Mayyong aga para sa akon kag gabi para sa inyo


I told my mission President about the miss Universe comments last week and this is what I got in response.

"I'm so proud to have Miss Universe in my mission!"

haha, President Lopez is super funny. We have a zone activity later on today which i'm super excited for. We're having it at the Sinema's, the couple that makes awesome mexican food. I'm excited to sit in aircon for a few hours and just have some fun. We have zone conference next week! I'm super excited. its always like missionary holiday. yay for warm showers!!! Its also my companions birthday next week so theres a ton going on!

We just received an email. the missionary handbook changed!
"Missionaries are to write to their families each week and are also authorized to communicate by email with friends, priesthood leaders, and new converts... "

So yay. I can actually respond to emails from my lovely friends:)) Instead of writing letters cause honestly, I have NO time!

Anyway.

The work is great. We're getting ready for our baptism on the 30th. We're soo excited! We've been meeting a ton of new people and getting lots of referrals. Its still hot, just in case you thought it might have changed, it hasnt:)
We did CSP at an investigators house last saturday and we had a blast! We were going to clean her house and help her prepare to rent it out. So we came in to work and she had already cleaned everything in preparation for our visit! Ay ahha. So she served us a super nice lunch and we cleaned up for like 30 minutes. But she still appreciated us coming in a willing to serve her. It felt good to do that. I hope we can find more service opportunities. We actually found a new family because of our visits to her and theyre so great. We're excited for the Plame family. Super receptive sila:)

Other than that, its going to be another busy and fun week. We have 27 new missionaries coming in at the end of the month and only 3 going home. Uhhh, crazyyyy. 10 of them are sisters! So cool!
We met an Elder last week who is from Cavite, Manila. He speaks PERFECT english and has a little ghetto to it cause he grew up in a "black community" Who knew!? Only in the Philippines. Its fun meeting all these great and interesting missionaries. Its cool to see all the different personalities coming together to serve the Lord. We're all so different but our purpose is the same.

Well, off to have some fun;) Love and miss you all!

Bula Vinaka!
Thats Fijian:)

So many languages! But its cool how the gospel is the SAME wherever you go.

I've been experimenting with food this week and my companion rocks! She eats everything I make and I never hear any kind of complaint! Its awesome!

Life is good. We found a new part member family and they have a baptismal date for March 30. The mom is super busy with work but amazingly has a change of schedule for the next month so she can be taught and be baptized:)) Ahh! GOLDEN:))

The Torres family's progression went down hill. We feel bad for their daughter but if her dad isnt coming to church, she doesnt come. Siyempre, shes 9! Brother Joseph just doesnt want to let go of his cigarettes. But we're giving him some space. He needs a change of heart. He needs to feel conversion. So I guess its not their time now. I was super bummed. I LOVE this family. We worked so hard to make sure theu were fellowshipped and just taken care of. But we all have our agency. Theyre just not ready yet.

We taught a new investigator who was a referral. She failed to mention that she speaks a different language! So we taught a whole lesson then come to find out she speaks Cebuano! Ayyy.

We had sister exchanges and it was soo fun! I went to another area and I learned a ton. We were able to apply a lot of what we learned to our area and its been pretty effective. We taught this man and he was sooo crazy funny and just so ...off. After the lesson we found out why, because he's always drunk! Haha. We laughed so much!

Other than that thanks for the letters from loved ones and friends. I will try to write back as soon as I get a chance:)

Its still hot, the church is still true. I was called Miss Universe twice this week so life is really great!

Love and miss you all!

Tiapo<3 Pronounced sapo:)

Update update update!

Mauri!!!

Mauri isnt Ilonggo though, I'm learning Kiribati language:)) 

Anyway. I had a fantastic week. I hit my 9 months! Whoop! And I still feel so new. Ay. I got to say farewell to my trainer. She went home last week:(( I miss her already!

We have an amazing senior couple in our area and they spoil us every once in a while with browines and mexican food;)) Seriously, we made flour tortillas!!! Ahhh! It was magical. We had green enchiladas, fajitas, frijoles charros and spanish rice. And they gave us leftovers and we made it last for a few days. Its all gone now so we need to visit again soon;)

We're having a ton of fun teaching the Torres family. Their 8 year old daughter is so excited to be baptized. She reads her Book of Mormon in between teaching appointments and offers to pray every visit;)) Her older brother Julie(Julie is a boy name here) is also really excited and we just love visiting and teaching them. The spirit is so great with them. We are in need of new investigators so we're having fun just talking to random people. I love my companions attitude. Even though she doesnt understand or speak the lanugage very well, she always shows her love to the people and she can make just about anyone laugh. Makes me feel ashamed of my discouragement and attitude when i was first trying to get it. I've been learning a ton about fishing from her cause in Kiribati all they do is fish and eat it. So Island life is interesting. I would like to try it;) I just hate the mosquitoes. I havent used bug spray since my first area and its been such a blessing that I haven't gotten dengue or something. 

