The zest of life

MTC Companions back together again!

Elder Freason, Elder Williams and Elder Stokes

FINALLY!  a good picture. 

Hello PO!

feb 4

This morning I read John's Taylors writing about the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. E Bellen and I went jogging today, I could tell he was having a hard time, but I'm just glad I have a companion who is willing to run with me and wake up early pa! We had a zone activity at CLSU today, we went biking and then to PCC. After email (which was great), we went home and rested until 6:00. At 6:00 we had FHE at President Pajarito's house. E Bellen ate so much food now he's working out right now to make up for it.

feb 5

134 days to go! But don't think I'm trunky, I'm just counting the days so they'll last longer. D&C 134 is really interesting. It outlines the churches stand of separation of church and state. I love missionary work. Today one of our investigators said she tried to come to church yesterday but took a wrong turn and they got lost. But then she said next week she's going to bring her husband (sana) and her kapit-bahay (neighbor). Also we visited this other investigator, but he wouldn't come outside (its rude here to knocks on doors. you're supposed to stand by the gate and say Tao po! and wait for them"). So while we're waiting this little kid walks by and says "Who are you waiting for?" We told him we were looking for the investigator and he told us to wait. After a few seconds he came outside and said "He says he's not here. But I know he's there, I just talked to him!" So we laughed for a minute and he eventually came out and it was a great discussion. E Bellen met Tatay Bustos today that was a lot of fun.

feb 6

We didn't have DDM today because of mission tour bukas, so E Bellen and I tracted in Lumang Bayan. We didn't teach any lessons but we just talked to everyone. This afternoon we finally taught Tatay Bustos (it’s been almost two weeks). E Bellen thinks we might not have any baptisms here, but we'll see. Anyway, we want to focus in the bayan since E Garcia and I were always in the bukid. Tomorrow we have Mission Tour.

feb 7 

This may have been the best day in my entire mission thus far. E Illustrismo and Mosquera slept at our house last night so they wouldn't be late (also, they have no cell phone because they lost it). We woke up at 4am and left about 5:30am. Sonny Corpuz took us in his jeep to Guimba, were we picked up the missionaries there, then we drove to Paniqui, where our mission tour was held. Paniqui and Camiling were the only other zones there, but I saw E Stokes for only the second time in my entire mission. E Nielson taught all the zone leaders about leadership before the actual meeting, and in less than two minutes he explained to us why Catholics, 7th Day Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses don't worship the right way. Catholics are so worried about Mother Mary (who is wonderful. She was the only one worthy enough to be the mother of the Son of God.. eka.) That they don't focus on the redeeming or enabling power of the Atonement. 7th Day Adventists are so worried about what day Sunday is that they hardly keep it holy. And Jehovah's are so caught up in Jesus' name they don't properly worship. I had a really cool revelatory experience today. We have this part member family, that I want to help so much because the wife isn't a member, and her husband is an LA. 

feb 8

Another great day. We had weekly planning, and then the San Jose ZLs came to our house around lunch time because we have a special ZLC with E Nielson at the mission home. After lunch, the four of us set off for Tarlac. We left at 1:30 and got to Robinson Luisita around 4:45. At 5:30, we had dinner and ice cream at the mission home with E Nielson & his wife, and President & Sister Martino. After niyan, E Nielson taught us about the difference between kumilos (act) and pinakikilos (acted), especially in missionary work. He taught us also about becoming and discipleship. Basically, everything he taught us just blew my mind. The way I feel right now is the way I felt after my first ZLC when we talked about Light. When he was done teaching, we closed with a prayer and now we're all just upstairs talking to everyone.

feb 9

This morning I woke up and took a hot shower, sa opysina pa ni Pangulo! Ang sarap pala ng buhay ng missionary!(the President opysina more! The zest of life) I felt like I was at a hotel. Sister Martino (because she's a saint) made us all scrambled eggs and ham for breakfast. After a short devotional and message by Sister Martino (since President was already on his way to... somewhere), we all went to the mission office to get supplies and tumambay na konte.(and hung out for a little while) On the way home, we stopped at NE Pacific for lunch. O Babilonya. Namimissko kadakayo. We went with E Gifford and DeClaro to MacDo since they would take the same bus as us going home. We got to Munoz around 2pm and went to Linglingay. Work wasn't that great.. I'm really losing hope because nobody will let us teach and nobody comes to church anymore. We taught Mariss and Mae this evening and then I took Elder Bellen to the Parenas Family, but nobody was there pala. nakakapagod talaga ang pagiging missionary! (Fatigue actually being missionaries!)

anyway my times up.. I'll email you again next week.

