1st week in the Philippines 

Well hello my pamilya!! So you were all wrong if you thought I had a Filipino Companion haha!! She is American!!! Sister Arnold!! She is from Las Vegas! 22 and super legit! She has been here for a year and such a hard worker! It is nice because she gets where I am coming from! We talk a lot and we try our best to communicate with the Hiligaynon! Well, culture shock, UM YES!!! Holy cow!! I will send you pictures hopefully they come thru! We are right in Bacolod City! 5th ward is our area and we have so much work to do! President is keeping the Sisters close because I guess in the farther areas men were following the sisters home and it makes him nervous so we will always be in the city I think! But it is huge so it could be like 2 hours away but still city! The first night we slept in the mission home, super nice! Air con and everything haha The next day we did orientation and met our companions! There was 26 new missionaries 7 of us were American, the rest were Philipino!  We didn't work that day, President wanted us to go shopping and make sure we had everything we needed until we had our P-day! So we went to Central Market, oh my nuts!!! Driving here is INSANE!! They just honk and never yield to pedestrians! They use Jeepneys, there is like a billion people in on, its like a taxi almost, anyways little kids just running everywhere in the roads and hanging off the back of motorcycles! CRAZY!!! So much honking! haha anyways, Things are cheap! I got me so crocs, CUTE ones! HA to go out in! My feet were getting wet and sweaty so these are perfect and they were cheap! We went to the meat market and YUCK!!! Ha just hanging everywhere! I was a little grossed out but Hey, this is philipino culture! There is normal mall called Robinsons and that is a nice grocery store, we will go there later to get the rest of our food! We just bought veggies and meat from the market because it is cheaper! Dogs everywhere, but heck no I dont touch them! They look gross! The City is so big!  So Bacolod 5th ward! reminds me a little of the Roberts 2nd ward! It is supposed to be huge but there are so many inactive people and no one willing to help the missionaries with activation! The bishop is pretty frustrated but we will do our best to get people to church! We got a couple referrals last week but the ones that stuck out to me were 2 16yr old boys (who look 12) and we taught them about the Book of Mormon and at the end Sister Arnold nudged me and was like commit them to baptism! I DID IT! It was in hiligaynon! They said yes and that we could come teach them more! They however didnt show up to church on Sunday so it was kind of a bummer! We teach so many people! So I cant really explain it, but the houses are structured super weird! Like they are all bunched together with a little tiny piece of concrete as a sidewalk, houses, well not even houses.....like shacks!! People don't really have houses like we do! But it is pretty dirty, smelly and people home like all day everyday! Gataslao St. 14th St. that is like our address and the area surrounding is ours! We are like right by the ocean! Sorry if I am scattered, it has been a tad overwhelming ha! Well we bucket shower! We have a shower head but no shower curtain and it is all rusty and nasty so I stick my head under the little spicket to was my hair and use the bucket and my lufa to wash the rest of me! We have filtered water in our apartment so that is what I use to wash my face, the water from the spicket is too dirty and made sister arnold break out so We are testing new ways not get zits! Today we are going to the store to get laundry soap so that we can HAND WASH our laundry! Where is grandma when I need her!:) haha Joke lang!!! I don't really understand anything that is going on the lessons, I try to pick out words I know and Sister Arnold will help me with Phrases and stuff to respond! President said for serious to learn the language but not to stress about it! Everyone knows English so if we get stuck with words to just speak English to them! But It is necessary to learn because not everyone we will contact will get it! So I don't stress but I still strive to speak as much Hiligaynon as I can possibly can! So at church on Sunday! Like 15 minutes before sacrament started I was asked to bear my testimony, then about 10 minutes before they came back and asked me to play the piano, then 5 minutes before it started they came back AGAIN and said a speaker didnt show up, so I gave a talk as well! Sheesh! I started out in Hiligaynon, did most of my talk in english then bore my testimony with Hiligaynon! It was nice! So I am officially the ward piano player because the last sister was it and Sis. Arnold cant play! I guess the ward needed me! HA jokes! But a lot of our time is spent trying to re-activate people! We stopped by like 7 huts on the ways to church and no one wanted to come! Only 5/16 people were at church! People need to just go to church!!  