October 12th 2008

Hey, this is just really quick because according to this letter Savanna was still going to send me something which means she might still be working on it or gave up on it because I do not yet have a letter from her. As for me here... no snow but it's already Christmas. This referring to your last question about Halloween. They don't seem to have that holiday like we celebrate it but there is a "day of the dead" kind of day where people go and sleep out at the cemetery and pray for their dead. Then there isn't a Thanksgiving either meaning it's Christmas season now here... they have decorations already and we sing and hear Christmas songs all the time. Yup, yup, very different. I haven't gotten any letters from Garyn yet. Maybe I will soon. Okay, well, I'm going to send this really quick in case you're still all on right now.

(then, we received another email from her)


So, we had a super busy week of travel and then they had a zone activity with the assistants today for p-day so I've had hardly a moment to think about or de-jumble any of it. We have another transfer coming up and that happened super fast... and we have no idea if i'll be transferred now or not so I guess we'll just find out next Monday what my fate is. Snow! Haha, sounds kind of like last year because I have pictures at a football game early in the season where it snowed like crazy on us -- oh the diligent fans who stayed to the end :) And the crazy pre-mish freshman who took their shirts off and turned red and then had to leave so they wouldn't get sick, haha. Wow, wow... that's so exciting that they are doing so well it's going to be an absolute nail biter I'm sure the last two years of Utah BYU games were ridiculously close. AS far as work goes I don't have a lot to report because we were so busy with other things. We've been working on really using the Book of Mormon earlier and better in each principle we teach and our study sessions have been so uplifting just as we search for them and consider how each verse might improve our teaching and the lives of our investigators. We tried it out this week in some of our tracting lessons and it worked so beautifully, ha! At zone conference we performed our fancy version of Praise to the Man and everyone thought it was really great. I was thinking about how we really did work hard at it but I'm not an amazing pianist despite trying to make it a little fancy and they're not professional singers by any means. However, we were singing about truths of the gospel and missionaries are promised that as they share messages of truth the spirit will make it stronger. It was a strong performance. Then came conference, the general one :) The tabernacle choir makes me home sick-ish, haha, and I noticed in all of the talks, most particularly of the twelve and first presidency that they were like missionaries, they would testify of the last to speak then start, they would leave commitments of sorts at the end, they share testimony of what they teach (missionaries). Their messages definitely focused on holding onto hope, gaining hope, being hopeful and cheerful in a world of despair. I was thinking that without these things and the great fulfillment that is brought to my life by just listening and contemplating their words, my life would be rather empty. And, I wondered how other people survive and how they can hear those things even and not see how important it all is. Elder Bringhurst mentioned that for us we are so used to the spirit in some ways we forget that others don't have it as a promise to be with them always, constantly teaching them and bringing those things to them and making them clear. Then I also considered how I do have it all and yet much of what they talk about I struggle with and am not perfect in following, and yet, I know that if I would just do it and let go of my sins and not give into my weaknesses that I would behappier. I know it and I still fail. Maybe that means my knowledge is not yet perfect but that's why we develop faith first and our faith brings us knowledge bit by bit until the day that we can be perfect. By the way, according to my time it's Dad's birthday so happy birthday again! I'm glad to hear the card got to you before your birthday...which for you is tomorrow still but maybe that's when you'll read this anyway. Okay, well I'm going to finish off here and not forget to give mom my small list that I have come up with so far so I'll do it now because I almost just forgot:

-Stephens hot chocolate (for christmas) and either the mint or raspberry...those
good flavors
-Another white undershirt (yes I know another one) xs fits me best
-Blue Red and black BIC pens and a notebook of normal paper for writing letters
on.
-Crest blue paste toothpaste, they only have colgate here or filipino style and
I miss crest
-As slip to go under my skirts...I only have one and would like two

I cannot currently think of anything else, thanks!
I love you all and hope you are following all the counsel from conference.
-Britney

The long road back home

With the difficulties of the economy and the irresponsibilities of the lending industry and government, last year was catastrophically damaging to my business. As a family we were faced with a very difficult decision. After requesting and receiving a blessing and after much prayer an opportunity presented itself to us. I recognize in my heart that the Lord has protected and looked out for our family. I have chosen to take a very exciting position with a generous and stable company in Idaho. I know that if we simply stay faithful during our tribulations and do what we have power over, God desires to bless our lives and guide us in the paths He asks of us.
That path has led us to Burley Idaho where we got our start! We will greatly miss our family and friends in Utah but look forward to the opportunities that await us in our home town. We look forward to establishing a new home there for Britney to be well received come August 2009! We love and miss you sister Landrum!

