Week #8: More Baptism and got to eat a shark!!! (but no pix)

Hello everyone!

So this week we had a baptism of Sister Sharon Natabio. She was found from a part member family. That's where our success is coming from. All our baptisms were from finding through investigators. We have 4 more baptisms coming hopefully. Anyways, I wrote an email before but it didn't send. I'll send the pictures next week.

So this week I got to try shark. It tasted like crab meat. We ate fish pretty much every day this week and we don't usually eat it with a fork and spoon. It's all with kamay-kamay. It's so much easier. So anyways, this week I locked us out of our apartment twice by leaving the key inside. I had to climb again to the second floor and it's quite difficult. Hopefully I learned my lesson this time.

Anyways, my Tagalog is getting better pero mahirap pa na makaintindi pero puwede magsalita pero ang vocabulary ay minsan mali. At least the members correct me if I make a mistake. I just got to make sure I'm able to understand Tagalog by the time Elder Polgo leaves because I'll most likely be training. I'll be lucky if he's a filipino but President Barrientos said most likely American.

Anyways, if you ever send me a Balikbayan box, can you put cookies, chocolates and contact lens cleaner? That's all I really need. Anyways, take care everyone! Love you all,

Elder Morales

Week #7: Siesta problems :)

Hello mommy,

This past week was pretty tough. We were low in the number of lessons.

 Mostly everyone was in the bukid or sleeping for siesta kasi talagang mainit dito. We're trying to get this one family to be baptized but the father just wants to investigate other churches until he's sure but has agreed for us to be his guides. We have been helping other families have FHE. Monday nights we're usually at the Maguddayao family having FHE with them. We're going to try not being there for one night then following up another night. Sunday's we have FHE at our branch president's. It's more like Relative Home Evening because his pamangkin go there. They live right beside each other. It's pretty nice to see that here in the Philippines. The families live so close to each other. In regards to families, can you please tell Alex and Jordan to email me? I'd like to know what's going on.

It's pretty funny in this area kasi walang talagang lalake dito kasi nagtratrabaho sila sa bukid hanggang gabi. (there are hardly men in this area because they work in the farm or hills)

Therefore all the people at home are babae.(girls)

 We had 6 baptism since we've been here and all babae. We have more prospective and again, babae. But we do have this one brother, Floyd Laud. We have been trying to teach him but he's been busy with school and graduation. He has a baptismal date but we had to reschedule due to him being busy. Even though he wasn't home, the first time, we ended up talking to his uncle. Then we met with his uncle again with his family. Then on friday, Floyd wasn't home again so we ended up sharing with his mother. The family is really mabait and open to listening to us. We hope we can help this whole family come to know the truth. The uncle will be tricky since he's really dedicated to his church but we have a plan.

As for updates in the Philippines, I had the pleasure of having LBM. Not really fun but it happens. Today, Elder Polgo made kilawin ng isda. (raw fish like sushi)  We had that last week at the Maguddayao house. I would eat the whole fish including the head and bones. Elder Polgo with remove those. Most meals are eaten by kamay-kamay. Just like home. My Tagalog is getting better. I can speak but I still have slight trouble hearing. I gave a talk on sunday mostly in Tagalog. I practice speaking with little children. Understanding the people here in this mission is hard because they have a heavy Ilocano accent.

So a bunch of new missionaries came in last transfer. All the missionaries in my district are trainer/trainees, me being the oldest trainee. What's more interesting is that they're all from visayas, well except Elder Cahigao (He's from Mindanao), but they can all speak Cebuano. So I'm pretty much stuck in a Cebuano speaking district. I'm the only Ilocano here in the district or even the whole zone. I have to start learning it. Anyways, that's my update! I love you all! Take care!

Elder Morales

Week #6: General Conference Week and a branch picnic filipino style but no pics!

Hello from Santa Ana!

So check this out. If you want to get an idea of my mission area, survivor (that reality show) is in my mission area of Cagayan. They're filming in San Vicente. So you'll get to see what my mission area is like. Anyways, I don't think I'm losing weight. I've been eating so much here. Elder Polgo said the foreign missionaries lose weight cause they don't know how to eat filipino food. The filipinos gain weight.

