More Pictures!

Pictures!!

08/29/2010 - New Companion

New Companion: Elder Sanglap

08/29/2010

Ya so transfers were pretty sweet! I got a Filipino Companion and his name’s Elder Sanglap. I know him from my old zone. We had more fun than I had in a long time with him so it's way good my last companion was kind of grumpy sometimes but he liked to work so I had no complaints it was just quiet.

So ya at transfers I was sitting in the office and President found me and was like what are you doing in here, Elder Hale is looking for you? So I asked where he was and he was like inside. So I was like oh I see cause I knew that meant pres wanted to feed us and I was talking to Elder Riner and president said take him with you. Elder Riner didn’t know what was going on so I was like Elder Riner, trust me, you want to come with me and he was like ok and we went and had American Food again. It was so good! I look forward to transfers just for that -- they’re amazing cooks seriously.

I’m in the same area and I hope it stays that way for a while but I did get the package just now. Luckily someone, actually Elder Hale’s old companion had to go to Cauayan cause he is super depressed cause Elder Hale was his favorite companion and he misses him! (kinda sad but true – Filipino’s are very sensitive). But now Elder Hale's old companion is a good friend now because another Filipino was making fun of him cause he was crying so I was talking to him cause I know Elder Hale and just tried to get him to be ok and the other Filipino came up again making fun of him so I said that I was going to hit him so that he would be the one crying and we would laugh at him in a joking manner! If you understood Filipinos you would understand how they are! But anyways after that he saw I had a package at the mission home and he picked it up for me. I can’t wait to see what’s in it though I’m really excited actually. But anyways I’m going to go for now I’m going to get back on later this is just a warm up! Haha!
Love, Jas


Hey it’s me again … so I opened my package ate a granola bar and made macaroni and cheese and I almost cried. It was so amazing but it did get me thinking about steak and mashed patataas and got me missing all those delicious foods! Hahah! But it was worth the thinking!! The flashlight is also perfect that’s exactly what I wanted. The black one is pretty sweet and small but you were missing a few things in the package haha (like pictures and that book) but that’s ok you can send those later. Oh and also if you could find my old grey gameboy and a Pokemon game for it send that to me next time. My companion told me that when he was little (16 he said -- hahaha i made fun of him) all he wanted was a game boy and the pokemon game. Haha! but I told him if you could find it and he worked really hard this cycle I would give it to him! Haha! he goes home here pretty soon. He’s pretty cool. O miss my old comp but I think I actually enjoy my new one more sometimes. I don’t understand everything cause he talks really really fast and sometimes he eats all my food and bothers me a bit but other than that he likes to have fun and he likes to joke around. So he’s fun!

Elder Hale is no longer in my zone as you know but Elder Dahlin is so I get to see him every week! It’s pretty sweet to see him again. Elder Riner got transferred too but he didn’t make it very far just a zone below Roxas but I think he will probably be short there but who knows.

Anyways though I’m having fun and enjoyed getting that package so much it was way awesome just what I needed but anyways I should probably be going.
Love ya, Jason

Breakfast at the Mission Home!! 08/26/2010

Elders Ward, Farley, Hale, and Riner

Pictures!!!!!

Let it Rain - Let it Rain - Let it Rain!!!

Elder Ward shares his backpack! JRW

A Philippine Sunset!

AWWWW!!

08/22/2010

It is really weird how quick the time does go by….. I was thinking just the other day Jordan is going to be home then shortly after Matthew then shortly after him me its really weird how quick it really is. This country really has grown on me. I wouldn’t want to leave if it wasn’t so hot 24/7. It is so awesome how it’s so care free and relaxed definitely not a place you or Andrea would like cause of the sanitation issues but other than that it’s pretty sweet.

We had an awesome baptism this week. The investigators have been investigators for a good 5 months and they decided it was time. It was so amazing there were so many people. Our mission baptized tons of people this Saturday and it was way cool cause president told us to pray for success and to focus on giving the baptism commitment and all the sudden 100 or so people get baptized it was way cool.

Sounds like you guys are having fun at home I can’t wait to play with the little kids and go hunting and stuff but at the same time I don’t want to leave the Philippines either its weird!

But as for you getting released that’s crazy I think I would be stoked for the time off haha. but that’s nice now you and dad can get up to the cabin and finish it with all the new free time haha! But yes I'm still sick but it’s much better I will survive. Other elders have it much much worst like no kidding I should consider myself lucky -- some elders have lbm (?) for months like 9 months straight that would suck. I think I'm the only elder on the whole mission that hasn’t had diarrhea once. I tell everyone I have a strong stomach. As for a US doctor that’s pretty funny mom good one... haha …. there is one in Manila actually they have a St. Lukes that’s where all the really sick missionaries go.

