Week 22 "Ako ay anank ng Diyos...."

Week 22

Everyone knows that my dad is the singing sensation...and you know I decided this week that I am going to take on my own singing career...thanks for the inspiration pops...So I decided that I am going to start doing musical numbers for our investigators, and HOLY cow its a lot of pressure but the investigators love it! :) This week we brought it down to the basics...Ako ay anak ng Diyos. Stay tuned for next week. 

Dear Halloween Lovers, 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN PEOPLE!!! Its so nice to be with you on a very lonely Makati Day. So something weird people do on Halloween here. Everyone goes to their provinces and gets together with all of their families and they have a party at the cemetery. No joke, they go set up tents, hang out next to their dead lolas/lolos all day, eat breakfast/lunch/dinner at the cemetery. Sister Guiuo asked me this morning, "Isn't that what everyone does?" Ummm...no we just dress up as weirdos and go knock on peoples doors for candy. She was really confused....haha it was way funny :) But Makati is a lonely city because no one is home!  But there is a fun interesting fact about the Philippines for all ya'll. 

This week was a good one. And as per usual, I am so grateful for all your awesome emails and everything. It literally is the best to hear about how everyone is doing!  Anyway, Sister Guiuo and I had a great week this week. Lots of work, lots of fun stuff going on, we are happy campers--can't wait to tell you all about it. 

So we had exchanges this week with our awesome STLs after our District Meeting on Tuesday--we are the only Sisters in our District now because some sisters area got closed cause it was too dangerous apparently...for sure the fantastic four is finished. But on the bright side, I got to stay in the area and take Sister Savea around. And seriously its so fun to walk around with another foreigner with you...she's from Australia. It makes it real easy to talk to people. I think we got 95 OYMs (opening our mouths--like inviting, testifying kind of stuff) in a little under an hour. It was awesome.  So that was something kind of different and fun--my anak did call me later that night and said she missed me, cute mama moment haha.

We had a lot of awesome missionary moments this week. We were walking on the street one day this week and all of a sudden like 15 kids came up and starting chatting with us--they have the funnest time with my white skin, blue eyes, blonde hair. And I asked if they wanted to know what we were doing there--All of their eyes just went so wide, it was the cutest. Filipino kids are the cutest. So I got out my chalk and we drew the whole plan of salvation on the street and told them about God's plan for them... we had a little game too. And by the time we were done, we had like 30 people hanging out listening to us--it was great. And seriously it was just a small little thing we did, just drew out the plan of salvation for a bunch of cute Filipino kids but I was just real happy in that moment to that I know God's plan for all of his children.  It was pretty amazing!

Another thing that happened this week was we met Sister Almera.  We were proselyting one day and we came across this cute mom and her 3 little kids outside and we starting to talk and we started to teach her--she accepted in baptism!  So we will see what happens with her. And Angelie is still going strong, she should be having her baby either this week or the next, she is still reading the Book of Mormon--I just feel like Angelie is one of my best friends. And Paulie should be getting baptized this week! We are so excited--his faith is just continuing to grow, its seriously so awesome to see the gospel in little ways change his life. When they announced his baptism in Sacrament, he had the biggest smile on his face. It was seriously so great!

So we were going to go to the chapel for an activity and I had this thought that we should walk, and I was like why would we walk? We never walk to church, its too far away. So I told Sister Guiuo that we needed to walk and OYM for a bit before going. We got out and started to walk in our area and I saw a guy that I had OYMed over 3 months ago named Manuel--I started to talk to him and told him he should come to church tomorrow. He kind of said something along the lines of, "oh if I have time." But sure enough the next day he was at church and I said, "Why did you come?"--because he didn't seem so sure yesterday. But then he told us yesterday he had a hard day and he was praying yesterday to feel better...and so when I talked to him he felt like that was his answer.  And my heart just felt so full. You know you do a lot of things as a missionary, a lot of teaching, talking to people--sometimes you get tired. But the fact that I helped little Manuel (he is like 4 11') made me feel like I am making a little bit of a difference, it was so worth walking to church.