So this weekend we had General Conference. It was great. I never thought I'd be extremely excited for it. In between the Sunday sessions, we had a branch picnic. Lots of rice, lots of ulam. Mostly pinakbet and fish. Fish prepared in different ways. Even in mongo.

So about the pancit, since we had a baptism we said we would bring the pancit to celebrate but it was so late and the palengke had but it wasn't that great. Fortunately sister Ruaburo prepared some pancit anyways. So there was a lot of pancit to go around. A lot of the members always wants to feed us. Everytime we're at a house they say to stay and eat.

So when it comes to missionary work this week, yesterday we were on our way to visit this referral who wanted to be baptized. I texted him earlier to tell him we were on our way so we got on the tryce and headed to San Vicente. The main road was blocked because the guy running for mayor had all his cars slowly drive down the road blocking the main road. So we left and got a text from Gerald saying he can't be baptized because his father won't let him. It's so unfortunate but we'll pray for him. I guess getting stuck in traffic was the Lord's way of helping us not waste pamasahe and letting us know not to go to San Vicente yet. We also met this older couple, the Ritoria family. They are very open to hearing our message and sister Ritoria is reading every assignment we give her. Tatay can't read to good though. Hopefully we can commit them to baptism.

We we're also able to reactivate this one inactive family. We have been going to their house every monday night for FHE. We have actually been invited to several family's FHE. Now they have been coming to church. Our area is full of less actives. The work is difficult now in Sta Ana because its harvest season and school is out. So everyone is either on vacation, vacationer, or working in the bukid. They're even sleeping to because its siesta. It's hard to teach in the afternoon especially.

Unfortunately no pictures this week. I had lent my camera to Elder Cahigao so he can take pictures so next week na lang. I didn't really take much pictures anyways this week. So in 6 weeks I will be training here in Santa Ana. The time is going by so fast. So dad, only the Zone Leaders go back to Laoag once a month. I'll be going to the mission home when I have to go pick up my trainee but I'd be working in Laoag for the a week until he comes. Did you find out anything about sister Lupien and when she will be coming. It's pretty cool. At least I'll have someone from my home stake serving in the same mission as me. So is there any news back home? Please give me updates! Also please ask papa for his Bicol Express recipe. I want to try to make it. Also mom, give me some recipe for pinakbet. Unfortunately here, there's no beef. Only chicken, pork and fish. Good enough. Lots of gulay. I also got to see brother Agresor cleaning a dead pig to sell. They were shaving it. Walang pictures though.

Anyways, its good to hear my jacket is being put to good use. I met a lot of missionaries (I mean A LOT) going to Montreal while I was at the MTC. Usually Elder del Rosario would talk to some missionaries and ask what language they're learning and he'd turn to me and say "Elder Morales, they're french!" So I'd ask them where they're serving and its usually Montreal or France. I heard mostly Montreal though. So there are probably a bunch of missionaries who have met me. Anyways, its great to hear about Kemar's family! He should serve a mission! It's such a great experience.

So about the weather, it was pretty rainy this past week. Elder Polgo thought it was a typhoon. It didn't rain hard, it was really drizzling mainly. We didn't even need our umbrellas. It was kind of refreshing.

Week #5: More Baptisms!

Hello!!

It's finally cool in the Philippines. As in the weather. It was really hot the beginning of the week, a bit above 40 degrees. So as for the news here, we had 2 baptisms this past saturday.

We have 3 more baptismal dates to work with. Members are bringing us more investigators. The work here in Santa Ana is progressing but it's kind of a problem since we're mostly baptizing girls. We only have a meeting house here, not a chapel. We need to try and reactivate a lot of the families here. There are many. We also ran into a Jehova's Witness minister this week. Hopefully we can help him realize the importance of the book of mormon. It is such an important book! So fast sunday, it was so difficult especially trying hard not to die of thirst cause it was so hot. I bore my testimony in Tagalog so that was fun. So the biggest focus here is finding and reactivating families. We catch people's interest by explaining to them that the family can be together forever.
Who wouldn't want that? It's such an amazing thing to know! Sometimes we meet people here because they like to hear our message only and don't really want to investigate. 

We met this family, the Laud family, who are really involved in their church. Hopefully we can share something with them that will really get them thinking.

