Carry on 3/30/14

Kumusta sa inyong lahat!
Well this week was basically an emotional rollercoaster every other day haha, but in the end, it always turns out great! So I'll start with the good news, Lorielyn got baptized!! It was a great baptismal service, and the best part was when she bore her testimony at the end. She's only 13, but she cried as she said that she knew the church was true, and her mom who has been inactive for a long time now was crying as well, it was so sweet. It's amazing the difference the gospel makes in people's lives, even when you just remind them of what they already knew to be true. There's an entirely different spirit when we go to their house to teach them now, and both Lorielyn and her mom are so happy to be going to church. Not to mention, that even her Mom takes notes in classes now too! Yeah I never thought that would happen, but like I said, the gospel changes people!
Well, time for the bad news. Things have gone way down hill with our other IBD Jean Jean. He's having a lot of problems right now, and doesn't have any money to support his family or even provide them with food. It's gotten to the point where he didn't really want to meet with us anymore because he thinks all of his problems started since he's been learning about the church. Not to mention, he lives with less actives who told him how much better their lives were after they stopped being members. So, it's a really tough situation, and I've spent many depressing nights racking my brain and praying about what we can do to help him. Right now, we're giving him some time to get things settled in his life, and we don't want for him to think that we're adding to his problems. It's the hardest thing to watch other people's families suffer and feel helpless about it. But what I can find solace in, is the fact that with faith all things are possible. He may not realize it now, but this church and gospel will give him the hope that he needs to make it through his trials. I know that the Lord will take care of him and his family. It's so peaceful to know that we are all children of the same Heavenly Father who knows and loves us more than anyone else can understand. If you can, please pray for brother Jean Jean and his family, they need all the prayers they can get at the moment.
But on a brighter note, despite the sadness I've felt over some investigators, the work continues to move on. I am learning so much and meeting some of the best people here, and I know that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be! I love you all so much, and hope you have a wonderful week! Shout out to Grandma for the letter, you should get one back from me in a bout 2 weeks!
Mahal Kita!
Sister Bangerter

