May 27, 2013

Hello Family & Friends,


We've had an awesome week! It's good to slow down and write about the days. So much going on here I'm wondering where to start.

Had some troubles with one of our investigators. He is a bit depressed that Elder McDonald transferred out of the area. He is sad that we have to move his baptism date back... he was mad that we hadn't texted him back within 35 minutes of his last text (we were at a dinner appointment but I think that he thinks we revolve around him) Anyway, whenever we teach him its a really cool experience, he knows the Bible really well, and he is pretty accepting of our teachings. Its just he always gets mad at us for little things... its a tough life =)

Next I would like to give a shout out to my Koya (older brother, Nick) and wish him a happy birthday, he is 23!!! I can't believe how time works now. Its crazy!

Next- Maddy is going to be 16, driving and dating! THAT sounds like trouble.

So, last week was transfer week, Elder Granger from Montana is my new companion (this is his last transfer until he goes home.) We inherited another area into ours, so its a BIG area. Now I have just become the District Leader. It's pretty crazy, but Elder Granger is pretty experienced in the mission, and being a leader so he has been helping me a bunch.

Elder Kmetzsch my Tatay (dad) in the mission just became the assistant to the mission president. 

We will also be getting a new mission president next transfer! 

I am getting pretty "trunky" this transfer- having a companion that's going home. I haven't felt until now that its going to be a while until the end of my mission:)

I can't believe that I have been here over 3 months now. The language is getting there...now I'm trying to focus more on teaching good lessons.

They just made backpacks against the rules, basically if you have one you can use it, but I think they are trying to start to get rid of them.

We went to the mall earlier and I bought some new sandals.

I am not sure what's up with my camera,. I 'm going to try to send pictures right now.

Anyway the first picture is us on a jeep, the two elders on the right aren't in our area, they were just showing just around the area...

Cool picture of me

 Me and our street kids (they are like a year younger than me)

el chupa cabra

More news next week!!!! 

 -Elder Roy

May 21, 2013

Alright, we have a lot to cover- first I will start with a spiritual story from the week...

We were going to look for a LA the other week and decided to start some tracting. Of course we get the classic lines from people "Next time na lang" or "I'm busy" (busy texting or sitting on the stinkin' couch!:) So, once we get past all those people we see a garage type thing with some real breed dogs in there, which here are really expensive.  Elder McDonald says we should ask about their dogs to get into the house.  It works and they start showing us all these exotic animals that they sell, and we realize they are loaded... with money. The head of the house that was present is actually the brother to a government guy here, and there are about 4 families I think that live there! The crazy thing is that this guy when he was in high school went to church with one of his friends. Then he moved, but he is really interested, and I know this man was totally prepared for us by the Lord. This also helps me to know that the Lord guides us, and will prepare people for us, we just have to seek them out.

Big news for this week, Elder McDonald is transferring and the other two elders in the house next to us are out. So I hardly know this area, and I am a little bit stressed about knowing how to get to houses, but I will be alright.

Last week,  I let one of the Elders borrow my camera to take pictures,and when he brought it back all my pictures were gone! He said he didn't know what happened so I just accepted it. Thankfully halfway through last week all the pictures came back some how! It was a miracle.

I got to hear from Elder Fotheringham and Clement, and it sounds like our missions have a lot in common with a lot of differences.

I am trying to think of more things to write about now...

Oh yeah- and this guy cooked some turtles for us at his house, that was pretty cool.

I got my scriptures back with the new leather on it.

That was so awesome to Skype last week! Sorry if I was too quiet, it just a lot of people around, and some people were yelling really loud.

Well, this computer isn't letting me send any pictures. I am excited and nervous at the same time for tomorrow! I will let you know about it all next week.

I love you all!
-Elder Roy

Turkey Tom comes to Dinner

Hello Everyone! I don't have a lot of time today, we just got back from the temple, super awesome!  I will answer all these questions then try to send some pictures.

Letter from my dad:

The teaching over there.... How is the member activation? Are there several less-active?  How is the ward? How many members in the ward. Do you still get to attend the Temple.  These are question you can help us with each week. How are you holding up to the changes? I hope your well. Hope you handling everything okay. I worry about you and think often of you. How is the companionship going?

