Chung Hua

Chung Hua is actually a Chinese word. It's the name of the hospital we went to this week b/c Sis.Labz had a check up for her chest. It was fun b/c we got to hop mission boundaries and head over to cebu city!

Me & Sis.Labz are the ONLY sisters in the zone. So we're with 18 elders. It's.... different, but it's fun too (: We get pampered, so it's great! 

Guys, I'm just so happy right now (: Every missionary experiences different emotions their last transfer, but I'm just at a good place right now. This work is so satisfying. Actually, it's more than satisfying. It's sanctifying. You watch people change as they grow closer to Christ and somehow in the mix of everything, you become purified yourself. I really love this work.

I hope everyone finds a way to be filled with joy this week (:

p.s. I don't know if I've ever told you guys about washing our clothes. So washing machines don't really exist here, so we wash everything by hand! Yeaaaaaa! But sometimes when I have a lot to wash and my hands get tired, I just use my feet, just like my trainer taught me haha so here's a visual for you guys! 

And the second picture is when I went on splits with Sis.Tauteoli. She's a brand new missionary from Utah, and she was craving some tacos, so I tried to whip up some taco salad (:

Loving life in the Philippines!!!

Sorry, I can only give you some pictures this week!

Sis. Labador's great! She's 23, my first Bisayan companion, and my first/only companion that knows how to cook.... I'm not sure how me & my companions survived the first 17 months of my mission....

I love you! I'm happy! Hope y'all are too (:

<3 Sister Lauck

#13

Yesterday at District Meeting:

Zone Leader: "Well, Sis.Mahinay and Sis.Lauck how are you feeling now that you've arrived at your last....

Me & Sis.Mahinay (in unison): "DON'T SAY IT ELDER!"

What the elder intended to ask was how we feel now that we've arrived at our last.... transfer. Yes, I'm starting my last transfer in my mission. The thought makes me shudder. Haha just kidding... kind of.... But we got transfer calls and I'm staying here in good ol Lacion and my new companion is Sis.Labador. More deets on her next week (:

Sis.Mahinay and I tried to help a less active build a house. We weren't quite the best carpenters, so we were given the assignment to pull out nails from plans of wood. They gave us hammers. That was dangerous.  

Bro.Paul, our faithful/amazing IBD who was supposed to get baptized this month moved to a different city ): But we referred him to the missionaries assigned there (: and he brought his Book of Mormon with him to read, which warmed Sis.Mahinay and I's souls (((:

And when Heavenly Father closes a door, he opens like 5 other ones! Sis.Mahinay and I found Mary Ann & Rey through a less active and they are GOLDENNNN! They asked us in our first visit what they needed to do to become members of our church. They started to pray together as a couple after our first visit and read scriptures together and they've seen firsthand how the Gospel unites families. They said they no longer fight, they have more patience for each other, and they're always smiling and happy in their home. We haven't even taught them about the 10 commandments yet, but they already took out the virigin mary in their home that they used to pray to because, as they said, "it didn't make sense to us to pray to her anymore when we should be praying to our Heavenly Father". . They could baptized tomorrow, they are just that good! But... they're not married, so they are working on saving for their marriage (:

Getting to know people like Mary Ann and Rey is just another testament to me of how this Gospel is a plan of happiness and change and progression. Living the Gospel improves the quality of our lives (: It's as plain and simple as that!

I love everyone so much! I'll catch everyone up more next week!

Love,

Happy Sister Lauck (:

pictures: 

      sis.mahinay and I 

       eating lunch after our service project

       us with mary ann, rey, their son, and mary ann's mom

Another Amazing Week!!!!

Guys, this week was SO GOOD!

It started off with a mission tour with Elder Ardern of the 70. He spoke with all of the missionaries in our mission on Cebu Island and really gave some inspired counsel on how we can improve our work. I love the challenge of improving and Sister Mahinay and I are doing our best to leave it all out on the mission field before we have to head home.

I also went on splits with Sister Conde, who was my replacement in my last area aka I got to go back and visit my old area with my old investigators! It was the best (:

But the cherry on top of my week was getting to go back to Danao where I spent a 1/3 of my mission!!! I got to visit there because my investigator I taught, Sis.Salome, finally got baptized! I say finally because we've been waiting since January for her baptism. She is lights out amazing and the golden investigator every missionary is looking to find! Sister Salima and I started teaching her back in November and she was initially skeptical about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. But then she got diagnosed with  stage 3 breast cancer and started worrying about where she would end up if she passed away. At that point, Sister Clegg and I were companions and started teaching her the Plan of Salvation. When we first taught her about the pre-mortal life she kept saying, "This feels familiar to me, I think I knew this before" and the rest is history. Every Sunday, even though she was  weak because of the chemotherapy, she would hike down the mountain where she lived and head to church because she knew the Lord would give her enough strength to do so. At one point, when her health situation looked bleak! She asked for a priesthood blessing, fully knowing that if she did, she would be healed and survive her cancer. And she did (: Then last month, she finally got the clearance from her doctor that she could be baptized.  The spirit was so strong at her baptism, especially knowing the hardships she overcame to get to that point.She is such a powerful example to me of a woman of faith. I'm so grateful that I got to know her. Heavenly Father has placed in my path here on the mission, and in life in general, so many amazing people! Thanks everyone for the way you strengthen me! 

I love everyone! I know that this Church is true. The spirit confirms it to me each day that I teach. Hope everyone has a great week!

Love,

Sister Lauck