Spiritually Uplifted

One more week down! It feels like forever...I'm waiting for that time to hit when they say it goes by fast hahaha With all the changes I have experience, it has been hard, not going to lie, but I'm pushing through it and trying to love every single minute!

The hardest part this week was having to drop people, people not progressing, and people not coming to church(so common for everyone here).  I have had to keep telling myself that I am doing all that I can to bring others unto Christ and the rest is up to them.  We were given free agency to use and as for some people we are teaching, it is just not their time right now.  I know that God has a time for everyone and we might just be planting the seeds in our area for someone to harvest later on.  We did though have two investigators at church which is awesome, and they really enjoyed it.  We watched conference this week and let me say, that was a spiritual boost that was really needed.  I'm so grateful for the words of the prophets that help us in all aspects of our lives.  As Brent H Nielson talked about having people close to you that choose to not accept the gospel, I could only think of the people here who are choosing to not accept our message.  I simply need to love them, pray for them, and again know that God has specific timing for them.

I also loved the Prophets talk about temples!  It  is so true that the church is growing.  It is such a blessing to be a part of this great work, especially here in the Philippines, and to have the opportunity to take investigators to the temple since it is in our mission.  I have not yet had the opportunity to do that, but I hope I do one day.  I'm so grateful for the peace, comfort, hope, and reassurance we can receive at the temple.  I wish I could go every single day.  We need to not take what God has given us for granted.  That was also said in another talk.  My other favorite talk was by David A. Bednar who spoke about fear.  He said, "If you fear, rely on the Lord and he will hush our fears."  I have experienced that so much on the mission here.  There are so many things here that are so out of my comfort zone, but through relying on Christ he has comforted me and been by my side the whole way.  I know that if I look to Christ, He will not let me fall and will be holding me up when I can not do so on my own.  I'm already excited for next general conference to receive more inspiring words from our leaders!  

As for some other things, I did not think it could get hotter here, but let me just tell you it keeps getting hotter and hotter!!  And it is going to continue...I'm excited for it to start raining haha I probably have about two more months of this heat and then we get to the rainy season.  

What else...oh we got our water bill for the month...$3 and electricity bill $10 and donuts are $0.04.  It is so awesome!!! 

I love it here, love the people, love this work, and I love my Savior, Jesus Christ!

Love you all,

Sister Latham  

Hastening the Work of Salvation

Hello family!!!

Well, since it has only been a few days there is not too much that has happened except for a lot of teaching, with a lot of those being new investigators that we have found!  The first family is the Ramos Family.  We met them about a week ago!  One day while we were walking to a really far area we saw this old lady sitting in a jeepney staying out of the heat.  We started talking to her, getting to know her, and since it was loud and she has a hard time hearing we set up a return appointment to come back to her house.  So the next day or so we went to their house which was really really nice and we met her daughter and grandson I believe, Lisa and Ferdie.  They are so sweet to us, always go and buy us drinks and food and they are so involved in the lessons.  When teaching the first lesson, they really understood why a restoration of the gospel was needed and they felt that our message was true.  Sister Lisa also went on to say that she believed we were a sign from God because she was looking for hope in her life due to her sister having stage 4 cancer.  She began to get emotional talking about it and knew that this gospel was an answer to her prayers.  After the lesson we extended the baptismal invite and she was so excited.  As for Ferdie, he said he needed to pray about it and we would check up with him at the next lesson.  So yesterday we had our next lesson with them and he said he is so excited to get baptized and they both have set baptismal dates for May 16th.  Sister Faasavalu and I are so happy for them and pray that they will continue to come unto Christ and learn of the truthfullness of this gospel!  The work here is amazing!

The ward here is awesome as well, they are so involved in missionary work.  For youth conference they had a mini MTC experience so President Trask from the Philippines MTC who I just love so much and is the best came and spent the day with them.  I also got to see him and it was the best, he gave me a little booster talk and then a hug.  He always hugs the missionaries haha  We then split up in groups with all the youth in the stake and went out tracting in our areas.  Just to make it short, our group got 53 referrals!!  Let's just say we have a lot of work to do this upcoming week to contact all of them.  We have already contacted a few and it went well.  So the picture of all the kids is my group that I went tracting with and President Trask is standing by me.  

