She Said Her Goal Was To Get Baptized. I think We Can Help Her With That One!

Hello family!!  

It's been another wonderful week!  This sunday was especially exciting.  We had 6 of our investigators come to church!!  Everyone is pretty shy so its REALLY hard to get them to start coming.  We usually only have one  or two that come.  But this time, nanay B-- came for the first time, after teaching her for about two months!!  She came with a neighbor, and we were SO excited when we saw them walking up :).  She was worried about feeling like an "alien" at our church, since she hasn't been before.  But when she got here, she found out her cousin is a member and some of her friends!  She said she didn't feel out of place at all :). It's the same way I felt my first time going to church here!  Felt right at home.  How cool is our church :).  

We also picked up two sisters that we just began teaching, L-- and L--.  They loved church!  We talked about goals in sunday school, and L-- said her goal was to get baptized!!  Haha I think we can help her with that one. :)  They are super sweet girls though.  We are teaching them and their mom.

This week, we had splits with our stl's!!  We were all in Bato, since it's 4 hours away and it takes up almost 2 whole days if we swap areas.  It was really cool to be back in Bato, since I went there for splits last transfer. I was with Sister Monilar!  She is a great missionary, I really learned a lot from her.  She is very humble! She goes home soon, but was telling me how she still has a lot she needs to work on before she goes home.  Bato seems to be a really tough area, but she is still so optimistic and working so hard!  She is a great example :). We worked in the same area as I did before. Last time, with Sister Samayla, we OYM'd a new family and taught them the beginning of the first lesson.  This time, we went back, and taught them about the plan of salvation!  It was really cool to see and teach them again :).  We also visited with some other people I met before, and it was fun to catch up with them a little bit.  I also got to see sister Kaun, who was in my zone before, but transfered to bato!  We've missed her too :)  

Next week we have district conference in Sogod!  Our branch rents out a bus and everyone travels together saturday morning, and come back together sunday afternoon.  THere is a member there with a big empty apartement close to the church where everyone sleeps.  So everything is free for the members, they just get to come :).  Some of our investigators will hopefully come with us too!  That would be so great.  Ah. I really hope they do! They can get to know the members better and meet the whole district!  I'll be praying all week that they can come!

That is crazy it's been so cold lately! Haha enjoy it for me :).  Mom thats awesome your'e walking still :).  And you get to talk to Jill too!  Thats so fun! Josh! That's awesome you improved your score!! Two points is a lot for the ACT!!  Cool!  Have fun with those applications :).  And I am SO EXCITED for you to go on the tour and then your mission..... holy moly you are getting old!! When do you start your papers?  Special needs mutual sounds like it was a great experience.  I had some friends that did that in high school, and loved it too.  Keep it up :). Jaxsen, do you still dress up every sunday in your scuba gear and knight costume and stuff like that?? I was telling my companion abou that, she thinks you are hilarious :). And also, I still have your picture in my scriptures!  It's in the book of Acts, because it sounds like Jax :).  

Well. .  I love hearing everything thats' going on in your lives!  Sounds like you're all keeping busy :).   I love you all so much!! I pray for you alllll the time.  Have a great week!!!

Love, Sister Mortensen

 Bri with Girls from Bato

Sister Monilar and Sister Mortensen - Going on Splits in Bato

I See Over And Over That The Lord Really Is Preparing People For Us

Hello! 


Ok yes, I love your idea about Christmas for the branch! I think ties is a great idea!! That would be so fun to give ties to our members to go with their new white shirts :). For sisters, if you could maybe find a couple skirts, that would be great :).  Sometimes people don't have church clothes, and are a little nervous about coming to church without a skirt.  Other than that, I can't think of anything right now that we could give sisters and kids, but I will think about it more this week.  Thank you so much!! That is a perfect idea!  I really don't need any more clothes, laba already takes me long enough :). haha thank you though :)  This transfer ends december 4th, and we are guessing that sister kalua-santiago is going to transfer :(. she will have been here 6 months by then.  I could go as well, actually.  They might switch Hinunangan to elders sometime soon.  I kinda wish we both could stay here for christmas though!! I'ts gonna be sad to leave.

