I'll respond more but right now i'm making a workshop for my district,
so heres another curveball and challenge for me....I became District Leader this week,
ahhh I'll update more when I email
love you all very much.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Feb 15,2010
Family,
I'm so glad to hear about everyone. Tiffany GOOD JOB~ I'm proud of you! honestly you're great 4.0 woohoo! I'll have to follow your steps but I'll eventually beat you in the end when I get enrolled in Princeton Theological Seminary ;) haha i'm kidding I don't exactly know where I want to go for Grad School, but I definately want to study religion as lame as that sounds! This letter will be pretty short, I'm going to try and send a bunch of pictures, I've been slacking over here. Zach goodjob man, mom sent me a picture you look like a beast! aisha talaga!
Jessy, Hope you're still working hard I love you. Mom and Curt I miss you very much. Sorry this is short.,
Case, YOur great man I sent you a letter today with John sheen and preston mcfarlene sorry it took so long! nooooo time! I dont know what im going to do when I get home but I rejoice because time will slow down!
I'm finally seeing here the majesty and glory of the Atonement.
Lifes great here on my end of the world!
I read Todd's letter and laughed. 20 lessons is his mission goal?
35 here! but we almost never get that. My goal I want to hit 70 one week, that would be..
impossible.
I love you all very much to end in the words of Paul, to which I have memorized
I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature, shall be able to seperate me from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus My Lord.
Love you all lifes great you're amazing!
I think you are worth every sweat that drops from my face and every sigh that escapes my breath.
ps.. girlscout cookies would be beyond amaaazing!
I'm so glad to hear about everyone. Tiffany GOOD JOB~ I'm proud of you! honestly you're great 4.0 woohoo! I'll have to follow your steps but I'll eventually beat you in the end when I get enrolled in Princeton Theological Seminary ;) haha i'm kidding I don't exactly know where I want to go for Grad School, but I definately want to study religion as lame as that sounds! This letter will be pretty short, I'm going to try and send a bunch of pictures, I've been slacking over here. Zach goodjob man, mom sent me a picture you look like a beast! aisha talaga!
Jessy, Hope you're still working hard I love you. Mom and Curt I miss you very much. Sorry this is short.,
Case, YOur great man I sent you a letter today with John sheen and preston mcfarlene sorry it took so long! nooooo time! I dont know what im going to do when I get home but I rejoice because time will slow down!
I'm finally seeing here the majesty and glory of the Atonement.
Lifes great here on my end of the world!
I read Todd's letter and laughed. 20 lessons is his mission goal?
35 here! but we almost never get that. My goal I want to hit 70 one week, that would be..
impossible.
I love you all very much to end in the words of Paul, to which I have memorized
I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature, shall be able to seperate me from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus My Lord.
Love you all lifes great you're amazing!
I think you are worth every sweat that drops from my face and every sigh that escapes my breath.
ps.. girlscout cookies would be beyond amaaazing!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
February 4
t's been very good to receive your letters this week. I get anxious like a school girl on P-Day's Eve (Sunday) because I know that I'll be able to see what's going on in your life the next day. So this week has been particularly good for me. oh and by the way ... HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA...I saw your new jeep that thing is amazing! So I'll explain what happened in my week than I'll go onto talk about your lives and my feelings and all those fun kind of things.
So E. Casuga left on Sunday and we hadn't talked since Friday because we got in an argument and I really couldn't work with him because I wouldn't have the spirit so I went on splits. Sunday as we are getting out of the jeepney (a ridiculous miniature metal school bus that drives like a maniac--I'm riding a short bus for the second time in my life) he tells me I still owe you money. I replied I know you do, you owe me 900pesos, 400 for water and rent, and 500 personal. He replied when I get home I'll send it to you. and I said "No you won't you will ask to borrow it from President"--I made sure he did this by texting president and telling him of the news. As missionaries when we are transferred we are suppose to leave enough money for 1 1/2 months and leave a 72 hour kit. Well when he received his support from his Dad he blew it on souvenirs--He bought like a ton of Vinegar(with Sili (peppers) and garlic in it) Honey, this disgusting fish mixture that is basically left over fish parts blended you're suppose to put on rice---I don't eat it. So he blew all his support on stuff for him, I figured this would happen so instead of asking for what he really owed me I ask him for only 900. and he didn't have it. His 72 hour kit was also all Sardines haa which is roughly 11P per can. That I expected also. but I wasn't going to let it bother me I told pres and talked to him. I bid him farewell with a hug and told him to take care. So from Monday-Friday I worked with E. Cabatuando in Lipa and Little in Sto. Tomas. Lipa is the biggest city in our mission with over 1 Million people. Yeah the work there...is horrible. But I really enjoy Cabatuando he's our zone leader and I'll definitely be sad when we part our ways which I am thinking will be next transfer which is March 12th ,but so is the life in missionary work.