1. The teaching is pretty good, it tends to be pretty different some times as well. This one less active we were teaching had some serious memory loss! We would go there and he would forget about us the next day and he did not really remember that he was baptized. He claimed to be Catholic, and that he was 70 years old. We asked him when his birthday was, and he said a year that made him 87. He was really a nice guy. Other than that when we teach new investigators its pretty good, its just hard trying to find a way to apply the teachings to them. 

2. In the Philippines I believe that there are about 600,000 members and about 140,000 active. re-activation is a tough cookie here.

3. The ward is great! There are only fans to cool us, no air conditioner, no microphone for the sacrament...the members are so patient.

4.Attending the temple, yes.

5. Change is really difficult. I got use to one way of doing things, and then I get put into a whole different situation. Companions are still companions, and we have had some fights, but they have all been worked out. 

Tonight's dinner!!! Alive & Kicking'

Cultural crafts taught to me by an elder

Living off the land...a hunters dream

Some closing remarks for you all...

*Skyping on Mother's Day:D :D :D Yeah!!!

I can't believe how FAST the mission is going! It's almost been 5 full months! One thing I can say so far is...that-

Missions don't change a person. A mission gives a million opportunities to change, you just have to be willing to. 

-Elder Roy

"Because love is the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all and everything we do in our own family, in our Church callings, and in our livelihood. Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk."
--President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God", November 2009 Ensign

Beauty and Balut

Hello Everyone-

Thank you for writing! My new area is in Bagong Nayon, and we are in the Cogeo zone.



I am so excited to see Jaden's birthday. Maddy is almost 16?!



I was able to write Sister Flores today, and the whole letter was in Tagalog, which is getting easier. The understanding of it is coming a lot faster than the speaking part.


Since the new rule of emailing I have been emailing a lot of my friends, I cant believe that some of them are already out in the field. I have been emailing Cole as well, pretty awesome!

This first picture is of me and Elder McDonald from Payson, Utah

The second is of the house we are in now, its a bit of a downgrade from the last house

This third picture is of a member cutting my hair, the hair cutters here are like artists

 Bucket showers every day!!! Next thing about this new area is that it is huge!! We have to take Jeepnies everywhere! Its a little hard on the budget! But Elder McDonald has spent 10 months in this area so I think I will be okay.

This next picture is of this really old Book of Mormon that Elder McDonald gave to me. I think its like 1976 edition.

When we went up into the mountain a little further it becomes a jungle. Its beautiful here!

Balut is actually pretty good, but the after effects weren't -haha

A picture of me:D

 ... and a picture of my new frog wallet!

 So far our biggest focus in this area is retention of the members, but we do have some people that are really interested, and we will have a few soon with baptism dates. Looks like a jungle from the top, but once you start walking around its just a bunch of concrete houses. When we went up into the mountain a little further it becomes a jungle. Its beautiful here!

 *Mom- my favorite scriptures would either be: 1 Nephi 17:13

   "And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led."

or... 2 Nephi 22:2 

 " Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation."


Love you all---more news next week!
 -Elder Roy

April 15, 2013

Well its Monday morning and I have some crazy stories to tell!  It's 8:30 pm Sunday there. I'll start with some pictures first and try to tell some stories about whats going on with pictures.

This was me standing on the Tatalon Bridge, I am not sure if  I already sent this one but here it is, its a cool picture!

Elder Kmetzsch eating halo-halo at chow king, they have THE best halo-halo

These next two are of me acting like a model:D

This one is when we threw Elder Niar up onto my bed

This guy is friends with Cam and is from Cedar City, I gave him a note to give to Cam.

I ate way too much at this dinner appointment!

Transfer day happened and this was my new companion Elder Lynn from RIVERTON, Utah, but his parents moved to California.

  This was at the baptism of Brian Gopo, super cool!

haha this was painted on a gate close to our church building

Me and Elder Lynn

Us eating at Manginasal

 I changed my resolution to a little bit higher on my camera again so I am not sure if I will be able to send the last two. Anyway I'll get into the good part of the story. 