Haha yes, my blonde hair definitely makes me stand out.  A lot!  one sunday in relief society my comp was sitting behind me talking to a lady who said she wanted to chop off my hair and make a wig :). Haha! They were cracking up! But usually, people just always are looking at us.  Which is great, since I LOVE being the center of attention, so much :).  Haha.  But it is good, that everyone will talk to us all the time.  And they remember us too.  A lot of the people we talk to say they've seen us around before.  I really look tan? I feel whiter than ever here! Huh :).   yeah I am starting to get used to the weather, kinda.  It's still hot!  But it's not nearly as bad as it was :).  apparently it takes some time, but eventually I'll start feelling COLD at night sometimes :).  Haha or atleast thats what all the missionaries say :).  But it hasn't happened yet haha :)  

I love the primary program!! We had ours here a couple weeks ago, and it was so fun:).  They sang that song too!  And I remember learning it when I was teaching primary back home too :).  wow, that feels like so long ago!  I miss them though, that was so fun! :) 

C-- is doing great still!  We can only teach her on weekends though, so that makes it a little tough.  She is still reading though, and feeling the spirit!  We were REALLY hoping that she would come to church yesterday, but not yet :(.  She is just shy I think.  Her friend F-- is super busy working, so we haven't been able to teach her for a while.  She still is very interested though, so we will find time to teach her!

The greatest miracle this week was the E-- Family!  There is this one road called Tangaad where we have been teaching a lot lately (we decided to rename it "mormon road!").  We walk up and down it most every day, and always say hello to everyone.  When we were walking home one time, a lady named R-- E-- stopped us and wanted to talk to us.  We talked for a while, and she said she wanted us to come and teach her family sometime!! So, of course, we said yes and set up an appointment with her.  The next day, we went to teach M--, an investigator, and R-- was there visiting her!  So we taught her the first lesson there with M-- :).  And M-- was so great during the lesson!  She remembered and helped R-- understand everything.  Which is great, since sometimes it's hard to tell if people are really understanding us.  Haha.  But M-- did, and now R-- does too!  Ah. The spirit was strong, it was great :). 

The next day, we went to teach R--'s family!  Only one of her daughters was there, L--, but she still wanted us to share :).  I'm excited to back and teach them again! They are a great little family.  M-- is awesome, too, I can't believe her!  She is still learning all the lessons, but comes to church every week, and is helping the E-- family, and brought another family we're teaching with her to church yesterday!  It's amazing to see the difference between people that are SO prepared, like M-- and the E-- family, and others who are not quite open to hearing the gospel yet.  I see over and over that the Lord really is preparing people for us.  It's true! This really is the Lord's work :).

This week we have splits, so I get to go to Bato again!  That will be fun :).  Both me and my comp are going there this time, since it takes so long to travel there.  I'm excited though!  We go there tomorrow after zone training, and then will come home wednesday.  Can't wait!

Well, I better go, but it was great to hear from you! Keep up the good stuff :) haha I love you all so much!!! 

Love, Sister Mortensen

ps. I love the words of wisdom and the pictures!!!! haha you guys are crazy :)

Also, I really hope these emails make sense! haha sometimes they're a little all over the place, haha sorry :)

Yeah!!!!  Bri sent pictures!

Sister Kalua-Santiago and Sister Mortensen

PEF Graduation. (Perpetual Education Fund graduation  exercises are held for carpenters who are building shelters following Typhoon Yolanda.  Graduates receive a government certification and a tool box from the LDS Church.)

PEF Graduation

PEF Graduation 

PEF Graduation

Riding on the bus in Hinunganan.  Everyone squishes on.  It is packed.  We had a seat though!

Cooking Dinner

Rambutans from the Delutas

Rambutans

Eating Jack Fruit

Christmas Trees and Smores in November?

Hinunangan Zone

She Said That When She Reads, She Feels The Spirit Every Time

Hey family! 

It's great to hear from you, of course!  Sounds like you had a great...spring break? Haha i'm guessing you meant fall break :). Thats great that brayden's was the same time too, so you could all hang out together.  And Jaxsen, you are gonna have an awesome scar it looks like! Haha! You should make up a cool story about it :).  Haha sounds like Brayden has got the beard thing figured out!  (But I would also like to contribute to the funds to buy him razors... haha!) Your pumpkins are awesome!!  I showed my zl, and he says ali has got some skills :).  They don't really celebrate Halloween here, but they have All Souls Day the day after, to remember their dead.  Kinda different. The ward has changed a bunch it sounds like!  Thats fun you're getting so many new families.  And mom!  You're definitely inspired!!  We randomly picked a talk to listen to yesterday, and it was the one you shared today.  That is a great talk.  Thank you :).

