Week #41: The Cologne you sent smells too strong!

Hello!

Christmas last week. With a nice lockdown. We stayed inside Tuesday night. We had to be in our apartments at 5. Our neighbour came to bring us snacks. It was a good night. We actually we watched "The church: 50 Years in the Philippines." It was a lot of dancing and history. So that's basically how we spent our Christmas. We actually got up at midnight to open our presents. The cologne I got from mama and papa smells really good. It's kind of strong too haha. Whatever, at least it smells good. For Christmas day, we went to San Pedro and had breakfast there. I met more family. Every time we visit them I meet more and more family members. Like some of your cousins mom. I met ate Karen then. Friday, we had dinner at ate Ria's place and met her family. We actually committed them to baptism that day but no baptismal date. That's the next step. We explained to them they need to pray, read, and come to church to know if it's true. They accepted that. And guess what, they came to church on sunday (Auntie Jean, Raven, Julius, and some guy Jake). Auntie said "masarap ang pakiramdam," which translates badly when put into english. So that's good. They actually know a lot of people at church. Auntie says she knows the branch president. Although they attended the wrong branch, they said they will attend Vigan 1 next week. We also went to go teach this family yesterday, the 1st councilor, and found out he's originally from San Pedro (his mother), who ends up being related to Raven. It's really funny how things connect.

Hopefully, things will continue in a good way.

Anyways, this month was a hard month. Pamasahe here is super expensive since our area is so far away. We've been walking and walking and finding and finding. We have been giving pamphlets out to a whole bunch of random people. Every time we talk to a tryce driver, we end up having to give him as a referral to the sisters in Vigan. We really can't find in Caoayan. We tried finding there but there were actually no people there for some odd reason. Maybe it's because of the holiday season. I don't know. Hopefully something picks up.

For this week, it's going to be the same thing, but we have more people to teach from all those we found last week. It'll be fun. One of the things we kind of need to work on is helping the members get excited in doing missionary work. It's really hard to share the gospel being a member because we don't have that nametag. But it's super effective. People are scared of the black name tag. We have been asking members to give out pamphlets for us and to think of people (friends, family, neighbours) who we can teach. We got some. So the work is moving forward here!

Other than that, I'm good. It's actually really cold here now. I have to sleep with two blankets because of how cold it is. We have to sleep with a fan too to drive away bugs at night. So it's kind of odd sleeping in the cold with a fan. Survival guide to the Philippines. During the day it gets really hot. So that's that.

Anyways, I love you all! Give me updates! Take care!

Elder Morales

Week #40: Dad pls send me $$$

Hi dad,

I'll send a bigger email, but I may need just 25 dollars to survive for the next few weeks. Thanks!

Elder Morales

Hi mom,

I'll be skyping tomorrow morning at 10 am. Will you be home 10 pm there on the 23rd?

Week #39: Guess where I am?

Hello family,

Guess where I am? So, friday morning, President Barrientos came to our apartment to tell us the big news in the office. I've been transferred from the office. President sent me to Vigan to go find our family. And guess where I'm right now. In San Pedro. Auntie Jean is sitting right behind me. I got to meet most of them. We're going back on friday night to share with them. President gave me special permission to cross areas so I could go teach them. That's why President kicked me out of the office so early. I beat Elder Wood out of there. It's kind of sad leaving the office but I have lots of work to do. Part of the reason why we left I left so soon is that he wants us to baptize more. Vigan has a lot of potential here for baptism. It's nice to be able to work here. I always say in testimonies when I'm in my previous areas is that we should do missionary work to our family. Now I can. Blessing talaga.

So the day before transfers, President and Sister took us out for a office P-day. We went to heritage road and took pictures. Ate a lot of food. There's pictures. And spent the rest of the day in Baluarte to look at animals and a very drugged up tiger. We have a picture with it.

As for skype, we haven't figured out when yet. 

Week #38: I'm getting fat.... and my stomach just keeps growing.

Hello everyone!

So we have been extremely busy here in the office. We barely got out to work. We have been preparing for the Christmas Zone Conference.

We also had the chance to decorate the office Christmas tree last week. Actually the whole office is decorated. Elder Bulseco told me that, in the Philippines, they celebrate Christmas starting since September. So on our Christmas tree, if you look at the photos, you will see that it's a missionary Christmas tree. There's a daily planner and pass-along cards. We had to find some way to decorate the tree.

Preparation has been super tedious. We spent a whole day looking for a video camera but found none. Sister Barrientos wants to film the dances and the skits of each zone. I guess we'll just film it using a regular camera. We also had to deliver mattresses to certain apartments here in Laoag because we have to put all 120 missionaries somewhere to sleep overnight. We're just squeezing them all on the floor. After we delivered mattresses, President and Sister treated us out to dinner because it was late. We really haven't eaten in our apartment. We won't even be sleeping in our own apartment for the next two days! We'll be sleeping in the office. We'll be fed well for the next few days. I'm getting fat... Weigh in: 143.3 lbs. Yes... and my stomach just keeps growing. Well that's after I eat. We had nilaga in the mission home for lunch. Yummy. Patis and kalamansi. I just miss those kind of dishes. We're too lazy to make it because it takes time. We just cook sisig, bicol express, pinakbet... and whatever. We have so much meat in our freezer.. we didn't really touch it last week so we don't have to spend much this week... or the next week.. or the week after... or the week after that too... It's transfer week next week.. then Christmas week... then New Years week... So a lot of being fed. It's nice.

