First week in the Philippines

Family,
  This is the most overwhelming place.  I want to cry and laugh everyday.  It is so hot sometimes I think I am going to die.  My head hurts and my heart hurts.  I don't understand hardly everything, and there is so much expected of me and I don't know how I am going to accomplish it.  But.  I have prayed to have a good safe fun day everyday.  And it has happened.  There hasn't been a day when I haven't come home feeling like I hadn't accomplished something.  The people are so nice.  I like that I can just smile at them and they smile back.  I love that the members are so excited for us to be there.  They are excited to help me learn Tagalog.  They want to help in our learning of the area.  (The 4 missionaries us and 2 elders are all brand new to the area.)  They are excited for reactivation.  I am excited.  We are teaching one family, the mom is a member, but her 4 kids are not and her husband is not.  They totally felt the spirit yesterday.  It was so cool, and totally worth the heat we had to face traveling there.  We have visited members, and I love them.  They are so great.  We each had to bear our testimonies yesterday.  Mine was very short, but I felt good.  Their testimonies were so heartfelt and sincere.  These humble people love the Lord and their families.  Our Bishop is so wonderful.  He actually lives in a squatter town and sells bread off his bike for money.  But he is just great.  He makes me happy.  There have been miracles everyday.
   Just this morning I prayed for Heavenly Father to lead my personal study and he did.  It was so wonderful.  I was reminded that I might not know why I am here, or how this is ever going to workout, but he does.  Heavenly Father knows, and I needed to be reminded. And I remembered the mormon message "Lifting Burdens"  at the end Prs. Monson says, "Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives; I know that my Redeemer lives."  And I do know that.  I do.  It led me to Psalms 105 106 and 107.  There are parts in there where it talks about how we should praise the Lord for His mercy.  It was just really nice.  I wrote it in my study journal.  Have you gotten a study journal yet?  You should.
  I think they sent you a picture of me with my new companion.  Her name is Sister Bird, and she is pretty nice, but I get scared of what she is thinking of me sometimes, but I am just going to do the best I can.  She is great with the people, and very wonderful at following the spirit.  I am going to try to learn a lot from here these next 11 weeks.  Then I will get a followup trainer.  Probably a native, and my Tagalog will have to get lots better.  But I am going to give my best.  I pray it is enough.
  There is always music playing here, the song right now is that one direction song McKayla and I like, the you don't know your beautiful.  It is the beginning of rainy season, but it rains like one big rain and then it is just really hot again.
   Okay,  you have to know now, you can't send letters to that office address.  For some reason it is way expensive.  send it to... hold on let me ask if she knows.  Sister Bird doesn't know.  But she told me to just have you send things regular mail, not through pouch.  Do Dear Elder too, that is good.  When you get my first letter you will know the address if you don't already.  And we only have mail run every other week.  I am not looking forward to that, but I will deal.  It will be ok.  Things are going to be ok.  I am going to make a withdrawal from my visa account at least once a month so that it stays open.  That would be scary if it closed.  So just make sure it has money.  I shouldn't take that much so don't worry about that, but I do have to use personal money for some things.  And please tell Sarah I am sorry,but I can only send email to family.  only immediate family.  But I can get emails from anyone.  I just have to send regular letters home.  (please send me American stamps in your next letter so I can do pouch mail to you) her email is sarah.jo.harris@gmail.com.  Just forewarn her.
  I am okay.  I want to cry almost all the time, but I am okay.  I miss you all so much.  Especially in the middle of the night when I wake up to some noise.  OH!  There was a little gray lizard on our wall, it lifted its tail, and POOPED ON MY BED!!!!  That was gross.  Well Everyone else is just about finished so I have to go.  I love you.  The church is true.  Read the Book of Mormon.  You are incredible and we are all going to be very blessed for a very long time.  Because Heavenly Father loves us.  Please pray for me to be brave.

Love,
Sister Brittany Nichole Newman    

Our Beautiful Missionary

We spoke with Brittany while she was waiting for her flight to LA and later the flight to Hong Kong. It was awesome! She really can speak a foreign language. She is doing great! Please keep praying for her and remember to write to her often.