Love you!

E Williams

19 months 2-3-12

jan 28

Sakit talaga sa ulo ang pagiging Head pain actually being ZL. We had zone goal setting this morning and everyone was super tahimik. (Silent) Hardly anyone spoke a word. Afterwards, we went to email and there was a brownout.  To make things even better, today is MCR Reporting and zone goals day. So we spent an eternity in the computer shop. Afterwards, we ate at Jollibee, went back to Munoz, then cleaned our house. Tomorrow we have ZL/DLC, so Elder Retaga and Weimer joined our FHE tonight at a members.

jan 29

I broke one of my new pens today, nakakainis! (annoying) This morning while we were getting ready to go to Cabanatuan. Once we got to Cabanatuan, we had McDonald's (yeah, it’s kind of a big deal) for breakfast and then the mtg started. President Martino talked to us about the Atonement, it completely blew my mind. He shared some things I never even thought about, like why Jesus performed the Atonement on this earth and if we have always had free agency there was always sin, even in the pre-mortal world. I found out today that next week we have a mission tour with Elder Nielson of the Philippines area presidency, and Friday night we have a special ZLC with Elder Nielson at the mission home. After the meeting today, we got on an aircon bus and went home. We were only able to visit people. Every lesson we taught was about things we learned earlier at ZL/DLC. It's starting to get cold and windy again, I don't know if I like it very much. I mean, my parents wrote me last week and said it’s incredibly cold there (-12F), but 70F is cold, too! (Relatively. Plus wind chill.)

jan 30

This morning, Elder Bellen woke up at 5:00am and went for a run! Best day ever! But I'm embarrassed how out of shape I am, after only a 30 minute jog my legs are sore. Last night I had this really weird dream that I was done with my mission. I remember my interview with President and seeing my family. The most vivid part of the dream is after my interview; both President Martino and I were crying our eyes out. I didn't want to leave and he didn't want to let me go. I remember coming home and being so... depressed. Ano kaya ang ibig-sabihin noon? Elder Bellen and I gave a workshop today about everything we learned at ZL/DLC, it went pretty good I think. Kuya Baldo worked with us today, we had so much fun. We taught this old guy who believed everything we taught but didn't want to get baptized because "its just the tradition here that we get baptized when we're still little." Then we visited  our recent convert, and taught about the Atonement because she doesn't know anything about it. I'm so tired. Today at lunch I laid down for about 20 minutes and almost couldn't get out of bed again. .

jan 31

I weigh 66 kilos. This is more than I've ever weighed before in my entire life. I want to be around 60 kilos when I get home, but I'm not worried enough to do anything about it. We started an 'exercise program' today, so I'm going to keep track of my weight each day. Work today was.. fulfilling. We've had a lot of OYM's to teach and a lot of people wanted to listen to us. Elder Bellen has an attribute that Elder Abuan had, they are both great with people. They always find a way to relate and make them feel comfortable. Anyway we taught a kid with only one leg about the Atonement. Except the part where I got bit by two bugs on my arms, it was a great lesson. We were way ahead of schedule today so we visited a member family and they fed us dinner.  She made the two of us eat by ourselves because we still had appointments and she didn't want us to be late. . On the way home we got our support money at the ATM and I bought some pandesal. Kay sarap ng buhay ng missionary. (With zest for life)

Feb 1

We went jogging again this morning, and sarap pala! Around 8:00, Elder Fort and Elder Lutz came and installed a new water filter in our house, its great! It's the filters we used to have when I was new, I don't know why they ever switched to the other one. After weekly planning I got a haircut and bought some food. Work was pretty goood today, I just do whatever Elder Garcia and I did, but next week we'll try different things. I love Elder Bellen, He's the only companion I've had that discusses lessons immediately afterwards. Sometimes today we had great lessons, sometimes not. We're working on teaching by the Spirit; twice today I found myself not listening and had nothing to say when it was my turn to speak. The worst part about being human is being such a slow learner. Why do I constantly make mistakes, even when I know what's right from wrong? Kay hirap naman pala ng buhay ng tao. (65 kilos pala.) Also, today I stared my D&C countdown, which means I read one section from the D&C each day until I go home. 138 days to go.

