"...You Glow..."

Hi guys. This week we had Mission Tour! Elder Bowen from the seventy and the first counselor of the Philippines area came to train us. The power that is with those brethren will always amaze me. He had such a wonderful spirit. He gave us wonderful trainings on mission life and after the mission life. Sometimes I forget that there is life after the mission haha. But it was great(: This Sunday August 23 was the baptism of Mercy Grace(: my first baptism in the field! It feels like it wasn't that long ago but its been a year now.

The Arruz family showing of their CTR rings(: 

Grabe. I love reading from my past journal entries! I'm really funny guys. But I also wrote a lot about how hard it was, not knowing how to speak the language, not understanding anything, walking miles a day. And its still just as hard one year later. Different challenges of course. But isn't that just life? Yeah, life's crazy. Story time, so this week we got on the jeepney to head home and this mother got on with her child and she just stared at me. It used to bug me but now its not a huge deal. So I started a conversation with her because they love that and she was asking me all these questions about what make up I wear ( I don't wear any) what soap I use (safe guard) what vitamins or minerals I take (centrum) and then I was just like Sister why? And she says to me, "you look different than normal people, you glow and I can't figure out why." This lady melts my heart guys. I was sweaty and had some pimples on my face and she told me I was glowing. I know its because of the gospel(: its changed my life.

I want to share with you guys something I learned this week kay? Its cool. So I was reading in Luke 23. Pondering on the Atonement. Jesus shows so much love and obedience to me in this chapter."If thou be Christ, save thyself and us." He most certainly could've saved Himself. But He didn't.

Me and Sister Cansanay taking pictures
 cause she loves pictures, so much. Haha(:

He finished His mission for us. And then He promised those criminals a place in His fathers kingdom! Now this is the cool part that I'm still trying to understand, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." Men could not kill our Savior. He literally gave His spirit up to death. For us. Is that not just the most beautiful act of obedience and love? He loves us so much that I can never comprehend it. But I know He lives and because of Him we can return to our Father in Heaven and receive eternal life. I love being a missionary and teaching this truth to all that I meet! Yeah. Stay Fresh guys, bye.

Sister Schimbeck

"Open Your Mouth"

Guys, I've been in the Philippines for one year now (sang Friday). I was reading my journal this week, August 2014, when I first got to the mission field. Its so crazy how used to the Philippines I am now. Like remember when I wrote about washing my laundry by hand for like 3 hours? Or the chickens running around during lessons? Oh or about showering with a bucket? Or the noisy sacrament meetings? Yeah, those things don't even phase me anymore. But I'll never get over that we don't have microwaves here.

-We taught some police men! 

So in our mission we're really focusing on OYM (open your mouth). I've never been a fan of OYMing like I'll OYM if they approach me and stuff but usually I'm like nope I've got a schedule to stick to. How wrong was I. We have a purpose as missionaries "to invite others to come unto Christ" when I remembered that I was like Sister Schimbeck how are you going to invite others to come unto Christ if you don't open your mouth and talk with everyone!! That is what makes us a successful missionary, I don't care how many baptisms a person gets on their mission. What matters is we invite everyone to come unto Christ(: Like we have a investigator right now Sister Virgiana who we OYMed and she has been to church two times now and is keeping all her commitments! Heavenly Father is preparing His children for us to find everyday!

-We love mango and graham cracker ice cream!
Funfact: they pronounce graham as gray-ham hahaha(:

She tells us every visit how grateful she is that we found her because now she knows that she can see her husband again (he died). We have such a beautiful message of hope, how could we just keep that to ourselves? I'm so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father is always showing me that if we trust in Him He will guide us! "O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh.." I love this verse. It helps me remember that we have to forget about ourselves and trust in Him. We will always win if we do! I love being a missionary! Stay Fresh, bye.

Sister Schimbeck

-FHE with some YSA! They are crazy fools.

-Nilupak nga saging. Its banana that they mashed all up with sugar(:
delicious! I thought it was cute on its banana leaf plate(:

"Children of Light"

Hello! So I remembered way back in the day when I hated Mondays, like I never wanted Monday to come. But now its my favorite day. Funny huh? Yeah so nothing new this week. There was another typhoon, you know just like any other week. But this typhoon was the first typhoon ni Sister Cansanay on her mission. Typhoons are like super rough so I didn't know how it was going to be but she totally loved it. She was singing Master the Tempest is raging and wanted pictures in all the floods. Haha(:

-Picture taking during the typhoon! 

