MmmMMmmm Balut....and a Transfer to Santa Fe

Back with Sister Cruz for one week!

Balut

Welcome to the Bacolod Philippines mission where every week we have transfers. I was just transferred to Santa Fe today and my new companion is Sister Arviola. She is so funny! We're gonna get along great I think(: and our area is in the City again. Its gonna take time to get used to the city, its so different! I'm really home sick for Sagay but its okay I'll get over it.

Will she do it? Looks excited.

So I was transferred to Alijis last Monday and I was with Sister Cruz again and it was so fun! I thought I was going to have to learn the area in just a week but then they called me yesterday and they pulled the Sisters out of that area and Elders will take it over. The area was pretty great too. We had an investigator that lived in Florida for like 14 years so he had a sweet accent and he was so cool and then when he would speak in Hiligaynon it went away! I want that. Lots of adventures in Alijis. I got to eat the famous balut that everyone has been asking me if I tried yet.
Haha it was crazy. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be either! Like sucking the juice out tasted just like fried chicken!!

Down it goes! MMmmM

And I taught the kids how to have swag. My one week there was pretty great(:

Brother Generoso's Baptism

Brother Generoso was baptized too(: I know I wasn't his missionary but oh I love him! The week I was there and got to see how much he loves this gospel made my love grow even more! So the church is very, very far away from his house and he walked to his baptism!!
He was an hour and a half late, but he was so determined to be baptized! These people make my faith grow everyday! I love this work, I love my Savior and I love being a missionary!! Stay fresh!!

Sister Schimbeck

Jacey with cute Filipino children

Sister Schimbeck

Secret notes from Dad 

The power of prayer is real people!

Typhoons and Transfers

Hello tanan!! So this was a crazy week. I don't even know where to start. The typhoon or transfers? We'll start with the typhoon. So this week the weather was so hot like unbelievable hot and I've started figuring out that when it gets really hot that means its going to rain. So I was like "Sister Molejon its gonna rain! Hard." and she was like "yeah a bagyo is coming" I didn't know bagyo meant typhoon at the time so I just was like "oh yeah of course the bagyo is coming" cause she said it like I should know what it is. And then we receive a text on Thursday from the zone leaders "We will be having mission lock down starting Friday at six pm until Saturday night" So I finally I was like "Sister what is going on?" I was so confused! Haha so lock down almost killed me. We just had to stay in our house from 6 pm on Friday all the way to Monday morning.

Typhoon

These days were the hardest of my whole mission so far that's for sure! At first I was like yeah I get a little time to relax but it was killing me that I couldn't got out and work! And we were supposed to have a baptism Saturday and investigators that were expecting visits! Oh and get this. Church was canceled, ever heard of a missionary not going to church on Sunday? Well now you have! So crazy.

So Sunday evening I got the call that I was going to transfer. Transfers are really next week. So I'm flippin out. And guess who's my companion? SISTER CRUZ!!

Jacey and Sister Cruz

I could not believe it! She goes home next week so I was just like this isn't real? Stop messin with me! But its real, I've got a week to learn our area and I guess its huge :-) but I'm so excited to be companions with Sister Cruz again! I was so afraid to have to re-adjust to like everything so this just lightens the blow(: So funny story with the guy playing the banjo. We're teaching this lady and the spirit is working so hard so we invite her to be baptized and right in the middle of the invitation this guy comes up and starts playing some Christmas song on his banjo and just took the whole mood away but you can't help but laugh, only in the Philippines(:

Banjo Man

Then our family home evening with Hilmar and friends!! He is 20 and such a great investigator! I'll miss teaching him because he had such great insights on all the lessons. And then just one last picture in my favorite part of our area! (I didn't know it would be my last picture but its cool) Selfie with Sister Cruz walking here to email!!(:

So I was reading in my scriptures last night and I found the most amazing verse that just completely comforted me for transfers. "I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannnot feel them upon your backs...and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." Moshiah 24:14 I know He is always there to make our burdens light. I know we will still have them but its because of Him that we don't have to carry them alone. What a beautiful gift for us this Christmas season. Now what are we gonna give back? I love you all so much and thank you for all the prayers and packages and emails!! I'm sorry if I can't get back to you all, I have one hour gid to email so its hard!! Have a wonderful week and stay fresh! 

