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...

Baliw Talaga

Service project with Sister Garcia

Drinking fresh coconut 

study room in the apartment 

 Living room 

kitchen 

My favorite drink!  Unavailable in the Philippines.  Received via packages from Marmee and Mom! 

Palawan Island

Hello family!!

It was another great week in Santa Monica! It was funny...before we came to the internet shop I was thinking that it was just a normal week and I didn't really know what to email about, but then I read in my journal and remembered lots of totally abnormal things happened! Its funny how I just get used to how crazy life is here. Hahaha, some of the awesome adventures this week were... I got to hold a baby alligator! Last pday we went to Bakers Hill and they had one there for us to hold, hehe (: Also, one morning this week I was exercising in our study room and I heard this cat super loud. I looked out the window (which is open and has no screen...yeah not good) and couldn't see anything. Then when I was standing up at the window I heard it from INSIDE our room! I looked and couldn't find it, until it meowed again and I found it INSIDE my carry on bag!! It had probably slept there the whole night... Don't worry, Sister Parina got it out and we shut the window. Hahaha, oh my. Another crazy part of this week was the rain! It rained SO MUCH. On Thursday when we went out to work, it was raining so hard my umbrella didn't do anything, and my dress was entirely soaked before we even got to our first appointment. Its okay, though, I'm still new and so I still just laugh and laugh and it doesn't really bother me. What was a little yucky though was our bathrooms flooded. All the gunk from the drains came up and it was pretty gross. It smelled really nasty, but luckily it was gone the next morning and we cleaned it all up. Life is crazy!!

As far as our lessons go this week..This week was a little slower as Sister Parina has experienced some health aches and pains, but I still feel that I am growing and learning so much. One thing that we as a zone and as a companionship have been working on is finding new investigators. So this week, I was really trying to do my very best to talk to EVERYONE and pray that we could find people who were prepared for us. All week, though, it seemed like nobody wanted to listen! One day we had set apart 2 hours just for finding, and it POURED during those 2 hours and we weren't able to find anyone. It was then proving to be more difficult to find new investigators as we could not work all of our hours each day because of Sister Parina's aches and pains. Yesteryday, after conference we only had a few hours to work. I wanted so badly for us to reach our goal to find new investigators this week but it did not look like it was going to happen. Then, however, a miracle happened!! Heavenly Father provided 5 women who were SO ready to let us in and hear the gospel. One group even stopped us and invited us in! It truly was such a blessing. I know that Heavenly Father knew the desires of our hearts to find new investigators. Even when I thought it would be impossible to reach our goal, He provided a way. I am so thankful for goals and for learning lessons on the blessings of faith, hard work, and diligence. We also had some great lessons with our recent converts and also with Sister Rose, our newest progressing investigator! She even invited us to stay one day for her son's 1st birthday party which was interesting and lots of fun.

General Conference was so awesome! Seriously for missionaries Conference is like Christmas. I learned so much and was so reenergized to keep working hard and working to be better! My favorite talks were Elder Holland, of course, Elder Christofferson, and Elder Bednar! I actually would love it if you could attach Elder Bednar's talk to my blog. I really am here in the Philippines to share the happiness that the gospel has brought to my life! (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/come-and-see?lang=eng)

Sister Garcia got transferred out this week and we got a new kabahay! Her name is sister Delaitabuna from Fiji and I LOVE HER! Oh man, she is the sweetest and we have so much fun. I'm definitely so thankful that Heavenly Father sent me her as a friend here (: Also, Sister Garcia left me some of her clothes.  Score!

I've included the pictures of the apartment you requested! This is our study room, our kitchen and our living area...our room is big and has bunk beds..not really much to see there. All 4 of us girls sleep in one room together.  We have 2 bathrooms but only 1 has a water heater so we all shower there.

I love you so much! I'm going to try to attach pictures, so say a prayer they don't get erased! ALSO I almost forgot.. another MIRACLE.. last week after I left email all my pictures were erased off of my camera. But I was patient and tried really hard to not make my companion feel bad, and guess what?! Later that day I looked at my camera again and all of the pictures were BACK! Seriously, I don't know how it happened. But maybe Heavenly Father wanted to test me and see how I would treat my companion for being the one who lost my pictures. Apparently I did okay because he gave them all back! 

xoxoxo 

Sister Lockwood

ps. baliw talaga means really crazy

Happy Happy Happy!

