There is beauty all around!

As usual it has been a good week here in Iriga as we have done our best to work hard and make the best of everyday.

 Now that I have been here in Iriga for a couple weeks, I am starting to get the hang of our areas here and am gradually learning my way around every day. Daily, I am always surprised and shocked by the beauty of this area.

  It has been a little different from my last areas in that it seems to be a mix of a little bit of everything: rice fields, mountains and country as well as markets, neighborhoods, and city. So that has been really fun. Also, there seems to be a mix of small nipa-huts and "American-sized" mansions here as well.

I remember one time in particular yesterday when we were picking up some investigators for church that we were passing through one of our prettier areas and I just felt so overwhelmed and amazed  by the beautiful scenery all around us. Looking at all the green trees and mountains surrounding us, I couldn't help but think: "I am so lucky to live in the most beautiful place in the world"

Besides that, life here for us just got a little more luxurious this week when on Wednesday, we moved to a new apartment. 

And although the moving itself was long and exhausting, it has all been worth it because now, we are living in a beautiful new apartment right next to the senior couple here in the mission, which has been really fun!

For one, I rejoiced to find that in our new apartment, we have a flushing toilet again!

Which is even nicer that the one we had in Naga, making the fact that I have to duck while using the shower here totally worth it.

And check out this beautiful kitchen . . .

 I feel so spoiled!  :)

In addition, Elder and Sister Hanson are SUPER nice! And have been really fun neighbors!  The other night, Sister Hanson even baked some cookies in her oven, which she shared with us. That was the first time I have eaten chocolate-chip cookies in over a year, and they were glorious.

To show our appreciation for all the nice things the Hanson's have been doing for us, I made them my favorite desert here in the Philippines: gray-hams (or mango float), which we brought over Friday night and all enjoyed while sitting in their nice, air-conditioned living room.

About the AC... I think that might be one of the things that has changed the most about me since I started the mission. I remember when I first got here, I always would get so excited to sit in an air-conditioned room and couldn't understand why some of the Filipinos didn't seem to enjoy it that much. I remember having trouble sleeping sometimes because it was so hot and being so confused that sometimes, my companions had trouble sleeping because they were "cold".

Now though, I sometimes dread going into an air-conditioned room if it has been a while, out of fear of freezing to death or feeling sick because of the cold. And sometimes, my electric fan is even too much for me to handle at night, ha ha! So I guess you really can adjust to any climate if you need to.

Finally, our work this week definitely hit a little bit of a dip as day after day we seemed to experience problem which kept us from putting in a full days effort. On Tuesday and Thursday, Sister Habla and I both weren't feeling well, which made it harder to work hard. After that, moving apartments on Wednesday definitely cut down the possibility of proselyting and on Friday, it started raining so hard that no tricey driver would take us out to where we needed to go until the rain stopped about 45 minutes later.

So by the time the end of the week came around, I was definitely feeling a little desperate for a full and solid day of work. So when I went to bed on Friday and woke up Saturday morning, I remember telling myself: "no matter what happens, we are going to have an awesome day of work today"

My enthusiasm ended up a little short-lived however when as lunch time came around, the "afternoon-sleepies" hit hard. It was so hard for me and Sister Habla to concentrate! But remembering the promise I had made to myself earlier that morning, I continued to push through.

 By the end of the day, we were able to come home having achieved our goals and with a big smile on our faces and I was so happy that despite the setback, we were still able to have such a great day.

I think that from this experience, I really learned that if we just trust in God and do our best, no matter what the circumstances, that everything will always work out in the end. He always makes up the difference. I know that He loves us and has an awesome plan for each and every one of us :)

 I hope you all have a great week! 

Sincerely, Sister Matheny

I'm Twenty-one!!!

This week has honestly been one of the best I think I have had since I started the mission. For one, it was my birthday! So throughout the whole week, I had anxiously been counting down the days until the 16th, when I knew I would get to open the beautiful package I had received from my mom just a few weeks before. But before I talk about the contents of that beautiful box, I think I'll start from the beginning of this awesome week.

So for one, I have been having a lot of fun here in Iriga. 

 Smiles seem to come easier, 

I am feeling super happy and everyone is SOOOOO nice! 

In addition, my kabahays and companion are AWESOME! So we have been having a party here everyday.

One thing I have really loved here in Iriga is eating with my kabahays again. Almost every day--breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner--we all sit down together, eat, laugh and have a good time. 

Honestly, I had forgotten how much I missed that from Goa. Having an awesome companion is great, but it's always nice to have a couple of other friends too.

This week, there has definitely been a huge focus on FINDING, which means we have been making an extra effort to smile and talk to everyone. Day after day, I have seen miracles, hardships, and met so many awesome people.

