November 1, 2010

First Transfer!

Kumusta Kayo!
Haha! Mom that had to have been the funniest email you sent! Thank you so much for sending a clip from Elder Hansen's blog, I don't know why but I always loved reading his blogs haha. He writes so well and descriptive! And let me just tell you....be glad that you don't have ANY of the cats and dogs here.....They are all diseased and disgusting looking! I saw a dog the other day that looked like stone it was so so sad! I feel so bad for these animals who walk around all day just skin and bones. It'll be weird to go home and be able to hold and touch dogs again!

Well, as for the transfer.....I LOVE my new area and comp! I'd say this was a successful transfer. It is still a bit hard to adjust to all these new things and not having an American comp but I like it and definitely know I am supposed to be here. I have felt SO GOOD about this transfer the whole time I've been here, I don't know why. The area is completely different from Laoag. Let's just say that Laoag is like ghetto Phoenix and this new area i feel is a mixture of San Fran/show low/Tucson it's weird but that is how I feel. It's so beautiful here, Behind our backyard is a gorgeous green field...i feel like I'm at a gold resort.....until i walk inside haha. We live in a house and let me just say, it was an elders house then it was closed for a little bit, then it became a sister's house 3 months ago. It's gross, but I'm used to that now. No roaches but we came home to a small snake in our kitchen last night! The floor is just straight up grey cement, and also, i sleep on the floor haha, on a mattress. Oh well! My comp is awesome, she is a Filipina and this is her last transfer before going home, so I will "kill" her as they say. And then i am left to lead the area again. Holy cow, can I get a break here :) joke. It's cool, but everyone thinks I am either going to train or be a senior comp. Um, no thank you...can i please learn the language first, or at least learn how to be a good missionary!?! Her name is Sis Hernaez, she is very nice, she speaks very good English but knows i want to only speak Tagalog (which is coming along okay), she leads by example and treats me like an equal, not a junior comp. That means a lot to me.

Our area......well the last words i heard before getting on a bus to come here was "it's a good area, just be diligent" from one of the AP's. Awesome, what was i to expect. Well, first of all, like i said, it was closed for a couple months then reopened again. And when sis hernaez came to open it there was only about 30 people going to church. Now they have gotten it up to 50. It's a ward right now but there's talk of turning it back into a branch. They need strengthened like really bad. We have like no investigators and sis hernaez is still trying to figure out how to balance the day between the 2 cities we are over. Sta Lucia and Sta Cruz. we have to take big greyhound buses and vans to each area. It's crazy. I go from the laoag 3 ward where you could get anywhere in like 10 min or less to this where you need to drive for 30 min to get to someones house. Crazy! Different area, different challenges.The ward is awesome though, the bishop and his wife come up to my armpit--SO CUTE!! He is a very good bishop, generous, humble, funny, and on top of things. There are good leaders in this ward. I hope we can do a lot for them!

I don't believe in excuses, so to say this area is a hard area just doesn't work for me. Every area is challenging in it's own way. You just need to adapt and adjust what you know and what the Lord gives you. So....we'll see what we can make of it! I'm excited but overwhelmed at the same time. I'm not gonna lie, I have no idea what to do...but as i had that thought this morning Heavenly Father gave me a thought "you don't need to know the HOW, you just need to know that you can do it and the HOW will come" Okay, I trust you! Sis Hernaez told me a great quote that President told her from someone else... "there's no growth in the comfort zone, and there's no comfort in the growth zone" I think I will leave you all to think about that one :)

I do still have internet here (obviously) and the address is the same...the mission home's address. I will only get mail every 3 months now hahah since i am about 4 hours away from the mission home. They only give it to the far area's at zone conferences which is every 3 months. Bummer, so mom...you can send that package whenever. News flash...the filipinos figured out why people get low blood pressure! It's because you shower in the evening. So, if you want your blood pressure to get back to normal, stop showering at night. :) Also, if you want to gain weight, drink something cold in the morning. They sure know what they are talking about eh?! Okay, this email is all over the place but i don't have much time to write today sorry! Everything is good, I am so happy, so grateful to be a missionary, I know my Savior is with me every step of the way!

Mahal ko kayo!!
Sis Carroll

Hey, no one sent me anymore pics of the actual wedding part!! I want to see bridesmaids and all! Oh and yes mom, I've heard of the acting out Christ's death thing, so weird!

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