Thursday: we were in Lipa we taught a few lessons, but then came home around 8 because all the missionaries from Mindoro were staying in Lipa with us because transfer meeting was in the morning. I had a good time with my buddies from the MTC.
Friday we got up early took the hour bus ride to alaminos and went to transfer day. Now I am told that our transfer meetings are different from any other mission..mainly because our mission president IS AMAZING!
Everyone is excited and the AP's stand at the pulpit and say "From the MTC/San Pablo/ETC Elder So and So Is TRANSFERRED!---Every cheers and screams it's ridiculous.. and his new companion is! ------------- and his new area is ---------- he is now the Zone leader/District Leader/Senior/ETC It's like the loudest I've ever been in my life everyone jumps around and screams! It's soooo much fun! So I was really freaking out at transfer day I had NO IDEA who I was going to get I was really hoping for an American. I asked E. Park who my new comp was and he said "Can't Tell you" TO which I replied American or filipino! and he said "Yes, He's an Elder"
So I was so nervous. Partially because my new companion was one of the last to be called.
So I finally heard it. From San PAblo zone! Elder Centeno is Transferred! and his new companion is.....ELDER GONZALEZ IN SANTO TOMAS!!!!!!!
Elder Gonzalez is now the Senior! aisha my mouth dropped. Not to criticize my companions, but Elder Bondoc was a new trainer and didn't quite teach me everything he could, and E. Casuga taught me how to be patient and humble. But aside from that I still don't know all the small things about mission policies. So I am trying hard to be the best senior I can be, Indeed it's humbling since Centeno's been out longer that I In the Field but we are the same batch. Meaning his mission started in July. I was sitting next to Elder Perry and Bernard from the MTC when they got their new companions...EACHOTHER. They were so excited! But I don't see how 2 Americans so new can handle but I wish them the best! They can do it I know!
Other than that I've been working with E. Centeno and like I said I really like him, we get a long well and I took advice from my ward mission leader and Todd (a calling in each ward nothing to do with the mission) to find ways to serve him---and I've started to do that. It's been fun of finding ways to help him out. Iron his shirt when he's downstairs, I even washed his clothes along with mine one night...that only took 6 hours haa. But I am happy and we work hard.
Now an update on the work.
We've been teaching Don Cababaan for quite sometime now. And he's still finding excuses not to go to church and he really needs friends in the church but I know he has a testimony and the joy he has at church is amazing. He'll probably be baptized on the 20th if I can get him ready. Another one is April Love Malinaw her mother is a member but inactive. funny how we found them, see how the Lord works in marvelous ways here. Elder Bondoc and I were walking home from the Palengki (public market) and we were walking by the big town lottery place of all places. and a security guard yelled at me. Elders Elders! come here come here, he spoke oddly okay English. He told us he lived in Australia for some time and was studying to become a priest in Italy for 5 years but then ended up getting married. He said my wife is a member of yours and I want you to come teach my family! come over at 7am any day. It was a bit early but one day we decided to finally go over there It's a bit of a way out there but we found April and her awesome family. So she'll be baptized on the 20th it's so great because the youth in Sto. Tomas are AMAZING and they've really taken her in. Other than that, Elder Centeno and I are just working realllly hard to get high numbers and a lot of lessons I really want the work to progress. Other than that this week I'm planning 2 events for sto tomas to try and get members. 1. I'm planning an open house, similar I suppose to what Todd did, open the church invite people from town to come and see, and have information about what we believe apparently they say it's successful. and 2. I'm planning a fireside and having the Couple Missionaries Elder and Sister Hunt(whom you talked to the other day---How COOL IS THAT! They are great! I love em they are the ones I spent Christmas with) and they will give a workshop on how Ancient Israel (The Jewish Faith) and the temple ceremonies are similar to our church today and the thing we do in the temple now I hear it's quite an amazing workshop---It's similar because we believe that the Jewish Faith used to be the true church of God and his chosen people, but when Christ came they continued to wait for their Messiah and then the teachings of Christ came with his apostles and that started Christ Church, but after Christ was killed the apostles couldn't keep the church together because it was so new and they were killed for believing and false traditions came into the church especially the writings of Plato and Greek Philosophy on the Nature of God. So we believe that God reached out again and restored his church in 1830. It's verrrry interesting.
