Week 50 - October 16, 2016

I tried reading the Book of Mormon and the New Testament at the same time. But one thing with the Book of Mormon is that it teaches every principle in Preach my Gospel and its so easy to find these principles. Also the Book of Mormon is filled with information about the Atonement and I feel like when I read the Book of Mormon is really detailed in doctrine.
I cant put the book down I even try to read it before I go to bed. I found out that the Book of Mormon is powerful and it contains the fullness of the gospel in one chapter!!

It is important to teach investigators this book because it can change their lives because this book teaches about repentance in every page. So as we try to get people toward baptism the need to be clean before they step in to the waters and when the read this book they learn how to get prepared for baptism. Because only through baptism can we enter to the kingdom of god. And when they don't read this book they are missing the preparation for baptism. So this book is a really powerful tool in missionary work and I also learn that this book is special and its perfect.

That is what I learned during my personal study.

Also, I go on splits to oym and find people who need our message the flip flop lady wasnt availible but she said that we can come next week. So through our splits we can find lots of investigators and people to teach and thats our job here to invite others to come unto christ so the mission had really taught me that people have concerns and when you be nice to them the trust you and it makes you happy that you resolved their concern.

Tell me about your experience with the Typhoon

We are good we didn't experienced any typhoons

We didn't experence it, we just passed us but we did get a little bit of rain.

There is another Typhoon coming this week called Typhoon Haima.  It can turn into a Super Typhoon.

My ward name is Bagong Silang 2nd Ward. We don't have have an address.

I can't send pictures because my card has a virus.

My scripture is 2 Nephi 2 it talks about the word of wisdom if we obey the comandments of god we can have longer life.

We are teaching Bryan, Ilean, Samuel, Norman and Mary Ann.

Yes my Branch President is Brother Dimas.  I am next to my previous area but not in it, but yeah I am really close to my old area youp that is my church.



Answer to Dad:

Hey we are good here we go on splits every day and find people and stuff like that but we had a struggle investigators werent going to church because it rained really hard and yeah we only had one investiagtor at church

Okay, I love you mom thanks for everything.

Week 49 - October 9, 2016

Hey do you know Elder Schmutz talk? 
You know the story about the guy who lost his house and his family? and he became a Stake Patriarch. Well it just so happenes that the same guy is my companion's Stake Patriarch isn't that cool? 

My Week

Several days ago I was just walking by and I just so happened that I accidentally kicked off this sandal from someones foot and they didn't even notice until several seconds latter and then she saw me return her shoe and she was so surprised that I was an American and that I knew her language. 
Then, the group she was with, were really shocked just like her and then they started asking me questions which eventually lead me into teaching them the Book of Mormon and I said that God isn't just the God of Israel only but he is the God of this world and the Book of Mormon has God's dealings in the other side of the world. So I gave them 2 Book of Mormons and then I also got a return appointment on Tuesday and I think out of this group I can find a lot of investigators. But yeah this week has being successful and our finding efforts are increasing by splits and working with members

Also I steeped into a drug store and I was ordering medication and I started speaking Tagalog again and one of the guys next to me on the counter jaw dropped down for several seconds it was really funny. 

Also we have a member and we always throw his cat around like at a dog and its so funny they fight a lot. And he has a really crazy hyper dog.  I've never seen a hyper dog like this before its sort of weird.

While I waited for Elder Driggs to write his email I designed this poster as a way to represent the story he shared.  I am planning to frame it and hand it in this bedroom.

Week 48 - October 3rd, 2016

This week I had the opportunity to go on splits a lot and when we go on splits we find more. So splits is a helpful tool for us although we didn't have any investigators at church. 
We were still able to hand out book of Mormons and pamphlets to people. And I always work with him and he is super smart and intelligent he gives me some tips.  He said that when we oym we need to say that our church is called Mormons. Because when we say that we are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints people will just think that we are an other catholic church but when we say Mormons the will ask the question what are Mormons? People become interested when they ask questions.

Also on Friday we were at a members house and we were teaching, they sort of live in a tin shack and it is easy for the bugs to crawl in. And i noticed that there was a centipede crawling up on one of there matress that was pushed to the side of the wall and it was about to come up to our member and I haven't really seen one before and I wanted to hold it but as soon as she noticed it she started to kill it ,which took a while to kill. But they told me that if a centipede will bite you, it is poisonous, it can cause fever or sickness and if even several will bite you, you can die. 

