Why Hello Family!

Feb. 17, 2014.  11:52 on Sunday night 

Guess who is now 20!! this girl!!

Not gonna lie too much, it really didn't feel any different than any other day.  I had our weekly dinner with our 2nd counselor in our stake presidency.  But they do not eat with their guests here usually,  it is Filipino culture to have any visitors eat first.  They forgot to give me the cake they bought but we picked it up on Saturday.  Guys. It is a raspberry mouse cake with a dark chocolate base.  It is like they could read my mind.  It was supper cute and so delicious!!!

The work here is coming along pretty well.  Staying healthy, just got a few bug bites that are itching as we speak.  But nothing to be worried about.  Mom and dad asked if I could get checked out for Hypothyroidism on wednesday.  So we were able to go to the mission approved hospital that I went to in Sept.  and it is actually now in my zone.  we actually choose to walk back home after we spent pretty much all wednesday there.  We got back and went to one of our  dinner appointments. then headed home.  Good news is that everything checked out and I am all good!!

The work (missionary work) is good and we have some fun thing happening in our ward.  We are still searching to find more new investigators and people who will actually progress more towards a baptismal date.  But it is going well despite of those challenges. 

Edison, an investigator, just asked us on sunday if he could possibly move up his baptismal date to the week before.  so now it is on march 16.  I am supper happy for him and excited that his is doing well. 

Romell, the part member INC, has now made it to church 4 times.  He has not accepted a bap. date, but he is now really enjoying church and listening more in the lessons and participating.  The family is so happy with it, especially his 3 kids.

I am doing well and missing all of you!! I am proud to be serving the Lord and even when the moments get hard I am so blessed by the Lord to see his hand in this life.  Everything the Lord does is for us!

Oh one last thing! I ran into May at the temple.  I think mom must have already posted stuff from May, but it was absolutely amazing to see her!! We stayed at the temple for a few hours, taking in the Spirit there, so her and I just talked the entire time!! I really miss the MYSA ward, and she showed me some pictures of them! The temple was amazing.  

We have Zone conference this week!!  I found out that my zone leaders actually have my package but they forgot to bring it to church.  So I should be getting it from them soon!  YEAH!!

I love you and hope all of you are doing well and staying happy and healthy ->dad, sarah, vanessa and all you of you!!  have fun in the cold because it is getting into the really hot part of the year here... March.... 

Miss you!!

Mahal Kita

Sister Becca Bishop

It's my BIRTHDAY!!!

Tuesday Feb 11 - 10:37 am in Manila ,  Monday Feb 10 11:37 pm in Virginia

 Happy Birthday to me, Happy..... just kidding!!

I can't believe of all the things that have happened in this past year.  This time last year.  My family was coming out to visit me and take me through the temple for the first time.  I had my first birthday away from home, but still with family.  I was only preparing to serve a mission.  So much has changed since then!!

We are about to go to the temple today so I feel very lucky that it is on the same week when I went a year ago!  Things coming in full circle!  So excited to go!!!!

So things are going well here.  I fell like I am more adjusted to everything right now.  We are getting more less active lessons in, hopefully we will be having a few less actives returned this month! The Rescue!

The work here is cool.  The part member that we have been teaching has come to church again! Brother is really kind and is just wanting to do what is right.  We are determined to help him as he has never really met with the missionaries before, even though his family is all members (wife and 3 children)  People ask us what changed, and all I can say is I have no earthly Idea.....

I am restarting the scriptures and going more indepth this time.  I have done some faster reading this past time and so I want to really study it to be able to understand what the Savior is really meaning.  I am so blessed by the scriptures!!!!  they are absolutely amazing. I have been blessed so much by parents, family, and teachers who all helped me to love, know, and treasure the Word of God.  

You are all in my prayers.  You have no idea how blessed I feel when I read all of your emails! You are the best support team I could ask for!  It is really the small and simple things (Alma 27:6-7) that make the difference at the end of the day.  I have a firm conviction of that basic truth.  

Love all of you tons!! and miss you guys!! Thanks for your birthday emails!

Love,

Sister Bishop

Temple!

A YSA from Rebecca's previous area and ward - May- sent these photos to me.  We've been emailing back and forth since Christmas.   Well Tuesday she went to the temple to do some baptisms but they weren't able to fit her in, so she sat around the temple grounds enjoying The Spirit of the grounds.  And guess who she ran into?  Rebecca!  So fun!  So these pictures are from today :). I guess it's really happy birthday to me!  

Mom 

letter to dad

Hi daddy!! 

