With Love From The Philippines

Monday, March 5, 2018

Week 73 "Final Email" March 4, 2018

This is it. I've been thinking about what I'd like to say in my last email home, as a full-time servant of the Lord, and there are so many things I could say.. Maybe I just cant find the words to sum up these past 18 months.

Happy

Hard

Tiring

Fulfilling

Amazing

Fun

Scary

Adventure

I could use so many words, but I can't find a nice combination of words that will give a sufficient description of what missionary life is like- unless you've served, then you know what I mean.

I was told once before I left, that missions are 98% hard work, homesickness, pain, sorrow, discouragement, and fatigue; and that 2% of it is pure joy.

Maybe I got lucky- I feel that the 2% should be up there around 49% because of where I was able to serve. I got to serve in this AMAZING country. Sure some missions get cars and iPads, and air-conditioned houses, and carpet, and couches, and washing machines. And maybe I had to live in 100 degree weather in the Summer, with nothing but an electric fan to keep us cool. (That's rough) Maybe I showered with a cold bucket of water for 18 months and I may have creepy scars on my hands from hand washing all my clothes. We got to fight off flying cockroaches and man-eating-- wait okay. maybe not man-eating, but they were the size of my hand, so.. spiders.

Maybe living conditions weren't ideal. But I would never trade that for the world because all of that dills drastically once you get out and embrace the culture and people of the Philippines- their cheesy jokes and all.

Although some of the people may not have much, if anything at all, they are the most amazing and humble people you will ever meet. The minute you walk out the front door, everyone is your best friend. My favorite were the kiddos. The kids will swarm you and in their best English, they will ask questions like, "What's your name?" "Where do you live?" and when you answer them back in Tagalog- their language, they go nuts! They're so excited that a "white person speaks Tagalog"

Filipinos are my FAVORITE PEOPLE. I've seen things in the Philippines that I've never seen in Utah. Big families living in houses the size of a small room with not even a place to use the restroom. I've seen kids with parasites that stunt their growth, and give them rashes. Some of the things I've seen here have humbled me to TEARS.

Yet I've never met a happier group of people, a more faithful group of people. They are people who trust God. Who love their Savior, no matter what trials they're battling.

This is such a BEAUTIFUL country, and I feel like the LUCKIEST girl to have been able to experience life here in the Philippines <3 My heart ACHES at the thought of leaving it behind :( I've been lucky enough to have had the privilege of helping the Savior bring in His sheep, and that makes the 2% of PURE JOY absolutely and entirely worth it. I'm SO happy. :)

I've given my all, and despite my weaknesses- and there are many- God has given me angels. I'm humbled to tears at that. I feel a little like Ammon in The Book of Mormon when he praises God for all the good that He is, when he says,

"I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold,my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy... I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak, therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in His strength, I can do all things." (Alma 26:11-12)

I love our Father in Heaven for placing me here, in the beautiful islands of the Philippines. For allowing me to really struggle for a time, so that I can find strength. In short, I am happy. I have no regrets, "for now I am ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:6-7)

Sobrang gusto ko dito sa Pinas. Nagpapasalamat ako so iyo lahat sa support nyo po sa akin. Kahit mensan, mahirap ang mission, ang saya nya. Mahal ko ang Diyos, at alam ko na an jan po Siya para sa atin lahat. Mahal niya tayo.

Ang Simbahan ni JesuCristo ng Mga Banal Sa Mga Huling Araw ay yung Simbahan ni JesuCrist dito mismo sa mundo ngyon. Nagpapasalamat ako sa isang lalaki na bata. Dahil nalito siya, nagtanong po siya sa Diyos kung anong Simbahan dito ay totoo. Dahil jan,. naging propeta po siya at ipanunumbalik nya ang Simbahan. I'm so happy for that.

I love you all.

I'll see you this week.

Mahal Kita!

