Happy New Year!

Hello, 

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I did! It was so great to skype home and see everyone.. I'm homesick now but that's ok, what else is new :) On Christmas eve we went to the other sisters apartment in our area and had a sleepover! We made a huge dinner..Sister Brown got a package with a ton of american food. we had stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, chicken, and spaghetti! It was delicious! then we played UNO and Taboo and had a gift exchange. It was really fun. I guess it's a tradition for filipinos to stay up until midnight on Christmas eve and light fireworks. When I say fireworks I mean BOMBS.. no joke. I don't know what they light but they aren't what I call fireworks. It was hilarious.. while we were playing games we just hear this huge BOOMB! and they ground shook.. it was so freaking loud I jumped like 5 feet and I the other sisters screamed.. then we look out the window and right in front of the apartment was this thing on fire. So the rest of the night we were freaking out that something was going to fly through the window. Yeah we didn't get much sleep that night. 

Anyways Christmas morning we went back to our apartment to open our packages we had a huge american breakfast, eggs, pancakes,and hash browns, then we had studies and lunch and then we went out and tried to teach but it was hard everyone was busy. We had a curfew of 6 pm so we had dinner at a members house at 4 and they made us Chicken curry and Pansit and cake.. delicious! We played UNO again that night! 

So I survived my first Christmas away from home and it was great! Only one more to go :) and we have another year ahead of us! I hope you have a great New year! 

Mahal Kita, 

Sister Chancellor 

Maligayang Pasko!

Hello Hello and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 

I can't believe Christmas is already here, man time flies. Especially when your on a mission. This week was so fun, we had our Christmas conference in Urdaneta on Thursday and It was a blast! President and Sister Monahan talked to us and then we had a nice lunch and after lunch we got to watch the Polar Express.. I was super excited.. I love that movie! sooo good.. except all the sisters were crying of course.. it was funny :) Such a good movie I kept laughing at the nerdy kid who says "hey do you know what kind of train this is?"... I thought of Jess and Nick because we would always laugh and make fun of that part. good times :) 

I have to be honest.. the entire month of December has been super hard. I've never been away from home on Christmas before and it's super different, of course Im homesick but this week I've had a ton of time to think about Christ and the true meaning of Christmas. During the Christmas conference president Monahan shared some great insights about Christmas and as missionaries what is our gift to Christ. Many other missionaries have told me that there's nothing like being a missionary and celebrating Christmas. They said it's going to be one of the most memorable. I know that that's true because I have really learned so much this week about the real reason for Christmas and the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. We are so blessed to have been given a savior who died for each one of us. I encourage all of you to really ponder about our savior this Christmas and think about what gift you can give to him this year. I am so grateful that my gift this year is being a missionary and being able to represent him and share his gospel. I'm so lucky. Also on Christmas eve read the Christmas story from the scriptures, it's in Luke 11 I think. Sing Silent Night and read it by candlelight and then take time to think about our savior Jesus Christ. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! Enjoy your time with your families :) 

Newlin Meadows laurel's thank you so much for all the Christmas cards :) I love you!! 

 please send me your christmas cards, I would love to see them  :) here is my address again

Sister Katie Chancellor 

Philippines Urdaneta Mission

PO Box 7 

Brgy San Vicente East 

Urdaneta City 

Pangasinan 2428

Philippines 

Mahal Kita, 

Sister Chancellor 

Merry Christmas!

Hello, 

 Merry Christmas! Christmas is almost here.. can you believe it? I can't wait for Christmas because then we get to skype and then the holidays are over, thank goodness becuse it makes me so homesick. I'm not sure why either because it doesn't even feel like Christmas, maybe because there's no snow and no nothing.. it's just not America! But they still celebrate it here, they love Christmas and Christmas music so sometimes it feels like Christmas. 

Anyways, I'm sorry but this email is going to be really crappy and really boring. Not much happened this week. Like always, we are having a hard time with our area and finding people to teach. I know I complain about it every email, but it's true. Our area is so small and I think all the people hide from us because they are no where to be found. It's really hard not to get discouraged about our area and us having little success. But I know that I just need to have faith and keep searching, because they are out there somewhere, I know it! 

