Week 8 "GOING TO THE TEMPLE AND WE ARE GONNA DO A SESSSSSION"

Week 8

What I was singing the whole way to the temple this afternoon haha :) 

Dear Family and Friends, 

Hello everyone! Kumusta po! Masaya po ako to be emailing you all this week, thanks to everyone for the wonderful updates and I just love hearing about what is going on in everyone's lives. Happy Late July 24th. My July 24th was spent at the baptism of Jerry Wood. He has had a super long road before getting baptised according to my Trainer Sister Holzworth and I have gotten to know him a little bit over the past 2 weeks :) But Jerry was baptized! What better way to celebrate Pioneer Day right? haha :) Jerry is Chinese and he's been coming to church for the past year and a half, has given up so much of his lifestyle to become a member including smoking, drinking...all that stuff. He is seriously sooo awesome. 

Jerry's baptism!

This week has been a good one with some interesting events for sure! Like to first start out for bragging about my most amazing mother for sending me a package, definitely a highlight to get something from home. :) So thank you jules for being the best mom everrr. 

Also, Sister Holzworth and I became a trio with an emergency transfer! Our new companion is Sister Dolor from the Philippines and she is 12 months old in the mission. She speaks Bikolano, Tagalog is her second language but she is super fun! :) We just got her yesterday so it has been a fun 24 hours thus far, can't wait to see what comes from the rest of the week. 

This week we found and taught two sisters named Glinda and Joy. And this was the first investigators that Sister Holzworth and I found together. They are awesome :) We taught them Lesson 1 about the restoration and book of mormon. I just had a way cool moment when we were teaching from the Book of Mormon and Sister Joy's husband asked: "The Jehovah Witnesses come visit, other missionaries from different religions come here...what makes yours different?" and its like a thought popped into my head and just came out of my mouth and I testified about the Book of Mormon and the importance of it in our gospel, it was just the first time I really felt like I was speaking with the spirit--exactly what the spirit wanted me to say. We invited Sister Glinda and Joy to be baptised, both in unison said YES. Haha so I hope they progress this week :) 

Honestly everyday something little happens, I remember a word, Sister Holzworth and I have a really good spiritual study or I talk to some random person and tell them about our gospel. Being a missionary is just so fun, and I feel like if you aren't having fun, you aren't doing it right :) 

I have gotten a lot of questions on what I eat. A lot of veggies and fruits--they are everywhere on the street. But we are super blessed because on the city we have a lot of stuff from the states. 7 eleven, McDonald's, Subway. It is all here :) So nothing super crazy :) 

So grateful to be in such an amazing work, hope you all have an amazing week! 

Love, 

Sister Zarbock 

Makati District

Week 7 First week in Makati!

Week 7

Dear Family and Friends,

Hello everyone :) It has been a while since I emailed last because I didn't get a P-day last week so it is so nice to hear how everyone's past 2 weeks have been. Thank you for the updates and know that I love you all! :) 

So it was my last week at the MTC and it was such a bitter sweet feeling. The MTC really turned into my home away from home :) I have made so many amazing friends for life there. The last couple of days at the MTC were spent at Devotionals, lots of orientation to the field, and packing up everything to head out to our respective missions. It was so fun to spend time with my district--we had a cute little testimony meeting the Sunday before we left and we all sang a musical number during Sacrament Meeting. So sad to leave them all but so excited to hear about the amazing things they will do! Going through all the motions of orientations--making sure I had everything I needed to leave--not going to lie I was getting pretty nervous--thinking what in the world am I about to do? haha :) But nonetheless, the morning we left we had to get up at 5 to leave for our Mission Presidents house. 

We got to our mission presidents house at 6--so grateful to have had Sister Singer by my side through this whole process. We got to the house and it is absolutely gorgeous, it is in a really nice part of town :) We went inside and Sister and President Osler are seriously SO great. They were just super welcoming, fed us breakfast, and got to know us for a little bit. And let me tell you this was a long day of getting to know the mission rules, learning about safety things, all about our mission and the areas in it. It was a lot of information but super good! :) After we spent some time at the American Memorial Cemetery which my MTC group actually went to earlier in the week. And Sister Osler took us to an area there and talked to us, she said take a moment to look at where you are right now in your life. Now I want you to think about where you want to be a year and a half from now, and we took a moment walking around and pondering for an hour or so. It was just a nice time to really think about who do I want post mission Abby to be?

