Email #3: I'm the clean one. Yep me !!

Kenna's apartment

I figured that you wouldn’t send me an email because we are emailing alot earlier than normal. We have a zone activity today and we’re going to the beach so we are emailing SUPER early. So this week...

I figured out that I am really improving with food. The first Friday I was here we had a service project at Jenny’s and she fed us these rice cake WEIRD looking things. I didn’t grab one because I didn’t want to eat it. But on Tuesday she fed us them again and I had no problem eating it. It was all in my attitude -- which I knew going into this that it would be. But i am pretty proud of myself haha. 

I AM ALWAYS HUNGRY!!!! I eat a disgusting amount of food here. Like 3 times as much as I do at home -- like no joke. But I am always hungry. We will go eat at a member’s house for lunch on Sunday and by the time we get home I’m hungry again. It’s bad. ALWAYS!!!! I am never full. No matter how much they feed me. IDK how they are all so skinny.  They eat ALOT!!! So they feed us ALOT!!! And it doesn't matter. I’m always hungry!!

There are ants everywhere!!!! I am accepting the fact that ants are on all my books on our table and in our dishes. Doesn’t matter --  there will be ants. Thursday I went on an ant killing spree and it did help but they are always there! Sister Tye calls them diligent because they NEVER go away! And cockroaches. In a lesson I saw 3 HUGE ones walk across their wall. It was gross. Haha just a part of life.

SO Friday we went to bishop’s for dinner and his wife is a zumba instructor and was doing a class. So we got to watch for a little bit. I MISS ZUMBA!!! It made me want to do it so bad!!!!!!!!!!!! It was terrible!!!! That is the hardest thing here -- no dancing. Everywhere we go we hear American songs because they love them here. SIster Sevia and I have such a hard time not dancing.

So you’re probably wondering why I named the email holy ba.  Ready to 1: laugh at me  2:  feel sorry for me   3:  laugh at me again.   So in Tagalog ba makes a sentence a question.  So if you hear ba you know they are asking you something.

ba=question

baba=chin

bababa=down

babababa=down question and if you want to be really good in grammar

bababa ka ba=you go down?

Yep that’s an actual word.  Fun right?!?!? I was like wow I am going to have to use my fingers to figure out how many bas I am saying so I don't say something like you chin?

So here in my apartment I am the clean one. Yep me. I am super clean but everyone is super dirty. And it is really hard because it is disgusting.  I thought it was just the Philippine lifestyle but nope a senior couple came and was worried about our cleanliness.  So it isn’t just because I’m in the Philippines.  They leave dishes out that have food in them. And they leave their dishes and if they spill things on the floor they leave it. It is hard and gross!!!! I have tried to get them to be cleaner but they don’t care.  It is hard…..

So I know why now that they don’t send a lot of girls to other countries. Most of them stay in the states. It is hard. People stare at me ALL DAY LONG. And not just occasionally – it’s everywhere I go. Every bus that we pass, every trike that we pass. People will slow down to look at me. They yell things at me. I’m kinda thankful I don know what they are saying. They always say good evening or whatever in an English accent. Someone yesterday called me madam. I get whistled at. It is really hard. There isn’t 2 minutes that go by that I don’t get stared at.  It is so hard. Somedays I am like, “Whatever.  It is life while I am here.”  And some other days I am like-- I am so tired of this. I guess I am doing good. My trainer said her first trainee would fight them back and say things.  But I know I can handle it.  It is definitely not for everyone. It is 24/7.

The  DELACRUZ family came to church yesterday!!!! The little girl was so happy!! I was so excited for them.

Well Momma I love you. I love Dad too!!!! Have a good week :)

Email #2: I know that we were put in his path for a reason.

Baptism of Jenny & Marlon Sat, March 22nd

Today is the first day that it has rained so far. It definitely feels ALOT cooler. I like it haha. They love Americans. It is just a joke. They pretend to get a nose bleed. My roommate does it all the time. LOTS OF WALKING!!!! And mini busses. The food is hard. I eat whatever it is. I don’t even know what kind of meat it is actually. If a meal doesn’t have rice I feel like it wasn’t a meal now. I love rice!!! I eat it ALL the time. YUM!!! MASARAP!!

