It's beginning to look..

 Maligayang pasko y'all!

    So it doesn't exactly look a lot like Christmas, but it does finally look like the rainy season. It's been raining pretty much every day, and I actually felt cold once! It was a very unusual sensation. But everyone else was freezing and it was kinda funny, even Sister Manumaleuga because she's from Australia. I love rain, so it wouldn't be too bad, except rain means that the roads are all muddy. My shoes end up being covered in mud by the end of the day, but it's still fun and I definitely don't mind the break from the heat.

    For most of the time I've been here, the people we've been teaching can speak/understand Tagalog pretty well. So they're able to figure out what we mean even if it's not always correct. But lately we've been meeting a lot of people that mostly just speak Ilokano. Which is kinda difficult, but still fun. Sister Manumaleuga and I are pretty much on the same level when it comes to Tagalog. She knows some words that I don't, and I know some words that she doesn't. But she does understand a lot more Ilokano than I do, though still not much. That's why it's so important for the people we teach to have friends/family that are members who can help them understand and explain things in Ilokano when we can't quite communicate.

      I haven't really noticed the Christmas spirit here, but I realized that the Christmas spirit is the Filipino spirit. Treating people the way we do at Christmastime is the way people here are all the time. It's making your family the center of your life. It's knowing, serving, and loving your neighbors. It's being willing to talk to a stranger, or even share your food with them. It's believing in, talking about, and l rejoicing in Jesus Christ.  People here are so happy all the time, even though they have so many struggles, they recognize the blessings they do have and know where they come from. That's why I love serving and learning from the people here. I love them so much, and I know that Heavenly Father loves them even more. And I'm so blessed to be called to help others feel that love.

    Sister Harrison

1. Working with members :)