Everyone texted me Happy Birthday, well pres and the Ap's! I do like it here! Still adjusting! I feel super weird on the streets all the little kids just stare at me and the older people say "oh guapa" all the time! I never know what to say, so I just say thanks! Mom, I never drink the water! We cant and the members know that so they usually will buy us some or don't offer at all! We have been walking alot! We go running every morning at this little park, they have aerobics class! IDK if we can do the class or not but maybe I will see! By the summer there will be 100 more SISTERS coming so I most likely will be training!....Scary thought! I just try to focus on the here and now! We try to walk everywhere we can! We rode in a tricycle once last night because it was raining, haha a bike attached to this little cart, they def have some nice calves!! HAHA I am trying to remember everything to tell you!! Hopefully this helps you all out with what I am doing and where I am living!  Wow sounds like you had a great week! It was so nice to talk to everyone and to See Greg, Kristin and Bode! Love you all! Lou the ring is gorgeous!! Good luck Tate, it is getting super close!! I have been being obedient and praying for the gift of tongues!! Good luck with the Student Council race Sam and Maddy! I will do my best to say healthy and happy! It is really hot and sort of muggy but so so pretty! Everything is so green! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! We get to celebrate together!!! How fun! I cant believe I am 23~ Weird!! EEK!! Mom will you check my Capital One and stuff to make sure I dont have any payments! Salamat gid!  But My time is almost up! I Love you all and miss you so much! It is kind weird but I think I will like it! Cant wait to hear from you all next week! Be good and be safe! MMUUAAHH!!!! Tell Abby Hi for me! I will do my best! Keep praying for me ya....I Need it! Gotta go meet up with some elders in our district for my Birthday lunch haha! It should be fun!! Love you! 

Sarah

First Transfer!!!

I AM GETTING TRANSFERED!!!!!!!!! :) :) I am so excited! I am going to the big city of Bucharest in the Mihai Bravo Branch!!! I am so excited! My new companion is Sister Lund and she is from America and she is so nice! I slept at there house the night I got to the country and she is as sweet as pie:) I heard she is good with the language so I am so excited! She is ÿoung in the Mission" but it will be good because we will learn together! This transfer is only 4 weeks and then 7 new sisters are coming into the mission so basically everyone is going to be training... I dont think I will but who knows?? but for sure Sora Lund will... so its looking like I will have 4 weeks in Bucharest and then I will be shipped somewhere else!!! I love it! I told President Hill in my First interview that I was a person he could count on to go anywhere in the country!! I guess he took me up on my offer.. I am the only one in the group from the MTC that is switching out of the city that they were "Born in!" I didn't not thinking that I was going to get switched it was quite a surprise but I am really excited! I loved Constanta and it was super fun... I am going to miss the Black Sea. The members are really cool too... One of the girls starting crying as I was saying goodbye to her! And we are going over to one of the family's house that loves me tonight so I can say goodbye to them! The ward is also sad that they are losing their piano player.... But its ok.. I am here on this mission to learn to adjust and learn to adjust fast! Yesterday President Hill and Sora Hill and the Assistants came to Constanta. It was really cool. The Assistants talked to us about goal setting and it was crazy because they were like.. "What is your vision for the future of what you want to become in this life?" and it hit me so hard... I want to prepare to be the best mother I can and raise my kids in the gospel! I want to be able to teach my kids and be a good example to them. It was so crazy.. I felt stupid because I started choking up a little bit... I was like "my mom and dad and my family go on missions... it has meant the world to me..