Hello Family!

First of all, let me tell you how thankful I am for you! It means so much that every Monday I know that I'm going to have emails from you and that you still care about me and think about me so much. This week was AWESOME. We had Zone Conference this week, and we have some really amazing new investigators! At zone conference I got your package and Marmee's package! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Seriously, it made me so happy! The Dove chocolate is much appreciated by me and the entire apartment (; I already drank one dr.pepper, and I'm saving the other for a rainy day...hehe, good thing everyday is a rainy day (; But they didn't explode! Holla! The socks are perfect and so is everything else you sent! You are the GREATEST! I also got 2 letters from you, (one of which is for my bday) and 4 letters from Grandpa! So so sweet (:

At Zone Conference, I had an interview with President Ostler! It went super well. I love him so much. He was so kind and encouraging to me. He expressed how good he feels about me as a missionary, and he said that even though I may not always feel like it, I am doing exceptionally well. After the conference, Sister Ostler also thanked me for my great attitude. It was really nice to get some positive feedback from them (: 

At Zone Conference I learned so much, but a couple things really stick out. One is the importance of Family History work! President talked about how often we separate missionary work and temple work, but we are all a part of one great work. There is a big push to help get our recent converts to the temple, and to help them start doing their own family history work. He said that as we bring our investigators to the church and then to the temple, we are able to help thousands of their ancestors. Our work really is so amazing! He shared an experience he had at the temple, and said that he can feel the ancestors of the people we are teaching helping move the work here in the Philippines so that they can receive saving ordinances as well. This is the work of exaltation, not just salvation! He also encouraged us to get our pedigree chart...which I did not bring with me... So I don't know how difficult it would be for you to try and get that for me. We also got these books that we fill out with information about our parents and grandparents to help us really catch the spirit of Elijah! He defined the spirit of Elijah as the manifestation of the Holy Ghost of the divine nature of the family. I love my family so much, and we need the rest of our family sealed in with us! Even those we don't know. 

He also gave a really great talk on communication, that you would have loved Mom. It was such an answer to prayer because I have been praying and praying to know how to better communicate with Sister Parina. He first talked about the importance of listening and understanding. He encouraged us to use phrases like "Help me understand" and "So if I am understanding you correctly". He asked us to really try to understand how our companion feels first before we speak. He said that we have 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason! Listen twice as much as your speak. I also loved that he said that its so important to share your feelings, too! We need to tell our companions how we feel, and how their actions make us feel. For me, this was so good because sometimes I tend to zone out and shut down when I receive correction, but I really need to be humble and listen.  But I also need to communicate my feelings! Sometimes I just let things go when I really should talk about them. So good for me to hear.

One last quote I loved was "Adversity is mandatory. Misery is optional."

Okay,now about our AWESOME NEW INVESTIGATORS! There are so many amazing people we work with, I never get to tell you about them all. But Benjie, is a recent convert who was baptized before I got here. He lives in a compound with a strong member family and also some other investigators of ours like Phillip.  Anyways, Benjie has a friend who he brought to church last Sunday who we were able to teach who was SO prepared for us! His name is Rafael Ethan, and he became friends with Benjie because they play basketball together and he noticed that unlike all the other players, Benjie never swore. So we taught him this week and he is so receptive! He is really smart and really good at English, too. But don't worry I still try to only speak Tagalog. He came to church again on Sunday!! I am so so thankful that Heavenly Father is trusting me with his children who are really prepared.

Also relating to Benjie, we go to his home to eat a lot. He lives on a farm with the Magvanua family (people here live together even when they aren't related...it gets really confusing because like 5 different families all live on this farm in just a couple houses) and they always feed us really yummy fish (: We actually just taught a family home evening at their home last night! There were like 30 people there, and it was such a blast. Philippinos are the greatest people and so so much fun to be around. 

Another new investigator we have is Himaya! Her mom is a baptist preacher but she had lots of questions and is also so prepared! Like Ethan, she is the friend of a member in our branch. I'll keep you updated on her!

