So everyone that reads the blog knows officially... I don't ever go to the blog but it's nice to have you forward their comments to me! (I will forward any comments made on the blog to Brit and as you see she enjoys them) We got a warning today in email from the president because lots of people are breaking the email rule, going to other cites and such so we might lose the ability to email... pray for obedience in this mission so all the Americans will still get to email their families :) For now however, here is my weekly email again. (only having met Jodi’s husband once Wendy and I couldn’t remember who the Sparks were until Brit helped us out) You know Jodi Sparks (Hansen) from the rental house on Antelope ward. I think the last time you saw her was at a concert at the High School right after they got engaged. (Wendy and I went to Great Harvest Saturday morning prior to hiking the Bonneville trail above Ogden and told Brit about it) Great Harvest Bread sounds wonderful. They didn't have scones at the great harvest in Provo -- it was sad. Sharing a car and being roommates would be great (minus having no money for those high gas prices) but Savanna will need to decide to go to Provo before that idea will really work :) Try subliminal message maybe to help her make that decision, haha. I finally sent off a letter so you should be getting more pictures. There are some included that I only have one copy of because someone else took the picture so make sure to save them for me :) Who knows what will happen with me and school -- work first I suppose so hopefully I find a good job :) Good luck with your school and work plans for now. Maybe I'll just write a book and make tons of money off it (like we've plannedsince I was five or something) and then we can both live off that while we pursue our true dreams and help people along the way. The problem with me writing a book is it would be the type that would be rejected by my own and become a classic long after I die :) I think that's just my style, not really a pop culture person - fast and flashy etc. teehee. So, hopefully my problem with the card can be resolved because in my new area there aren't really stores that accept a card so I need the ATM to work. I will send you the numbers this week, I finally remembered to write them down...so you can try to activate it or whatever the problem is. Shawn's question will take more writing and thinking -- about the culture and what they do every day and what they really care about. I am excited to learn their language better so as to understand that very thing. It's amazing how much culture really is within a language and here every small area of every city has its own "language" the dialects are hundreds and I wonder how anyone everunderstand what's going on. Something I found interesting though... we ride jeeps everywhere and you all sit on the benches, packed in and everyone passes their money forward and the driver passes the change back etc. and you say "Bayad Po" first and sometimes where you're going or how many you are paying for. Then you say "Paki-abot" and everyone passes...that means please pass then as you pass others money you say "Bayad Daw" and Daw is a word thatmeans "That's what was said, that's what they said, it was said" then to stop you say "Para na po!" Para is really a Spanish word that means For and they use it the same in Tagalog except on the jeep it means to stop. All right, so this is something you pick up and begin to mimic etc. and the other day I saw a group of little girls playing "jeep" and one was the driver and the others were saying "Bayad po' Salamat (thank you) para na! etc. it was so intriguing to me because I realized I was learning just like them, but as children it was a game until when they get older it becomes what they due, culture passes on and they will forever pass the money that way and stop the jeep that way because the children see their parents do it and they play at it until one day they grow up and they do it too... Anyway that's a thought for the day. I still haven't read your other email so I'm going to move on to that now. Love, Brit
Hey - I just realized there aren't actually two emails but you just sent the one twice so I guess I'll write some more here. Actually -- I don't know what else to write at this point so just I love you and am trying to do my very best. I recently read Mosiah 3 again -- it is an amazing chapter on the atonement. It's funny to me how my studies always tend to get me really anxious to do more study! I love to find more and read and hear different ideas on a topic and relate one thing to another. One speaker at the MTC gave a talk on the atonement and he said "the burden of the scriptures is the atonement" and as I read through the Book of Mormon again that statement becomes more and more true -- it will take a lifetime and then some to come to understand it fully but I love to study and apply that topic to my life and help others do so also. This was definitely the mission for me though because I get to teach people very simply and suddenly the beautiful simplicity of the doctrine has been brought to me -- I like to concentrate on the complexities of things but I've learned to notice and teach the basics and realized how personal deeper study benefits us -- it's still necessary to continue our personal growth but it's something you must do entirely on your own and choose to do so. I think we're leaving now so I guess I'll end now - bye! Love, Brit
Sunday, July 13, 2008
July 13th email
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
July 7th email
Hi! Thanks for the address (she asked for the Stake President's address). Hopefully, I'll get that off soon. Speaking of letters, you might not get one from me for a while but I'll hopefully be sending one tomorrow... it might not be very long but it has pictures. The last couple of weeks have had very busy Monday's and I don't have much control over that with it being a new area and a new companion etc. It's quite the adjustment just having language barriers. It takes us a long time to understand each other sometimes, but it's getting better.
