I'm Sorry, This Is Not The Tagalog I Learned At The MTC. Could You Please Use VAOL?

Monday, AUG 19, 2013
I realize I should have updated the blog as soon as I knew Megan had arrived the Philippines safely. My apologies. Her journey from Provo to Laoag went about as well as could be expected. She did learn upon arrival at the SL airport (Monday morning, AUG 12) that the first flight of their journey, SLC to San Francisco, had been cancelled. About half of their travel group, including Megan, was rebooked on a SLC to Portland flight. The other half of their group had to return to the MTC. They ended up traveling the following day.

All of the travel rearrangements took quite a bit of time, so Meg did not have much time to talk with us from the SL airport. A kind woman at the airport actually lent Megan her cell phone to call us - big missionary lineup at the pay phones. Mark and I enjoyed a brief chat with her, then it was off to Portland. Oh, Meg & I also managed to sneak in a quick call to Callie. Callie was at work, and in the process of training a new rep, but had made arrangements to leave her desk briefly when Meg called in. Those two are good for each other - close cousins and friends and very supportive of each another!

Fortunately, Megan had a two-hour layover in Portland and let us know she would call us back from there. I borrowed one of the doctor's offices here at work to take Megan's second call. I didn't want to cry (again!) at my desk :) AND I managed to conference in the entire family: Deon, Mark, Ryan, Becky, Tyler, Molly and Megan. It was grand! Such an excellent conversation. It was so sweet to have everyone involved. We sent her off with lots of encouragement and lovin'.

Her journey then took her into the future.  .  . Portland to Tokyo to Manila. Overnight in Manila. Then on to Laoag where the time is 14 hrs ahead of Salt Lake time. I missed a call from her on Wednesday morning (AUG 14) letting me know she had arrived safely! So sad. I still can't discuss it without getting all choked up. I was so absolutely devastated at missing the call. 

That's the bad news. The good news is she got to call back on Thursday evening (AUG 15)! I think this must mean she has a kind and thoughtful mission president, or mission mom, OR both! Anyway, we got to speak for all of about 2 minutes. Karen Redford and I were minutes away from entering Little Cottonwood Canyon - on our way to hike Cecret Lake - and then not in cell service. It has made all the difference to me having been able to speak with her. She sounded great! Very upbeat. Her first area is Vigan (you can google it). She says her companion is "adorable" and so I should stop worrying. Her parting words were, "Don't worry Mom, Christmas is not that far away". Whatever.

I received the email below from Sis Bet last night, Sunday AUG 18 @ 11:20pm (SLC time). Ryan, Becky and I just happened to be Google Chatting when the email arrived. Becky actually exchanged a couple of quick emails with Megan in "real time". So interesting! Her mood is good and all is well :)

So, holy crap guys. I am in the Philippines. How on earth did that happen? It is crazy amazing. I am serving in the Vigan area and am, supposedly, the envy of everyone. Vigan is supposed to be the most beautiful and the members are amazing. I would not know about much of the beauty, since I have been stuck inside for the past three days thanks to endless rain. I think we have been in a monsoon. It was so cool. Both literally and metaphysically. So I have not yet had the opportunity to experience the extreme heat, but have had a great taste of the humidity. My hair is totes deffs an afro and I freaking love it.

My companion is named Sister Sese and she is from Manila, but is also fluent in English, so I totally scored on that front. She understands the people AND me. Woo! She is really nice and has been very patient with me in getting the hang of being in the field. I think she grew up in a super posh part of Manila, so the semi-primitive living conditions we have (though for most people here, we live in a really nice apartment) we are both trying to adjust. It is a good think I camp.

My first laundry day in Vigan

It's a Monsoon (in the original you can literally see the rain pouring down!)

