Week 52 The M&M Method

Week 52

We get a call late Friday night and we had some sisters that we had to visit because they were having a bit of a struggle with their companionship. So on the way to their apartment the next morning I told Sister Lubas that we needed to buy some M&Ms...okay not the real ones cause they are so MAHAL (expensive) so we got the knock off brand and I introduced the M&M Method hahaha...so super lame but you close your eyes and pick an M&M out of a bowl..and depending on the color you voice a concern, funny experience, positive attribute about the other. And afterward they were all smiles...after we left I just burst out laughing and told Sister Lubas that I can't believe that worked...so of course we gave it a name. Funniest thing ever.

ANYWAY.......

Dear Family and Friends,

Hope that everyone had a good week this week.  Mine started off a little interesting and ended a little bit interesting but life is good nonetheless. And I did want to start out this email with a big fat birthday shout out to my bro Sam this last week...love ya more than anything to be completely honest. You are the funniest human being of my whole life and am so grateful that I got ya as my brother and friend.  But anyway a little onto our week :) 

We had exchanges Tuesday and Wednesday this week and I got to exchange with Sister Fuertes..the anak of Sister Singer and then exchanged with Sister Abana.  I love exchanges lots but it just makes you super tired.  But with Sister Abana we thought we'd try something a little different for one of our lessons and got some printer paper and some crayons...went to one of the investigators in her area that had Book of Mormons and taught the Tree of Life.  We had all her little kids draw their own tree of life with the rod, outer darkness, straight and narrow path, etc. It was sooo fun!  Just a different way to get investigators interested about the Book of Mormon. Had a super awesome lesson with them :)

Exchange with Sister Abana

Tree of Life Lesson!!!

The rest of the week was pretty good....Rose and her family and Joshua are still progressing! :) And that just made me the happiest person in the whole world. We had a super awesome lesson with Sister Rose this week...we gave her a Book of Mormon and she is doing super good.  Joshua is like the smartest 12 year old I have ever met...so things are coming along nicely with him. He was too shy to come to church this week because he didn't have a white shirt and tie...but we bought him a white shirt this week so cross your fingers he'll come this week. But he is doing super awesome. Again I just learn that God's time line is so different than ours....and sometimes we just gotta be a little patient and a little more humble :) 

To finish off with a spiritual thought from President Hinckley...I have been reading his book and I just love it, its the best motivator for me! This week he talked about how things "just work out." If we are doing our best and giving our all to missionary work, our lives, our families...life just works out the way it needs to be. Anything that "invites us to good" (Moroni 7:13) is from God and sometimes we just gotta focus on the little things in front of us and sometimes not the whole picture all at once...my strategy for the week! Good times.

Okay Love you all and Keep on keeping on!

Love, 

Sister Zarbock

The Pepito Family we always visit

When Sister Craig gets the biggest package I've ever seen haha :)

Week 51 "Don't Stop Me Now...I'm having such a good time, I'm having a ball...."

Week 51

This song came to mind after a good day of work this week...and I kinda just smiled to myself. So grateful to a dad that introduced me to Queen. 

Dear Friends and Family, 

Kamustang Lahat??? I hope this week was a good one for you. I just love Skype chats because you literally are on the high of seeing your family for the WHOLE week :) It was the best. It makes me just extra grateful for my cute family back at home. Shoutout to my brother Sam who turns 25 this week on the 24th!  Love ya bro!  But this week was for sure a doozy. Last week Sister Lubas and I were trying to figure out when we were gonna do exchanges and I just thought...well why don't we just do all of them in one week. So that's what we did!  Okay not all of them, we have 2 left. But our week did consist of 3 exchanges, so Sister Lubas and I are a little tired this week haha :) All I can say is WE SURVIVED this week! 