After going to the memorial we got to meet our companions. :) This was so fun! They made it super fun and when they called my name I was SO SO happy to be assigned to my trainer Sister Holzworth. She is from Brisbane, Australia. And we just hit it off! :) We both talk a million miles a minute so we got to know each other real quick haha :) She is a year older then me and is a twin--her brother served in Philippines Baguio Mission. She has been out on the mission for 9 months. She is super cute! It has been fun to work with her for the past week or so--I think we are going to work well together :) 

I am serving in Makati City. We are over 2 wards, Makati 3rd and 4th. Makati 4th is an English speaking ward. A lot of people that work for the embassy, the mission president and his wife are actually in this ward, the area presidency, and a lot of the senior couple missionaries. So it is super fun! :) Makati 3rd is a Tagalog speaking ward--on Sunday we have 6 hours of church, it is LOADS of fun! 

So this area is a major city and super populated, and all of the crazy things I have heard about the Philippines is so true. There is SO much traffic all the time and people everywhere. We have 2 baptisms coming up in the next couple of weeks. One is Jerry and he is Chinese from the English speaking ward. He is super funny and it is so fun to teach him! Another is Lawrence from the English speaking ward--he is 9 :) We taught a lot of people this week and were actually fed by a member family! They introduced me to REAL Filipino food haha ;) 

We seriously talk to so many people on the streets because we are both foreigners and white haha. People want to always know why we are here and what we are doing--it is so fun and so good for missionary work! The language just goes over my head so I try the best I can and Sister Holzworth helps me all the time :) The best is to just laugh about it and I do my best! 

Missionary life is so great :) It is a lot of studying, praying, walking, and inviting. I am so excited to serve here in Makati! Some spiritual stuff for the week is, I had the opportunity to speak in the Makati 3rd ward this week about faith and the Ward Half Day Mission we did on Saturday with the Bishopric. And I talked about how we need to always try and the Lord will help us AFTER a trial of our faith. We must first take the step forward :) Just like Peter did when he walked on water towards Christ--Christ only helped him after a trial of his faith :) I think that is how the next couple of weeks will go! Constantly taking a leap of faith, knowing the Lord will hold out his hand to help me back up! :) 

Love all you! :) Thank you again for the emails! 

Have a good week! 

Love, 

Sister Zarbock 

MTC District--before everyone goes their separate ways! 

MTC Counselor and wife with Sis. Zarbock & Sis. Singer

MTC President and wife

Sweet MTC Sister

 All new missionaries in the mission with Pres. & Sis. Ostler
at the mission home!  10 Sisters, 3 Elders

And so it begins....Sister Zarbock and
Sister Holzworth from Brisbane, Australia

On a jeepnee!

Week 6 Entering the Philippines Manila Mission!

Week 6

We didn't receive an email from Abby this week but instead a letter from her mission president--

13 Jul 2016
Dear Brother and Sister Zarbock,

Great news! Your daughter arrived in the Philippines Manila Mission last Wednesday! We picked up all the new missionaries at 6 AM from the Manila MTC. Your missionary looks great! Each of the missionaries expressed enthusiasm and excitement to begin their work. We fed them well, trained them with all the health, financial, and mission things they needed to know to get started. 

We are so very grateful to you and your family for sharing your missionary with us and the wonderful people of Manila. We hope that you will be able to enjoy the wonderful growth that your missionary will be experiencing during her mission.

Your missionary has been given one of the best missionaries of our mission, Sister Holzworth, to be her
trainer. They will be serving in the Makati District of the Makati Zone. We expect great things from them. Please see the enclosed pictures for your enjoyment. We love your missionary, and we again express our appreciation for your willingness to share her with us. We will do all in our power to help her have a happy and successful experience here on her mission. May Our Heavenly Father bless you and your family.

With sincere gratitude,

President and Sister Creg D. Ostler 
Philippines Manila Mission  

Sister Zarbock, Sister Ostler, Pres. Ostler

Sister Holzworth (trainer), Sister Zarbock, Sister Ostler, Pres. Ostler

Week 5 It's the final countdown!

