Monday, December 21, 2015

Week 8 - December 20, 2015

So out to the field last Wednesday 12/16/15 Quezon City North,  Valenzuela District and so far I either take a tricycle or a Jeepney every day. 

I went proselyting in a neighborhood with water up to your ankles It was really dirty water so I made sure I washed my feet good that night.

I had Balut not all of it just the yellow part. (Balut is cooked duckling egg that contains the embryo. ... Balut eggs, considered a delicacy, are fertilized eggs that contain partially developed duck embryos. ... Fertilized duck eggs normally incubate for 28 days, while fertilized chicken eggs incubate for just 21 days.

All the kids call me Joe, handsome, American. 

None of the bathrooms here have toilet paper so I just buy my own. 

It rained so hard that we couldn't go proselyting. I met my Ward at the Christmas party. And all the Filipinos here love the color blue, basketball, sugar and video karaoke. 

My apartment doesn't have a dishwasher, washing machine, Air conditioning or hot water so we have to take cold showers we also have to hang our clothing up because we don't have a dryer either. And we have to buy our own food. 
My new companion Is Elder Webster from Washington he has being out in the field for 3 months so he Is my trainer. 
I can only cook ramen and hot dogs but I'm learning to cook other stuff too.  I had a Casava cake for the first time Its really hard to explain its like a mixture of coconut flakes with a really gooey texture like almond joy mixed with flan mixed with pineapple upside down cake its really good though. 

Today I am going to try to extend the baptismal invitation to one of our investigators hopefully he will say yes😄!! So tell me how you guys are doing and good luck!! Salamat po!! Shea shea!! Barati!!



Sunday, December 20, 2015

Week 7 - December 16, 2015

This week Ian left the MTC on Wednesday and reported to his mission President Sister and brother Kim Bertin.

Is going to be a long week before we hear from him as his next P-day will be on Monday December 21st. But... on the 25th we get to Skype with him!!! Yeah.

Here are some pictures sent by his Mission President, one of the pics includes his companion, Elder Leishman.
















Missionaries arriving to the Quezon City North Mission.


President and Sister Bertin

Elder Driggs and Elder Leishman

We have been very concern about Typhoon Nona which started about 3 days before Ian transferred from the MTC to the mission home.  The MTC and Mission Presidents reported in Facebook that all the missionaries were in safe places, then, the Typhoon moved south of Manila so it only brought some showers and light storm to the Manila/Quezon area.  

We won't know where was Ian assigned to serve until next Monday and how was his experience dealing with the Typhoon.  It looks like the worst devastation was about 112 miles south from his mission area.

  Whatever he had to do we know he is in the right place doing what he is supposed to do under the guidance of Pte. Bertin.

Here is the latest report about Typhoon Nona.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/548396/news/nation/pnoy-declares-state-of-national-calamity-due-to-nona


Week 6 - December 10, 2015

This week I went proselyting for the second time it was defiantly more interesting. 

I had a Filipino companion and we taught one investigator. On the way to this guys house I was trying to convert these construction workers except  they were busy. So we just headed to the investigators house. 

On the way I crossed this river on a bamboo raft thing intertwined leather straps like you see in the movies and then iIhad to climb this massive hill and it was like 70 degrees steep and the investigator lived on top of the hill.  We taught him the Atonement and Plan of Salvation. I gave the benediction and shared my testimony and afterwards he offered us chocolate cake!! 

So how are you guys doing? 

We have people from Mongolia, China, Malaysia, and Taiwan. There are about 25 people in this new baby batch and one of the Elders is from my same State and Home town. And two other people from Utah and then 3 people from New Zealand. 

Well, 5 more days until I am out on the field. 

Alan ko po na Ang Diyos ang ating Ama sa Langit, Alan ko po na Tayo ang anak Ninya Salama po! I know that God loves us and that we are his children thank you! Maganda Umaga !! good morning!

Week 5 - December 2, 2015

Yesterday I went proselyting for the first time, Proselyting is where you work with in field missionaries and you go around with them teaching lessons and tracking. I had a temporary companion he was from Tahiti and his main language is French but when he was at the MTC 1 year ago he learned Tagalog and English. So we had a planed schedule for sister D. (inactive member) but she wasn't there. So we just went tracking for the rest of the time. I handed out a card and bared my testimony in Tagalog. 

There are so many stray dogs over in the streets and they are dogs you don't want to pet, they are all skinny and dirty. 

I feel super tall over here like twice my size, even the showers are small. So yesterday was the first time I rode in a Jeepney. Its the bus thingys we have up here I even felt really large sitting in a Jeepney. An American my size would take up a space of 2 Filipinos.