Sister Mosher

Farewell Party

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Week 72 - Pictures (February 25, 2018)

This has been fun. Sister Winkel and I are FINALLY companions, and we are so happy about it. After being bffs from a distance in the mission (we literally were never in a zone together, or in a district) and now we're comps. - Thanks Pres :')

We've kind of been floating around, ha ha we don't have a specific assignment right now, so when the office needs help doing chores- we are the ones they call. And when we are not doing chores, we are finding alll the LAs in this area. It's kind of fun. But I don't have a lot to tell you all. I'm sorry that I didn't do much emailing in my last area, but I'm getting close to coming home, and I cant wait to see all of your pretty faces. :') I'll see you all next week. ;)

Jumping

Sister Winkel and Sister Mosher

I swear President Koster is the greatest. (This picture was his idea)

The American Cemetery

What???

Marikina- my favvv area

If you read tagalog this is hilarious it reads-Are you a dog Because you're not allowed to pee here.

Sister Winkel and Sister Mosher

Good reasons to be in the city - Subway

Fishing for Tuna! Not us, but the fishermen

Mindoro

My Favvv pal

My other fav pal - Sister Winkel HATES him

Roger in White

Roger! The man we helped baptize right before we left Mindoro.

Sister Winkel and Sister Mosher

The MANGYAN village. (Mangyans are the first inhabitants of Mindoro. They live in their own tribes. Cool, right?)

How Pineapples grow.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Week 71 - February 19, 2019

I'm so sorry, I haven't emailed a real email in what seems like forever.

Lots has happened. Roger is the newest member of the Sablayan Branch and HES SO EXCITED. I'm so happy for him. I couldn't stop smiling. and then after his baptism, he took us four sisters up to the Mangyan villages. The mangyans are the first inhabitants of Sablayan. They're so much fun and they live the most simple life up in the hills with bambooo houses and most of them just wear loin clothes hahah. So sometimes you cant look.

Anyway, I'm short of time. We are in he mission home right now doing things for going home. Learning to date and everything... so that's new for us. Haha.

Sister Winkel and I are companions and I'm so excited! We will be going back to her first area, and my last area. We are really excited. I don't know what we will do much of, but it's going to be a nice end. 2 weeks, and I will see all of your pretty faces. I love you all.

Mahal Kita!

Sister Mosher

Monday, February 5, 2018

Week 70 February 4, 2018

HI!!!

Sorry that I didn't email last week but I'm still alive and we are doing so well! So the other week, we were walking down the road, after being punted from our lessons, and we decided to walk down this little dirt path that didn't seem to lead anywhere. But we walked down that path and came to this fun little hidden house, and a man walks towards us.

So we started to chat with him, and he was SUPER nice. So we taught him right then and there and invited him to go to church. That Sunday, he came to church way before we did! (We take that as a good sign)

And we were SO EXCITED to see him, so we talked to him, and he said to us "Look, I'm hungover right now. But I promised I'd be here, so here I am!"

That was good enough for us!

After church we went to his house and taught him about the Word of Wisdom, and the things that God has commanded that we do NOT put into our bodies. During the whole lesson, he would agree And at the end, he committed to quit drinking alcohol and smoking.

When we went to follow up, he's cut out all alcohol, but he still smoked. But it's okay, because he cut down a box a day to just 3 a day.

We commited him again, this time with some tools to help, and when we went back.. he's cut it out completely. We taught the rest of the lessons, and he will be baptized next week. He is Scattered Israel. :) WE ARE SO HAPPY.

Anyway, I love you all and I hope this gives you some isnsight to my mission. Lol

So like my camera totally doesnt work anymore, soooo I dont have pictures for now. I LOVE YOUALL!!!

Mahal Kita!

Sister Mosher

Monday, January 29, 2018

Week 69 "January 29, 2018"

Kailey did not send her group email, So I am posting the email that she sent to me (Her Mom)

Hi mom!!! I love you so much, I'm so sorry that I've been emailing so late lately. here in mindoro there are always fun things to do in the mornings. today we had a zone activity as a beach resort. it was tons of fun. mom I cant wait to hug you and to see you and to spend some time with you. I'm excited to live at home for a while. hahaha everyone keeps emailing me and telling me that college is so hard. lololol i cant even do simple math now. lol

That's perfect- march 18. sister pfau (the mission nurse and pres kosters sister) will be at my homecoming! I am so excited to go. and I'll for sure go to Kyra's homecoming. :) sis winkel understands hahah.