               

So because of the rain, I have only had the opportunity to go out and teach one time, and that was on Sunday. But before I get to that, let me just tell you that I freaking spoke in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. What the freaking what? I thought I was just going to bear my testimony, which I have pretty much down thanks to the MTC, but nope. I was supposed to talk for 10 minutes about service. Not exactly in my Tagalog wheel house. So I got up there, I didn't even have my Tagalog scrips with me, so I had to share all my scriptures in English. But I got through. I did not speak for anywhere near 10 minutes, but I think I shared a message that people A: understood and B: felt the Spirit in. So that is okay. I think I just need to be more fearless when it comes to speaking in front of Ward Members. They will totally be willing to help me, right? I just have to remember how excited I am to teach our exchange students English, because that is how the people here will feel. So being more fearless is one of my goals.

Okay, onto the lesson teaching. Sister Sese and I got to teach two less active members about the Plan of Salvation. Sister Sese did 90% of the talking, but I was able to share a testimony and clarify some doctrine here and there, and she said that I did a really good job, and that I am good at forming sentences. I did okay in understanding what people said, but they are deffs not speaking the same Tagalog here as in the MTC. It is like, a hybrid between Tagalog and the local language they speak, which I don't know how to spell. Illocano or something like that. But yay on the understanding/speaking for me. One of the sisters that we taught is named Nanay (Mother) Dion. Yup. Mamma D. I about died. She is this old lady and when we went to teach her, I am pretty sure she was wearing Rachel's dead fish outfit from Cambodia. She was so cute, just sitting there, no bra on, listening to Sister Sese and I teach her about the Atonement. The other sister we taught is less active because her husband no longer likes the church because some members were gossiping about something he did. I am not sure on the details. But the sister prays all the time with her daughter, which shows because every time we prayed, the little girl came and sat down and folded her arms. Hopefully we will be able to teach her more and get her to come to church. I think her daughter would like primary a lot.

Some order of business: I talked to the Office Elders and according to them the best way to send letters is still DearElder. FedEx is a bust, so don't use them. The USPS is still good and if you want to send packages use this place called LBC. Apparently they send packages of any size or weight around the world for only $55. They told me there is one is SLC, but I am not 100% positive. I'll leave that to yall.

I once again felt the love when opening up my email. Holy cow guys! Thanks for all the letters! I don't know if I will have a lot of time to read/reply, but I am not going to tell you to stop sending them. Obviously.

Well, this is awesome. Hopefully next week I will have more stories and hopefully I am able to figure out pictures on this computer. Cross your fingers.

Mahal Tayo!

Sis Bet

I Have Flight Plans. It's Too Real!

WEEK 5 - PROVO MTC

I was lucky enough to read this email for the first time with Callie. And it's true - Callie does know how to correctly pronounce "aaawwwesomeeeeee". Next time you see her, ask her about it :)

So yeah, I have flight plans. We are going from SLC to SFO then to Tokyo and on to Manila. I am also the Travel Leader for all 15 missionaries going to Laoag. Probably because I am the oldest, I already act like a mom (Thanks Rach.) and have about as much flying experience as everyone else in my district combined. So there is that. But I am now realizing that holy-effing-geez I am leaving for the Philippines in nine days...I don't speak Tagalog. I may or may not be having minor panic attacks about it all on the daily, but I will pull through. I just need to get there and come to grips with the reality of my situation and I will be just fine. I think the anticipation of it all is what is giving me the most anxiety. Plus, if I have to worry about 14 other missionaries, I wont have time to worry about myself, right? But I do think it will be strange to be a missionary out in the real world instead of being a missionary, surrounded by thousands of other missionaries in the MTC world. It will also be strange being at the SL airport knowing that I am not just going to be back in a week or so. But hey, phone calls. Those get to happen.

 

