February Lindon 11th Ward Newsletter

Kumusta! Oh my goodness I am so tired! But so so great!!!! I'm sorry I am writing a day later than normal and I hope that you weren't too wor-ried that I was run over by a jeepney or something, ha ha. We had three appointments yesterday and with all the other p-day activities– grocer-ies, laundry, cleaning the apartment, we didn't have time for emails.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love Sister Gallagher! It feels like we have been companions for months. We have been working our tails off and had 10 more lessons this week than any other week since I have been in the Pines. I am so exhausted and I really don't feel like I should be so happy, but I am. :) I am learning so so much and Sister Gal-lagher is forcing me to speak Tagalog. I am noticing the language slowly start-ing to improve. The biggest/most im-portant thing I am learning from her is how to follow the Spirit. She is an amazing teacher and just knows how to follow promptings. I am so lucky to have her as my companion for her last transfer!!!!

Other exciting news- We had been teaching Jerwin at the church and this week we were able to set up an appointment at his house. We met his Sister Joanna and she is really interested and we have started to teach her as well. So cool!

We have also had some success with our less active members. Last night we had FHE with my favorite family in the Pines- I LOVE THEM! The mom and the 3 oldest children are members but all less active and then the dad, the 10 and 12 year old boys are non members and then they have a 6 and a 4 year old boy. They are so cute and I can slowly see them starting to come around. I met them the week after I got here and the dad wouldn't even acknowledge us, but now he is listening in on the lessons and participated in FHE last night. It was so funny. At the end of the night he was like "Okay I'm done now, in the name of Je-sus Christ Amen." Ha ha, at least we know that he is listening to at least a part of our lesson :) I love teach-ing them and I can see them becoming more and more united as a family.

Well... I've had a thousand other cool/new experiences this week, but not enough time to write. I have learned something so valuable this week though- no matter what happens, if we have faith and trust in God, and the do everything we can to do our part then EVERYTHING works out. It might not always work out the way we see it, but I've noticed if I really look for the reason things go the way they do, I find that it all works out much better than I could have planned. I have seen this happen multiple times this week, and I am so lucky to have Sister Gallagher here to help me see the good in everything.

I love you all so much!!! MAHAL KO KAYO!!!!

Sister Morton

February 19, 2012

Sorry it has taken me so long to get a mass email out! The last few weeks have been so great and SO BUSY! I am so so grateful for Sister Gallagher. I miss her so much already!!!! This transfer was amazing and I learned a ton. I can't believe another transfer is already over. This one seemed to go by ten times faster than the first.

The biggest news of the last couple of weeks- We had two baptisms! The first was a 9 year old boy named Demetrius. His dad was a less active member that started coming back to church and since he is 9 he needed to be taught by the missionaries. His brother who is 8 was also baptized. It was my first baptism and it was both mine and Sister Gallagher's first completed family. So GREAT! With this new focus of reactivation our mission has a goal of "completing" 200 families in 2012.

The second baptism was this past Friday and it was JERWIN!!!! It was amazing and watching his countenance and life change over the past 3 months has been so amazing. The Sunday before his baptism he told me he felt like something changed in his heart and a few days before his baptism Sister G. asked him if he was going to serve a mission and he said, "If it be the will of the Lord." I am so happy for him. I am so grateful to be a missionary!!!! It is really amazing what the Spirit can do when someone allows their heart to be softened and let the Spirit work on them.

After the baptism the rest of the weekend was kind of rough. All day on Friday I didn't feel super great. On Saturday I felt worse and had a little bit of a fever. It's not fun to have a fever in the Philippines- it's like one step above having frostbite in the Pines. HA HA... And Saturday Sister Gallagher left to go to visit her first area, so I had to say goodbye. I went to go work with Sister Osborn, who will also be returning home this week with Sister G., and her Companion Sister Guzman, who I will be spending the week with until transfer day on Friday. The rest of the day I got sicker and sicker. One of the older couple missionaries thought I might have had Dengue Fever, but luckily I probably don't. Sister G. got sick too with the same symptoms, so SAD that she is sick her last couple of days. I did get to have lunch with her today though and say our final goodbyes. I am feeling better today just a little weak still and not quite 100%, so no need to worry about me.

Well I am out of time. Hopefully I will be able to send some pics next week of the baptisms and MY NEW COMPANION!

MAHAL kO KAYO!!!!!

Sister Morton

February 6, 2012

Sorry no time for a mass email this week :( Too busy teaching Filipinos the gospel!!!!! :)

MAHAL KO KAYO LAHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sister Morton

January 29, 2012

Kumusta po kayo!!!
So I literally have no time. We have been so so busy and it seems like the last two pdays have been busier than all the other days of the week. It is really great though because we are working so hard. I have never been so exhausted and so happy at the same time. I'm so good!!!! The work is going so great! We had 5 less actives come to church yesterday and 5 investigators! The hard work is starting to have some results! I love it and I love seeing the people here taking the steps to make their lives better. Everything this past week has been so great!!!

I did get frostbite this week though.... no joke. I swear I am the only person to get it in the pines in the history of the pines. I filled an ice tray so we could make buko (young coconut) shakes and my hands were wet from washing the ice tray when I went to set the them in the freezer. Yup, my finger stuck to the metal freezer and I had to yell to sister gallagher to get a cup of water to unstick me. Hindi mabuti (no bueno :)!!!!! Sister Gallager was laughing her head off, and I was too in between crying a little (it really hurt!) But it's getting better now, the blister is almost gone. Yup leave it to Sister Morton to spend her whole life playing in the snow and then I come to, what I think is the hottest place on earth, and I get a blister from frostbite!!!! Ha ha, I swear my journal is turning into a comic strip :)

Well I hope everyone is well!!! I love you all!!!!
Sister Morton