 So looking back on the week, I feel happy with what we have accomplished.

Now, that doesn't mean that everything this week was happy. We also had our fair share of trials too. Like for example, when I woke up on Thursday covered in mosquito bites and then we walked around in the scorching sun all day only to be turned down at almost every house. I remember coming home that night feeling so discouraged. I asked myself why had we ended up so empty when we are doing everything we can to measure-up and to be exactly obedient missionaries.

So to be honest, I definitely woke up feeling a little stressed on Friday morning. As we went about our work, I couldn't help but feel that no matter what I did, it would not be enough to help the people here. Later that afternoon, I found myself opening up to President about the way I had been feeling in interviews and ended up getting some awesome advice from him.

After the interviews, I started to see a huge change in our work over the next couple of days. I started trying to stop stressing so much about all my inadequacies, and instead focus instead on all the things I can do to help the people here. I really started to see God's hand in our work as people seemed to start finding us instead of the other way around.

I remember one experience in particular when we were walking by the gas station and one of the members working there referred us to a kid sitting outside: John Michael. John is 12 and has been sleeping outside the gas station because his mom left him when he was still little and his dad got sent to jail last year, so John ended up being left an orphan.

As we sat in the park sharing with him the and listening to him share about his life, family and how if his dad weren't in prison, he would be able to study right now, I couldn't help but hold back a couple tears.

It's so weird to see the way people live in different parts of the world, and it definitely teaches you not to take anything for granted. 

 Here, many people have lost a child to sickness (because they couldn't afford medication), others don't have an education and some stopped early because they have to support their family.

I remember asking Sister Habla why they didn't finish school first, so that they could earn more money to provide for their loved ones, and she said that many people stop schooling here because they are forced to choose between life and future. If they don't work now, there won't be anyone to work for in the future. So for me, just seeing what some of the people here have to sacrifice for an education definitely makes me realize how lucky I am. And I definitely don't plan to take my education for granted again when I get home.

But anyways, Saturday FINALLY came around and I woke up with a huge smile on my face. Right after getting up, Sister Sosoter (my kabahay) ran into the room, yelled "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" and gave me a big hug!  I was honestly so excited I felt like I could explode! Later, I was surprised to find a sign saying "Happy Birthday Sister Matheny" downstairs, which Sister Sosoter had made for me, it made me SOOOO happy!

After a great morning of work, we ate at my favorite place (chow king), bought new umbrellas (because my last one broke so I have been frying in the sun this past week), 

and headed home so I could open my beautiful package.

  Inside, I found all types of awesome stuff, which made me so happy that I almost cried. 

In addition, I was surprised and so happy to find letters from home inside the box. So thank you mom, dad, Carter, Lauren, my mom's primary class, Miss Denise, the Lukenbills, Sister Cole, the Groppe's, the Croft's, and the Wienerts (minions is my companion's FAVORITE, so she can't stop opening the singing card).

After that (and studies), we headed back out to work and had an awesome day! We were surprised when one of our investigators wrote a song about what they had learned from the restoration pamphlet, which was definitely a first! We also had another great lesson with John Michael, before buying some ice-cream and sio-pao on the way home. I had originally planned on using the sio-pao as a "cake" because I thought my mom might get mad if I didn't have one,

But soon after getting home, I was surprised when Sister Sosoter, Sister Segovia, and Elder and Sister Hanson walked in with a cake! 

 I was so happy that I almost cried! And after that, we got to finish an awesome birthday with cake and fried chicken.

I remember I went to bed that night thinking: "this has definitely been the best birthday ever!"

Every day, I grow to love this work more and more and have been happier and happier. ESPECIALLY when we are out sharing! It's weird, little by little, I have found myself serving out of LOVE instead of out of DUTY.

So all in all, I can definitely say that this has definitely been one of the best years of my life, and I'm excited for the one to come! I love you all and hope you have the best week ever!

Sincerely,

Sister Matheny

A whirlwind of a week in my new area, Iriga!

Wow! What a crazy week here in Iriga! Starting from last Monday, it has been a bit of a whirlwind as I have needed to get everything packed up, 

say my last goodbyes,

~ Sister Raneses & Sister Matheny ~

  and head out to Iriga.

To be honest, when I first heard that I would be transferring here, I was more than a little nervous. I had heard that Iriga was the hottest area in the Naga mission and was a little nervous to experience working in a branch, since I have never been to a branch before.

 But upon arriving here and spending a couple of days adjusting to this beautiful place, all my doubts were soon washed away.

For one, I was excited to learn that Sister Sosoter would be moving out to Iriga with me and that we would be Kabahays again. She was my kabahay for a transfer in Naga and is super nice, sweet, and fun to be around.  In fact, I love all my kabahay's (roommates)...