September 25th, 2008

Hi, so I probably won't get that letter for a while now but I'm looking forwards to hearing more about the play. Your statement about your sisters reminded me of something I've said sometimes. I tended not to notice when my friends were not quite as zealous about being my friends as I was about being theirs until you or someone else would say “why don't they do this or shouldn't they have done this?” In the screw tape letters C.S. Lewis talks about how one of the devils greatest weapons is self-sacrifice. He loves it when we sacrifice for others. Something as simple as you wanted to watch this movie this time so I let you even though I didn't want to. When you sacrificed that movie you didn't really sacrifice it. You expected that the next time it would be your choice and then are disappointed if it doesn't work that way. Because, we then build up in ourselves a mental list of all they owe us while at the same time they are doing the same. But, neither recognize this list and both are noticing only what is done for the other and therefore, what they owe you. Forgetting what they did in their own way until someone explodes. And, of course, the other has their own list to throw back at you so nobody wins. It just becomes resentment. Even when we try to have very pure motives our mortal state causes us to do that. And so, since reading that I try to make sure I expect no return. Even the return of thanks or of being noticed sometimes doesn't happen. But, that should not be what motives us rather a true love for others gained only through our knowledge of the Savior's love for all of us and His great sacrifice. And, then we can expect the greatest return because God's blessings in our sacrifice are sure and eternal. Well, I read dad's letter too, of course. Good luck in your search and in your move and adjustments. I came to a point where I tried to stop being surprised when we moved. I didn't feel like I fit in anywhere but it helped me realize that the church is always the same. That was one great blessing. Then I went to college and created my own stable little world with my same job and apartment andFriends. But, it's funny to create a stable world in such an unstable one. It was bound to change and always did. I found myself disconnected from my family however. I didn't feel like a part much but separate and not sure how to change that since everything seemed more to be pushing me away and into my own life. I realized early on at the MTC that my mission was a chance to become connected again. It forced me to. When I return you'll live somewhere new again that I have never been and further away from where I will be. But, Savanna will be on my level now. I've had all this time to write letters and share great amounts of my life and experiences and feelings more than I ever would have or did at college or in High School and it's just a good blessing. Not to mention I learned again that in a world of unstableness the church is the same. Even here, it is the same. It is cool, I speak Tagalog! And, I realize in my last email I was a bit excited about that realization but don't get too excited because I'm still millions of miles away from fluent. It's such a SLOW process despite how fast it is. It is strange how life is contradictory. Well, I'm going to leave talking about Sherwin's baptism for my letter so I have something to say in it and that's about all for now. Love much Brit

September 19th, 2008

Dad! Wow! I just can't believe it. Three straight years of amazing football at BYU! If we win against Utah I will probably just be out of my mind that I missed it! Haha. I never knew I'd become such a football fanatic. I still vividly remember you dragging me off to the big crowds where we'd search for ticket hackers and watch the game. I think I just liked to be with dad and tell my classmatesthat I went to the game. I didn't much appreciate football. I'm also fairly positive that's one of the few things I knew about BYU. That's how I knew BYU and from that wanted to attend that school and only that school. I feel so blessed to have attended a school where we pray before we study biology and we talk about how the founding fathers were inspired by God to help bring in the restoration of the gospel. I'm also very glad that my new companion likes to work hard and likes to study. When you're not equally yoked in trying to do both of those things, everything starts to fall apart, it gets a bit depressing. Elder Teh not only interviewed us but he sent us all letters. They were personal letters. He told me my heart is in the right place. How nice... I'm glad at least my heart is where it should be. It's amazing how distracting your own thoughts can be but as long as your heart is where it should be it makes it easier to control wandering thoughts. To football games and weddings and families that are moving to a placeYou have never seen before... all of that. I started a list of the places in the scriptures where it talks about learning line upon line, light for light etc. Knowledge being added upon itself or taken away as we live according to what we're given. As we're true to it or as we are not. It's an eternal concept that the scriptures frequently touch upon and I found in it such a great lesson about the mercy of God because He says that He will not give a higher law to those who can not yet live by it. For those who transgress a higher law will be accountable for it. If we truly want to become as God, know of His mysteries etc. we must become someone who can live by that greater knowledge. And, that takes proving it to God every day because each time we choose the dark the light is taken away from us. It is in fact taken away until a day when you have less than what you started with. We cannot stand still. We are always moving forward or moving backwards. I forgot that for a time in my life until I realized my complacency was taking me to a place I didn't recognize because I had less than I knew before. Don't go through the motions of life, live life! When that became my motto things got better and I learned to truly repent. To change every day. That's still a struggle and we'll all still go back and forth but Christ will make up for it if He is our path. I asked about the whole coming here thing. Transfers are the week of August 12. Meaning, that Monday is when I can leave and they said you could also come Sunday night. This means you'll have to figure out what day to leave your time to get here Sunday or Monday morning our time. Or, maybe you could come Friday? Also, what you have to do is buy two - two way tickets and one one-way ticket for me. Then the church will reimburse you. I don't know exactly how that part works, they just told me to tell the office Elders. At that point I can stay here until the flight home. That puts us late in August and I will probably want to head straight to Provo. My plan would be to find work immediately and I guess depending on Savanna I'll need you to rent us an apartment sometime in April. Hopefully, at campus plaza again. But, that could also change. Sister Hill and I might be roommates. I don't know. And, I'll maybe want to take just one class and work full-time so I can try to start school. School will start very soon after I get home so that's hectic. But, anyway, it's the plane tickets that we have to worry about now I can worry about getting ready to go to school and work and coming home in general in a couple more months. Good luck with the house buying and new job etc. and tell everyone I love them. Brit