AND this week we were able to do something really amazing for the Bascongada Family! Their daughter Yen Yen has CP really bad, and so Elvie Bascongada (nanay) has to carry her around everywhere. She is almost 3 years old, and is getting just too big. So, with the help of the Hiatt's, we were able to team up with a non profit organization and get her fitted for a wheel chair and help train Nanay of how to calm Yen Yen's muscles down. We are going with her again this week to the wheel chair place just down the street from us. What a miracle and blessing for their family! I am hoping that it will soften the dad's heart, Angelito Bascongada, who is not yet a member. Other people you can keep in your prayers are Cherry and Leo! (: 

The last really awesome part of this week was the Community Service project we did! It was at a fish farm and was SO BEAUTIFUL! It was like an hour away from Santa Monica, and we worked to weed all around this house seriously smack in the middle of the jungle. We saw crazy huge spiders and ate coconuts straight off the tree.  It was a blast and we were also really able to help this family who drive an hour to church and back each week. The faith of the members here is amazing.

Well I love you so much! I am so happy here!! I hope you all are happy, too!
xoxo

Sister Lockwood

i just let my companion use my camera and her computer had a virus and it deleted all my pictures. Luckily, last week I had put all the ones onto a flash drive.. definitely a tender mercy. But I lost all the pictures that I took this week at the CSP ): Sad day. I'm learning patience. I had so many I wanted to send too! ); Lame. I don't know what I'm gonna do when it comes to future pictures. We aren't really seeing Julieta anymore... she keeps telling us that she has to work even though we come back and she's still there. (people here never just say I'm not interested... they just come up with lies or say I'm busy) We are still seeing Myra though!! I LOVE HER!! I gave her my blue necklace and she was soooo happy.

Mom, sometimes I think about you serving in Paraguay! Like how you said the people didn't have doors so you wouldn't knock, but clap. Here we say "Tao po" Until they come outside, hahaha... it translates to "people."

Filipina Ako!

Eating fish head!

Jasper's baptism 

Tatay Rogelio's baptism 

On the beach of Palawan

Hello Family!

Filipina Ako means I am a Filipina! I have been starting to jokingly tell this to people when they ask me where I'm from and they always laugh. I really am becoming more and more like a Filipino though! Last night Nanay Montillia fed us dinner, which was dried fish, and I ate it all with my hands, just like the pro Filipino that I am. She was quite impressed, and Sister Parina told me that I'm her only American companion who knows how to eat fish! I also ate the fish head! Yes, like the eyes, mouth and teeth...the head. It actually wasn't that bad. Nay Montillia was way impressed and agrees that I am a Filipina (; 

This week was so amazing! Have I mentioned that I am the luckiest sister missionary in the whole world? If not, I totally am. This week I went on exchanges with the Sister Training Leader, Sister Cooper.  She's from Utah and we went to her area, which is in Puerto Princessa.  I'm assigned in Santa Monica, which in our 1 little branch we have 8 missionaries.. 4 sisters (my apartment) and 4 elders (which is our district). Our branch and the STL's branch are the only 2 branches on Palawan that have sisters in them. And their branch is city! Unlike Santa Monica, which is a lot of jungle and dirt roads and right on the beautiful ocean, their area is a lot like Manila with concrete everywhere.  Also, our apartment is like 100 times nicer than theirs! When I was there, her kabahays (roommates) told me that I live in the nicest apartment in the mission! Whaaaaat! Its so true though, their apartment has rats and frogs and is way smaller. It was kind of fun showering with the frogs though, lol. Basically, I just can't get over how LUCKY I am!! I got put in the only branch in the whole mission that is not city and is so beautiful AND the best apartment. I AM SO THANKFUL!!! Every night when I pray, I just thank Heavenly Father for giving me this amazing opportunity and letting me be in Santa Monica. I am so happy!! 

This week was also amazing because Tatay Rogelio and Jasper were baptized!! Tatay is like 80 years old, and his younger brother (probably 70) who has been a member of the church for a long time, baptized him. There is literally nothing cuter than an old Filipino man getting baptized by another old Filipino man. Ah, I love them so much!! We started reteaching him on Sunday night, and when we asked him to read a scripture and he started looking for it with his Book of Mormon upside down, with his cute glasses on, I laughed and was just so filled with love for him. I never knew it was possible to love an old Filipino man so much, but it totally is.  I was the pianist for 2 baptisms this week!  Both Tatay Rogelio's and Jasper's AND when I went on splits, for a baptism in their branch.. I'm doing pretty well but definitely wishing I would have practiced more in my younger days.

