Week 20: So ya I'm a Trainer now!

November 26, 2018

Assistant to the President: Sister Thayn are you willing to do anything that the Lord asks of you?

Me: Yes

AP: Will you be a trainer?

So this was the news that i got last Monday night and wow was i in shock! How can i be a trainer, ive only been in the field for 3 months, I dont know Tagalog super well and i still dont know how to do everything! Well the First Presidency have receive the revelation that after training that you should be able to be ready to train a new missionary! So this week has been super crazy with MY trainer leaving this area that shes been in for 9 months, and then picking up my trainee at the mission home! So no President didn't put me with another American sister, but he did put me with a sister who is 4'8" (which is even shorter than my last companion)! But when I got my new companion it was already dark outside and i was so proud of myself for finding the right jeepme for us to take to get to our house and i was the one communicating with everyone, and its so crazy how God definatly will qualify those he calls. My Tagalog still isnt the best, but i am able to teach lessons and talk to people on the streets with a new missionary. Yes people look at me weird like why is this American girl talking to me in Tagalog, but i just tell them that i learned Tagalog so that i can share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the people in the Philippines! 

We were able to spend Thanksgiving dinner with a the Noreiga Family who is in our ward and they were so sweet because i think they only made thanksgiving(ish) foods for me so that i could have a Thanksgiving. We had some chicken, spaghetti, salad, and Sister Noreiga made some squash pie that basically tasted like pumpkin pie, so yummy! But what made it feel like Thanksgiving was at the end when i asked them if we could go around the table and say what we are grateful for! So i started and i said that "I am so grateful for my family and the opportunity to be a full-time missionary". Once everyone was done it just made me so happy because its always good to be thankful!

So i almost ate Balut this week, but i didnt. Haha but my companion had 2! Sister Billeza a member in our ward sells balut and she thinks its so funny when i tell her i dont want to eat it because its too "EXOTIC", who knows maybe before i leave this area she can convince me to eat it?! But i did eat Penoy, which is Balut, but without the undeveloped duck embryo inside, so basically just a hard boiled egg.

So we just extended a new investigator to be baptized on her second lesson this week and she is so excited to get baptized! Her name is Maricar and her brother is a member, but the rest of her family is catholic and she says that they dont support her with wanting to be a member though! Before we even started teaching her she was already reading the BOM.

Sister Bucu our 74 year old (eternal) investigator who has been taught by many missionaries before is hardly progressing, but with the help of her grandson she attended church the one time 2 weeks ago. We dont know if we will be able to finally help her to become baptized or what, but were trying to have the faith to either stop teaching her or to find a way to help her attend church and stop smoking 1-2 cigarettes a day! 

Love you all and the work is hard, but its such a great feeling to share Gods love for His children in the Philippines! Have a great week and try to find a way to share Gods love to the people you are surround with!

Sister Thayn

-Mamang & Papang. Mamang was insistent that i needed a flower in my hair! :)

-Me and my companions from the Manilla MTC waiting to receive our trainees!

-Sister Sy (sounds just like the letter C)

-My Anak (child)

-I got to share the wonderful happiness of eating a PB&J sandwitch. FIlipinos think that peanut butter and jam is such a weird combinations, but Sister Sy loves it!