Week 5

Dear Family and Friends, 

Hello everyone! :) So glad I get to talk to you all again, P day is seriously so fun because I get to hear all about the fun stuff everyone does! Happy Late Fourth of July to everyone :) My Fourth of July was one for the books let me tell ya! I woke up Sister Singer with singing the National Anthem and we sang every American song we knew down to breakfast and all 10 of us Americans had so much country pride! :) We just had a normal day of class but that night for gym we played a nice game of volleyball in the rain. Unfortunately, we had no fireworks but we made the day what we could! :)

I can't believe this week will be my final week in the MTC, it seems like the past 5 weeks have just flown by so fast! :) I have learned so much and it has definitely felt like drinking water from a fire hydrant haha but in a good way. I have learned so much about how to teach investigators, how to speak this crazy language, and I have just loved being apart of such an awesome MTC family :) Let me tell you the high lights from the week!

On Sunday we had a fast and testimony meeting and it was super awesome. I love hearing these people share their sweet and simple testimonies. :) A lot of the people  have been members for less than 2 years and come from such humble circumstances. A lot don't really have support from family and probably have nothing waiting for them at the end of their service, yet they are out here serving the Lord?! How do they do it? And I just got thinking of how important the gospel has been in my life and just how blessed I really am :) It has been such a humbling experience to train to be a missionary beside these elders and sisters...they really are so Christ like.

This week has been super good with learning the language! We have so much language study every single day and mine and Singer's teaching has been going pretty good. Often times we just listen to our investigators go on and on about how they feel about something and we have absolutely no idea what they are saying haha :) We just nod and smile and pray super hard that we can have the gift of tongues. KEEP THE PRAYERS COMING PLEASE :)

The MTC has honestly been such a great experience. I have learned so much about how to be spiritually prepared and in tune, we had a devotional last night by Elder Barquin who is a member of the Seventy in the Philippines and he talked a lot about obtaining the word before we can know how to teach it. And so I have been really focusing on my personal studying and always asking myself, what can I do better? How can I be more prepared?---and I think that is what we can think about in life too. We can always try to do more! God has blessed us with so much so the least we can do is always try to be improving :)

Just something super awesome that was a good wrap up with our district this week was when we all read Alma 17 as a district when it talks about the Sons of Mosiah. As a district we are all going out to preach the word and in verse 13 it says how we will depart from one another but we should meet again at the close of our harvest. And it just made me think how sweet that moment will be we all can come back together a the end of a successful mission. I have loved my amazing district and can't wait to see all the lives these Elders and Sisters will bless! 

I am so grateful for a gospel that always is helping me grow and become a better person :)

Love you all, Manila is calling! I'll keep you in my prayers :)

Love, 

 Sister Zarbock  

P-day--4th of July!

My awesome District!!

Week 4 MTC Life

Week 4 

Dear Family and Friends, 

Kumusta po everyone :) It is so good to be able to talk to you all again and it felt like this week went by so fast! The MTC days just continue to blend together and I can't believe I have already been here for 4 weeks! 

There were a lot of highlights from this week and one of them was when we went proselyting in the Quezon City North Mission. We met up with some of the missionaries from Quezon City around noon and we all got paired up with a missionary and I was assigned with Sister Araos, she is a filipino. We just got right to work! We walked pretty far to our area, rode jeepneys--crazy filipino taxi, and walked across tin bridges to get to our little village area. And we just got surrounded by little kids and started teaching! I couldn't understand a lot but it was seriously so fun! We taught a couple of families, shared scriptures--I was able to pray and testify in Tagalog and it was so awesome. I really just found that teaching less of sitting down and teaching lesson, but more of seeking the spirit and deciding what the person really needs to hear. But here I was in Quezon City, couldn't understand anything, probably butchered everything I said, in the hot sun but with all that said the spirit was still there and I really felt that the goal as a missionary is to be a vessel for the spirit. :) 

This really motivated me to try harder and be better at really listening to people. I know I don't have all the answers but God does. This area was Tin roofs, little shacks and dirt floors. It was really so humbling to be there and I couldn't be more excited for the chance I have to serve these amazing people and be able to do my best to invite the spirit in their homes :) 

The new batch of missionaries came this week and that was super fun! For the first couple of days it was just me and Sister Singer in our room but we got new roommates later in the week. They are so cute and shy, we have been trying to get them to come out of their shell haha :) The filipinos are so shy at first but as soon as you try to get to know them and talk to them they will talk to you about everything, I love it :) 

Our fake investigators are doing awesome. We had a couple of really good lessons this week. Both of our investigators came to church WHOOP WHOOP! Me and Sister Singer always have mini dance parties after we have a good lesson. I have just learned how important it is to really listen to the spirit and there have been so many little moments where the Gift of Tongues is so real! No I haven't taught a full lesson in Tagalog but I will remember certain words or phrases and it is really cool when it happens :) 

