I love you!

Sister Princess, my temporary companion from Palawan 

20 candles in 1 piece of cake! 

My "Anak," Sister Teo 

Nanay Montila on her "motor" that she rides everywhere 

Sister Teo, my greenie, from Singapore

Dear Family,

HELLO! So GUESS WHAT! I turned 20 this week and had a baby! She is from Singapore! Her name is Sister Teo (funny huh). Nope, she does not speak Tagalog either so life is a pretty big adventure right now! She actually went to BYU last year and we met in the Cannon Center!! (Perks of being the cashier.) (That also happened in the MTC too...Some Elder from across the gym yelled "Hey! You worked at the Cannon Center!" hahahaha) But how fun/cool is that?! Such a small world. She is so cute and kind and we are already really great friends. She's really hard working and enthusiastic too which is making my life as a trainer so easy. Life is awesome!!  On funny thing- now I am the one protecting Sister Teo against the dogs! Haha, I am so thankful for Sister Parina who taught me how to be a Filipina! You can look her up on Facebook Kimberly Teo... we're friends actually! She read my blog before she came out. How crazy is that?! She has a blog sisterkimberlyteo.blogspot.com is her blog! Now you'll have 2 to read!!

Guess what! I DID get the birthday box!! My anak brought it with her!!! How awesome is that?! So you had no reason to be sad!! YOU ARE THE BEST! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR THE SCRIPTURES!!! They weigh so much less and it is the best. Also the wrapping and everything was the cutest and the chocolate was exactly what I needed. It was such a great day! I woke up and there was a sign in the kitchen for me from Sister Delaitubuna, and then that day Nanay Montilla and Jennic both gave me cards and a little gift which was SO sweet. Princess also left me a card taped to the top of the bunk bed when I went to bed. And my anak bought me a piece of cake and so we celebrated! I blew out 20 candles, and she blew out 1 for surviving her first day in the field (: And we also made pancakes for breakfast and then ate macoroni and cheese for dinner. And I had also saved the DP for my birthday from your last package, so it was a really really great birthday!!! It was probably one of the best birthdays because I wasn't expecting anything and I wasn't thinking about myself at all. Most birthdays I like kind of expect to celebrate and expect to have gifts and things so this day was so extra special because every act of kindness and gift meant SO much.

This week we had some really great lessons, as always. Nobody came to church ): So on Sunday I was feeling down and discouraged again. Its like all week all of these people tell me they're gonna come to church and I always believe them! I get so excited and I just pour my whole heart into them and pray for them and then when Sunday comes, I sit in the chapel and wait and wait, and every time the door opens I get excited...then wala. Its hard! But-the great thing is is that the work never stops! So as soon as I go out and work Sunday afternoon, and another person tells me they'll go to church next Sunday, I forget all about the past Sunday and get excited for the next (: 

We are really really focusing on less active members. We have so many and our branch is really working together to bring these people back. You can pray for Nancy, Sister Chua, the Costodio Family and OE and IO too.  They are the less actives we're really focusing on.

We also found a GOLDEN investigator this week! We extended a baptismal date, and she's SO ready. She's been to church twice, everything is perfect. But then, there's a rule here that if you're below 18 you have to go to church for 6 months before you can get baptized. So, in 6 months she will be somebody else's golden investigator that get to baptize her (; lolol, its okay though! Her name is Jing Jing and I love her (: 

Yeah so that's life right now!! I love it! My favorite scripture this week is Ether 12:27 (in the Book of Mormon). Some days this week I felt really inadequate. I just finished my training, sometimes I still can't understand people, or say what I want to say, and now I'm training someone who is still learning to say really simple things. It can be hard! I think Satan knows that I am nervous sometimes so he can get to me in that way. BUT I KNOW that Heavenly Father knows I can do this! He knows me and He called me to train! He believes in me and He trusts me! He knows I can do this and that is all I need to know. He gave me the weaknesses I have so that I will be humble and rely on Him. But with Him, I really can do anything that He needs me to do.