It is the day we've all been waiting for!  Brittany flies to the Philippines today!  You can write to her at:

Sister Brittany Newman
Philippines Quezon City North Mission
P.O. Box #1243
Quezon City Central Post Office
N/A Road, Diliman
1100 Quezon City
Philippines

or you can send a letter in the pouch from Salt Lake.  Pouch mail must be written on one side of a plain piece of paper. Tri-fold with the blank side out and tape closed. Address and stamp the blank side and mail to:

Sister Brittany Newman
Philippines Quezon city North Mission
P.O. Box 30150
Salt Lake City, Utah 84130-0150

If you decide to send a package please use the US Postal Service Global Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope and send to the Philippines, not the pouch in Salt Lake City.

Thank you for your continued support and the prayers you offer in her behalf!

Letter home June 23, 2012

Pamilya Ko,
Hello again! Kumusta po kayo? Hope everything is fairly well. It was last I heard in the email from my mommy. That's good. Well, except for Richard. That is pretty scary. But we are all praying for him. He has had a priesthood blessing. The Savior is with him and this will work out.
I want to tell you something I learned in the devotional tonight. It is that most answers don't come when we are on our knees. They come when we take that act of faith and try to get the answer. And, it is ok to fail as long as you learn from it and keep practising. Another thing I learned is that we are receiving revelation all the time. We just don't recognize it as revelation. Wjen we mark a scripture because it has touched us or we felt an impression to mark it. That is revelation. Revelation needs to be written down in a study journal. If He is giving you revelation, what are you doing with it? How are you handling it?  Where are you putting it?
I also got reminded that I am going to the Philippines and I need to smile and be happy and love these people, love them with all my heart because right now that is all I can do.
Each of you are special to me and I want to take a moment to tell you why.

Tatay Ko,
You just got the Father's Day card so sorry for any repeats. I love you. You always root for me, even when I am not very good at something. You love being a daddy. That makes you very special to me. I have met many people here that have fathers who didn't like being a daddy or a husband so they either ran away or hurt their families. So, thank you for protecting us and being a great daddy

Nanay Ko,
You are my wonderful mommy who does everything in her power to make sure I am taken care of even though I am getting older. You love us so much and I can feel it. I honestly can't wait to hear your voice from the airport. (I want to hear everyone pero (but) your voice is home for me). Thank you for getting me excited to be here and to pupunta (go) to the Philippines. You are beautiful mommy. I love your smile!

Trisfrina Ko,
I look up to you more than you will ever know. Everyday I am so proud to claim you as my sister. You are incredible! You work hard on everything you do. You smile. You make good choices. You're my friend = Kaibigan Ko. You have a testimony. You ask questions & want to hear truth. That is amazing. Keep going!

Doodle Ko,
Oh, girly, I love that you make me giggle. I love your confidence and smile. You do good things. And you are going to be a wonderful woman. And soon! Your birthday is coming up soon. Happy Birthday! You are smart and fun. I love how good you are at making new friends. Go meet new people, but make sure they are good people. People that won't hurt or abuse your friendship. Stand tall, beautiful.

Bob Ko,
There is so much! I got to become so close to you over last summer. That was so special for me. You hold a very special place in my heart. Your letter pushed and lifted me through one of my hardest days here. Thank you. Keep growing, keep learning, push yourself to go the distance because I know you can. This gospel is amazing and I know you will love it. You are gorgeous & funny. You give me the smiles. Keep being amazing kapatid na babae ko. (my sister)

Naphlemn Ko,
My buddy boy! You are so smart, funny, cool, and awesome. I couldn't have asked for a better brother. Mom and dad didn't want me playing favorites because they knew I would always pick you. You are my hero. Have confidence in yourself. I know you can accomplish great things. Keep working hard, buster brown. Keep having fun too. Tease mom & dad. Hug everyone for me. You give the very best hugs. Always honor and love girls ok. That is important. Don'forget how special you are to me.

Mahal Ko Kayo, pamilya ko. You are all great. Be happy and love life. Know that life is supposed to be difficult but it also has it's amazing moments. Without the bitter how could we know the sweet?

Mahal,
Sister Brittany Nichole Newman

Me, my companion, and map of missions in the Philippines.