I am doing okay.  I am still in the Boni 6 ward with Sister Ramos.  It is doing okay.  I felt a little helpless last week and confused.  I was thinking almost hoping to get transfered, but the Lord has something else in plan for me.  I don't know what will alll be happening in the future but that is okay.  Our investigators are okay.  Our struggle is to find investigators that will actually want to progress or that don't have a huge problem to get over.  We have a few people, some of them are younger youth age,  that my look more promising.  We are in an area that is more suburban that our last area.  If you look on a map for i think Blk 173 Bougainvillia St. Cardena de Amor St (near that corner) and find a red rectantular looking roof that is flat (maybe 4 or 5 houses up) and that would be our area.   you can search Bonifacio 6th ward Makati East Stake.  and thats me!

We get up

We pray

We exercise

We eat/shower/get ready

We have personal study

We have companion study

We have language study

We eat

We work! 12-9 everyday

We sometimes have dinner appointments

We plan

We get ready for bed

WE SLEEP!!

The members are great.  I am feeling okay.  The hair stuff is really working.  I am so grateful for them.  and I will probably need the last 6 months of Biotin in around May.  But great stuff Biotin.  Thanks daddy-o!

Good Luck in work!!  Miss you tons!!!  

Love,

Boo!

Answer to Question -

Feb 2, 2014

Answer to Questions:

1)  Q - What do you do on your Pday?
     A - Studies, email, eat, market market (sis stucki lets us go! way cool!), unimec (grocery store), nap/study/clean/laundry, work!

2)  Q - What was the best thing that happened this week?

     A - one of them was that Sister Kelsey and Sister Wells became companions!  We get to jog some mornings at the chapel together! I love having friends that I can talk to.

3)   Q- What was the spiritual highlight of the week?

     A - Finishing the Book of Mormon

4)   Q - What funnest/funniest thing that happened this week?

      A - one afternoon 4 tricycle drivers in a row all called out "hello sister" one after another.  I couldn't help but laugh. 

5)   Q - What did you do for service this week?

     A - wala, I have only had one in my entire mission that was the relief efforts for all the missionaries after the typhoon hit that was organized by the mission.  It is really hard to find service activities here. 

6)   Q - How is your personal study going?  What stuck out to you this week?

     A - Pondering Moroni 10:4 I never really looked into just how important pondering is in gaining a testimony.  I wrote a great study journal entry about it on Tuesday.  But I learned about why that is important. 

7)   Q - What is the strangest thing you saw this week?

      A - I saw these two dead cat LEGS just lying on the street.  Sort of in the position that Gus always goes to.  they were just spread out on the ground.  I have no earthy idea how they got detached from the rest.  But what ever.  It was really quite gross. 

8)  Q - Are you eating healthy?  Taking your vitamins/Calcium/biotin?

     A - yes I take all my meds every day.  1 muti, 2 calcium, 1 iron, 2 biotin.  Everyday.

9)   Q - Looks like its been "cooler" there - still warn to you or does it feel "cold"?

      A - it's got cool for a bit.  I mean, I still sweat durning the day.  and it is still hot, but the night cools down a bit after around 6 or 7 which is really nice.  

10)   Q - What is something new you've learned since being in their new area?

     A - i need more patience, it is important to seek help from leaders, I love the Book of Mormon! and for me I really need to be surrounded by people who I love and like to be happy.  Good friends make all the difference! 

HI!

Feb 3,   11:44 pm VA time

Hello everyone,

So this has been a pretty good week.  Pretty similar in the fact that it is missionary work. Highlights include:

FINISHING THE BOOK OF MORMON!!!!

seriously that was one of the best things that has happened this week.

I am still in the Bonifacio 6th ward with Sister Ramos.  And I am looking forward for what ever the Lord has in store for me.  The wee before had been a really hard week to get through, but with His help it is okay.  Sister Ramos is doing a bit better with adjusting to everything.  She is now out of training so I am again a senior companion.  Exciting stuff.  

I sent Dad an email with more information about what is happening in the area.  We have some new investigators and a few people who were able to surprise us with coming to church, while others we were expecting didn't.  That's okay and all in a weeks worth of missionary work.  We got a new district leader that I like better, and is now in our ward.  I am hoping that can help our ward, not just the really active members, participate in missionary work!

All is good here, and Sister Kelsey, one of my best friends from the MTC, just got transferred to a neighboring area with Sister Wells, another really good friend.  So that is way fun and I am looking forward to that.  

Missionary work is fun.  And I am so grateful for my testimony of the Book of Mormon.  It is truly the "keystone of our religion" and the "keystone" of my personal faith.  I know that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ, that has been restored through a prophet of God, Joseph Smith.  and that we now have a living prophet here on the earth, Prophet Thomas S. Monson.

Thank you for all of your support and prayers.  I love hearing from all of you!! You are the best support team a missionary could ask for!

Mahal Kita

Sister Bishop