March 2nd, 2009

Hello again -- I am a bit shocked about the apartment thing! Eeeks...I can't believe it's already booked. I guess it is around March and April that they start re-doing apartments for the following year but I also can't believe that as of yesterday it is March. It snuck up on me and I haven't even sent Andrea's birthday card yet, and her birthday is tomorrow so it will be late like all my others have been.

At transfers I got some letters. Maddie mentioned that Savanna wrote me a letter in one of hers, in response to her birthday card, and yet I didn't get the letter from Savanna. Maybe she never sent it?

Okay, back to the house thing...it will be different to live in the house. I had friends and visit taught someone before that lived there and it's a nice enough place so I have no concerns, it will be interesting. As for Carin. I also received a letter from her but she still doesn't seem to have gotten my letter about apartments to help me, but that's okay because you took care of it now. I get the feeling that if they are all booked up she has already signed up for her own apartment and she has many other friends and roommates who she will be staying with. Its good enough to be in the same ward again -- if that's what she has decided to do and will be living there next year.

That's funny that he remembered me -- there were two different ones that worked in the office. The one also served his mission in the Philippines, the other one is family, I think, of the owners and is married now so he no longer actually lives in the apartments.

It definitely takes stress away, so thanks, but adds to it at the same time. Only in the moment. My heart jumped when I read it -- an apartment already there waiting for me and Savanna is going to live with me? My life will be so strange and different I don't know what to do with myself. Then there is a job to find and start and money to gather and school to get serious about, now that I'm kind of old I have a lot of decisions to make that are somewhat important. I feel less stress in other ways now that I have served a mission. I feel more directed and more patient with my life and at the same time more driven towards specific goals and flexible at the changes life brings daily.

It does seem very far away, except it's not. As for the close thing, this culture has definitely accustomed me to closeness. My companions from here mostly all like to hold onto your arm or hand and things like that etc. and when we travel anywhere there are five people sitting on you, basically, and someone tends to fall asleep on your shoulder that you've never met before.
As for my new companion -- she is coming from my last area, she's the one that replaced me when I left and Sister Victorino trained her so we had the same companion and lots of people that we both know because she was in that same ward. She is from another area in the Philippines, southern, where they speak a different language but they also learn English and Tagalog in school and she's very talkative, we've done a lot of talking and I'm sure that my Tagalog will improve while we are companions.

I enjoyed all the emails and find it very funny that both my parents are bloggers now. It was something I never did. I did the facebook thing, but even there I never posted blogs. The closest I got to blogs was the email I always sent to everyone. It is addictive, isn't it? I'm not sure how much I'll try to get into it when I get home because of that, there are too many other things I need to try to accomplish, haha! I hope you continue having a good time doing it. All right, so I'm sorry that I'm ending here but we are late to go somewhere and the place we are emailing cuts you off at time and it's flashing at me that my time is up. I hope that you have gotten a letter form me now and if now -- I think one is coming.

I'll write more about my week away from my area and with another companion that happened last week in a hand written letter. I enjoyed a good prearation day with all the youth from my first branch and spoke in tagalog with the president and Leaonard who still sounds like he's planning for his mission and his mother will be baptized soon! Okay bye it's going to cut off!

Email March 8th, 2009

I'm glad that my mail made it to the house -- even if it took a while. I do try to be more diligent in writing letters and in being good about my information in email and letters. As for writing mostly spiritual things in email and "logistics" in letters I'm not sure how I could sort it out. Sometimes the business gets put in emails because it's faster and my emails aren't full of spirituality, but then my hand written letters don't really happen. I'll admit that having to write my letters and do my emails only on Monday and at a speicific time makes it somewhat forced sometimes, I guess I just can't always be in a story telling mood or have that be what's on my mind. I found writing letters so much more pleasing and relaxing before my mission -- this is not complaining I still enjoy writing letters and I have a lot to say but anyway I'll just continue on as I do and I hope it works out for everyone.

