio trucks all night long. And parades. 

It is such a good feeling when the members say that they want this to be my only area on my mission. Aww, they love me. I really do have a Filipino family here. But don't worry, I still love you all, and I might come home some time...

Loves, 

Sister Lyons

PS So mom, I live next to these really funny, crazy Elders, and one of them is obsessed with pink ties. He only has pink ties. And he is sure that you will send him one if I only ask. He thinks that you love him or something. Anyway, I had to included this, because he did something for me, and in return I promised to ask you. There, I asked. Random, I know, but you have to remember who my neighbors are. :)

Pregnant squid is edible???

Did I tell you I've eaten a pregnant squid? Eggs and all? Oh, and it's ink? And that all the fish and crabs still have eyes? And I eat sardines whole? And I didn't though up? Didn't even gag!  Also, I am a lot tanner, skinnier and blonder then I use to be. I put on my jeans for service and was worried they were not going to stay up. Elder Stirland offered me some rope. Elders... always so helpful. 

This week we had a new investigator. She just lives down the street from us. She always smiles and waves at us like she knows us, but we are always running late to an appointment whenever we walk that way, so we have never been able to stop to talk to her. We have even written her in our planners twice. So finally this week we were determined to visit her. The moment she could tell we were coming to talk to her, she was like come in come in! And feed us. She said that every time we would walk by she would wish we would come and visit her. She was almost giddy that we came. We had only been there for 5 minutes and I already felt like we had been visiting her for a long time. We automatically loved each other. We shared about the Book of Mormon, and the next time we came she had started reading from the beginning and talked about how good it felt when she read it. We had planned to teach her Lesson 1 through prophets, but we started talking about the Holy Ghost. When we explained that God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost were three different people, it was like a light bulb turned on. She said that she had been wondering her whole life how they could be 1 person. She said that it never made sense to her before, but now it was clear and made perfect sense. It was just cool. She has two cute little kids, who already love us as well. We gave them a copy of the picture story book of the Book of Mormon and they were already looking at it before we left. 

We had national day of service on Saturday. That was fun to go and do something different. We planted trees in this national forest place and then 'raked' leaves. I put that in quotes because the gardening tools here are not the same as at home. We dug holes with bamboo and racked with sticks tied together in a bundle. It was awesome, and super pretty. 

We have two baptisms this Saturday. Tatay Godofredo and Lecel are going to be baptized. They are both so ready and so excited! As am I!

Loves you all so so so so so so so so so very much! 

Sister Lyons

I am Filipino...

Sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder why I have blue eyes, when I'm a Filipino. Humm?

I went to the temple on Wednesday. We were going to wake up at 3:15 to get ready to go, so we could leave at 4, get their by 5:45 and be in the 6 session. I say we were going, because that was the plan. But we woke up at 4:05 to the cell phone. Aw shoot it's 4! It was the Elders calling to see if we had already left, because the night before Sister Stonick threatened them that if they were late, we were going to leave them. No, we are still here. They were more compassionate then we would have been and waited for us, but we were out by 4:17... not to shabby if I do say so myself. I only forgot to brush my teeth, but I did put on deodorant. Because sister Stonick and I were on this adrenaline rush, we sang hymns the whole way to the bus stop while the elders looked like they were a tad dazed, and too tired to even notice were they were going. Funny boys. (They look like that even when they wake up at 6:30) But the temple is beautiful! It was cool because all the flowers inside are native and the men get to wear native Filipino celebration dress. I love the temple so much! We get to go again this week (not for a session) for temple tour. That is were we take investigators, RC, or LA and teach them about the temple. I think it will be a really great experience. 

We got a new elder next door. Elder Lindford got transferred and has already sent us a hello through Elder Stirland that he misses us. Awww! But the new Elder is great. He is Filipino but we have all decided that he is actually from Samoa and there was a huge storm that blew him all the way to the Philippines and his parents found him in a banana tree and they just forgot to tell him he was adopted. The Filipinos don't even think he looks Filipino, and they claim anyone with dark hair and eyes. 

We've had two awesome FHE's this week with the elders. Which always includes yummy food. I think FHE's might be one of my favorite things to do. It is so fun to share with the members and the Elders always have the craziest games. We also have a new investigator with a baptismal date. He is 13 and his whole family are members except his oldest sister. They were both away at school when the family joined. At their one year mark they were deciding whither or not to got to the temple or wait for their other 2 children. The decided that they needed the influence of the temple right away, so they went right away, having faith that the other 2 children would join them. He is super cute and was so excited to see us at church. It's like he got two new older sisters. 