Yeah, so we just went out finding and teaching this week, it was long and hard. Then last night we went to Rosales to watch the Christmas devotional and it was so good. Seriously, if you haven't watched it then do it, especially watch elder Russell M. Nelsons talk. It was wonderful and all the talks really helped me to realize the true meaning of Christmas instead of me just wishing that I was home. So of course I cried and cried because I felt the spirit so strong and I was thinking about home too much. I hate to say it but when I forget about home everything is so much easier. 

There is this place in my area I think it's like a town hall or something, but it has all these stars that the different Barangy's made. I think there are like 10 barangay's in Sto thomas or something, anyways they all had to make a star out of recycled things. It was so beautiful and all lit up at night and they were playing christmas music, it was fun. 

also I'm not doing top 10 anymore, it just takes up time and its the same every week.. I would rather attach pictures. 

and everyone should send me you Christmas cards, I would love to see them! 

Mahal kita, 

Sister Chancellor 

Pictures. 

the stars.. my favorite with the globe and the random kids that joined in! . 

Mataba po ako

Hello, 

Well this week was transfer week and Sister Stokes is being transferred so you know what that means.. dinner's galore. Seriously though from Monday to Thursday we had TWO dinner's every night. Yeah I for sure gained some pounds this week. The food is always delicious and so far I haven't been served fish but on Wednesday they made us fried tilapia. I was nervous to try it but I decided that I really need to be more adventurous and try new things so I did and it was actually delicious. It didn't taste fishy at all. I even have pictures to prove it! 

Last P-day we had our zone activity and we watched "The Other Side of Heaven" and had a feast. It was so much fun. I love that movie, if you haven't seen it then go watch it! 

This week was good. Sister Gomez and I are having a hard time with our area, it's just so small and we aren't having much success with our investigators. None of them are keeping their commitments so we end up having to drop them and it can get really frustrating, but we had a great experience this week. Like I said we are having a difficult time and on Friday we had literally gone to all of our investigators and no one was home and no one wanted to listen to us and we were so tired and feeling a little sick. I was so tempted to just ask Sister Gomez if we could just go home and go to bed but we decided that we needed to try one more time. We went to one of our investigators and he wasn't home, but as we were walking we ran into this man and he said "sisters, I was praying that you would come and talk to me, I always see you pass by". It was sort of like a slap in the face because we have seen him many times before and we haven't gone up to him.. long story short he said he is having a hard time with his autistic son and he wants to find peace in his life. We talked with him and gave him a pamphlet to read. We went back the next day and he had read it and was really excited. It was a great experience!. It really made me realize that God's hand is in this missionary work and we are his instruments. I know that brother Isidro has been prepared for the gospel.. we are excited to teach him this next week. Hopefully things will go well. 

I have to share something funny that happened this week too. We just started teaching this older man who is so funny and so nice. Except I can never understand a word he says because he doesn't have any teeth. We went to him on Wednesday and he gave us 2 of his t-shirts and said Merry Christmas. He is so kind.. I mean he doesn't have much at all and he gave us his shirts, it was great. But the funny part is that he always points to my face and rambles all this stuff that I don't know but I knew it was about my pimples. Later sister Gomez said that in the Philippines if you have pimples then it means that you are in love. So I must really be in love because my face.. yeah. anyways I don't like going there anymore because he just points at my face. Another random person did to later that day. oh man.. 

But our work is going.. sort of. I know that we will have success eventually. Missionary work is hard. But so rewarding. I learn so much everyday, I love being  a missionary. 

TOP 10 

1. The other side of heaven

2. Dinners!

3. trying tilapia

4. meeting brother Isida

5. had Angles this week Yum! 

6. I watched sister Gomez eat Balut.. eww. 

7. P-day

8. Played signs at FHE 

9. Got mail today!!

10. Church.. I love my ward!

(sorry im out of time.. no pictures :(..) 

Mahal Kita, 

Sister Chancellor 

Happy December!

Hello again and Happy December! 

I honestly have no idea where the month of November went, but it's December now and I'm counting down until Christmas!

