A Taste of the Philippines

Yesterday I had a fun opportunity to get a literal "taste of the Philippines"...my pamilya and I went to our friends' aunt's house for a wonderful night of all things Philippines!

We ate a TON of amazing Filipino food!! I don't remember the names of anything except adobo, but I loved all of it! In the Philippines, they expect you to eat everything on your plate, so, I ate everything on my plate and I know my parents were quite proud, as it is usually hard for me to finish a whole plate of food!

Thanks for inviting us, Lorie!

mga ginikanan {my parents} and Joy

bag-o nga mga higala {new friends}

Cute friends!

Something new that I learned is that the beaches in Cebu have beautiful, white sand! 

I'll have to visit all of these beautiful beaches when I return to Cebu after my mission, because while I'm there, my time will be dedicated to serving the Lord and the people of Cebu.

The whole group! What a fun night! Thanks again Lopez/Daliva family!

p.s. I have some other great news...today marks my 100 day mark until I enter the MTC! 

The time has been going by pretty fast, I can't believe it's been 33 days since I got my call!
Let's hope the next 100 days will go by just as fast!

Mission Friends

This weekend, I had the awesome opportunity to get together with some girls going to my same mission!! It was so much fun to meet people who are going to the same place and going through much of the same preparations as I am.

We went through a session at the Salt Lake Temple, had lunch, walked around City Creek and Temple Square, and my favorite part...met some Filipino sisters!!

I love how excited both of the Filipino sisters got when they found out we were going to the Philippines. They gave us big hugs and were so sweet to us!! 

This sister is from CEBU!! The first sister we met from the Philippines told us that there was a sister on Temple Square that was from Cebu. We HAD to find her!! We looked everywhere...both visitors centers, the assembly hall, all over the grounds of Temple Square...and we still couldn't find her! We went up to the Beehive House, and she was there!! We were so happy to see her!! I seriously hung on every single word she said...we only talked to her for a little bit, and I already felt like we were best friends! I am SO excited to have native companions!! 

Here are my favorite things she said about the Philippines, specifically Cebu...

• Filipinos LOVE Christmas, and will have all of their Christmas decorations up by September! That means that by the time I arrive in Cebu (after 6 weeks in the MTC) it will be all decked out for Christmas! 
• If serving in Cebu City, we get to take investigators on tours of the temple grounds every Thursday!
• There are indeed other things to eat instead of fish! {but I'm still going to be eating a lot of fish}
• There are a lot of malls/stores/markets that sell really cute and reasonably priced clothes and shoes!

I know Heavenly Father puts people in our paths to calm our worries, and this sister did just that for me! She knew exactly what I needed to hear and reaffirmed the fact that I will LOVE the Philippines! 

and if anyone's counting {I AM} the countdown is down to only 107 days until I embark on the greatest adventure of my life...serving the Lord. There is nothing better!!

Cebu is calling my name

Before I got my call, EVERYONE would ask me where I wanted to go or where I thought I would go on my mission. My answer was always, "I don't care...I just want to GO!" I've said before how shocked I was when I opened my call and saw I would be going to Cebu, Philippines. But how now, I can't imagine myself serving ANYWHERE else. It's crazy how that happens...hard to explain! Sometimes I find myself laughing at the most normal things because I can't believe I am actually going to the Philippines in 110 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! eeeeeeeeek SOOOO excited!!!

Here are a few of the MANY reasons why Cebu is calling my name.....

The markets with yummy fruits, vegetables, and fish...

Because I'll get to go inside the beautiful Cebu City Temple...

I'll get to teach these beautiful people and learn and thrive in their culture...

I get to learn the wonderful language of CEBUANO!!

This quote...found outside a school in the Philippines.

I went inside today- May 3, 2013

Friday May 3, 2013 is a day I will always remember.
No more singing "I love to see the temple, I'll go inside someday..." all day I was singing, "I love to see the temple, I'll go inside TODAY!"
I waited all my life for this day to come and it finally came! I was so excited! Not even nervous at all! I was so ready!!
We drove to the temple and that drive up the hill to the Bountiful Temple is my FAVORITE. except for when I'm the one driving...ha. But I love when you're going up the hill and all of a sudden you see the temple. Love it!
It seriously was the best day EVER. I love the temple so much and I know that it is the house of the Lord. I have made it a priority to go to the temple for a while now, and I'm so glad I started that tradition a while ago because it will make it that much easier for me to keep going.
I love this quote by Jeffery R. Holland, "If you have made covenants, keep them; if you haven't made covenants, make them."

In about January-February I had a feeling that I'd be going to the temple soon, still deciding on whether or not I was going to serve a mission...but I just KNEW that it wouldn't be long before I would go through the temple.
Now, look where I'm at...it's May 6th and I've received my mission call, it's starting to sink in that I'm REALLY going to the Philippines, and in case any of you are wondering, there are only 114 days until my adventure starts!!

I know I've said this before, but I am SO EXCITED and so blessed to have this opportunity to serve the people of the Philippines. I am a firm believer that coincidences don't exist, only tender mercies...and there were SO many tender mercies at the temple and I know with a surety that the Lord needs me to help carry out His work in the Philippines.

It's happening. One step closer to Cebu.