Wakie Caterpillars :)

Happy Easter Fam!

I hope the Easter Bunny found you all just fine, kc he found me! I got my box last Tuesday. Thanks for the new Easter dress and ALL the candy, that has been officially all consumed as of yesterday... That's what you get when for girls live in one apartment and 4 hungry Elders live one floor up. (they can come down in about .00000005 seconds after you tell them there is food)

You asked some questions, So here's some answers. My ward is called Makati 1 (soon to be Boni 8) The biggest landmark is probably Kalayaan st. It is a really big street we have to cross everyday. Our area consists of Guadalupe Nuevo and Pinagkaisahan (yeah, that took me awhile to get down) It is probably not the Stake President in my Stake, because I am not really in Manila. Makati is it's own city. It's confusing. There is Metro Manila, which is all of the big cities here, but then there is just a Manila, which is where the capital is. Easter, doesn't really exist here, oh, but Holy Week does. Everything shuts down one Wednesday, and everyone sits around singing songs to Jesus... really loudly.  Which is not that different then every other night, when they sit around and do videoke. Just different topic, but the red horse intake is about the same. Then on Friday, no one takes a bath. And the city looks like a ghost town. On Saturday they have all these parades (that are really long and makes it hard to get places and I always feel slightly guilty, because the white hand book says to avoid that kind of stuff... whoops!) But they all have really pretty white flowers and dresses. Then on Sunday, all the stores open up again, and everyone goes back to work.

Now of my week...

Monday: We had FHE with one of my favorite families, the Fajardos (i will try and send a picture) The Elders were in charge of games. We played mind games... I they loved they we didn't know them. And they would always try and make us loose. Those little stinkers! :)

Tuesday: Package day!

Wednesday: Sister Thopmson and I walked and walked until 5 and still did not find anyone at home. We both got a little sun burnt. But then after that we had some really good lessons.

Thursday:I'm pretty sure something happened. Wednesdays and Thursdays are always a little blurry...

Friday:Was another day of walking. We were trying to contact the last few less actives and former investigators. It was late and most everyone that we had been to, had moved. I was about ready to get up, but out of desperation, we went to the last name on the list. He was there as was his wife (who is not a member). They told us that just earlier that week they were feeling God had forgotten them. They have had really hard lives but they were so open and grateful that we came. I was just grateful, we hadn't given up.Oh, and Elder Morales also transferred. It was a sad day. :( So we all had to take pictures. He is the one making the screaming face. You can't tell what he really looks like, but it is my favorite of all of us.

Saturday: was a good busy day, with lots of good lessons

Sunday  Ryan came to church! He is a returned missionary and a great person, but he has just made some mistakes in his life that make his a little shy to come to church. Two week ago he committed to come to church, but fell asleep, because his work is from 6pm to 6am and our church is at 10. He felt really bad that he wasn't able to come, but he committed to come this week. We taught him on Monday and on Friday night planning Sister Thompson and I both felt that we needed to visit him again on Saturday, to keep his commitment fresh in his mind. Our appointment before him went a little long, so when we got to his house he was leaving for work, but we were just able to make contact with him and remind him. On Sunday his whole family walked in, but him. But as we were singing the opening hymn, he walked in! He told us that he hadn't gone to sleep just to make sure he could make it to sacrament. He looked so tried but so happy. He is the really tall on in the back of the picture with lots of people. That was our FHE.

Oh, the other picture is a green Caterpillar and me! It was the biggest one I have ever seen. So I had to pick it up and take a picture with it. I haven't changed that much. :) But I still love you all!

Love you more then green things and wakie pictures (means silly)!
Sister Lyons

I found a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup!!

Eat all of these chocolate eggs for me! It is weird to think that this is the second Easter I have been here for. Strange. I am going through Cadberry eggs withdraws ... wait is that even what they're called? You know, the ones that we always chow down on, and they now have at Christmas? Anyways, THOSE ONES! But is is all right I live in the city, which means I found a Reese Pieces Peanut Butter cup that when I saw it, screamed, grabbed it (without looking at the price) and promptly bought it. Oh, was it good! A year in the province does things to you. 