The food here is super good, we are definitely spoiled here. On Sunday, one of the counselors brought Balut which is an egg embryo kind of things--I don't really know how to describe it. It was one of the delicacies in the Philippines and everyone says you have to try it so I did! And it was SO gross and something I never have to try again but at least I can say I did it haha :)

Our Tuesday Devotionals are always so awesome and this week Elder Haynie of the Seventy came. Our batch of missionaries is so small we got to all talk to him for a bit and it was so cool! he talked a lot about how the Lord has sent the weak to perform his miracles (D&C 100:4) and it just got me thinking that by myself I am nothing but with God's help I am here to perform his miracles!--How cool is that? Something I have learned this week is to rely on the Lord and rely on the spirit :) 

Life is good this week and I have learned so much from the MTC--It really is just a never ending spiritual lesson and I absolutely love it :) 

Love, 

Sister Zarbock   

Abby sent videos of her "MTC Life" this week.  If you copy and paste each link you can view them!

Video 1:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6hC1Rc4Xr7OdGhXQ29tTi1JYlE/view

Video 2:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6hC1Rc4Xr7OcXBXSGg3Um5VMk0/view

Video 3:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6hC1Rc4Xr7OVTBKNEUxVkdrWTA/view

Week 3 "WHOA....I'm halfway there. WHOA....living on a million prayers!"

Week 3

Dear Family and Friends, 

HELLO :) Another week down in the MTC and it feels so good. This week was another busy week and I can't wait to tell you all about it. 

So the days have been blending together lately but there have been some super awesome things that have gone on this week. One of the nights here we had a Filipino Culture night and it was so fun :) It was exactly what I needed to just get recharged because sometimes we spend so much time studying and learning that its hard to stay motivated all day everyday. :) It was so cool to hear about all the funny things about the Philippines, weird cultural things and all of that. 

This week we were able to go get our immigration status completed :) and I got to go right into my Manila mission and honestly I could not be more excited that in a few short weeks I will be able to serve in this crazy city.  I'll spend 6 weeks in the MTC and I leave the MTC July 12th so "WHOA...I'm halfway there!" Hard to believe!!  We were able to eat at KFC which was a Godsend, having rice and veggies are nice and all but sometimes I just need some cheap fast food haha. First off, there are people everywhere here and the poverty is unreal here. But people are always smiling and we say hi to everyone on the streets. It is so fun to be a missionary :) 

Language status, the language is coming. Same as last week. Everyday I feel more confident and the Lord really does help me the more and more effort I put into it :) In my studying this week I read "Our Search for Happiness" and it made me realize how simplistic this work is--I think that is kind of the theme of the week, that all we need in this life to be happy is the relationships around us and the gospel. :) We were able to have a lesson this week on the importance of serving those around you with charity and love. And what the Lord asks of us is so simple again :) 

With Sister Gloria and Brother Adong this week -- Fake investigators -- Sister Singer and I had monumental things happen. Brother Adong committed to go to church and we got a yes to being baptized from Sister Gloria :) And you know this is even more of a testimony to me about the simplicity of this gospel. The spirit testifies to people and we are really just his mouth pieces to the gospel, that even through broken Taglish these people can feel of the spirit and know that this gospel is what they are missing in their lives. 

Funny moments in the week...I think what is so funny, call it tuning in to our companion wavelength, Sister Singer and I always seem to have the same song stuck in our head at the time, I think it means our companionship is as strong as it gets haha. We played some really wicked basketball with some Filipinos this week and my team crushed it. Me and Singer played ping pong with the Indians this week as well and I don't know what Indians do but they are supreme ping pong opponents.  

Well anyway this week was a good one! So grateful for all the support and love :) 

Mahal Kita, 

Sister Zarbock

Jack moment....this is a package that one of his Filipino companions took
Abby in the MTC.  Packages from home aren't allowed there but he was
able to get some good stuff to her!  Sister Moreno (above) who Jack
knew from one of the areas he served in!

Sisters from all over the world!

Last night with the roomies
(RTMs--Regular Trained Missionaries who aren't learning a language)
before they head out to the field!

Sweet Sister from Indonesia--I just love her!

Elders from India who we play ping pong with

Filipino Elder going to Provo on his mission!

Week 2 Holy Cow, it's been two weeks!

