Week 35 Story Time with the Pres. Adduru :)

Week 35

Dear Friends and Family, 

The Adduru's are a Senior Couple that are over the mission this week--one day I went on splits with the Sisters and Sister Adduru stayed with my sick companion. Pres. Adduru came with us to go proselyting and he spent a lot of time telling me a lot of his life stories--old people are awesome haha :) 

Hello! I hope everyone had a good week this week.  Mine was a little interesting to say the least! My companion was sick this week so I spent a lot of time at the apartment studying and cleaning--the sisters have now called me the mom of the bahay haha. I even made the sisters that live in our apartment sack lunches haha but all is good. We had a few cool experiences this week! 

Sara. We visited Sara this week and she is just CRUISING through the Book of Mormon. The sisters before us started teaching her and she wasn't really progressing but then we came back and she is half way through Alma and came to church this week.  It was awesome! She has the cutest little family and we went to go pick them up for church they were all ready to go--tender mercies! 

I got to go on splits with the sisters this week too and it was super fun! 

Not a lot of time to write today but we headed to Manila today for Zone Conference and Interviews--so we are excited for that! 

To end on a spiritual note....Just the power of testimony. As I went on splits this week I really got to see other missionaries testify of the things they know to be true.  We were able to watch the Missionary Broadcast this week and that is a huge take away that we need to always be testifying of things we know to be true ALWAYS.

LOVE YOU ALL. Hope everyone has a great week!

Love, 

Sister Zarbock 

On our way to Manila for Zone Conference and Interviews :)

Week 34 "It comes back to you, it comes back to youuuuuu..." --Imagine Dragons

Week 34

Heard this song on the radio when we were traveling in a little track. GOD IS GOOD. Call it what you want...temptation or tender mercy, I am going with a big fat tender mercy.

Dear ang magandang pamilya ko at mga kaibigan ko, 

Hello everyone, hope everyone had a good week as always. My weeks have been a little unexpected I guess is how I would put it since coming to Coron :) But still happy as ever doing the Lords work and having a little fun as we do it. Can't ask for anything better am I right?? Wanted to start out my wishing a very merry happy birthday to my buntis at magandang sister in law HALEY! I love you lots and I hope you have an awesome birthday on the 29th. Thanks for being my bud, reading my letters every week, and being my older sister even when I am in the Philippines.  Hope this week is one to remember and all of the people are nice to you on your birthday. LOVE YOU!!!! 

So to start out we had a lot of hard working days...but I almost have grown to love the really hard working days when no one is in their house, everyone is busy, or hiding in their house because that means God is about to shoot you some AWESOME blessings.  You just gotta stick it out. And I think God gave me some really sweet, tender mercies and experiences. They seem little but honestly my life motto is to just enjoy the little moments of life and in the mission. 

So to start out we had another really good lesson with Minda.  Man do I love the faith of that lady. We just had an awesome lesson with her about keeping the commandments and honestly I just love her a lot.  She was my first friend I made in Coron :) 

Earlier in the week we worked with Sister Vallosis--the ward mission leader's wife. And she is honestly so awesome. We got talking about her life and she had a son that died and they were sealed to him in the temple, she lived on one of the islands for over 5 years and had to take a boat to come to church on Sunday--but she came to church every week.  I don't know--sometimes people in the Philippines live some pretty hard lives--but they make it happen, they come to church, they are some of the strongest people I know.  Afterward I offered to teach her some piano lessons--and her cute face just lit up and it was just a sweet moment for me this week :) Thank you Sister Vallosis. 

Next is Brecio :) We taught her this week---she is an investigator that has been taught SOOO many times. She knows the gospel discussions better than we do haha.  But Sister Brecio was in our back up, back up plans and we ended up going over to her house around 8 pm--right before going home. It was a brown out--or a black out and we couldn't see anything in her little house. But we were sharing a message from the Book of Mormon from our little phone light and it was honestly the coolest moment and had a really awesome spirit.  Hope we can get Sister Brecio going to church. 

To finish off we taught the Basilan family. They are just a less active family that live in the boonies. just soo far away haha. But we went over to their house yesterday afternoon and I LOVED our lesson with them.  They went through the Typhoon Yolanda and talked about how scary it was and how they found peace through prayer. COOLEST people ever.  I sang the "wise man built his house upon a rock"--tried to sing it in Tagalog, doesn't work that well hahaha. 

To finish off with a spiritual thought that life is good.  I have been reading the Teachings of President Hinckley and he talks about how "life is good."   I don't know why I just needed to hear that :) I love President Hinckley and he always talks about optimism and being positive and "wallowing" in self pity, I love that about him. he said if you can wake up every morning and think that your life is good--despite what goes on you will be happier.  Love that.

Life is good everyone. Hope this week is a good one! 