September 12th, 2008 #2

Hi, so I just got another email. I don't know if it just didn’t show up before or if you jut sent it at the same time I sent mine. As for Brandon and Ivy I suppose I would like to write to them if you could get me an address. I would like to congratulate them and encourage them to continue forward. I'll be trying to write and finish you a letter in response to all of your letters and this email later. My time is up after having written my other letter. Good luck with the shoe collecting. It's too bad I can't see the final product (referring to the footloose play our family is in). Good luck with the house hunting. So, thanks for the mail. Sister Victorino says you are very diligent after she saw all the letters I got. I am glad you like the small pictures too. They aren’t just smaller but they are also cheaper. J teehee. And, they weigh less so they are easier to send and cheaper to send. All right the end now. Brit

September 12th, 2008

We're probably going to email earlier from now on. I don't know if I don't have mail from all of you because it's still early or if just dad wrote. But, I got his two about Idaho and about BYU football. J Haha. I'm just fine withthat though because we just had transfer day and I got mail. Lots of letters from mom but still not that one dad said he wrote and sent about the whole new job moving thing. I also got another letter from Becca and her companion who is from here in the Philippines and from ANDREA! Finally! Haha. As for transfer day, Sister Victorino is my new companion and she is of course good at Tagalog since she's from here and is also very good at English. She is very hard working. Being in a companionship teaches you a lot. Different people’s personalities, strengths and weaknesses and seeing how in their own way they leave the area different and they leave you different. But, I do believe in one thing. Just do the simple things and submit yourself to God and follow the rules and the commandments and give yourself up to something and you will be happy. You will overcome obstacles and you will feel the spirit and you will help your area. Sister Victorino goes home in January so we're not sure how long we'll be together. They could go off and decide to leave me in this area forever and I'll stay until she goes home and until I train someone new on the area -- March Yikes. Or, we could only have six weeks together so that she'll get two more to train someone new on the area before she goes home. Or, we'll get two transfers and then she'll have only one transfer to train someone before she goes home. For now, I have each day of hard work and continuing to learn this language before me. We had a fun surprise and Sister Hill was at transfersafter all because they were put into a three-some. Elder Cheney was also there because his companion was transferred so our entire batch was together again. Elder Cheney is senior now and district leader, he looked a bit worried! As for going home, I don't really know about that. If you need to book flight now I can try to ask about it early. I think they send you "trunky letters" throughout your mission and I could be getting one soon or it might be far away still. They send them to help us plan for things like this. All I know is that there is no transfer at the end of July so I would either come home three weeks early or 3 weeks late. Maybe, Aug 12th transfer. Rules change a bit if your parents come though and I would most likely leave earlier than transfer then we would fly home on the same scheduled time. Wow, I have no idea with that. I’ll just have to ask if you need me to right now. Strange to talk about it and even more strange that I was thinking I have just one year more. But, now it's not one year it is less. Man, I need to improve my language skills! I do feel a lot more confident all of a sudden. But, I'm sure that something will help me feel a bit humbler again soon J. Actually, I always feel humble with language here so no worries about that. I still frequently don't understand what's going on and can't fully express myself but I speak Tagalog! Isn't that amazing! Even if I went home right now, I can communicate with people in another language to a pretty good degree. It's just amazing even if it's lacking. Amazing! As for Elder Murdock, I've heard the name but am not sure I've met him. Sister Victorino says she knows him. There could always be more than one Elder Murdock in the Philippines but if it's him it will just go well with my "Iknow someone no matter where I am in the world" story from all my different moves and activities. I'm really curious about when you actually plan to move everyone and how the girls all feel about it with school and all of that. Maybe I have letters coming that will inform me better. Living in a hotel and traveling so much does not sound like so much fun though so I hope it all gets worked out soon. Don't forget to do the simple things every day. Don't forget to put God first and He will take care of everything else for you. That doesn't mean everything will be perfect because we're in a fallen world. But, in the end that will all be worked out because Adam fell and Christ was risen up so we all will be also. Christ makes it all fair again and fixes the consequences of sin. We will have to look towards that, follow that and allow it to be in our lives because we have that agency. But, that understanding brings so much peace. You can rest easy now. J Well I have to go now. Love Brit