This week has been a little different in the Philippines because it is holy week!  The people here are really devoted Catholics.  So to remember the sacrifice he went to, they themselves whip themselves on the back while going through the streets and their skin is all bloody.  I did not actually see it in person, but I saw a video and it was painful to watch.  In another city around here they actually drive nails through peoples hands and feet to a cross...I had no idea that anybody ever did this.  And there were a lot of parades that we saw with statues of Mary, Jesus in a coffin, people are chanting and singing.  It was something I had never seen before and I guess that is just a big thing they do in the Philippines.

This week I ate some pretty amazing food!  We went to Frank and Charles one night which is a burger place, we took Bishops wife and their son.  It was so yummy and really messy!  We kept grabbing napkins and then one of the workers brought a bunch a gloves to us....it was weird and I didn't use them but we just laughed about it cause it was so weird!  We have also had Pizza at Bishops, and a whole fish...like the WHOLE fish is placed on a plate.  It was yummy :)  and of course we had mangos :)))  

As for the typhoon that everybody has been talking about, it didn't hit us at all, we had really light rain every once in a while and then about 15 minutes of heavy rain and during that time we were in a member's house so we were good!  I wish it rained more, cause it's not as hot.  The heat here is killer.  I am surviving though :)  

As I have been struggling a little with the language, culture, some food, weather and everything else, there have been times when I have been discouraged.  As I read my Patriarchal blessing the other day, it brought so much comfort and hope.  It says in there that I will have the opportunity to be a strong missionary.  I noticed how it says the OPPORTUNITY.  It does not say I will be a strong missionary, it simply says opportunity, meaning that I have the choice to be that.  I then thought to myself, How can I do that when I don't even know the language.  However the next 2 sentences talk about how I need to develop the ability to bear testimony with love and understanding.  To be gentle and know that I can touch the hearts of those around me and lead them back to our Heavenly Father.  There is my answer.  I need to simply love the people I am around and I don't need to know the language to love them.  This is my new focus that I am going to work on, I know and have faith that the language is going to come over time, but as for now and always, I need to just love the people with all my heart.  

I love it here, I am having a blast!  Yes it is hard, but I know that I can do all things through the Lord.  I love you so so so much and pray for you everyday!  Mahal ko Kayo!

xoxo Sister Latham

 

Tay Tay Philippines and I'm loving every second!

Hey Fam, this past week and a half has been so crazy with a new area, new companion, sweating more than I have ever sweat before, and working harder than I ever have in my life!  I love it, there are hard times, but I am pushing through it!  There are so many things I want to write about but I will try and keep it short!

I have been assigned to TayTay 1st ward, it is so gorgeous when you get away from the main roads!  I have to cover my face on the main roads because there is so much smog and it's just gross and I don't really like breathing that in hahaha  

My companion is Sister Faasavalu, she is from Hawaii and is absolutely amazing, I love her!  She has been here for about 14 months and I pray that she will stay with me throughout all my 12 weeks training!

Our house is pretty nice, it's just my companion and I that live there but two other sisters live in the next apartment.  There are ants everywhere and some cockroaches that we have had to end up killing.  I killed one in the MTC which was fun, there is a video on the Dropbox website that I will send the link.  

The food here is really good!  I love the Lumpia, it is my favorite.  The ward missionaries in our ward are almost all teenagers and they got me to eat balut on my first day out i!!  Thought I was going to throw up a few times but I got it down :)  THE MANGOS AND BANANAS HERE ARE TO DIE FOR!!!  I cannot wait to bring you guys back here to eat all the yummy food.  It is delicious!  

The work here is really progressing, we have had I think about 8 people set a baptism date which is awesome and we are so excited!  The hardest part is not knowing the language and wanting to talk to them so badly, but the language is starting to come and I can kind of follow the conversation now.  The problem in this area though is that so many people will agree to baptism but then won't go to church...kind of a big problem haha  They are really strong catholics and this week is holy week so that's also another problem we have run into, but people are still willing to talk to us especially when they see my bright red face and want to take me in and offer me water.  Haha

I can't even begin to tell you how many stares I get a day, how many little kids come up to me to touch my skin and how many guys say "Hello beautiful.." That part is a little creepy, but the rest is great! The kids are the cutest, they always call me Elsa and point at their Elsa shirts!  I love them.  

