10/25/2010

Yes I got the package and yes I have a fridge. We are very fortunate cause most people don’t. It’s part of the missionary standards that we need a fridge. It’s been missionary work as usual. Let Brian know I am in Almaguer not Bambang Mismo but Elder Dahlin is in his old area Bambang. They just baptized Jolina Valdez and Brian should know her - they live next to the church. I don’t know why but I thought Jace Riley went out after Matt. I lose track of everything that went on back home.

We sometimes make refreshments but usually they just take care of it. But Coach Mederios and Tesar are studs. Is Eric doing any sports right now?

Anyways sorry my email is short and not very informative but I feel like I don’t have anything new to say - maybe next week I will. But anyways I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for the long email!

Love you, Jas

PS: Elder Dahlin said to brain storm package ideas with his mother. And that the flood only made it neck high on him and he's a swimmer so no big deal hahaha. We laugh about the storm cause nothing happened here!

10/23/2010 Stop worrying MOM!

So just to keep all the mothers from worrying, our Zone Leaders told us today to get out and email cause I guess the moms are worried. So anyways my area didn’t even get touched. I guess when you’re this far south you miss out on all the action but it went through the center of my mission. Everyone else got it pretty bad mostly up north. But ya it’s like nothing ever happened in my area. It was like a windy day in Idaho for us. The good part is it has been a lot cooler lately and I’m not at all upset about that but anyways don’t worry all is well!

Jas

Lastest News about Super Typhoon "Megi"

Sister Carlos has posted from the Philippines....

"Wednesday, October 20, 2010WOW! What a TYPHOON So now we are officially residents of the PHilippines Islands. We've gone through our first Typhoon. This one hit at a level 4 in Ilagan and Cauyan areas--the highest level is a 5. Most of our zones south of here just experienced some wind...s and heavy rains. But here in Cauayan we had winds at 150 mph. I've never seen anything like it and the winds were even stronger in Ilagan.

All missionaries are doing well. Some are currently without power. The past two days we've been helping our missionaries move to suitable housing as a number of their apts flooded or the windows/roofs were blown out. All of these elders or sisters are happy and have plenty of food and water. They are busy rendering service to those in need under the direction of their branch leaders.

I always felt safe and so it was kind of exciting to watch from our vantage point here at the mission home. But today I went to an area that used to be lush and green and in every direction I looked there was not one leaf remaining on any plant. Just huge trees without leaves. It was quite eerie. I saw home after home completly devestated. Yet, I saw people out trying to saw off broken limbs to use as new support beams and all with smiles on their faces. These people are so amazing. WE've been without power and Internet for 2 days but it all just turned back on!I will try to post some photos and video in the next day or two.

THank you for your prayers. We could FEEL them here. We have so much to be thankful for at this time.

Typhoon Megi (report off the internet)

CAUAYAN, Philippines — Typhoon Megi inched away from the Philippines on Wednesday after killing 19 people, as relief workers scrambled to deliver aid to remote towns that were devastated by the storm.