We have spent a week working in Pola as a companionship and all is going well. Sister Jagnas is a recent convert. She had been a member for one year and ten months before her mission. Before the missionaries taught her she was a member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo Church, a very prominent church here in the Philippines. It is very interesting to hear her insights from the change and her insider perspective. Each companion is so very, very different -- there is simply no comparing them they are just different. She is also 22, a month older than me. She has been on her missoin for three transfers, I have four transfers left of my mission. I don't like counting in transfers -- that's a super small number. I saw sister Thompson also at transfers and she informed me that her family is getting "Trunky" for her and even told here that her flight plans had come, she still has two transfers left, however.

I have a few questions about the apartment -- will we have a car and did they ask you if you would like to reserve a parking space because if we do have a car I definitely want a parking space reserved, the sticker is $40.00 or something like that. Also, does the house come with Internet like the apartments or no? Anyway, I guess I can't do much about either at this point so all is well -- and continually strange.

I was doing some stretching the other day and realized that I have lost a LOT of my flexibility in my legs while here on the mission. Probably because I do so much walking so the muscle has been building in some places without the proper stretching to go with it and overall my exercise is limited to none. Well, hopefully my flexibility returns. I guess I may have lost physical flexibilty but I've gained mental and spiritual flexibility and firmness so it's a good trade. It's great how almost all concepts, or all, can be applied in gospel terms. As our body requires us to become strong and firm while equally stretching or else we will be in pain, in mental and spiritual lives must be strengthened and firm but also be open and flexible -- what I mean is that we must stand and not waver in our faith and in our testimony but we must also eventually learn to see and think as God does which is fully open, he sees and understands all and each perspective and there is no limit, and yet as mortals aour thoughts and our vision is so straight and narrow and not open. There is an importance balance in our lives to being "open minded" to matters and yet firm in our standards.

Our district is wonderful, I really like our new district here. Our district leader is training and he goes home the same time I do. His companion is American and so his Tagalog is very "beginner" and I am glad that I am beyond that :) The other two elder's are both new, they re-opened the area and one of them is Sister Jagnas's batch coming into the mission, American, and with only three transfers here is better at the language than almost anyone I know -- he also speaks spanish which is a great help to him. His companion is from the middle east, I believe, but his father is Filipino so he looks like everyone from here. We have good uplifiting meetings and I can feel that everyone wants to work hard and help their areas improve and help their companionships -- continue learning the language etc. We have three Americans again in my distrcit and we are all at very different stages of learning, another things that is interesting to see. Sister Jagnas said that in just the week we have been together my accent has improved -- she informed me the other day that I don't sound as American anymore. It is hard when your companions have all been American -- and besides being with her now I still have a terrible accent but people understand me.

At this point I do know the area and the people fairly well -- sometimes it's hard because I'm not sure where else to try finding people becuase I know all the places we have taught before or we were rejected at the doorstep. That's why transfers are good sometimes, get new eyes to try the same old houses again because eventually the people there will be ready.

OH yes, since Savanna is going to live there, what exactly does she plan to do there? Just wondering -- maybe her letter answered it but I still need to wait another week and a half to read it.

As for Amanda's news, I guess they decided against what she originally told me and they are getting married in April (better choice school wise).

Okay, well thanks for all of the letters and support and working hard and going to school and reading your scriptures. I'll write again on Monday.

-Sister Landrum

URGENT! I need to contact Carin

Britney mentioned getting ahold of Carin, her roomate from Campus Plaza. If anyone reading this knows how to get in touch with her will you please have her call me ASAP @ 208-431-8505. It is VERY urgent.

Mike

Email February 22nd, 2009

Hello again...I didn't email early as in not on Monday, we just emailed earlier in the day. If you email me on Saturday or early Sunday it will always get to me, however :) We are emailing early again because we are here in my first area, Lemery, and about to go on an activity with all of the youth. Everyone who has seen me so far just keeps saying, "oh, you speak tagalog now!" haha...thank-goodness right? I may still speak choppy, actually, but at least I know what's going on now. One of the Elder's told me the other day, "you may still not be perfect, but nobody can sell you now." It's kind of strange translated into English but that's what he said.

I am in Lemery because I'm working in the area right next to it with another sister who'se companion also went home. We are working here until this Friday when I will get my new companion -- there are very few choices, not many sisters were transferred, but I still have no idea who it will be!