Love, 

Sister Zarbock

Crab at the Adduru's

Mount Tapias

Week 33 "Don't Worry, Beee Happy"

Week 33

Dear Erryone, 

Hello everybody :) I hope everyone had an awesome week. This one was just the regular ups, downs, successes, and everything in between.  So you could say it was a good week. It ain't a mission unless you go through every single emotion in the book haha. Nonetheless we did have a lot of really fun times and I am just happy to be on a little island doing some missionary work.  No words can describe all the things that go on everyday, all the people you meet in a day, the feelings you feel while teaching, going to church in a tiny little branch--just a lot of gratefulness and so humbled to be serving among such awesome/crazy people. Lets get on to the week. 

So we moved houses last Monday---and we live in this awesome 90's house now haha. Yellow and green walls, floral cupboards--its awesome. But moving houses was a little bit of a crazy part of the week. They moved all of our stuff on these tiny little trikes, haha it was awesome.

My room!  Two Sister roommates

My cranky companion who wouldn't
take a selfie with me :)

A little on to the people I have been teaching--because now I actually remember their names and who they are :) We are teaching on this mountainside that I call 'Tolentino" Hill. Because literally everyone on this hillside is all related. And so we were looking around this hill and it dawned on me that we should go straight to the source. So we go around asking everyone where "Lola Tolentino" lives. Or just the grandma of everyone and so we finally found this cute little grandma---the Lola Tolentino and we starting chatting with her. Come to find out that she has 13 kids and they all live in Coron on this hill. And she is just the cutest/wisest little lady I've ever met.  I was kind of just in 'awe' at this beautiful life she has with all her kids. Kinda cool experience for me. 

Haha this was actually a funny story that happened. We were walking and proselyting when a guy riding a motorcycle came and starting chatting with us and his name was Ricardo. And he just starting talking to us about God and how we were the answer to his prayers. That kind of happens to us a lot--its kinda funny. 

We had an awesome lesson with our home girl Minda. She is like 50 or so and she has such awesome faith. She reads the Book of Mormon everyday and she just held that book like it was everything she had---I don't know when people talk about those "prepared" people I had a hard time believing it but in our lessons with Minda I almost just laugh because it just seems too easy to teach her because she just LOVES the church. Those prepared people are REAL. 

To finish off we had the baptism of Joshua this week. Just the smallest little 9 year old I have ever seen--it took us 4 stores to find baptism clothes small enough to fit him. But this was just an awesome day :) In a branch--baptisms are a big deal. Everyone comes together, it was a great turn out.  And the best was seeing him confirmed on Sunday--hope my bangit piano playing didn't ruin the spirit of the meeting. Yes I am the new pianist for the ward...haha I know, they had to stoop down to the simplified hymns. Sorryyyy should have practiced more... ;) 

Josh's baptism!

The baptismal "font"

The crowd at the baptism!

Just to finish off with a spiritual thought. Just kind of the overall mood of the week is "Happiness is a Choice." Sometimes you just got to be happy no matter what people are placed in your path, who your companion is, happiness starts with just that simple choice within. That has been the thing that I have really learned for this week :) 

Love you all, 

Sister Zarbock 

The Addurus--Senior couple in Coron

P-day walk :)

 

Week 32 "Takin it to the Streets..." --My theme song this week :)

Week 32

Dear Family and Frenz, 

Hello errybody!  Hope all is well with everyone and that everyone is starting the year off right. Just wanted to start off and wish a Happy Anniversary to my cute magulang..parents this week. I hope its a good one! :) enjoy with good food and a night out on the town...knock on wood no one gets injured. Its a Zarbock tradition that one of the kids gets hurt every time our parents go on their weekend trip for their anniversary. But anyway, thanks for getting married and being good examples and all that wishy washy stuff, you are the bomb. Love you Jules and Bud! 

So this week has been CRAZY. I feel like I have been everywhere this week haha. I packed up all my stuff last Monday to be transferred, spent the night in Pasay, got on a plane and now I am in my new area.  I went from the city, millions of people, traffic everywhere to the serene Coron--haha thats what I am calling this place. It really is so beautiful here. So a part of our mission is the Palawan Islands and Coron is the northern most island. There are only 4 Sisters who cover the whole island.  And we just have a cute little branch out here, going to church was the weirdest thing ever because it could not be more opposite of where I just was haha.  Coron is so beautiful my goodness. There is a beach right outside our apartment and actually I see a lot of foreigners here for vacation. And there is one main road thats called the "highway." Its been a fun week getting used to everything going on...i already love it here. 

Coron Island!

My new companion is Sister Tango from New Zealand. She is awesome, she's been out on the mission a transfer ahead of me...but she's great! I am excited to spend the next transfer with her.  It was definitely a tender moment saying goodbye to my cute anak Sister Guiuo :( The masarap na smoothies are helping me fill the void.

Sister Tango from New Zealand :)

A little on to our week :) 

This week was a little bit of drinking water from a fire hydrant.  I feel like I am just a little newbie in the mission again. Its for sure been an adjustment to go from knowing the ins and outs of a specific area to knowing absolutely nothing. So honestly we taught a lot of awesome people this week...do I remember their names? No but trying. Do I know what we taught them? ummm..not really.  So this week has just been a lot of change but if I have learned something from the mission it is to just embrace change. 

