Seasons of LOOOOOOVE....and fiesta..and turning 20

Sister Kassidy Ariel Norman

Philippines Angeles Mission

F. Tanedo Street

Barangay San Nicolas

Tarlac City, Tarlac 2300

Philippines

This week has been pretty cool...lots of fun stuff here! There is the Town Fiesta that went on for a couple days, Valentines day, and meow my 20th Birthday.

Not toooo much has happened this week. everyone in my bahay (house) have gotten sick this last week. My comp is really sick..we didn't even work yesterday! And i'm sure the heat isn't helping...oh ya..it's summer here meow...the picture of me is a day where I DID wear sunscreen. not too much has happened this week....I did go on splits..kinda..it was when my companion was in the hospital..i still had to work...so i worked with a younger lady from the other branch who doesn't know a lick of english..it was fun. She was amazing though! she worked the whole day with me ( 2-8) with out complaining once. It was kind of hard because that meant alll the lessons were taught by me...in Tagalog..broken tagalog...it was fun. Since it's fiesta here, while we were walking there is food EVERYWHERE so i tried some pretty..uh..exciting things. OO i found some really nice, new blouses for only 10 pesos each...thats literally like 3 pennies in the USA... so that was pretty amazing..  Valentines day was pretty normal...my ka-bahay put a fish (its bones) in my room so that was really sweet of them...hashtag PUKE. PERO they made my door really  pretty today, and gave me cards and made an awesome breakfast so it was pretty cool!hmm oh other interesting stuff..we have to find a new house/apartment to live in...we found one with a BEAUTIFUL view, huge court, washing machine, an actual shower, relitively big for only 7000 a month (thats reallllllly cheap) and it would include water and electricity! we were amazed to why it was so cheap....apparently Elders used to live there before so we asked why on Earth they would ever move out...they told us it was legitimately haunted  ooooooo...but like really. so we aren't allowed to move in..haha

So i'm like 20 meow...that's really weird...i feel like i just barely turned 17.... yikes..and it's already half way through Feb! I'm almost to my 5month mark!!!! Where has the time gone?! anyway...thats all the rambling I have time for today. Kita kits next Lunes! Mahal kita and stuff...

-sister norman 

all my baptisms i couldn't be there for! love them! they are all so amazing! can't wait to get back and share their stories

LOST Feb9

So this week has been a little different. My poor companion has been pretty sick lately. I don't think we actually workied a full day this week! She is in Tarlac meow; she left yesterday and isn't coming back til (hopefully) Tuesday evening because she is getting a check up!

So quick little high lights from the week: We had zone training so i got to meet everyone from my zone, learn lots, and eat at a really cool [americanized] cafe. I had a taco salad and a shake...it was divine. I also got my package from my grandma here too!

We had a fun zone Community Service Project; we cleaned and painted a Barangay office and elementary school. Afterwards we went to the other branch's Pres.'s house and ate lunch and Bday cake for my roommate's birthday.

We also had a ka-bahay dinner or a roommate dinner and cupcakes...oh did i ever mention that one of my roommates is Filipino and she loooves to cook and is super good...so i do NOT think this will be an area i get to lose weight in..

Also my comp, like i said, has been really sick. One day while walking she blacked out on the way to our first appointment of the day so we spent the whole day at home...while she slept, i studied....all day...it was a LOT of studying! but we have a hammock so i just did them all there...it was nice.

But to really sum up the week here, here are some phrases or words to describe it:

WALK WALK WALK

Talk to everyone/anyone

walk some more

where am i?

sweat and talk more

SO SUNNY!

getting lost

more walking and sweating

where are we?

getting really good at our first lesson/oym'ing

WALKING MORE

where are we going?

so thats pretty much my week..oh yea and today we went to a really cool restaurant that had really big statues and stuff..so thats cool! and i got a cool letter from my Tita Joy and my nanay in the Field, Sister Gerardo...so that made my day!

anyway...peace out and mahal kita<3

Oh? You love your area? and are finally comfortable?..

CHANGE! So our Father in Heaven does have a sense of humor. After Last weeks letter I was preparing myself mentally to get transferred because i was way too happy and comfortable sa Guimba. So in my head i told myself "It's ok if i get transferred because i will go to someone else 's area and just have them lead the area...it's not like i'll have to open area or become a leader or trainer..." Well of course that would leave me feeling, once again,comfortable..so yes i did get transferred...

I am meow in Paniqui zone in Moncada...open area... :,( Good news though...my companion, Sister Laiti is super cool and super nice. I have already learned so much from her. She is Samoan but is from Australia. She is just caught of guard as i am... this area is Bukid..or country land...farmish area..as Guimba...pero no supermarket...so we have to travel far to get our groceries. For the last few days, we have just been exloring our 20+areas to decide which 2 to focus on.  It's really hard though because of the missionaries before. They left kapooey for us to work with...our area book is virtually worthless. So it's like we are opening a brand new area. The ward is really nice though. Anyway...I'm not going to lie...i am quite sad i wasn't there for sister Lourdes and brother Benson's wedding. And that i wont be there the 14th for their and sister regine and brother john christopher's baptism. But it's ok because that's a step that they don't need me there for! and Moncada needs me here a lot more than guimba does! Anyway...thats a bit of my week for you:) Here is a picture of Sister Lourdes, me and sister regine:)

-sister norman

Mawage...Mawage is what WILL bring us togweda... Jan25

So yea...some of my most favorite Investigators, Sister Lourdes and Brother Benson, are getting married Saturday!! woooo PERO...transfer announcements are this week and Transfer day is Thursday...so lets pray I will be here in Guimba for one more transfer ay?! I'm so excited for them! I'm also really looking forward to the 14the of Feb. Sister Lourdes, Brother Benson, Sister Regine and Brother John Christopher are all getting baptized! I'm really happy for them. They find so much happiness and hope in the Gospel. I see so many miracles EVERYDAY here!

This week we had interviews with President Clark. It was so nice to be able to talk to him about how I am doing and about how my area is doing. There are so many missionaries here and yet he remembers things from my letters from a month ago! He is incredible. I've decided I'm never coming back...sorry :) Despite the bugs, scary drivers, and blackouts... it's so amazing here. the people are so great...the food is...well as you can all tell from my weight gain here...AMAZING.

I don't have too much to share this week...it went by so so fast! i can't believe i've already been here 4 months! It feels like maaaaybe 2 moths..maybe..more like 1. I'm done with training too..The language is coming slowly but surely. I can read Preach My Gospel in Tagalog and understand..it's mostly just hearing the natives speak quickly that gets me! haha OH yaa! To be more obedient to Follow up 200  (daily visits) we swapped one of our area's with the elders. it was really hard because I love everyone in that area so much! Pero i know that they are not only in the hands of the Elders meow..they are in the Hands of the Lord which is way better than anything I can do for them! Anyway...love and miss all of you! MAHAL KITA!

Sister norman

A recent convert went to bagio and brought us back peanut brittle, cute little change purses, ties for the elders, and STRAWBERRY JAM! Annnd they fed us! it was really yummy. the broth was made with the juice from the native chicken and ginger along with sayote. then there was peices of native chicken (way yummier than normal chicken) and sayote and some yummy green leaf thingy with ginger mixed in it...and of course, it's the Philippines, so RICE RICE AND MORE RICE....then they ask me why i'm getting chubby here...hmm

so those were just SOME of the mangoes...they are 45 a kilo...i asked him for 45 worth and he came out with 3 kilos with and wouldn't accept our money so i had to give it to his 3 yr old grandaught..so i got 3 kilos for only 50!! thats crazy..thats literally like a dollar fifty in american money...