Thank you so much again for giving me the opportunity of this amazing experience. I've found who I am and who I should be..I suppose now I have to found out how I get there. I know that it is through the Great God that gave us all life and I marvel at his excellence and adore him each and every day. I plead with him to bless you every day.
I LOVE IT HERE!
"Service is essential to salvation, knowing is not enough we must apply. being willing is not enough we must do, progress is not created by contented people You and I we must be uncomfortable in complacency"
Wise words of
Bruce R. McConkie
So E. Casuga left on Sunday and we hadn't talked since Friday because we got in an argument and I really couldn't work with him because I wouldn't have the spirit so I went on splits. Sunday as we are getting out of the jeepney (a ridiculous miniature metal school bus that drives like a maniac--I'm riding a short bus for the second time in my life) he tells me I still owe you money. I replied I know you do, you owe me 900pesos, 400 for water and rent, and 500 personal. He replied when I get home I'll send it to you. and I said "No you won't you will ask to borrow it from President"--I made sure he did this by texting president and telling him of the news. As missionaries when we are transferred we are suppose to leave enough money for 1 1/2 months and leave a 72 hour kit. Well when he received his support from his Dad he blew it on souvenirs--He bought like a ton of Vinegar(with Sili (peppers) and garlic in it) Honey, this disgusting fish mixture that is basically left over fish parts blended you're suppose to put on rice---I don't eat it. So he blew all his support on stuff for him, I figured this would happen so instead of asking for what he really owed me I ask him for only 900. and he didn't have it. His 72 hour kit was also all Sardines haa which is roughly 11P per can. That I expected also. but I wasn't going to let it bother me I told pres and talked to him. I bid him farewell with a hug and told him to take care. So from Monday-Friday I worked with E. Cabatuando in Lipa and Little in Sto. Tomas. Lipa is the biggest city in our mission with over 1 Million people. Yeah the work there...is horrible. But I really enjoy Cabatuando he's our zone leader and I'll definitely be sad when we part our ways which I am thinking will be next transfer which is March 12th ,but so is the life in missionary work.
Thursday: we were in Lipa we taught a few lessons, but then came home around 8 because all the missionaries from Mindoro were staying in Lipa with us because transfer meeting was in the morning. I had a good time with my buddies from the MTC.
Friday we got up early took the hour bus ride to alaminos and went to transfer day. Now I am told that our transfer meetings are different from any other mission..mainly because our mission president IS AMAZING!
Everyone is excited and the AP's stand at the pulpit and say "From the MTC/San Pablo/ETC Elder So and So Is TRANSFERRED!---Every cheers and screams it's ridiculous.. and his new companion is! ------------- and his new area is ---------- he is now the Zone leader/District Leader/Senior/ETC It's like the loudest I've ever been in my life everyone jumps around and screams! It's soooo much fun! So I was really freaking out at transfer day I had NO IDEA who I was going to get I was really hoping for an American. I asked E. Park who my new comp was and he said "Can't Tell you" TO which I replied American or filipino! and he said "Yes, He's an Elder"
So I was so nervous. Partially because my new companion was one of the last to be called.
So I finally heard it. From San PAblo zone! Elder Centeno is Transferred! and his new companion is.....ELDER GONZALEZ IN SANTO TOMAS!!!!!!!
Elder Gonzalez is now the Senior! aisha my mouth dropped. Not to criticize my companions, but Elder Bondoc was a new trainer and didn't quite teach me everything he could, and E. Casuga taught me how to be patient and humble. But aside from that I still don't know all the small things about mission policies. So I am trying hard to be the best senior I can be, Indeed it's humbling since Centeno's been out longer that I In the Field but we are the same batch. Meaning his mission started in July. I was sitting next to Elder Perry and Bernard from the MTC when they got their new companions...EACHOTHER. They were so excited! But I don't see how 2 Americans so new can handle but I wish them the best! They can do it I know!