To finish things off we ended the week with a bang with the 50th anniversary of Buendia Chapel!  Buendia chapel..or the chapel I attend every week...was the first chapel ever built in the Philippines and so there was this HUGE jubilee/celebration on Saturday. Tons of dancing, singing, and just a big party. And it was seriously SO fun  It made me miss dancing, but it seriously was so awesome to see all the different cultural dances of the Philippines. The Area presidency came and the 6th member of the church in the Philippines spoke--I think he is like 94. Ahhh it was a great night. Just so happy to be in the Philippines serving with such amazing people!  

This week was awesome, thanks again for all the love and support. Hope everyone has a great week! 

Love, 

Sister Zarbock

When the ward is already doing 25 days of 

Christmas and its not even November yet haha :)

Dinner night with some wardies!

Seasig--which is beef fat.  Not too bad actually

Sa area namin

ArAr---our Less Active.  Sister Guiuo knows his family

Our dinner and movie night!

All pictures from the 50th Jubilee!!

Week 21 Fiesta sa bahay namin

Week 21

Dear Fam and Frenz,  

Hello errbody :) Hope everyone had an awesome week as usual. I wanted to start this email off with a big, fat shout out to my little brother CLAY ZARBOCK!!  Happy birthday kid!! I literally can't believe you are 17 already, so I am just gonna pretend you aren't. But seriously Clay, you are an awesome kid, one of the most unique people I know--I LOVE IT :)  Best memory of Clay, we were hiking up donut falls and both of us decided that we were gonna run through the waterfall together but we both slipped and fell on the way! GREAT BONDING MOMENT. But anyway I just wanted to say that I love you and I miss you like crazy and all of our cute snow cone and skiing dates and hiking around--I hope this week is a good one for you. 

So about my week! We had a good and super busy week and our house was a party all week.  Because we had zone training and the new missionary follow up meeting, a lot of sisters flew in from Palawan and Coron--so we got to have sleepovers all week, it was a ton of fun.  And our zone training and missionary follow up were super fun. I was sitting in the new missionary follow up with my new littler trainee (all of the trainers and trainees go to the missionary follow up to make sure you aren't dying) and I got so many weird flash backs of how I felt after 3 weeks in the field--like am I really gonna survive 18 months?!?!?--but look at me now. I made it, and I survived haha!  Plus we totally got donuts so that was the best. 

Visitor Sisters from Coron

More Sisters from Coron

Sleepover with the Sisters from Coron!

A little update on some of our peeps this week. We taught Angelie this week, she is doing awesome and really has such strong faith and is just cruising through the Book of Mormon right now. She should be having her baby soon. Her baptism is going to take a little bit longer unfortunately because she isn't married, so we are just working through to help her get that desire to change the way she is living in order to be baptized.  But what I have learned here? God's timing is real. Sometimes we just gotta be a little patient. Story. of. my. Life. Guys. 

Another update is Paulie--he should be getting baptized November 5!  EVERYONE PRAY FOR PAULIE! He is doing awesome. This week was the commandments lesson with him and honestly every time I teach commandments I just have to hold my breath a little bit, hoping that they are already living in accordance to them. God really does prepare people to receive the gospel. Paulie just talked to us about how he knows how important God is and how he depends on God and in order for him to return to him he needs to live as Christ would.  I sat back and I was just happy for someone, that all they want to do is devote their lifestyle to that of Christ.  Testimony builder for me for sure. 

Another tender mercy this week was Trisha Kate. I think I have talked about her before, she is 15 years old. And this week we taught her about the Book of Mormon.  I love the light that goes on in someones eyes when we talk about the Book of Mormon, it is seriously the best moment.  She is just 15 and since I started to visit her a couple of weeks ago--I can just see the difference in her. Its almost like a light has turned on.  Ahhh guys the gospel just makes people happy--with all the walking around, talking to so many people in a week, working sun up until sun down--just seeing one person light up when you teach them the gospel is SO WORTH IT. 