So this week was great and terrible at the same time. Parts are good and other parts of the day are awful! So just FYI -- laundry by hand is a pain!!!! I spent 1.5 hours today standing and scrubbing my clothes. I will NEVER complain about laundry at home ever again!!! So Tuesday we had a district meeting and our district leader Elder Burbridge told us that we can’t work with Brother Wilmnar if there isn’t another sister because of mission rules. So he is no longer working with us and we are lost all the time. Tuesday and Wednesday were hard because we didn’t know where any of the investigators lived. But on our way home we met this man. He stopped us and said he had seen us at 7/11 So we got his number and it was great.  The next day we had nothing to do. We didn’t know where anything was so we text him and he wanted us to go right then. So we did and he had so many questions. He said the Bible is confusing. And he wants to go to church and asked so many questions. We didn’t even get a lesson in because of all the questions. (In English by the way. ..Everyone likes to speak to me in English.  It is hard) so ya -- he is awesome. I can’t wait to meet with him again.

Wednesday was also super cool. We didn’t know where to go so we went to Jennys and asked her how she was and all that good pre-baptism jazz. She said she didn’t feel worthy because of the law of chastity. She is living with Marlon even though they aren’t married. BTW she already had her interview with President Tye and he said she was good. And yes you were right. If there is proof of a previous marriage and the baptism candidates would get married if they could, then they are able to get baptized. It’s weird but it is what it is. So I kept getting this impression to tell her something.  So at the end I did. I said (in English), “God loves all his children. He wants all his children to return to him. So he created a way for the Philippinos to return to him. He wouldn’t not let you get baptized because of a law of your government. He created the 5 year rule so you can be baptized.”   She cried and said thank you to me because since December she has felt guilty. I don’t know if she would have gotten baptized the way she was feeling.  It was a cool experience. She and Marlon got baptized Saturday.  IT WAS GREAT!!!!!!  

Oh and so Wednesday I ATE A FISH!!! It was like a whole fish.  I had to pick the meat off the bones. The lady kept saying,  “Here -- eat it -- take one.”  And I was like,  “I will I will.”  And then to Sister Sevia I was like—I don’t know how to eat it. So they all made fun of me and was like oh first time. But I did it. I ate it. It was okay. Still not my favorite. On Friday we had a family home evening with a family that I don’t know their names. I don’t know anyone’s names because I can’t even say them or understand them when they tell me.  It is hard. But it was fun. The chair i was sitting on broke and the lady felt so bad. I felt bad because she felt so bad. But i was totally okay. They fed us some soup.  IT WAS SO GOOD!!! Had like beef and noodles and fish (I think) and hot dog in it. It was great Haha.

So I eat top raman all the time. At the apartment we make top raman and eat it. Then we put rice on the juice and eat it. IT IS SO GOOD!!! I LOVE RICE. It’s great!! And they feed us so much!!!!!!!!!!!!! So Sister Dyer is in my zone I found out today. We had a zone activity today.  It was lunch and I ate all my food. It is getting easier. The Philippino stuff is fine but when I get like green beans and normal stuff I hate it. Haha. So I just eat the weird Philippino stuff over it.

Well I am having fun now. I have so much fun!!! It just took me getting over myself to do it. The language is hard because everyone speaks to me in English.  I still can’t understand much Tagalog. It is really hard.  So in the apartment I told my kasama that if I speak English don’t listen to me --make me try in Tagalg. It is really hard. But I am doing my part in my study and holding onto my blessings in my setting apart blessing. It is frustrating. It’s hard but I have to do my part and that’s all I can do.

OHHHHHHH SO GUESSS WHAT!?!?!?!?!? Last week when we were trying to find this house we came across this house of a less active and the daughter said her dad was a member but doesn’t go anymore. So earlier this week we stopped by but the wife wasn’t home so we came back last night. He wants to go back to church. He doesn’t know how because he feels so guilty. But his wife and daughter ALREADY want to be baptized and I taught part of the lesson. It was great!!! I know that we were put in his path for a reason. It was by totally accident that we met him. He said he has been praying for THREE years and we are his answer to his prayers. It was incredible!!!

NO WAY Adam is home. I refuse to believe it. He JUST left. I don’t care what you say haha. That is awesome. He looks great!!!!

Well momma I love you!!!! Tell everyone i love them.

MAHAL KO KAYO!!!!

Sister Mayberry

Doing Laundry !!!  Ugh ! 1 and a half  hours!

The teenagers --
They all show up to do splits with us.  AMAZING !!

My beach !!
Chad -- it's LEGAL !!

Philippines Email #1: I'm in Noveleta !!

Sister Sevia - my companion (from Samoa)
She's taller than me !!

I have so much to tell you! So little time and a lot of pictures but I am sending this first. I don’t know if I’ll get to send you them. So we stayed in a hotel that first night in Manilla. Sister Vaka was in our room. But she left at like 4:30 in the morning so we had to say goodbye early. Cavite missionaries had to be up at 6.

