Wk 27: Christmas in September? :)

Area: Bata
Companion: Sister Neis

a couple weeks ago after church :

princess and rose ann at rodolfo's house :) 

we sang here! (City of Bacolod)

Missionaries singing "Love at Home"
in Illongo

both my ward mission leaders :)

someone spoiled much??? hm... thank you!! :)

me trying to be like a philippino... haha 

happy 6 months :) we made smores! :) haha

look at the pictures of me and my companion :) haha
the angles make her look huge and me look like a stub :) haha

a couple of our new investigators :) we have only taught them a few times,
but they wanted a picture :)

this is how we make our house homey :) haha

a bug.. huge!! on a members shirt he was carrying it around like a pet

Yes Christmas has started. It's the last day of september and :) there is christmas music in the mall right now that i'm at and christmas trees being sold :) haha "it's beginning to look a lot like christmas" ... not really it's still hot.. but ok i love it!! haha... but it doesn't feel like christmas... This week has been good though! :)

Monday we did family home evening at the villanueva's house! it was super fun! We talked about honesty and had everyone write a fact about elijah (a recent convert) while he was out of the room. they can do whatever they want truth or lie. and then he came back in and as he read them outloud, every one that was a lie we put a marshmellow in his mouth... it was funny :) he couldn't talk very well haha. :) and we had a whole bunch of kids there it was fun! :)

 We also sang which was fun! (It was a city of Bacolod Family week) we sang love at home in illongo. :) yeah i was the one to lead that ... i gave them pitches in the mic and then started then turned around and sang with them because i didn't want to lead... someone else was suppose to but he didn't show up haha it was cool going there, but kinda weird being there in such a worldly thing, but i was able to see lara :) Lara cobing is from my last area she worked with us all the time and she is going to the manilla mission! Leaves october 25 :) I love her and am so excited for her! I also saw a recent convert from my last area Jessie, and my previous bishop. It was fun! :) But then we weren't sure how to get back.. but we eventually figured it out :) 

Edwin and Tessie. They are a cute couple. They live in the very back of a purok and it's hard to get to them it's a maze and it takes 10 to 15 minutes to get back there. But we went back there a couple months ago a few times a week to teach them and a recent convert. Then the recent convert moved and we went back there like 3 times and they weren't there, so we started going not as often. Anyways, one day at camilla (the place where we live) so there's a million construction workers and we walk down and everyone waves at us because we are white so we wave and have given out some pamphlets too. But one day these 2 brothers come up to us and say you haven't come to us in a while. and we were like what's your name again? We usually see them in the dark with a candle, so we didn't recognize them somewhere else. Anyways now we know what they look like, it was Edwin and Robert. Two brothers in the back of pinetree. Edwin wants to be baptized and he asked when? and we said we would come talk to him. We also told him it's important to go to church, because we gave him a date before then he wasn't there. They have now come to church a few times, but then yesterday they went home to their parents... so we are going to follow up with them tomorrow. :) but it's just kind of cool how people just get put in your path. He works at camilla! We meet a lot of people that work there. But anyways, that's who edwin and tessie are :)

Another one is Analia, she is doing amazing! She is so excited to be baptized and she is one of those investigators that is just ready and teaches us everytime we come. She's read the liahona, all the pamphlets we give her and reads the book of mormon everyday at least a chapter maybe 2. It's incredible seeing her faith! She knows it's true. She was also taught when she was in high school and went to church before. And now she moved here and is married with 2 little boys. Her husband hasn't accepted yet and doesn't want the boys to be baptized but she can be, but they will come around. She has incredible faith! :)

Rodolfo who just got baptized is doing amazing! he's about 67 i think, and he is being a missionary. His grandson who is catholic wouldn't read or do much before, but he is now listening and yesterday when we went to him he read the testimony of joseph smith and the witnesses like we asked him too!! It was so cool and he prayed and said he felt happy. and he said he knows joseph smith is true and everything! so cool! His name is Henry.

Cuaresma, a less active family, their 9 year old daughter and cousin who is also 9 have a baptismal date, Julia and Jizalyn, they are super cute! I love them so much! Also, The dad got a blessing because he had something in his stomach that they had scanned before. After the blessing he went and got a scan the other day and it's gone. the priesthood, the true power of god, is powerful and real!

Also, the Villanueva's, love them to death!! The mom reminds me of Tammy so much and the daughter of Brittney, it's super funny and awesome!! They also have neighbors that are their cousins and less active. They went less active when the mom passed away. But one of her sons is now married and has 2 little kids. 9 and 10 (Tara and Richmond) They are also getting baptized and it's amazing. Their dad still works and has a problem, but tara and richmond have been coming with their dad's cousins, these villanueva's to church. :)

I love this work and love the people here! My companion is amazing too! I can't wait to continue! Yes sometimes i get down, but those are not times to remember or focus on. I love being a missionary, I love this work and am so happy everything at home is going well!! I miss you all and love you!!
And i'll see you soon :)

Love, Sister Smoot

P.S. yes i am still writing Matthew :) haha He's helped me incredibly also! as well as you all have :) thank you for your support! :)