(I was eating fruity pebbles when I last wrote her and randomly asked if they had them in the Philippines)
There are no fruity pebbles in regular areas and at the SM which is the big mall they have in really big cities (areas where we usually have zone conference) I haven't seen any either but last time we were there I did find some fruit loops and I bought them! haha, kind of expensive in pesos but it was a splurge I don't take often, haha. I think what I miss the most is chex with bananas and BYU creamery chocolate milk. Pretty random but it was one of my favorite treats at school. Of all the wonderful fruits and vegetables they have here they seem to eat only meat! It's crazy to me.
(I had commented on the simple and in many cases poverty level living the people have there yet they seem so happy)
I see nothing wrong with making money, having money... but then you have to remember that we really SHOULD be living by the law of consecration although most people are not ready for it so instead we live the law of the tithe etc. As we try personally to follow the law of consecration we live in a medium level with all by giving our extra to others in some form or another... sometimes that form ends up being by serving a mission. This thought was lead to me once again because of my new Mission President. They are both originally from Burley, the Andersons...hmmm? They had a nice big piece of land in Farmington with beautiful trees, a beautiful home, lots of children and 30 grandchildren now who would have parties there, their ward would come also etc. So their story goes they were serving at the Bountiful Temple every week but started to feel like they needed to do something more and so they put their names in at the temple and a week later (in the middle of a bad time for selling homes as you would know) someone just showed up at their house and asked if they could walk around (the house wasn't for sale either) and after he made an offer President said he couldn't refuse. They realized this was an opportunity to be free of the large land and serve a mission! They sold their home of 20 plus years and bought a smaller home that would be easy to maintain and rent while gone, near to their daughter, and received soon after a mission call as a couple to Africa. Not long after that he got a call and they were asked if they would be able to come in for a preliminary interview and were told that their names had been put in the temple. Later Elder Eyring’s secretary called them and they went in to meet with him one stormy day. He informed them that they would be serving a three year "English Speaking" mission -- and they both accepted. At the time they were not told which mission! They were told that a regular letter, similar to my own, would be coming with the exact assignment. Well they had booked a cruise a year before and during the next three weeks that's where they were. He said he was not much fun on that trip and wished they didn't need to go :) They were anxious to know where they would be going and he had it down to London, California, Arizona etc. as the openings in "English" speaking missions. Finally he was so anxious he called home for five minutes, costing thirty plus dollars on a boat, and his daughter opened the letter for them. They couldn't believe that they had been sent to the Philippines. They don't speak English there do they? Haha. “They” might not but the President does :) Thus, they are here. He is an older man, he misses his 30 grandchildren and Sister Anderson said her great trial so far is getting used to carrying around a cell phone all the time and learning to text, it made me think of mom :) Texting is very important in the Philippines so she'll be a pro soon.
We actually had interviews with them on the 4th of July. Elder Queathem was very excited to show me his Flag tie -- but we were really the only ones that cared it was the 4th of July. Besides that the day went just as normal. I also received the letters with pictures from Andrea's wedding. How pretty! It seems kind of not real that they are actually married - it wasn't quite so strange with Shaela for some reason. Maybe in part because I know Luke also and I went through all the years of their relationship growing and changing etc. I was also there for Shaela's wedding and not there for Andrea's so maybe it won't be real until I get home. I really can't imagine what my life will have to offer me after so it's good I have a long time left to NOT think about it :)
I will probably get your written letter at Zone conference. I don't remember when that is -- a couple of weeks more. This mission of mine has given you the great opportunity to graduate before me – haha. If that's the course you end up going for. My emails probably seem odd and mixed up sometimes. I always read them all then respond so I answer some stuff from what Mom said here but I'm going to write another quick email to catch anything from hers I missed. Everyone just reads all of them right? Right, okay, good, whoever wants to.