One of my favorite people is Irene Tutol. She has gone through the temple but has become inactive because her mom won't go to church if she does. It is kinda a stranded relationship. She want to go to church so bad but she also wants her mom to go to church. The first time we went to visit her she looked so exhausted. Physically, mentally, and spiritually. After we started reading from the Book of Mormon, it was like this burden had been lifted off of her. When we went to go visit her this week she thank us for coming right at that moment, because she didn't know how she was going to get everything done and she just didn't know what to do, but she said that she felt so good as we were sharing and after we left.        

Yesterday in RS there was a little girl that had just had enough of sitting still (and I was feeling her pain) so I handed her our family picture I carry and a picture of the manila temple and she stared at them, just stared and smiled at them for a good 30 minutes. She thought they were the most beautiful things she had ever seen. I was afraid I wasn't going to get them back. It was so cute. And her mother was sure grateful. 

Tatay Godofredo's wife was at one of our lessons with him... kinda. She always disappears right away but this time she stayed to talk to us, but then left when we started the lesson. But then she sat under the window were she though we couldn't see her and then continued to edge closer to us until she was in the doorway through out the whole lesson. We were pretty excited, as was Tatay. 

Love you all so so very much! I wish you could just all be here for everything! It is all amazing! 

Love, 

Sister Lyons

I have a new favorite scripture....

It is Jacob 3:1-2

(I think... if it is about the law of chastity... it's not the right one)   

Some more evidence that I am turning into a Filipino...

I have a funny shoe tan line

My clothes are too big

My toes look like I have spent too much time in the bath

Sister Paddock handing me a just a fork to eat one day and I didn't know what to do...
I literally sat there for like two minutes wondering how I was going to eat my food.

I put 'po' after everything I say, even in English 

It's great!

She loves the Phillipeans... Wait, I thought she was in Asia?

So... I went out to lunch with Mom and Jen today and found out that apparently Danielle didn't want anyone outside of family seeing unedited emails. Oops. So I apologize Miss Danielle, 15 months before you read through these, for previously posting uncorrected emails. We'll blame it on the foreign keyboard, the P-day rush to get everything done, funny Tagalog words mixing in with your English. But there is one that I will not correct from this email because I think it is cute... Danielle wants every one to know that she absolutely loves the Phillipeans. Sounds similar to a book in the New Testament... not a country in Asia. But we get the gist :) And for the record, I think your creative English is charming. :)

So this week I have become officially initiated into a real Filipino missionary. In ever sense of the word. Tuesday... oh, Tuesday, let's just say now know what it means to be a foreign missionary. We didn't go very far that day, let's just say. But before you start freaking out mother, I am fine now (and I was fine then). It happens to everyone. I actually lasted pretty long in the not getting sick area and it was only one day long, so I'm pretty blessed. And the whole district now knows, and every time they see us or text us they ask how I am doing. So embarrassing that every 19 to 21 male in the area knows about my bowl movements. But I did get a few candy bars out of it. :)

Second initiation. I ate fish. And not normal American fish. This fish still had eyes and scales. Yum! It actually was really good, I just couldn't think about it too hard. I also ate a giant shrimp... with my hands. And shrimp paste, which is really salty and nasty. But I still gagged down enough so the person feeding us didn't know that I thought it was gross. Good missionary. 

Third Initiation. Got attacked by an animal. Not literally, but I was afraid for my ankles. And no it wasn't even a dog. It was a stupid goose. 

Forth initiation. I got rained on and it was beautiful. 

Fifth, watched the sunset on the beach (and almost lost my shoe) 