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING MY BIRTHDAY THE BEST FROM ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE WORLD!!! I cried at 9 AM my time when i knew you were singing to me....

Pray for Sister Teo and have a happy Thanksgiving!! Don't worry, its still August in my brain so I am not even sad that I am not with everyone!! 

xoxoxoxo have a great week!!!

Sister Lockwood

I'm gonna be a Nanay!

The Sisters on Palawan Island

Dear Family,

This week has been SO GREAT! Seriously, probably the best week on my

mission thus far. I have been working with Princess, who is a branch

missionary but she has been my full time companion. She actually just

decided on Monday that she is going to start her papers, and then on

Tuesday we called her to be my companion! She is so sweet and it has been

awesome working with her because she lives here and so knows the area

and people really well and obviously..Tagalog. It was also the

greatest week because our investigator, Aiza, and 2 less active members came to

church!! The joy that filled me up on Sunday morning was something I

can't even explain. After working so hard to be obedient and always

committing people to come to church, to finally see them progress was

so rewarding.

But, the biggest news of the week, I'm gonna be a Nanay!! (That means train a brand new missionary.)  President Ostler called me on Wednesday night to train a new missionary! So this Wednesday, I will officially have an Anak! (Anak literally means child but means I will have my own “Greenie” from the MTC.) I am SO excited!! When my

trainer, Sister Parina left me, it was so stressful and I felt so overwhelmed, but I can now see clearly that Heavenly Father was having me lead the area for these 2 weeks to prepare me to train! Heavenly

Father always knows what He is doing even we can't understand. One of the highlights of this week was our lesson with Sonia. She is a Less Active that we talked about in Branch Council that I didn’t know

lived in my area. We visited her last night, and it was such a sweet experience.  We connected really quickly and she told us all about her children and her life.  Then she opened up to us about what she has

been struggling with and how badly she just wants for her family to be sealed in the temple. She was speaking so quickly in Tagalog, I couldn't understand everything she was saying, but as she began to

cry, to my surprise, I began to cry with her. I was filled with an indescribable connection and love and care for her. Being a missionary is so rewarding in lessons like that. The Holy Ghost is so powerful

and I feel so lucky to be blessed with love for the people in my area. She committed to come back to church, so keep Sonia in your prayers! The internet is really horrible today so this is going to be short.

Just know that I LOVE being a missionary!! I am ridiculously happy and everyday I feel like there are not enough hours in the day to teach everyone and visit all of the amazing people here!!

I am so thankful for a Heavenly Father who is always near us and is always playing an active part in our lives. It is so true that what seems to be detours and disappointments are truly just His path

for us back to Him.  He has a perfect plan for each of us! Also keep my anak in your prayers!! I will pick her up from the airport on Wednesday (: Woo!

I LOVE YOU!! Thank you for ALL of the birthday emails! I'm sorry in advance for those that I don't get to reply to.

xoxoxo

Sister Lockwood

The End of your Comfort Zone

On the beach with Sister Parina

We ate octopus! 

Doing my own laundry

Hello Family!!

They always say that your growth begins at the end of your comfort zone.  This is so true and I am so lucky to be here in the Philippines and be stretched out of my comfort zone again and again!! 

This week, I lost my trainer!! Sister Parina and Sister Lacsamana are currently in the mission home.  Their teeth pains continued, and so President Ostler had them go back to the mainland so they could see a real dentist. (The doctors/dentists here on Palawan are pretty much all really sketchy..)  It turns out their wisdom teeth were what were causing all of the problems! (so Sister Parina didn't even need that tooth pulled, I don't think...). So they got their wisdom teeth pulled and have been recovering at the mission home! Sister Delaitubuna is my temporary companion, and we work with branch missionaries everyday to cover both of our areas. So, I went from having a trainer leading the lessons and the area, to me leading the area and pretty much teaching the entire lesson and just using the branch missionary as someone who shares experiences and testimony. Wow! Transfers are on the 19th, and I don't know if they will come back before then or if we will just work with branch missionaries until then.  But, I have grown and learned SO MUCH. I definitely left my comfort zone, but Heavenly Father has strengthened me more than I can express. My language skills are improving even more quickly as I teach, and I am really connecting with my investigators more than before; specifically Elena, and her friend Rina that we started teaching this week. They are like my new best friends here. I love them SO MUCH. And they are both progressing and have so many questions. Keep them in your prayers!!

