The one with the church attendance ! September 20, 2015

This week has been pretty great :)

We had 2 investigators come to church yesterday... which is 2 more than we've had for the last couple weeks so it's progress :D hooray!! Also there's a recent convert in our ward named Sister Elena and she's so cute and I love her :) she's a little old lady and every time she sees us she gives us a big hug and does that asian thing where instead of kissing you they sniff your cheek. She's my favorite. 

It's still real hot but I'm still alive :) I like, radiate heat though. Like freaking Eric. I'm pretty sure I could give someone heat stroke by touching them. I never thought I'd miss winter... le sigh. Oh, and the dragonfruit here is pink on the inside! I was expecting white. T'was shocking.

People really love singing here, which is great. I love singing! And I can honestly say I've never heard a song sung in so many different keys. At the same time. After having worked at an elementary school where 3rd graders sang the nation anthem everyday. Yep :) and videoke is big. We hear people on like, every street corner singing real loud. Ees great :) Except they have interesting song mixes here... last I checked, Talk Dirty to Me shouldn't even be a song, much less mixed with We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Speaking of which, Christmas music has begun. BRING IT ON. 

There's also a lot of animals here. I love animals. Especially baby animals. I GOT TO HOLD A BABY GOAT AND IT WAS PERFECT. And there's a ridiculous amount of chickens running around (which reminds me, Ani add Link to my cosplay pinterest!). 

So I found a lovely scripture in personal study the other day. 2 Ne 31:3. And I love it because it says that Heavenly Father speaks to us in our understanding- we don't have to know everything all at once :) like 2 Ne 28:30 says, He gives knowledge to us line upon line, precept upon precept, and as long as we're using what we know, He'll give us more :)

-In Jacob 5, he talks about the good fruit vs the wild fruit of the olive trees. What's the difference? Why is the wild fruit bad? I feel like it doesn't mean as much to me since I don't understand the difference. Like when people tell me they only like Pepsi.

Also here's my address if anyone needs it :)

The postal address is 

Philippines Urdaneta Mission

PO Box 7

Brgy. San Vicente East

Urdaneta City

Pangasinan 2428

Philippines

and the package/parcel address is

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Philippines Urdaneta Mission

Brgy. San Vicente Street

Urdaneta City

Pangasinan 2428

Philippines

Mahal kita!

The one where Paige STILL doesn't like fish - Sept 14, 2015

I've made it to week three! Three is the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou NOT count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five... is right out. When the number three, being the third number, be reached, then CELEBRATE BECAUSE YOU'VE SURVIVED THIS FAR WITHOUT GETTING A WEIRD DISEASE FROM THE MOSQUITOES. Speaking of counting and mosquito bites, I have 25+. I checked. I've given up on naming them cause there's too many, but I named the ones on my elbow and the bottom of my feet after their father, Satan.

Anyway, our lessons are still going good :) no one has come to church yet though... next week! We've got 3 IBDs at the moment :) they're awesome. I'm reading Jesus the Christ and Our Search for Happiness, which are really good :) I'm learning sooooo much :3 yas. 

I've named every frog I've seen so far Jason Funderberker. Except for the one at Brother Salvador's house. That one's name is Douglas, named after everyone named Douglas. Also  I got some swaggin new rubber shoes and a hipster nerdy waist-strap proselyting bag which has done miracles in not giving me scoliosis. 

Also. There's a show that's always playing when we go to people's houses called All for Juan and Juan for All or something like that, and it is the most horrifyingly obnoxious show I've ever had the displeasure of coming across ever. Just by the way.

This week in church the lessons were all on family and stuff.One of the things that stuck out to me was when they said to enjoy the time you have with your children. Which made me think of my cute kids whom I miss SO MUCH. They'll be in 5TH GRADE when I get back. WAT. So parents, tell your kids you love 'em, and kids, tell your parents you love 'em :) time is short. (PS parents I love you and stuff)

And, as always, love you all lots!

The one where everyone cancels, but It's okay - September 6, 2015

Boy oh boy has this week been a tough one! But it's alright because it ended well :)

So we started off the week alright, we taught a lot of lessons and have 3 new investigators. Then around the middle of the week things went downhill a little bit- our members all canceled on us so we didn't have a member for any of our lessons, and just about every time we went to visit people, they'd either be gone or really busy. So that's butts. BUT this Fast Sunday was SO GOOD. It really strengthened my testimony of fasting, which had kind of been fading, I guess. Yesterday was such a good day! We only taught 5 lessons, but I really felt the Spirit and we had a member with us and it just felt like it was a good day :) AAAAND I KIND OF UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS HAPPENING. WAT. And I've extended 3 bapism invitations this week. Which is a lot more simply said than how PMG made it out to be. 

