Till we meet again

Family,

Well it is really the last email.  That is weird, but it still seems really unrealistic to me.  I feel like I will be serving for a mission for the rest of my life.  I am really scared for it to hit, and am kind of pray that it never really does haha.

But it has been a good week.  Full of lots of fun missionary work.  Actually it was cool because I got to go on splits with sister Larona (my companion before I got ET) and I got to work in baclayon.  It was so wonderful. (my companion still hadn't gone on splits with the STLs but I was done, and sister Larona's companion hadn't gone on splits, but she was done so we ended up together. The night before they had a scare that someone was trying to get into their house, and then I had to sleep in that house the next night, but don't worry with pepper spray in hand, I made it through the night, and am still alive today haha.  But It was seriously so great going on splits there.  I love baclayon even though I was only there for a few weeks.  I got to see all of the member and our investigators and it was a really great day.

We also had an investigator at church this week.  She is kind of a funny investigator, she has only let us teach her once, but has come to church 3 times, people are funny...

I also have cool news.  So because my batch is so big everyone from tagbilaran zone is going to cebu on friday night because we have our exit interviews saturday morning.  So that means I will have a few days in cebu before they have activitys planned for us, which means I get to visit my old areas probably.  Sister clegg and I are going over there together, and her parents are coming out and going to her old areas, so she told me we could go to mine, which makes me really excited.

Also for other new, Klong-klong (my investigator in bogo), got baptized on saturday!  It is really awesome because He has kind of a funny life.  He started drugs when he was in elementary school and has had 3 wife, and done a lot of other bad things.  But its awesome because when we taught him smoking a ton a day to smoking 5 cigarettes a day to none.  He talked about the the power of the book of mormon and when he read he didn't get mad easily and it made his life so much better.  Mina has also been trying to give book of mormons to everyone, she is like the best member missionary.

And I know this is my last email, so you are probably expecting it to be somewhat epic... Sorry.  But I am excited see you all and talk to you about my mission.  Missions really are the best.  I will forever be thankful for my mission.  I love you all, see you soon!

Sister Hancock

2nd to last email???

Dear family,

I wrote that header to make you all aware that this is my second to last email, so if you have any last word before I go home you better write them next week haha.

But it has been a pretty crazy week over here on my end.  First off on Wednesday my companion fainted and then had to go to the hospital.  I was on the phone for a long time with Sister Tanner because we didn't know what to do if someone faints.  Anyways we tried to arouse her but couldn't so we had to take her to the hospital which was interesting because the elders had to come over and carry her into a tricycle.  Well we got there and everything was fine with her, she just still wouldn't arouse. Finally she woke up and I talked with her and she thinks she fainted because of stress.  So we went home she slept and then has been fine ever since.

Also this week we had interviews with the president.  I had an interesting interview, we mostly just talked about ways to increase our love for god, because he wants the mission to follow the rules because of their love for god.  I learned a lot, it was great.

Then on Saturday we had a CSP.  We cleaned out a forest so that a member could plant banana trees there.  It was hard dirty work haha, but it was also fun.

Then this Sunday we had a cool multi-stake conference thing.  Anyways they had a lot of different general authority speakers from Utah and different parts of the Philippines.  It was kind of cool how they did it because it was all live video broadcast.  It was really cool and really specific to the Philippines.

Then today was great because I went to Chocolate hills, I saw tarshiers and I went to loboc river.  I felt like a tourist today haha.  But the chocolate hills were super amazing.  Loboc river was just an all you can eat place on a ferry ride and they did cultural dances and things like that. I learned how to tinikling.  The tarchiers were really ugly which was disappointing, but fun as well.

Anyways that has been my week.  I love you all and hope you are doing great.

Sister Hancock

Suprises pa?

Dear family,

Well there comes a time in every missionaries life, when they think they figure out where they are going to die, and then shabam, emergency transfer.  Yup I emergency transfer.  I was told this Thursday during ZTM by my mission president that he need my help with one of the sister, and then Friday I got transferred to tagbilaran 1, which is just the next district over.  I will spend 3 weeks in my last area, that is kind of crazy.  I was really sad to leave baclayon because I feel in love with it really fast and Sister Larona and I got a long really well, we were best friends, and then 2 weeks later I transfered.

  My new companions is Sister Cruz a filipina who lives close to manila.  She is a nice girl.  And the area seems good as well.  I still feel really lost in the area because I have only worked there 3 days, But the branch seems helpful.  Um ya I don't really have a lot to say about the area because I still a little bit confused about it, but every seems nice here so that is good.

And far as other thing I have been working on the logistics of going home, like signing papers, getting x-rays (apparently I have sclerosis, who would have guessed haha?), and other fun things.  

Well I love you all.  I hope you all party it up for the next 3 weeks, before I see you in person, crazy!

love,

Sister Hancock 

What a Week

Family,

Hey.  It has been quite the week here is baclayon.  We have really seem the hand of god in our lives.  First off I came into this area and there was nothing and then it seems in this last week all of that has change.  We have found some really really good people.  First is joy.  We found her on monday, she came to church this sunday and really wants to be baptized.  Because of stipulations here and the fact that she isn't married, I probably won't be able to see her baptism, but I am really excited how much progress she has made in this past week.  The we had one of our less actives come with one of their sons who is an investigator. I was the first time he ever came to church which was really exciting as well.  God is really blessing us.

Then as well I got to go on splits with my MTC companions Sister Clegg.  I don't know if any of you remember her, but anyways she was my companion in the MTC.  It was really cool to see just how much she has grown in the last 1 1/2, its really amazing.  Missions are the best. The not only benefit the lives of those you serve, but also the impact your life forever.  (I know that sounds cheesy, but it is because it is the truth)  I am so thankful for my mission.