To prepare more for Christmas Zone Conference, we had to make 220 standards cards. After we finished folding and slicing the cards, we received an pdate that we need to make a change to the card! So restart... As I was slicing the papers, I accidentally sliced off a small chunk of my finger at the tip.. That wasn't fun. But I'm still alive.

By the way, Happy 25th Anniversary mom and dad! And happy 20th Birthday Jordan! And happy birthday to papa. There's so many Birthdays this month that I don't remember who.. oh and happy birthday uncle Michael! I think that's it.

And so we I have a sore knee. And that's it.

Much love

Elder Morales

Week #37: And he said, "Pour moi, il n'y a pas Dieu."

Hello all!

Sorry for the late email. We travelled all the way to Sta Ana yesterday. We left at 5 am yesterday morning and arrived 11 pmlast night. We had to stop by every area to drop off their supplies. Supplies finally came in. While we were in Gonzaga area, we found their bamboo sticks outside for Tinikling so we made them sample while me and Elder Wood clicked. What was hard about delivery, it was raining up north. In Sta Ana, Elder del Rosario fed us. Then when we reached Sanchez Mira, the sisters gave us a whole bunch of snacks. So we were fed... well... Not really. Basta, we ate.

And as I was sitting here writing this email, I received the package.

And we finally contacted the french guy. When he finally answered his door, he came out and he kinna looked like Leon when you ring his doorbell... half naked... in his underwear only. It was really... odd. He's an old french guy from france and we have no clue why he's here. I tried to speak to him in French but I kept throwing in Tagalog in the conversation... Basta, we understood each other. And he said, "Pour moi, il n'y a pas Dieu." That's too bad.

Another day, we had exchanges and we walked into this group of people who were wanting to know what we do as missionaries. There were a few of them that were genuinely interested but there was this one guy who was asking a whole bunch of ridiculous questions. The first statement was how the Bible is a complete and perfect book. So I already knew where this was going. So he first asked this question, since we brought up how everyone needs Christ. He said, "What happens to those people who didn't know about Christ, for example, who lived before Christ, or those who live in the Mountains, who knew nothing about Christ?" I tried to explain to him we can't teach everything to him but he kept insisting that we tell him so I gave him a plan of salvation pamphlet. He kept insisting for the answer so I told him you need to understand prophets first before we can tell you... and we can't share you all in one lesson because our message is LOOOONG! 

The answer to his question is that all will be saved because of the plan of salvation. So we started teaching him the restoration. When we reached the apostasy, I raised the fact that there's a lot of churches and we need to know which is true. He asked "How many churches are true?" then I asked him if he meant which church is true. He insisted on how many then I said... "Dapat isa." Then he agreed so he goes on to say "So if one is true, that means everything else is false right?" Obviously I'm not going to agree with that so Elder Ewell said how every church has truth but not the whole truth. But he kept on insisting that all other churches were wrong. We repeated ourselves again but then he used this example of what if someone asked you to buy a kilo of rice and you go and buy 10 kilos. You're wrong but you're still right. Basta, his comparison is ridiculous. Then we reached about Joseph Smith and how he read the Bible. I said that the Bible is the word of God. Then he asks me if I'm sure that it's the word of God so I say "Yes!" Then he goes on to say how the Bible has the words of demons. I agreed with him but told him that those are quotations from the prophets, who are called of God. This guy was really interesting. There's more but that's enough for now haha.

Then back 2 transfers ago, we received a referral from when the missionaries worked in our area for the incoming. We were warned that he's bakla and works in a parlour so it's hard to reach him at this time of the year. As we were walking past his house looking for a less active, we saw this woman that had the build of a man. Elder Wood turns to me and asks me if that's Alvin. I'm sure it was. So we ask someone around there where Alvin is.. and it turns out to be him. So we taught him and he seems genuinely interested. There's going to be a huge hurdle for him getting baptized but if he truly wants to, then he'll accept.

So that's what's interesting here. Other than that, we finally got a new investigator at church, sister Theresa. She's the best friend of Sister Simpliciano. We finally found out why Sister Simpliciano is not looking for her birth certificate, medyo tamad siya. It's in her house! Once she finds it, then it's going to be quick to start the process of marriage!

Next week is Christmas Zone Conference. We finally finished the dance for Itik-itik. It's really funny. We also have Elder Tate acting as a fairy for the play. There will be pictures. Marami. Maraming maraming preparations na gawin. We have to make shirts for the office and for the zone. So we have lots of shirts. It's pretty cool. Anyways, this is Christmas mission life. I'll send pictures next week when I get more!

Love you all!

Elder Morales