This week, we also had zone meeting, and the big focus was OYM, or Opening Your Mouth.  President Ostler wants each of us as individuals to talk to 10 new people every day, have a connection with them, and then invite them to church or to learn more. We had so many miracles just this week that came as a result of our new goal to OYM. Despite the fact that I fell very short of 70, I felt happy at the end of every day as I really tried to open my mouth to everyone. We would try to talk to every trike driver, every person sitting next to us on a Jeepney, and take time between appointments to talk to people on the street. We invited everyone to church on Sunday and gave away many pamphlets. When Sunday came, I wasn't really expecting any of these OYM's to come to church. I wasn't even really thinking about them at all. But after branch council, we came out to find Vicente waiting outside the chapel, holding a pamphlet that we gave him in a trike!! I didn't even recognize him, but as he talked to the elders, he pointed at me and said that I had invited him to church. I felt so excited and happy that 1 of the many people that we talked to throughout the week really did listen and was touched by the spirit to come to church. 

Another really great experience we had with OYMing was after district meeting, Sister Parina and I went to work talking to everyone. We didn't seem to have much success, but at the very end of the day the last family we OYMed told us they were MEMBERS! They had moved into our area and nobody knew it. They are less active, but we now have found a new family that Heavenly Father was ready for us to meet and bring back to church. 

So, I would encourage you to do the same thing!! Dad is already a pro at this, but just be friendly and meet new people everywhere you go.  You don't even have to formally share the gospel, but just by being happy and excited to meet new people you can make a huge difference in someone's day (: I love it when someone is on a Jeepney looking sad, and then just by smiling and saying "hello po! ano pangalan nyo?" their faces light up (: 

Other investigators you can keep in your prayers this week are Mayra, Aiza, Elena and Rina, the Costodio Family, the Lopez family, Ethan, Haydie, Himaya, and the Bascongada Family. Ah- I am so lucky to teach all of these amazing people!! I am really feeling myself getting lost in this work as I am coming to love them all so much. Yesterday after our lessons I didn't want to go home, I just wanted to keep talking and connecting with these people!

I know that Heavenly Father has specific experiences planned for me on the mission that will help me stretch and grow.  Even though losing Sister Parina and working with the members has been a challenge, I am so thankful for a Heavenly Father who trusts me enough to give me this experience.  My language, teaching, listening, and connecting skills are just multiplying from this.  God pushes and pulls us out of our comfort zone because He loves us.  Every experience in this life is given to us because He loves us and wants us to grow. 

I am so thankful for a Father in Heaven who loves me enough to push me out of my comfort zone.

I love you all SO MUCH!

It makes me so happy that you are having FHE and doing morning prayers! In conference they really stressed how important those little things are and I know that protection and power comes from those things.

Sister Lacsamana also took a picture of me washing clothes. She and Sister Delaitubuna are my angels. They helped me wash my clothes one night before bed when they should have been eating! it was so cute they kept laughing at me and saying "shes so cute" hahaha.

MAHAL KITA!!
XOXOXO
Sister Lockwood

ps. i learned how to wash my clothes by hand this week because the lady that usually comes and washes them wasn't able to! Its actually not too bad (:

pss. Oh yeah, our zone split this week! So we are now the Santa Monica Zone, and as of right now Sister Delaitubuna and I are the only Sisters in the whole zone. 

psss. If we leave our tennis shoes out at night, when we put them on in the morning we find frogs sleeping in them (: hehehe gross.