Sister Schimbeck

I Love Being a Missonary

Hey ya'll!! So this week flew by. Like I really don't have that much to say this week except for that I've felt my Heavenly Fathers love so much! In every aspect of my life and this work I can feel His love. And also the atonement of Jesus Christ. I love learning about the atonement, its so much more than just a forgiveness for sins. It can be felt through people. And that is the way I saw the atonement in my life and the lives of others this week. Heavenly Father is so aware of us and all our needs. They're literally waiting for us to just acknowledge this wonderful gift from them! And this time of the year is the best time to be and see that gift! Oh I love Christmas time. Okay so I decided that I need to hear all your spiritual experiences through out the week! Please email them to me(: like they really make my week and help my testimony grow! I love being a missionary and I love my Savior! Have a great week!

I found Gary, Played in the Rain, Rode a Carabao, and RATS!

Maayong aga tanan. I don't even know where to start. This week was kinda just an adventure the whole time. Being a missionary is so fun! Like I've never had so much fun and been so happy in my life. Legit. Like I got to ride a carabao, eat fried bananas, play in the rain, and I FOUND GARY!!!(he's been hiding from me outside)

Sister Schimbeck riding a carabao

Oh but guys I almost forgot, so its raining you know and I'm just enjoying myself in the rain and was telling Julan and Sister Molejon how fun being a missionary is and then a rat ran right across my feet!! It was so traumatizing. It was the heaviest rat ever and its little claws and tail were so cold! Ew. But anyways every week I'm here I just fall more in love with the Philippines and the people(:

Gary

Eating fried banana (Jacey didn't tell us this little cutie's name) 

So we're in the finding process right now. Its so hard. We're teaching a man that is like a freak with the bible, has the whole thing memorized! He also reads a King James version so we can use the footnotes to take him to the Book of Mormon and oh its so fun. I love this verse I found in my personal study. "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them. Unto men this is impossible: but with Go all things are possible." Matt 19:26. I really love the bible. And this gospel. Its so true. It comforts me in the most needed times. I wish I would've been converted to the gospel sooner so I could've felt this joy always!! Oh but I have it now and I have the opportunity to help others experience conversion too(: I love being a missionary! Halong kamo! Palangga ko kamo!

Sister Schimbeck

Selfies from the Computer Cafe

More Selfies....

.....Even more

Heres a papaya. It was not delicious. 

Rule 32: Enjoy the Little Things:...... (Zombieland)

Hello everyone! Lovely week here in the Philippines(: much better than last week! We had our mission tour and Elder Ardern of the 70, our area president came to give us a training and observe our mission. So I just have to brag about my mission here for a second okay, we just became the number one baptizing mission in the world!!

Elder Ian S. Ardern of the Seventy and Sister Ardern
with Sister and President Lopez

His training was so inspired too, I love these men that we have in the church to lead us. So missionary work is very routine, same thing everyday. So I tried to look for the little things (rule 32) like brownies!! I made brownies in our little toaster oven(: My new magic pen(: (it can erase. Sometimes I just write to erase) And the little miracles I get to witness everyday as a missionary(: (Heavenly Father is so aware of us)

Our baptisms this week were miracle baptisms too. Sister Stephanie Jain(:

Baptism ni Stephanie(:

she was supposed to be baptized with her family September 27 but last minute decided not to because she's shy. And she is, so shy! And she has always been a rebel so this change was hard for her but her testimony after her baptism was so powerful, she truly converted. This gospel saved her!

Baptism ni Marivic(:

And Sister Marivic(: she has been an investigator since January and she had many baptismal dates but just could stop her coffee and smoking. Satan was working so hard on her to not get baptized because she has such a powerful testimony. But yeah she overcome those and got baptized(: All these little miracles are so worth the hard times of being a missionary. I love this work so much. I love my Savior. I love my Heavenly Father. And I love being a missionary! Halong kamo!

