Sept 28
Kumusta!
Who ever said Tagalog is like spanish is
crazy, and even if it is like spanish, I don't know spanish so it is still
hard. Today is my first P-Day, and they will be on saturdays for my zone from
now on. This is day 3
I believe and I am absolutely loving it.
My companion is Elder N., he doesn't know Mark but I thought that
was kind of cool. He is super awesome. He is from American Fork and has a
brother serving a mission right now, in the philippines
Naga Mission
The first day we got to the MTC we put our
stuff in our apartment and then went to class. Our teacher, brother kaka who is
from New Zealand
So just to let you know what a district is and
how that all works cause I never could figure it out:
A District is basically your class and who you
see all the time. they can be elders and sisters, in ours we only have 3 sets
of kasamas (companions) and usually the kasamas go to the same mission, and
sometimes the whole district, but they can go to different missions.
A zone is a compilation of districts, that are
in the same Branch. So a Branch is the same as a zone.
We have a Branch President and his
counselors who are SUPER AWESOME. The president served as a mission president
I think twice in the Philippines
and The first counselor is like on his 6 Mission ,
and served a lot in the philippines Idaho , was in the army in vietnam
as a doctor and served a mission in the philippines
I don't know if you got my letter to you
all yet, but the MTC president asked us to write one to you so I did. It
kind of reiterates a lot of stuff I'm saying Here.
Don't think I forgot about MOMS 50
BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday! I miss you but I am happy (masaya)
where I am.
Oh, I am in the Rain Tree Apartments, which
are super nice compared to the MTC main grounds, and They are pretty nice.
There are 10 elders in one apartment, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathroom with a kitchen
that we never use and a living room. The food here is really good, so maybe
over on the main grounds its not haha. The only complaint is they don't have in
indoor gym and have to play basketball outside or volleyball in the sand, and
yesterday for our first gym day it was raining so we couldn't really do
anything.
The most spiritual experience I have had thus
far, and perhaps even ever, was the first night we were at the MTC. We had to
go to the Cougar Chapel, and basically teach an "investigator"
about the church (there were about 40 missionaries in the room that could give
their input). So what happened was a set of elders came in and knocked on a
door like a movie scene and the investigator opened it and invited them in. He
would be on his phone and what not and they would have a real conversation and
he acted like he was not interested and whatnot. Then the brother that was
leading the meeting paused it and had the elders leave and he talked to us
about how we were missionaries and were set apart to have the gift of revelation.
( By the way this guy that was leading it was Elder Christensan from the
district part 2, that was cool). The actor/investigator said that he
believes in God but he does not think that God would help with our temporal
needs such as money. As brother Christensan was talking about this revelation I
just knew what I had to say, but I didn't want to share it in front of
everyone. But as the first missionary raised his hand and the investigator was
tripping him up on questions, I felt the strongest feeling in my body that I
think I have ever felt. So I raised my hand and asked him if he loved his
children that he had. He kind of knew where I was going but was getting a
little more inquisitive and said yes of course. So I said well God is our
Heavenly Father. And he Loves us just like you love your children. And he cares
about your needs. He wants to help you. And that started other missionaries
bearing testimony of times they had felt his love and when they had blessed
him. The feeling went away after but it was so great to testify that and
strengthened my own testimony.
Also on Thursday we had a meeting with the
Branch presidency and they talked to us as a group and pulled us out to
interview us and get to know us, and we talked about how to be a good missionary
and good companion while the president was pulling people out. All day that day
we talked about what our purpose was and why we are here, and that is to help
others come to christ. I kind of just said okay I get it we don't need to keep
mentioning it a ton, but then it just hit me. I'm not here for me. The only two
duties I have is to teach and invite. It is on the investigator to do the
commitments we give and pray, but ultimately they are the ones getting
baptized, recieving the Holy Ghost, Repenting, And enduring to the end. We
cannot do those things for them, and so we must do everything we can to serve
them and love them to help them do that.
While The presiency members and their wives
were talking to all of the new missionaries (3 districts made up of about 4
companionships each) President smith asked to see a sister from the all sister
district, and elder from a mixed district, and me. So I am the district leader
over 5 other elders. And I don't know what to think. Im excited that the lord
trusted me with the calling, but I am only barely 18. Me and Elder N. are
the only ones who haven't gone to college. There is an elder- elder B.- who
is 23 years old, has a bachelors degree in Computer Science, and is a convert
for 2 years and on a mission! I feel so inferior! I interviewed them and was
amazed at each of their gospel knowledge. But I am starting to see why I am,
not to boast or anything like that, but some elders talk about things that are
not related to what we are studying, and I am able to bring the topic back.
Elder B. is the best at staying on task though, and does not like talking
about home at all, even what he did and how he found the church. I admire him,
He is picking up the language perhaps the best. We have to teach an investigator
2 on 1 in tagalog, the lesson is beyond short, and elder N. and I
struggled a lot. As District Leader I get the mail, and Brother Howard told me
the one thing to not mess up on is the mail, but every other mistake is a
learning experience hahaha. .
One other thing I wanted to mention, is Elder L., he is from an island
and was baptized one year ago!! He is SOOO FUNNY it is crazy. He says all this
stuff in tagalog, hes not fluent just picks it up faster, and Yells it. He has
a hard time waking up and going to bed on time, And I think he was homesick or
upset and his companion Elder J. was having a hard time getting him to follow the rules and to not just lay in bed
and Elder L. was having an argument, But Elder J. wrote down How to say I
love you in his native language and kneeled by the bed telling him he loved
him, and is easily the best companionship I have ever seen. Elder L. one
night was saying ( in good mood very loud) TOMORROW, WE SLEEP! and Elder J. goes
what about breakfast!?
Elder L: SLEEP!
elder j: what about class!?
L: SLEEP!
J: Bookstore?
L: Sleep!
J: Dinner?
L: Ok dinner, but then SLEEP!
I was laughing so hard haha, his accent tops
it all off, and he always says hindi which means roughly no or negative or bad
about things, and calls elders sisters. And he struts around in his Snapbacks
and glasses haha.
I love you all, Im having a blast and working
Hard. The language will come, or so the president keeps telling us, im not
sure.
Love,
Elder Rock
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