He is always near me

Sister Parina, Sister Lockwood, Sister Delaitubuna, and Sister Lacsamana

Dear Family,

Wow! So, this week was totally nuts. I keep thinking that one day I'm gonna email you and say "this week was pretty normal, not much to say." But every week proves to be crazier and crazier!! Hahaha, but I think this week might win the prize. Ready..?

So on Thursday, we were home because Sister Parina's neck was bothering her. (Her tooth is much better, but it kept us from working on Wednesday ): ) I was feeling quite annoyed that we were staying home again because we have been in our apartment so much! Sister Delaitubuna and I even texted the District Leader to ask if we could do exchanges since both of our companions were sick. But, to our surprise the District Leader said no.  We were both pretty confused because he usually says yes. I was kinda mad to be honest.. But, little did I know, it would be a good thing that we were home. Sister Lacsamana and Sister Delaitubuna were also home because Sister Lacsamana had been complaining of chest pains and hadn't been feeling well. President and Sister Hiatt were in Manila, so they said to wait until they could get back and check her out. So I was cleaning my desk in our study room when all of a sudden Sister Delaitubuna yelled "Sister Lockwood! I need your help!" I walked into the kitchen to find Sister Lacsamana laid back in the chair, unresponsive!! Sister Delaitubuna was like "she just collapsed when she tried to stand up!" Of course, the daughter of my mother that I am, I started freaking out. "Is she breathing?! Is her heart beating?!" Earlier that morning Sister Lacsamana had told us about a heart condition that she had and that her dad had had to do CPR on her multiple times. WHATTT?!!! Yeah, luckily she was breathing and her heart was beating, but we couldn't get her to respond to us, and her face went super super pale. I started making phone calls to everyone I knew and nobody was answering!! (turns out it was MLC, the leadership meeting of every leader in the mission..) So I finally got ahold of our district leader.  It was then that Sister Lacsamana began gasping for air like she couldn't breath. It was then that I really started freaking out and was like "I THINK I NEED TO CALL AN AMBULANCE!"  So, calmly, the elder was like "Okay Sister, Dial 117." So, here we go. For the first time in my life I dialed the ambulance!! Of course, it was not like America, and I spent a good 10 minutes screaming where our apartment was and that we were on the island of Palawan.. because they don't have real addresses here. Before the ambulance arrived (or I waved it down rather), Sister Hiatt called and told me that I should go with her in the ambulance. So, I got to ride in the ambulance! By that point, Sister Lacsamana was responding and doing okay, but still complaining of chest pain. Sadly, when we arrived at the "hospital" they did absolutely NOTHING for her! They did some tests and then sent us home. She is getting transferred back to Manila at transfers to be able to go to doctors there. 

So, long story short, I rode in an ambulance this week. 

A few hours later, I was feeling like I made the absolute wrong decision, but Sister Ostler called and said I did the right thing. And guess what? The ambulance only cost the equivalent of 12 dollars! So I don't feel bad at all! 

I really hope you're not freaked out, everyone is fine now and we all went back to work this weekend! Its quite the story...huh? Hahaha, oh my.

But other than that madness, I learned a lot this week! Elder Oaks came here to the Philippines with Elder Robbins and we got to watch them in a broadcast.  We also were invited to Branch Council on Sunday, and between both of those, I realized how much WORK there is to do here! Over 3/4ths of our branch is Less Active, and those numbers are the same across all of the Philippines. There are over 700,000 members here but SO MANY are less active! We as missionaries have so much to do, not only to reactivate people but to make sure that those we baptize are really ready to become strong members. 

My favorite part of the broadcast, though, was Elder Robbins talk. He said that "we see the world from what we carry in our hearts." He gave the example of Laman and Lemuel and their brother Nephi. Despite the fact that they virtually had the same set of circumstances, their attitudes and experiences were completely different because of what they carried in their hearts. He said that "we see things as we are". This was so perfect for me as a missionary to hear! Life in the Philippines can be crazy sometimes, but I will see things as I am, from what I carry inside of my heart. Attitude is everything! There are so many blessings that come to me as I strive to be grateful and always carry in my heart the hope and faith that comes from the gospel. It's not always easy, but I was so thankful for that reminder from Elder Robbins. 

