I'm Officially Filipina!! Bulot, Mother's Day, and Sister's Conference

Hello everyone!!  Well, it's been two weeks, but honestly missionary life is missionary life, and I love it.

And, I'm now officially Filipina!!  I did it...I ate bulot.  AND IT WAS NASTY.  For those of you who don't know what bulot is, let me explain.  It is a fertilized duck egg that is left to grow for a couple of days, then is boiled.  When you eat it, you crack the top of the egg and slurp out the juices.  Yummy, right?  And that's not even the  best part.  Once the juices are all slurped out, you peel the shell off the egg and get to see what it looks like.  Mine looked like a questionable boiled egg, with a slimy black thing curled up in the middle.  I just ate it all in one bite, and I'm pretty sure the duck just went straight down my throat.  It wasn't old enough that I had to crunch a beak, so that was good at least.  I'm pretty sure I still burped up a quack though.

We had our sister's conference last week, and it was awesome.  I was able to meet the other sisters here in the mission and we got to hear President and Sister Revillo speak, and play games and chat.  One of the senior sisters did a makeup workshop, but let's face it...if we wore makeup like she did it everyday it would just end up melting down our faces haha.

And I got to Skype for Mother's Day!!!!  I cried a lot, but they were good tears :)  It was so good to see my family!!!  And to be able to talk to them was amazing.  I am definitely a home-body, so it was good to be able to see them.

Well, since this is an email for 2 weeks, it has 2 quotes :)  This first one was from Sister Schlager, one of the senior sisters, in her pauwi (going home) testimony: "It's not like you have any secrets.  He (Christ) knows what's in your heart."  At first that seems a little weird; after all, what about privacy??  But I think it's quite beautiful.  We are never alone, and no matter what we're going through, there is someone who understands.  Not only did Jesus Christ feel all our pain in the Atonement, He is currently aware of what is in our hearts, and He knows what we need.

This one is from President Thomas S. Monson: "Seek heavenly guidance one day at a time.  Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it's a cinch.  Each of us can be true for just one day; and then one more and then one more after that; until we've lived a lifetime guided by the Spirit, a lifetime close to the Lord, a lifetime of good deeds and righteousness."  Sometimes taking it step by step is really the best thing to do :)

Alma 26:36-37  "...Blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people...in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.  Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, He numbereth His people, and His bowels of mercy are over all the earth.  Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever."  Even clear in the Philippines, half a world away from home, I can feel that God is mindful of me and my struggles and weaknesses.  I don't speak the language, and I'm still figuring out the culture; but it's ok, because He knows and He won't leave me alone.

Love from the Philippines!!

XOXO

Sister Pectol