Other then that I have just been living life up here in baclayon, we had a CSP to help the schools get ready to start today, and have just been working hard.

I love you all.  I hope your lives are going well and you will enjoy your summer!

Love you all,

Sister Hancock

Padayon Baclayon

Dear family,

Updates for my new and last area/ companion.   Well the past few days have been really good.  First I am assigned in baclayon, which has a really small branch that meets in this really crazily decorated house.  (Don't worry this time it isn't in our house.)  I will see if I can send pictures.  The area is really like forestry  and we have to hike to get to some of the houses hear, and I a mean legit hiking.  It is fun though. It is also good because we are really close to tagbilaran city, which at least for me is a big city.  My companion thinks it is really small, but she is from manila so whatever.

As for my companion, sister Larona, she is from lagona, which is close to manila.  She is a really happy fun person, and will probably be one of my favorite companions.  She keeps me laughing a lot, and makes the work fun which is great.

Other then that... Well the branch seems good, I have a lot of friends that are in tagbilaran zone... Ya I don't really know what else to update you on.  But I am happy and excited to finish the last part of my mission here.

Anyways that is all for me.  I love you all.  

Sister Hancock

Catholic Convent

Dear family,

I hope you all are doing well.  Why catholic convent you ask?  Well that is an interesting story.   We ended up having a dinner appointment in a catholic convent (which I had no idea they actually existed, but the do.)  We were invited to lunch at this on place and ended up meeting the catholic priest there and became friend with him because he is a really really nice guy.  Anyways and the end of the lunch he drove up to our church for a meeting and we ended up giving him a tour of the church, then he invited us to have a tour at the catholic church.  So we asked our president if we could and he said it would be a great idea.  So we did, and we ate dinner at it was really interesting.  It is really rare that that type of thing happen because priest here are like royalty so when we told the member they were super shock.  But it was a cool experience.

Other then that Marciana got baptized!  Wahoo.  It is cool because she has had threat of having to leave her house, and her husband getting mad at her, but it was cool and it all worked out in the end and she is a baptized member who is really excited to go to the temple with the branch May 30.

Lets see, other things that have happened..  We had MLC which is always fun.  One thing that was the focus was change the way we count stats to fit PMG more, because here a lot of people don't count people as a new investigator until they are a progress investigator, so they told us to count it is you teach and have an appointment like PMG says.

Other then that we did a mini MLC with the youth this week, so we had to move our ZTM to a different day.  The mini MLC was fun, we just got them excited about being missionaries and then they went out and gave out book of mormons with us.  I think they were all really excited about it.

Anyways that is all for me, it has literally been such a crazy last week.  Oh and as well I am transfering to Tagbilaran Zone in bohol and I have a filipina for a companion.  It should be a good last transfer.  I am excited.

Anyways I love you all, even if you don't write me email;). Haha have a good week.

Sister hancock

P.S. The first one is the catholic convent, the second one is Marciana's baptism

Week of Weeks

Dear Family,

Well it has been an interesting week.  Full of sickness and Elder Ardern (which was sakit gihapon... good humor is wasted on the ignorant).  But ya I got sick at the beginning of the week, but it was fine because I just got sick during Elder Arderns conferences for us (there was one conference on Tuesday for just the sister training leaders and zone leaders and then one conference on Wednesday for the mission.)  I was a little hazy during it, so I can't report fully how it went, which is fun because when I wasn't hazy haha it was a lot of chastisement, which isn't always fun to listen too. So yeah, I am kind of fine that it was those two days that I was sick, plus I was sitting down in AC all day so that really helped my sickness.  Also those always make me really grateful for my mission president.  He is seriously the best most christlike person ever.

Then Sister Holmes unfortunately caught my sickness and so work wasn't too fun this week, and she couldn't go out and work on Sunday (which I am very shocked that all of you knew about that paciou fight (excuse my spelling), since when do you guys all watch boxing?)  But despite that we still saw blessings this week.  Marciana has moved back into our area (sometimes the philippines is really funny), so she should get baptized next week.  The klong-klong (Mina's brother) came to church again even though their was paciou fight.  And he told us he wouldn't haha.  And he has accepted a baptismal date and keeps telling everyone he is almost mormon.  Right now we are just working on the word of wisdom with him which will be hard.  And then we taught Roldan and his wife. His wife wants to be baptized and they came to church this Sunday.  There is a lot of work to do with them, but brother roldan wanted us to come "at least 3 times a week apparently" haha.

Then the story you have all been waiting for, hopefully you all got the picture.  FLOR IS BAPTIZED!!!  Just in case you guys forgot about her, she is probably the first investigator I have ever taught.  I have taught her the whole time I have been in Bogo, which is really unusual, at least for me anyways.  But she was so hard to drop, I just could never let myself do it because she was always sooo close.  Anyways she was taught 30 years ago (missionaries haven't been teaching her 30 years straight, but anyways she has known its true for 30 years).  She just didn't feel ready or worthy to be baptized, but she finally made the decision and made all the sacrifices she had to make and then she was so cute on Saturday because she should up 4 hours early and she "just didn't understand her feeling", she felt nervous and excited, and the she said when she was baptized all those feeling washed away and she just felt happy.  Then I was talking to her at church and she said she couldn't sleep that night because she was just so happy thinking about her membership in the church.  She is great, and wants to do all her family history, and is determined to endure to the end.

Anways that is all for me as well.  I love you all!  Have a great week!

Sister Hancock