It was fun...this was my first time actually initiating all the exchanges with everybody. It's been a fun week.  You really just get to take a look at all the work missionaries are doing...and its kind of cool. Honestly the sisters here have no idea how awesome they really are...Their testimonies and love for the investigators is so genuine and heartfelt. I loved seeing that this week. Its just a humbling experience for sure :) So we came out of this week unscathed and EXCHANGES were a success. BOOOYAHHHH!

Exchanges this week--meet Sister Craig from New Zealand.  We live together.

Round 2 and 3 of Exchanges this week--Sister Abakite

.....and my old kabahay from Kiribati, Sister Fontanilla :) 

We had a lot of awesome finding experiences this week...sometimes we just walk out of the house and just have absolutely NO idea where to go to find people but God just provides away. I have no other way to describe it. 

One experience was with Rose and Edwin. We went into a compound this week and talked to this old Nanay and she said that she had 14 kids...WHAT THE???  So we asked where all her kids were and we started chatting with them all and Edwin (the 9th child) came to us and told us to teach his wife Rose. So we went to their house. Turns out the Elders taught them before and we had a really awesome lesson with this cute family. And I played Legos with their son for like 20 minutes...I thank my brothers for teaching me the ropes with that one. 

This was actually a super cool experience too...we were walking and Sister Lubas said we should go try to teach Sister Letty.  Sister Letty was an investigator of the sisters before us...she is NEVER home.  I was a little hesitant but we decided to go.  So we go to their house and Letty was there and she told us that her son who is 12 has come to live with her right now. And she said that she was just hoping we were going to stop by to visit her. So we taught Joshua...he actually came to church on Sunday. :) The young men fellowshipped him immediately...extra grateful for that. He should be getting baptized on June 17...everyone shoot some prayers his way. 

I just love this area :) members were just super great this week. Showed up at our door with groceries, fed us unexpectedly...holy cow. Feeling extra blessed. 

To finish off with a thought from Romans 5 this week. That "tribulation brings experience, experience brings hope."  I loved that thought this week. That no matter what your "tribulation" is...it can be as small as having no idea what 2 missionaries are gonna go with their day to a death of a loved one...but our experiences bring us hope in our lives. Opposition is an all things but that it gives us that, "joy and wonder of being alive.." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf.  

Anyway, just a good week this week. Hope you guys get some good sleep this week...I know that's what I need haha :) 

Love, 

Sister Starbucks

Of course we had to get Starbucks :)

Kids that follow me around!

Week 50 Happy Mothers Day to all :)

Week 50

Dear Friends and Families and especially my Beautiful Mother Jules, 

Hope everyone had an awesome week this week and that all the missionaries gotta skype home to their cute families :) So fun to see all my cute brothers getting married, having babies and growing up. And I just wanted to wish my Mother a happy mothers day :) To the mom that successfully updates me on every single thing that could possible have happened in her week in her emails, the packages, encouraging words ALWAYS over the past year of my mission. I could not have a better or more selfless mom. SO THANK YOU JULES. I loved seeing you this week.  I miss ya lots.

And then I have some lovely birthday shoutouts to my cute brother Drew who is 15 on the 15th and handsome Daddy who is turning 50 on the 21st! I love you two so much and am grateful for you both! So grateful for their awesome examples. I truly hope the day treats you guys well and I am grateful for all the sports updates every week haha :) 

Well the highlight of the week was for sure seeing my cute family BUT a little about what Sister Lubas and I did this week....

First update is we had a funny experience at church this week. So there is always a bunch of kids that always try to play basketball on Sunday at our church and we always gotta go kick them off the court because we don't play sports on Sunday and all that jazz. But this week I decided to take a different approach and told them that if they came to church first we would let them play on the court afterward. So they said yes...and so during sacrament we had like 12 teenagers in their basketball jerseys chilling in pews at sacrament. Don't get me wrong I had to hit them like 5 times with my water bottle because they were being loud...BUT they stayed all 3 hours of church. It was awesome :) They ended up going home afterward instead of playing basketball...we got their info so we will find them and teach them hopefully :) 

Then this week was the one week mission for all the youth so we spent a lot of time with them this week. :) And it was sooo fun. We taught them a couple of classes and I think my favorite class we taught was about Christlike Attributes and every young man and young woman got up and shared their favorite attribute of Christ and shared a scripture...just something to get them participating. And the youth here are so awesome. They have the strongest, simplest testimonies. 