Sister S(wag)chimbeck

A nice text from the AP's 

Sugar cane fields everywhere here in Sagay

My companions always fall asleep on bus rides 

A huge tuko at the Jain's house!! 

Arriving at Zone Tour/Training

Long Week, New Companion and Baptisms

Hey everyone!! So this week has been longest week ever. But like my new companion is the sweetest thing I have ever met, she's so sweet it almost bugs me but it doesn't really because she's so sweet. Yeah so along with it being the longest week it was the most stressful. Leading an area is hard. But wow I've grown so much from it! But guys I've spoke more Hiligaynon this week than I have my whole mission. ITS SO FUN! And they love it, like I'm still horrible but they love it. I love them, they get me through these long days. And mangos. 

Elvie and Mae's baptism! Brother Jolan got to baptize them(: 

Our baptisms this week! Elvie and Mae Sierra(: Wife and daughter of brother Roldan who got baptized October 18. Elvie was a golden investigator. She was so prepared and ready to receive this gospel!! Mae has been a little bit tougher, missionaries started teaching her in July but shes just never been interested and said she was always too busy, until we taught eternal families! She cried and cried and then everything changed for her she took out her earrings and stopped drinking coffee the next day! Oh I love that family. Jimmy and Arlene(: mom and dad of Sister Jemma Rose that got baptized on October 18 too. I really wanted them to be baptized as a family but I saw over these past few weeks that it was better for Jemma to get baptized first. Brother Jimmy's testimony grew so much from it! Sister Arlene is golden too, the first time she went to church they taught about tithing and when we went to visit her the next day she asked if she could pay her tithing! The baptism was so stressful.

Jimmy and Arlene's baptism! Brother Jolan got to baptize them(:

So we get there and there's no baptism clothes, the font is locked, and our baptism records are missing. I really didn't think that they were going to get baptized that day. It was 4:45 by then when the service was supposed to start at 4 and no one would reply to our texts or calls but finally bishop showed up to save the day! And it was the most spiritual baptismal service(: 

My faith has really been tested this week. I wondered if I could really do this. I doubted myself and my decision. "Now when our hearts were depressed and we were about to turn back behold the Lord comforted us, bear with patience thine afflictions and I will give unto you success." Alma 26:27, I read this in my personal study on a day where I was questioning a lot of stuff and I was instantly comforted. If faith isn't tested it will not grow. I'm so thankful for my relationship with my Heavenly Father and that I can feel His love everyday. I'm so grateful for this time to serve Him!! I love being a missionary!! 

Me and my batch mates! We're all in the same zone(:

Sister Schimbeck

I'm a real missionary now!

So I'm officially done with my training, just a normal missionary now! And we also had transfers so I'm leading my area. Its chill. We got the call last night now its all new. I kinda was freaking out a little bit. But it will be okay because I have my Heaven Father to watch over me and my new companion is Sister Molejon, she is so sweet!! She is 27 and has been out for 11 months, she is so great(: oh and three of my batch mates are in my zone now too so that's kinda fun(: Okay. Guys, they don't celebrate Halloween here. I carried around candy with me to give out to the kids but none of them were dressed up or anything :/ I mean they would still take the candy but it wasn't the same, they wouldn't even say trick or treat to me.

Sagay Zone Oct. 2014

President Lopez With Sister Schimbeck
and other Sisters from Sagay Zone

 We had zone conference Tuesday and it was so great. I have the bestest most wise mission President. He is perfectly funny and spiritual at the same time. He makes my spirit so happy! So it rained like really hard this week for two days straight and I guess its because there was a typhoon. It was supposed to hit us but went right around us. Heavenly Father is truly looking over us! I can see His hand in my life and the lives in my investigators more and more everyday! I'm so thankful for this time to be a missionary for Him

and be apart of His amazing work! I love being a missionary and I love you all! Keep it real!

Good bye Sister Cruz! Thanks for everything.