But thanks for the package I'm excited for it even though if I don’t get it this transfer it will probably be until next transfer so like 6 weeks but that’s ok it will just be all the sweeter when I get the package! But anyways we eat at the same members house every night she’s way funny she is the most talkative lady in the world haha! She has two daughters that are Eric’s age. They told me Eric is cute and that Eric should add them on facebook haha! I took some pictures over there but tell Eric they’re pretty cute too! Haha! But it’s weird here cause you always see 14 & 15 year old girls with kids and married and stuff. They graduate high school at 16. We don’t eat out much we usually don’t eat much for breakfast and have a quick lunch and leave. Then we don’t get dinner till 9 so we are usually starving by that time and eat alot. I am getting skinny but not like skinny skinny cause I work out all the time so I'm getting alot stronger but loosing fat cause you can't really eat bad food here haha so its a win win situation.

But anyways - funny story time …. so remember that guy that I told you was talking about astronauts? Well this week we asked him who the first people on earth were and he said "how should I know I wasn’t there." It was so funny he speaks Ilocano so we don’t understand much but we understood that and started laughing and he started laughing it was pretty funny. But I have a weird question at byui do they have or teach Ilocano too or can I take a test to get my Ilocano credits cause I started studying it too and I think I’ll probably speak Ilocano and Tagalog before I leave so I was just curious cause that would be alot of credits.

k funny story again! You won't appreciate this one but it’s hilarious ... so we were walking home and me and Elder Poloai were on splits and it was dark but we see this dog crossing the road and a huge bus driving on the road and in the Philippines they don’t stop for anything for people, dogs, goats … they don’t stop they just keep going. But anyways this dog was just walking so Elder Poloai grabs my arm and was like o....o.... o..... he couldn’t speak for a sec cause he was watching what was about to happen so the bus just smashed this dog - ran it over! Then another huge rice truck drove over the top of it and then another truck ran it over but the wheels didn’t hit it and he pulled over so we're sitting there with flashlights just standing about 7 feet from the dog just watching and the guy gets out of the truck goes to the dog and pokes it twice he doesn’t say a word to us just pokes it grabs it by the tail and takes it and puts it in the front of the truck like the cab of the big truck. Then I said to Elder Poloai “What - is that guy serious?” and my comp at the time said “yep”! it was so so funny the guy was seriously going to eat this mangled nasty dog and ride with it in the front seat the whole way home nasty huh. If you saw the dogs here you would be really disgusted they’re all diseased and nasty looking but anyways I got to get going!
love ya, jas

I wanted to tell you about a zone in the Philippines that I guess is supposed to be getting a temple and the success of the missionaries over there but I figured you would enjoy hearing from my president directly …. He is so awesome!

Dear Fellow Missionaries:
What a wonderful week it was for our mission! I am happy to report that this week, we have very, very few health issues. I had no personal calls regarding any problems with companionships. Whatever little issues came up, the Zone Leaders handled them. Thank you. This tells me that the things we have been talking about (obedience, divine companionship, no regrets, focus on your purpose), are taking hold.

The highlight of the week is definitely the 43 baptisms we had in the Tuguegarao Stake. It was a sight to behold. It was inspiring to see rows upon rows of white clothed people, waiting to be baptized. It was humbling to see a long line of people following each other into the waters of baptism. Truly the Lord was pleased! There were other baptisms in other parts of the mission, making this week one of the most productive for us. Thank you, Elders and Sisters for your efforts and devotion. I sense an increased level of spirituality and commitment from you. Your love for your investigators are evident in your letters to me. I am so grateful and humbled by the opportunity to meet some of your special investigators with special needs and unusual situations. I am impressed by how well they have been taught by you. I have been touched as tears flow and they expressed their testimonies and faith in the Savior, His atonement, and the message of the restoration. During these special interviews, these investigators, without exception, speak of their love for you. What a great testament to you, my dear friends.

08/15/2010

Yes mom I'm feeling a bit better still sick but better it’s ok I’m not losing work or anything it’s just stomach problems! It’s a usual thing here in my mission. But anyways sounds like you guys are having lots of fun. Sounds like a blast.

That is crazy how Eric is starting school already. Time really does fly. This cycle of my mission is almost over which is crazy and I know my comp is getting transferred which sucks. I would have hoped for 3 or 4 cycles with him but obviously that can’t happen haha! But ya anyways I have 2 baptisms this Saturday. I’m stoked for them -- they are awesome awesome converts they waited to really know if that’s what they wanted to do. They have been going to church for 9 weeks now so they’re really solid.

But with your new buddy just do what you’ve been doing. You have to set a good example then continue with it don’t just fade out all the sudden like we usually do and don’t be pushy I would just call the lady and ask if she’s still doing ok and everything with her daughter’s death. Old ladies are chatter boxes so as long as you get a conversation rolling it will work out. We had this lady that I saw on this porch one day and I could just tell she was a Catholic. She was wearing a huge decorative cross necklace and we went up to the porch and she said she doesn’t want to talk to us she doesn’t want all the conversations back and forth about religion and trying to convince her "we’re wasting our time" she said before we even opened our mouths and she said it in English. So of course I said Nanay you are really good at English where did you learn it? and like Nanays do she just went off talking how she lived in California and how she had a really hard life until her church paid for her to move to California and be some sort of priest lady. Then she started talking about Obama (she was a little racist but that’s beside the point) and she was just visiting and she was leaving soon but after about 30 minutes she says but I really think that my children could use a religion like yours cause see our church isn’t strong enough here in Indiana (a place we were tracting) they need something that will help keep the family closer. So we started teaching her kids later. They’re not progressing cause the church is far and they don’t want to go to church. But my point is that old people want friends and someone to listen they want to be congratulated for there accomplishments. And what not but anyways I would just talk to her and try to be her friend. That’s it.