The apartment is still wonderful, it's just real hot all the time. I was also never given a flat sheet in my sheet set but I can't sleep without something on top of me so I've been using a towel and it likes to get tangled up around me at 2 in the morning. But it's alright :) the neighbors have a pet pig. I can see it from my window. I've named him after Noah's son, Ham.

Also I wrote a story to end this one off with :) love you all!

-Sister Paige Laretta Burton, the frenchiest fry

Once upon a time there was a kingdom in a far off land. This kingdom was unlike most, however, in that there was no King there. The citizens of the kingdom knew they had a King, but He lived far, far away. No one had ever seen Him.

They knew they must have a King, because He would often send messengers to tell them that He was coming. Many people wanted the King to come visit them, but He didn't come when they expected Him to. Eventually they stopped listening to His messengers. Why should they prepare for someone whom they didn't think would show up?

One day a Kind Man came to the kingdom. The kingdom didn't have visitors very often, so news of this Kind Man spread quickly.

"Is this the King?" some asked.

"Couldn't be!" others replied. "He doesn't wear a crown, or royal robes, or have knights, or... or anything like that! Besides, if he was our King, he would be doing King-stuff, not just going around visiting with people."

For that was what the Kind Man did. He visited the people who were lonely. He helped the villagers with their problems. He healed the sick, and He even helped the people who were dealing with dragons. Most of all, He taught the citizens of the kingdom how to be better people- He taught them how to become more like Him.

Many people loved the Kind Man. They wanted to be just like Him. Sadly, there were many others who hated Him.

"Who does he think he is?!" they'd say.

"He's not our King! He can't tell us how to live our lives!!" These citizens decided that they needed to do something about the Kind Man.

The day soon came when they banished the Kind Man. 

"Leave us alone!" yelled one.

"We don't want you here!" shouted another.

The kind man was deeply saddened, and it was very painful for Him to leave, because He loved the people of the kingdom so very much. But off He went.

The kingdom didn't hear from the king's messengers for a very long time.

"He doesn't care about us," most people thought. "If He cared, He would have come to us by now, or at least sent His messengers to us."

After several years, a young boy came to the kingdom.

"The King is coming! Get ready for Him!" The boy exclaimed. More messages came after that.

"The King is on His way!"

"Prepare for the King's arrival!"

"The King is coming!"

And then one bright morning- 

"The King is coming TODAY!"

Everyone in the Kingdom was ecstatic! They were finally going to meet their King! They prepared a huge feqast. The town square was decorated for the festival they would throw to welcome Him.

"He's here! He's here!" Someone exclaimed. 

Who was He? What did He look like? What was He like? All the people gathered to greet their King.

Trumpets played, many knights lead the way, everyone clapped and cheered! And there, riding in on a horse in all His majesty, was the Kind Man, their King.

Their King had come, never to leave them again, to reign in love and service. And the people rejoiced.

The end <3

The One Where Paige is IN the Philippines - August 30, 2015

We made it!! I just got to Urdaneta on Wednesday :) my new comp is Sister Antenorcruz :) she's pretty chill. Anyway! We got to our apartments and GUESS WHO HAS A RUNNING SHOWER! It's me. And I thank the Lord every day. 

Anyway, the Philippines is still taking some getting used to. It's hotter and more humid than satan's armpit. It also gets dark at 6, which helps with the heat but helps less with the fact that I can't see anything and I walk in puddles a lot when I don't need to and I assume everything I step on is a squished frog or something. But it's not too hot at night and that's what matters :)

We've taught a few lessons this weekend, and there was a stake baptism on saturday :) pretty exciting stuff. I'm starting to get to know the members a little better, which is SO great. Also we have a new investigator named Bro. Vicente :) he's nice. I -think- he accepted the baptism invitation (??) I still have no idea what's going on most of the time in our lessons because Tagalog and also rain is loud and also I'm pretty sure I have old man hearing cause whenever someone's voice is too low I can't hear what they're saying :P Joy. 

Oh! And our second night in the Manila MTC Stromberg and I found 5 cockroaches in our room that were legit like 2 1/2 inches long. GROSS. But the animals here are cool for the most part. Not the bugs. Bugs are gross and mosquitos think I'm tasty and if I get sent home early with some weird disease, that's why. But there are geckos here! I love geckos!! And lots of frogs. Some of them go tikatikatika! and some go kwek! but my favorite ones are the ones that go buuuuuuuuong! It sounds like a cross between a cow's moo and a big, heavy metal pipe getting hit with a smaller, less heavy pipe.