Mom this place is crazy!!!! You would have a heart attack. Imagine Mexico but like two times as bad. EVERYWHERWE!!! Everywhere is poor. Even in the city it is poor. It is definitely an eye opener. Even with all the traveling I have done I have never seen anything like this. It is crazy!!! The traffic is worse than Mexico. And we walk out in front of cars to cross the road. Where I am, we don’t ride jeepneys -- there are none. Jeepneys are like busses with benches. Instead we ride mini busses -exactly what it sounds like. To walk in it we have to duck. We ride those or tricycles. I think they have them in Mexico. Motorcycle with a side car. Those are fun. So my apartment is pretty nice. JUST HOT!!!!! And our bathroom light doesn’t work so we do everything in the dark. My comp is Sister Sevia from Samoa. She is super nice. I love her and she is taller than me!!!!!! Haha.

This has been the hardest thing of my life.  I won’t lie to you it is SO hard!!!! I cried all Thursday morning and Friday morning. I wasn’t even like I want to go home I was like I am going home. I didn’t want to be here. It is crazy! I was not having fun. I was convinced that I was going to go home. I was thinking --18 months is A LONG time. But then I decided that I was going to be happy. And since then I have been fine. Trying to have as much fun as I can. And I am! Thursday was our first day outside of the apartment. One investigator is Jenny.  She is awesome.  She is getting baptized on Saturday. She found a random Book of Mormon and read it and decided it was true without even meeting with anyone. She is awesome! SO in the Philippines you can’t get divorced. Like it is illegal. So if you have a wife she will always be your wife. So you can get baptized if you are living with someone for a certain number of years or something. And that is her situation. Her partner is married so they have to meet with President Tye and prove that he is married. It is kinda weird.

So my ward is Noveleta. Probably the coolest place I will have all mission. THERE IS A BEACH HERE!!! Not much of my mission has a beach. Mine does. We teach people whose houses are the size of my bathroom and on the beach it is super cool. One guy apologized for his house. It was sad. He asked if since I am from America if I am rich. The way they live here is CRAZY!!! On Friday we did a community service project and painted Jenny’s house. It was fun. I liked it. I met my district. My district leader is from Washington. It was nice to see an American and talk to him. It is hard because in my apartment is a Samoan Tongan and a Philippino.  So when an American speaks English they pretend to have nose bleeds. It is just a cultural thing.  I get that all the time !! Whether I am trying to speak or just sitting next to them. It is frustrating. And people don’t want to sit next to me. On buses and stuff they only sit next to me if they have to. We get to walk across really cool bridges and stuff too!!!!! And we walked past somewhere and it is where they make salt. It is interesting haha.

So my comp has never been to this area. They call it shotgunning it. So we have the ward missionary named Brother Wilmar who goes with us to all appointments and shows us how to get there. He is awesome!!! Helps a lot because we would so be lost it if weren’t for him. On Saturday there was 3 baptisms!!!! I was like --wow some people on get 3 their whole mission. And they got that in one day!! Which is great because the Philippines are ready for the gospel!!

Sundays are hard because they are not as serious as we are in America. Lots of talking. It is odd. I had to go up and bear my testimony.

It was fun haha. That’s about all that I can do. Haha. They call me strawberry. One lady goes --oh come here my strawberry. So I’m not Mayberry I am strawberry. Haha

Everyone knows English. Well kinda. Taglish is a real thing. People will say tagalog sentences and then English like it is the same language. It is weird. So people speak English to me. It’s hard because I can’t learn tagalog that way. Which by the way is super hard!!!! I do not understand ONE thing.. I get too lost so at the end of lessons I just testify of whatever subject we were talking about. Hah. It will come I know but it takes time. Well momma --I love you and want to try to send you some pictures so I am gonna stop writing. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

She's on her way !!

Well….. she is off !!  She called me at about 9:30.  I got on the phone and there was no voice.  Then I hear a sweet little voice --  crying.  And she said, "I just talked to Dad….  and he made me CRY!"  Then she was fine.  She laughed a lot.  She was so happy.  She told me a whole thing in Tagalog.  It might have been the first vision.  It sounded AMAZING !!  She said that she can speak it pretty well….  but understanding is super hard.  She'll do great !

