Learning to Surf!

Hello from Palawan!

Life is still so wonderful here! I am learning and growing SO MUCH and always having a ton of fun.

Of course, it wouldn't be another week here in Santa Monica without new adventures and crazy stories to tell you. Some of this week's were.... I ate squid! Sister Parina made some for me and it's actually super delicious! Weird, I know. Another really hilarious thing that happened.. we were teaching Rose, one of our investigators who is really starting to progress...yay! And she lives in a bamboo house that has 2 levels.. and the bottom is just a dirt floor, and over top is her room. And so we were teaching her on the bottom level, and in the middle of the lesson PEE started FALLING FROM THE CEILING literally RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! Rose's husband had to use the restroom apparently! And the pee landed on Rose's flip flop! Hahahaha... the most hilarious part of it though is that nobody seemed to be phased by it except me. Hahaha...Sister Parina just kept talking about pananampalataya and Rose listened and didn't say anything. lolol,. so great. And the last adventure...I guess you could call it. I got in the shower Saturday night and found a friend.. cockroach. I really have been overcoming my fear of them! But there's something about being in the shower with a cockroach that is just so scary. So naturally I screamed and ran out yelling "Nanayyy!!!" Sister Parina came and helped me kill it (; There are many reasons we wear shower shoes here! Haha.. I love life.

This week, we taught our Japanese investigator Natsuko and the lesson was SO AMAZING. She is my FAVORITE to teach because first I get to teach in English...and second because she has so so many questions. We are helping her come to understand the life of Jesus Christ and His atonement. We pointed her to mormon.org in Japanese and she is so excited to get her questions answers there! (She had ran into some not so reliable online sources..) I felt the spirit so strongly as I bore my testimony to her. I hope and pray that she will really be able to get the answer she needs from Heavenly Father! This week we are going to her house to do service which should be really great. We also happen to have a Sister in our branch who can speak japanese which is such a miracle and tender mercy., so she comes with us to help translate... Tagalog, English, Japanese. Those lessons are really a hoot.

This week I was really focused on diligence and obedience. I tried to really work hard everyday and have faith that Heavenly Father would continue to bless us with people ready to receive the gospel, and also that He would help my investigators come to church. However, on Sunday, nobody came to church! I was so sad and disappointed. I came home from church just feeling defeated and wondering why nobody came even though we taught so many amazing lessons and even though we worked really hard. After lunch, I went and laid down on my bed and just started to cry. I just wanted to take a nap rather than start my studies. Just as I did though, I was reminded of all of the scriptures President Ostler gave to us at zone conference to read when we were feeling ready to give up, and also a note that Mom had given to me to read when I felt discouraged. I pulled myself out of bed and prayed and sat at my desk to study those things. What a blessing! All of the scriptures President Ostler had given in D&C...D&C 58:2-4 101:16 and 123:17 had the same theme- Be still and trust in God. All flesh is in HIS hands. Do all you can, and then don't worry about the rest. I felt such comfort and was reminded that all of my investigators who weren't able to come to church are really in God's hands and I had done all I can. In the note from Mom, it said "She who wins the race is the one who picks herself up one more time than she falls." Just because nobody came to church doesn't mean that I failed! It means that I can just pick myself up and try again for next Sunday.
I also read in Hebrews 6:10-20. Heavenly Father recognizes all of my work and my labor. Blessings will come, but I have to be diligent and patient in waiting for those blessings. Now is the time that I REALLY can show Heavenly Father my faith and hope. Am I going to be discouraged? No, I am going to try harder and have faith in Him! I know that as I do all I can, He will take care of the rest.
Sister Parina told me that this would not be the last Sunday that nobody comes to church, that my whole mission would have days like that one. It is those days that I am reminded how much Heavenly Father is helping me grow. Despite the fact that sometimes those I teach will choose not to let the gospel really change them, this gospel and this mission is really really changing me, and for that I am so thankful.
The cover of the card mom had left for me said "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf." That's what I'm doing! I can't stop the roaches, the mosquitoes, the heat, or even the investigators who don't keep they're commitments, but I can learn to surf. I am learning SO MUCH. I am so thankful to be here.

I love you all so much! Have a great week!

xoxoxo

Sister Lockwood

ps. This week I used my debit card to buy pizza! This week you'll have to look

and tell me how much it really charged! I wanted to practice before my
birthday (;
Also, for the Christmas if you could include hydrocortizone anti itch
cream... J had put some in my first aid kit and I use it a lot.  I have 59 mosquito bites just on my legs.  I'm learning to practice self mastery and not scratch them.

boo, my pictures won't upload!  The computers here are so sketch.  Lame!! I will hopefully be able to send pictures next week.

Today, all the internet turned off for 10 minutes in this internet shop and we had to move computers. 

I have taken the liberty of including some photos off of the mission  blog.  They don't include Kayla but give you a glimpse of the culture...