Bishop's family has really taken Sister Faasavalu and I into their family.  Two of their kids always come out and teach with us and they feed us as well.  Dad, bishop really reminds me of you-sarcastic, loving, and funny!  And the mom is always taking care of us and goes shopping with us.  The stuff here is so cheap, dresses for $4! In the pic at the temple I am wearing a new dress I got.  It's nice to have the grocery store and things around here, but also have the gorgeous areas that are green with lots of mango trees and coconut trees, best of both worlds :)

The people here are just the best! Humble, happy, caring, loving, and very family oriented.  I see how little these people have and how happy they are.  I'm excited to be able to serve these people for the next 16 months :)  I know it will be the hardest thing I have ever done, but the most rewarding.  Tell everyone I love them back home and feel of their love, prayers, and support.  Also, sorry to everyone who I could not email back, when I logged on I had 45 emails....I love you all!!

love from the Philippines, Sister Latham

Remember: CTR-Choose the Rice, Cook the Rice :)

In the Philippines!!!

Hello Family!! It was a long day(s) of traveling but we made it to the MTC!  It is so gorgeous here!  We were greeted at the airport by our mission president, President Trast, who is just the sweetest!  I could barely stay awake on the flight from Japan to Manila!  I got so many confused looks from people when they heard me speak tagalog, then they would try to talk to me and I had no idea what they were saying haha it was the greatest.  I am so grateful that I got to talk to each and everyone of you!  It was so great to hear so many familiar voices!

Using the phone in Japan

 

There were so many missionaries flying to asia and we got lots of looks when everyone at the pay phones were all crying haha They were for sure tears of joy:)  

 

When we got into the vans and started driving to the MTC I had not prepared for how crazy the drivers are in the Phillipines!  Let's just say, they don't really have driving rules.  There were a few times we all screamed, but WE MADE IT!  The temple is right across the street and the rooms here are nicer than the ones in Provo, it's awesome.  The beds are so comfortable and I slept really well!  We get to go to bed tonight at 8, never thought that would happen!

 

This morning I ran into Elder Dawsom from Austraillia, the one who I got his letter from the mission president, it was nice to see a familiar face!

 

This afternoon we get to go proselyting, I am excited but a little nervous! Can't wait to tell you how it goes!

 

Also, this morning I had powdered milk...never thought I would have that and it wasn't too bad!  I'm excited to let you all know how it goes this week, love you bunches and know that I am loving it here! :)

 

XOXO

-Sister Latham

Van ride to MTC in the Philippines

Final P-day at the MTC

Hello Family!!  

It's been a great week at the MTC!  I am going to miss all the amazing people but at the same time I am so ready to go out and teach the people in the Philippines!  5 days till I leave :)  We start packing today which will be way weird...I will be sending just a few things home probably on Tuesday so be expecting that!  

Thanks Noelle and Wes for the Easter package, I loved it!  and the sisters on my floor loved it as well since you sent so much candy I had to share :)  The bunny ears were the best!

I've been meaning to put this on my weekly emails but I keep forgetting! Here's a little fun fact about Tagalog-I found out that the minions in Despicable Me speak a lot of Tagalog!  Plus, there is a new movie coming out only about the Minions so I can't wait to come home and watch that!  Also I've heard Jaba the Hut also speaks Tagalog!  

Okay, so what happened this week...the week just flies by!  K so on Sundays there is always a topic given and they randomly call 2 speakers up without any heads up so we all prepare a little talk before hand.  I thought that there was no way I was going to get picked because I had already given a talk a few weeks ago in the Staff sacrament meeting...but of course I was picked!  I was actually excited though to speak because it was about the Atonement and I love talking about the atonement because it has helped me so much in my life, especially here at the MTC.  I shared the scripture Moroni 7:41 which says "And what is it that ye shall hope for?  Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise."  I LOVE THIS SCRIPTURE!  Jesus Christ and His atonement are central to this gospel!  I went on to talk about how we have so much we hope for as missionaries whether that be we hope for comfort, or we hope for help with the language.  We hope that the message we share will touch the lives of the people we teach.  We hope for others to come unto Christ.  We hope that we will be successful missionaries.  All of these things we hope for can happen if we have faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement.  Christ knows each of us personally and took upon him our sins, trials, and infirmities INDIVIDUALLY.  Christ knows exactly what we are going through and is there to "lift our burdens".  What a sweet promise that is.    