Want to know what the most random food was I suddenly missed the other day? Grilled cheese and tomato soup - let's just scream college student diet :) Of all the great foods to miss. I didn't miss food too much until I was put into a district with two other American Elders who like to talk to me about the great foods they miss, haha. Elder Bench was sent some bit sized twizzlers! We all really enjoyed them and our companions though they tasted like medicine -- fine with us, more for us!
My last district/zone was very "together" you might say and just a great hard working group -- a lot of them at the end of their missions and still working really hard, really good examples etc. This new zone is a bit rowdy you might say so that is an adjustment I'm trying to cope with at the moment and move forward happy in the work. The work in my area right now is kind of slow so I feel like I don't have many fabulous stories. I'm still really enjoying my scripture study and as for language -- the magic veil has not lifted, it's still hard... but it's getting better. Everyone says you really just have to suffer through sixmonths of confusion - hopefully sisters go a bit faster :) Already I think I'm a little bit faster but six months -- ask me again at your birthday and hopefully I'll be beautifully fluent. It's funny how all who do not serve missions foreign really just think it's magic to some extent, I sure did... I thought it would come so fast and I don't know I just remember how I felt when writing to my friends who served foreign missions, they probably laughed at my letters when I would say things like "you're probably fluent now!" It's truly amazing how much we Americans have learned already, Elder Collins is only a transfer behind me so we're going through the same stages "Sabay Kami" which would mean at the same time. Anyway, it's still a miracle but all of us sent foreign have something to learn and sometimes maybe it just comes slow so we can struggle through, be humble, learn to be happy in confusion :) learn to rely on others instead of being "independent" that one of course should ring a bell for you as rather difficult for me.
I love you all
Brit
Monday, June 30, 2008
June 29th email
Dear Family: I have some questions that you have answered before possibly but I need to ask them again because they are either lost or I forgot, sorry. This type writer is fabulous... I have to really PUNCH every key for it to work.
1. What is the full name of the stake president so I can send his letter to him? Ummm, I actually can't think of any other questions... ha-ha... maybe later.
I'm pretty sad I won't get to see this fabulous play, it sounds like it's going to be pretty good. I like river rafting, don't so much like 17 year-old boys that pull you in but that's always a part of it, and I like 4-wheeling, and camping, and hiking. Then there is that other side of me that loves dance concerts and being refined to some degree and clean and dressed up... that part of me will come back one day after my mission, for now the camping side of me is useful :)
We will meet our new President this week, I'm sure he will have some great influence on my mission since he's in charge of it, but I wonder what the impression of yours implies :) Hmmmm, only time will tell as with most things. I don't have a lot of fabulous stories right now. It is just a slow and continual process of trying to have more patience in learning the language and getting used to new-ness of all things all the time and making slow but important changes to the way some things are done so that baptisms will happen! I printed some more pictures today that I can send you along with a hurried one we took so you can at least see the face of my new companion; we don't have many pictures yet though.
I will finally remember in my next letter to send you my card numbers so you can try to activate it so it will work at the ATM's because I really need to just get out some cash and use that... nothing major important but it would be simpler for a few things. Guess what we did for service the other day? We dug holes in the ground for the poles of someone’s new home since theirs was destroyed in the storm. I dug dirt out with half a coconut shell... amazing!
Here is something insane... at the end of this next month I will have been gone for half a year! That's so fast. Thirteen months still seems far away so I don't feel like it's all going TOO fast yet, but isn't it mean how life works. It will go slow until I feel comfortable speaking and then it will be gone! I was reading the Liahona in Tagalog yesterday during part of ward council (that was a-okay with everyone, no worries...their meetings aren't altogether formal to say the least) and it got me so excited about school and working with Church publishing. I don't know that it is something I will end up actually wanting to or even being able to do but just having for once an actual purpose for my studies really add to my desire to learn. I also really love language, we communicate a lot without it but I was in the book store getting myself a small Tagalog bible and saw some books/authors I love and remembered they existed and how much I love to read and write and although I love non-verbal communication through art and danceI LOVE language and learning a new one really helps you appreciate your own and how amazing language is. I also understand English better than I did before.
