Hello Everybody! 

ME AND MY BELONGINGS AND MY COMPANION AND MY MISSION AND MY LIFE AND MY SANITY ARE OKAY!  No worries.  Typhoons are crazy!  It was a stage 4 typhoon (on a scale of 1-5).   All is well.  The Typhoon did hit hard, but we are all okay.  The house I am in is very secure, and we didn't have any flooding, and everything stayed in place.  Our power was out on Saturday and most of Sunday, but we were fine.  On Friday night, Sis Maroket and I went to the store and got things for a 72 hr kit, just in case.  We were prepared for the storm!  We only had to use the candles that we bought from the 72 hr kits.  We were very safe.  We went home early on Saturday evening, because the storm was setting in, and church was canceled on Sunday because of the storm.  We stayed in the house for most of it.  Saturday night, when the storm was hitting, the wind was so loud and strong, and there was so much rain, and it was a little bit scary.  But I felt safe.  I was prepared with my kit, and our house is very safe.  

It was CRAY CRAY. But all the missionaries in our mission are safe, and my little house is very secure!  I trust in Heavenly Father; He keeps His missionaries safe!  We prayed and prayed for safety and that our members would be safe too.  And they were answered!  No one was hurt.  Some houses did flood, and people had to evacuate flood-prone areas, but they were lucky to be able to go to the chapel.  A lot of apartments flooded because of the rain, but ours didn't at all.  And yes Sage, I was happy to have Monkey!  Even though I am almost 20, I held him tight!  Thank you all for praying and believing in me.  

Here's a journal entry from Saturday night when the storm was hitting:  "I am sitting in our little blue apartment on the couch, Monkey is on my lap, and the only light I have is my flashlight and a candle...it's a brown-out!  I'm not sure whey they call it "brown out" because it's the same as a black out.  No power.  I am getting a little sweaty without our beloved fans.  It's about 89 degrees F in our apartment right now (according to my cool alarm clock thermometer) and it's humid.  But I am happy here on my couch.  By the way, there is a typhoon outside!  Typhoon Lando.  Haha, it reminds me of Star Wars.  It has been stormy since last night, and the storm is supposed to last until Wednesday.  It's so windy outside.  I don't know how the little huts here will stay up....they probably won't!  There were so many thick, black clouds today, it was pitch black outside by 6:00 pm.  All the streets are flooded with water....gross dirty water.  Sis Maroket and I had to walk through a lot of it today while contacting and going to lessons.  It was only about ankle deep though, so not too bad.  I never thought I'd say this, but thank goodness for crocs!  I love my crocs.  Ugh...that was almost painful for me to write, but it's true."

The typhoon was crazy.  I didn't sleep much that night because of the wind.  I just layed on my bunk, running through my mind what I would do if we had to get out.  Thank goodness, I didn't need to use it.  If had been in more danger, we would have gone to the chapel earlier and we would have stayed at the mission home for the night.  Pres. and Sis Rahlf texted us updates and instructions about every hour to keep us safe, and we all had to report our well-being to them.  Even though the storm was scary, I felt calm and safe.  I knew Heavenly Father would take care of me! 

Earlier this week, I was having a hard time.  Adjusting to missionary life is hard.  Everything here is different than what I am used to: the language, people, food, culture, climate, weather, and everything else you can think of.  I was very frustrated with myself for not being able to speak the language well, and I was missing home.  I prayed to receive comfort and peace, and to feel cheerful despite my difficulties.  I didn't want my personal hardships to get in the way of the work.  That's when I read in Mosiah 24:13-15 that says, "lift up your heads and rejoice" and that even in trials, we can choose to be cheerful, and we can pray and our burdens will become light.  Sis Maroket and I shared that scripture with a lot of people this week, especially yesterday after the storm.  Storms - literal or not - will come, and we must do what we can to prepare for them.  I am so grateful that I was safe from the storm.  I am so happy that I can pray every day, and Heavenly Father will make my storms turn into shining day. 

Other exciting news:

We found someone who was waiting for us!  She had been waiting for the missionaries for years, and we were the ones to find her.  She will be baptized on Dec. 5.

I ate chicken intestines!  They were pretty good.  They're called "isaw."

I LOVE YOU ALL SO SO SO MUCH!  Thank you for keeping me in your prayers. 

All my love, 

xo Sister A