Week 50 - True Man!

Ramon

We got a baptismal date this week. His name is Jefferson. He's 13 years old. He's awesome. Besides that we have a new investigator named Sister Lyn. She's in her 30's. Apparently the missionaries taught her before in a different area 3 years ago and then they moved here and didn't get to meet the missionaries. So we met her and we'll probably give her a baptismal date this week.

We had an elders conference this last week. It was awesome. The whole day was about being a true man. It was way fun. We also got flu vaccines. Apparently that was the test to see who was a real man. I didn't pass -.- hahahhaha jokes jokes! but it was a good fun week! This week should be fun too. Tomorrow is the birthday of a nanay here and of course we have a lunch appointment there. There's also a sister here that bakes cakes for the missionaries when it is there birthday so hopefully I'm still here for my birthday :p  Anyways that's about it. Hope y'all have a good week.

Cauayan Mission Elders Conference



Elder Rotamula, Elder Swensen, Elder Manalili, Elder Costacio, and Elder Llanda

Week 49 - Ramon in Santiago North Zone

Ramon

Sorry I forgot my card reader again so no new pics. It's hard to remember things because we're always doing stuff in the morning. We are just coming from basketball. So I am in Santiago North Zone, in Ramon. It's weird because this was Faa's last area. He said he loved it and I can tell why. Dinner appointments every night with a nanay named nanay linda. The ward here is pretty great too. So the only progressing investigators we have right now is Jefferson. He's 13 and a cool little kid. We taught him for the first time on Saturday and he went to church yesterday so he has potential.

So on transfer day we met in Tug city's stake center and then those who were getting transferred take the van to Cauayan where they catch a different ride to wherever they get assigned.  My companions name by the way is Elder Manalili. He's from Manila. He a cool kid. He's the first Filipino companion that's taller than me. I'll send pix next week. Nothing else has really changed. The house here is awesome I love it. It's surrounded by coconuts and the native orange thingy's here called suha. Other things that I forgot to tell you over the past year, I love blood. It's way good. I love balut too. I'm getting pretty good at cooking. and yeah I still love the Philippines, even though it's hot. I've talked to president about getting released here and he's game for it. I still plan to study here. So I don't know how that will go down.

New Companion, Elder Manalili, next to former companion, Elder Pawin

New area - Ramon

Week 48 - Awesome blessings before I go to my next favorite area.

Last week in Alcala

Sorry we couldn't send emails last week, there was a typhoon here and the power was out all day. Everything is good here. Because of the storm, we couldn't confirm 2 of our baptisms that happened 2 weeks ago, but yesterday we got them confirmed and then 2 of the baptisms received the priesthood. It's cool because I was the one who started teaching all these people and I get to see them get baptized, receive the priesthood and all that stuff.

I'm all getting transferred in 2 days, so that's a bummer. I like this area a lot better than my first so it really is a shame to leave. I hope I go down south somewhere like Bambang or Solono. It really sucks because I had to deal with the hottest part of the summer in the hottest area of the Philippines. Haha, but at least I'm still alive. We just had our zone activity earlier. It was way fun. This is by far my favorite zone too. Half the zone is getting transferred though. Every companionship has a transfer. Well that's about it for this week.

Take care I love you

Tuguegarao North Zone
Sister Villa, Sister Canlapan, Sister DeGuzman, Sister Seumanu
Elders Llacona, Arorong, Swensen, Faasavalu, Gabelo,
Einfeldt, Corcuera, Abadines, Reyes, Saguire

Zone Conference Jeopardy Activity

And lunch by Brother Pete

Alcala Friends - Park Shin Hye, Lynne Bueno, Elder Swensen,
Anjo Gonzales Tejano, and Irish Mae Tejano

Week 46 - I love this ward! (one year in the books)

Alcala

Hello yo, wussup. So this week we got it down for sure. We will have 3 baptisms on July 4. It was really kind of odd because E. Arorong didn't have any money to come up for the interview last week so we thought we were going to have to push the baptisms back another week.  We'll be having the interviews 3 days before the baptisms, but at least they'll continue.

 

We still haven’t found any body new that's actually interested. Of course there is plenty of people that are interested in meeting me and E. Faa, because we're both foreign, but that's about the extent of their interest. This last week we both got sick though. We bought some chicken Monday night and that night I woke up at 3AM and had diarrhea for one straight hour. Then the next day after our district meeting, E. Faa had diarrhea too. That went on for a whole week. Saturday we were finally able to work a whole day without going to the bathroom. It was way bad.

 

Other than that one of our LAs didn't go to church, but if he did he would have been reactivated. We had 4 investigators go to church. Honestly, I love this ward. I mean I'm always the fill in for when people don't show up for talks, I teach gospel essentials class, and sometimes when the EQ pres isn't there I teach there too, or sometimes in primary too. At the end of church my head hurts pretty bad from being the center of attention for that long, but it's fun. I have a real good time. 

 

Tanner has been out one year this week and he didn't even mention it.

 

 

Week 45 - Happy Fathers Day!

Alcala

Hey yo, what's up? Yesterday and today are the first days I'm actually homesick here. We showed up to Sacrement a little late yesterday and one of the speakers was missing so of course they asked us to talk XD. It's been 4 years in a row now that I've spoken on Fathers day. I wish I could skype you dad. I miss you a ton. We have 3 baptisms planned for  July 4. Other than that we haven't found any new investigators with potential. Everything else is aobut the same. We work hard play hard.

 

 

Week 44 - Philippines broadcast with Elder Anderson

Alcala

This week was pretty much average. Nothing exciting really happened. We didn't have church, we had a Philippines national broadcast with E. Anderson as the speaker. It was actually really good. We are still teaching the investigators I've mentioned to you. It sucks there was no church last week, because 2 weeks ago was the first time that the Rino family was able to go to church. I was hoping to just keep that rolling, but apparently god has different plans XD.

We don't really have any new investigators that show potential. It's the same deal with our less actives. We have a few that are saying they want to come back to church, but they don't ever come. Last week we also had our zone conference you should be able to get pictures there. I don't want to connect my camera directly to the PC anymore I think that's a reason why my camera freaked out. I also forgot to bring my card reader, so y'all can just wait till next week.

Week 43 - Another cycle in Alcala

Alcala

Sorry I didn't write last week.  For some reason my account wouldn't let me log in last week. I went to 2 or 3 computer shops, but nothing was working. Well it turns out I'm not getting transferred so I'm here for another 6 weeks. That's not bad at all though. I can't believe I didn't get transferred, but it's all good. Our next baptisms are 2 weeks from now. We have 2 young men that will be getting baptized. Also last Sunday we had 2 of our other investigators go to church for the first time so a month from now they should be able to get baptized too.

Haha That is a pretty funny joke. At the end of this month I'll have been out for a year now. That's so crazy to think about. It doesn't feel long at all. I'm happy that I have one year left as a missionary. They say the second year is a whole lot faster. So I guess we'll see.

Anyways thanks for everything guys. Members are getting angry at me, becuase you guys didn't give me enough CTR rings. XD  So you should probably get on that hahaha anyways I love you guys and I miss you guys too. Take care this week. Make sure to tell Greg at summer gamers that I don't miss him at all.

Tuguegaro North Zone

Elder Faa, Elder Swensen, and members of the Alcala Ward