Other than that I've been working with E. Centeno and like I said I really like him, we get a long well and I took advice from my ward mission leader and Todd (a calling in each ward nothing to do with the mission) to find ways to serve him---and I've started to do that. It's been fun of finding ways to help him out. Iron his shirt when he's downstairs, I even washed his clothes along with mine one night...that only took 6 hours haa. But I am happy and we work hard.
Now an update on the work.
We've been teaching Don Cababaan for quite sometime now. And he's still finding excuses not to go to church and he really needs friends in the church but I know he has a testimony and the joy he has at church is amazing. He'll probably be baptized on the 20th if I can get him ready. Another one is April Love Malinaw her mother is a member but inactive. funny how we found them, see how the Lord works in marvelous ways here. Elder Bondoc and I were walking home from the Palengki (public market) and we were walking by the big town lottery place of all places. and a security guard yelled at me. Elders Elders! come here come here, he spoke oddly okay English. He told us he lived in Australia for some time and was studying to become a priest in Italy for 5 years but then ended up getting married. He said my wife is a member of yours and I want you to come teach my family! come over at 7am any day. It was a bit early but one day we decided to finally go over there It's a bit of a way out there but we found April and her awesome family. So she'll be baptized on the 20th it's so great because the youth in Sto. Tomas are AMAZING and they've really taken her in. Other than that, Elder Centeno and I are just working realllly hard to get high numbers and a lot of lessons I really want the work to progress. Other than that this week I'm planning 2 events for sto tomas to try and get members. 1. I'm planning an open house, similar I suppose to what Todd did, open the church invite people from town to come and see, and have information about what we believe apparently they say it's successful. and 2. I'm planning a fireside and having the Couple Missionaries Elder and Sister Hunt(whom you talked to the other day---How COOL IS THAT! They are great! I love em they are the ones I spent Christmas with) and they will give a workshop on how Ancient Israel (The Jewish Faith) and the temple ceremonies are similar to our church today and the thing we do in the temple now I hear it's quite an amazing workshop---It's similar because we believe that the Jewish Faith used to be the true church of God and his chosen people, but when Christ came they continued to wait for their Messiah and then the teachings of Christ came with his apostles and that started Christ Church, but after Christ was killed the apostles couldn't keep the church together because it was so new and they were killed for believing and false traditions came into the church especially the writings of Plato and Greek Philosophy on the Nature of God. So we believe that God reached out again and restored his church in 1830. It's verrrry interesting.
Thank you so much again for giving me the opportunity of this amazing experience. I've found who I am and who I should be..I suppose now I have to found out how I get there. I know that it is through the Great God that gave us all life and I marvel at his excellence and adore him each and every day. I plead with him to bless you every day.
I LOVE IT HERE!
"Service is essential to salvation, knowing is not enough we must apply. being willing is not enough we must do, progress is not created by contented people You and I we must be uncomfortable in complacency"
Wise words of
Bruce R. McConkie
February 8th, 2010
Family,
I don't have a copy of the stuff you said because they changed myldsmail, it's now like google which is really nice because the other one was waaay slow so now it's faaast yeah google! and all that stuff.
I'll trying and address some of the things I think you said. This week has been very good to me. It's gone by realllllllly fast. and I'm exhausted. I've been trying really hard to push the work forward here, It's my responsiblity to make all the decisions again yeah! I don't really like that--but it's leadership and we need leaders here says President! I've really enjoyed my mission here and with E. Centeno it's a nice change. We've been trying to work hard and I've been learning a ton from him. I'm trying so hard to be humble and teachable because I feel at times extremely inadequate for the calling I've recieved I can't speak Tagalog nearly as well as I should, and I'm at a disadvantage with my previous companions and never having orientations---but I can't complain the Lord is with me and it's exactly what I pray for trials so that I can become better than I am.