- I want that for my kids" So it was cool... It made me really think about my purpose here on the mission to become a true disciple of Christ to prepare myself for the role of a mother! So it was super cool. Then I got interviewed by President Hill and he is the nicest guy ever-- He said he was so happy that I am here and he thinks I am doing great. I then talked with Sora Hill and she is amazing. She volunteered to be my "mom" while I was out here on the mission! She was excited for me that I was getting transferred to be with Sora Lund! This week has been pretty good... last Monday night I talk a family there songs on the piano and then I taught them how to make brownies the proper American way so that they have some flavor ha they loved it! They thought it was like Christmas:) The next day we did some contacting in the park. It is so funny I just got done reading Sarahs email... She challenged someone to be baptized her first day and they accepted??? ha what is that place.. that is not what is happening in Romania... We will be having completely different missions! ha We went contacting and we talked to some people and one guy seemed interested and we asked him if he wanted to know more and he was like "No I am orthodox" then we talked to another guy and he seemed interested that we were american but he wouldn't take a card... then we talked to another guy... AND I gave him a Book of Mormon!! He said he would actually read it! We gave him the basically the lesson on the Restoration right then and there! It was pretty cool! We talk Dana the librarian that day too... She is so nice! She loves us! Whenever we walk in she has a huge smile on her face and she is like "hello Abby!" ha super funny! On Friday we had a really busy day... out of the ordinary busy for us... We taught the recent convert and another girl in the ward about missionary work and everything that goes along with it... afterwords we taught an inactive lady who hasn't been to church for a year.. (She CAME on Sunday though!) We then went and taught the mother with her son some English and then we taught them the lesson on the restoration! I was able to bear my testimony about the Book of Mormon and even though it was simple I could really feel the spirit strong as I was testifying. So that was really sweet. She seems interested so I think my companion will keep working with them. While I was sitting there this 13 year old boy starts getting close to me and then he kisses me on the cheek! ha funny.. awkward.. ha But I guess not really because everyone is always kissing everyone around here! ha So today is Monday and we were riding on the bus I wanted to go talk to this girl that was sitting there... I felt like I should... but my trainer is always telling me not to talk to people unless I am prepared... (it kind of reminds me of Jakes Rounds experience he had in Russia where his trainer really wouldn't let him talk) I thought to myself I am going to go talk to her because I can for sure bear my testimony and talk about the Book of Mormon. So I went and sat next to her... I was like "Buna Ziua" She looks at back at me and says "ce??" ha So in my broken Romanian I started telling her about everything... I am from America... I am missionary... I teach about Jesus Christ... I will be here for 16 months... I asked her if she had heard about our church or the Book of Mormon... She had never heard about either so I bore my testimony about the Book of Mormon and I handed her a pass along card with our number and info... on it then I gave her amormon.org card to check out the website.. it was so cool... when all was said and done she tells me that she knows English.. hahaha o well I have to practice somehow right? I just have to start speaking more! That is why I am super excited to be getting transferred! I am ready to rock this mission and bear my testimony of the truth of this gospel to everyone that will listen! I felt so good after I was talking to a girl on the bus I tried it with a lady in the library! I said Buna ziua to her and she just looks at me and says "recounaste?" Which means like... Do I know you?? ha I just said no I am from America I just wanted to say hi... So I think that the language is coming along better! Lets see what else has been going on... O ya Sora Hill wants me to organize a wellness competition for the whole mission!! Cool huh? I guess its a big problem in the mission for people to eat healthy and work out.. She says that lots of Elders and Sister complain that they don't have enough money because they eat out to much! So I am thinking of a way to have a point system with prizes and everything so people can be rewarded for not eating out more than twice a week and for staying within budget... and working out everyday and eating a balanced diet everyday. We will see how it goes! I will be calling her after this and we might present it to the whole mission this Thursday and mission conference!! EVERY missionary in the mission will be there! I am so excited I will get to see Sora Kelly and Sora Gerhartz and all my elders from the MTC- I will also get to see Brandon Cox from Rigby! He only has