09/26/2010

We didn’t get to do our English class cause Family Day at the church went a lot longer than planned. It was so so fun! I’m not sure if we were supposed to be there all day but our Zone Leaders where there and every other missionary in the District so I figured if they thought it was ok then it must be. It was so so fun though - probably the most fun I have had on my whole mission. It’s so different here. You would think that those activities would be dull and boring but it wasn’t. It was very fun! talaga but they had dances games talents all sorts of fun things but it was just fun cause everyone gets involved and they’re not shy or scared. They just go around and talk to everyone. In America we have all these cliqs (not sure on that spelling) and stuff. Little groups of people but here the District is like their friend group, everyone knows everyone, so it’s like one big family and they all act like they would around their family so they’re not scared to be funny or get laughed at. It was alot of fun really!

I’m kinda scared cause transfers are getting close so I hope I don’t get transferred. I don’t want another area but President kinda hinted that I might be opening a brand brand spanking new area and I really don’t want that responsibility right now. I would much rather just baptize the 10 or so people we have lined up and ready to be baptized than get transferred to something where nothing is set and nothing’s ready - starting from scratch sounds like too much work for me. I’m worn out as it is in my area with lots of support and success. But we’ll see! I think my branch will have a heart attack if I leave too! I finally know how to speak Tagalog and I feel way more affective now and the branch is getting amazing and I don’t want it to stop. But we’ll just have to see and if I get transferred, I get transferred I guess right?

But anyways sounds like you are having a lot of fun this week. We have a baptism on Wednesday and then we should have a few more next week but General Conference has kinda got us a little messed up. But the old man I told you about that thought Prophets were Astronauts - he is getting baptized. He’s pretty cool and funny.

Anyways that’s my little update. Other than that I just worked worked worked.
I’ll talk to you next week!
Love ya, Jas

09/19/2010

Haha! He actually ate that canned meat crap – that’s gross. No I eat it a lot too but it’s actually pretty gross. I just eat it to survive. I would rather have those kippered snacks or sardines things rather than the meat crap here. But anyways that’s the life of a Philippines Missionary!

But anyways this week was ok. Less active people are so much more difficult than just everyday investigators but we have about 13 people that should be getting baptized in the upcoming months as long as they stay on track. It’s really hard here cause we have some of the highest standards for baptism in the whole world. Matthew and I were talking about it back when … it’s sometimes really hard for people but if the believe and realize much more is at stake than their worldly lives they will suck it up and realize they don’t need beer or coffee and they can sacrifice enough to go to church or pay fast offerings and tithing.

I am now teaching English classes. Our first one is coming up this Saturday so I will let you know how that goes. I’m excited cause it should be pretty eventful. I know I’m going to get there and there’s going to be about fifty giggly girls but oh well I guess giggly girls can bring friends.

Today we had a zone activity. It was pretty fun! The only problem is I had no time to get anything done today other than go to this activity but it happens I guess and it was fun! We went to this huge shrine thing. It was pretty cool it was like a huge statue and it’s owned by this way rich Muslim guy and he opened it just for us and he didn’t let anyone else go in. I guess I wasn’t there to talk to him but that’s what they said.

It’s crazy how much has changed since I’ve been out! It’s crazy that Eric is 16 and I’m almost a year in the field it goes by quick. I want to see pictures of the cabin though and see how its going. I don’t know what else to write. Sounds like you guys are having fun and staying way busy. Andrea told me all about Bryson good thing he is ok now. How was your second trip in one year to England? I got to think I’ll probably never get to go back there but oh well I’ve got lots of other places to go.

I probably got to get going - Love ya Jas

PS: Here is a bit more about the Zone Activity Jason's Zone had in Elder Dahlin's words. (I borrowed it from Elder Dahlin's email this week)

"Today we had a zone team building and unity training, really cool! It was at Rizal Shrine in Bayombong ... really cool ... Rizal is a national hero here in the Philippines. The owner of the property had it closed to the public but we talked to him and asked if we could use it and told him what we were doing. He was cool. He spoke only English. He is from Jordan, not from the Philippines, he told his guards to only let the Mormons in. What a stud! Oh, and then he asked Elder Jakens how many wives he was allowed to marry. He told him one. Then the owner said: “Ahhhhh you are not as good as King David.” ahhh ha we had a good laugh about that!"

Elders Dahlin, Apin, Ward, & Hardman!

After Zone Conference - August 30, 2010

09-13-2010

k this week I don’t have too much to tell you. My companion was sick so we didn’t get out too much then he had a training so I went and worked in a new area so I don’t know really how my investigators are doing. I got to work with Elder Kelson in Bayombang which was fun.

President told us all that we could go to Bwanehe which is where the rice terraces are so we had it all planned out then all the sudden president said we couldn’t go so we got all pumped then president changed his mind. but o well I think we might get to go as companionships – I’m going to ask president about what happened but anyways there hasn’t been a lot of new stuff going on just the same old same old stuff.

I’m excited to get another package soon haha just joking but I do love packages that much too bad they’re so dang expensive otherwise I could get one once a week haha Just joking but anyways sorry this email is so short I really don’t have much to talk about there wasn’t a whole lot that happened but I’ll try to think of more stuff to write next week.

I do have a recipe for you, Andrea and Bill - I was going to send it to Ang but she didn’t email me so she doesn’t get it till next week. ok all you need is graham crackers, all purpose cream (i think its just cream that comes in the carton not yet whipped), and sweetened condensed creamer, then some fruit or cookies depends on you. all you do is mix 1part cream with 1part creamer (i like it better with a little more cream than creamer but its good either way) then you but a little bit of the sauce in the pan then a layer of graham crackers just lay them flat then a layer of fruit or a layer of crumbled cookies then sauce again then repeat until there is no more space in the cake pan. Then put it in the freezer and when it’s frozen take it out and eat it. It’s really really good you guys will love it no joke you might want to try it with grandma! It’s really pretty amazing you wouldn’t really think of it. One thing though make sure you don’t over do the sauce otherwise it’s really sweet.
But anyways

Love ya
Jas

09-06-2010

Sounds like you’re all pretty busy! I’m way busy now too we have so many appointments it’s crazy! My companion is a beggar (a missionary who begs to be able to teach someone) which is ok we’re just really busy now with investigators that probably won’t progress. My mission is more focused on finding the elect rather than just anyone -- but we do have some really great investigators the problem is the bulk of our investigators right now are not married to their spouse. In the Philippines the whole marriage thing is really really different. Here it is illegal to get a divorce which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but the problem is they have really low moral standards so it’s really hard for them to settle down to one person when they are worried it’s not going to work and they only get one shot -- so right now that’s kind of a big hurdle. We have 8 investigators that want to get baptized but are not yet married or can’t get married cause they were married to someone else before so it’s hard. We have a couple of younger people that are awesome so they should be baptized in a couple of weeks.

But anyways not a whole lot has happened this week. Last week we had a zone conference and Elder Edwards our area authority was there and he was a stud. He was a lawyer and he knew what he was doing he was awesome. Me and a couple Elders stayed and talked to him for about 30 minutes after our conference. He was super awesome.

One of my close friends in my zone Elder Kelson had a cousin that got shot and died last weekend so he was having a really hard time with that. I’m not exactly sure what happened but I guess he got to call his mom and it was pretty hard on him. I think he is ok now. But I don’t really have much else to say! Everything is going good here!

So I’ll talk to you later!
Love Jas