We gotta work with some of them this week too...we have an investigator named Christine-Joy who is 16. So it was super cool to see the Young Women testify to her about how the gospel has blessed their life. It was just a cool to hear them bear testimonies to their peers...best missionary moments I have had is when I hear other people testify of what they know to be true :) So we had some awesome experiences with some of our investigators with that. 

Youth Mission Week for Young Men and Young Women

Young Women at Youth Mission Week

More Young Women at Youth Mission Week

To end...we had a great lesson with the Capio Family. They are a family the other sisters were teaching before they left and they are sooo great.  Something that the husband said was that he really understands that family is all we have to bring to the next life. And since its mothers day, I reminds me how important an eternal family is :) And how lucky are we that we have the power to seal on earth and in heaven. God is good and so grateful he gave us our families. 

Okay well I love you guys and I hope this week is a good one for you :) 

Sister Zarbock 

Bookmarks we made for Youth Mission Week :)

Brother and Sister Baui--family in our ward 

Week 49 Fresh Start...Literally

Week 49

Dear Family and Friends, 

Helloooo everyone :) Hope everyone had an awesome week this week. Mine was a little crazy haha. To start out we had transfers this week...we usually here Monday afternoon about transfers and we went all day last Monday with no text from President so I thought I was good. And so pumped to stay in the area. But low and behold 10:20 p.m. hits and we get a text that I was going to get transferred. Sister Petras and I were so sad...I love that cute little Filipina. 

So I got transferred and my new comp is Sister Lubas from Mindanao, she is Vesaya! :) We are actually going home batch so she has been out on her mission as long as I have. She is the cutest and oldest companion I have ever had thus far on the mission. She is 27 years old...and she is the pioneer of her family! First member...and her mom just got baptized a year ago. She is awesome. We will have a lot of fun together. Our new area is Paranaque 1st ward...like an hour away from Mandaluyong...and we are starting fresh here :) which means we both are brand new to the area. We are the new fancy, schmancy STLs (Sister Training Leaders).  So both brand new to being STLs in a brand new area. I feel like a brand new missionary haha. But its all good, we should have an awesome time together.  

My new companion Sister Lubas

Our first MLC (Missionary Leadership Conference) as STLs

As always...best ever to see Sister Singer.  She was also made an STL :)

So I had some awesome tender moments in Mandaluyong before I left. I got the chance to say bye to Lita...the one who went to church last week. As I started chatting with her I testified to her that THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE kinda testimony.  She said thank you for all of the times we were over there teaching their family and it was sweet to have someone thank you for all of the time and energy you put into their family and all that.  So awesome moment with Lita and Jan Jan.  

So our first day in Paranaque was the funniest thing of my life. They just give you a phone and an apartment key...then they just say SEE YA. Which would be fine if one of us knew where the heck we were going...we didn't so that was fun. I jotted down some notes from someone who thought they knew the way and we were off to go find where the heck we were supposed to go.  We found the apartment ON THE FIRST TRY. WHOOP!! 

But this area is SOO awesome...the ward is runs very well, they have an awesome bishop. We had to plan a baptism in like negative 2 seconds. Which Irene is AWESOME. Strongest testimony ever. So that was fun we got that all figured out.  The old sisters in the area got to come and they pointed us in the right direction so that was so helpful. Haha its so funny...I carry a map around and we just go and do our best to find out where we are supposed to go.  But something I said in my testimony on Sunday was that although we are new and we don't know what we are doing, I have seen the hands of God in my missionary service.  He will help us and be there for us here in this new area.  

In our new area--Paranque

Irene's baptism :) With the old Sisters from the area.