So, the Stake Pres said something in my blessing when he set me apart that I wonder about sometimes. It kind of scared me thinking about it that night after and still has me wondering in what way, dramatic or more subtle etc. that it will come about. But, he said that there will be times on my mission that I will feel like I cannot put another foot forward, take another step etc. but my strength will be in pulling others with me... anyway, that's the gist of it. I don't think I've experienced something where I just don't think I can keep going -- not everything is pleasant but it's all bearable.
Sometimes we get really set in a schedule and pattern of how things should go and will go and we visualize our future that same way to some degree... I feel as though I can picture what my next year of life will be in some way because we do the same basic things every day but really a lot of things I can't imagine or expect will happen and people will come into my life that I can't imagine yet it's just an odd thing to think about actually so this really isn't going anywhere, sorry :)
Well, I'm going to write some hand written letters now because I'm really behind and I don't have much to say in email, sorry. I'm glad your hot summer seems to be going well and I love you all too. Even though times are hard and won't get easier, but harder, we're awfully lucky to have the proper perspective and proper place for trust through the true gospel.
Love,
Sister Landrum
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Brit's 2nd area; Lucban
Legend has it that the town derived its name from Lucban or Pomelo fruit tree. Three hunters from Majayjay, Laguna named Marcos Tigla, Luis Gamba and Lucas Manawa came upon a plain at the northeast foot of Mount Banahaw after they lost their way following the trail of some wild game. Resting under a tree, they saw a black crow or "uwak" up on a tree, and believing this to be a bad omen, they moved to another location and rested once more. While resting under a large shady pomelo or lucban tree, the trio were attracted to a couple of kingfishers (salaksak) singing. Fascinated by the lovely rhythmic chirps of the birds, the supertitious hunters took the incident as a sign of good fortune and decided to settle in the place and named it "Lucban." The people of Lucban accepted the story as true. Marcos Tigla was the first gobernadorcillo in 1596, then Lucas Manawa took over the responsibility for four years. Today Lucban is a thriving community surrounded by its pristine environment and retaining its historic beauty.
Lucban celebrates the Pahiyas Festival every May 15 in honor of the patron saint of farmers, St. Isidore. This festival showcases a street of houses which are adorned with fruits, vegetables, agricultural products, handicrafts and kiping, a rice-made decoration, which afterwards can be eaten grilled or fried. The houses are judged and the best one is proclaimed the winner. Every year, tourists roam the municipality to witness the decoration of houses.
Brit's 1st area: Lemery
Monday, June 23, 2008
June 22nd email
Huwag Kayo Magalala means don't worry :) We did have a Typhooon...well actually it wasn't a typhoon where I am. They had a typhoon in the mission very far north of our mission and the sisters are sleeping in the chapel, exciting eh? We had a baguio which means lots of wind and rain. They have levels 1-5 or something and I think that measures the wind level. Here in my new area, Lucban we got to about level 2 during the night and didn't have electricity for a day and a half but no major damage. We till don't have power for cell phones or internet so right now we are in the area of the Elder's to email our families etc. I don't know how it is in Lemery, I hear it was worse there but the sisters are safe. Lemery is on the sea and it floods easily plus there are many homes there that would easily be destroyed so I'm a little worried about some of our members and investigators that I know will have suffered. My new area is in the mountains and not near the sea. It is COLD here...haha. I went from the hottest mission to the coldest and I'm sure my body has changed because you would probably not think it was cold, but I do know. We have to heatup our water before we shower so I heat up a pot of water while I eat, dump it in my bucket fill the rest up with the ice cold water and use that small amount to bathe...it's exciting. My new apartment isn't as new or nice as in Lemery. We have lots of cockroaches and mice but I spray the pemethrin frequently :) My first Sunday here was an interesting experience because of the storm. Nobody showed up at first so we only had two meetings in the end and about 30 at sacrament meeting. The bishop made me speak...not just share my testimony, haha. I think this area will make me STREEEEETCH myself. Sister Odo is my new companion and she knows deeper tagalog than Sister Mabalot did, she's also not as good at English and talks VERY fast so that will hopefully help me to learn faster. It's nice to have a start over with meeting people because