So I was so excited to be Elder Lynn's companion, because he trained Elder Iosefa (My MTC Companion) and came to follow up train me, and Elder Kmetsch went to follow up train Elder Iosefa. Pretty crazy that that would happen! So we were 4 days in on Saturday and we were already doing awesome, but then after the priesthood session of conference the assistants to the president came and asked if they could talk to us. They told me I would be emergency transferring to a new area. I couldn't tell if they were for real. I loved my area and I didn't want to leave it. I am still a little shocked. 

Anyway I am now in a area called Bagong Nayon, it is a pretty beautiful place, but I just don't want to have to get to know a bunch of people again!:D -and now my new companion is Elder McDonald from Payson Utah.

More news soon,
-Elder Roy

April 9th, 2013

Alright its time to write you all. I will be getting a new companion tomorrow and leading... (leaving? not sure if this is a typo-Dolly) the area!!! I am a little scared, but I will be ok. Next week  P-day will again be on Monday. Also, thank you all for all the letters! Thank you Maddy for the skype info! I cant wait until Mothers Day!!!!

 Next- we haven't yet seen conference yet, that will be this weekend, and I am so excited to hear all about it- and I cant wait to go through the Cedar City Temple! (Is it going to be back behind the hill by the stake center? or up on the hill?)

 So last week I think I told you about Elder Niar and how he sleeps through everything, I will send you pictures of him up on the bunk bed haha!

   

That is way awesome that Jaden is learning to read so fast! I have only been out for 4 months on my mission! From what I have been reading it sounds like the blessings are in abundant supply.

We have a baptism this coming Friday, it is for Brian Gopo, he is 15 and his little sister and his uncles family are already members. They had been teaching him I think since November of last year, and he didn't really start going to church until about the time I got here. We had a little trouble getting the ok from his parents, but they finally said he could attend. He is really awesome and really smart. He has almost finished all of second Nephi! (the Tagalog Book of Mormon is like 200+ pages longer than the English one.) His uncle is going to be baptizing him.

I dont have spell check so sorry if some of this looks like crap.

I can't really think of anything crazy, or crazy stories, everything seems normal now.

Oh I got one...There is this tatay that we see that is about 75 years old, he has 2 beard hairs that are about 5 inches each, its one of the coolest things I have ever seen!

Alright pictures.

Never mind my camera died! no!!!!!!!!!!! Alright I will send them next week when I have a new comp and after we watch conference! I love you all and hope you are all safe and such, and I am thankful you all sent me emails!
-Elder Roy

April 2, 2013

 I forgot my camera! But that's ok... I have some things to talk about!

First of all, we got to go to the temple today and it was AWESOME!

So- last week was Holy Week here, it was quite the experience. We have heard of people in Pangpanga that nail themselves to cross's or whip their own backs. We saw some people driving around with big crucifix's and even a Black Nazareth Crucifixion, that was a first. 

On Holy Friday, (first let me explain that movies don't really have ratings here), we went to a member's house to visit- and they happened to be watching The Passion of the Christ, So it was kinda weird, but I guess in a way its about the Atonement.

On Friday to Sunday...everything was quiet, and the roads were a bit barren. It was too quiet!

Transfer day is coming up next week!!!!!!!!!!! We should find out who is transferring next Monday! oh on temple day and transfer day we have p day on Tuesday, so after next week it should go back to Monday p days again!

 So a few weeks ago, I was new to the train system here, and I almost got left behind! The thing was crammed packed like a sardine can, and I was like there is no way I am getting on there and my comp and Elder Niar and Elder Latu got on, and I was just standing there! The door starts to close and I got my foot in the way of it closing just in time! Then I had to shove in to the dumb thing! I am not the smallest guy around!:D

Next story- Elder Niar falls asleep and is out cold! You can slap him and punch him and he doesn't even wake up. So we decided we would move him to another bed, so we moved him into the one below mine. It was pretty funny, but we wanted to see if we could get him up onto the top bunk! So we did and we put him up on my bed under the mosquito net. I have pictures that I will send next week. Anyway when he woke up he was so confused... we laughed for a while and that's is pretty much it.

I have seen a lot of different things here, like rooster fights! but I will talk more about the crazy stuff after my mission.

Next month is Mothers Day and we get to Skype!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway I love you all! goodbye...Love-Elder Roy