Monday was great. After we chatted :) we went to dinner at this ladies house that lives in a boarding house. When we were done we asked if we could share and if her friends/other borders would be willing to listen. She was nervous, but she invited them and 3 of them listened and it was really good! At first I was a little concerned, cause they kinda acted like they didn't want to be there, but when we started they got serious and actually listened and asked questions and excepted a return appointment.

Tuesday was district meeting. Our whole district all lives in the same apartment complex, so we did more laughing then anything. And it is so hard to practice with them all seriously like. It's like trying to teach your little brother. Then we went to this less active man that we had never met before. He had a stroke in 2003 and has not been able to walk or talk since then. He is the only member in his family so he can't really come to church. We asked if we could share with him and his family, and they said yes. Because he can listen and he understands. We asked him if we had a Book of Mormon and he reached right to this bag right by his bed and pulled out 2 copies. When Sister Thompson and I looked at them we almost started to cry, because they were all marked up with notes and everything. We asked him if he read everyday and he shook his head yes. Here is this man that has not been able to go to church in more then 10 years, but he reads his Book of Mormon everyday. It was amazing! We shared about the Resurrection it was perfect!

On Wednesday we taught Ryan Fajardo, who is a less active return missionary. He made a dumb mistake after his mission and just feels guilty about it. He calls himself the Lamanite and is such a punk. He never really listened to the Elders but every time we go there, he always stays and listens and he even showed us some of his mission pics. We taught about the Atonement using the pit story in Sister Burtons take. It was great. I love teaching the Atonement that way, cause it makes sense. And I secretly love teaching punks :)

Thursday....yeah, about that.

Friday also happened. We taught a recent convert family about the temples, because they are really close to their one year mark, and are super active! I love stories like that. The missionaries found them when she was doing her laundry. It's stories like that, that just want to make me talk to everyone. Then we went to dinner at the stake president's house as a zone. Which was fun. But the trip home was a lot funnier. I wish I could just record our Elders, they say the funniest things, but it's how they say it. And then half of the time it is in Tagalog. Oh, well, if wishes were fishes....

Saturday was a day of walking.

Sunday! We had our first investigator at church! We had one and the Elders didn't have any. That tell you a little about the city. But we were super excited about our 1! She is great and was super excited and nervous. She said she would come back next week too! :) Sister Thompson and I gave talks. She stressed about it all week and I pulled my typical self and procrastinated until I was sitting up in the front listing to the prelude music. But no one ever knew.... :) But Sister Thompson almost throw up because she was so nervous. Then we sang "I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord." And she burst into tears. The poor little elders in the congregation looked so concerned. But they were cute about it and didn't say anything to her afterwards. Then we ate dinner at a newlywed couples house. Ewww! Ewww... But the food was good.

And then today.... Went to Market Market, eat pizza, and shopped in an American sized store. With way to much American food in it for me. Then we came back here to email you! And later on we are going to ask the Elders to teach us how to throw these cool Filipino tops that we bought. It is going to be great!  

Times up! But I still love you!

Love you more then thunder and lightning at night!

Sister Lyons

Release Date: July 3!

... and family and friends are all excited about it... but Danielle doesn't want to talk about it. We're afraid my parents may not be able to get her to come back to the United States. Cross your fingers...

Here is her most recent email :)

We walk a lot. and a lot of people have moved. But we still have a laughing attach EVERYDAY! Sister Thompson is hilarious. And so are the Elders that live a floor above us. There are 4 of them and 4 of us and we're like a big family. Except all the boys are Pinoy and all the girls are Canas or Fijian. It makes for a great jumble of language. Which makes us laugh even harder.

Sister Thompson is amazing, but is going through american withdrawls right now (she is handling really well) Just buy her a Kitkat and she can handle anything. Including eating pig skin, taro, and nose bleeding in Tagalog. She doesn't really nose bleed. It is just a joke among the Pinoys that if you make them speak in english, it is so hard for them that their noes starts to bleed. Nagnonosesbleed sila! She's doing awesome though, and I totally remember being in her shoes.