I'm so grateful for her. I hate working in typhoons but she made it so enjoyable(: Me and Sister Cansanay have a lot of fun together. This week in our training we watched these Preach My Gospel videos and they are just so cheesy. Haha we just make fun of them the whole time! Hahah we're like the same person.

I was reading the August Liahona. I was reading the first presidency's message by President Thomas S. Monson, ' Stand as a Light' and also the backside section for the youth 'Beacon of Light' (or something like that, I'm forgetful) but my point in why I'm telling you about these articles is because the pictures they used are of Filipino children(: Yeah when talking about children of light and being beacons of light they used pictures of the happiest people I know. Filipino children jumping out the back of a truck and at the Manila temple. Its true they are children of light. Their smiles just radiate light.

-RJ's contagious smile

They have every reason to be sad but are so full of joy. My view of life is changed forever because of these people and their contagious smiles(:

I want to share with you guys what I read in 2 Nephi 21 this morning. It was a beautiful personal study(: this chapter is about Jesus Christ and the house of Israel. And they are like super wicked right now and when the Lord could not bless them anymore because of their disobedience and stuff they were like the Lord hath forsaken and forgotten us. But the Lord was like no way, I'm aware of you guys! "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands." That verse hit me so hard. I'd hate to admit it but I've had times in my mission where I've asked those same questions and felt the same way."Yea, they forget, yet will I not forget thee, o house of Israel" Its only us that forget. He knows each and every one of us. Our wants, our desires, our challenges, our concerns, and He will always be there waiting for us to find Him. I know He wears His love for us on His palms. Such a beautiful act of love that I'm still trying to understand fully. I love my Savior and I'm so grateful for the help He offers to us everyday. Yeah well I just love being a missionary with all my heart! Halong! Stay Fresh!

Sister Schimbeck like a diamond

"The Air is so Delicious!"

Hi guys. So super great week this week!! It went by so fast. All I remember that Heavenly Father loves us and blessed us with some new investigators that are prime(: I just got to tell you all that the restoration is the most perfect and correct doctrine. I love teaching about the restoration. We met a super hard headed iglesia ni cristo. He has so many arguments and questions that we were like hey brother, we have the answer for you if you'd give us some time to talk. So he stopped his talking about we taught him the beautiful message of the restoration and he was so touched, still hard headed but I know he felt the truth. Its the most perfect message.

Posing with a lamb in front of my favorite rice fields(:
 (I think its a lamb)(nope its a goat)

So the adventure of training never ends. They have this saying in Tagalog that Sister Cansanay always uses and I just didn't understand it. One day she used it again when we were riding a tricycle and when she uses this Tagalog expression it literally translates to "the air is so delicious!" so yeah I'm like Sister how is the air delicious? And she spend the rest of the day trying to explain this expression to me haha I still don't get it but I use it all the time "ah sarap ang hangin!" So I just want to tell you all about Sister Melissa. She is my most favorite ever. She is my best friend from the spirit world we decided. And she has struggled with prayer for a long time now! Haha its funny actually cause we'll review how to pray and she gives such a good prayer and then leaves it in the name of the holy ghost!! She's always like ah no thats wrong, again and then prays again. One day she started her prayer Heavenly Father, thank your fo.....oh sorry good evening first, thank you for this time.." hahah it died laughing!! She's just so funny. I love this place.

-Baptism of Drexs(:

This Sunday we had the baptism of Brother Drexs(: hes 18 years old just working at an auto shop next to a members home. When we first met Drexs he always had a cigarette in hand, earrings, and wouldn't smile. He was just a very hard person. It was such an awesome experience to watch him change over time. He struggled to overcome his smoking but found power in the Libro Ni Mormon to stop. He smiles and laughs now(: he has had a mighty change of heart. He about cried giving his testimony after his baptism. He was so grateful that he has a new start. I love this gospel so much. I know it is the only true gospel. I love being a missionary too! And yeah tapos na, bye stay fresh!!

Sister Schimbeck

-lets go to the beach-ech lets go getta away

-FHE with the Tenebro Family! it was Johns birthday(:
we made him a cover for his Book of Mormon cause hes
 been trying to make one but gave up cause he couldn't figure it out haha

Faith and Ronwell came to visit at church, sometimes I don't feel like
I left Santa Fe because I see them so much!
Haha they wanted to see how I was doing in training! haha 

Mangosten! Its nothing like mango but it was so so so delicious! So sweet!