Pula na ako!

Naimbag a bigat! Ilocano --> Good morning!

Hehe, on Friday I went rice planting with the Agoo Zone. It was a new adventure, squishing around in bear feet in a big rice field mud swamp almost up to our knees for several hours. It was fun to learn how Filipinos plant rice. Woweee, it was verrrrrry muddy and I got really sunburned for the first time since being here. But what fun. I'll try sending pictures next week -this computer doesn't seem to want to let me right now.

The branch here does something called a "1 Day Mission" every few months. I think it is such a great idea. It's where all the branch members meet at the church on a Saturday morning, and then split into groups and go visiting all day to inactive members. We had 4 missionaries there - and each of us split to go with a group of about 6 members. It was interesting because the missionary was asked to take the lead in the visiting/teaching, but a couple of the members we visited only spoke to us in ilocano, which I still don't know much of - but miraculously I was able to discern their needs and teach and it ended up being a really wonderful experience. It's situations like that when you really gotta just rely on the spirit and Heavenly Father's help.

Caba is an interesting little town. There are 17 Barangies (or villages/blocks) and 19 churches. And our church isn't even in Caba itself--it is in Aringay, the next town over. Needless to say, there is a lot of religious diversity here. One question that many people ask is "why are there so many churches??" and that's the question that we LOVE to hear because we know the answer! It's because of the great apostasy! Another really interesting thing I've discovered is that, although most everyone believes in Jesus Christ, they don't understand his atonement. They know that he died on the cross, but they don't understand that his crucifixion was only a part of it. They miss the whole point of him suffering for our sins. When we show them a picture of him in the Garden of Gethsemane, they don't understand what it is. Before coming on my mission, I kind of always assumed everyone understood that. I think that is one of the greatest blessings of the restored gospel, that Heavenly Father has restored a complete and correct understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ and how to access it.

All righty! gots 2 go, Ingat!
Life is happy! Thanks for being the bestest family ever! Minamahal ko kayo lahat!
Love, your missionary,
Rebecca

P.S. Happy Anniversary on the 29th! Thanks for being the wonderfullest parents ever!
P.P.S Did you know- there's a plant here that you can break in half and then blow bubbles through! Ha! It's amazing!