From Palms to Pines

I transferred! I am in Baguio. I LOVE IT! It’s actually really cold here – I wore a cardigan yesterday to General Conference! Also, pine trees! I’m such a Northwest girl; I actually got a little teary eyed when I saw my first pine tree here.

My last week in Pagdalagan was great! Sister Violetta’s husband stayed for a whole lesson – he has never EVER stayed for even part of one before! Also, Jordan Rimpilio said a prayer all by himself for the first time! It was such a great last lesson. I am so excited for his baptism.

It was really hard for me to leave Sister Dizon and the great members in the Sevilla Ward. But I am ready for work here in Baguio and I know that the Pagdalagan area is in good hands.

Baguio is SO different from San Fernando. I’m not sweaty! No electric fans blowing hot air at me in the house. I don’t use an umbrella while proselyting for shade. I don’t take 3 cold showers a day anymore! The weather here is beautiful. I love it.

Because we had a little emergency down in San Fernando, I didn’t come up to Baguio until Saturday morning, just in time for General Conference. So, I haven’t seen much of my area at all yet or met many ward members. But if I had to describe my area in one word it would be STAIRS! It’s really confusing – just alleys of stairs between houses, mazes of stairs. But there is beautiful green vegetation!

This week, and this General Conference, I have been thinking a lot about death. My prayers for my family have really changed from praying for their safety and happiness and strength in trials to strength to stay on the straight and narrow and for us to be able to live together forever. It is super cheesy and sounds sort of childish, but the things that have happened this week have really made me realize how short life is, and how so many of the things we do don’t really matter. Life is short. The mission is even shorter.