And since yesterday all the Sr. Batch missionaries and Asian Missionaries left It was sad to see the Sr. Batch go they were with us for a good 4 weeks. So just our Sr. batch of 8 people and the baby batch with 4 people, were the only guys in the whole MTC. So gym time today was really small. 

I started trading ties I still have Chance's tie I wont trade that. I traded ties with these guys from Cambodia (look up a Cambodian tie online they are way cool!!) and the gave me a Cambodian tie!! We have so many different variety of fruit here like our oranges or like a dark orange and are sweeter also we have mangos and fried bananas and mini bananas that are like half the size of the bananas we have back in Utah!! maseraep! delicious! also we have yellow water Mellon, Pineapple, and many other stuff. 

One of the field missionaries was telling me that its hard to go tracking around 2:00pm because thats the time of this very popular tv show and everybody gets on and watches it. LIKE EVERYBODY. So I have 2 week left here at the MTC, I love you guys thank you!

Week 4

This week's email was very very short we mostly went back and forward with stuff he needs and answering questions we sent previously.  He is doing well.



Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Week 3, November 26th Thanksgiving.

For Thanksgiving dinner we had hamburgu with fries

I am getting everybody to exercise with me I do 120 push up's and I do 30 pull ups after every meal. 

Two days ago there was a massive fire about 2 miles away, it was at a hotel that had poor fire equipment, it killed 75 and 10 injured. some of the missionaries went tracking and they helped some inactive members move their stuff for evacuation. 

Maganda Umaga dimpo (good morning?) Comaesta po kayo (how are you doing?) 
manly my tagalog is based on gospel messages and greetings

So, I am halfway finished with my MTC training 3 more weeks until Im out to the field! 
Next week on Tuesday we go tracking with the field missionaries 

Every week we switch p-days today my p-day is on Friday, today, next week it will be on Thursday and so on.

Week 2, November 18th

Hey, Cumasta po kayo!?(how are you doing?) Maganda Umaga (good morning?) 

I have being here at the MTC for 2 weeks now and its being really fun.

The food is great most of the time, today I went to the Manila Temple and it was awesome and tiny about 2x smaller than the ones we have at home. 

I am friends with every one in my Batch, they are awesome. 

We have mini bananas here, its really weird but good. 


Yesterday, on the 18th it was pouring rain like rain you have never experienced. 

I brought my exercise bands and ab wheel and I am the only one in the district who brought exercise equipment. So everyday before I go to bed I exercise and it has gotten so popular that the whole district does it with me, and after every meal I do thirty pull ups on the pull up bar. 

We have these mini rooms at the MTC where we teach simulated investigators. Last week I only had one I had to teach and we finally baptized him. But this week we have two Jr. Opido, and Ronella. Every week the Investigators become harder to baptize. 

Last p-day I went to Rossins a mini mart and I bought some hand lotion. The prices are decent 44 pesos equal 1 dollar and the lotion cost 50 pesos. But if you go outside of the city then things can be cheaper there. 

There are a ton of stray dogs in the city, its sad, I've never seen a whole bunch of stray dogs before. Some of them even have bite marks and missing hair. 

Well. Salama Po!(Thank You) and see you next week

1/24/2016 I added a picture of  Genevieve Trujillo Task and President Richard Task
President of the MTC Philippines.

Week 1, November 13th, 2015




Hey Kumusta I'm safe at the Philippines. 

I have being here for a week and I have loved it!! 

I have Elders from Guam, Fiji, Samoa, America, India, Philippines, and TONS of Australians. We have had rice for breakfast lunch and dinner. 

I share a room with Elder Maynes (My casama) (Companion) from Utah, Elder English from Arizona, and Elder Uhler from Virginia. The Weather makes you think that you are in a Sauna . Today we went to Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. Our district is called the Ammon District we have Elder Uhler, Elder Maynes, Elder English, Elder Reyes, from Guam, Elder Nansen From Samoa, Elder Winter from Australia, and Elder Malui from Australia.  

Flight was fine I have my watch.

The elder that was with me was named Elder Maynes. 
I had no allergies and I arrived fine. I'm learning the language pretty good its related to Spanish. 


November 6th, 2015.  Arriving at the Missionary Training Center in the Philippines.


Checking in at the MTC Philippines.

These are pictures from the MTC Philippines Facebook page.
Ian wasn't allowed to send pictures while in the MTC. I am so thankful for sister Sue DuVal Chantry working at the MTC as a Senior Missionary.  She always took time to take pictures of the missionaries and post them in Facebook.