Life is so good! Don't be freaked out about the story of the ambulance, I know that it was definitely a tender mercy that we were all home and ready to take care of her. I'm so thankful our district leader was in tune with the spirit, and that everyone was okay. I KNOW that Heavenly Father is involved in the details of our lives. He really is always near us. And if we listen, he will ALWAYS tell us what we should do to keep us safe. 

I love you SO SO MUCH!!!

xoxoxo

Sister Lockwood

Love!

 Aligator Farm on Pday

That's mud, Mom, not blood!

 Doing laundry

I love Palawan!

Sister Delaitubuna, from Fiji!  I love her!

Hello Family!!

It wouldn't be another week in the Philippines without another load of crazy adventures!!

Let's see.. the madness began last Monday night. There was a brown out ALL NIGHT and so none of us could sleep, so we all went and laid down and tried to sleep on the tile floor in our living room. It really wasn't that big of a deal, but definitely not something I'm used to! It really made me grateful for electric fans. They are a life saver!! THEN on Tuesday morning, there were MAGGOTS in our kitchen!! Apparently we had left food in the trash can too long... I don't know, but I was freakin out, as you might imagine. I just looked at Sister Parina in horror and was like "what are those?!!" Hahaha, its one of those moments of my life that I am gonna wanna rewatch in heaven, lol.  I also saw a live snake this week on the road that we live on... I don't even wanna know how many times there are snakes around me in the grass we walk through.  I just try not to think about it.  And, the last sweet adventure was I bought an octopus! It was only the equivilant of like 2 american dollars and it was actually pretty good! Sister Parina cooked it for me and we took some fun pictures with it (: Its really chewy.. and the tentacles were kinda weird but it was good!

This week, Sister Parina's tooth was really aching again, so we went to ANOTHER dentist. (I'm pretty sure all the dentists here are frauds...) and this dentist told Sister Parina that she either needed a root canal or just to get the tooth pulled. To my horror, Sister Parina told them to pull it!! So I sat in the room while they just ripped her molar right out of her mouth! Ah, I was just in shock. I told Sister Hiatt that if that were me and I pulled my tooth out that my mother would be horrified. It just made me realize how lucky I am to have had good medical care all my life.

That was one thing that really hit me hard this week...Some things like the no air-conditioning, and the poor living conditions, I just get used to after awhile.  But the poor medical care is heart breaking. I can't even tell you some of the things I see everyday that are just completely normal to people here that break my heart. Like most people can't afford diapers, and so their babies just pee right on them or on the floor! And when people get really sick, they just die rather than get the treatment they need because its too expensive. I just can't even comprehend how immensely blessed I am. Why did I get so lucky?? How was I born in the United States with the family I have?? Ah, its overwhelming some days.

BUT...despite all of the craziness that is living in the Philippines, my testimony grows stronger every day.  

Yesterday we had interviews with President Ostler, and he just really expressed to me how happy Heavenly Father is with me, and how much I am worth to Him.  I went into the interview expecting to talk about how I need to be more obedient, or more diligent in my studies or with the work, but President Ostler just told me that he is so proud of me and grateful for me. He told me that He felt that God just wanted me to know how much He loves me and how amazing I am in His eyes. At the beginning of my interview I prayed for us and I prayed that he could help me know how to be a better missionary.. then after I was done he said, "I want you to stay JUST the way you are." He said that I could not learn another word of Tagalog the rest of my mission and that I would be a great missionary to him. Really, he is SO kind to me. I left yesterday feeling so great about myself. After the interview, I was really pondering my worth as a daughter of God and what that means. I remembered at a devotional at BYU, Sister Dalton counseled all of us women that we should always remember who we are. She said that the knowledge that we are daughters of God should affect our every thought, belief, and action. I am coming to understand more and more what she meant. I am gaining confidence in myself here on a mission, and am recognizing where that confidence is coming from. Over and over in my studying in the Book of Mormon, it talks about how because they relied on the Lord, then they were made strong. By being humble, and recognizing where my strength comes from as a daughter of God, I am then made strong. As I come to better understand how important I am personally to Heavenly Father, it makes me want to help my investigators feel that confidence in themselves! Because I have been so blessed to know just how much I am worth in the site of God, I can bring that light and knowledge to the rest of His children. The perspective of knowing that I have great divine nature from my Father, brings me so much peace and happiness. I love this gospel SO MUCH!! I really hope that I can help others have that perspective as well.