My area

Loreilyn's baptism

Good Times at Pizza Hut 3/17/14

Kumusta Pamilya and mga kaibigan, and Happy St. Patricks Day sa inyong lahat! Not gonna lie, I totally forgot it was St. Patricks day, good thing the only jacket I brought to the Pines was green, so no pinches for me!
Anyways, I hope ya'll had a great week because I sure did! The work here is really progressing, and I love all the people that I teach! We have two people on the road to baptism at the moment, and I really hope that I will still be here to see them get baptized. It truly is amazing to see the gospel change people's lives when they thought there was no way for them to change. For example, the Arellano family. Brother Jean Jean thought there was no way for him to stop his vices and be that good example for his kids that he wanted to be, but now he's totally free of all word of wisdom problems, he's fasting and praying, and you can just see how happy his entire family is each time that we go to teach them. I really love him and his family, and everytime that we go to teach him and he hasn't done the reading yet, he asks if we can wait so that he can read the assignment first, and even goes and reads the scripture verses that are cited in the pamphlet too! Yep, God has prepared him for sure, and I know that the spirit has testified to him that this is the way his life can be changed for the better! Our other investigator getting baptized is the daughter of a less active member that we're trying to reactivate. She's only 13, but she reads her assignments everytime, prays, and loves for us to come and teach her. It's kind of funny because we sang the hymn "In Our Lovely Deseret" one time in a lesson with her, and she absolutely loves this song now! I'm not sure if any of you know this hymn, but it's a little weird and about the word of wisdom haha but it's her favorite now because it's so fast! She always asks for the mabalis song (fast) and we just laugh because it has nothing to do with our lesson anymore, but she wants us to sing it at the beginning and end of our visits haha weird how I now sing a hymn I had never heard of before on almost a daily basis.
Oh, also, this week we had a mission conference, so I got to see my trainer Sister Lazan and my "sister" Sister Spjut again! They're both STL's and they're companions again hah too weird! But the mission conference was really good, Elder Ardern and his wife of the 70 came to talk to us, and they really helped to motivate me in the work. They said that they wanted this to be the turning point in our missions to strive to work harder, to lose ourselves in the work, and give it all we can for the 18 months or 2 years that we are serving. They were right, and I want to really work my hardest here, and be able to go back and remember my mission with no regrets! They also told us of the mission goal for 100 baptisms in the month of May! I know that we can do it, and I'm excited to work my hardest to meet the Lord's expectations for me. The work is great here and I love being a missionary!
Well, that was about all that happened this week, just your average missionary life, but I had a bit of a crazy experience this morning. We had a zone activity of bowling again today, but before we met with the zone, me and Sister Aroa went to the post office and to withdraw our money. I was feeling fine all morning until we got the withdraw, and I started to feel really sick. I don't know what it was, but I started breaking out in a sweat, and I thought that I would throw up/pass out. We went to this Pizza Hut that was by the bank, and I just felt so terrible, so we sat down for a bit so I could rest. I was so pale and even lifting up my hand took so much effort, until I finally just layed down in the booth and asked Sister Aroa to call our STL's to see what we should do. I really thought that I was going to pass out in the Pizza Hut that actually wasn't even opened yet, and the workers were just talking about us asking why we were even there haha. So I rest for a little bit while we're waiting for teh STL's to get there, and when they do, they bring about half of the elders from our zone with them. Yep, at this point I just wanted to pass out from embarrassment haha. I still felt really weak, so the elders gave me a blessing right there in the pizza hut! It was probably the weirdest and most random hour of my life, going from feeling fine to almost passing out then having about 10 elders crowded around my table to see if I was ok lol. But don't worry, I'm feeling fine now, just a bit tired, and I know that priesthood blessings really work!
Hope ya'll enjoyed that random story, I'll try to be more spiritual next week, my mind is just a little scattered right now from you know the whole pizza hut incident ha. But shout outs to Grandma for the valentines day card, and Sister Behrmann, Elder Dunn, Sara, and Sydney Muldrew for the letters! Also I got the package from Mary Claire and Paisley, ya'll are the best, thank you so much!!
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week, keep reading your scriptures and remembering Christ in your life everyday!
Mahal Kita!
Sister Bangerter

Me and Sister Aroa at Mines View in igorot clothes

the bowling activity this morning

Mines View

Igorot clothes at Mines View

FHE with the Vinoya family 

Me and Sister Aroa

My batchmates and me at our bowling activity today 

Best Week Ever! 3/9/14

Kumusta everyone!
Wow so this was an amazing week, and it was only week one of the transfer! Like I said last time, I'm trying to work really hard this transfer cause it will probably be my last one here and I want to leave with no regrets. So we worked probably as hard as we ever have before this week, and really saw the blessings of it. We exceeded our number of lessons for the standard of excellence, got the ok for one of our special case investigators to be baptized, and had one of our investigators at church who was a referral from church headquarters!! At the end of Sunday night when we sent in our stats, we were just so excited, and it really gave us the motivation to have every single week be just like this one. Yes, it is really hard, but seeing the fruits of your labors is probably the best feeling that there is!
Tomorrow will be my 6 month mark of my mission. It really is crazy how fast time flies out here, and it's starting to scare me. Even when I have rough days, there is nowhere else that I'd rather be, I know that for a fact! There is no greater joy than sharing the gospel and watching people progress and change their lives for the better.
Sorry this email is a little bit scattered, but I just wanted to share some quick experiences from the week that really made me realize how much God prepares people for us. One of our investigators is struggling with his smoking addiction. Each time we visit, we review how he's doing, and try to strengthen him by teaching him about the atonement and even fasting. One day this week, we went to teach him, and he had gotten down to 2 ciagarrettes, and fasted for the first time ever! He said that he was so hungry while at work, and said a prayer that God would help him make it through the day. After his prayer, he burped as if he was full hahaha he was so amazed and didn't feel hungry anymore, and now he has a testimony of fasting! So even though he didn't get to 0 cigarettes, he relied on the Lord to help him, God is just the best!
Then our other investigator who we got from church headquarters is just so golden! He truly is one of those people who found us and he is really seraching for the truth. He's been studying the BoM and really likes it, but didn't want to come to church until he did more research, but yesterday, he came to church! I think he really liked it, and the ward totally accepted him in. But the best moment was when Brother Melan, our recent convert, was talking to our investigator about the church and shaing his testimony with him about how he can know that it's true and how it's blessed his life and that he was so grateful for the missionaries. I was amazed, and that's what missions are all about people, bringing people unto Christ!
Ok well I hope you all had an amazing week, I love you all and pray for you everyday! Happy birthday shout outs to Icis and Elder Perez, hope ya'll had a great birthday!
Mahal Kita!
Sister Bangerter
Scriptures of the week: Alma 5:13-15 and Alma 7:23-24

