My life has forever been changed. I have lived 18 years on this earth, and the happiest i have ever been was when i was on my short term mission in Balaquid that i served with the best companion, SISTER GLORIA MALIT! and also Sister Dustin and Sister Blonquist! (will tell more about them later.) Words can't describe the 
feelings i felt or the experience i had. but i guess i will try. >.<>Mission Life is HARD!! but so rewarding. That picture is Elder Aberin and Elder Webb sharing a tiny umbrella. It's rainy season here in the Philippines, and it rains every day! and it rains a lot. like dogs fall out of the sky raining. I had forgotten my umbrella and so did Gloria, so Elder Webb and the huge heart he has let us borrow his for the week.
This Day was actually our first day of work. Our area was a small town called Balaquid, in Biliran. It is in Cabucgayan. It's So small but the people have the biggest hearts.
The first day was district meeting! We woke up bright and early to catch a motor cycle (we fit 5 people on it!) to take us to the meeting house. Which is a tiny bamboo hunt. And some how 90 strong faithful members fit in it every Sunday. The people of Cabucgayan/Balaquid are getting a well deserved chapel in the end of September.
I'll write the abridge version of my mission because there is just too much to tell!! The work went great throughout the week. We had so many appointments and when we would ask people when we could come again they would say TOMORROW! :)
There was a baptism the first Saturday we were there. We had to hike to get to the
later. Oh and in the program they said "and now we'll have a surprise musical number by sister malits!" and we were like "yea a surprise for US!"
haha but Sister Blonquist and Sister Dustin sang
with us, we sang Nearer, My God, to Thee. and
then the Elders sang after us... no comment. They are the coolest people I have ever met!
And there they are! look how cool they
are!
Then on Sunday we went to church.
Which was weird because it didn't feel like Sunday, because we basically did the same thing we did every other day. But the Sister teach primary! awwww primary was awesome. All the little kids love the sisters! It was an awesome experience going to church. The Cabucgayan Branch is so spread out they have 2 special meetings every sunday. So that the members on both sides can go to church. It's called Special Sacrament. And it really is so special.
Then we had to leave the blessed land of Balaquid because the sister had to attend a training. :( but we did RETURN! :)
The Saturday we got back we went to zone reactivation in Naval! Where all the missionaries in the Zone come to one area and go visit the less active members to teach them and maybe light a fire in their hearts once again. It was awesome meeting the whole zone. Such amazing missionaries! And the family was taught, I hope they came to church the next day. The mother of the house, her husband died a year ago and the have no money and 9 children. Pray, pray, pray!
Look at those awesome missionaries. The number one Zone in the world. :)
They are really awesome. On the bus, when we were coming home from Naval, I saw the most amazing thing ever. Oh and bus was like the harry potter bus, but with 50 billion people on it. haha anyways Elder Magno and Elder Leono were sitting in front of me on the bus, and a lady sat dow
n next to them. and the immediately introduced themselves and started sharing the gospel! It was so cool! i have never seen that before. Way to go elders. :)
And Now for the amazing people I've met!
I wish everyone could meet these people. I love them so much!
SISTER BLONQUIST! one of our awesome companions. she's a crazy person. haha and she's very tall. One time we were sitting at the window talking to thses little kids and they see her and say "Sister Blonquist! She's Huge!!" haha! but she's not huge. just compared to everyone in the Philippines she is, because everyone here is tiny. She's hilarious. We got along with her very well. She calls her mum Urs, which i think is weird. haha but she's an awesome missionary and loves oatmeal. :) I love her!
SISTER DUSTIN! She's weird. haha JUST KIDDING. we love her! She's one of the most dedicated Sisters i know. There is this one investigator, Martin Monton (12), and she is obsessed with him. She's doing everything and anything so he will get baptized. and i have no doubt through her efforts he will one day!
ELDER ABERIN! oh man. I love Elder Aberin! HE DOES MAGIC! Everytime I see him he has a new trick to show me and it's always so cool! haha he taught me some tricks and i can do magic now! When I go back to america I will show everyone and tell them the amazing Elder Aberin taught me :) He reminds me of when your Kuya's try to show awesome things. He's awesome. And on the bus to Naval he kept giving up his seat for people coming on the bus. What a gentleman! I love him!
ELDER WEBB! he's huge. haha just kidding, compared to us he was though. Elder Webb is very funny. haha he's from AZ. and Apparently he's very artistic. he's awesome. he lent us his umbrella and we are forever greatful for that. it saved us! I love him!
ELDER LEONO! whooo! haha hmmm... where to start with Elder Leono... He's awesome! he's really funny. even thought we have no idea what he is saying more than half the time! It was his birthday yesterday! he's 22. very old. haha I will always remember seeing him on the bus sharing the gospel. and he made me an awesome BR (book of remembrance) page! he has made impossible for me to forget him!
I love him!
ELDER MAGNO! wow Elder Magno. haha I call him Elder Mango, because i'm dyslexic and can't read. haha Elder Magno is amazing. He's brand new! awwww haha. He's really really nice, and kind of awkward but you know, missionaries. haha He made me an awesome box thing out of leaves! i still have it! and he made me a BR page that's green! haha i love green. and he gave me an awesome bookmark for remembrance. See how nice he is! He's going to be an amazing missionary. I love
him!
MARTIN MONTON! Martin is 12 and investigating the gospel. He is excited and has been reading the Book of Mormon. He's a heart breaker! he's awesome and he loves to speak weird English to us. we will miss him so much. he became a really good friend to us and we love him like a brother. He's going to grow up to be an amazing man and will do wonders.
JOHN ALFER! Oh my dear John Alfer. This little boy stole my heart. He came to church on my last sunday there and that made me so happy i cried. I want him to have every happiness in this life and the next. I want everything for him. He's going to be a force to reckoned with when he's older. He has the biggest smile! we have smiling contest. but I always win. haha I love him!
JUDITH! she is another investigator. she is turning 14. In the 2 weeks I was in Balaquid, I saw how the gospel can start to change someone. she's taking the steps to a better life. Someday she will get married in the temple and will be truly amazing.
BROTHER BEN! He has a cool name that I can't spell. haha he is 16 and works with the missionaries almost everyday! how awesome! he baptized his little brother when we were there!! he's going to be an awesome missionary some day!
And so many more. Many things happened on the mission that would take waaayyyy too long to write haha. I have grown to love the people I've met so much. I cry for them, think about them, and miss them dearly. It was an emotional roller coaster. One minute I was the happiest i could ever be, and the next experiencing the worst of heartaches. Yet I would do it over and over again. My life has truly been changes forever. and I will never forget the people I've met and the things I've seen. It was the best 2 weeks! I left my heart in Balaquid. The Philippines is HOME.
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