One lesson that was really memorable this week was with our investigator, Elaina.  She is a new investigator, and when we went to her house she seemed so grumpy. She was kind of rude, and we didn't feel that she wanted us there. Sister Parina said, "Maybe we'll come back another day since you are busy today." But, she insisted we come in.  We started the lesson, both of us a little bit annoyed at her attitude and facial expressions.  But, when we began the lesson and asked if she had any questions about what she read, she just opened up to us and poured out what has been happening in her life.  She caught her husband cheating on her, and her children all live far away from her now.  Instantly, our hearts were changed from ill feelings towards this women, to love.  She asked question after question about the gospel, and we knew that she really was just searching for peace and love from God.  Every person we meet has their own set of problems and trials. It was such a good reminder for me to love people first, and really desire to get to know them and help them before ever giving up on them.

This week, because Sister Parina and Sister Lacsamana have been sick with teeth problems, I got to go on exchanges with Sister Delaitubuna, our other kabahay from Fiji! She is amazing. It was a really neat experience for me, because she instantly connected and really LOVED my investigators and less actives who she had never met before. It was such a good reminder for me to always put love at the center of everything I do. Sometimes I get so nervous about what I am going to say, or try so hard to speak correctly, that I forget to really just love. Even with the investigators who we have been returning back to for weeks and weeks and they still haven't made it to church, I know that they are children of God. They have that same potential I do, and I can help them realize that! Love is the most important part of EVERYTHING in this life! We are here because Heavenly Father loves us and He wants us to love each other.

If there is one thing I really have learned this week, its that love is all that matters. God has put me here to love the people in the Santa Monica Branch, and He's put me with Sister Parina to really love her.

I'm so thankful for this gospel and the perspective that it gives me to know how much I am loved, and how much we ALL are loved.

And, if you want to pray for my investigators, you can pray for Elaina, the Bascongada Family, Ethan, Himaya, Natsuko, and Rose this week.

Sorry, this email was so scattered and all over the place!!

I LOVE YOU!!!

xoxoxo

Sister Lockwood

ps.  Did you already pack up that box you're sending on Wednesday? I told the Hiatt's that I would ask you to send Orajel because all the missionaries here have teeth problems and they said they'd reimburse me. And do you think you could get the ones that come in the q-tip looking things for individual servings kinda?? If you can't find it its no big deal!

Life is so good! I am SO happy and life is GREAT! 

One last thing...I received this email from her last night as well.  So sorry to everyone who has already sent her birthday and Christmas packages!  I will find out what that means for those packages already in route...

TELL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS:  The post office has asked that letters and packages for our mission be addressed as follows:

Philippines Manila Mission

c/o "Missionary name"

PO Box 1997

Makati City

1200 Metro Manila (note the change of zip code)

Philippines

There has been a change in personnel at the post office so it is very important to put the mission name first. Christmas is coming and we expect lots of packages. Hopefully putting the mission name first will help ensure that we actually receive the packages.

Sister Paine

Manila Mission Office

Check back tomorrow!

For all of you faithful followers of Kayla's blog, please check back again tomorrow.  This week her pday (day for emailing and such) was moved to Tuesday.

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...