So, that's an interesting experience that I learned.  So, watch out for those. 

Well, my not so new apartment any more is nice it has 2 working bath rooms, air conditioning but we don't use it because it is expensive and the tiles that are on the floor are high quality it sort of has a patio in the front.

I get along with all of my companions.

Hey guys how are you doing?

I have recently being working with our branch mission leader and he is very knowledgeable and he knows where everybody lives. So, we went to this inactive's house and it looks like he needed us because he had some problems while being inactive and now he want to talk to the branch mission leader and repent and he also wants to go to church and bring his wife to church which she is an investigator. Also since he is a tricycle driver we get free rides with him to church. So he had a problem with some Law of chastity issues and the timing was perfect at sacrament meeting it was all about the family and marriage and science, our inactive friend isn't married to his spouse, Sacrament meeting was perfect for him. 

Also while we went on splits a lot this week we found lots of less actives and investigators. We had 15 investigators at church and 30 lessons and I get tired so fast. 

I realized that missionary work is fun when you work hard.

Week 46 - September 19, 2016

My week

We have a new RC

Also we had Elder Schmutz visit our mission from the Seventy

Work is hard here, it is a city and the people act differently.

We have Stake Conference and it was hard proselyting because our members were at Stake Conference we are only allowed to go to Sunday session.

I spent our whole p-day moving apartments that's why I am sending this pretty late and I am tired and I wish have more to say but what is going on in my mind is that I am tired.  

But I love my new apartment, it is just like an apartment back home in America.

Hey you can go to bed if you want I am tired, I just moved apartments, not a lof of stuff happened this week.  

I got the package from Daniel and Veronica, I wasn't really expecting a package but, Thank you.  

Love you

It is all right mom, I will be here next week.

I am in Bagong Silang 2 Branch in Caloocan Camarin

I have air conditioning!

Week 45 - September 12, 2016

This week we Baptised Brother Pepito! 

I cooked pancakes for the first time and also we ended up finding and oyming a lot 

I realized I have about a year left, thats crazy, time is flying. 

We went to the third floor of an apartment complex and we were waiting to teach these less actives and they have a coconut tree hanging over the fence right in front of their yard and it all of a sudden it got windy and a coconut fell off of the tree and it landed a little more than a foot away from me!

Things I learned:

Virtue originates in your innermost thoughts and desires, it is a pattern of thought and behavior

The snake is evil and venomous and dangerous, right? Well the snake is supposed to represent

the Savior.  Moses turned a cane into a snake and also when he went with the people there were two different snakes. If they looked back at the snakes behind them they would die, but if they looked up at the snake in front of them they will not die.  But Satan wants to deceive us and trick us in thinking that he represents the snake that how he deceives us like that.

I also want the mosquito bug bite prevention thing that you always give me. Also, I would like just a whole lot of fruit apricots, yogurt raisins, doritos and stuff.

The temple is closed until november but mabye he can come to our mission tour this Thursday in the mission office in the morning.

Hey wasn't there a huge flooding in Louisana?

I love you guys, thank you.

The last 2 weeks we got worried about Elder Driggs no eating well.  Here is what happened the next day, Monday in the USA.

Tender Mercies
This morning I sent an email to some friends in the other side of the world where my son is serving his mission with the request to buy some food for my Elder as he is in an area with small places to buy groceries and are not allowed to go shopping in the Mall anymore he has not been eating well. Tonight, I received an email from my friends saying that they felt last Saturday the need to buy some food for my son and his companion as Christmas in the Philippines starts its celebrations in September. They prepared a package with pretty much the same food that I listed for Elder Driggs and it was already sent to the Mission's office before they even got my email!. I am thankful for having friends that live their life with integrity and obedience so they can hear the whispers of the spirit.

Week 44 - September 4th 2016

This week we have being busy preparing brother Papa for baptism he is our only progressing investigator and he has quit drinking and smoking then we are working a lot with members and I am learning a lot from them they are RMs. 

Also we had a Less Active family that finally came to church after several years. 

My mission president visited our apartment and was with us for our studies with his wife. But he heard that his car trunk was open so he checked it and nothing was stollen it just came open so he went back and ran in to one of our neighbors who had a question, the neighbor said who is Zenif? Then my mission president started talking to him about Zenif like a Collage professor would but he also made it real playing and they were talking. Who new the Mission President would give you referrals from an oym? And my President doesn't even know Tagalog. But we ended up visiting the referral the next day and he was completely different then from how he presented himself to president, all he wanted to do to us is bible bash. 
So although that didn't turn out as we wanted to we will find someone else who is interested in our message.