Just finish up with what I call a tender mercy Sunday. We showed up to church and we had Makati 4th--and we had 3 investigators come to church and 4 Less Actives--WHAT??? So we thought, okay maybe that is just luck. But then Makati 3rd ward came around, we had 3 Less Actives come and 2 investigators. And I was on cloud 9 :)  You know it was just a regular Sunday, we didn't do anything amazing in the week to get these people to church.....But kinda what I said before, God has his own timing and a scripture came to mind when we were walking home in D&C 88:63-63. "If you draw near unto me, I will draw near unto you".  It talks about how we need to continue in diligence. Obedience and diligence really do bring miracles, and that was a little miracle for me this week! 

Hope everyone has an awesome week :) 

Love, 

Sister Zarbock 

This is Makati!

Makati!!!

DInner at the church -- cute Sister Rose and 

Sister Ruby made this for us!

Guys don't worry--I found Rufus!!

Florals for days!!

Week 20 "HEYYYYYY HEYYYYYYY.....Come and get your looooooove" (Classic song from "Guardians of the Galaxy")

Week 20

Dear Every Bawwwdy, 

Hello everyone so good to hear from everyone like always :) This week was another good one--so I thought rainy season was over but now its TYPHOON SEASON. Kinda scary--season am I right? But here it just means lots of flooding and lots of new umbrellas because ours always break. The flooding really is so crazy...sometimes I am like where does all this water even come from? Haha. But life is good, we did get a lot of rain this week which is lots of fun! Sometimes hard to work in but for the most part its pretty awesome. You see all the little kids just having a good time in all the flood water and rain and I am like CAN I DO THAT PLEEAAASEEE? Hahaha...okay well anyway on to my week. 

We had a couple of awesome experiences this week with some of our investigators. First off Angelie is doing great. Her faith to follow Christ is really so awesome, its really cool to see these people that have faith in Christ but they really just don't know where to find the truth and then HERE WE COME.  But Angelie is really doing well, her faith is so much stronger every visit. I have started to read right where she is at in the Book of Mormon because she is super consistent with her reading.  Our lesson with her this week was all about the role of the Book of Mormon and her questions are right on. So everyone PRAY for Angelie! 

We had an amazing lesson with Glinda!  GUYS....Glinda is back in the game!!  When I was Sister Holzworth we found Glinda and she was interested but then kinda wasn't so we put her in the area book for a little while. AND then I decided that it was time to make the inspired return back. And she was totally interested again. We gave her a Book of Mormon, then we went back a few days later.  She had actually read the assignment and we talked to her more about what prayer was. And then she prayed at end the lesson and in it she said, "Paki-basbasan po ninyo ang mga anak ko na makuha nila ang mga pangarap" or that all of her kids will fulfill all their dreams. It was seriously the cutest thing!  When she finished, she was crying because she felt the spirit so strong. GOOOO GLINDA. :) It was kind of a touching moment, you don't really find people and their conversion on your time table, conversion is so individual. So lets hope she's ready now! 

So a couple of nights ago we were out proselyting and I have passed by this compound a million times, its just an area where a lot of people live in that is gated--and I felt like this huge need to go in there, it was so weird. So we went inside and we started talking to a bunch of people and after like 20 people we were about to leave but then this cute old lady said she thought there was some members inside. So we kept looking and sure enough WE FOUND ABBY :) Yes her name is Abby, yes she is a member. We were so pumped about it. Her mom is actually not a member--and so we will teach them later this week. But it was seriously so awesome to see that promptings are real! :) 

This is Abby--the Abby we found haha!

We just had a lot of great teaching opportunities this week with people in our area--hopefully people that will really 

progress. And then spontaneously we were asked to give the Relief Society lesson in Makati 4th on Sunday. To be honest this was a super spiritual experience. Our lesson was on being Committed to God from the Teachings of Howard W. Hunter. I love Howard W. Hunter! He has such a perfect way of describing things--at least for me. In our lesson we talked a lot about committing vs. contributing. And how being committed to God is a lot more than just following the commandments or fulfilling a calling--its all about putting your heart into it. I really went away from this lesson learning a lot more--I feel like teaching has its way of doing that.  You end up being the person learning the most. 

Well everyone I really am so grateful and humbled to be a missionary of such a great work.  Keep shooting prayers for me with training and with learning the language. Hope everyone has a great week! 

Much Love,

Sister Zeeee

Carrying my package from home on a jeepnee!