I did not take notes on this week like I usually do, so this letter is mostly my stream of conciousnes (I don't think that is spelled right...) as I think of things to say/things I want to tell you. The most exciting part of my day is mail time, which happens after lunch/after dinner. And guess who got four packages this week? Yeah, this girl. Major, major shout outs to the parents. Pops rocked a 24 pack of Dr. Pepper in a two part mailing. I honestly wish you could have seen the look on Sister Smith's and my face when I opened up the package. I think it was better than Christmas. We were so excited that we basically ran back to the classroom where Sister Hagee and Sister Cooper were studying and when I told them what the package was Sister Hagee just stood up, threw her study note book on the ground and said "SHUT UP! NO WAY!" She is a HUGE Dr. Pepper addict. We spent a good ten minutes reveling in the idea of Personal Party Time with DP, then in the idea of Party P-Day, then of more PPT. I then let it slip to the Elders that I have DP and they were crazy jealous, trying to bribe me for a can. They were brutally rebuffed, until the second package came the next day and I graciously gave them each a slice of the proverbial pie. But not before they all had to write thank you notes to Pappa Bettilyon. Maybe Pop's will share them with you, because they are pretty hilarious. Elder Jones' is my favorite. THEN, I two packages from Mamma D. How did you even have the idea to send Mango and Sticky Rice to the MTC? I almost died. I also ate it in about 2.5 seconds. So good. Then you took the idea of the carpet picnic from last P-Day to a whole new level. The cream cheese did not survive, but the basil, cherries, rolls, tomatoes, pepperoni and cookies are all being enjoyed and shared.

Papa Bettilyon sent Dr. Pepper for Everyone! Priceless!

Megan's Entire District at the Provo Temple on AUG 4th

 

This week for Teaching Resource Center (TRC or where we go to teach people in Tagalog who are not our instructors) we got to Skype with real Filipenoes (also not spelled right). It was nerve racking at first, but I don't know what happened to me, but I put on those big headphones that made me feel like I worked for NASA and I just started speaking Tagalog. Sister Smith just kind of stared at me like "where on Earth is all this coming from" and I looked back like "I don't know, but its aaawwwesomeeeee!" (awesome being said in a sing song-ie way, Callie will know). In TRC the people are already members of the church, so it is less stressful, so it is less like a missionary lesson and more like Visiting Teaching, which is a nice break from the stress of preparing lessons. We got to teach a man named Nate who lives in Manila and then we taught Brother Nicholes' old companion who also lives in Manila. They were both super sweet and said that our Tagalog was really good for only five weeks. I feel like they lied, but I will take the compliment.

 

How did I almost forget! Sister Smith and I committed both of our investigators to baptism this week! That was awesome, but still strange because it is real, but not real at the same time. Any way, we finally followed our prompting to invite Nel (Brother Roxas) to be baptized and he said he talked to his wife about it and he said that he wants to be baptized. Now we get to start teaching him the Laws and Ordinances and the Commandments, which is a little stressful because I foresee some issues with the law of tithing in Nel's life. Oh well, we can cross that bridge when we come to it. Then in our lesson with Alex (Brother Nicholes) this week we invited him for the third time to be baptized and third time must be the charm because he also accepted! Sister Smith and I were so happy that our goal of "Do Not Hesitate" from last week paid off in baptismal commitments this week.

 

I cannot believe that next week is my last P-Day at the MTC. Holy cow. Thanks to everyone for the emails, DearElders, pictures, packages and prayers! I could not make it with out you!

 

Mahal kita!

 

Sis Bet

Kumusta Diyos!

WEEK 4 - PROVO MTC

You gotta have at least one jumping photo, right??!!

This week has simply flown by. And I think it was more eventful than I remembered, I also think it was more spiritual than I remember, because looking at my notes, it seems like I am just having a party all the time here. Not true. I am working rul rul hard I promise.

So first off, holy packages Batman! I think I got a package every day this week. Props go out to Gma and Mamma D. I laughed so hard when I opened Gma's package and I have, tomatoes, a huge cucumber and a jar of jam. They all arrived in perfect condition, so that good news. I also ate and shared all the fresh stuff (the tomatoes were gone before the hour was out, the were sooooooooo goooooood) and the Sisters and I just bit into that cucumber like it was a giant pickle. We are ladies. As far as the jam goes, I have brought it to breakfast every day this week and have been sharing the home made goodness around. It is so refreshing to eat actual good food.

Homemade and Homegrown goodies. The best!