I'm good our area is sort of hard but thats okay we always have a member present to teach with us,

Sort of but thats least of our worries we're having Elder Smuchz visiting our mission a Seventy and he 

might visit our aprtments because our zone is in the mission offfice and so he might visit some apartments in our zone.

Was your apartment clean when the Mission President came?

Our apartment is really clean, its small, there is only room for 2 elders

Are you going places during P-days?

Our mission is small and doesnt have a whole lot, we just have a zoo and a water fall to go to that is it, It is forbidden to go to SM Fair View Mall to go bowlling.

No we can't go to that particular Mall, the biggest Mall in our mission is off limits exept for 2 zones and my zone is one of them where we can go to SM

I need to go Mom,

I Love you,

Week 43 - August 28, 2016

Transfers came, I have a new comp he is filipino and he is almost as tall as me.

Still so many less actives that don't want to go to church

Its hard leading such a big area

It rains a lot of course.

We are planing to have a baptism sept. 10

So, yeah, things are going good here.

Investigators are good we are having baptism on the 10.

I asked what he wants for Christmas?

I don't want anything for Christmas, I just want some food maybe.

My comp has being here for 1 year and 5 months.

Are you eating well?

Yeah I eat rice every day and soimai 

no they doint really have that stuff the Philippines doesn't have as much resources

Are you having vegetables?

Yeah, I am good

 Do not be afraid to use your Priesthood to do the Lord’s work. Don’t underestimate the power you hold. I was just reading President Monson’s talk from the Priesthood Session last April, “A Sacred Trust”:

This precious gift of priesthood power brings with it not only solemn responsibilities but also special blessings for ourselves and for others. May we, in whatever place we may find ourselves, always be worthy to call upon its power, for we never know when our need and our opportunity to do so may come.

During World War II, a friend of mine was serving in the South Pacific when his plane was shot down over the ocean. He and the other crew members successfully parachuted from the burning plane, inflated their life rafts, and clung to those rafts for three days.

On the third day they spotted what they knew to be a rescue vessel. It passed them by. The next morning it passed them by again. They began to despair as they realized that this was the last day the rescue vessel would be in the area.

Then the Holy Spirit spoke to my friend: “You have the priesthood. Command the rescuers to pick you up.”

He did as prompted: “In the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the priesthood, turn about and pick us up.”

Within a few minutes the vessel was beside them, helping them on deck. A faithful and worthy bearer of the priesthood, in his extremity, had exercised that priesthood, blessing his life and the lives of others.

May we determine, here and now, ever to be prepared for our time of need, our time of service, our time of blessing.

You have THAT power to make things happen in the Lord’s work, in accordance with His will. Stay close to Him, listen to the Spirit, and you will be inspired to use the Priesthood when appropriate. 

Again we love you, and hope you are doing well. Please tell us more about what you’re doing and how you are.

Love,

Dad

Hey i just watched that talk just barely. Well that is good that you are feeling better. Well we just are having the baptism on sept. 10. 

My area is really hard we have a lot of less actives who don't want to go to church they are so stubborn they have excuses after excuses and that is not fair, they are forgetting their baptismal covenants and they aren't listening to us. 

Yeah, also Duterte is planing on drawing from the UN but he really doesn't tolerate drugs. He wants to change the Phillipines. Also something interesting Duterte also has a Book of Mormon that a missionary gave him a while back and I think that missionary is a Mission President now and yeah they know each other.

Week 22 - March 30, 2016

This week we got a text message from one of our investigators and said that they don't want us teaching them anymore and the husband is a LA and the wife is an Investigator. 

So I felt like they are missing out in eternal salvation and they don't want to be saved. But sometimes this happens as a missionary we feel like the door was slammed shut and locked tight and that there is no one who wants the glory of God and as missionary it is our job to find the lost sheep and people have agency to choose but the choice is quite simple do you want eternal glory or captivity?

We have being teaching this housemaid for 3 weeks. she is working for an active member but she is being held back. Now she isn't really coming to church because her husband isn't familiar with our religion and doesn't really want her to attend until he does more research on our church. But the downfall is that he is always working and is never available for a lesson. But this week we finally taught him L1 and now he is interested and wants us to return again and that means that we can finally baptize him and his wife!!!!!!!! and he said he will come to church.

