Valentines, Wedding & a Baptism

Heya! So this week was a roller coaster ride. The Elders in our ward got pulled out this week (meaning that they both got transferred and their area is now ours too)

yeah so all of Santa Fe is our area. And its SO huge! So yeah that was the real stressful part of my week. And then our BAPTISM AND WEDDING (still stressful but so many good feelings)

Baptism service(:

Guys, and it was so off the chain.President and Sister Ferrin even came to it, so basically it was a big deal. The Lord had 4 baptisms this week and one marriage that will become eternal in a year(: Sister Mariechell who was married and baptized was looking like she was going to be an eternal investigator when she first started being taught by missionaries last year because she was keeping all her commitments and going to church the only thing was, she wasn't married nor did she want to get married, yeah. So at one time she was our only progressing investigator so we were like Sister Mariechell you need to get married girl! (kind of chastised her but its okay, the spirit testified) And she was like yeah I do need to get married and four weeks later, BAM! Wedding(:

Sister Mariechell and Brother Marlon kissing!

and her husband has a baptism date for March 7(: Sister Josephine, Maria Cristia and Jermin are just the sweetest sisters you will ever meet! And Sister Josephine's baptism was such a beautiful thing to witness because she has had such a dark and hard past. This gospel changes lives! Ah I love it!

With Sister Pattillo

So this week in my personal study I was reading in Matthew "And the graves were opened; and bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after the resurrection.." yep, zombie apocalypse. Hahah just kidding but really its gonna happen, the scriptures do not lie. I know the scriptures are true and I know this gospel is true and I know being a missionary is the best. I love being a missionary! bye stay fresh!

Sister Taylor Swift

Helping out investigator Sister Leah with some laundry! 

And the youth of Santa Fe! They are so fun! They all remind me of Josh and Madi

Special sacrament service! 

The national flower! I can't remember its name though..

My best friend Sister Ariel! Shes so cute! 

 Tiny tooth paste! That was like a one use deal.

 The sink Sister Arviola broke!

And a scenery picture because its been a long time(:

THE LORD IS MY LIGHT

So I always forget everything I want to say right when I start typing. Its so annoying. But did you guys see the moon this week?! Like we didn't even need a flash light walking through the sugar canes! THE LORD IS MY LIGHT. Oh so this week we got to meet President Ferrin! He's so cool and will be such a powerful leader for us here oh and his wife is my favorite, she's so funny and spiritual and I want to be her when I'm an old lady. He was born in Texas and she was born in Utah and they have lived just about everywhere in the world. But of course their favorite is the Philippines, they said its where they've gained most of their testimonies and grown the most spiritually. So yeah I'm serving in the best place in the world kay.

So this week we meet a lady that just had her 3 year old son pass away. She cried and cried to us and was in so much pain. So we sang for her and the ward missionary working with us gave her a blessing and I've never felt the spirit so strong. I know we have angels looking over us and I know that her son is one of those angels and he was comforting his mother at that time. I know our Savoir lives and little Mark will too. We shared our testimonies with her about the plan of salvation and atonement and just watched the gospel start to melt her heart. This work is the Lords work and I love getting to be apart of it and witnessing so many miracles everyday. I can never express how grateful I am for this gospel. Its perfect. And it changes lives. ah I love being a missionary! Stay Fresh!

Sister Schimbeck

Christ Like Love

Heya! So this week was cool I guess, I got sick. But I'm okay now!! Because I the members here are so very wonderful(: they are the most loving people! I just had a cold and they treated me like a princess. The relief society sisters gave me massages and made me soup and stuck leaves to me forehead (herbal healing I guess) and then one of our ward missionaries, Brother Lester, bought me krispy kreme donuts!

MmmmMmmm

They have such Christ like love! So inspiring for me. They are the funnest people here too. Like one of our areas had a huge festival this weekend and they had a huge dance and paint fight!! They got me with some paint when we were driving by! Haha wow I love the Philippines.

Paint in the face

We got our temporary mission president this week! I haven't met him but his name is President Ferrin. I don't know if he's Filipino or American, his name is like uni-race. But yeah its helped the work get along here! So I've been reading about the missions of the sons of Mosiah this week. I just love reading about Book of Mormon missionaries because it gets me so pumped cause I'm like hey that's me! I'm a missionary too! Like its the best guys, seriously. I pretty much wear my name tag 24/7 I never take it off! It's such a beautiful privilege to wear that badge! "...show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls." I love that. Being members of this church means that we are representatives of Jesus Christ!! What a crazy big privilege that is for us! And I know that as we become those good examples of Jesus Christ we will always be instruments in His hands. I love that saying. And I love being a part of His work, being an instrument in His hands and witnessing such beautiful experiences everyday. I love my Savior and I love being a missionary!! Bye, stay fresh!!

One of my favorite relief society sisters!

The Power of Prayer!

Hello everyone! Wonderful news! President Lopez is now out of the hospital and improving(: thank you so much for your prayers! The power of prayer is so unbelievably real. I thought everything would be different not really having a mission president but the diligence of the missionaries is so amazing! The Lord is running this work truly! 

I'm so grateful to be assigned here in Bacolod Philippines. I fall more in love every week(: The people are so wonderful. Like the say the funniest stuff. There is one Brother we pass by everyday and he asks us one day "I always see you two together. Are you best friends?" haha they always have such wonderful conversation starters for us to go right into our message for them! 

My STL(Sister Training Leader)

My STL(Sister Training Leader)

(second picture,maybe, basta she's a Filipina though which is my point) she says to me day "I like your voice, you sound like a Disney princess!" I'm taking that as my sign that I'm going to be a princess at Disneyland some day(: but oh these people just make my day everyday! 

