SKYPE

12-24-12

hii! Sorry we had a ridiculous zone activity today, I didn’t get my package yet, maybe next week at ZLC.

Would it be easier if I just skyped next week? President said we could do that, and I think it would make it easier because it’s a Sunday night and everyone will be home.. We have a meeting at 9:30 on Wednesday...

well... the problem with going later on Wednesday is that it’s no longer Christmas here, so we are back to a regular day of work.  I don’t know why, but Christmas isn't as big of a holiday here in the Philippines. Tomorrow we're probably just going to visit members, but it’s weird because I don’t feel like its Christmas at all.

Dec 18

Tuesday was the best ever. We had Zone Christmas Conference in Cabanatuan, and I got to see a lot of missionaries; mostly new missionaries that I had never seen before. Most of the Conference was focused on Jesus Christ, which inspired me to continue my reading of Jesus The Christ (which is probably the best non-scriptural book ever written). It has made such an impact on me, I get up at 5:30 and read it while Elder Quilaquil (my kabahay) [housemate]   lifts weights, because he's afraid of the ghost in our house (which may or may not actually exist. Both Elder Keene and Elder Quilaquil have reported suspicious activity). Today was also the last time I will ever see Elder Abuan. Nakakalungkot kasi! (what a pity) But I  got to see some members from Gabaldon!! (One of them had an interview with President Martino) and also from Cabanatuan (remember that cute little kid in the suit? Him and his mom stopped by after the meeting was over.)

Dec 19

This morning for work we tried to tract in this new area na Elder Garcia heard about but has never been to, and then we found out there's basically not any people there, so that was fun. Then we taught a recent convert who was "baptized into activity" as Elder Fort (who is quickly becoming one of my favorite Senior Missionaries) would put it, and he said he's been reading the Book of Mormon, he was so excited to tell us what happened and everything he's learned about it. This has been happening for about a week or two, and every time we go to his house, it just feels different. It makes missionary work so great when I get to see people turn their lives around.

Dec 20

Today we had a hard time teaching, because the college in town (CLSU) had a light parade and fireworks show in celebration for Christmas, and basically everyone attended. At one point we had some free time on our hands, so we got a few less active names and tried to find them, but most of them had moved houses. We asked a group of tricycle drivers (which is really like talking to a bunch of high school kids in the mall parking lot. They're not up to anything productive and probably doing something bad) about one less active, and he says "who gave you that name? where did that name come from?" and we told him na it came from our Branch President and he said "That guy died like 5 years ago, maybe more." So that was a fun experience. I enjoyed that 'wild goose chase' (is that a real expression?) looking for a dead man..

Dec 21

Today we basically didn't do any work. We had weekly planning in the morning, and a Christmas Party in Linglingay (The place where we are holding a special sacrament every Sunday afternoon). It was so much fun, we had games and a TON of people showed up, I wish that many people would come to church every week. Why is it that people will drop everything to come to activities or parties, but almost none of them would go to the trouble of changing their work schedule to be able to go to church? We had a ceramic bowl that they used as a pinata, it was filled with candy and people smashed it. They put blindfolds on these kids, and they looked like they were getting attacked by bees. Me and the First Councilor in the branch had to stand in front of them and catch the stick while they swung so they didn't make contact with any of the other children.

Dec 22

We did less work today than yesterday. around 2:30 we went to the chapel for our real Christmas party and helped them set up. It was great, the games here were WAY better than yesterday. This one game was a sack race for kids, but the sack was huge! So one little kid would take a loop around the gym, and when he got back, he would take another kid with him (instead of getting out of the sack and giving it to him) and the two of them in one bag would do a loop. With two kids, they did okay. With three kids, they could manage. At four kids in the sack, they were falling over , but still made it around one loop. When they had five small children into one empty sack, it was a complete disaster. They couldn't get all the kids to stand up together simultaneously. After the party, we went to the shop and printed some reports for our meeting on Sunday (we should have printed these reports on Friday, but we forgot.)