I still have my braces I wear them every day and night, I can buy some shoes or I can use the one from home.

 We don't need anything at the moment.   I wear a Large. 

We have 4 baptisms next month and I write in my journal every day.

Wow ,so the campaign is turning around thats good!! 

I heard about Belgium 5 days ago and Ben Oliphant and another person from PG High are serving there. 

Well the southern part of the Philippines has terrorists too and we have a lot of muslims in my area right now but they are mainly friendly. 

I think Belgium might be a little safer because they have a better economy. But so far here its being safe.

i might need bug spray an inhaler and taco seasoning.

Week 21 - March 20, 2016

So it was my Birthday this week one of the best presents for my birthday was my first baptism 1 day after my birthday and their name is the Tumangil family and we have 3 more upcoming baptisms.and also our total number of lessons this week is 33!!

Also I found out this week that you can kill rats with boiling hot water my kabahe(room mate) did it the other day and it worked. 

I LOVE MY NEW AREA!! No to mention that its a really big area and that there are maramie mga tao dito sa(many people here) San Jose Del Monte perdo its okay na lang. 

I can deal with a roach infested apartment now and not even care because I am so busy focusing and loving my new area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I love the people, I love the place its super clean and there are marami(many) mango and buko(coconut) trees and I am starting to understand people now,and also dito its really maganda(beautiful) it really helps having a Filipino companion. 

Love you Elder Frias!!! and also I am in the same area as Elder English and we play basketball together on p-day. 

And today was the first day i ate a Big Mac at Mcdonalds.

The word I learned this week is kapit bahay that means neighbor. 

Well ingat po kayo  

Week 20 - March 20, 2016

On March 30th I will be going to the Manila Temple and bring some stuff for Daniel to bring to you.
I love my new area its half providence half city my companion is funny and he is fillipino. His name is Elder Frias he is from Cavite.
   
(Answer to Dad's letter)

Wow that is something, Well at least you could get a lot of work done. Im good here I got transferred to San Jose Del Monte It's a really big area half providence half city there are 200 active members in our ward and some days we teach 7 lessons. We have 5 people with a baptismal date and one is coming up on March 19th. Its really handy to have a companion that speaks fluent Tagalog and im learning a lot already being around with him. At my apartment I am the only foreigner there, the rest are Filipino. But I am having a lot of fun in my area the people are good and its really beautiful here. 

How is it in America? How are you? Well I love you dad, take care.

I didn't get the package yet.

What does it mean to be a Providence?

It's like in america where like all the farm land like a land away from a city a really large area with land but now much of a city.

Do you have to walk? or do you have bike or cars?

Are there any dangerous animals?

No dangerous animals, nope we don't have any bikes or cars we just walk, take a tricycle or a jeepny

Early Birthday Celebration for Elder Driggs before leaving his first Area.  The Talagtag family gathered with the Mission leader of the ward and others members to celebrate!

Pictures from his New area San Jose Del Monte, new roommates and new apartment.

Week 19 - March 6, 2016

Last week we had 3 investigators said that all the churches are true. So, we taught them how we can gain eternal life through the gospel and that we can be cleansed from sin through the atonement and how God, Jesus, and the holy ghost are three separate beings. But because they can't distinguish them selves between which church is true they decide to go to their other church that they have being a member for all their life and in order for them to get baptized they have to come to church four Sundays in a row. 

So we are still trying our best for these people to come unto christ and I know that when we put 100% effort we will be blessed and some times it is  discouriging that these people are having a hard time gaining a testimony of our church. But through faith in Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon we can become humble and I know this church is true and that the atonement is true.

We traveled to a province area called Wawa, Montalban Rizal for our p-day and I only got back an hour ago so its later than when I usually email you.  There are rivers, bamboo, cattle, rice fields you should look it up its really pretty.

I live in the "Corinthians Villas", there are 4 missionaries living in  the apartment.

It is great to know that the P.G. Wrestling team took State again.  But the picture you sent was crooked can you send it again maybe later?

Yeah some times here in the Philippines I feel like I'm in Mexico or South America. Do they have bamboo in Mexico and South America?