Burnham 1A 3/2/14

Kumusta pamilya at mga kaibigan lahat!
So it's the start of a new transfer, and guess what?! I'm still in my first area haha it's going to be 5 months here in the same place. When I first found out, I was a little bummed cause I've just been here for so long, and I've had some rough times for sure in this area, but the more I think about it now, I'm happy to stay for at least another transfer. If I think back to when I fist got here in the open area, things were way bad. We had no one to teach, no help, and we didn't know where anything was. But now, I literally know this place like the back of my hand, I think everyone on the streets know who I am too! But even though I've walked through the same barangay's for almost 5 months now, there really is still so many people that God is preparing for us. There's so much that I've learned here, and I know that I will love this area the most. The members have truly become like my own family, and the investigators that we are teaching are really progressing and are on the road to baptism, it's amazing to witness. Hopefully we will have a couple of baptisms before the end of this transfer, so I'm really glad that I will still be here for that.
I think what I learned the most this week was about developing christlike attributes. I decided that since I will be here another transfer, that now is my time to work harder than I ever have before, and to try to come as close to Christ and being like Him as I can. I think this week was all about patience and charity. We had a couple experiences where people were flat out rude to us, and I was super stressed about things, but then I would always think to myself, would Jesus act this way, would He let these little things bother Him and distract Him from His purpose? Obviously, the answer is no. So there is still much for me to learn in this area, but I'm so happy that I'm still here with Sister Aroa and Sister Sidwell in my house. Me and Sister Sidwell are in the same batch, and are basically on the same mission right now haha we've been together since the beginning, so it's nice that she's still here with me too.
So things in Burnham 1 are as beautiful as ever, the work has been good, and we are really having a lot of success with referrals. I'm telling you, referrals are where it's at. Everyone, go out and refer someone to the missionaries, that's the best way to do missionary work, and it's so rewarding to see your friend accept the gospel in their lives and the change that it can make in them! This church is true, I witness the power of conversion everyday, and this gospel really does have the ability to change someones life and even their countenance.
I love you all so much, and I continue to pray for you everyday! Happy birthday to  Lexie and Bianca Justafort, hope ya'll had a great day! Also, I just got a TON of letters today, ya'll are the best, I knew you wouldn't forget about me ;) so thank you: Elder Shumate, Mom, Mary, Jaycee, Sister Behrmann, Elder Dunn, Sister Minnick, President Rogers, Grandma, Sydney Wallace, and Sister Groover! Ya'll are the best, letters coming soon!!
Mahal Kita,
Sister Bangerter

Scriptures of the week: Luke 1:37, Mosiah 2:41, and D&C 6:36

Random: Met a man from Temple, Texas at church and he actually knew where Denison was haha small world

cutest puppy in the world, it's name is Hammer, made me think of you MC cause you love dogs and duh, Hammer haha :)

Panagbenga (flower festival) that entire float is made of flowers!

FHE with our investigators, the Arellano family (they're referrals, they're awesome!)