Thanks for the sweet new apron Jules!
Awesome package!!

Saw all my favorites at interviews this week :)

The moment before emailing!

Week 19 CONFERENCE WEEKEND IS THE BEST WEEKEND!

Week 19

Dear Fam and Friends, 

SOBRANG MASAYA BECAUSE IT WAS CONFERENCE WEEKEND!!!!! WHOOP :) Its even better a week later, haha just kidding. But really conference weekend is the best weekend ever. A chance to sit back and let the prophet and apostles blow your investigators minds and sit in air conditioning for like 12 hours. I couldn't think of anything better.  I think as a missionary you are extra tuned into conference because I maybe wrote 50 pages of notes, and I didn't sleep through one talk.  SUCCESS--AM I RIGHT?  Okay but on a serious note I really loved watching conference, I think one I will never forget. I just had a moment while I was watching the Sunday morning session to look at all my new friends I have made in the Philippines thus far. Phoebe and Jason were sitting next to me, Paulie and my cute new companion on the other side. It just made me smile :)

SO MY NEW COMPANION!!!!! I am training Sister Guiuo (Geeeeeeeo) fresh out of the MTC. She is from an hour outside of Manila so sometimes we make the joke we are just gonna go eat dinner at her house and then come back haha. She is maybe the cutest human being I have ever seen. She is actually a VISA waiter and will serve her mission here until her VISA comes. Her mission is...wait for it, wait for it.....TEMPLE SQUARE. So come 6 months, all of you better be visiting her at Temple Square.  But seriously so excited to be training a new missionary, I get to relive all the first moments of being a missionary, it really is so great. I am so excited for our new companionship. 

My new companion--Sister Guiuo!

Picking up Sister Guiuo at the Mission Home--Pres. and Sister Ostler

This week was a good one and it kind of felt short because we had conference but I am so excited to tell you all about it! 

My first experience of the week is with Sister Angelie--I have talked about her before, she is pregnant and due next month. We visited her this week and she is just plowing through the Book of Mormon, it is so awesome to see her faith build and build every visit. So we were talking with her, she has always been so shy with baptism. Always nervous and scared of commitment. So we started to talk with her about the Book of Mormon. And she said she believes it's true. And I said well Angelie, if this book is true, then Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God, and if that's true then Jesus Christ and God really did appear to Joseph, and if that's true then the gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth right now If that's true then I think you should just get baptized. And she said well maybe you are right :)  It honestly was such a little thing but it made me really think how awesome the message is of the Restoration--I felt like that came up a few times in conference and it  solidified for me my testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. Go Angelie! 

So this is awesome. We got a text from one of the Elders for a referral they got for us, they said you know we don't know how interested he is but go give it a shot. So we went out to find Ike.  We couldn't find him anywhere. So we asked someone and from there asked someone else, they took us somewhere, then another person took us and I was just about to say, there is no hope finding this guy. But then all of a sudden this little old lady pokes her head out of her little tinahan and said she thought she knew where he was. So she takes us into this alley way, up the sketchiest ladder, and into the house of Ike.  And turns out the Lucena family lived at this house and they are all a bunch of less actives. So we talked to them and we talked to Brother Ike all about the message of our church. It just felt like this guy was super prepared to hear our message and the Lucena family said they really wanted to come back to church. :) Lesson learned? Don't give up, the Lord will send you to prepared people. 

So I wanna end with a through from conference. I am sure Elder Uchtdorf's 'Fourth Floor Last Door' was everyone's favorite in the Women's Session. And seriously I LOVED THIS TALK. It really rang true to me being on a mission. And just having faith by not giving up on yourself, with people..lahat. And I really loved the thought that sometimes trusting in your own vision isn't enough, you really need to put your trust in the Lord. It is kind of hard sometimes but SO worth it. 

Well I love you everyone and I hope you all have an awesome week, thanks for the emails and prayers--I need them more now then ever haha :) 

Mahal ko kayo!!!! :) 

Love, 

Sister Zeeeee 

Saying goodbye to Sister Dolor!

I ran into one of Jack's old companions again!

With Mildred--the less-active we found out of nowhere!