The governor of the hardest-hit province of Isabela, Faustino Dy said that residents in three coastal towns had suffered massive damage to their homes and were left with limited food supplies after huge waves washed away roads.
"Their food supply is only up to Sunday. But going there is very difficult. There is no road to reach them," Dy told reporters in Cauayan, the closest city to the worst-hit towns.
Dy, who had flown by helicopter to the devastated areas, said that as many as 20,000 people were affected.
Many of them had survived by fleeing into the mountains before Megi hit, he and other officials said.
Regional social welfare chief Arnel Garcia said the government planned to send food and tents to the affected towns of Maconacon, Palanan and Divilacan but that both air and sea travel were dangerous.
"Helicopters have to pass through the mountains and the mountain ranges are often covered with clouds," Garcia said.
US ambassador Harry Thomas said in a statement that US military personnel and equipment that was already in the Philippines for a joint exercise would be diverted for typhoon relief.
"My embassy team is in constant contact with Philippine authorities and NGO (non-governmental organisation) representatives to determine how we can be of further assistance," Thomas said in a statement issued by the embassy.
Megi smashed mostly farming and fishing areas of northern Luzon with gusts of 260 kilometres (160 miles) an hour on Monday, making it the strongest typhoon in the world this year.
The three million residents of Isabela province and other areas of the Cagayan Valley farming region were the worst hit.
The government raised the death toll to 19 on Wednesday, up from 14 the previous day, after more detailed reports from around Luzon were compiled.
The civil defence bureau said it was still sheltering over 10,000 people in evacuation centres across northern Luzon while roads were being cleared.
Although the typhoon was already over the South China Sea, the government weather station said it had remained almost stationary on Wednesday, hovering over the western coast of the Philippines.
The typhoon, which is still packing maximum gusts of 210 kilometres (130 miles) per hour, is expected to continue hovering throughout the day before moving northeast towards southern China, the weather station said.
The first level of a four-step storm alert remained in effect over several provinces in the northern Philippines due to continuing rain from the typhoon.

10/18/2010 - Lockdown before Typhoon "Megi" Hits!

Well I wish I had something to tell you - we have been in lockdown for the last 3 days so I’m bored out of my mind! We got permission to go out and email for one hour then run back to the house. But so far it’s not very eventful - what a way to spend my pday huh!

But that’s awesome BSU’s number 2. That’s insane if at the end of the season they are 1 or 2 they have to get a BCS Bowl bid there’s no way. But who knows.

Saturday one of our investigators got baptized. She’s way awesome! She truly has it figured out and understands. I made a graham cracker cake for the baptism and it was fun but after we had to rush back to Bambang and enter into lockdown mode (it sucks) but I am with Elder Dahlin and Jenkins and their companions so there are 6 of us which is okay.

The typhoon isn’t supposed to hit us very hard. It’s supposed to be just a liitle one now. But we’ll see – there’s a lot of talk going on and I’m not sure what’s legitimate and what’s not.

Well that’s my week how was yours. Almaguer is small but the branch is really strong. I finally broke down and told my companion that tracting just isn’t working and we need to work with the members and have them help us find people to teach cause we haven’t found a good investigator in a while and we’re running out of people to teach. So hopefully they step up to the plate and realize it’s important. I know they can they just have to do it.

Anyways that’s my week, I’ll update you on the storm next week.

Tell dad to email me his hunting results and to start researching our big hunt for when we get back! Haha!

Love ya,
Jason

10/11/2010 Staying in Almaguer w/ Elder Sanglap

k I am in Almaguer or just Bambang Almaguer is to little to find on a map. Also they go by provinces kinda and I am in the Nueve Viscaya Province the second most southern area in the mission. Yes my comp is still Elder Sanglap Walang transfers sa amin (we didn’t have a transfer). Directions on the map find Salano then go South. You should find it.

As for bringing up Bishop Kelly and old games that’s just messed up. I’m trying hard to forget those. But that’s awesome I want to see BSU in a BCS bowl game. Who do they have left this season as far as good teams go?

If you liked President Monson’s talk on Gratitude listen to Holland’s it was so so good! I want to get the hard copy. I also like the Aussie guy - Heton Herron (Elder Patrick Kearon) or something like that. It was good too. People sometimes don’t realize how important it is to just take counsel from people that are looking out for you. It’s so simple anyways I liked them all I just need to get the hard copy. I don’t really like the talks on addictive substances and stuff it’s hard for me to stay completely focused but Sunday I realized that it was much easier to find something beneficial if I was putting my self in the shoes of my investigators instead of looking for only things that apply directly to me.

