11-25-12

hiiii..............

Monday

We went to the milka kreme place today (I think I sent you some pictures) and ate ice cream and drank REAL MILK, which I haven't had in over a year, it was amazing. Then we  went to our branch presidents home for FHE with the Munoz 1 elders, he fed us tons of food and I spoke English with his 4th grade son, I was impressed at his skills. During our planning, Elder Lieshman (the Assistant to the President) called and asked me about the work in Guimba Zone and how things were. It was a good talk but man he just talks forever!

Tuesday

We tried to go tracting this morning and met some really mean people. Today was the first time since I've been in this country that people wouldn't even talk to us. One guy wouldn't accept our message because he said our church was an abomination because we portrayed Jesus with long hair (1 Cor 11:14). We had Tenola for lunch, one of my favorite ulams. Then we were supposed to have a dinner appointment at this less active families home, but she was in San Jose and didn't get home on time, so we wasted about an hour doing nothing before we decided to leave. And it got rescheduled to next week

Wednesday

We had DDM today in Munoz, its fun to have DDM in Munoz because we have a high council room with carpet, so we usually blast the air conditioning and take off our shoes. Elder Lieshman (the AP), worked with us today. At first we thought he was going to be really stiff and kind of a 'fun-sucker'.  But we actually had tons of fun! I smashed his finger with a can of sardines for an object lesson, and an old Jehovah's Witness guy asked us what we believe, to which we replied: 'We believe that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and through His Atonement all of mankind can return to Heaven.' Then he said 'Oh, well as it turns out, we share the same beliefs. So... Why aren't you guys Jehovah's Witnesses yet?'

Thursday

Not much happened today. We had a dinner appointment in the afternoon, but before that I shared a spiritual thought with them (Alma 8:19) and they all laughed and thought it was pretty funny. Every time we eat at members I used my hands and my companion uses a fork and spoon, then they laugh and say something like 'oh, marunong pala si Elder  Williams magkamay!'

Friday

I worked with Elder Nery today in Munoz, it was fun, but I ended up doing most of the work because he is still really new. We stopped at 7-11 on our way home and I bought a stale donut so I could change my 1000 peso bill into smaller bills for pamasahe. Elder Bell did a baptismal interview in Munoz 1, so we had 4 foreigners in one house tonight. We had planned on going ghost hunting, but Elder Keene was feeling sick so we just had kwentohan until 10:30 and then I went to bed.

Saturday

We had a baptism today, and when we showed up to set up the font it was really dirty (I don't know how that happens), so I had to clean it. I ended up performing the baptism (even though I really didn't want to, I think a member should have done it instead). We went to LingLingay again and taught all the less actives again. Then to end the day we visited the Baldovino Family and we didn't even teach; after we ate dinner ,we waited for our BML so he could teach with us, and while we were waiting for him to join us, I think I fell asleep because elder garcia woke me up and said 'its almost 9, and we still have to take a jeepney home'.  Well nobody showed up so we just went home. On the way home we got stopped by some trike drivers who I thought might be drunk but I wasn't sure. About the time one of them said 'This one... brother. I take you to your home. You just sit here to the ba---. uh... sumakay ka dito sa likod. you understand to what I'm saying?' I decided we should just walk.

Sunday

Today after church we had PEC with president martino, which is a meeting with the district presidency and all the branch presidents, and we talk about the work and the less active people who are coming back  to activity. After the meeting we were waiting for a branch missionary to work with us, so we talked with sister martino for awhile, I really enjoyed it. Then we taught this one investigator and his girlfriend (who is a member of the other branch) joined us in the lesson, it went pretty good. We were supposed to end the day with a birthday party at a members home, but he canceled on us and so we visited a recent convert and had juice with crackers instead.

I love you!

Elder Williams

11-18-12

hiiiiiiii. So there’s a reason I'm so far behind in my letters... I haven't been keeping up very well in my journal since Elder Bustillo got transferred. I write down important things in my planner so I can record the details in my journal but because of transfers and ZLC and everything else I've been way behind. But eventually I'll catch up so don't worry! Today we went to the Philippine Carabao Center I'll upload some pictures.

Carabao is tagalog for water buffalo I think... I don’t know but they are everywhere, they breed them like cows here.

I saw the picture of Dallin Baker with his mission call, that’s so awesome!! Man it’s weird that when all my friends get home all their younger brothers are leaving and I'm still here.

