Email November 10th, 2008

I don't understand Garyn's question...why did I choose to be obedient? When? I can give you a missionary answer? Mosiah 2:22/41 and Haring Benjamin or King Benjamin that is explains that God gives us everything even our lives and all he requires of us is that we are obedient...the blessings are great too, the happy state of the obedient in this life of troubles, temporal and spiritual blessings and a promise of life in a state of never ending happiness after this life. As for Elder Holland's answer, obedience is not only the first law of heaven, it is the first law of EVERYTHING. Now, if we had not chosen to be obedient to the plan of God in heaven none of us would be here, now we just have to keep choosing obedience. From my lesson on Sunday in church, it was about faith and they there is no faith where there is no obedience "walang pananampalataya kung walang pagsunod." AS for my personal words on the matter, I sure am not always obedient nor strictly obedient as the two thousands stripling warriors but I've never in my life had a desire to be rebellious, too much...and I like the safety in obedience. My patriarchal blessing also advises me to develop my obedience and that in so doing it will be a blessing to my younger sisters.As for letters from my and not emails, life is a bit far away in my new area so I'm sorry that you might be waiting for your next letter and it sounds like you've gotten all the ones that I've finished sending. WE are also having a couple days of craziness because we all have to travel to Manila and have our fingerprints taken for our passports and it's causing mayhem so I apologize that hand written letters are in scarcity right now. I was able to print pictures today though so hopefully some of them work out nicely and I will send them also. The funny thing about your thinking look really fresh and such is that we really are sweaty and gross and my face breaks out like crazy and stuff but that's just life and pictures seem to capture a better side often, maybe it's because everything around me is so beautiful.I'm not sure which elementary school it is you're seeing, Dad, but we live right below an elementary school in a home that used to be a doctors office. Sister Anderson really doesn't like it, Elder Homer (one of the AP's right now) told us that she really feels bad for us, haha...we are surviving quite nicely however. Pola is extremely remote, but it might get a little busier in the summer time because they do have a beach here...it's not an extra fancy beach either though and it is hard to get here so I don't really know. We were a little afraid for our work because the area is large but the main area where we should work and easily can is kind of small...and people from far away parts of the area never go to church so they dropped all those areas and have been focusing here. We spent all week finding, however, and I have never taught more families in whole before in my whole mission...it was amazing. It's really different to teach when there are children and a mother and father and all are listening and participating to some degree even if that means the teenager is secretly texting until her father takes it away (it made life seem really real again or something) I've really never taught full families before like this and so that was a fun experience for us this week, we were really surprised. People are also really kind about our Tagalog handicap and try to help us out, I just hope they are understanding the message, especially the vital parts of it, well enough. I've recently been praying for more of our extended family also and I really hope that they are reading the Book of Mormon or will find a way to do it again because I am teaching people every day that their salvation depends upon it. I have a scripture chase I created as I was reading through and would underline in purple all of the traits or qualities of God, verses that were more specifically about Father in Heaven that is because there are many that refer to Christ or to them as one...and in the Book or Mormon you learn many of His traits, you learn the importance of belief in Him and his great power and knowledge and love and long-suffering and all those traits we are meant to require here in order to become like him...my mission president pointed out that if we plan to create a word don't you think that takes knowledge and patience if we plan to be parents of many it surely requires love and long-suffering and if we are all powerful you must have humility to check it etc. anyway I really like Mosiah 4:9 also "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend..."Well, I think I'm running out of time again and I'm going to email Savanna so thanks for the emails and good luck with everything, love from me. Sister Landrum

Now I'm going to add to this letter because I realized I had a lot I still needed to address. I did get the shirt and it is a bit not missionary but it's cute...maybe I'll find a good occasion that I feel comfortable wearing it and if I never do it's not a waste because I'll wear it when I come home, haha. Thanks. As for coming to the Philippines, I never talked about that last week I realized. In some ways I think it would be good, just come home, see everyone at the airport, it would take away some of the stress there at the end of hwere to go and who I want to see again and where you'll be etc. but the down side is you wouldn't get to meet Sister victorino, Sister Abad, Sister Hill or my mission president...also I would probably not want to come back in another year if we did because I have no idea what I'll be doing at that point, if you didn't come now I would say plan for Christmas break only a couple of months after I come home and then it's still not too long after I've left my areas and things like that and there is less prediction happening about where I'll be job wise etc. I also keep hearing some strange rumor about how the missionaries from the philippines are all going to be invited back and even helped to go back to the philippines in 2011 because that is the mission here in the philippines 50 year anniversary and so maybe I'd be coming back or trying to then. Anyway...just tell me what you have continued to think about it. It's kind of sad because I never bought one of the cool bags in my last area but maybe I can have someone buy one for me I just won't get to choose and it's more about the people anyway and not the cool bags that they make, right? I think there were other things I also forgot to address but this is all I'm remembering for now so I'll close once again and leave you with this for the week. My week is all travel and the next week is more travel because of zone conference so these shoudl be a couple of interesting weeks -- anyway take care (ingat poh kayo lagi Doon sa malayo!!!) Sister Landrum