The ward loves us. They have a dinner calendar and every one of the dinner appointments was very specific that it was just for the Sisters. Needless to say the Elders were a little bummed. And someone made a public announcement that they needed to give the Sisters referrals. The Elders just don't get it! But it makes us smile.

Then we did some more walking.

And then got lost. And walked up and down the same street about 50 times. The city is a little bit different then the Provence, but I love the challenge. This zone is actually really struggling and is the lowest baptizing in the mission, but our area is going to baptize, someday! We just have to find them first!

I think I told you this before, but I am pretty sure Chad is the the 12 week training program. Like I am 100% sure. We were studying, and i was like, hey... I know that kid. He married my sister! Strange.

Mara is as adorable as ever! I love seeing her pictures! I found the picture that Jen and Kevin gave me of her when I left. Oh, man has she changed! Kevin should be very worried about her in about 15 years. I love getting all of your letters. Now that I only live about 3 minutes away from the mission office, I actually get them more often. There are benefits here. :)

Sister Hunt sent me a Palawan bag and real pearls! (Dad you might want to give mom a limit on the pearls she can buy, because they are real, and they are cheap)

We went to Market Market again to day. That place is the size of a small (ok not that small) city. I feel really our of place there, even though there are more Joe's there. But I don't belong to them anymore. They are all a little weird.

I once again have used all my time and English up. But I still can say this...

Mahal kita! (if you type that into google translater it might say love see, but it means I love you!)

Love you more then American things!
Sister Lyons

Pictures!

Baby Jesus is HUGE...

Bagong Taon na! Be excited. It means that blow horns and
fireworks/crackers have been going off for the last 24 hours and will
just continuously get louder and louder until 4 in the morning. Hence
the 6pm curfew later on.

But before I get into that I would just like to mention that Dad used
the phrases "I played with dolls" and "man cave" in the same sentence.
Oh, things have changed this year.... Isn't weird to think that we
haven't seen each other in a whole year? All of 2012? Crazy eh? It is
so exciting to hear about Kaitlynn, she'll be awesome! It is sad to
hear about Susan and June but it is good dad has been able to talk to
them and that grandpa is able to go up to visit.

So I am sure you all want to know about my Christmas. We opened
presents and then I talked to you and then we ate spaghetti for
breakfast at the Gonzoles. After which we taught a lesson to Ian (he
is one of the pictures I sent home) about the law of chastity. Let's
just say we are going to have to review that next time... Christmas
morning is not the best time to teach about something so abstract to a
12 year old boy. But he's cute. He is our next baptism. He is the
Nephew of the Gonzoles. His father is not a member but is not really
part of his life, so Ian really lives with them and is like their son.
We're excited for him! Then we went and studied and then ate a really
good BIG Christmas lunch at the Glori's. And then rolled out the door
to one appointment, before we had to roll to another dinner
appointment at the other Glori's. The second Glori's have 7 girls and
their family is such like ours. They have 7 different conversations
going but they all know what is going on, while the dad sneaks into
the other room to watch basketball. :)

Wednesday was our temple day and p-day. The temple has a beautiful
nativity that is HUGE! Baby Jesus is like my size. so you can only
imagine how big Joseph is. One of the temple workers is from our
branch, so that was fun seeing him.

Friday was the ward Christmas party, which was so fun! It was outside
and so many people came! If only we could get that many to come to
sacrament meeting... But it was great there were games and everyone
played, and each auxiliary had a dance performance. The primary did
Gondom style (that is really big here, I don't know if you even know
what that is. But it is some Korean pop song that everyone dances to)

Saturday was temple trip. We brought Ian and Leamar (leamar is a
former born again missionary, but really got interested in the church
when his sister joined the church. He is so prepared) It was great and
spiritual as it always is.

Sunday we didn't work cause Sister Hunt was sick, but the branch took
good care of us and brought meds, food and the priesthood. So we are
all good now. We just had distict meeting eairlier and are just going
to go home and rest. No work today, doctors (and presidents) orders!
So we are going to make pop corn, do face masks, listen to Primary
songs and maybe just maybe update the area book. And try and get come
sleep... hopefully.

I love you all! Hope this new year is a great as the last!

Loves,
Sister Lyons

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