So - it has taken me awhile to figure this out.  She left Seattle at 2:05.  She will get to Hong Kong at 3:30 tomorrow morning, but it will be 6:30 Tuesday night for her.  Then she heads to Manila and will get there by about 8:00 tomorrow morning (11:00 pm for her).  Then she will spend the night in a Hotel in Manila.  Her Mission President will get her Wednesday morning (which will be tomorrow night for us).  Whew!!  It's crazy - and it's really going to get some getting used to.

Later in the day I received a text message from some random phone with this awesome pic.  Chad said that she probably just asked someone to take it and send it.  Well - thank you stranger.  Love this!!

So - I'm hoping to get an email tomorrow night sometime or maybe Wednesday.  I'm hoping they let her email from the mission home.  So - stay tuned.  And - in 2 months I get to SKYPE with her.  That will be wonderful !!

As I hung up with her I said, "Well, Kenna - it's go time."  Her reply was, "Yup - it's go time.  I can't wait !!"

MTC EMail #5: I have flight plans !!

I'm leaving on Monday !!

SO FLIGHT PLANS!!!! Everyone going to Cavite and San Pablo are flying together. (that means my district) Next Monday -- 11:06 leave Salt Lake to Seattle then Seattle at 2:05 to TOKYO!!!!!!!! Then Tokyo to Manilla. We arrive in Manila at 10:55 so it will be a long time!!!! So i will be flying with Sis. Dryer and Sis Vaka!!!!    I'M GIONG TO TOKYO!! Haha So I will call you sometime between 8-12. And if i have the prepaid phone I can call in Seattle if I have time.

SO me and sister Vaka stayed up late talking two nights this week, One of them I needed. (My letter that I sent you) --  the other one she needed. So we stayed up till midnight and talked. It was great for me though because it was like  a "ya i know this is true" moment. It was really nice. It strengthened my testimony so much. 

We taught the law of chasitity this week. It went so good!!! He wanted the pamphlet when we were done. It is awesome!! I love seeing change in people. So Saturday was a good wake up call day. We started with language study. So you know how I was in speech therapy for what 4 years. I couldn't say my R's. Well now I say them super hard and tagalog is all soft R's. IT IS SUPER HARD TO SAY A WORD WITH AN R!!! I can say 2 words right that's all that have r's in them. It was a lot of work to get to say them. I have to retrain my mouth and my tounge to speak how they are supposed to. It is so hard. In my setting apart blessing it said I will speak like a native and people will be surprised that it isn't my first language. I am taking that to heart. I have no idea how because it's hard. It took me 2 hours to get to say para cprrectly. I am holding on to that promise because it is hard. Before I got here I didn't know how muich that would mean to me. But it means alot!!! Also we had to teach the first lesson by oursleves to a classmate all sa tagalog. I DID IT!!! Within 4 weeks I know how to teach the first lesson in only TAGALOG!!! And by myself without relying on my kasama. It was like a "wow -- look at what i can do!"

Sunday was a great day! I felt the spirit so strong! You know how I get goosbumps when I feel the spirit. Well …..then your hair grows? I am pretty sure I have a redwood forest on my legs now because I had goodbumps ALL DAY!!!! We sang the sisters in zion song and I got them.  We say the efy mash bup and i got them! I just had them all day!!! And since it was testimony meeting I GOT UP and bore my testimony sa tagalog!!!! It was awesome to be able to do it!!! My spirtual experiences happen so often that they aren't like share worthy because they are small. Like singing and feeling the spirit. They are CONSTANT!! But in a week when I am in the PHILIPPINES I bet i will have a ton!

Make sure that it's a prepaid phone not a phone card. Dahil I will be able to use that for sure and I won't have a guarantee with a phone card. Sis Dryer gave me the idea. I NEED CUTICLE OIL!!!! My nails are so bad! And I get hangnails so much and so bad!!!! What is his EMAIL address? I think I am just going to email him. I do not know about packages. Did you talk to Holden's mom? If not go to my Facebook and go to the Cavite families blog and ask there. Chad can help you with that. Well momma I love you!!!! Oh by the way I think you meant to send me a picture of tink in my room pero it had no picture so that it what I am guessing it was haha. LOVE YOU!!!!!! Tell dad to send me a dearelder before friday!!!! I want somehting frpom him and since wqe leave early on monday i wont get it then and saturday it clsoes early. SO make sure everything will get here on friday! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

When Chad gets his truck I want a picture!!!! I will definitely be careful on the plane. That is good to know. Keep me updated!!!NEXT EMAIL WILL BE FROM THE PHILIPPINES!!!

LOVE YOU ALL 

Sister Mayberry

Chatting with Mom !!

My AWESOME district !!