We did experience a little bit of opposition this week, we are teaching a girl named Cherry and her cousin Leo, and they live in the same apartment type of thing as the Bascongadas (the recent converts/nonmember family we work with a lot). Well on Sunday when we went to pick Cherry and Leo up for church, I guess the Baptist pastor who owns the apartments and lives in the front house, said that we weren't allowed to come back! When Nanay Bascongada told Sister Parina this, Sister Parina was like (in Tagalog) "Well we are called of God, and representatives of Jesus Christ to share His gospel, so we are going to keep coming back." Ah, she is so hilarious sometimes.  So I guess we're gonna keep going back! 

Life is so great here! We will watch General Conference at the Malvar chapel one week late. I'm not sure if we'll get to watch the Women's Meeting but I really hope we can!! This week we have zone conference on Wednesday which I am way pumped for. 

 Sister Garcia ordered pizza this week! Ah IT WAS THE GREATEST DAY EVERRRRRR! For her, it doesn't charge her card to make direct purchases, only at ATMs.. Anyway, I probably will do something like that and put it on my debit card for my birthday. Also, I want to send a Christmas package home! Are there things here you or anyone else in the family want? Let me know!! 

Oh, guess what I learned this week?  The Church has only been on Palawan for 18 years! THATS YOUNGER THAN ME! How nuts is that??! I have such a huge responsibility here to help strengthen my branch and ward. The church in the Philippines spreads so fast. The work really is hastening and I am SO lucky to be a part of it! 

This week I also started studying in the New Testament, and I am just so thankful for this opportunity that I have to really come to know Jesus Christ better. In his life, He taught so much about missionary work, and that is what He did His whole life. I really am trying to understand His will for me, and come to know Him in this precious time I have here in the Philippines.

I love you all so so so so so much!!! 

Be happy!!

xoxoxoxo 

Sister Lockwood

Here are some of Kayla's answers to my questions...

Yes, we order pizza on the phone.

I can exchange money at the pawn shop without having to buy anything.

We eat with members of the church about once a week, usually with Nanay Montilia and the branch president...last week with the Relief Society President too.

I have not seen any live snakes..I HAVE seen rats..gross. The dogs still chase me but I'm really not scared anymore.  I read your "open on first baptism" card and pictured you hugging me and smelling my hair and squealing with excitement with me. 

I got a card from Mom and 2 letters from Grandpa this week.

I Love Palawan!

 At President Hiatt's house

On the way to Zone Meeting

Living in the jungle! 

Coke in a bag 

Loving my companion!

Hello Family!

Wow! Today has been nuts, no suprise there! We are at our 3rd internet shop attempting to connect to myldsmail and it FINALLY worked! Hallelujah! I really am learning patience haaha.  I love hearing about you and am so glad you are doing well! 

This week flew by, and it was another awesome week! It means so much to me that you are praying for my investigators (: Sadly, one thing that I am learning is that a lot of times we will meet people and teach them and they will seem so excited about it and accept baptismal dates! But then...they won't ever come to church ): Its really hard to teach 30+ lessons every week, and then only have about 2 investigators at church on Sundays. But, I am trying to remember that Jesus Christ taught people who didn't even listen to Him, or keep the commitments He gave them.  And, the investigators that are progressing really make all the work worth it! This week we have 2 baptisms! Jasper, is 9, and his family was recently reactivated. He is so smart!! I have totally loved teaching him.  The other is Tatay Rogelio who is probably 80 years old. He is the cutest old man! He is in a part member family.  His first language actually isn't Tagalog, so its been crazy trying to communicate with him, but I love it.  They both come to church every Sunday! As for our other investigators, Myra is still progressing.  We are teaching her how to read! That's been so much fun this week. There was actually a super interesting/funny thing that happened with her... After one of the lessons she was talking to Sister Parina in Tagalog I couldn't understand... But she pointed at me a couple times and said "kaibigan" which means friend.  Sister Parina looked at me and said, "She really likes you Sis".  And after some more she said, "She wants to be your best friend".  I was so touched! I have been praying and praying that I will be able to connect with my investigators despite the language barrier, and this really answered my prayers!  Haha, here's the funny part though.  She continued to say more in Tagalog and then gave me a pair of her earrings! She really has so little, and so I was so amazed that she would give me them! Then...Sister Parina looked at me and said "She wants a rememberance of you." And Joy, the member who was with us said "She wants your necklace." I looked down and saw the heart necklace Marmee gave me and was shocked! What was I supposed to do??! Don't worry, I didn't give it to her, but I told her I would bring her something next lesson.  Even though I'm pretty sure it's just because I'm American, it means so much to me that Myra loves me! As for my other investigators, keep praying for the Bascongada Family and pray that we can find people who are ready to PROGRESS and COME TO CHURCH! Hehe (:

Some other things that are funny... We get our laundry done on Tuesday, and since its rainy season it literally will take 5 days for all of it to dry sometimes. Cooking has been kind of a nightmare lol...If there's one thing I wish I would have prepared better for it is cooking! One day this week I was trying to make meatloaf from a can (gross, I know) and I ended up hardcore burning it, getting it stuck all over the pan and broken up into little peices, and then it smoking up our whole kitchen! AND I burned myself with the oil in the process! It was quite embarassing, especially since the other sisters are really good at cooking, but its okay! I'm learning and getting better every day (: I'm basicaly a pro at Ramen and scrambled eggs, and heating up beans in hot water hahaha. And of course peanut butter and jelly, and when I'm feeling adventurous chicken curry!

I got a card from Dad this week and it said "Fun is a Requirement!" I love that! It was so good for me to remember to have fun every day! To laugh with Sister Parina and look for fun things around me all the time.  I really am so happy and this crazy life that I'm living really is a blast.

We also had zone meeting this week.  We did a practice teaching in Tagalog, and we taught 2 Elders that are older in the mission. I was nervous, but afterwords they told me that they couldn't believe I'm only in my first transfer! They said that I am way better than they were, and really complimented me. This was SO GOOD to hear! Somedays I just feel like I'm awful, but when other missionaries tell me things like that it makes me so happy.

Some other random things... the stars at night here are BEAUTIFUL! In one part of our area it gets really dark at night, and I just stare up at the sky. I LOVE IT! Also, Palawan is a jungle. This week when we helped spread the word about immunizations again, I literally felt like I was treking through a jungle. It's awesome. There are frogs that sound like cows that are everywhere, fruit growing on every tree, an occasional dead snake in the road, and ants that crawl over everything all the time (meaning even our kitchen table...).

Oh I almost forgot!! We have a Japanese investigator!! Her name is Natsuko and I LOVE HER! She is the cutest and has 2 adorable kids. I get to teach her in English which is the greatest thing ever.  And there is an Elder that was able to come with us this week who speaks Japanese. We also watched the restoration in Japanese with her this week. Fun!

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

xoxo Mahal Kita!

Sister Lockwood

Strength Beyond My Own

Waiting at the dentist with Sister Garcia

Hello family! 

Today has been totally crazy! I am sending this email from an ipad in President and Sister Hiatt's home. (They are the member of the mission presidency that live here on Palawan.) There was a big brown out (power outage) and so none of the Internet shops had power! Luckily, we were with them because Sister Parina had to go to the dentist this morning, so they let us come to their house! So if there's ever a Monday you don't hear from me, don't panic because power outages happen here all the time. They also took us to MacDough for lunch so it's been a really good day (: 

This week flew! It was a fun week and we worked really hard. Mayra came to church! It's funny, every Sunday we just hope and pray and wait to see which of our investigators decide to come. Julieta went out of town, but I'm really hoping she comes next week. She is amazing! She told us that she has been reading and praying everyday, and when her neighbors told her to stay away from us that she stood up for the Book of Mormon and told him that she knows it is true!! One of my favorite parts about teaching her is that all of the kids from her little neighborhood on the water run and come in when they hear us singing the opening song! Each lesson we teach like 10 little children with her. They are the CUTEST! I started keeping candy with me to give to them when we teach (: Another family you can keep in your prayers is the Bascongada family. The mom and son are recent converts and so amazing. They always come to church and they have a little girl with servere CP (I think) who I love so much. Their dad, tatay Rogelio, is who we are teaching. He works all the time to support his family and is the kindest man. It's just hard for him to find time off of work to come to church.