Anyway, we're staying busy in this great work! I love it. I'm staying focused and just giving it my all every second that i'm out here. 

I love you all! 

Thanks for the love and support from friends and family:))

Tiabo!<3

Maayong udto!

Cge, nami gid ang semana ini. Good week this week. Sort of. I've had the flu all week but didnt really pay much attention till about Sunday when I actually had time to sit. We've been working so hard this week trying to find new people to teach and getting our investigators ready for baptism next month:)) We have 5 with a date and I'm so excited for them. I found out this week I'm in the hardest area in the mission with the hardest companion. It came as a huge suprise cause we get along soooo well and have been having so much fun. And the area ROCKS! I really loooove the people so much. I guess it just depends on the missionaries. You just need to get out there and work. Its been great seeing how really nothing can stop this work, not even my weaknesses. Last week I was soo worried about how I would lead this area and help it improve but this week, I've felt so inspired and motivated to really be a useful instrument to the Lord:)) I love this work! Its such a blessing to be here. We're also working with a few youth to prepare them for their missions so we always have people working with us! I love my mission:)) I'm pretty much fluent now. I've learned more this week than I have the past 6 months! Ahhh, exhausted and it feels so good. It was weird that P-Day came so quickly. 

Anyway, having a great time teaching and just dropping the spirit wherever we go. We got invited  by a minister to go to his church and discuss religion. He was really nice and its good to see others have the same desire to serve the Lord regardless of the religion. Should be a fun week!

Hurrah for Israel!

Palangga ko sa inyo tanan!

Okay, let's try again, here's a link to Kassi's phtobucket, let me know if this works!



http://s1152.beta.photobucket.com/user/cassandramartinez89/library/

UPDATE 1/20/13

Maayong aga sa tanan:)

I was feeling a little lazy today but I just have to send out an update to congratulate Claudia! YAy! I'm sooo excited that you are getting married. I'm sorry I won't be there (again). I think i've missed pretty much any important Duran function but I love you all. I am soOo happy! Please send me tons of pictures. Tia Delfina sent me a picture of your invitation and you WOULD do something funny like that. Congratulations! Also, to Lupe! yay! I'll have a cute new baby cousin to hold when I come home. I love and miss you all. I'm sorry I'm missing out but I know this work is important and requires sacrifice and that means missing out on a few things. But I know I will be blessed but mostly, my family because you are all supporting me and being so great about everything. Thank you so much for your love and support. I couldnt be out here without it. 

Crazy week. One of our companions got transferred last week but she'll be back tonight. My Pakistani companion is going home tomorrow morning and I helped her pack all night. I learned some Hindi! And we got to eat fresh, hot, soft tortillas and fajitas. ::sigh:: I miss mexican food. Eating Filipino food isnt the same anymore since that day haha. But I will survive. 

Love you alL!

Here's a link to see a TON of pictures of Kassi!
let me know if anyone has trouble viewing the links!

http://s1152.beta.photobucket.com/user/cassandramartinez89/library/


UPDATE 1/13/13

Maayong Hapon sa tanan!

I am terrible at updates;(

BUt here I go!

Great week. I have two new companions. One is from Pakistan and is going home in a week and the other is from the biggest country in the world, Kiribati! Joke, its really tiny. I cant find a map that shows the island. But anyway, we've been having a blast. I love my new area. I'm in the main City of Bacolod now in an area called Magsungay. Our ward is great. The missionaries have done a lot of work here which is nice. The leaders are really great and I'm excited to be working with them. We have one of the senior couples in our ward and they're so funny! Elder Sinema loves cooking mexican food and we have a dinner appointment on Tuesday so I am SOO EXCITED> I miss real food! hah. An tortillas! Yay! Their house is soo big and their backyard is the ocean. Its pretty awesome.

Anyway, about the memebers. Theyre a ton of fun. We will be eating a ton this week because of my companion that is going home. We have a ton of ward missionaries and its so great working with them. Some of them can teach better than i can! Our Ward missionary leader is soo super nice to us. Maybe cause we're gwapa:) Haha Joke. 

Its still hot, I dont think thats ever going to change. 

We're going to be having 26 new missionaries this next month! So crazy! I'm excited to see all the changes and the new areas opening up. Its so exciting to see so many new missionaries coming in. I finally feel comfortable speaking the lanugage. I even speak it with people who speak english. When I spoke to my family for Christmas, I kept switching to Ilonggo, especially when i was trying to speak to my dad in spanish. My spanish is terrible:(( It makes me sad. I wish I had brought my spanish Book of Mormon. 

Well, I'm excited to see what 2013 has to offer. I hope you are all well and are doing missionary work wherever you are. Its a great responsibility and so important. I love this gospel, its such a blessing. Thank you all for the wonderful encouragement in your emails and letters. Keep them coming:))

I'll continue to send updates whenever I have time! 

I love you all. 

Padayon maging bakod sa inyong pagtuo kay Jesucristo. Kabalo ko nga, buhi na siya kag kabalo ko nag palangga niya kita. 

Halong Kamo