Becoming Filipino 2/23/14

Magandang Hapon sa inyong lahat!
Hello family and friends, I hope that you're all doing well! It was a great week here in Baguio. Well, more like a great weekend haha the week it self was pretty normal, but this weekend was amazing! I have seriously been so blessed and spoiled here in Baguio, I've gotten to experience so many things that I could never even dream of doing. Like for instance, this weekend, we had the special privelage of having a devotional with the Relief Society General President Sister Burton, the Young Women's General First Counselor Sister McKonkie, and the Philippines Area President Elder Nielson come and visit us in Baguio! They gave a devotional on Saturday that was centered on women and our duties to become good mother's and raise a righteous posterity. This is why sisters come back from their missions hungry for that temple marriage haha. I'm telling ya, everything on a mission turns back to marriage and eternal families, so this devotional was no different, but it reminded me of the covenenants that I made at baptism to always remain worthy and endure to the end so that I can raise righteous children in the gospel one day. So the devotional was great, and we even got to shake their hands and hug them at the end! Funny how I had to come all the way to the Philippines to meet some general authorities when I lived in Utah for over a year and even went to general conference ha. I know that these people are truly called and inspired by the Lord, and I'm so grateful that I got to hear their counsel and meet them. But what was even more exciting is that on Sunday, all three of them came to my ward!!! I was so stoked, they all spoke in our sacrament meeting, and then Sister Burton herself taught our RS class! It was so cool to have the general relief society president talk to us so personally and share her experiences and the experiences of other women that she's met around the world. I love this church and the modern day revelation that we receive, and we are so truly blessed to have these church authorities and to feel their love for us no matter where in the world we are.
So this weekend was really great! And this was probably the best Sunday that I've had here so far, not only because of the general authorities that came, but we had 3 of our investigators at church this sunday and a few of our less active families too! Sunday is usually like D-day for us, and I was really scared that our investigators wouldn't come to church because of the Panagbenga parade, but they came!! If I end of getting transferred this week, it was the best Sunday to end on, I got to see the ward progressing and know that I had a hand in helping these people come closer to Christ and gaining a testimony of this gospel.
Sorry, this email is a little bit random and scattered, but it's getting harder to remember what all happens during the week now. But I can definitely tell that I'm becoming more and more filipino now, and I'm starting to forget what America is even like. I seriously forgot what a snowcone was, and then when I saw one I couldn't remember if they had things like that in America or not haha. Also, things that are butter flavored are just normal and delicious, as well as putting cheese on random things like cinnamon rolls, you have to be in the Philippines to understand I guess. Also, I got to see the floats from the Banagbenga (flower festival) and it was awesome, these floats are made entirely of flowers! I'm trying to send pictures, but my SD card is being dumb, so hopefully next week!
Well thanks for your love and prayers everyone! Sadly, I think it's getting to that point on my mission where I'm not getting as many emails and letters, so remember that missionaries need love too! Blessings to those who write me ok :)! And happy birthday shoutouts to Sara, Beljica, and Cara! I love you all and hope that you had fantastic birthdays!
Sige, I hope you all have a great week and remember to be nice to the missionaries!
Mahal Kita!
Sister Bangerter

Happy Valentine's Day 2/16/14

Kumusta family and friends!
Happy late valentine's day, I hope you all had a great week this week and did something special on Valentine's day regardless if you had a valentine or not. Just remember, there are thousands of valentine's-less missionaries who are in your same boat haha! But I did have a good valentines day/ half birthday here in Baguio. Me and Sister Aroa went and treated ourselves to some McDonalds at te end of the day, so it was a good day haha.
Well not too much happened this week, we have some progressing investigators now but they're special cases so we need permission from the parents for their baptism. Hopefully by next transfer they can be baptized though and we have received a few referrals for the first time ever that we're trying to contact! So far no luck, but we'll keep trying!
But the greatest thing that happened this week was that we got water again!! It's such a great sound to hear the water running in our apartment again, but those long weeks without water made me realize that I can survive of the minimum, so I'm grateful for the experience!
Sorry I don't have much to say this week, it was a good week though and I'm so grateful to be here! Also, I got some letters this week so that always makes for a great week! Thanks Sami, I loved the valentines day card haha Parks and Rec for life! Also thank you President Rogers for the letter as well!
I love you all and hope you have a great week, remember to put your eye single to the glory of God, and all will work out!
Mahal Kita,
Sister Bangerter

Also, Happy Birthday Deanna and Sister Tapusoa! I know there's a lot of birthdays coming up this next week too, hope ya'll all enjoy getting old ;)

Me and Sister Aroa in some traditional igorot clothes

Me trying Korean food, so spicy!