Something I've been really learning this week and I talked about this in the tape I recorded I'm sure I'll send out soon. About the power of the Atonement or Repentence. I've said here before that my mission is faaaar from obedient and I've know and serve with a lot of Elders here who have done stupid things. veeeery stupid things., but because President is understanding and loves missionaries who did not send them home when he should he have and I've seen the change in these guys lives here. And I've seen many people who I thought had no hope change into something new and amazing. I really learned that lesson here. People always say it's bad to judge to fault find. And I find that extremely hard not to do. But because of this experience I am now very understanding of people, I don't have an understanding heart like unto Solomon but I really enjoy my new perspective on life. I'm able now because of this amazing experience that you've given me to see past people's faults. When they yell or are "bastos" to us. I can see that I would have acted the same way in their circumstances. I really cannot write all the thoughts or formulate a cool sentence to express everything I've learned in these past 6 months because they are etched into my soul but I'm begining to see the goodness of people and the goodness of the Lord of course! I love this work and these people. I'm physically/Emotionally/Spiritually exhausted but I'm also rejoicing in my time and season here in the mission field. you may not get anything out of the last paragraph I feel as if I am ranting, but if you could only peer inside my soul and the thoughts that I've had this week I wish I could convey them but it's impossible. I'm still not perfect, I never will be. Even when I come home I'll probably make the same mistakes I did before---hopefully not but I'm going to doubt myself. This sounds very "protestant" if you will, but I really see the "depravity" of myself or how dependant I am on the Lord. I pray everyday for strength and that he will mold me into what I need to become a better son, brother, friend, eventually husband, and servent of God.
I suppose I'll end in the words of Samuel because I feel like I don't have much to say but that I love you and care for you, expect a package in the coming months---thank you for everything I love you more than you can comprehend.
"Speak Lord For Thy Servent Heareth"
-Josh
p.s. mom I still rememeber the words you wrote in your letter they give me great strength.
I don't have a copy of the stuff you said because they changed myldsmail, it's now like google which is really nice because the other one was waaay slow so now it's faaast yeah google! and all that stuff.
I'll trying and address some of the things I think you said. This week has been very good to me. It's gone by realllllllly fast. and I'm exhausted. I've been trying really hard to push the work forward here, It's my responsiblity to make all the decisions again yeah! I don't really like that--but it's leadership and we need leaders here says President! I've really enjoyed my mission here and with E. Centeno it's a nice change. We've been trying to work hard and I've been learning a ton from him. I'm trying so hard to be humble and teachable because I feel at times extremely inadequate for the calling I've recieved I can't speak Tagalog nearly as well as I should, and I'm at a disadvantage with my previous companions and never having orientations---but I can't complain the Lord is with me and it's exactly what I pray for trials so that I can become better than I am.
Something I've been really learning this week and I talked about this in the tape I recorded I'm sure I'll send out soon. About the power of the Atonement or Repentence. I've said here before that my mission is faaaar from obedient and I've know and serve with a lot of Elders here who have done stupid things. veeeery stupid things., but because President is understanding and loves missionaries who did not send them home when he should he have and I've seen the change in these guys lives here. And I've seen many people who I thought had no hope change into something new and amazing. I really learned that lesson here. People always say it's bad to judge to fault find. And I find that extremely hard not to do. But because of this experience I am now very understanding of people, I don't have an understanding heart like unto Solomon but I really enjoy my new perspective on life. I'm able now because of this amazing experience that you've given me to see past people's faults. When they yell or are "bastos" to us. I can see that I would have acted the same way in their circumstances. I really cannot write all the thoughts or formulate a cool sentence to express everything I've learned in these past 6 months because they are etched into my soul but I'm begining to see the goodness of people and the goodness of the Lord of course! I love this work and these people. I'm physically/Emotionally/Spiritually exhausted but I'm also rejoicing in my time and season here in the mission field. you may not get anything out of the last paragraph I feel as if I am ranting, but if you could only peer inside my soul and the thoughts that I've had this week I wish I could convey them but it's impossible. I'm still not perfect, I never will be. Even when I come home I'll probably make the same mistakes I did before---hopefully not but I'm going to doubt myself. This sounds very "protestant" if you will, but I really see the "depravity" of myself or how dependant I am on the Lord. I pray everyday for strength and that he will mold me into what I need to become a better son, brother, friend, eventually husband, and servent of God.
I suppose I'll end in the words of Samuel because I feel like I don't have much to say but that I love you and care for you, expect a package in the coming months---thank you for everything I love you more than you can comprehend.
"Speak Lord For Thy Servent Heareth"
-Josh
p.s. mom I still rememeber the words you wrote in your letter they give me great strength.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