The work in my new area it’s great. We had a baptism two weeks ago (but my camera was full so I didn’t get any pictures) and we have one this weekend, so I’ll take pictures. It’s certainly not as hard as my last area, I really enjoy it here.

Nov 12

Today we went biking at the college, it was fun but the bikes probably haven't been used in 50 years. Sister Dullete didn't know how to ride a bike so we taught her how. Afterwards we went to the Philippine Carabao Center, CLSU Extension. It’s like a small branch at the college for research students. Afterwards I got a haircut and we had FHE at this less active members home, it was fun and all but we played this weird counting game and every time you lose you  get charcoal smeared on your face.

Nov 13

There was a storm today, but nothing too bad here because we're away from the mountains and far from the shore, so it was just rainy. But by the afternoon it was gone. The less active we visited yesterday helped us work today at a part members home, all we do in this mission is baptize mga bata because the Area Presidency wants us to focus on part-member families, so we just reactivate part member families and baptize their children. At our last appointment we tried to teach this family, but their daughter lost her cell phone and they were in the middle of arguing about it when we showed up so we just left and said we'd come back another day

Nov 14

We had DDM in Guimba today, which was fun. I like this zone but we always have to travel. I want to go back to Cabanatuan or Camiling where I pay 10 pesos for transportation instead of 50 pesos. Then for lunch we ate Jollibee and I had Shanghai Rolls with extra rice. We also taught a recent convert family today, they fed us a snack that was bread ,but it looked like a banana cut into fourths down the center. It was good I guess, I don’t really know what it tasted like. 

Nov 15

I worked with elder Bell today, best day ever. It’s been over 6 months since I've been able to work with him, today was great. Some old guy yelled at us today: "Hey, where are you walkin-walkin??" So we talked his ear off in English. When we could see he was having a hard time, we switched to Tagalog and he was surprised and gave me a weird high-five after that. Like his hand and mine didn't make full contact, but his hand kind of slid down to my elbow. it was great. Then some drunk guy told me to teach him the gospel but I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. He was using some weird mix of tagalog/ilocano/english, I kept asking this kid on the street what he was saying. So taht was a lot of fun. Then we went back to the place where the family argued about the cell phone and they fed us spaghetti and we talked about the Cebu mission, that s where our Branch Mission Leader served. I guess for them they could watch Disney Movies on Christmas. That would be fun but make me so trunky.

Nov 16

We ate lunch today and Elder Garcia ate so much I thought his stomach was going to explode. He's getting really fat and comments on it all the time, but in their culture it’s okay to mention how fat someone is. Today the wind blew our neckties up and I saw his shirt, the buttons were about to burst.

Nov 17

Today we went to this really far place and met about 15 families who are less active because they can’t pay for a trike anymore. They all told us for years they've wanted to come to church but if they don’t work they don’t eat, so they are super nahirapan. Anyway we took all the branch missionaries and some trikes and went out there and told them to read the Book of Mormon again.

Nov 18

Today 165 people came to church, that’s the highest attendance I've ever had in my entire mission. The second highest was in San Clemente with Elder Casilac, we had 156. I found out today this church has a basement; it’s a bit creepy and super hot because nobody uses it. This afternoon we went back to that far area, (it’s called LingLingay) and held a special sacrament, I guess our branch president got special permission from the district president. For dinner we ate at a members home, we had Chicken and Pork Adobo. Then her husband asked me about the premortal life and said Satan was better than God (read Moses 4:1) because Satan came 'before' God. So I had to explain to him that’s not what it means. He didn't get it for like twenty minutes. Yeah the ice cream comes from water buffalo milk. Next time we go I’ll take more pictures for grandpa. Today I didn’t take too many because I'm 100% sure you've all seen cows on a farm but next time I'll take tons of pictures

well now I’m out of time so I’ll talk to you next week. I love you!

It Is Well With My Soul

We attended 2 mission reports of Elder Williams friend's on Sunday.  It is fun to see these boys turn into men

Hello

We went biking today and so we are a little bit late.. But I'll make up for not writing last week and write two long emails

Yeah it was awesome. Hey do you know when Patrick Wilson will be coming here?

Yeah I got both packages that Grandma sent.  I sent her an email to thank her but she hasn't replied.  Can you get Patricks email for me? I have some advice for him

Tell all the new moms to send canker sore medicine. They're inevitable; I've averaged about 1 per transfer this entire time on my mission. Everyone gets them all the time, but not as much as me.