Today was transfer day but Sister Arviola and I didn't transfer so we both get to see our seeds start to grow this transfer! We have so many wonderful things about to happen here! The ward is becoming more established and we've even got ward missionaries to help us! We have a marriage and baptism coming up real soon(:

Me with Sister Mariechell(: she will be married and baptized Feb 14(: I'm so excited!!

and another one just a little bit later(: wow the Lord is hastening His work! I love that I get the privilege to be apart of it right now(: I love you all k bye! Stay fresh!

Just my lunch one day that was so very delicious. I love the food here.

So that spider was as big as my hand!!! Ew I freaked out.

Brother vengie with some star fruit! So so sour! haha

Some women doing their laundry in the river(:

The missionaries of Santa Fe ward and a RM sister Wlima

Prayers For President and Sister Lopez

Hello everyone! So lots happened this week. The pope came to the Philippines, my ward mission leader almost died, I found out coconuts are actually green and my mission president went home. Yeah, please keep President Lopez and Sister Lopez in your prayers. They are very sick. They had to go to the US to get medical treatment and they will most likely not be returning to finish. This really has kinda just put a damper on the whole mission. He is such a faithful servant of the Lord and such a inspiration for me. And then our ward mission leader, okay so we're walk to our next appointment and its down this big, steep hill that turns into a narrow bridge (only one care can drive on it at a time) so when we got to the bottom of this hill and to the bridge me and Sister Arviola jumped right up on the sidewalk while our ward mission leader is walking in the narrow road, and a huge truck comes flying down the hill. Brother Roy jumped up on the sidewalk literally right before the truck was going to hit him (I legit thought he was going to get hit) me and Sister Arviola were freaking out and all he says is "Heavenly Father loves me. It felt like I was pulled out of the road by an angel" Which I can testify to, he's pretty old and he moved so fast to get out of the way. Heavenly Father really does watch over us!! And yeah the pope was like a big deal. Everyone was so excited, like even our members!

MmmmMM Coconuts

These people are so funny! Haha okay so now a funny story. So there are these trees here and they look just like coconuts trees but I didn't think it was because the fruit in them in green so one day I asked "What are these trees that look like coconut trees but the fruit is green?" and they bust up laughing "Sister, those are coconuts" MIND BLOWN!! And they're delicious. Like I hate coconut too. The Philippines is the bomb. I'm so thankful to be a missionary here. I had the opportunity to attend the special sacrament in the Elders area. They are such faithful members there! They truly understand the importance and sacredness of the sacrament. It is such a wonderful gift! Oh I just love being a missionary! Stay Fresh!!

Sister Schimbeck  

At a members house! So beautiful here(:

I finally got the picture of the outside of our house for you!

These super cool looking bird things that made a really funny noise

I saw a real life peacock!!! it was kind of a big deal for me.

My Zone

Rooster wants to know if he is next?

Riding in a Jeepney

At the Elders area

a stolen shot at a dinner appointment. I'm always laughing here.

Another Day in Paradise...Lake Ranch

Hello everyone! So the weather this week was so wonderful(: no complaints there haha. Heavenly Father is so aware of everyone's needs and desires I just know it(: So this week I remembered that I'm in the Philippines (I think I forgot that I'm half way across the world and in a totally different culture) and I just really started to enjoy everything like I did when I first got to the Philippines(: Heavenly Father is so aware of my needs and desires. Last pday we went to this lake ranch place and it was so beautiful and peaceful and I was just like wow Heavenly Father loves us so much, he's given us such a beautiful place to learn and grow to become just like Him! His love is so real and I'm so thankful I get to feel it everyday(:

This week with the work was so hard. We had investigators drop us that were close to baptism, we've had investigators hide from us when we go to visit them, we've had recent converts really being tested and tried. It is so unbelievably hard! My faith is definitely tried and tested everyday too. But Faith is like feet. It will either move you forward or backward. We just need to decide what kind of faith we have. And the people here have strong faith in Jesus Christ!! So inspiring for me. I know trials come and go and through our Savior we can endure any trials! Guys I love being a missionary so much. Stay Fresh! bye.

Sister Schimbeck

 Lake Ranch right out side Charito!

 Lake Ranch right out side Charito!

 Lake Ranch right out side Charito!

Sister Arviola and Sister Schimbeck

Sister Schimbeck @ Lake Ranch 

At Lake Ranch, chilling hard

"feed my sheep" (us feeding the sheep the word of God) 

At Lake Ranch, chilling hard

At Lake Ranch, chilling hard

Me and Sister Pattillo my MTC compaion!!(:

Happy New Years!

Hello everyone who still even reads these letters! So Happy New Year! For New Years Eve and Day we had curfew at 6 pm, truly inspiration from God because guys, the Philippines go nuts during New Years. Their fireworks and fire cracker things set off car alarms and then the little kids throw those popper rocks at you. Like it was insane! I feel bad, this letter is going to be short (dad don't be mad!)

Our investigators are all so wonderful here and truly have the desire to change! I can't wait to see that baptisms start coming in(: they're all so prepared! So this is the first New Years I have a New Years Resolutions, "Cry unto God for all they support; let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; let the affections of they heart be placed upon the Lord forever" Alma 37:26. So I used to be so against New Years Resolutions, I just thought they brought disappointment and couldn't be kept. But how do we change and become the best us if we don't have goals! I've seen lives change just from simple commitments or, a resolution. And we have divine help from our Savior to help us along the way. I'm so grateful for this time to be a missionary. I love being a missionary! Stay Fresh.