I'm having a very hard time typing, actually, because I decided it was a good idea to chop my finger off in the fan earlier today. It's not really chopped off but it hurts super bad and it bleeding all undernearth the nail, the middle finger on my right hands to be precise. I guess I should be smart enough to not turn the fan while it's still on, but I've done it some many times successfully! Gargh.

As for my exact date, I'm really guessing in a sense because they haven't given me my "trunk" letter yet which you get at about six months left...but I know the transfer is on the 12th of August so I leave on the plane the Wedenesday before that and because of the time difference arrive there that Thursday maybe or even Wedensday your time...probably Thursday actually but I really don't know, sorry. It's that week for sure, however.

As for school, I sent Carin an email and asked about campus plaza and if she would like to live with me again or knows of any openings. Hopefully I get a reply at transfers, if not I still don't know. I would like to just live there again because it's close to campus and a pretty good rate/ I like the people even though most of them are married now :) It would be great for Savanna to live with me and the institute program for non-students is fabulous, they feed you after every week and some people just went to get free dinner I think, but still got spiritually fed :)
It really is a difficult time for me to be coming home, I would like to early some money first, but hopefully I find a good job, or I'm thinking two! Since I have to take classes to stay enrolled I will take a Tagalog, religion and maybe dance class to get myself in shape again and try saving up enough money. If I need a loan for tuition I'll do it -- eeeek...and having a car would be fabulous since you live rather far away and even doing anything is more difficult without one. I don't like thinking about it, and probably did a lot more because my companion was going home, and I'm trying to be more full of faith and not scared about what will happen to me but I really wanted to try convincing president that I should just stay here as my eternal calling -- I know he won't agree and I do miss a couple of things -- like good lasagna and mexican food...and maybe my family too :) hehe.

We had another baptism last week, it went well also. She is the daughter of our recent member and the first one we ever contacted in their family -- it just took her a little longer than her mother to get ready.

That's about all I have as far as news and thoughts this week. I'm glad you are also enjoying your scripture reading along with my mission -- haha. Someone said in a devotional that it is good to have your blank scriptures, ones that you just read through without any interruptions so the revelation can flow and not be influenced by your past revelation which you have written and marked. I like the idea and do like to read straight sometimes and will probably buy myself another set of blank scriptures when I come home.

Good luck with everything and continue persuading Savanna that she needs to live with me first and it will be a great time -- hopefully ;) I'll tell you all about my new companion next week.

Love
Sister Landrum

Email February 15th, 2009 (#2)

Hello again...I've been checking out the BYU website while waiting to see if you would email me before we leave but there still isn't anything so I thought I'd just write another short letter of sorts to make of for my lack of hand written ones (?) sorry...they are coming :)

By the way, President gave me permission to look at the site to check when I need to register etc. He said that BYU sent him a sign to form so that I can start school again and that told me that I need to plan to start school again in September -- that's going to be crazy! Well, I think I leave the Philippines August 9-11 and I'm not sure what that means about which date I get home, but that's an awfully LONG ways away so I'm not worrying about it too much, just looking at the BYU page...haha. There wasn't a lot there for me yet, however...I'll probably look again in April I think that's when I can register.

I'll get my sixth companion in the field on Friday and I hope that our work just continues to progress. I feel that's what has happened with my last couple of companions, it just keeps getting better. My transfers with sister pasi have definitely been high finding ones. We usually find more than twenty new investigators a week and talk to more, of course. With sister Victorino I probably reached my highest lessons in one week -- somewhere around 40. Our missions standard is twenty and that's not counting recent member and less active lessons. We've been good and busy, besides teaching a good twenty new people lessons one and all about Joseph Smith and the riches of the Book of Mormon in our lives we get at least more than five LARC (and one week our goal of ten recent member and less active lessons) plus 25-30 other lessons taught -- it's busy here in Pola and I think I know almost all of the people in this small town (not even close, but it sure seems that way!) I can't tell from what president said at interviews if I will be here for six more weeks or for twelve -- if twelve I really might know all of the people in Pola :)

We had our new member give a talk at our baptism on Saturday and he did amazing. He had it all written out and read it and I was surprised by him. Even President Marco (our branch president) said it was a really beautiful baptism.