What I have loved about this place so far is that everyone lets you in their house. We are just walking along and anyone and everyone will just let us in, "Pasok, Kakain na!" Everyone's always offering us things so its SUPER fun. We met a lot of new people that we are gonna be following up on so updates to come next week. 

Just to finish off with a spiritual experience...honestly where ever you are in the world the gospel is always the same.  I think that is what I have loved about this week. No matter where we end up going, what people we find, where the members live, we still have that same spirit. And going to church this week was awesome. I just had a little minute to bare my testimony and I was just looking out at these pioneers of the mormon church in Coron and I am in awe with their spirit and strength.  Sister Tango and I are ready to hit the ground running, I am excited for this next week! :) 

Love all yal, 

Sister Zarbock

Week 31 Bagong Taon, Bagong Buhay, Bagong Pagasa

Week 31

Dear Family and Frenz, 

Hello everyone :) Hope everyone had a happy new year. First off I can't believe it is already 2017, it seems like 2016 just came and gone. That was easily the fastest year of my WHOLE life. But it was a happy one. I took a lot of times this week to just think about all of the stuff that has gone on in the past year and it made me feel SO grateful for all the opportunities that have come about. So cool. Let me get off my soap box and lets wish some people a happy freaking birthday. JACK--maligayang bati! Sobrang masaya ako kasi magaling kayo sa tagalog. Pakatopas ang mission ko, makakapagtagalog po tayo araw-araw. 22 ka na! Matanda ka na din ;) But seriously I hope you are feeling a little bit of that 22 vibe and you blasted that t-swift. There is no better way. 

Happy Birthday, Jack!  This picture says it all! 

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL MOTHER :) Jules, I miss you like CRAZY. And I hope you have an AMAZING birthday. Just know that I think about you always and pretty much all my companions know how awesome you are. You are literally my favorite human being on this planet and I hope Dad lets you buy whatever you want and you get to go out somewhere nice :) Love you to death jules. 

Happy Birthday Jules!  I'm all packed--ready to leave for Palawan!

On to my week, it was a good one :) BUT to first start out I AM TRANSFERRING!!!!!!!!! I am going to PALAWAN!!!!!---seriously couldn't be more excited. So this was my last week in Makati.  Because of the holidays we couldn't get a flight last week so I stayed with the new Sisters of Makati until today. Me and another Sister leave tomorrow morning. I will tell you all about my area when I actually go there haha. But couldn't be more excited, I am ready to get out of the city for a little while. 

So because of delayed flight plans,  I got to be a foursome for the week with...you'll never guess. Sister Singer, Sister Dolor, and Sister Guiuo. And this was maybe the funnest week of my mission. I seriously have never laughed so much in my whole life. I gotta see my crazy Tita Sister Dolor, gotta be with my bestie of the mission Sister Singer, and my cute little anak Sister Guiuo. Life on the mission is so much fun when you've got your favorite Sisters with you. A little onto what I did this week. 

Lolo Rey :) And Kuya Arnold

Antonio Family!

Me and Singer!

Spent a lot of time being pretty sentimental haha :) I feel like I have developed some awesome friendships with people and it was kind of a bittersweet week teaching and saying goodbye to all of the people I have been with for 6 months. And it was kinda of tender moments telling our investigators and members that this will be my last week in the area. :) I don't know it just made me feel like what I am doing is making a difference to them, so honestly that was a super nice realization for me. A lot of the members wanted to spend time with us, we got fed WAY too much, and I got to spend time with all my friends I've made in Makati--totally worth having a delayed flight plan. A lot of the times as a missionary you are just going, going and going--often times you don't really think about "being appreciated" but that was kind of a nice moment for me this week. 

Bernadeth and her cute baby :)

Elma--Less-Active member

We had a lot of awesome lessons this week with the Antonio Family, Kelly, Bernadeth, and just all of the people I have been teaching over the last little while. I am hoping for the best with them all. But I think they'll be in the best hands possible after I leave with Sister Singer coming into Makati and Sister Dolor who is returning to Makati and Sister Guiuo staying in the area.  I am so grateful for all the people I have been able to see and watch them progress in the gospel. Watched that little light of Christ make its way into their hearts.  One lesson this week was with Brother Antonio--we asked him what he felt the atonement meant for him. And he said that since the missionaries have been coming to his house, he feels that he is becoming closer and closer to Christ. 

And I think my favorite part of the week was when we asked Antonio how is Word of Wisdom problem was going...he has been smoking since he was 17 years old. And I almost didn't want to ask because I knew the answer would probably be not good, and same with all of his kids. But we asked everyone of them in a lesson this week--all of them said that as a family they all threw out their cigarettes. MAN I am glad the lighting was dark in their house cause there were tears in my eyes!  

But that was definitely the highlight of my week.  And just to end on a spiritual note I really could not be more grateful for this past year and for my time in Makati.  Life goes way too fast. :) 

Hope everyone has a good week and a happy new year!  

Love, 

Sister Zarbock

New Year's Dinner for us

Bishop and his wife

Last Sunday in Makati 4th Ward :(

Arnold and Rey Guapofied

Last Sunday in Makati

Last Sunday in Makati

Family Tree!

My District

At the lights with Kelly!