But anyways one more short story for you about old people -- so we are teaching this old guy he speaks only Ilocano. He can’t read and he can only hear out of one ear and if you are yelling at the top of your voice so this man’s family are all members except him so we are teaching him about prophets. We said one sentence in Tagalog and his kid screams in his ear Ilocano so he can understand. So we are teaching and we tell him prophets are called of God and he was like I believe in prophets cause if we didn’t have prophets we would have airplanes (are translator tells us) so we’re thinking ok ya I guess whatever you say. Then we continue on and ask if he believes there’s a prophet today and he says of course there is if there wasn’t any prophets how in the world could they land on the moon. So we find out he had prophets and scientist or astronauts mixed up haha! It was so funny and after that my chair broke in half and I fell on my butt and he was just laughing his head off he is so so funny. I have pictures of him! It’s hilarious. So I guess that lesson didn’t go so well!

But anyways I got to get going.
Love ya, Jas

08/08/2010

Sounds like you have been having fun -- ya that’s crazy about the sister that knew Matthew. Why did her parents move to Mountain Home? Is she cute? Haha! Just joking!

But anyways yep transfers are in 2 weeks. This cycle has gone by way fast - I’m not excited for transfers cause we pretty much know my comp is gone. He has been here a long long time so I’m kinda sad about that. But oh well - we’ll see how it goes you never know. Also I’ve been sick lately and I don’t know why. It’s really weird but Sister Carlos takes care of us and she’s really on the ball about that stuff. She’s awesome!

But anyways we have a bunch of investigators - things are going really good. But nothing too
crazy has happened so ill just talk to you next week!

Love ya, Jas

08/01/2010

I don’t have to much to tell you but I guess I can tell you a story from awhile back I forgot to tell you -- so of course here in the Phillies we get lots of catcalls cause we’re white and gwapo (handsome) : ) but anyways unfortunately the catcalls don’t always come from just girls there's all these cross dresser gay guys that always say stuff. My companion taught me how to say slang for I'm going to hit you. So we were walking down the sidewalk and this cross dresser called me sarap (which means delicious) so I said babasagin ko mukha mo (which means basically I'm going to hit you) the gay guy did this little yelp gay surprised thing and was like you can speak Tagalog. Haha! My comp was just dying from laughter it was pretty hilarious.

But anyways I was talking to Matthew and he said he only has 10 months left. It’s crazy the time goes by so freaking fast. It’s crazy especially when you have a comp that works hard. We’re already half way through our cycle and I feel like I just got here. I'm scared cause I know my comps getting transferred and I’m going to have to endure another workless cycle haha! No I might get another hard worker who knows. But I’m going to send you some more pictures so you better enjoy them. oh the picture of the flash light the one on the left the red one is kinda what I want but it can be any color. The brighter or shinier the better.

There’s not very many baptisms on really soon but we have 6 investigators with dates so we should be looking at some soon. It’s kinda hard cause my comp had a really hard comp to work with last time so he didn’t have a lot to work with now we kick butt and we have 6 dates. That’s how it works -- the harder you work the more you have! But anyways I cant think of anything else to tell you - you can ask me a whole bunch of questions if you want I don’t care cause life here is just normal to me now so I always forget little things but oh well I guess I'll talk to you next week. We might come email again later so if I think of anything else to tell you I might write you again cause this internet shop is way better than all the rest it's fast too.

I know something else happened funny this week but I can’t remember what it was so I guess I’m going to have to start writing things down cause I forget too easily,

Anyways I’ll talk to you later!
Love ya, Jason


Matt's letter
Ya it’s way sweet. I’m excited about my new area for sure. I like it here a lot better haha but ya it does go by way fast it will be over before you know it especially when you work hard. This week me and my comp slaved, like seriously killed ourselves, we had about 20 member presents and like 10 others also with 40 oyms that’s like way way awesome for our mission. We had to waste a bunch of time with district meeting and stuff cause my comps the district leader so we have to waste basically a whole day every week to get to Solano for accounting and district meeting and this week we had to give a presentation to little kids about hygiene and go spend a bunch of time doing other peoples baptism interviews. So for all the time helping other people we still crushed it this week.

But anyways keep up the good work. The Tagalog is great I feel like I need one more cycle and I’ll be able to say whatever I want. I can basically say what I want now but sometimes I trip up. Haha but anyways I’ll talk to you next week!
Love ya, Jason