Let's see... This week I learned so much during my personal study!! I read the talk by Elder Bednar from conference.."Bear up their Burdens that they may be Light." It helped me remember that Jesus Christ is strengthening me EVERYDAY. I really have had such a smooth transition here, and I know that it is the Atonement that is giving me strength. 1st Nephi 21:16 was also encouraging. All of my walls that I have in front of me, the Savior has in front of Him as well and he will help me tear them down. Going along with that I read "The 4th Missionary" by Lawrence Corbridge. It taught me to align my will and desires with the Lord's will and desires. By changing my will to His, I truely YOKE myself with Jesus Christ and become stronger and happier. This talk came as an answer to my prayers. Last P-Day TJ had told me that BYU beat Texas 41-7.. GO COUGARS! I was obviously thrilled, but the next day I found myself thinking about all that is happening in Provo and the games I'm missing out on... It was hard not to wish that my freshman year wasn't already behind me! So that night I prayed to Heavenly Father to help me to not miss BYU and to really be able to lose myself here. The next morning was when I came across that talk. I realized that I needed to change my desires to Gods desires. The only thing I have to give Heavenly Father that he doesn't already have is my heart and my will. So that is what I'm doing! Every day I pray that my desires can align with his desires. I've been trying to spend every minute of the day thinking about my companion, the people we're teaching, the scriptures, and LEARNING TAGALOG! Just by really immersing every minute I have in the work has already helped me be happier and not think about what I'm missing at home. By doing this, I am becoming more and more yoked with Jesus Christ and so much stronger.

Some funny things this week.... On our morning walk a man saw me and started walking towards me singing "That girl is on fire." hahaha! I died. Also, the fruit here is crazy and so yummy! I eat Mangos all the time and eat this fruit called Ram-Butan that is so delicious and crazy looking. This week we also helped with free immunizations, and every Friday I help teach an English class! 

Don't worry about my birthday!! Nanay Montillia asked me when my birthday was this week and is already planning to have a party with me (: When you do send a package though, you can send Munchies, bugspray, and those hair pills. (There is so much hair all over our apartment from how much hair the other sisters lose).

I love you so much!!! Xoxoxo

Sister Lockwood

Kayla is in Puerto Princesa

The Church in Puerto Princesa where Kayla attends.

Adventures in Santa Monica!

Family!!

Hello! So to start off, let me say the computer i am using to email you is the worst! Every time i type the letter "I" by using the shift button, something pops up and i have to X it out. SO, obviously Heavenly Father is trying to teach me that i need to talk about I LESS. Haha, so that's why all of my i's are going to be lowercase.

Anyways, first let me tell you about some of the crazy awesome things about Palawan, then i want to tell you about the awesome people we are teaching!!!

Let's see...it rains here everyday and so it is super muddy. Apparently, in Manila it floods a lot and they can't work, but luckily for us it doesn't flood it just gets way muddy.  It reminds me a lot of the trek we went on.  We walk through mud puddles, and sometimes when i walk my shoes get stuck in the mud and i pull out my foot with no shoe! Haha, its so fun though.  Every day at the end of the day my legs are so gross and muddy and i just laugh. Luckily i only fell in the mud once this week! And a really nice lady helped me clean off my legs. (: What else... there are animals everywhere!! Dogs, chickens, roosters, lizards, cows, pigs, cats, you name it.  The roosters wake me up every morning, and throughout my whole day i hear again and again "cockadoodledoo!!". Its great. Some adventures with the animals this week... while we were teaching, a lizard fell off of the ceiling onto my nanay! i jumped up and screamed, while she stayed completely calm and just brushed it off of her.  The members we were teaching got a good laugh out of that hahaha. There are always tons of lizards on the ceilings of people's home where we teach.  THE DOGS. Oh my heavens, that has probably been the biggest challenge because they chase me!! There was one imparticularly scary experience with the dogs... When my nanay and i were exploring our new area we went down by the water and found ourselves at a dead end, met by 2 big scary dogs.  The began barking and running towards us, and when we turned around we were met by like 5 more dogs all barking and running towards us!!! Ah, it was really awful. Luckily, Heavenly Father blessed us with a man who came out and scared all of the dogs away for us.  The next morning when we were walking a dog started running towards me and i got frightened and hid behind Sister Parina. She told me, "don't let them know you're afraid, Sis." That really hit me and i've thought about that a lot! Since that day, when i pass the dogs i walk tall and get out my umbrella and act like they don't scare me at all. A lot less dogs have been chasing us now!! i think that that advice applies to my whole mission. Even when things scare me, i need to stand tall and not let anyone know i'm afraid.  Like the scripture in 2 Kings says, "Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them."  That is a scripture that helps me remember that i never need to be afraid or back down to anything that tries to scare me while i'm here! 