Dec 23

We spent the morning at church making copies for our SMC meeting in the afternoon, we ended up only making it to Sacrament Meeting, and we were almost late. After lunch, we had a meeting with President Martino and the Branch Presidents about the work, he was much more satisfied with the work we did this month than last month. Remember the Bombay that everyone made fun of a few weeks ago? we got him to work with us today, he took us around in his trike all day so we didn't have to take normal transportation. After planning, we made a graham cracker dessert for our Zone Activity on Monday

Dec 24

What a day... We wanted to have Zone Biking at 8am, but the Sisters showed up about an hour late. By the time we got to the place with the bikes, they were all out. So we made phone calls and talked to people and tried to get bikes, but no dice (look at that! Even I'm in a foreign country and I can still use expressions in English). Anyway we couldn't find bikes, so I taught people how to speed walk (I learned that in college, but maybe I told you) and we went back to our apartment. Once there, we all cooked lunch outside and ate the dessert, then everyone took off and left us to clean up. Which is why we are so late, because the San Anton Elders showered at our apartment which put us behind, and then Elder Garcia's family called and he talked to them for awhile. I'm just glad that P-day is almost over.

Ayway, my time is up! thanks for this great email time, And I cant wait to talk to you next week.

I love you!

Elder Williams

Elder Andrus and Elder Williams

Elder Lozano and Elder Williams

Elder Lozano Elder Williams

Elder Bustillo Elder Williams

Elder Williams and Elder Leishman

Elder Williams and Elder Auban

12-16-12

haha. Dad would love it, but when we come back I'll take him to some of the most frightening places in my mission. I would take you and Kenz and Kelsie to the best places and the things you would really enjoy, but I would only show dad the best parts. But he's right we do need to come back.

I can't take you there because I dont know if you could handle it.. Yeah I'll email on Monday and Wednesday  so we can get on skype and stuff. 

Mon 10

WE were supposed to go biking today at CLSU, but we called the missionaries in San Jose zone and invited them to come with us, since CLSU is basically the border of our zones, and they got there way before us. So the bikes were all taken when we showed up and didn't get to go biking.. Instead we went to PCC again and got some ice cream. Then we emailed and bought a few groceries and developed some pictures.. After that, we got done fairly early and went home and just laid around for the rest of p-day. I don't know why, but I ALWAYS am tired before I leave for work after lunch, but NEVER tired at the same time on P-day. I just need a nap, but it never seems to happen. I'm just tired all the time. We finished the day with FHE at the Oneza Family, it was way fun. Oh BTW I'm in a tri-panionship with elder Keene because his companion left yesterday.

Tue 11

Today we worked in Elder Keene's area today, so I don't really know where we went. But around 5:30, the APs texted us and said "Transfer announcements are in" so we went to the computer shop and got them, Elder Garcia is my companion for six more weeks! I'm so happy about that, I really like him. Then we made a fake transfer report that we used on Wednesday. After dinner we went to this old less active who is really rich and ate dinner. He told us how his house help makes him coffee every morning, and so we told him it was bawal (taboo)  and he said 'wait, but almost everyone drinks coffee. Even CATHOLICS drink coffee.' So we tried to explain that you can't do it just because everyone else does it. After planning we called the other zone leaders and asked about transfers in their area, there wasn't very many people who got transferred this time..

Wed 12

We met at the Munoz Chapel this morning and did transfer announcements. I announced the fake one and everybody believed it, it was so funny! They were all shocked at what happened, because we mixed up the transfer’s a lot. Then we had Elder Keene give the closing prayer, but when we all kneeled to pray, he said "Um.. Before I pray, I'm going to announce the real transfers.." Then everyone kind of shouted and were annoyed we had fake transfers, but that always happens at every transfers, so I don't know why they were surprised.. This afternoon we went to some place I've only been a few times and basically didn't teach anyone. It's weird teaching with three people.. I really like elder Keene and Elder Garcia, but a tri-panionship is the worst way to punish a missionary. I feel like I'm back at the MTC with Frearson and Stokes

Thu 13

Transfer day! We took elder Keene to Cabanatuan early in the morning , it was great to see all the other missionaries on this side of the mission, and just eat food and relax for awhile. As soon as he got his new companion, we went back to Munoz and elder Garcia and I went to work. We taught this old less active nanay, she's really funny and wants to do the right thing. 

Fri 14

This is the only area I've had that I haven't hated weekly planning! Every week it’s so simple! Teaching today was pretty great, we taught this less active today that we've had no progress with for weeks, but she came to church but last Sunday, so now we teach her a few times a week. During this one lesson,  A Family (some recent converts) told us about how sick Nanay has been but she just kept praying and then they had no money but she didn't complain, and then when it seemed like she wouldn’t live another day, her neighbor just came over and gave her some money to buy medicine and her daughter sent some money overseas and everything was good. I've taught a lot of spiritual lessons, but this was probably the best lesson ever

Sat 15

We went to Linglingay today, that really far area. Elder Fort is helping us to get organized and hopefully they'll get a branch out there someday, but we'll see what happens. We didn't teach anyone because the entire barangay had a meeting. So EVERYONE attended. Just our luck. Then we came back to the bayan and nobody was home there, either. I don’t know why but this week and last week we haven't been able to teach anyone.