This week I also finished the Book of Mormon.  I had set a goal a few weeks ago to finish it before I left, and I did!  It was such a neat experience.  My testimony has grown even more after reading it and I know that it is true.  I have no doubt in my mind.  So excited to go and teach people about how much joy and happiness this gospel will bring them!  

So, Quentin L Cook came and spoke on Tuesday!  It was awesome!  I have a whole page or two from his talk but I am just going to give my favorite quote that he said.  He said "The Lord is pleased with who you are and as long as you do YOUR best, he will accept your work."  I love that because there are others who are catching on the language better or whatever it may be, but I am working as hard as I can, and I can see the Lord blessing my life because of it!  Elder Cook also brought up the Philippines like three times so that was awesome!!  The devotional was being broadcasted to a few of the MTC's including the Philippines :)  The language is coming really well!  I've got the 1st vision down in Tagalog and I talk to quite a few Filipino sisters on our residence floor and they said that the people are going to love when I talk cause it's so sweet and I'm white hahahaha

This week I got to host new missionaries!  It was so much fun!  I almost started crying a few times with the sisters who I was taking when they were saying goodbye to their families, but I held it in.  The first sister I took was from Hawaii and she came with her seminary teacher and these
other two sisters who were the missionaries that had converted her to the gospel a few years ago in Hawaii!  Talk about a way neat experience to be sending off one of your converts on their mission!  It's amazing!  

Yesterday we had infield orientation-it was so long but way good!  Learned how to work with members and how to find people to teach.  All the stuff that we don't cover in language class we were taught there.  I met two sisters who are headed to the Roseville California mission on monday!! They are the sweetest, I am so excited  for them!  There names are Sister Cichos and Sister Myers!  I told them about you and what ward we are in and also about Brother and Sister Alston.  Here is a picture of them!  Well Fam, next time I talk to you over email I will be in the Philippines!  I love you all so much and will give you a call at the airport!  Mahal ko kayo :)  

How great it my calling as a missionary :)

-Sister Latham

Month mark and travel plans!

Kumusta Pamilya ko! Wow, the time here at the MTC has gone by so fast! I feel like I have been here for just over a week.  I am just having tons of fun being a missionary, and even though I have had some hard times, this experience has been one of the best in my life and I can't wait for what is to come in the next 17 months!

K...travel plans!  We got them last night and we were all so excited!  We have to be at the travel office at 3:30 in the morning on March 19th and then we travel to the SLC airport.  Our flight doesn't leave till 8:45 so I will have a few hours to talk on the phone there and then for a little at our layover in Oregon I believe.  We fly to Tokyo and then another flight to the Philippines!  It is all starting to feel so real, I am so excited!  

This week the district ahead of us left and I was called to be the Zone Sister Training Leader so that is exciting news! As you know, I love being a leader and helping people out as much as I can.  So before I was district, but now I am zone so last night we met with a lot of the Sister companionships and some individually.  It was great to get to know all the sisters, especially the new ones that just came in this week!  They are the sweetest and I love helping them out with their trials and concerns because I went through the same ones when I first got here.  The hardest part though is seeing how badly some of the elders and sisters in our district are struggling.  One of the elders in my district is going home today and 2 sisters in the new one don't want to be here, it is so sad.  The MTC is so hard, but in the end the trials are blessings in disguise.  I hope that after Sunday they will see why they are here on a mission and how amazing our callings are as missionaries!  

Yesterday was our last day learning brand new grammer principles in Tagalog, that is way good news! next week is all just review and to try and perfect our Tagalog as much as we can before we leave!  I am just about done with learning the first vision in Tagalog, so hard! That has taken a lot of effort. haha I've had multiple headaches here...thank goodness for Ibuprofen!  

I have truly met amazing people while being here!  First off, my zone is amazing!  It was so hard saying goodbye to the district that just left.  It is only Sister Pectol and I in our 6 person bedroom..pretty lonely!  haha Plus, all the guys in the past district we always played volleyball with and it got really competitive...I got really competitive.  Elder Bray, he is my best friend, and I would always just joke around on the court and try to beat each other at everything!  One time we were playing and he kept blocking my spikes and after so many times I just pushed him to the ground hahaha it was so funny!  Everybody just laughes at me because I get so competitive.  Elder Eyler was also one of my favorites; him and I always played on the same team cause we worked well together and weren't too competitive with each other.  I cried when they left and volleyball just isn't the same anymore so now I actually work out and run instead of play volleyball the entire time.  