Almost 5 Months! 2/9/14

Kumusta pamilya at mga kaibigan! Tomorrow marks my fifth month on my mission, it's crazy how much time flies! Not that I'm really counting down, but I just look at my calender and suddenly it's halfway through February and I've been living in the Philippines for like four months now. I had one of those moments the other day when I realized that I can approach people and have a semi-understandable conversation in Tagalog, and I know my way around Baguio like the back of my hand. Taking a jeepnee is no problem for me, and I'm pretty sure I've climbed up and down stairs and mountains so much that walking on flat ground just seems weird. I love it here, and I especially love how I don't feel like a stranger in a foreign land anymore. Yeah sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm literally the only white person in the neighborhood, but I just feel so comfortable that it doesn't even phase me anymore! I'm truly becoming Filipino! Being on my mission has really made me realize how wasteful I used to be. Filipino's are so creative and find ways to conserve and reuse just about everything. I now know that I can live off of a budget, and I only need about half a bucket of water to shower with. The pleasures of a simple life for sure! And for those of you freaking out about my water situation (aka Mom haha) don't worry because we have a really good system going now. You really only need about a couple buckets of water to do everything that you need to do like shower, wash dishes, and even flush the toilet haha so life is happy, I'm still clean everyday!
Well this week was another normal week of missionary work. It's starting to get a little bit hot here, and I don't know if I can take the heat in the lowlands yet, but I think I'm ready to experiecnce the rural Philippines now that I've experienced the city. We'll see by next transfer if I'll be blessed to stay in Baguio or not, but I already bought more than enough souvenirs that I'll have to lug around my whole mission haha but you never know, I could only be in Baguio once! But I am way excuited to be here in February because only in Baguio they have a huge flower festival called Panengbenga that like everyone comes here to see. So my last P-Day in February I get to see Session Road in Bloom and the entire main street of Baguio will be covered in flowers and souvenir shops, I can't wait! Also, the General Relief Society presidency is coming here to talk to the Baguio stake and we get to go to that too! It will be next week I think, so I'll talk more about that when it happens, but I've been so lucky to be here because only the missionaries in Baguio stake have gotten to see Elder Ardern of the 70 and now the releif socitey presidency and another member of the 70, it's awesome!
I did have my first interview with President Balledos this week though. He gave us a workshop about obedience, and we had to do a quiz from an email that he sent us. He said that if we got less than 25 points we wouldn't get our lunch (jokes) but it was really hard and fill in the blank and since I had only read the email about 5 minutes before hand, yeah didn't do so hot on the quiz haha but don't worry, I'm still obedient and I still got food! But I was super nervous for my interview with president, but it only took about 5 minutes and it was very laid back. I love my mission president, he's seriously an inspired man and he cares so much about us missionaries. Especially with the situation with the water in my apartment haha he's doing all that he can to make sure that we get water again asap!
Well family and friends, I love you all, and even though sometimes I day dream about life before the mission, I still know that this is where I'm supposed to be. I can see myself growing and changing in so many ways, and I know that what I learn on my mission will set the pace for the rest of my life. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father and that He would never forsake us. Sometimes the days go by slowly when we're trying to find people and they reject us, but I still find happiness in the fact that the Lord is aware of my efforts, and He will lead me to those who are prepared. We're hoping to get some referrals from the memebers soon, becasue it really is true, there's a better way to do missionary work and it's if the ward and the missionaries work together. I hope all of you can find time to go out and help the missionaries whether it's feeding them, letting them share a message with you, or even better, giving them a referral!
I love you all and hope that you have an amazing week!
Mahal Kita,
Sister Bangerter

PS- thanks Mom for the packages, I've been craving those almonds for days now! You're the best :)!!

PSS- I forgot to mention that I ate dog this week...it tasted like beef, but it was dog and I just can't forgive myself for eating it.