Sun 16

Church was great today; a ton of less actives came today! But I feel like none of the active members were there, not even 100 people came to church today. We taught two recent converts today about temples, because yesterday they had a temple trip and they both did baptisms for the dead and had lots of questions. Also we talked to a part member family and set a baptism goal date for their daughter. It was postponed because her father had a WoW problem, but he talked to the branch president and we got it sorted out

so I'll just talk to you next week. I love you!

Elder Williams

REAL reason for Christmas, Jesus Christ.

Hello! I'm writing the long email right now so huwag kayong magalaala ( do not have to worry)

Yes the mission home is moving

It’s moving because it’s a way better location, it should have been moved a long time ago.

Philippines Angeles Mission

F. Tanedo Street

Tarlac, Tarlac 2300

Philippines

Mon 3

Today was... Stressful. We went to some place next to a river that wasn't that great and played silly games and ate some cold spaghetti. Then we were supposed to have an FHE at a less actives house, but she canceled on us, so we had FHE instead at our Branch Mission Leaders home.

Tue 4

Today was the best. We had basically nobody to teach, which is rare in this mission.. But the day ended with a dinner appointment at a members home, and Elder Abrenilla and Elder Keene came with us

Wed 5

Today we had DDM in San Antonio, Elder Bells area. It's so far away I wonder why people live there. We took a trike for close to an hour just to get to the meeting house. It was Elder Abrenillla's last DDM so we had a testimony meeting. Elder Keene spoke English, Elder Bell and I spoke taglish, Elder Abrenilla and Elder Mosquera spoke Cebuano and Tagalog, and Elder Garcia spoke Ilokano. It was really really cool. For lunch we went to a member’s home, and she told us about the time she spent in Hong Kong for work and that's where she got baptized

Thu 6

Me and Elder Abrenilla worked in Munoz 2 today, it was way fun. At first, I was worried because I thought he would be lazy since he was on his way home, but he worked way hard and we had such a good time. Then we taught a part member family; their daughter was supposed to be baptized this weekend but two weeks ago we found out her dad (who was going to baptize her) has a few problems with the word of wisdom. They told us about how nothing but problems have come into their life and their family this week, and Elder Abrenilla told them to stop arguing because it won't fix anything. It was the best lesson ever, Elder Abrenilla taught like he new about every problem they had

Fri 7

I worked with Elder Bell today in Munoz because Elder Garcia did a baptism interview in San Antonio. We got punted in just about every area we went to, I think we got punted ten times the entire day. We ended dinner at a less-actives home who is a little bit too obsessed with the missionaries, and she went less active because the last missionary here didn't like her very much. But she made us my favorite meal in this country, Itlog with kamatis and ampalaya and tuyo. Look it up on the internet..( Eggs with tomatoes and bitter and dry.)

Sat 8

Today was Elder Abrenilla's last day of missionary work. We worked until 7, and then attended a district activity with Elders Keene and Abrenilla, and Elder and Sister Fort. They fed us dinner (menudo with pinya) and we went home. Elder Keene is still scared of the ghost, so he fell asleep in my bed (because our room isn't haunted I guess) and I stayed up with Elder Abrenilla while he packed all his clothes. I tried to talk to him and get him to tell me stories from his mission, but he hardly talked. He mentioned about 4 times how sad he was and that his entire mission, he couldn't wait to go home, but now it's here and he'd give anything to stay. It made me really sad as well, I don't want to leave either. I've been here so long that things are just easy for me now and I don't have hard time with anything. I already struggled to adjust to a new country and culture,  I don't want to have to do that again in six months

Sun 9

Best Day Ever. Around 1pm, Elder and Sister Fort picked up Elder Abrenilla and took him to Cabanatuan, and Elder Keene became our companion. We worked until six and then went to the Christmas Devotional at the church; it was the best ever. After the meeting was over, it was dark outside, and I just FELT like there was snow on the ground. It was then I realized that it's not gifts or lights or snow or anything else that brings the spirit of Christmas, but it’s the REAL reason for Christmas, Jesus Christ. That's why I feel this way, but the snow and lights and cookies and gifts just add to the excitement. After the devotional, I walked out of the chapel and was honestly surprised that I didn't see snow.

Well my time is up, so I'll talk to you next week. I love you!

Elder Williams