To end...just a message from MLC (Mission Leadership Conference) this week and what we shared with the new sister in the mission this week. So Joshua...prophet from the old testament after Moises (Hahaha Tagalog Moses) is he had NO idea what he was doing and he had to follow after MOSES...someone who parted the Red Sea. How do you follow that???? But God told Joshua to be strong and of good courage.  God really does give us our answers "line upon line and precept upon precept..." we just need to trust Him. 

Well everyone GOD IS GOOD. Happy Mothers Day this week--so excited to see my cute fam :) 

Love you all, 

Sister Zeeeee 

Irene's baptism

Our Zone Leaders.  The one who baptized Irene is from Orem.

Manila Memorial Park

Manila Memorial Park

Dinner with Sister Petras and the Bishop and his family before I left Mandaluyong

Week 48 Anong pinaka-masarap na pagkain sa buong mundo???

Week 48

We shared 2 Nephi 32:3 with a recent convert family this week and talked about how we need to "feast upon the words of Christ.." So essentially I asked them, "What is the best food in the whole world?" And their cute little nephew jumps up and yells "KANIN" or RICE hahaha...ooooohhhh my, typical filipino haha :) 

Dear Family and Friends, 

Hope this week was a good one for you. This week has been a really good one for us. I am just happy to be a missionary. Just happy to be right where I am....it feels good despite the craziness of life and all that goes on in a week..I can just say I am happy right where I am at. Good times.  God really answered our praying and fasting this week. 

So Lita Salansan...not the Lita with 11 kids, she is still crushing our souls. But Lita Salansan and her son Jan-Jan are doing awesome!  We have been teaching them this whole transfer and we have been teaching them a lot this week especially because we wanted to get them to church. So we did our best to teach by the spirit, played the restoration video, had our ward missionaries come with us (our posse haha), and low and behold they CAME TO CHURCH.  They are just a cute little family my goodness. We asked them how they felt about church afterward...and cute little Lita had a tears in her eyes when she was explaining to us how she felt while listening to the speakers and everything. SO happy for them--this is what they need in their lives :) 

This is Lita Salansan...she came to church with her son Jan-Jan on Sunday.
We look like a family photo right??? We color coordinated, unplanned haha.

We have actually had some awesome moments with Victor this week. He is a guy we found that we teach with Tatay Capili...a recent convert in our ward.  His apo (granddaughter) likes to listen in our lessons. She just trails behind us all week when we are in her area.  But Victor is kinda an older guy just wanting to listen to the word of God. So we have been having some awesome lessons with him this week :) Updates to come. 

Brother Capili and his granddaughter Jero :)

We also found an awesome Sister who's name is Marlyn this week. And this was actually an awesome spiritual experience for me. People always ask me what I am doing here in the middle of Manila--if I am a nun, if they can buy my hair...I get asked the weirdest things. BUT as were talking to Sister Marlyn this week she was asking me why did I choose to serve God here. As I was sitting there teaching this random lady on the side of the road in the middle of the Philippines with a swarm of like 10 kids around me...I just got to bare a simple testimony to her of my decision to serve God in this crazy place. Good testimony builder for me :) 

To finish off I would like to share some thoughts I had this week. The saying of the week that I said SOOOO many times to our investigators was, "Its not a coincidence that we met you." And its funny how my weeks unexpectedly have that very thing come to surface. I have come to find that there really is no such thing as a coincidence. God just plans our lives exactly the way they need to happen and knows the individual needs we all have. Our biggest expectations, struggles, fears....He knows and understands exactly what we need.  

Okay hope everyone has a good week, love you all :) 

Love, 

Sister Zeeeee 

Sister Infante in the wheelchair--she feeds us every week :)

Everyone just chillin after church 

Ward mission leaders who we work with every week--they are awesome!

This is Chemer--she is the ward pianist.  She's
awesome! YAY--I'm not the pianist this transfer!