Snakes & Things

Kamusta mo? 

Okay, so I want to pay tribute today to the LAMI JUD (really delicious) food here in the Philippines! I promise you that you won't find more yummy bread or more sweet fruit (mangoes, papayas, dragon fruit, pineapple, watermelon - they've got it all) than here in the Philippines! They are also really big here on noodles, chicken and beef on a stick, adobo (marinated meat), lumpia (eggrolls), rice, and Sprite and Coke! Whenever people feed Sis. T and I, they literally put out the spread for us! haha  There are AT LEAST 6 or 7 dishes! Sometimes, the food is super delicious, and sometimes we are scared out of our minds to try whatever unidentifiable body part of an animal that they put in front of us! haha  Sis.T and I play this unspoken game for each dinner appointment that we have where we try to dish the gross food on the other person haha. It goes like this:

*Member brings out fish eyes*

Sis.T: Thank you so much but I am SO stuffed. But you know what, Sister Lauck LOVES fish eyes, don't you?

*Member puts fish eyes on my plate*

Me: Wow, why thank you so much! *Give dirty look to Sis.T* This looks so yummy! *I smile/gag/painfully swallow the fish eyes*

*5 minutes later, member pulls out chicken heart*

Me: Hey, is that chicken heart? That is Sis.T's favorite! She just told me earlier how much she wished she could have some

*Member gets super excited and dumps it on Sis.T's plate*

And we usually go back and forth like that for a couple of courses until we're about to puke haha, so that is one of our favorite games we like to play (:

Oh and I have to share my most exciting news this week! I committed my first person to baptism this week!!!!!! Or more like she committed herself haha  Her name is Sister Pearl and she had been attending church for 2 weeks before we actually got to meet with her. So it's our first lesson with Sister Pearl and after we opened with a prayer we asked her if she had any questions for us and she goes, "I know your church is true. When can I get baptized?" I thought at first that I did not understand her correctly, but I looked at my companion and her jaw dropped, so I know I did haha  Then we both basically gave Sister Pearl the biggest bear hug ever and she started crying and we started crying and laughing. I thought I knew what true happiness was before my mission, but in that moment of celebrating with Sister Pearl, I had never felt that much pure happiness before in my life. There is nothing more special to me than getting to watch people find the Gospel and come unto Christ. I love what I get to do everyday, I really do. I love the pure joy that comes from the Gospel. There really is nothing more sweeter and more precious that we can have in this life than our families, our Savior Jesus Christ, and His Gospel!!!! For those that have this, hold onto it. For those that don't have it, get it and it will change your life forever. Love you all SO much!!! Thanks for being the best support crew around (:

Nahigugma ko kaninyo!!!!

Sister Lauck (:

Kamusta mo?!

I am doing so great, just happy as can be here in Bohol! I love all of the fun surprises each week here in the Philippines (my personal favorite this week: when I went to the bathroom, only to find that there was no toilet paper, but just a ladle and a bucket of water. I will not expand on that story haha). 

I have completely fallen in love with the people! To be honest, most people here in the Philippines come from extremely humble circumstances. Their homes are literally a tin roof with some bamboo walls and they live from paycheck to paycheck, doing their best to make it. But they are so kind and so loving and giving! Maybe they're too kind because if we are tracting they will always let us come in and share a message even if they have no interest what soever haha. But also, the people here are SO FUNNY! They can't really pronounce my last name "Lauck", so they always say "Luck". And they crack themselves up telling me "Sister Luck, we are so 'luck'y to have you in our home" and various other really corny puns. Haha I love it! But perhaps the thing I love most about the Filipino people is their enthusiasm for karoake. It doesn't matter how poor a family is, somehow each home has a karoake machine. And boy, are they proud of their karoake. Whenever they sing, they make sure they crank up the volume as loud as possible so EVERYONE in the neighborhood hear them sing as worst as humanly possible hahaha I get the biggest kick out of them! Good thing Simon Cowell isn't here or he would rip them to pieces. But really, my ears almost bleed when I hear them sing, they are just the absolute worst! But I love that they just belt out each song with all of their heart, I gotta give them that (:

So I obviously I love the people. And I love the Philippines. But most of all, I LOVE my calling! It is so neat each week to try and help people come closer to Christ. I literally get to witness miracles each week. I can honestly say that I have never been happier in my life than I am now. I know that my happiness is because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It really brings infinite and eternal happiness into my life! It is true and restored and I know that everyone can have the same happiness that I have as they live its principles. When everything else fails in life, the Gospel is always there. How great is that! Anyway, love you all so much! Enjoy normal food and hot showers for me (and toilet paper too) (:

Lots of love,

Sister Lauck

P.S. Here's my comp and I , Sister T, doing a service project - aka cutting grass with a machete in the jungles of the Philippines! It was awesome, but I recommended to the family that they look into a automatic lawn mower haha those are a little more efficient (:

We are not sure if we should worry about Sister Lauck cutting herself or breaking her Teeth!