Feb 2

65 kilos ulit. I really enjoyed today. 137 days. The Fort's worked with us in the morning and we visited the Valderama Family, it was wonderful. They are so... mabait. After lunch (I had eggs with tuna and tomatoes) Tatay Corpuz took us to Linglingay, but I'm starting to lose hope. Before, we could teach so many people but now they're always gone or busy. I hope tomorrow will be better. This afternoon, we went tracting in the bayan, which has been untouched for 3 months. Elder Garcia said that’s the only place he ever worked with Heidemann; he was so tired of it we never went there. Everyone we talked to was super mabait, nagulat pa ako! Hopefully someone will listen to us here, it'd be great to teach someone close to the church. Later tonight we visited the Baldovino Family, but didn't get to teach. Only Rhea was there, this is what she said "Nasa Angeles kasi si Kuya. Wala pa si Mommy, at lasing si Tatay ko." I've never been so tired before. Nakakapago ang missionary work.

Feb 3

66 kils. 136 days. I read about the Lord's instructions for Zions Camp in D&C today. Today we went to church and Lorri, Irene, and Mariss all got interviewed for callings. While they were waiting, they stopped us and were really scared because they didn't know what the interview was for. In Linglingay, only 9 people went to church! I was pretty disappointed, but it can't be great every week. This afternoon while we were working.  Around 5:30 we stopped by a members home and they fed us barbeque and donuts. Then we looked at all the pictures of their son who is serving in the Tacloban Mission and taught them and taught them about missionary work. Jogging kami bukas!

ok I'll take some this week. Well my time is up, I'll talk to you next week, I love you!

1-28-13

 I'm still here in Munoz but my new companion is Elder Bellen! He was the first real friend I met in this country and the nicest person in the whole world so I'm totally okay with it.

Monday 

We had FHE with a family, he is our District President. His house is way nice, and they have a perfect family. The oldest is a 15 yr old girl who is really. Their 2nd kid is a 14 yr old and, their youngest is a 10 yr old boy. Any way we played this really great game called Sino ang Palaka (Who's the Frog?). It’s the best game ever; remind me to teach you when I come home

Tuesday

was a good day, we just worked like normal , but we got punted a lot so we visited this less active member who lives an eternity away from everyone and his house doesn't have electricity. When we stopped by he said "Elders, why haven't you been here in such a long time?" I didn't have the heart to tell him it's near impossible to get to his house. We ate dinner (na naman) at a members house and then got the transfer announcements at the computer shop. I'm staying here and my new companion is Elder Bellen; Elder Garcia is getting transferred to Camiling Zone

Wednesday

Transfer announcements! We met in the Munoz chapel and announced the transfers, almost all the companionship's got split up. E Garcia spent the afternoon packing his stuff and we went out and taught when the weather was a bit cooler. He said goodbye to a lot of people and most of them were sad he was leaving. Then we visited one of the  families and they refused to believe he was transferring. We even took a picture and he said goodbye and he was gone. They didn't even really care he was leaving, and I told them they would regret it when they knew for sure he was gone

Thursday

This morning we got on a bus and went to Cabanatuan for transfers, it was great to see the missionaries again. Elder Gifford bought chips and salsa, which I haven’t had in almost two years, it was so good! Once Elder Bellen showed up we had lunch at the church and went back to our area. We only visited a few people (and one birthday party) because Elder Bellen was feeling really sick. We got home and he was basically super-saiyan because his fever was so high so I gave him a blessing and he went to sleep.

Friday

So after weekly planning today, President Martino called me and said that a new missionary in my zone was having serious problems adjusting to life as a missionary, so he wanted me to work with him and help him out because he and I are the only foreigners in the zone (there's a girl from Fiji, does that count?) So Elder Bellen worked in Guimba and I worked in Munoz .

 Saturday

 Elder Bellen and I worked together today, it was tons of fun. We went to LingLingay and got punted a lot, we only taught one lesson. So I took him to a bunch of different families, and we ended the day with dinner at Brother Baldovino's house. Elder Garcia came here this afternoon because he was pinayagan ni President (I can’t think of the word for that. It means president let him come here to munoz). His companion was a temporary elder who went to India on his mission but his visa expired because the Indian government doesn't like mormons so their visas are only good for one year. He doesn’t know a word of Tagalog, but why should he, right? For now he's just here until his visa gets accepted, but nobody knows when that will happen.