K I don’t want to be corny but I heard one talk and I don’t remember who it was but he said his parents died but they left him so much. Anyways I thought about Grandma Sillito when she died she literally had barely anything she didn’t leave any riches or anything that I know of but yet she was the most Christlike and truely Mother Teresa like person that I know but what I’m trying to say is she literally left nothing of worth as far as worldly things but she left so so so much more important things. She taught you and her kids to be strong in the gospel and to care little about yourselves and focus and cherish up the things that are important to you to always help anyone or anybody in need and do it because you feel the Christlike love for those people. Too many people in the world help others but they look at it in a helping themselves way. They help others then say hey hey look at me look what I’m doing I’m Christlike I’m like the Savior. and they don’t realize that they care too much about the world and they focused so much on worldly gain that they shadow out the truly Christlike people. I realize that the people that are truly Christlike and truly care often times are the ones that seldom get noticed. Their actions get overshadowed by the world and the unjust. I just thought about Grandma and even though I was young I don’t think she ever did anything just for her or she ever was worried about herself she truly understood what it means to have Christlike love. I’m so so so glad I heard that talk and had the chance to learn from her example just like you did. She left so so so much behind for us.

That’s sweet that Eric’s a Priest. He is getting old. I can’t believe it but anyways – what’s Jordan’s plans does he have any yet. As for the package i haven’t got it yet but I’ll get it in a couple days maybe.

Love ya, Jas

10/04/2010

October 4, 2010

hahahaha - I can’t wait to talk to President tomorrow. He is never going to hear the end of Utah State beats BYU ouch! That’s got to sting a bit.... but anyways so this week was pretty much like last week except busy. First we had District Meeting then we had to go to Cauayan for Finger Printing. I am now official - legal in the Philippines. Also I found out I’m not getting transferred and wer’re getting a cell phone in my area which is nice.

Also, I baptized that old man that always said funny stuff and he couldn’t walk down the font stairs so I had to pick him up and carry him down. It was pretty exciting. I was wearing Baptismal clothes that didn’t fit cause I didn’t wear my own. You’re going to laugh when you see the pictures it was pretty funny. But an awesome experience!

Today we had a little sportsfest with my whole District just for fun since it’s the last Monday of this cycle. I guess there isn’t going to be any transfers in my whole District which is kinda crazy usually people come and go left and right but I guess not this time.

That’s crazy that Jordan’s back - seems like he just left. There is not a single day that goes by that I don’t sweat 10 lbs. It’s really that hot!!! I can’t ever ever imagine living here and I can’t wait to sit in the normal weather and not be covered with sweat and all itchy cause I’m sticky. That’s how bad the weather is and it’s supposedly the coldest time now and I’m in the coldest area so you can imagine just how hot it really is.

Yep General Conference is next week and it’s my second in the Philippines. I love it – it’s so nice to just sit and relax and listen in a nice air conditioned building. I’m really looking forward to that.

Anyways, I’ll let you know when I get the package. I should get going and yes we still have a few baptisms on the calendar - hopefully they all happen.
Love ya Jas

I told Jason that Elder Cook from the Seventy is going to be in the Philippines and visiting some of the missions there. This was his response about that.
He is going to Tugegero for a training with Branch Presidents and stuff. I don’t get to see him or at least I don’t think so!

PS: Mom before I forget I’m going to need contacts!!

MTC Buddies 10-2010

New Temple in the Philippines!

Sister Carlos posted on her blog ....
"So exciting to hear President Thomas S. Monson announce a new temple to be built in the Philippines. It will be in Urdaneta, a province adjacent to our mission. It will be a wonderful blessing for our saints here who have had to travel 10-12 hours to get to the Manila Temple. Now, it will be as close as an hour from Nueva Vizcaya, the south part of our mission, and about 6 hours from the northern most portion of our mission, Tuguegarao. Next week, we will have a meeting with Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Twelve, and Bishop Keith McMullin of the Presiding Bishopric. I am sure there will be a lot of excitement at that meeting."

Announced by President Monson on October 2, 2010, Saturday Morning Session of General Conference!