I got to talk to some little kids at church yesterday which was fun :) NO idea what they were saying. But they were really cute :) they're helping me learn stuff. Haha the little boy I was talking to would say stuff but when I said, "Ano??" cause I either couldn't hear him or didn't catch what he was saying, he would just say, "...Ang ganda po ninyo." So cute! They call me Snow White (: ha!

My mission president and his wife are super cute :) and Sister Deyro is either a nurse or a doctor... at any rate, she'll be helpful in my quest, for when I get a weird disease as previously mentioned.

The traffic takes getting used to. It's not so bad in Urdaneta, but Manila was ridiculous. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR CARS STILL LOOK BRAND NEW. Anywho, much like we need to trust in the Lord and have faith that He'll guide us to where we need to be, we need to have faith in the trike drivers that they won't let us get hit by a semi even though they cut right in front of the trucks and don't usually stop if they don't need to. But they know what they're doing (: Buses are nice. They're usually air conditioned... the ones I've been on at least. Speak of which! As we were getting off the bus yesterday I realized that Starry Night/Vincent was playing over the radio and my heart cried just a little bit because Doctor Who. But it also made me really, really happy :)

Anyway! Times up, I guess. Mahal ko kayo! 

-Sister Paige Laretta Burton

The One Where Paige Leaves Tomorrow - August 19, 2015

Kumusta!! As you may have noticed from the lovely title of this email, I ship out tomorrow!! Adventure!!! Hooray :) at any rate, I'm super excited and it'll be fantastic. I wrote a song last night to sum up my last day here. 

One day more

Another day, another destiny

Of this endless stay at the MTC

But soon enough we will take flight

I hope I last another night

One day more

How will we deal with all the heat?

104% humidity?

And all the questionable meat?

If I die it'd be a pity

But the gospel we will share

-Will we make it home again?

Many people there to baptize

-Oh I miss my comfy bed

Our testimonies we will bear

-What if I get a parasite?

And they'll feel the Holy Ghost

I'm tire of MTC Fooooood

One day more!

One more day to do my laundry

We will do it in one load

And I have to start my packing

A to-do list overload (one day more!)

Past or present tense

Study words on TALL

It's a crazy pronoun-marker free-for-all

Conjugate this now

SYL a lot

Everything learned yesterday I've now forgot

One more day all on our own

-What if we get lost at sea?

It's just me and my companion

-Did I pack all that I need?

But the Philippines will be home

-What about all of the bugs

And I'll love the people there

The time is now to serve the LORD

ONE DAY MORE!!

 *insert conglomeration of singing here*

Tomorrow we'll be far away

Tomorrow on a big airplane

Tomorrow we will do what God in Heaven has in store

One more dawn

One more prayer

ONE DAY MORE

The One Where Paige is Leaving - August 15, 2015

Last week at the MTC!! Hooplah! We ship out on Thursday, then to Tokyo, then Manila!! We're spending 5 days at the Manila MTC, which is awesome. So excited!! 

Anyway, I'm sure a ton has happened this week, but the week has been so long I can't really remember much of it :P My memory retention is prime. Um... oh! One of my elders has been having heart issues this last week so we're waiting to find out what's happening with that... scary stuff! O_o But he's doing alright right now :) We also drew pictures of the Avengers as cats in my journal. Because why not? 

It's crazy that we're leaving so soon! As super excited as I am to leave the MTC, I'll probs miss it a little bit ;) 

Oh! I saw Elder Micah Wilcock and Elder Elijah Bickmore and Sister Brittany Rytting! Love them (: Anywho! Um... yeah! That's pretty much all I can think of right now. I might send more later today, we'll see. Mahal kita!

-Seester Burton

PS, do you think there was an apostle who just made bad puns all the time? Elder Bice says it was probably Judas. 

Also PS, name the scripture!

Samakatwid, o ikaw na humaharap sa paglilinkod sa Diyos, tiyaking pinaglilingkuran mo siya na buong puso, kakayahan, pagiisip, at lakas, upang ikaw ay makatayong walang-sala sa harapan ng Diyos sa huling araw. 

Sapagkat masdan, ang bukid ay puti na, upang na anihin. At narito, siya na humahawak sa kanyang panggapas nang buo inyong lakas, siya rin ay nagiimbak nang hindi siya masawi, kundi ng kaligayahan ang kanyang kaluluwa.

(I may be a little off on that last part, I'm still working on memorization :3)