Haha, so sorry we write at a different time each week. We are in sogod this week again, at an internet cafe.  There is a couple of them here, we're at one of the better ones today, but its farther away.  A camera that can email pictures wouldn't work, no wifi here :).  It's all good.  I'll keep trying to send some!  As for a package.... I can't think of anything :) 

We were able to go back and see some of our new investigators this week!  A lot of them aren't really interested, they just wanted to talk before and are friendly I think :).  It's hard to tell sometimes if people are interested in learning from you, or they're just being nice :).  There is two families though that are WONDERFUL, F-- and C-- and their families.  They are neighbors, and we usually teach them together.  They are doing so well!  C-- reads the Book of Mormon, and said she WANTS reading assignments to help her know what to read.  She said that when she reads, she feels the spirit every time! And then we she stops, she doesn't feel it anymore.  Ah! They are so good to teach.  Another day we were teaching S--, a 76 year old lady who is very catholic, haha.  Our second lesson with her, she had a couple of her church friends there too so we talked to all of them.  And she's friends with F--, so she was there too!  This was after we had taught F-- the first lesson too :).  As we were teaching the first lesson, the church friends had a bunch of questions, and F-- and S-- were answering all of their questions!  This was after only one lesson with each of them!  Most of the time, the people we teach have a hard time remembering, but they remembered and were answering everyones questions!  Ah.  It's amazing.  And it is definitely the Lord's work.  The typhoon did help prepare a lot of people for the gospel, but not really in our area.  It didn't hit here very hard.  The people here are still pretty set in their ways and are ok with the church they have and don't really want to listen to us.  We do a lot of just talking to people and trying to find those who are ready to learn.  People like F-- and C-- :).  We are doing a lot of planting seeds here :).  It is getting easier to approach people and just talk.  The other day on a bus on the was home I had a pretty long conversation with the lady next to me in cebuano :).  Haha it went pretty well!  All until right at the end, when she was about to get off.  She was trying to ask me something, and I could NOT understand any of it.  Usually I can catch a word or two and know what they're asking, but nope! Not that time!  Haha she finally just smiled and I just laughed.  And then she got off the bus.  Haha so its getting better, not quite there yet though :).

Thank you so much for your prayers :).  I pray for you many times a day as well! And I know the Lord is answering our prayers!  Love you!!

Sister Mortensen

Thank you Sister Kaula-Santiago for the pictures!

FHE/Birthday Celebration in Hinunangan

PEF Graduation

They Were So Prepared For Us. It Was Amazing!

Hello everyone!!

Wow, sacrament sounds like it was amazing, I am so glad :).  Dont worry about me! Jaxsen hopefully your hand heals quick!  ouch! Keep cooking though, you'll be all ready for your mission :).  And ali, keep playing the piano for me!! 

It's been an AMAZING week!  Seriously!  This tuesday, we had district meeting and were talking about our goals for the month.  As a district (us and 2 elders), we had goals to have 27 new investigators.  We only had 6, with one week left! We decided it would be tough but we would still try to get 21 new investigator that week!

After district meeting, we decided to go try to teach a lady named F--.  We had met her the week before and she had asked us to come teach her and her friend C-- some time.  She told us she lived in Toptop (we've never been there before), close to a certain store, but we basically had no idea how we would find her!  We caught a motor, and started driving to Toptop and talking to the driver.  He was from Toptop! What are the odds! We asked him if he knew F--, and turns out she was his COUSIN! He drove us straight to her house!  That was a huge miracle.  Her house was way back from the road, we never would have been able to find her without help!  And then, F-- and C-- and their kids were all home!  That hardly ever happens even when you have a lesson planned with them!  They were SO prepared for us, it was amazing.  After their lesson, we walked with a little girl named I-- and taught her family too!  AND THEN, walked just down the road, and taught another four ladies.  It was amazing.  We have never had a day anywhere near as successful as that!  We found 11 new investigators that day, more than we had the rest of the transfer!  And we were doing the same things as we always do, just walking around talking to everyone we can.  It wasn't us!  It's all the Lord, preparing people for us. I know i'ts true!  This is His work. :) I'm so blessed to be a part of it!  Even though we didn't quite make it to our goal, we got SO much closer than we thought we would!  There are so many miracles in this work!  

I need to go! I love you all so much and am praying for you :)

Sister Mortensen

A few more words from Brianne:

Bri, Here are some questions we would like answered!  

Josh:  Are you in one of the nicest parts of your mission?

Josh, we're in one of the most rural areas!  It's really spread out.  There is pretty much just one main road through town, and a few little side streets.  There's one nice ish store with food, and then some little stores with lots of fresh fruit and veggies and some other stuff.  It wasn't hit too hard by the storm though, so theres not a lot of that  kind of damage.  

Ali:  When you studies the scriptures, do you study in Cebuano or English?

Ali, I'll study in english usually, and then some cebuano for language study :).  Half the time in lessons i'll have out both while we teach!

Jax:  What is the craziest food you have eaten?