This brings me to what happened last nigh. So before class I offered my teacher a chocolate chip cookie bar, but he declined because we are not supposed to eat in the class room. Then at the end of class he asked where the chocolate chip cookie bars were and I said "Brother Nicholes, you said that eating was bawal (forbidden)..." and proceeded to give him a hard time about his double standard. So yesterday when I got the fresh box of cookies, I brought them to class and told Bro. N that he could have some at the end of class. Class ends and I get the box out and Bro. N asks me how many he can take, I have a whole box, and I really did not expect what happened, so I said take as many as you want. Home boy peaced out with eight, EIGHT chocolate chip cookie bars. He just like double fisted them and walked out the door. I was so shocked, as was the rest of my district, but I wasn't even mad because I still had an entire box of cookies.

Talking about food also reminds me of when we have "Personal Exercise Time" scheduled. It is supposed to be and hour and a half where you do personal exercise in your room. The other option is to run outside and we all KNOW that aint happenin'. So the first week, when we see this in the schedule, my kasama just says "Personal Exercise Time? Reads like Personal Nap Time" so that is what we have called it, but this week it was extra special because my kasama got the package of all packages. There was DR. PEPPER. With caffeine - which is bawal on the MTC campus. Those who say there is not a need never went to class for six hours a day then had independent study for another three. So with all the goodies from my packages and her Dr. Pepper, we had "Personal Party Time" wherein we lived the Chub Lyife, as Sis. Hagee would say, and played Would You Rather. The laughing that happened during that game was the best work out I have had all week. Minus the attempts at playing volleyball which happen on a regular basis. Have I mentioned that I am not athletic? Because I'm not.

Personal Party Time
Exercise? Who needs exercise?

Another story about food. On Tuesdays and Sundays the MTC has ice-cream from the BYU Creamery and everyone gets pretty pumped over it. So on Sunday Elder Payne was eating a bowl of Coconut Joy and was going crazy about how amazing it was when he just goes "Shut up! Are there almonds in here?!" everyone paused and I was thinking 'shoot, where is his bag? Where is his Epipen?!' because I was convinced that he was going to be allergic and then die in the cafeteria. But then he goes "I LOVE almonds!" The timing and the phrasing was so perfect it was like it was from a movie. And maybe part of it is that you have to know Elder Payne, because he tries to be funny all of the time, but is most funny when he is not trying. The district continues to laugh about it.

So I am a bit of an awkward person, if y'all didn't know. And in one of my lessons this week with our investigator Alex, who is really just Bro. N role playing, I was trying to tell him how prayer does not have to be something that you sit down and take 20 minutes to do, but my Tagalog is not really up to the task so I just say "for example, you can just go 'Kumusta Diyos!'" which is about the equivelent of "Hey God!" and as it came out of my mouth I was like 'No! No! Come back!' but it was too late. My kasama just started to laugh and I could tell that Bro. N was trying so hard not to laugh and I just felt like an idiot. So that is embarasing moment number two with Bro. N front and center. Nailed it.

In other news, Sis. Smith and I had an amazing lesson with our other investigator Nel, who is Brother Roxas doing a role play, we were reading the first twelve verses of First Nephi chapter one with him because he had talked about how hard it is to read the Book of Mormon in our last lesson. It was cool for several reasons. One being I was impressed at Sis. Smith's and my ability to read in in Tagalog in the BOM, and at our ability to explain what was going on in the verses. Two being how strong the Spirit was in the lesson. Three being how, later, Bro. R said that reading with us made him want to read the BOM in Tagalog again. And four is a little good and a little bad. But Bro. R told us about how subtle changes can happen in lessons with investigators and how basically if we had asked Nel to be baptized right then, he would have said yes. But we didn't ask him! Even though Sis. Smith had the impression that she should, she didn't think the timing was right. So that was a bummer and we were both so disappointed that we missed that initial opportunity. But we made the goal of "Do Not Hesitate" to do anything that is good or that can invite someone to come closer to Christ. My logic is that it's never a bad time to ask someone to be baptized. You just have to go for it and pray for the Spirit to help.

Okay, well kapayapaan! I love you all so freaking much that it hurts! 

Sis. Bet

Megan and the Sisters in her District "being awesome!"

Sis. Sarah Yenchik with Megan. They grew up in the same ward.
Sarah is going to the New Mexico, Albuquerque Mission (same as Eric Pincock!)