Sister Segovia & Sister Matheny

~ Sister Sosoter & Sister Habla ~

  For another, as I looked out the window on the bus ride out here, I remember being in awww as I saw all the beautiful trees, hills, rice fields,

 and eventually: Mount Isarog.

From our apartment here in Iriga, we have a perfect view of the mountain, surrounding rice fields and live withing walking distance of the church, which is really nice! 

I had honesty forgotten how much I missed that from Goa... but that isn't going to last long because we are planning on moving to a new apartment at the end of this month! In my opinion, our apartment is awesome, but everyone else seems to think it is an old dump...

 Apparently, the new apartment is really nice, has never been lived in, and is right next door to the senior couple, which I think will be really fun! They even have an oven there, so I might get to try and bake something (if I can remember how).

Besides that, my companion here is SISTER HABLA! And just in the past week, I have already come to love her! She really is an awesome companion!  All of her other companions have also been foreigners apparently, so she is really good at helping me learn the language. Also, she is super adorable! Sister Habla is really little, so I honestly feel like kind of a giant next to her, haha! Oh well... this is the Philippines, so I'm kind of used to feeling like a giant by now. Actually, it kind of freaks me out when I meet people taller than I am now.

~ Sister Sosoter, Sister Segovia, Sister Habla, & Sister Matheny ~

I remember we met a guy last night at a teaching appointment that was 6'1" and it actually made me a little nervous to be around him because he was SOOOOO tall! So when I found out his height, I actually almost cried as I thought about how hard it will be when I have to come home to a bunch of giants. 

Anyways, besides being little, Sister Habla is super sweet, really easy going and super nice. So I don't think we are going to have trouble getting along at all. She is also really good at seeing the good in people right when she meets them, which is an awesome quality and something I really think I can learn from her. Also, she is really patient and loving, especially with helping our less-active families, which is not always something I am super awesome at. SO all in all, I think we are going to have a really fun transfer and I will have a great opportunity to learn a ton from her!

So finally, about our area here: it's HUGE!!!! The biggest I have had so far. Here in Iriga, we have 8 barangays to proselyte in, so to be honest, my first few days I was feeling a little overwhelmed just by the sheer size (especially since I only had 1 barangay in Goa and 3 in Naga).

Additionally, on the way here, I was really freaked out because I had heard that Iriga was made up of a bunch of rich people, and rich people can sometimes be a little harder to talk to. In fact, the only thing I really prayed for before moving here was that God would not send me somewhere with a bunch of rich people. So naturally, I got sent somewhere with a bunch of rich people.

A lot of the houses out here in Iriga are HUGE! And I can't help but stare with wide eyes as we walk past some of them everyday. II think this is the closest I have felt to living in America since I left home!

But despite the big houses, the people here are SUPER NICE and SUPER AWESOME!  Even their pets are sweet . . .

 

 Just after this past week, I have seen that this area really does have so much potential to grow, it's just going to take a couple of missionaries working twice as hard as usual to make it happen which I think we can do.

One advantage I definitely have here is my "white powers", which I have definitely using in full. 

It has been a while since any white sisters have been assigned here, so everyone is always shocked to see me and a lot more friendly than they usually would be, leaving Sister Habla and I with lots of great teaching opportunities.

 Just in this past week we have met so many awesome people that really do have a ton of potential, so I am excited to see what lays in store for the weeks to come.

I know one thing that definitely helped add to a warm-welcome here in Iriga was the members. They are all SUPER friendly, and I have really made it a goal to get to know them while I am here. Last night, one of the families in the ward invited us over for dinner and fed us crab, which was super tasty! 

 Especially since here in the Philippines, you don't have to use tons of fancy tools to eat crab you just crack it open and go for it with your hands. So fun! If there's one thing I have learned in the Philippines, it's that silverware is WAY over-rated! (I'm probably going to have TERRIBLE table manners by the time I get home... sorry mom)

Anyways, besides that, I am just so grateful to God for the opportunity to serve here. I really have seen/felt His hand guiding me along throughout the whole mission and just in this past week, I have really felt that this is exactly where I am supposed to be.

It's funny... God really does work in mysterious ways, and he always manages to answer prayers in the best ways possible. So we should never cease to pray/to ask for the things we need and then to LISTEN for the answers. Because he will always give one, we just need to make sure we are paying attention for it.

I think that is probably what I have learned the most this week: there really is a huge difference between just going through the motions and actually making a conscious effort to listen to the spirit and those around you.

I love all of you and am so grateful for the time you have taken to listen to me throughout the mission so have a great week, and I can't wait to hear from home again next week! 

Sincerely,

Sister Matheny