Jax, balut! It really wasn't that bad though :).  Also, we've had lechon a couple times now! Is a whole pig that they roast over a fire.  And then they just cut it up and eat it, skin and all!  It's SO good :)

Lauri:  Are you taking lots of pictures?  Remember your mission presidents wife advice?   Send home your favorite 2 pictures every week!!!!!!!!

Mom....kinda.... :) Not enough yet!  It's hard to send pictures every week, they take time to load, and not every internet place has usb ports! I will try my best though!

Brad:  What have you found to be the most effective way to bring the spirit into discussions?  Speaking a foreign language must be hard.

Dad,  we always sing a hymn at the beginning.  That helps a lot.  Also, we don't memorize and of the lesson, we just do our best with the language and try to follow the spirit.  And mix in a little english :). Most people understand english pretty well.  It is hard, but it's not too bad :)  And wow, that does sound like a busy day.  A great day too though! thank you for all the work and dedication you put into your calling. You are amazing! I love you too!  

It Is So Cool To See The Spirit Helping The Branch Missionaries As Well

Hello family,

OH MY GOODNESS you guys are hilarious!! Haha i loved the letter so much! haha i just laughed for about 5 minutes straight reading it. That quote was great but i think its wrong...most families are like fudge, but ours is just a bag of nuts! :)

Today has been a wonderful day! we went to a farm and played capture the flag! It was so cool! there were ponds all over and little paths going all around, and surrounded by rice fields.  Ah. It was so pretty!  They made us lunch too, and it was SO good :). Thats one of the many many things i love about being a missionary, is getting to know other missionaries! They're all great:).  I am TIRED today though! But its all good, ill be ready for work tomorrow :).

this week has been great! we got to work with the branch missionaries again this week, and it is soo helpful.  the people we are teaching relate better to the people who live here with them.  Also, it is so cool to see the spirit helping the branch missionaries as well.  The ones we have been working with lately are younger and havent been on missions, so they don't really know the lessons or anything.  They are pretty nervous sometimes, but during the lessons, they are always SO good! They just always seem to know what to say and how to help the people we teach! I love it :).

I finally got to try balut!  And it was pretty good! haha i dont know why people make such a big deal about it. but mine was still pretty young, no feathers or bones haha, so that might make a difference... It pretty much just tasted like a normal egg though haha.  also i had jackfruit for the first time! it is HUGE and is really good!

Yesterday we got to talk in church again!  We speak every second sunday.  Since conference was last week we thought we wouldn't speak this month, but we did! and we found out when they announced it... ahh!! so we only had while they passed the sacrament to prepare, which is quick since the branch is small.  Haha. it was pretty scary, but it went alright!  I think they understood some of it :).  I spoke about the joys of missionary work and how they can be missionaries too.  This work is the best! :)

These people's lives over here are so much different than ours.  Life is hard over here. I have always know i've been very blessed in my life, but i definitely have not really just how blessed i really am. These people are still so happy though! they are amazing. i'm grateful to be living here among them.  count your blessings :)

Goodness I love you all :).  I'm glad you got to spend some time together at the cabin, it sounds like it was a lot of fun!  I can't wait to hear from you again next week!

Love, sister Mortensen 

I Am So Grateful For The Gospel and For This Chance I Have To Give Back A Little

Hey family! 

It sounds like you're all doing great! Soccer sounds as busy as ever, i'm sure thats so fun!  And ali, it sounds like your pretty much recovered from mono! i'm so glad!!  And you got to hike timp finally too!  It really is beautiful up there, i love it.  We'll have to all hike it again when i get back! Jax, thats pretty awesome you finished a 50 mile bike ride, and even right after your soccer game!  Holy moly! How's school going for all of you? I'm sure you're all loving it SO much :). 

So, one of the best things this week was we got to watch conference!! Saturday morning our branch president texted us and said he had the dvds, and we were going to watch it that afternoon and the next day!  We had some lessons we had to reschedule which was kinda a bummer, but it's all good i think.  And we got to watch conference!!  Since it was such short notice, we didn't really get to invite any investigators to conference, so that was kinda a bummer.  We texted everyone we could, but only a couple made it.  It was such a great conference though!!  I think elder Bednar's talk about why we shared the gospel was my favorite.  I also loved Jorg's (haha i can't remember his last name) talk about how to be confident in the Lord's presence.  And also both of President Uchtdorf's talks.  Especially the "Lord, is it I?" one.  Wow.  Thats something I really needed.  I LOVE CONFERENCE haha.  It's the best.