when I met all the members in Lemery I didn't know how to say anything basically and didn't understand them...I was also very shy to try speaking if I knew it was wrong. I've been praying to be bold and just talk to people. It's hard to leave an area...especially so fast. We had a lot of upcoming baptisms and I finally felt comfortable, I'm once again lost but that's okay. This area is also not progressing as well although we seem to have more support from the leaders than we did in Lemery. As for helping the people here, we're actually told not to have our families send help, etc. for problems here. As we take care of things here you can focus on things at home. As for at home, the news doesn't make me very excited to return indeed...it sounds like nasty times to return to and try to finish school, find jobs and start a family in. It really will take strong youth to live faithfully through these upcoming times. Sister Odo's teaching skills are very good...it's interesting how you give and take with each different person. I may have mentioned my pondering about this before but it's interesting how it's both easier to be obedient and disobedient on your own, when not watched and also when not hindered by others. However, we can't be saved alone, we know that...and you must be together in a companionship of marriage to have eternal life so it's ultimately not good enough to be the best you can be, you have to also help someone else be just as good because you're only as good as the worse of the two, you have to do it all together. Thus, we can only save ourselves by saving someone else...everything comes down to some kind of service and even if it seems selfish it leads you to sacrifice and unselfish actions. I don't have much money here at the end of the month of money and after transfers because that takes extra money so I haven't printed pictures and probably can't send a letter this week. For sure I will next week...and I'll start writing them all now. Ay Pala! I received the package along with a lot of mail at transfers. Except, mom said in her letter that there were skirts in the package and there were not so maybe you sent two or I don't know what happened. I got pictures with your Tagalog phrases, they are cute... the only problem with them is grammar :) The plan of salvation props are great also, they are the same as Sister Mabalot's which were given to her by an American so that makes sense. I had another letter from Amanda and it sounds like she still hasn't received any of my letters... hopefully she'll get at least one of them soon and if not I'll try sending mail again next week, like I said before. Also, once again if you could give me the name of the stake president, you may have actually but I think I accidentally erased some of your emails, sorry. I'm kind of annoyed with myself for that. Hmmm... what else about Lucban, here it is less Americanized than Lemery was and the people seem to be a little better off... or there aren't any who struggle as much it's all kind of middle ground. It's also a little more how I think I imagined the Philippines, here in the mountain Jungle area and the Tagalog is very deep in this area and the culture is seen more, like for the old, you "bless"them by putting their hand on your forehead. Have I ever told you my fabulous idea? Well...if I ever end up getting married I want my gifts to be food storage supplies. It would be somewhat difficult to fully supply yourself with the proper food and safety storage right at the beginning of a marriage so if that's what you were given for your gifts it would be great! Before district meeting last week I read a little bit of John I don't spend a lot of time in the New Testament these days and as I read just a few chapters the Savior's life and ministry came alive to me again. It's amazing how all I have to do is read about it and I know it all happened. That faith for me has always simple and exists but sometimes I have to realize it again. I know that Christ lived, that his life was essential and central part of a great plan for all of us, the Father's accepted plan, that Christ also gave honor to his Father who sent him and in return the message of the Father to all of us is always of his son and to listen and follow him because he is the means provided for us to return to the Father and become like him obtaining all he has -- which is his Work and Glory, I know he lives even now and our lives should be spent in coming to understand the miracle of his sacrifice in our lives and learning to use it to its full extent while sacrificing all we are in return -- Romans 8: as we suffer with Christ we become Heirs with him, we fulfill our work just as he fulfilled his...doing all the Father asked of him. Well, I have to go now, bye. Love Britney
p.s. I'm sure there are many adventures to come in my mission but don't spend too much time worrying -- I probably won't tell you about them all now anyway just so you won't; and they will be great stories another day :)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Typhoon Fengshen