Sixth and most important... drum roll please! I'm not the newbie anymore in the three complexes! Which is kinda sad and exciting at the same time. It is sad because the Forinash's got transferred. It kinda came as a shock to them. There was a new couple coming in to take an assignment that just opened up in another area, but when President Stucki meet them, he felt like they should come here and the Forinashes should be moved to the other assignment. So we spent all Thursday helping them clean and pack... and giving moral support to Sister Forinash, who was really struggling with it. It was just two bad news thing right in a row because right before they got the call she was looking up online what was wrong with LeRoy. LeRoy is 'our' dog. He actually belongs to the people next store but they never took care of him and the Forinash's  feed him and we all play with him. so he kinda moved over. The elder's tried to give him a bath once... that was funny. Not of Leroy or the Elders but Sister Stonick and I enjoyed it. Anyway, he was acting funny, so sister Forinash looked up his symptoms and he had doggy pneumonia and was probably going to die and then they got the call they were being transferred. It was a rough day. But LeRoy is all better (and is not going to die, unless someone tries to give him a bath, but I think that person might be in more danger then LeRoy) and the Forinash's love their new assignment. The new couple living in their apartment are the Paddock's and boy o' boy do they have stories... they are really nice and will do a good job. 

We found a short cut this week to one of our areas... through the beach... bummers.... :) 

There is a store called Rachmelies (Rach-smellies!)  here, You can imagine why it made me giggle 

We had a really good FHE with the Fornash's and the Elders on Tuesday night with a less active family. We couldn't figure out why  tatay didn't want to come to church (his kids do), so we thought maybe it was because he felt guilty for something he had done. So we gave the lesson on repentance. It was perfect! Tatay asked a lot of good questions that you could tell he had been thinking a lot about. I love the Spirit! Then we played this really goofy game, that was so much fun and really broke the ice and let him and the rest of his family see we are normal (hahaha kinda) people. We were all laughing so hard! 

So we dropped by Tatay Godofredo on Wednesday, and he wasn't there so we just left a Word of Wisdom pamphlet and a note saying we would come by the next day. When we came back, he had underlined it and was asking how he could follow it, like what was the application. He smokes 12 Sticks (that's what they call them here) a day. We talked to him about it and he was so willing to quit, he just didn't know how. So we told him to write down his plan on the back of the pamphlet and follow it. When we came back the next day he had a detailed plan of how many he was going to smoke a day until he quit and what he was going to do every time he felt like smoking. But he hadn't followed his plan. Before you get too sad.... he did better then his plan! He went from 12 to 3 to 1 by today he should be done and can get baptized on his scheduled day! Yippee! He is so amazing!

We haven't taught a ton of lessons this week (between me feeling less than perfect and helping the Forinash's) but the ones that we have be having have all been amazing. We had one part member family and we asked the dad (who isn't a member) to pray at the end of the lesson, but he was really shy and didn't want to. But we waited and talked him through it until he tried. He started to cry half way through, and at the end said he felt like it went right to his heart. We also had this person come up to us, ranomely  yesterday and ask what religion we were. Oh, let us tell you! We basically taught him the whole first lesson right there and set up a return appointment. We also have this Lola who the night after we gave her the Book of Mormon, she couldn't sleep, so she reached for her Book of Mormon and felt immediate peace. The next day she started to read it. So cool!

I love being a missionary! I love all of you! I love the Phillipeans (and I'm never leaving!)! I love hearing all about you and home! 

Loves all around, 

Sister Lyons

Mission: Very Possible

Danielle's not on a mission... she's on a 16-month vacation... Here is her most recent email- completely uncensored and unedited :)

Winter is here too! That just means it is only kinda hot and not rainy. I yet to see rain or a monkey... oh, well I still have 16 odd months to see both of those things. :)

Sorry that this email is a day late, but all of the email was out in the whole city so we got permission to email today. Yippee! So no worries mom, i am just fine. 

I got your letters through dearelder. They get to the mission pretty fast but I only got them on friday, and that was lucky, because the zone leaders have to bring them to me. LUcky for me, the zone leaders live two doors down, but it really depends on just when they go to the mission home. So how ever you want to send letters in such. It will be pretty much hit and miss. 

So this week has be super exciting and jammed packed... with unexpected things. 

Like riding on a boat

Sleeping part of the night in the elders apartment 

riding on the back of a semi-truck

Going to the SM

Now that I have completely freaked you out (mom), let me explain. :)

Boat- We are one of the few companionships in the whole world that can ride a boat. We has a river in the middle of our area and to go around it takes 60 pesos and 45minutes. To go through it it 2 pesos and 5 minutes. President Stucki says it's ok. It was so fun! It was one of those legit fillipeno boats, with the float-y things on the side and a bamboo bottom that you can see through. It was the best. 