Me and Sister Lio.  We will be serving in the Quezon City North mission.  Can you find it on the map?

Letter home June 10, 2012

June 10, 2012

Pamilya Ko,

            Let me say this now before I forget.  Call my 2 wonderful grandmas and tell them how much I love them. and look up to them as examples of mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends.  They are 2 great mga halimbawa (examples).

            When I get home and start testifying of something's truth when it is something silly like Swan Princess you need to say, "Oh, Sister Newman, your missionary is showing." (say that like on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, oh toodles).  Remember, it's mahalaga (important)!

            Today my companion was sick in bed so I have spent pretty much the entire day up here with her and because we were learning about the atonement today I decided instead of being in bed I would study.  So, I studied the atonement for hours and hours today.  It was awesome!  I read part of Jesus the Christ.  Incredible!  I learned new things and remembered stuff too.  It was pretty awesome and it made me feel accomplished.

            On Friday I had a flippin' awesome experience.  We taught Randy and we thought it went alright.  We felt pretty good afterward so that was good, but I didn't think much of it until our teacher was doing personal interviews with us and the end of the interview when he asked if I had any other concerns and I just told him that I am still having a really hard time with the language.  I think/hope I am getting easier to understand, but it is still so far from where I should be.

            He then asked if I believed in the gift of tongues and if I believed it was happening to me.  I said yes I believe in the gift of tongues & after some thought I added that I believe I am receiving it because there is no way I could have learned this much without it.  That is when he proceeded to tell me something very special.

            He said, "Sister Newman, I don't know if you noticed this in your lesson with Randy tonight, but you knew there was something you needed to tell him and for a good 5 minutes you spoke in perfect Tagalog.  As your teacher I was surprised.  As Randy I was astonished & amazed that this silly American girl was all of a sudden speaking perfect Tagalog."  I replied, "Talaga!?" (really!?)  "Yes, so the gift of tongues is real and when the spirit needs to say something through you (If you keep working hard and being obedient) he will be able to."

            That was the coolest most nicest thing a teacher could have ever told me.  I felt so good.  It was humbling and wonderful.  My Savior is looking out for me even when I don't realize it.  Pretty cool, huh?

            On Thursday we committed Dennis to be baptized.  WOW!  That was cool.  We really need to ask Randy if he will be baptized.  That is very important to do.

            I have to tell you about the cockroaches.  Brother Doolin told us his cockroach story, well one of them, and if I don't come home it is because I have been eaten alive by those massive flying monsters of disgusting death!  Anyway, he and his 1 month missionary trainee came home after a hard day of work and were going to kneel down to pray when Elder Doolin saw a roach crawling on the counter.  He said "Wait a minute", went over, pulled off his shoe & smashed it.  Went back to pray, another one came! "wait," go, shoe, smash, "wait," go, shoe, smash, "wait," go, shoe, smash, etc. So he decides to see where they are coming from.  He opens the bathroom door and slowly closes it.  "Elder, we have a problem!"  There were 20 roaches in the bathroom.  NOT little American roaches.  We are talking cell phone size roaches from hellllllllllllo!  HUGE! Plus, they fly!  Plus, THEY BITE! (I don't want to die mommy!).  Anyway, they made a plan to take the pesticide (a neurotoxin) and spray, spray, spray, close the door, spray, spray, spray, slam! RUN!  All these roaches came scurrying under the door jerking and flying and gross until they dropped dead. (but they were still gross).  36 cockroaches the size of Nathan's little flip phone he uses as an alarm.  Oh crap!  That is gross.  I am going to die!  Especially when I wake up one morning with one on me.  Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww! YUK!

            And, R.O.U.S.'s (for those of you not familiar with Princess Bride this stands for Rodents of Unusual Size).  They do exist.  In the Philippines.  And! Spiders the size of giant man hands, those too.

            Wish me luck.  Pray for me.  Mahal ko kayo (I love you all) magdasal araw-araw (pray everyday).  Mahalaga ang panalangin (prayer is important).

Mahal (love),

Sister Brittany Nichole Newman

Father's Day card for my dad

Love you, Daddy!