This week was great. Sister Gomez and I are slowly starting to have success. We found 8 new investigators this week.. yess! and we taught our first family too. We are so excited about teaching our first family, they are perfect to be baptized. They have 3 kids one teenager a 9 year old and a 4 year old. We only taught them once this week, but it went really well. Hopefully things will just keep progressing!

I went to Urdaneta again this week! I am so lucky.. I have been to Urdaneta every weeks since I've been here, for meetings, missionary training, and exchanges. It's so much fun going there, I love visiting the mission home. 

Ok something funny that happened this week.. Sis Gomez and I were out finding and we ran into an older man who we started talking to and he was a member of some church- I can't remember the name but he was just talking and talking and then he just leaves to go inside his house and comes back with this "water". It was this big jug of water with sparkles and shimmery streamers. Weirdest thing I've ever seen. Anyways he said that it would heal us, and we asked him where he got it and he said he got it from a cave. We were so confused and he just kept going on about his "magical water". I was laughing in my head, it was funny. I was also thinking that we have magical water too- it's called oil.. or the Priesthood.! Sister G and I made jokes about it.. anyways it was weird. 

Ok now the best part of the week. So sister Brown and Sister Stokes really wanted to eat Balut this week.. I have no idea why. ewww. Of course I said no way on earth am I eating Balut (Balut is a fertilized chicken egg) apparently you just dip it in salt or vinegar and eat it. Nasty. they wouldn't let me live it down so we went to buy some on the street and it ended up that all the eggs were too old. YES..SAVED!! But I couldn't get away that fast.. They said they were going to make me try something so we went to this BBQ place in front of someones house that had pig ears, chicken feet, chicken head, chicken intestines, chicken blood, you name it they had it and they were just roastin it up. Sister Gomez eats chicken intestines like candy.. and somehow I agreed to trying it. It only took me about 20 minutes to take one bite but I did. It didn't taste like anyting.. just chewy intestines, I just chewed and swallowed. Honestly I don't know how I did it, but I'm pretty proud of myself! Sister Brown and Sister Stokes tried chicken feet. They didn't know how to eat it because it was just bone.. gross. so.. I tried chicken intestines.. pictures to come! 

On Saturday I went to my first baptism. It was for some sisters in my area. It was just what I needed, the spirit was so strong and it was the best feeling in the world knowing that I am a missionary and I am helping people come unto Christ. If only I could have a baptism with one of my investigators.. I will soon, I know it! 

Other than that nothing else too exciting. To be honest I can't remember most things that happen unless they are super memorable or I write them down. But I am having so much fun and I'm really starting to enjoy my time here in the field. 

TOP 10 

1. 8 new investigators this week! 

2. Lesson with our first family! 

3. Urdaneta- Zone training

4. seeing sister Gregory (batch mate) in Urdaneta

5. Sister Brown made fried chicken for lunch.. yum! 

6. Ice cream on Thanksgiving

7. Baptism! 

8. District studies- we had a feast! 

9. Church

10. eating Chicken INtestines!!

Mahal Kita, 

Sister Chancellor

Pictures. 

1. thanksgiving- we went to a members house and had CHicken and Rice!

2. Eating Chicken Intestines!!

I'm a Filipina!!

Hello, 

seriously though, everyone I talk to thinks I am a native, I have no idea why because I don't think I look filippino at all but they say it's because of my dark skin. Who knows. 

I've been in the PHilippines for one month already... 16 more to go!!

Time is just flying.. this week felt like 3 days, honestly I don't even know where my time goes. Monday's fly by because it's P-day. I love P-day so much! We usually have Zone studies in Rosales and then we go to an internet shop to email-yeahh! Then we get to go to Sm. SM is the mall and it's so fun. It's seriously just like an American mall but with different stores. Right now they bast Christmas music- it's the best. They also have MCdonald's and we usually eat there every p-day. Tastes like home! 