Sunday

We had District Conference today, and I got to see President Martino, which was great. It was a very... enlightening conference. I didn't hear anything new from the speakers but I learned a lot. And we didn’t go to Linglingay for sacrament because of the District Conference and so we were really early to all of our appointments. We stopped to see a family and they were sad they didn't say goodbye to Elder Garcia but they got over it. We spent a long time there talking to them because they bought us a snack. After that we had a dinner appointment with another family, we ate sinigang na baboy, it was so delicious! And their anak was super kulit, just like always

"...and God will feel after you

 Hello

we had a zone activity at a less actives house today, he's super rich! We went to a less actives 'rest house' (he has two mansions, one in the city and one just outside of the city) by his bukid (field) and we cooked
barbecue and bangus and ate buko.

Jan 14, 2013

Finally a good P-day! E Garcia, Retaga, and Quilaquil went to Cabanatuan to get a chest X-ray (because they're going home soon), so I spent the day with Elder Keene and Verano. We emailed, went to Friendship, and the Palengke all before 2:00pm. We ate lunch, then nothing! Today was my first P-day in months I wasn't rushed, I loved it. A member got a job in Qatar and he leaves tomorrow, so we stopped at his house, ate TONS of food, and said goodbye. Then we went to a Families home for FHE. We played this great game called "Sino ang palaka?" (who's the frog?). Today was a great day.

Jan 15, 2013

Missionary work is pretty alright. This morning, we went to a less-active with Elder and Sister Fort, and a 20-min lesson turned into a 90-minute kwentohan (I think it means 'storytime,' or the equivalent of that. Try Google Translate). At lunch we went to Friendship and bought stuff for lunch, we got punted a lot this afternoon, but at least we got to teach a little bit. 

Jan 16, 2013

This morning we went to Guimba for DDM, it was pretty good I suppose. We went to a patay (funeral) and it started over 1 hr late. I gave a talk and assured them everything would be okay (see Alma 40). We then taught a few families. Then we walked home.

Jan 17, 2013 

. We went back to Rizal today looking for a guy, and we ended up only meeting his wife.  Elder Garcia made corned beef with Baguio beans for lunch, and we got punted a lot today. We taught a Family with Elder and Sister Fort, it was an experience of a lifetime. The  Family is all fluent in English, so nobody had problems understanding each other. We went to a members house tonight and they fed us food. By the time we were finished, it was almost nine and we had to get to the highway before the jeepneys were  gone, so we didn't get to teach. Another day na naman. Excited ako sa pag-uwi ko. Ilan araw na lang! nakupo!

Jan 18, 2013

What a day. We finished weekly planning really early today (10:38am) and Elder Garcia printed some sheet music that he's going to use at transfer announcements. I spent personal study time cleaning the house. Our neighbor in front was singing videoke and the neighbor behind us was playing the Worst of 80's Rock Music vol. 1 and 2. Instead of the morning, I spent lunch reading the book of Mormon. Today while we were working, some 16-yr old kid who looks 12 followed us EVERYWHERE. We walked into someone's house to teach, and he just stood outside and watched us. He refused to come inside or even talk. I bought a jacket in my last area and used it tonight because it was a frigid 20 degrees, then everyone we talked to or taught called me "Attorney Williams". To end the day, Elder Garcia and I taught a perfect lesson. We discussed the Fall of Adam and Eve with two recent converts who came from a referral from a member family. The Spirit was so strong during the lesson it actually surprised me.

Jan 19, 2013

This morning we were supposed to a have a "reactivation" day with members of the branch, but almost nobody showed up. We should have started at 9am, nobody but us and one other person showed up before 10am. We visited a few people around 10:30 until 12, and then ate Chooks to go for lunch. Our fireside was supposed to be at 1:00pm, but it got moved to 2:30 because nobody was there. Since we had tons of time to sit and wait, I read a bunch in the Book of Mormon. At 5pm, we had the baptism.  Of all the baptisms I've had here, this one was the best. After the baptism, we went to their home, then to Bagong Sikat but nobody was there pala. So we walked home because it was early and we had nobody to teach. I bought pandesal on the way home. I can't wait for tomorrow. 5 months to go!

Jan 20, 2013

Today was great. Almost never did I feel any desire or temptation to do something bad. During Sunday School, I was the happiest I'd ever been in my entire life, I can't explain why. When we came home for lunch, We went to the church around 2:00pm and left them to sort it out. Elder Garcia played the piano for the mUnoz 2nd Branch choir practice, they have a performance at the District Conference next weekend. While he played, I read the Teaching of Joseph Smith, it was wonderful. Out of everything I read, this is my favorite quote: "...and God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heartstrings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God."

Today was Nanay  43rd wedding anniversary, so she fed us spaghetto.

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