Sister Pasi and I spoke again on Sunday. Here we speak in sacrament meeting every third week -- I had no idea what I wanted to speak on this week until that morning before we left. I talked about missionary work my first time, the book of Mormon the second and this time I took a strange route and went for the importance of our agency in this life and how to use our time wisely. Our area has a gambling problem and I had been trying to think of how to address it but nothing was coming. I was planning to speak on recognizing the spirit and seeking answers but that morning it just jumped out at me to speak on agency and in a sense the not gambling thing fit well into it. Sister Pasi ended up speaking on making goals in our lives, like going on a mission or getting to the temple and in the end both our talks were almost exactly what President had planned to speak on, their goals for having a chapel here next year, getting to the temple, sending out missionaries etc. and choosing to do those things that will get us there. It's amazing how when you pray for help and just act the things you need to help others just come out perfectly. I can tell when I'm speaking on what I was really meant to because it seems to flow out better, even with my sometimes choppy Tagalog.

Well, Sunday night we went to teach a new member lesson to a family that was baptized just before I came to the area and they were there with two of their friends who are members of a different church and have been trying to convince our new members to join them. He had some questions for us so we asked if we could start by teaching him our first lessons and promised it would answer some of his questions. He took time to explain his position, but would also listen and didn't have a contentious spirit which was nice, he also thanked us for the same, he seemed to be expecting us to debate with him as many other religions try to. I have really been praying for help in using the Book of Mormon in each of my lessons and trying to have faith that although I may not know all the scriptures by memory and perfectly that as i diligently study and ponder them the promise that what each needs in each moment will be brought to my mind to teach them through the spirit. I really felt that happened in this lesson. It seemed each question he brought up came with a new scripture pressing into my mind and although I wasn't sure where that scripture was or rarely used it I was able to find them all quickly and use the Book of Mormon to teach him our doctrine and principles.

We also met a new family the last couple of weeks who we are thinking will progress. At our last lesson the father came home drunk so we ended promptly and left with a promise to return. As we were closing up his wife started telling me that at our first visit he had told her he thought maybe our lessons and our church would be what helps him change because he really wants to. At at the same time he was telling sister pasi that he really wants to change and that we should come back "tomorrow" we told him a couple times that we couldn't return "tomorrow" but would come back. Even while drunk he knew he didn't want to be. I told sister that his desire is the first good step, many don't have it, and that I know our message will help them change their lives. That's who we're looking for, people who want to change their lives for the better, and I know as I have seen it in my own life, even in small ways, that we change as we learn faith in Jesus Christ and follow his commandments.

Well, I guess that's all for now, I'll check one more time to see if you emailed and if now...I'll here from you next week -- that is if I get to email since I'll be in a different area for that week I'm not really sure what will happen.

Love - Sister Landrum

Email February 15th, 2009

Hey - we had to email early today and it looks like you haven't sent me an email yet -- boohoohoo. Well, I'm sorry Mom but your birthday letter will be kind of late, but happy birthday on Tuesday anyway. This Sunday we leave the island and won't be back until Friday, I meant I won't be back until Friday when I return with my new companion. I'm working in Nasugbu on the main land until then, it's an area in my first district area, the other sister area in Batangas.
Mary-Grace was baptized on Saturday and on Friday Mauriel will be baptized. All went well, and I will send you pictures this week.

We also had zone conference. Our mission president is having us all read the Book of Mormon together as a mission. From now until June 1 when we have our mission tour, meaning a member of the seventy comes and stays with us for a week and we have conference with him, we are supposed to finish it. It will be my third time on the mission to read it so I'm excited to do it as a mission and see what it does for us.

Well, hope all is going well. Late happy valentines and love from me.

-Sister Landrum

Brit comes home...

I can't believe it has already been over a year and that discussions of her coming back to us are already necessary. But, Brit mentioned that she should be returning around the 14th of August. Today is her 13th month anniversary (the 23rd) and so she will have extended 3 weeks before arriving home. I know if it was up to her she would extend 3 years if she could convince her President to allow it. We are so proud of the seriousness that Brit has taken with not only improving herself and growing but in loving and blessing the lives of the Filipino people. Her life and theirs are forever changed.