Week 19: My 2nd Zone Conference

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Maayong Hapon!

[I'm convinced I have the best area! 😀]

This week was a lot of fun! On Monday we slept over sa city because it's expensive to go back and forth from our apt to the city. We slept over at Sister Reyes old area with her old companion! It was cool to see where she was before I came.

[Video: It doesn't look that deep but trust me, it's very deep!]

[woo Jollibee after Zone Conference!]

And on Tuesday we had Zone Conference! It was so much fun to be able to catch up with other missionaries I don't see too often! It was cool and uplifting to get together as missionaries and be trained on how to fulfill our purpose of helping others come unto Christ more effectively. We had a good time doing team-building activities and we also cried when the departing missionaries (who are going home at the end of this transfer) shared their testimony!

[fun times 😀]

[Zone Interviews 🙂]

Also this week, Sister Reyes and I have been utilizing videos more in our teaching. One short film we have been watching with those we teach is "The Lamb of God". This film briefly shows the moments leading up sang Jesus Christ died on the cross. And for the most part they don't understand what is being said, pero I see how the scenes really help them to understand what He went through just because He loves us.

[I found my mom's store!]

[Trike pic again 😀]

I think a verse sa Mosiah 3:7 explains what Jesus felt really well, it says..

 "7 And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body,hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people."

Kabalo ako (I know) that Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself for all of us. I know this is true through those I teach! When we show the video, they share how His Atonement has healed their lives. They feel His presence leading them to live happier lives. I have seen the change in them as I helped them to better understand who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us. I've seen how their faith has been strengthened kag nagapasalamat ako para sa opportunidad nagka-ara ako subong and everyday to experience and growth nila. I just love being a missionary and representing Jesus Christ by putting others before anything else! Just a quote heard earlier this week said "The more you lose yourself by serving others, the more meaning you find in your life."

[Salamat sa Tatay ko for sending me Hot Cheetos!]

[District activity! we ate pak-bet, tuna pasta, chicken stew, and we also played frisbee 😀]

Amo na para sa week ko!

Hope you are all doing well 😊

Halong,

Sister Ventura😄

--

Send me an e-mail: 

elza.ventura@myldsmail.net 

Written letters and packages: 

Sister Elza Ventura 

Philippines Iloilo Mission 

Osmeña Street, 

Arevalo, Iloilo City, 

5000 Iloilo 

Philippines

*Some names have been changed or omitted to protect the privacy of individuals.

Week 17/18: Mother's Day Skype Call/ Reactivation Week

Maayong aga everyone!

[Small package from Sister Reyes' ginikanan (parents)]

I didn't get to e-mail last last week because I skyped my family for Mother's Day! I was really worried that the connection would be bad pero it ended up working out better than I expected! My little sister Jozael a.k.a Shen is growing up so fast! I'm grateful to have a family that is really supportive of me being out here on my mission.

[Mother's Day Skype!]

So last week we had a Family Home Evening with the family that recently got baptized. It was so much fun! Sadga gid! We did an object lesson, played "Big Bully" and ate a lot of Bicol Express and Chicken Curry! Also last week, I fell really hard while I was running in the morning and Sister Reyes laugh so hard when she put Hydrogen Peroxide sa mga pilas ko (my wounds) kay I was literally crying haha! As in it was kaladlawan gid (so funny) and she forbids me from running until my wounds completely heal.

[Trike pic 😊]

So updates for this past week, I had my 2nd exchanges and my first time TO LEAD THE AREA. It was kind of scary to think Sister Reyes wouldn't be there to lead me in our huge area, pero like always I was faithful that it would all be alright. It was cool to take charge of where we would go and who we would teach and my STL (Sister Training Leader) said that I'm very familiar with my area. 😊
Also this past week we visited a lot of Less Active members of the church. I love how even though they haven't probably been in contact with missionaries in a while, as soon as they see us, they are so sweet and welcoming towards us. It made me so happy that 2 of the less active members we visited this past week came to church on Sunday, and they really missed feeling the presence of Holy Ghost sa kabuhi nila (in their lives). I look forward to visiting them more and helping them remember the blessings of the Gospel in their lives again!

[Kombo aka the best dessert! (Fried banana. NOT Turon!)]

I'm honestly and truly loving my mission so much. This week I hit 4 months and di-ko nagapati (I can't believe) I only have 14 months left of my mission, haha! Time has been flying as in dasig gid (really fast)! Especially last week when I was able to skype my family, I realized how much I've grown by helping others grow. That's it for my week!

[Our zone t-shirt]

Halong kamo perme,
Sister Ventura😁

--

Send me an e-mail: 

elza.ventura@myldsmail.net 

Written letters and packages: 

Sister Elza Ventura 

Philippines Iloilo Mission 

Osmeña Street, 

Arevalo, Iloilo City, 

5000 Iloilo 

Philippines

*Some names have been changed or omitted to protect the privacy of individuals.

Week 16: I feel like a storm is coming (Avatar: the Last Airbender reference)

Mayad hapon kaninyo tanan! 

(This is Karay-a for good afternoon to you all!) 

[Street food: I ate intestine and chicken feet and more]

[I don't know what this is called, but I ate it]

This week started off as in PINAKA-INIT 'di (the hottest here) sa Philippines since I've been here! It got so hot nga nagka-ara ako sang (I got a) headache for two days, kag it was weird gid kay kalabanan I don't get headaches, so the heat was the reason why. I prayed so hard para sa mas tugnaw nga weather (for colder weather) so I wouldn't have a headache anymore kag sa dason nga adlaw gid (literally the next day), it was the COLDEST weather here sa Philippines since I've been here - haha how ironic, huh? Pero amo na, it was basically a rain storm and i actually got so cold nga ginsuksuk ko gali ang long sleeves (I actually wore long sleeves). The next couple of days consisted sang duro nga ulan kag weird gid tungod for a couple minutes it's raining baskog gid kag the next couple of minutes wa'ay ulan (no rain) and it's so hot! I've never experienced amo ni (anything like this) before so it's very interesting haha. 

[My golden family!]

[After the baptism]

Pero in other news, my golden family was baptized (minus the mom of the family, tani sa May 19 siya). So the father and his two kids were baptized and I couldn't stop smiling sang they put on their white baptismal clothing! Im so happy to see their growth, especially the father who no longer smokes or drinks. Because before he had a problem with smoking and drinking and the mom of the family would say that that's the only thing they would fight about - because he spent so much money on alcohol and cigarattes. Pero they shared with us that they are happier as a family because they centered their family on the gospel of Jesus Christ and all decided to follow His example by being baptized by someone who has proper authority. This family is just the best and it's so funny because they said instead of using money to buy cigarettes and alcohol, they use it to buy food! So EVERY NIGHT this past week they fed us and i always go home as in busog gid (super full).

Amo na for me week, hope you all have a good week!

Halong kamo perme,

Sister Ventura

--

Send me an e-mail: 

elza.ventura@myldsmail.net 

Written letters and packages: 

Sister Elza Ventura 

Philippines Iloilo Mission 

Osmeña Street, 

Arevalo, Iloilo City, 

5000 Iloilo 

Philippines

*Some names have been changed or omitted to protect the privacy of individuals.