and I get hives i swear here on Sundays. its a branch that is hard to go to function. on Sunday the Bishop didn't show up -he had something in a different place to do- and then we were scared that no priesthood would show up. finally they did and then while the sacrament hymn was being sung, they weren't breaking the bread. we told them to and they told us that there is no bread. gratefully my kabahay thought to bring biscuits and so we had them break crackers for the bread. hahaha. but its good. I'm happy to be here, sand yeah its totally fine to play in the water here- but not past your garments hahah. SO FUN!!!! :) kawawa si kyra ;))

I cant wait to work for you. 37 days! I had one of my last interviews with pres.- just the pre-last one and he told me to work hard still but to start thinking about home. :)

Monday, January 22, 2018

Week 68 "January 22, 2018"

Kailey only sent pictures in her group email this week, so I'm going to post part of the email she sent to me (Her Mom)

Life is good. I love it here, and I also can't wait to see you again. I love you so much, mom. <3

The apartment here is good. We love it. The only thing is that boys lived in it for years, so we had to do a LOT of cleaning. But now it's good. We have Spider-Man curtains which we LOVE, and there is actually a yard here. In all of my other houses, there is nothing. Just a few feet of space between the front door and the gate leading to the outside of the house... so this is a breath of fresh air. We also have cats (we live in a compound, next door to the couple missionary, and the owner of the house) they own like 5 cats and 3 dogs. One of the dogs is satan's dog I swear he's the worst, and the other 2 are so sweet. One of them looks like Winn-Dixie. I love that book. Also, do we have the movie 17 Miracles? If not, can we buy it and watch it when I get home? Sister Winkel's great grandparents' love story is in there. Shes the one that dreampt of the man or whatever. :)

Oh, and I LOVED your talk, mom. I wish I could have watched you give it. You should just give my homecoming talk. ;) hahah

But no worries, in like 40 days or so, I will be home and I will fill the house with some noise. :) I cant wait. I love you so much mom!

I saved a couple of starfish from drowning... in air? Found em on the side of the road and put them back in the water.

Chicken Fight

Mixing fertilizer?

Making friends with the chickens

We worked in this man's rice fields today, but I didn't get pics. Its on another camera- buuuut here's the guy who made it all possible. Arnaldo. He'll be baptized by the elders next week!

Oh, and this is my foster anak? lol I trained her for like 5 days- that still counts right?

Tag Photo

Making friends with the chickens

Monday, January 15, 2018

Week 67 "PARADISE"

Okay.. so basically life rocks in the province. I told you all that I was getting transferred to MINDORO. It is paradise here.

So we took a sweet boat here, and I actually got goosebumps.. IN THE PHILIPPINES. It was so cold. lol

And then we got to our area and I just cant explain it.. Coming from the city, this is heaven on earth- I CAN BREATHE.

Buut then we got to the apartment (we are white washing the elders old area) so needless to say, we totally cleaned EVERYTHING hahaha. And then we saw that the area book was dated back to 2016, soooooo that's fun! We are just gonna start from scratch. And its working.

We've found an abundance of old investigators (basically if you live in Mindoro, some LDS missionaries have taught you before) and lots of LAs. So we've got some work to do!

Anyway. I love it here. My companion is Sister Desuyo (there are pics on the next email) and SHE IS AMAZING. I feel like she's training ME. Lol She's SO GOOD! She's mabait, masipug, maganda, matankad, magaling. LAHAT! Shes a killer chef and she makes us fish meals everyday and I may have found my favorite food.

We were walking one day from the palenke, and we were searching for shark, but couldn't find any. So we picked up like 2 different types, and she turns to me and goes, "Sister Mosher... We are collectors of fish." Lol our goal is to try all the types of fish before this transfers over.

SO GOOD!!! :'))

What else? My kabahays are Sister Winkel (we go home together) and Sister Baulita (sister Winkel's trainee) MY favorite group of sisters ever! WE have SO MUCH FUN!

Anyway.. I love this. Sorry, I'm in heaven.

I'll let you enjoy some pics now.

Pics