Sleep- We are not disobedient, I swear! And we are not getting sent home. The back story. We forgot our keys to our apartment... no problem, the Fornashes and the Elders both have copies. Problem, Fornashes are in Manila until midnight. No problem, the Elders. Problem, they are leaving for manila at 7. Solution, leave our apartment open. Problem, the key they have doesn't work. Solution, Elder's try to break into our apartment. Problem, they are elders and have no gangsta skills. Solution, they leave their apartment open. And we sleep on their couches until 12. So really not as scandalous as it sounds, but it is a good way to start a story ;) 

Riding on the back of a a semi-truck (more like a semi-semi). We were at a FHE and all of the church members were all kinda going home in the same direction, so instead of all getting trics and paying billions of pesos (which is only about 5 dollars... jokelang) on of the members went and got his flat bed semi-truck and drove us all home. It was the life! Cool breeze, intense stars (because there are no lights), and really funny Filipeano members. I think I should have been born here. Anyways, don't worry mother, Sister Fornash already flipped out for you. :) 

Going to the SM.... (just a really big Super Market... walmart of steroids) kinda with permission. We had permission like 2 weeks ago... and we only though it would take an hour, but the Fornash's cannot shop fast and it took ALL day. Whoops! Oh, well.... kinds :) But it was a fun adventure. 

All right, all right, just so you know that I really am a missionary, I will tell you some mission things. 

Like we had a baptism this week. His name was Dandan and he is nine years old. His mom is a recently returned to activity member and his dad is not a member. I love this family so much. They had the cutes 4 boys in the world. Jude, who is twelve, who will be getting the Aaronic priesthood here in a few weeks, dandan, who just got baptized, JonJon who is turning 8 really soon (and who has not front teeth:) ) and Louis! Oh, my gosh! He is 4 and is the cutes smartest thing ever! He is kinda like a Filipino Hyrum. Nanay Jema is an amazing person and is becoming super strong. Tatay Eprin has started listing in on the last couple lessons of Dandan. So we have started just teaching him now. He is receptive and is a really good man. He just works on Sunday's, which of course is a problem. 

Next, Tatay Godofredo. Sister Stonick and her last companion found him while they were jogging on the beach on day. He is a fishermen and lives on the beach. A lesson on the beach... AMAZING! Anyway this guy is seriously going to be stake president some day. He has so many questions, but they are because he really wants to understand. He knows so much about the gospel already, it's crazy! We call him Tatay Pero, because we teach him a principle and he says, "pero..." and then asks a really good question. But I swear he says pero almost every other sentence. It is so funny!

Our main focus it to establish the church here. That means we focus on strengthening the members, teaching part member families, and getting less active families to the temple. We do have some investigators, but that is not what we are actively search for. 

A lot of sisters joined the church alone and then stopped going to church. Now it is their husband that a really interested in the church, but their wives are not. It is an interesting switch. The youth here are amazing. I really believe that they will be the ones that get their parents to the temple. Whenever we teach a lesson it is the 9 to 20 children that are the most intent and do the readings and come to church. It's fun to watches their faces. You can totally tell they are understanding (not when I talk, but that will come) and are feeling the spirit working on them. The sealing powers of the temple are going to go both ways here in the Philippians

It's funny everywhere we go we hear people talking about us as we walk down the street. Its the Mormons or sisters. Sometimes they call us elders, that ones pretty funny! Oh, and they call us Joe! Hey, Joe, you want a ride? They call all Americans Joe because of the war. All the little kids ask us our names and where we are going. (all the young single men ask us that too, but for some reason it is not as cute coming from them) 

There have diffidently been some ups and downs, but I'm working through all of them, so life is really good! Sister Stonick is pushing me hard and I'm pushing myself even harder. But I'm still slow. :) But I keep having to remind myself I have only been here for two weeks. Ahhhhh! I been here for two weeks! And I feel more and more like a Filipeano every day! I now can eat ANYTHING and I mean ANYTHING with a spoon and fork, a meal is not a meal with out rice, I keep my toothbrush in the fridge to keep off the cockroaches, and I don't think I will ever go back to american ice cream (it is literally 10 times better here).   

Mahal Kita! 

Sister Lyons (or as some of the little kids call me sister tiger or sister rarrrrr!)       

Looking for the perfect get-away? How about a cock farm on the beach...

Sister Lyons has arrived safely in Manila! She is having quite the adventures already, as you shall see in excerpts below from her very first foreign-sent email. Enjoy!

THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS BEGIN… EVEN BEFORE SHE LEAVES AMERICA

So after I talked to you on the phone at the airport, the Elders and I went to check in. It was only the three of us, because we got separated from the rest of our group. (which was no big deal.) But anyway, Elder Pappas and I were talking a lot (cause Elder Carr is always off in his own lala land...so cute) but anyway we were waiting in line and taking when elder Carr's turn came to go check in. So Elder Pappas and I were just waiting (don't worry elder carr was still in sight and sound) when another line comes open, so Elder Pappas goes to take it and I wait for my turn (it is not busy at all) When all of the sudden elder Pappas is like, "Sister Lyons, come here." So I go over thinking he has a problem and he want his older sister to fix it, but when I get there he is beet red and supper flustered (this kid never gets flustered...ever!) I'm thinking what is going on? I ask him what he needs and he is like, "I don't know, they just told me to get you." He is stuttering and can’t even look me in the eye. They lady helping him comes back and asks for my passport. I hand it to her, and she started talking to us, and I realize that she thinks we are together. Not like missionary together but together together. So I don't know if she told Elder Pappas to get his wife or his girlfriend, but it was classic! She was talking to him like he was the head of our household. She handed both of our tickets and passports to him and told him not to worry we were sitting next to each other. I probably should have corrected her, but I was dying of laughter (on the inside) and Elder Pappas was too shocked to say anything! I have never seen him want to be with his companion soooo much! It was the best moment of my life!

THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS… Continued…

I don't understand hardly anything anyone says to me, but I'm pretty sure that's normal. But it makes my head spin. I totally conked out during RS yesterday. Great way to build trust with the sisters! But oh well! Good thing they are super nice. 

THE WORK

I work in a branch probably about the size of 3 of our stakes. It is huge but it is split between us and the elders. Oh, my companions name is Sister Stonick (stone+ick) she is really good, but I have a lot to learn and she is not afraid to tell me. :) It will be good! :)

Our investigators are great. I wish I could tell you more about them, but I don't remember their names. We actually have a lot of men interested, but their wives are not. That's a switch from the usual. They are really good and nice and do not laugh at me when I bear my testimony of pray (because that is all I can do... and even then it is hit and miss). 

THE SCENERY

I am in Naic, which is right next to the beach. Yep that means I get to walk ON THE BEACH almost every day. Naic is rural. So while it is not in the city, it is never quite. I have taught in places that are cardboard boxes nailed to some ply wood to cement houses, and everything else in between. My perception of poor and rich has changed significantly over that last couple of days. Cement with windows means they have money. Kinda makes you grateful. I am spoiled because the Fornash's have a dryer and a washing machine, so I don't have to wash clothes by hand yet, and my shower is a normal one (kinda... we'll call it normal.)

THE PEOPLE

So I live in a triplex thingy. Right next to us is the Fornash's, a senior couple. They are kinda like our parents... make sure we are eating enough, going to bed on time. Stuff like that. The 3rd apartment is where the elders live. They are funny, like most elders are.

The people are amazing. I am kinda a freak show because I am white and tall. They all want my white skin. There are places here and creams to make your skin whiter. Strange how we all want what we can't have. We'll be teaching a lesson and I'll look out the window and 5 kids are just staring at us. One time I was walking and I felt something on my arm. I looked down and a little girl was playing with my skin. When I smiled at her, she ran away. The adults don't stare, because they are too polite, but they try to do it without being as obvious as the kids. Filipino babies are the cutest. They are so chubby and CUTE! I'm in love if you can't tell.

THE WILDLIFE

We live right next to a fighting cock farm, and we know it every morning about 3. We also have these house lizards, which are so cool, that chirp at each other all night long. It is beautiful here! I got chewed alive a couple of night ago and a member told me it was because the mosquitoes could see me because I was so white. Ants are super common here. I no longer am afraid of germs or bugs or anything like that. Coming back I think will be a bigger shock than getting here.  

THE TRANSPORTATION

So to get around we walk, take a bus (they don't have jeepnys here, but the buses are just as decked out) and our favorite… the tric. Which is just a motorcycle attached to a seat on two wheels. You will have to see if you can find some pictures. I have seen whole families fit in these things. But only one fat American. Oh, yeah, everyone calls me fat here, but it is not an insult, it's actually desirable. Oh, why wasn't I born Filipino? Hehehe!

 I love it here so much!