With Phoebe and Jason

Thanks for the taco stuff, Mom!  I made them this
week and my companion loved them!

Jules, this person found me on Instagram like in January
and messaged me all about Makati and everything.
Then she FOUND ME IN REAL LIFE! How sick is that??? 

A visit from Sister Savea--our Sister Trainer Leader

Week 18 TRIO AGAIN :) :) :)

Week 18

Hello All, 

How is everyone doing this week??? I hope everyone had an awesome week and a great conference weekend!  I get to see it this next weekend...but still every bit as excited! Its been a good week for us, transfers are this week..so that means I am graduating!!! I will officially be out of training :) I am so SO excited to see what happens with this next week, transfers are on Wednesday.  So I will let you know how that goes next week.  

Also another little surprise this week was we got another temporary sister for the week, her name is Sister Muir and she is from New Zealand.  We just laugh about our companionship. Sister Dolor is Filipino, I am blonde and white, and Sister Muir is as white as it gets and a red head. So we are a diverse group here. Haha...Its been a really fun week with her. We have had a lot of fun.  But anyway, a couple of high lights about the week!! 

Sister Zarbock, Sister Muir, Sister Dolor

Trike Selfie

With Sister Rose

So first off we had some awesome finds this week, we had a couple of long work days. But we found Mildred and Renaldo this week! :) They are a couple of less actives..and it really is so awesome when you can just sit and talk to people about how they feel about the church. Sometimes all people need to come back to church is just a little love. I have totally found that to be true over the last couple months. We got to sit and share with them about how important the church is and you get to see them light back up, because they know the church is true...sometimes they just need to remember what it feels like to have the gospel in their lives again. :) So they were some awesome lessons this week.  So grateful for those amazing moments as a missionary. 

GUYS. This was the best thing that happened this week haha. So Nanay Vergie. She is probably the most offended person I have ever seen and she is not afraid to tell you about it haha. :) And I have been visiting her since I came out to the field. And today we walked by her bahay like we normally do and she started telling us how offended she was. And I just said Nanay Vergie, do you know what you need? She kinda was taken a little aback, and asked okay what. And I said all she needs is Jesus and a group hug. So thats what we did..our little trio gave Nanay Vergie the biggest hug in the middle of the street and we got her to laugh about it. Seriously, the best thing of my week haha :) Again all people need is a little love. 

ANGELIE CAME TO CHURCH AND SHE IS HAVING A GIRL! Angelie is pregnant and due next month and we finally found out this week. I guessed a girl the whole time. We were so pumped about it :) She is literally the cutest Mom and its been so fun to teach her. She is so great, and every time we see her we just see the light the gospel is giving her...I think that is my favorite thing to see the light of Christ work its way into these people lives, plus she came to church this week! WHOOOOP :) 

Angelie's little twins--and a random dog on the street  :)

We got fed by the Harts family this week :) They are so great! 

Okay one of the best things of my week was Paulie's lesson. He is the Armenian we have been teaching. He is seriously the best guy ever, we had an awesome lesson with him on Sunday about the Book of Mormon. I started to ask him about his beliefs--he knows the bible like the back of his hand so its a little intimidating for sure. But he started getting really emotional and he said he has been looking for something like this his whole life. And he has been through a lot, but he said something that literally melted my heart. He said that he knows that the world is sometimes really hard to live in but, "through God's word he feels like the richest man in the world." And he held that Book of Mormon like it was everything he had. Such an awesome guy who strengthened my testimony about the Book of Mormon. 

Well just to end on a Spiritual Thought, I was reading a couple of nights ago in D&C 64:33 and it says that we shouldn't "be weary in well doing." And I have felt this so many times on the mission so far. Even though you have long days and are tired. all. the. time. God always helps us if we are on His errand. 

Have a good week everyone!!  

Love, 

Sister Zarbock 

Cookies at the mission home!

Biggest coincidence....I sat next to this ladies daughter-in-law
in my Philosophy class at UVU...She is awesome! 

Cheesecake with Bing

Jules = Best Mom Award!!  Thanks for the fun Halloween package!!! 

All the Halloween decor is up--strange holiday to Filipinos haha!