First week In the Manila Mission!

Hello Family,

Oh my gosh I don't even know where to begin. I feel so humbled and blessed to be serving in the Philippines. I can't even begin to explain how amazing it is to know these people really need me here and they REALLY need God. I wish you guys were here just to see for yourselves what I'm doing and what it looks like. Poverty is an understatement. It is crazy, but I love it so much and I truly love these people. I don't even know where to begin so much has happened and I don't have a ton of time. Also sorry.. no pictures this week because I didn't take any lol we aren't aloud to take pictures while proselyting and I see why because these people have nothing if I whipped out my nice camera.. ahhhh just no. I'll probably secretly take some this week just so you guys can have a little glimps of what I am talking about! :)

Sooooo Wednesday: Today was the day we left the MTC and went out to the field. It was heartbreaking saying goodbye to my MTC batch and just all the people in the MTC. It was so sad because you leave your family and kind of make a new family in the MTC and then you say bye to that family and make a new family in your mission. So it was sad, but I came on a mission to serve the people of the Philippines Manila Mission, not the people of the MTC. haha So i guess I should always keep that in mind. Anyway we woke up at 5am and the AP came to get us to take us to the Mission home. I had so many mixed emotions leaving the MTC. Mostly excited, but a lot of sad and terrifying emotions as well. It took about 45 min to get there cuz there is so much traffic here. We got to the mission home and wow there home is sooooo nice! I was shocked thinking it would be some rundown place. No It was beautiful. Haha I just wanted to stay at the mission home haha, but anyway we were recieving a bunch of papers and having meetings and things while each person interviewed with President Ostler. After a while, I was able to interview with him and I honestly love him. Just by the way he presents himself and talks personally to each and every missionary, you can truly tell he is a disciple of Christ. He is an amazing Man and I feel so blessed to have him as my mission president. I was feeling very scared in the Mission home to have to leave Sister Holzworth and go with a completely new person in a new place and learn a new language. Man I was freaking out, but It's all good, cuz I had President Ostler and he truly comforted me. I feel so blessed to have him as my Mission President. He helped strengthen me and made me feel so much better with the problems I have facing and will face. I was so emotional the whole time speaking to him. After the interview we were able to eat the best lunch of our lives haha but really! And then we got our new Companion assigned to us. I was freaking out all day for that moment, because I really just wanted a good trainer. I was so beyond blessed by God to get the trainer I got. Her name is Sister Tiongco. She is Filipino and is one of the sweetest people i've ever met. She is so humble, patient, faithful, and really hard working. I got so lucky to be able to have her be my trainer. She has been out for 9 months and was a convert to the church when she turned 11 years old. After I met her and we said our goodbyes to everyone we headed out to our zone Pina D. It took us 3 hours from the mission home to get to our apartment. In Utah it would take like 25-30 min, but the roads are so crazy here and there is so much traffic that it took so long. We reached the apartment and it is actually way nicer than I thought it was gonna be. It is still gross and in a very poverty area, but it is not that bad. I live with two Filipino's and one from idk India or something haha so I guess that a good way to get and embrace their culture with the language and food. I'm lucky tho because Sister Tiongco is actually really good at English. Also When we got to the mission home I GOT MY CHRISTMAS PACKAGE!! I'm waiting to open it on Dec 14, but THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU MOM!!! :))))

Thursday: I woke up from a terrible nights sleep lol, It is so hard to sleep because we are in the city and it is just SO LOUD. All you hear all night long is cars and horns and it is just super loud. But we got up and we do tons of study until 12pm then eat lunch and head out to teach/proselyte at 1pm. We are in a fresh area, which means both me and sister Tiongco are new to the area. It's hard both being new to the area especially with me training as well. Sister Tiongco studied the area book all morning, but when we went out we still got so lost. haha It was hilarious, but terrible. It is so hot here! I honestly feel like I'm going to die all the time from heat exahustion haha I drink SO much water! haha man this place is crazy. It's awesome tho! Later that night, we went to a less actives home and oh my gosh you guys would've died to see their house. It litterally was maybe the size of Courtney's room. There whole house. And they had 5 kids. So 7 people living all together in this tiny home and to get there we went through this tiny alley way like three feet wide full of trash, mud, and water. It was quite the experience. And once you got into their home I couldn't even stand up... Thats how low the celing was. I cannot express how blessed I feel to be who i am, know what i know about the gospel, and to live in America. I literally can't even express the emotions I feel here.

Friday: Today we studyed and did weekly planning all day... but when we finally went out we were walking down the street and the people here love White people. Haha so all the people love me and say hello and just try to get my attention! haha We were walking down this one street trying to find a less active members home and as we were walking a bunch of the little kids called me Elsa and would follow us around trying to ask me questions in Tagalog. haha they are so cute! I honestly love the kids the most here! They would grab my hair and touch my hands and wow I just kinda feel like a celebrity here. Which has its good and bad perks to it. But I truly do love the kids.

Saturday: After studying we went out to teach and ALL of our appointments weren't home.. SO ANNOYING. So we went to a members home the Artales family and I honestly had no idea what was going on the whole time. I couldn't understand what anyone was saying and I was feeling so discouraged. Honestly just wanted to pack up right then and there and go home. I kept thinking to myself, is this really worth it? But I decided to say a little prayer and keep saying to myself Courtney's moto: I can do hard things. After my prayer truly a miracle happened. We went OYMing and stopped to talk to a women named Sister Jenny. She was working at a nut stand, but anyway we just started talking with her, then introduced ourselves and asked if we could share a message. She said yes, so we just sat down right then and there and taught her. She told us she is catholic, but is open to religion. She also said she was seeking for truth so of course I was freaking out like OMG WE HAVE THE TRUTH FOR YOU!!! Hahah, but I was so happy with myself. I prayed, testified, and asked if she would pray to know the truthfullness of our message would she be baptized and she said YES!! haha We get to follow up with her next week to teach her more of the lessons and commit her to a baptismal date. This experience just really shows that God is wathcing over me and knows what im going through and knows how I feel. I am so blessed to know what I know and to be able to share It with the people of the Philippines. 

Sunday: Was church day which is always really good. This sunday was a little different tho, because It was fast sunday and we were new to the ward. Honestly fast sunday is so much more meaningful when you are on a mission or fast for an actual person or purpose. I challenge all of you next fast sunday to fast for an answer or person or purpose, and I promise you. Your answer will come. Fasting is truly amazing. I was able to have the opportunity to share my testimony to the Tagalog ward and say the closing prayer. It's crazy how much you can feel the spirit in church even when you don't have a clue as to what the people are saying. It is truly a testimony builder.

Monday: As for today ITS PDAY! Haha so I get to write you guys. We only have an hour tho and my trainer is super obedient (which is good, but kinda annoying) haha but mostly good. I can learn a lot from her. So I don't have a ton of time, but luckily I get to speak to you on Christmas! :) I also learned how to hand wash my clothes today so that was neat! We also got amazing news! We have a Christmas party on the 14 so I will be able to see everyone from my batch and we get to go to the temple on the 22nd. 

I feel so humbled to be a missionary and I love serving God. I promise you I am doing great even though this is definetly the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. The Lord is blessing me and you. Thank you for everything and the wonderful christmas package and just always being here for me. I love you all!!

Love, 

Sister Barton