 Can you send some Oreos? More Mo Tab would be awesome!   I'll have to think about what else I want for Christmas, that’s kind of a loaded question. Elder Bell and I will brainstorm this week and have a definite list by next week, so make sure to remind me again

 My favorite hymn is 'It Is Well With My Soul', but it’s not in our hymnbook I don’t think

The picture was soooo nakaka-trunky!  (I sent him a picture of his friends at a mission report)

I am uploading pictures; look in the folder labeled 'Guimba'

shoot you dont speak tagalog. but you know what nakaka-trunky means, right?

nakaka-trunky means 'it makes me trunky'

nakaka-takot= scared (it makes me afraid)

nakaka-pagod= exhausting (it makes you tired)
nakaka-tawa= funny (it makes you laugh)

 My favorite in the hymnbook is probably come come ye saints

Number two is Come Thou Fount

Number three is Come Listen to a Prophets Voice.

In my new area we have a lot to take care of and we work harder  every day than I ever have up to this point, but I really enjoy it.  Elder Fort is a really interesting guy. He's a great person to have a conversation with if you like to listen to someone talk about cars, communications, or the Vietnam War.  The Roberts actually went home back in May, Sister Roberts had a lung problem so they just ended early and went home.. Yeah they were great .I also enjoyed the Lutz's a lot

Also I forgot to tell you my #2 hymn is tied with This Is The Christ

As far as picking me up I think Pres Martino is fine with it, elders and sisters do it all the time. In my opinion I just want to come home, we can visit the Philippines another time, and plus when we come back I can go swimming.

Ok well my time is up so I’ll talk to you next week. Thank you so much.

I love you!

This is a portion of his last week because he did not send a long email last week

Oct 29

Today we went to Cabanatuan, it was great! I miss the heck out of this city. We had Goal Setting at the Stake Center in Del Pilar and lunch at a carinderia, then ice cream at the Lut'z home.

Oct 30

Today is what people call "Trunky Tuesday," because it’s the day before transfer announcements and nobody wants to work. So we called everyone in the zone and asked if they wanted to go hiking. The Dingalan Elders chose to work; Bongabon Elders wanted to come but didn't know about it so decided it would be better not to. The ZL's asked how long it would take and said they'd talk about it. I was surprised, I didn’t expect them to say yes. After the phone call Elder Tumala said they might actually come, so I called back and told them we weren't actually hiking. Sobrang nakakatawa. (super funny)  Then we taught this investigator and she said the Book of Mormon was "easy to understand", and my heart just swelled with joy. I hope I never leave Gabaldon

Oct 31

Inako po! I'm getting transferred, super nakakalungkot... (what a pity) The Zls called around 9:00 and told me I'm going to be the new Zone Leader in Guimba! My new companion is E Garcia, a former AP.

Nov 1

Today was sweet. We got on a bus around 7:30 to go to Cabanatuan, and the bus broke down twice, so we waited for another bus and they made us switch buses. Then at one stop we picked up a few people, and a crazy homeless guy got on the bus and the conductor got mad at him. I found out today that Elder Bell is my new DL in Guimba Zone! It was great to see other missionaries in Cabanatuan. I don't know where Elder Garcia took me today, but this is basically like my area in Cabanatuan. It has a rich neighborhood, squatter’s area, and bukid.

Nov 2

Nakakapagod masyado! (too tedious)  We woke up at 2:30am because we had Zone Leaders Council in Angeles at 8:00am. So we took an aircon bus from Munoz to Cabanatuan, where we met a few other ZLs and took a van from Cabanatuan to Dau Terminal in Angeles. I saw Elder Freason again, he got made a ZL too this transfer! I miss the heck out of him, it was great to see him again. We talked for a long time about our first two days in the mission home.

Nov 3

Best day ever. This morning I had my first hot shower in over a year! Then Sister Martino made french toast for breakfast, it was so good I ate until I was sick. We got on a bus and stopped in Cabanatuan for lunch. I saw President Somera today (from Gabaldon), it’s his birthday today and so he was there with his wife. We got home around 3, but I don't really know where we worked but we had a good time. I'm really tired.

Nov 4

Today we went to church, the building has carpet! This is the first building I've ever seen with carpet in the Philippines, I was shocked. After church we worked ,but I don’t have any idea at all what happened or  where we went.