one transfer left and then he will be going home... It is super fun out here though because once you meet someone one time you are instantly friends for life! Everyone starts planning the rest of our futures together.. I even have an Elder who wants a job at Osgood grain while he goes to BYUI in a couple of years.. ha Another funny thing I got a letter from Andy Furrows and he is so funny! I miss him! He says once he gets home all of those guys want to skype me at Christmas time! ha yes I still hear from all of those guys! I really do hear from quite a few people and I love it! Now that I am in Bucharest I will get my mail every week so that will be sweet. The dear Elders do work so those can also keep coming! Lora I got both of your dear elders! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD AND SARAH! Its so wierd the time zone that I am in... because Yesterday I said to myself I am missing my Sarah AND my dads birthday on the same day here.. because sarah is a day ahead.. Crazy! but Dad hopefully you got my card and Sarah I hope that you had a great day!  :) It is great hearing from everyone it sounds like everyone is doing great! Mom your story about seeing Maureah!! ah I love and miss that women!! So crazy that she is going to Texa! O and another cool thing!! we just ran into Lenea!! Our German girl!!! The one that I thought dropped us! she said that she would meet with us tomorrow because I told her that I was leaving so hopefully she is still wanting to meet with us:) Well even after I leave! She is so cool-- The gospel would change her life! That is about all that is going on.. poor Sarah showering in buckets... washing her clothes by hand!!! haha Grandma Rounds would be so proud! But yes we are going to have very opposite missions... I am so so happy for her! Sarah will rock that mission! I am so excited for Tate!! ah he is getting so close now! By the time he leaves I will probably be transferred again! Tate you will love it.. Andy Furrows sounded so great in his letter.. he absolutely loves the mission! O ya.. I fixed my suitcase so I dont have to buy another one... I just have to leave the handle up... I did go shopping the other day though.. I had to buy a new pair of boots because my other ones were starting to hurt my feet because I wear them everyday.. . Don't worry about me looking good on the streets I didn't mean to scare you guys!!! ha I still kind of look the same... now when people stare and me I will just start speaking in Romanian about the gospel.. that will throw them off.. haha So that will be my contacting stragtegy! I have no idea what it will be like in Bucharest as far as missionary work goes but I am excited for a change and ya... super excited!! I would love it if I made it to every city! My trainer is pretty sad that I am leaving... she is training again... so she was like "great I have to start over..." ha but she said I have been her favorite companion because I make her laugh everyday...  I am getting used to the missionary life style more and more everyday! This week we will go to Bucharest on Wednesday night.. sleep over... and then we will have our big mission conference the next day all day and then I will stay in Bucharest! It will be weird not going back on the 4 hour bus ride! Sora Gerhartz and I will be in Bucharest together.. She is getting a new trainer... and then Sora Kelly is staying in Timisoara. So Everything is good.. I am excited for the adventures ahead of me! Sam good luck with Running for Student council! You will be great!! I am sure that Grandma will bring it home for you! I will pray for you! Maddy why havent you written me... what is this.. now you have an iphone and I become chopped liver??? get on that...  thanks you are the best! Hopefully this letter makes sense I love you guys so much!! Thanks for being such great examples to me!! You are the best:) Thank you everyone for writing me I love hearing from Aunts and Grandma! and everyone else it just makes my day:) Keep it up! I know that this church is true I will keep striving everyday to become a true disciple of Christ! It will for sure take a life time! ha Everyday we should always be improving! that is what I have learned as I am on this mission... we should never be stagnant... always moving forward and improving.. a mission is just a great place to start:) I am so thankful for the priveledge to be here representing Christ name and the Polatis family name! I am learning so much! Time is going to by so fast... there is no way it is almost march!! in 3 more weeks we will get transfer boards AGAIN! ha we will see how it goes!!! :) I love you guys so much!! Thank you for all the prayers!! :) I know that they help.. I have the best family in the world!

Love Sora Abby Polatis