Week 2

Dear Family and Friends,

Hello everyone! :) So glad I get to talk to you again. I would like to just give a shout out to my cute Dad :) HAPPY FATHERS DAY! I think you are the cutest dad and I am so grateful for all you do. Don't know how I was blessed with the best dad.  THANK YOU dad ;) Okay I hope it is a good one and I am sad I won't be able to be there with you, but I am sending my love from the Philippines! 

Okay so this week.The time in the MTC is weird. Some days are short, some days feel like 3 days, and it feels like the week has been long and short...haha. Let's just say that 16 hour days can get a little crazy. :) But anyway, I feel like so many things have happened since I emailed last. Can't wait to tell you ALL ABOUT IT. 

Last Wednesday we were able to go to the temple and today as well. And the Manila temple is absolutely gorgeous. :) It is so nice to be able to go to the temple and just feel the spirit. Be able to get away from all the learning and studying we do all day. P-days are so fun! There is not a whole lot to do, we go to the store and sneak treats into our rooms...haha don't tell anyone ;) 

P-day Temple Trip!

The MTC days seem to all blend together. We do a lot of studying, whether it has something to do with being a missionary or studying the language. A lot of you know the missionary purpose. "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." and I quoted it because is is what I learn about all day everyday. I hear the phrase, "Teach with the Espiritu Santo" almost 100 times a day. :) We learn how to better teach people about baptism, how we can personally teach people by the Holy Ghost, and how we always need to be thinking about our investigators. When people talk about losing yourself in the work, this is exactly what they are talking about. 

Language study is a whole other story. I am sure this is how it is learning other languages too, but sometimes with Tagalog I just have to learn to not ask questions and tell myself, "Abby, that is just the way it, don't overthink it." And it really is so true. I really enjoy learning the language despite the slow progress in learning it. I really have to take baby steps and understand there is no way I can pick up a language in less than a week--but that won't stop me from trying haha.I am constantly reviewing, always speaking to the Filipinos--they laugh and teach us how to say things all the time, It is really such a fun environment here. :) I do feel like I am progressing little by little. I can pray in Tagalog, testify and very basic sentences. The MTC teaches us more on the gospel side of phrases and that really helps with teaching our investigators. 

Which brings me to my next point. Investigators! In the MTC our teachers pretend to be investigators, a lot of them are portraying people from their missions. As a companionship we teach them. We spend a good part of the week preparing lessons and preparing ourselves to teach our investigators. We have been teaching 2 this week. We treat them like a normal investigator, and it really helps a lot with being a missionary, the language...everything. Sister Singer and I teach pretty well together. A lot of the times we will be talking to the investigator and we will say the exact same thing at the exact same time...espiritu santo is real people! 

So many funny things happen in the MTC and honestly it's probably only funny because we sit in a classroom all day BUT I thought I would share a few things with you. I feel like the group of Elders and Sisters in my zone have been my friends forever, we all get along so well and just laugh all the time :) Here are some funny things:

-We belt Disney songs, we all prefer High School Musical. The Samoans get really into it. The other day they did an island version. Imagine like the haka-gotta go my own way kind of thing. ;) 

-When we were supposed to be doing language study we pretend we are a call center because we all have matching headsets.

-We dare each other to eat weird foods that we are served. The other day I got dared to eat a fish head--eyes and all. 

-One time me and Sister Singer were in a lesson. And it was just right before I was going to testify--the spirit in the room was awesome....And I am about to share my testimony and I called her by the wrong name. Yeah, the moment died and we all started laughing.

-My roommates are funny girls. In the Philippines it is really okay to say people look fat and they love to point out zits and everything like that. The Filipinos like to call me Sister Zombie--they think it is absolutely hilarious. 

So there are just a few things that happen that are dumb, but I hope they make you laugh a little bit :) 

To end on a spiritual note. My favorite days are Sundays and Tuesdays. Sunday we have to prepare a 3 minute talk and you are just assigned 20 minutes in advance if you are speaking. I was asked to speak and it was actually really awesome. I spoke on the power of prayer and prayer really is so awesome. I have found that I love my morning and late night prayers. Tuesday devotionals are so awesome. We had Elder Pajaro speak to us of the Seventy. And he talked about his conversion, and how special his missionaries are to him :) It made me so excited for missionary work and how much I love this gospel. 

I hope you all have a great week. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers :) 

Love

Sister Zarbock 

Where we live at the MTC!

This is Sister Moreno--she knows Jack from when he served in Guis Guis!

Sister Starbucks, Sister Zombie--I'll answer to anything!