September 5th, 2008

President approved an activity for us today (P-day) before transfers so we all took a boat out to this beach of white sands. We spent most of the time taking pictures which I'm printing to send to you all and eating food. The water was so amazingly clear and warm I wanted to swim so much! Haha -- Bawal. We also found out today who will be transferred on Friday. Sister Odo is being transferred and I'm left in the area. I'll know who my new companion is next Monday. We have a lot of work to do in this area so I hope she's ready and willing to work hard :) I also hope she's really good at Tagalog, teehee... we'll see. Sister Hill is still in her first area and her companion goes home next transferso she'll be in her first area for most of her mission, I'm glad to move around but sad I won't get to see her at transfer day, I was sure she'd be transferred and we'd get to see each other. Does this fabulous new job mean you'll be able to come pick me up in about a year? :) Is there vacation leave, Haha. I realize that would be extremely expensive and who knows maybe I'll marry someone who served in the Philippines somewhere and we can all return together. I guess if I marry someone who didn't serve in the Philippines we could still return. It would just be cooler if they had. Also,more likely to happen. I'm still really curious about how everyone else feels about moving and what plans are for when you will move to Burley. Maybe I'll find out inmy mail this Friday. As for the card, the card has always worked as long as I'm at a store that accepts cards -- but I still can't get myself cash at the ATM's to use for places that don't accept cards. I might just be able to work it out so I don't need cash ever, though. Even though, cash would be easier. I just buy my food and dish soap and stuff when I can with the card and feel okay about using my mission cash for things like material for skirts. I also bought myself a Christmas/birthday present -- whatever you want it to be. It was our last chance because the couples buy them for you when they go to Manila and they are going home soon and who knows if the new couples would do it. They sell strings of real pearls for about 40 dollars. According to Sister Bringhurst they would be a couple hundred in America. I love pearls and they are really very beautiful. You didn't mention anything, or I forgot, about a package. At this point you may as well just get a good Christmas/birthday package ready for me, Haha. I don'tknow how you feel about trying to send cash in a package but I hear it's good to hide it in some way if you do and maybe if you do that I could have something just in case I ever do need cash but I think I'm a-okay. Also, you have to be careful about sending food because first off it's hot, second it could sit in the mission office for a long time and we have cases of bugs getting into packagesand destroying things. So, it has to be packaged and re-packaged if you decide to try that. Australian licorice maybe J. Anyway, here in the Philippines once you're into the BER months meaning September, October until December you sing Christmas songs so Sunday I played Christmas songs for sacrament meeting. I guess they don't have Thanksgiving to get in the way so it starts extra early.It was funny to me because we get frustrated when the music starts even right after Thanksgiving sometimes and here they have two full months before. They do have Halloween here however so that is kind of strange to me. It's okay. It always seems like Summer anyway. Well, because of our long trip I actually don't have much time to email and have to leave soon. I'll have lots of new news for you next week after transfers and hopefully will write some good letters next week also if I receive your mail. I love you all -- good luck with the play and finding a house and doing school and having your back get better! Love always again. Britney