When the storms that mighty winds come.

This week has been a crazy one!! So I’ll start from the top and hope to fill you in somewhere in the middle!

Manila Temple

So :) Monday was a great day, we went to the market and did all our shopping so we could come back and clean and get ready for the week. We had to be home and ready a little early because the Assistants to the President were coming to pick up my batch and I so we could all go attend the temple together early Tuesday morning!!! So as we waited, it started getting late and Sister Pilkington was getting so bored, we got everything ready and went our just a little early to go teach a new investigator we had found last Saturday afternoon. So we taught her and even got back to the apartment in time to switch companions and get on the road again and head to Subic!

We stayed the night in the mission home and it was so great to see some of the missionaries assigned in Olongapo and especially to see my batch and catch up with how they are all doing! Sister Greene and I stayed up for a little just talking and I was so happy to see how much she has grown, I haven’t seen her in probably like 4 months! (I guess it’s true what they say, time flies when you’re having fun!)

Tuesday morning, I woke up to an alarm at 3:00AM  and got shook off my sleepiness, got dressed and stumbled into the kitchen to eat breakfast before we headed off to Manila. It was a great four drive, we slept most of the way there and also talked to President and Sister Dahle a little bit about their first two weeks as mission President in the Philippines!  We went to Immigration and did finger printing for our visas first thing. And there I saw a couple sisters from my batch in the MTC they were coming from the Angeles mission, and we stopped and talked for a quick minute. By around 10:15, we finally got to the temple and took some pictures before the session was to start. Our whole batch got to attend in one session and it was so great! We took some more pictures outside the temple and then got back in the car to head back to Subic! We arrived at home around 8:00pm and  it is about another 2.5- 3 hour drive back to our area in the south, so we got permission to stay over at the mission home again on Tuesday night. We helped sister Dahle tidy up the house a little bit and then headed off to bed.

On Wednesday, we were supposed to wake up early so we could drive back to our areas and have a zone meeting later that morning in Balanga at 9am with Mission president interviews but there was a signal 2 or 3 storm that was rolling our way. The wind started picking up and the water pump was out in the mission home, so the meeting got cancelled and we got ready for personal study and in the middle of our little devotional with President Dahle, the Power went out. We were stuck in the mission home and if the windows and blinds were closed, you wouldn’t even know there was a storm going on outside! We were so bored and I ended up just reading and helping sister Dahle around the house just a little bit. 

Long but wonderful day! Sister Greene and Sister Dahle

By 4pm the rain and the wind slowed down so we packed up our stuff and headed back to our areas. As we drove through Olongapo there was just debris and rubbish all over the road. Houses and business were destroyed. There were huge trees that had been completely uprooted and people were all over the streets trying to help clean and put their town back together.

I felt so grateful that I was safe inside the mission home while storm “Glenda” was raging! On the other side, sister Pilkington and sister Raynor had a very different experience in Abucay which I’m sure you can read about on her blog:) we drove from 4 until 8:30 and were still not back in my area because of the storm, some roads were blocked off and there was some pretty heavy traffic. As we drove down the dark highway, the power was out and only about every three towns had power. But we picked up sister Piklington and headed back to our area!

strong like a carabou!

We got home late and the power was still out in Mandama, we sat on the floor and shared everyones stories of what happened where they were and what happened during “Glenda”. I was so grateful to be back in Mandama, safe with my companion and ready to go get some work done!! Thusrday was sister Piklington’s big TWO-ONE! We went and stocked up put 72 hour kits and then had a good day of work, trying to make her birthday special, despite the black out, one of the sisters in our house and I talked to our neighbor and set up a surprise for sister Pilkington! We had a cute dinner and ate by candle light at some of the member’s house.

Then the rest of the week just flew by!  

Sister Pilkington's 21st Birthday

Sister Pilkington's 21st Birthday by candle light

 On Saturday morning, we had the chance to help the members clean up the church and make it look real pretty for the baptism that afternoon. Maldwin and Nancy were both baptized, it has been a long journey and working with both of them but I am so proud of where they have come and the steps they have made to be newly baptized members of the church! 

rain or shine, the baptism will go on!

They both have such great courage and are such great examples to me of what it takes to a faithful member of this church. AND last night when we came home, we finally had light!!! I don’t think I have been so happy for something that we take for granted everyday of our lives. 

Service and Clean up

This week has been so adventurous and perfect! I am grateful for the trails and the hardships because they make up stronger, I know if we trust in the Lord, he will give us strength to carry on no matter what we go through! I love this gospel, I love my savior and I would not be any other place with any other people, serving him with all that I have!

I hope you all Have a great week and stay safe!

Love, sister Rossberg

Manila Temple

Manila Temple - Sister Ete and Sister Greene at the temple