The members love to have us over for FHE during the week. So we have like 3 or 4 FHE'S a week.. we live the good life! I love the members, FHE is so fun, we have a lesson and then play games and then they always serve us tons of food. It's fun trying new foods. One thing that I am trying to get used to is that they leave the fat and the bones on all their meat. So sometimes I get grossed out and I have to pick at my meat because I just can't eat the fat.. I tried and I just can't. eww. But this week I tried this soup with chicken, papaya,and these leaves that they always put in stuff, it was really good. I can never remember the names of all the stuff I try but it's all so good. Mostly it's pork or chicken and rice. I haven't had anything extreme yet! 

There is this hamburger place called Angles and it's soo good! It's this shack on the street but I consider it to be the IN-N-OUt of the PHilippines! I beg sister gomez if we can go there like every day.. its so good! 

Friday and Saturday we had exchanges again. I got to go to Urdaneta to be with Sister Briones, our Sister training leader. It was so fun.. I love Urdaneta.. I really want to be transferred there! Hopefully I will eventually. 

I still can't speak much but I am learning. I understand more than I can speak so that's good I guess. Our work is kind of slow right now, we didn't get any new investigators this week but its ok, next week we will, I know it! Sister Gomez and I have a goal that we are going to fast once a week because we really need new investigators. I know we will get some soon.. they are waiting for us! 

TOP 10

1. Exchanges

2.FHE

3. I got a package! 

4. Sister studies this week! 

5. SM on p-day

6. 2 lessons in english this week- yes! 

7. Seeing my favorite kids- they always hug me its the best!

8. Mango smoothie- yes the mangos are so much better here!

9. Christmas music at SM- JOsh Groban my fav!

10. Angles hamburgers- yum!

Week 4!

Hello, 

I'm sure you are wondering more about the storm. We haven't been able to do any service yet, but we found out this morning that we are getting missionaries sent to our mission because the Tacloban mission is closed. Isn't that so bad? their mission is closed, and a ton of our missionaries now have to go home early because we don't have enough room for everyone. President said we won't know how bad the damage is for a few weeks so maybe in a few weeks we will be able to help out. So depressing though, please keep the victims in your prayers. 

This week was great! On Tuesday I had my first exchange, and it was so fun! I was with Sister Palmer- she is from Utah and it was so fun. It seriously felt like a sleepover and I was back home with my friends :) I love exchanges. I actually didn't know that you spend the night in the apartment, I thought you just change companions for a day. That's why it feels like a sleepover, because it is! 

On Thursday we got to go to Urdaneta again for a sister zone study. I love being so close to Urdaneta because then I get to go there for studies and it's so fun! I love visiting the mission home. After our studies we went to lunch at Magic which is the mall.. and I tried Halo-Halo. Halo-Halo is a dessert with ice cream and coconut and a ton of other stuff that I'm not sure what it is exactly but it was good. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it has beans in it and Halo means to mix so your supposed to mix it all up and eat it and when you mix it up not going to lie it looks nasty. Next time I'm not going to mix it! I was good though! I will attach a picture. 

My favorite food so far is Pansit, it's this stir fry noodle dish with chicken or pork, carrots, cabbage, and noodles. So delicious! I had it with the HAlo-Halo, you can see it in the picture. 

Our teaching is going alright. Right now we only have one progressing investigator and he is 9. He lives with a part member family and they want us to teach him so he can be baptized. It's funny, every time we teach him, he brings more and more friends and yesterday we taught like 10 kids, and surprisingly they all listen to us and it's actually a good lesson. The kids are so cute and funny, I love them! We have had to drop a few of our investigators because they aren't progressing. If only they would just come to church.. ugh. But we are determined to find new investigators this week! 

The Tagalog is slowly coming, I learn new things everyday but It's still really hard to understand people. I just try to say what I can and usually it's not very much. 

Top 10 

1.) Halo-Hal0

2.) FHE

3.) Exchanges 

4.) sister studies 

5.) Church

6.) Lesson with Christopher 

7.) P-day!!

8.) PAnsit 

9.) Bus to Urdaneta 

10) ICe cream at 7=11!

Pictures- 

1.) Christopher and his friends. He is right behind me next to the girl in pink!

2.) Lunhc- Halo-Halo and Pansit

Mahal Kita, 

Sister Chancellor