I got packages this week!  Thank you so much Mom and Brett and Heather for sending the packages, so so so sweet!  Heather sent me the cutest journal and chapstick, lotion, pens, and all this other stuff!  Plus there were notes in there from Peyton, Alexa and Braxton with drawings.  The sweetest!  I love the skirt you sent in the package mom!  and the earrings and watch are perfect!  thank you so much!

Lastly, I wanted to include in my letter about a lot of things that i have been thinking about this week.  On Sunday at devotional, a sister talked about being an anchor in our faith.  In Ether 12:4 it reads "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."  I love this scripture being here at the MTC my faith has grown so much, more than it ever has before.  I've read the entire Book of Mormon while I have been here and I have learned so much and my testimony has increased so much about how true this gospel is, how much our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ love us, and lastly, how there is a way to return to our Father in heaven, which is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I am grateful that he is an ANCHOR in my life.  That He holds me steadfast and immovable in all of my trials.  Mom, I wanted to thank you for that Anchor bracelet you gave me for Christmas.  I wear it everyday and it has been a constant reminder to think of my Savior and to remember that through Him and my faith I can get through any trial that comes my way.  I know that this gospel is true with all my heart.  I am so excited to go and share this message! 

I got to skype a member in the Philippines this week, her name is Annie!  She was the sweetest and we left a message with her about the doctrine of Christ.  When bearing my testimony I could barely get out what I wanted to say because I was trying to hold back the tears. I already love the people in the philippines and I am so excited to go and teach my brothers and sisters about their Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.  wow, this gospel is so true!  

 I love and miss you all so much!  

Can't wait to talk to you in less than 2 weeks!  Mahal ko kayo 

-Sister Latham

"Faith is Trust that He will provide"

Hello Pamilia ko!  I can't believe that it is already P-day again!  It is so true when they say that the days are so long but the weeks go by so fast.  I have already passed my half way point!  Thanks for the half way party package Mom, we celebrated P-day eve last night with my roommates and we had the sparkling cider and a dozen cupcakes that my friend from BYUI, Ryan Watt, sent me yesterday!  So fun! Thank you for all the letters, packages, prayers, and support.  I feel the love so much!

This week was awesome, some days were long, but overall it was a great week!  Our teacher gave our district a new goal which is to memorize 50 words/day.  That is insane, but I have been able to do it because the Lord has helped me through it.  There is no way I could do that on my own.  That is probably the biggest lesson I have learned while being here.  Humility and Patience.  There is no way I could survive here without those.  

My teacher, Sister Riddle, who I love so much and I have talked about her a bit in my letter left on Friday :( It was so sad to say goodbye to her.  But, she left us with a great lesson about faith and humility.  She said to us "Faith is TRUST that He will provide."  What a powerful message that is.  Not only just as a missionary, but it can apply to everyone.  In Mormon 9:21 it says, "Behold, I say unto you that whoso believe in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth."  It has been such a neat experience to turn to my Savior Jesus Christ in prayer and ask for help whether that be in the language, patience, charity, and trust.  I have seen that as I have truly prayed with a sincere desire, He has blessed me with the things I have asked for.  I know that the Book of Mormon testifies of this truth.  As I have read the Book of Mormon everyday, I have found answers to all my questions, read what I have needed to hear that day, and I have had it testified to me that this Book is the truest book on earth and provides the way to return to our Father in Heaven again.  This is the message that I cannot wait to go and share with the Filipino people.  I am so excited to be an instrument in the Lord's hand.  

This is all starting to feel so real.  I don't feel ready at all to leave, but I am also so ready if that makes any sense.  We get our travel plans next week so it will start to feel real then.  The sisters in the district ahead of us leave this upcoming week.  It will be sad to see them leave.  I will also miss the guys in the district ahead of us cause I am competitive with them in volleyball and they are just so funny!  It was sad to see a sister in our district leave this week because of heart problems and then to hear of Brie having to come home.  I pray for them everyday that they will be able to resume the work when they get better.  Well Fam, I am loving it here!  Love and miss you all so much!  Can't wait to talk to you guys in just a few short weeks on the phone :)  Mahal ko Kayo!  

-Sister Latham