We also found some cockroaches in our apartment this week..but i can honestly say i think i have overcome my fear of them!!

There are so many adventures like that every day here...and im loving it! Everything that i imagined would be so hard i am turning into just one great big fun adventure (: 

Now for the good part, the people we are teaching!! My favorite sister that we are teaching is named Julieta.  We just found her last week and taught her a lesson, but this week we returned and she had been reading and praying and was so excited when we came back to her house! Her eyes lit up and she had questions for us and i was SO HAPPY! Teaching someone who you know is really listening and feeling the spirit is the best feeling. Pray she comes to church next week! Another amazing sister we are teaching is named Mayra.  She is muslim, and was forced into a marriage at the age of 14 to get money for her sick father.  Her husband was abusive and she ran away and ended up in Santa Monica.  She is 19 now and she is a fireball! She is really receptive to everything we are teaching her.. She is such a joy to teach because we get to be the ones to tell her that Jesus Christ lived and died for her and that she has a Father in Heaven who lives and knows her perfectly! Teaching those without a Christain background is really amazing.

President Ardern also came to speak to us this week! He is an amazing teacher and really inspired me to be the best teacher i know how to be.  President and Sister Ostler spake to us and it was really really good for me. Sister Ostler talked about how we are like a baby and He is like our parent.  Parents rejoice when their babies learn how to sit up! They clap and smile and wait for them to be able to roll over.  Then when they're ready, they start helping them learn how to crawl and then walk.  But when the baby takes a step and then falls the parents don't get angry.. they say "oh, get up and try again! you can do it!" Then when the baby finally takes one step, its the happiest moment!! As children of our Heavenly Father we are the same way.  We will continue to try to take a step but then fall, and fall again. But every time we fall He is reaching out to us to try again and take a step towards Him. I loved her talk so much and have really been trying to speak to myself the way Heavenly Father would speak to me.  So when i continue and continue to struggle with the language, i tell myself positive things and try to remember that Heavenly Father is always always smiling down on me and encouraging me to try again,.

i love you all so much! i hope that everything is well and that you never forget just how precious you are to our Heavenly Father!

Mahal Kita

xoxo

Sister Lockwood

PS. Another funny story- apparently people don't really say mahal kita to other girls here... and this week a member missionary had been teaching with us, and as she was getting off the Jeepney full of people i yelled "mahal kita!' And everyone on the Jeepney turned and stared and my kasama just died laughing.  So im pretty sure everyone on the jeepney was way confused because thats only something you say romantically hahahaha

PSS One more fun story! i had a small melt down during language study this week because i was so overwhelmed and frustrated with my tagalog...but after language study i went into the kitchen to make myself lunch and the neighbors were playing Michael Jackson really loud where it was playing clearly in our kitchen.  i had a small jam sesh by myself and felt much better. Some may call that breaking the rules...i call it a tender mercy (;

MAHAL KITA XOXO

the computer is so lame and wont let me send pictures!! boo!!

To answer some of your questions...
There are lots of mosquitos but I put on bug spray everyday so they aren't too bad.  There is a piano at church.  The other American in my apartment is from Utah.  i will get mail from the zone leaders once a transfer (every 6 weeks).

i prayed really hard that this one picture would send because i have to prove to you i'm over my fear of roaches!  (i didn't actually eat it.)  Tell J that i got another letter today from her kids this week and i am sending them letters today!

i didn't really eat it but I'm no longer afraid of them!

These pictures are from the mission blog.  This is Kayla at a Zone Conference.