Other than that, the rest of the week was pretty great as well! The b--'s are doing pretty well! They have been really busy so we only got to visit them once this week, on sunday.  They read a little but are still just really busy.  Just one verse a day is what we keep telling them!  We talked to them kinda about what elder bednar talked about in conference.  We talked about how the gospel had blessed our lives SO MUCH, and that we were there to give them some of that joy.  We just want to help them know for themselves! The spirit was strong, and i just hope they can recognize it and feel that it's true! 

The d--'s are as great as ever :).  We took some branch missionaries with us, g-- and m--, and taught about the atonement.  They know it's true, and have SO much faith.  It's amazing to see.  I love them!

We also went with g-- and m-- to see a new investigator we just found named c--.  One day when we were walking to teach the b--'s, it was POURING and we walked some kids home from school under our umbrellas.  One of them was C--'s son, and we stopped and talked to her and set a time to come back and teach! So this was our second time teaching her.  She is doing great!  She got along really well with g-- and m-- and was asking about coming to church with them!  Members are so important, especially for us since we have a hard time understanding sometimes.  The people we teach need friends in the church! Luckily our branch missionaries are pretty great at helping us :).

Mom I love that song! (I Will by Hillary Week).   I remember it from before, and it is so good  :). We can only listen to hymns, but it is a great one for sure :).  Sounds like it was a really great night!

 I am realizing now even more than ever how very blessed I am.  I am SO grateful for all the amazing people I have met in my life, and for the gospel, and for this chance I have to give back a little. I love you so much!

Sis Mortensen

The Holy Ghost Is Amazing! It Really Is The Universal Language.

Hello family! 

Of course it's been a fantastic week, I'm a missionary in the philippines :).  I loved reading your notes from general conference! And I cant wait to watch it! It will be in a few weeks for us, but that's alright. I'm glad you got to see the pictures on facebook! I was hoping she'd post them :). We took Sister Maurer to two of our lessons last week! And then they came to church on sunday with us.  She went to teach the B--'s, the family i told you about last week, and a recent convert family (the D--'s, who are THE BEST).  She doesn't speak any cebuano, but she shared her testimony in english and you could see that they felt the spirit.  The holy ghost is amazing!  It really is the universal language. Which is good, because I've been trying to learn that language all my life! Cebuano is still pretty new to me. It's getting better slowly though! 

Yesterday we had a lesson with the B--'s.  We had planned to start teaching the plan of salvation.  We got there and they had a bunch of questions about the Book of Mormon, so we ended up just explaining more about that.  The spirit was strong, and by the end they seemed excited to read and seemed like they REALLY wanted to understand it all! They are really busy and haven't really read much yet, so we challenged them to read just one verse a day.  Hopefully that will get them reading.  We're super excited to go back and talk to them again!!

One thing that was a bit frustrating this week was we kept getting punted!  There was a day or two when every single one of our teaching appointments fell through.  But we know the Lord is preparing people for us to teach.  we just have to keep talking to everyone we can and keep working! I think we are going to really improve our patience here :).  And there is always some little miracle that keeps us excited and motivates us to keep going.  I am so grateful for that! I know the Lord is blessing us :).

Ah. I love you guys.  I pray for you all the time! Hopefully you can feel my prayers too :).  thank you so much for your love and support :).  I know our Heavenly Father is watching over all of us and blessing us! I love you!!

Sis Mortensen

  

A few more words from Sister Mortensen:

Sorry its so late and that we email at random times.  We usually go to Sogod to email which is a 3 hour bus ride and when we come just depends on what else we need to do.  Today has been great! it's been rainy so it's been cooler today, so thats always nice :).  I'm feeling great!  I missed watching conference with all of you though! we don't get to watch it til maybe 3 weeks later...  Yeah the hot and humid weather takes some getting used to :).  But I don't feel sticky ALL the time anymore, so it's getting better!  there are some air conditioners, and the buses are all open so they're usually cool too.  in sogod we get lunch and buy groceries too.  I can get pretty much anything i need here in sogod, so i don't know what i'll want in the package! definitely the ensign though :)  my area wasn't really hit by the storm too bad, just strong winds and rain mostly.  The food is all really good!  nothing has been the worst yet, but I haven't tried balut yet, so maybe that :). yep the regular email is coming :) it'll be a bit short because of the pictures though. sorry.  washing clothes by hands just takes forever, but its fine haha. The water is in the house, and we have a filter so we can drink it.  But I do need to get going.  It's been great to talk to you though!!

Yeah...Pictures!

Manila MTC

Manila MTC

Sister Kalua-Santiago & Sister Mortensen at Isang Lupi

Zone at Isang Lupi

Habol Habol