Anyways, its great to hear all the news from back home. Did you see any missionary wearing my winter jacket? It's probably floating somewhere around the montreal quebec mission. Oh also, tell people they can still send me dearelders.

 I've seen missionaries receiving them still over here. Anyways, I'm trying to send letters back home but I can only do it when I'm in Aparri on the first monday of the month, and it's kind of expensive. Anyways, let's see if there was anything interesting that happened this week other than the baptism. Elections for mayor are coming soon here in Santa Ana. So on Wednesday we had exchanges. I worked here in Santa Ana with Elder Lagasca and I had to lead the area. So we met this family who are the pamangkin of one of the councilors of one of the people running for mayor. They were really receptive and asking us good questions. We're going to be meeting with them again on wednesday. Yesterday, we decided to try this huge house.
It was the house of a guy running for mayor. He wasn't there but his body guards were.

Anyways, as for my Tagalog, nagsasanay ako araw-araw. Ang goal namin ay makipagusap ng tagalog sa labas ng apartment namin. Pero ngayon, naiintindihan ko ng Tagalog pero kaunti pa lang. Minsan, kailangan ko na magtanong na ulitin ang sentence kasi nagsasalitang dali sila. I'm able to differentiate between Ilokano and Tagalog now pero mahirap na mag-ilokano. Basic na basic lang... parang.. Anya ti nagan mo? or Awan ti (whatever). Or Amok ti pudno ti simbaan daytoy ket amok ti pudno ti profeta ni Joseph Smith. I'm not sure if it's even right but sounds right.

So this week's photos. We took pictures at some DA's we had. The first I think is at the Recolizado family. They we're the first people we met in the area.

The last one's are at the Ruaburo's house. They we're the second people met. So that baptism. They were the first people we found ourselves. The last baptism was from the previous missionaries. There's alot of random photos we took inside the van. Elder Polgo was trying to get them to face the camera but you know how girls are sometimes.

Anyways, President Barrientos told me to teach piano here so that's the plan. Apparently some of the youth here already have some knowledge in reading notes so my job has become a bit easier.

Anyways, that's the news for the week. Ingat kayo at mahal ko kayo!

Elder Morales

Week #4: Easter Week (pix of apartment)

Hello all!

So Easter here is just holy week I think. Not much interesting really.

more monkey pix

We have two baptism this week. And we committed more people to be baptized. It seriously is a chain. So what happened this week. We lost electricity one night so we had to sleep in the heat!

t was so hard... Every wednesday, we have lunch and dinner appointment so we never have to cook that day. Oh by the way, can you have papa send me his recipe for Bicol Express. I wanna try and make it.

So one day, we thought we lost our cellphone. So the sister we were teaching prayed that we can have our cellphone back so we can text people to remind them of their assignments. That night, we heard the phone in Elder Polgo's bag! Then yesterday, we actually lost the cellphone for good... Also, we found these investigators yesterday. The boy looked exactly like Alex and one of the girls looked like Kristen. It was like seeing my family here in the Philippines.

So part of our mission is going to be given to Baguio Mission. So our mission is shrinking. But we're keeping our missionaries. We're going to be doubling up in every area. So I've been giving my camera to random people and they've been taking pictures but I don't really have pictures for this week.

I took some of the apartment.

Show the bathroom to Alex and Jordan. Walang* (no) toilet seat.  

We're using a window curtain as a shower curtain so that everything doesn't get wet in there. Fortunately, we have a shower head but its pretty weak. It's great taking a shower at night cause its so hot but in the morning its not as fun.

We've been eating menudo, corn beef and pancit canton almost everyday. We don't even care. There's this store in Aparri that make custom made pants. They make them from scratch so they measure everything. They're really nice so I'm ordering a few today.

So I don't get to see anyone from my district back at the MTC other than Elder Castillo since he's in my zone. We're still struggling in Tagalog. I'm picking up Ilocano still. Tagalog is getting better though except I can't really hold a regular conversation since I have to ask them to repeat cause I don't understand the first time around. So everyday, basaenak ti Tagalog Book. Very important. Ilocano is just strange sometimes. Eventually I'll pick it up really soon because we have some investigators that only understand and speak Ilocano. Anyways, That's the news! Take care everyone! Much love,