Week 18 - February 29th, 2016

How are you guys?  How is your day?  What is going on in America?
I Already eating healthy, for breakfast I have oatmeal with canned fruit, lunch hotdogs with rice and ketchup, then dinner some times I have pizza or bread but some times we don't have time to eat dinner. We do have a freezer but I haven't read the recipes you sent yet.
I don't really drink juice, I usually cook breakfast and dinner then one of the Filipinos cook for all of us during lunch.

I don't have time to send pictures but I will give them to you next week.

I am getting along just fine with my companion.

This is a picture we got from the Talagtag family via Facebook. Elder Driggs and his companion Elder Leishman.  The Talagtag family are members from the ward where the Elders attend.

Week 17 - February 21st

This past week was a little bit slow, we spent a whole day walking and we got an average of two lessons. 

Nobody is coming to church. So we did a lot of walking under the hot humid weather. 

But President Nelson's  talk  was very spiritual and uplifting.  So the talk helped appreciate whose name I'm wearing every day. So I hope when I leave I can change spiritually and apply the principles that I have learned during my mission.  But it first starts by committing yourself in your heart that you want a change. 

When you love your companion, become 100% obedient and choose good. President Haney promised us that we for sure will experience change.

Elder Driggs sent these pictures from the Philippines

 

Week 16 - February 14th

The Church Global Communication Department had a technical issue this week and thousand of missionaries email never arrived to their destination.

We were one of those families that didn't get an email!.  

We know Elder Nelson is visiting the Philippines this week and will be giving a Devotional to the Quezon City North Mission. 

Week 15 - February 7th

Missionary work is good. We have had these less actives come to church 4 weeks in a row and so now they aren't less actives any more but we still teach them. 

It is really hot here and I am always sweating I'm starting to forget what snow feels like but I'm used to the weather now.   

This week I oymed 2 Americans 1 guy from Thailand and another person from Spain also of course I also oym Filipinos every day. 

We also are inviting a lot of people over for church and we have 2 less actives and we have a baptism this month. 
Also on Saturday, as we were looking for a less active we had this massive swarm of kids like 15 of them and they followed us all the way to the less actives apartment crazy right? 

•  Kumusta po Kayo (how are you?) 
• Kumusta araw mo?( how is your day?) 
• Gusto mo ba asul? (do you like blue?) 
• Gusto mo ba kambingan?(do you like goat?) 
• Gusto mo ba araw?(do you like your day?) I
• ngat po kayo alan ko po na sa pamamagitian ng aklat ni mormon tumuotangap po kayo ang pagsunod. (take care I know that through the book of mormon you will receive peace

We asked him about paying someone to wash his clothes.

No I don't really pay anyone to wash clothes. But I am paying some one to wash my clothes today. But its a lot of clothes like all my pants shirts and p-day clothes cuz right now all my clothes are dirty because I never have the time to wash them so my shirt isn't gleaming white any more.  Actually in this case, I am and the money I give him is going towards his mission because serving a mission for a Fillipino is really expensive so all my roommates pay him.

Well this past week I was walking and I oymed an American who married a girl from Spain and so I sort of oymed here in Spanish but I'm forgetting a lot because the Tagalog is taking over. 

Hey one of my favorite scriptures is Moses 1:39 "for behold this is my work and my glory to bring to past the inmortal and eternal life of man"

I love you too (pagmahal sa ating)

Week 14 - January 31st.

I have less than two years left so I will work hard and endure to the end. Time flies when you're out on the field.

Since our first transfer we got moved to the area of Ugong. We are still in the same Ward but just different area. 

So last week we started this new area and we don't know where any one lives and we always get lost. So we have really good opportunity to oym. 

On Saturday as we were trying to look for a less active we asked these guys where the LA lived. And they pointed inside their house and lets us in but it just so happens that it was the wrong guy who we didn't even know him. We just taught him a lesson of the Restoration. And he said we can come back and teach him!! 

The Lord works in mysterious ways. But he lead us to someone who needed to hear our message and our job is to find the lost sheep. So as we find the lost sheep we can receive guidance.

Cumusta po kayo? 

Cumusta araw mo?

Why Mormons Send Missionaries Around the World

Week 13 - January 25th, 2016

I have stayed in this area for one transfer now. 

So my goal 6 weeks ago was how to budget my money and also to be on time to studies. Now, I spend half the amount of money on groceries and I wake up at exactly 6:30 am. 

Its not easy sticking to your goals. Several times I slept in. And thats hard when your neighbors have lousy chickens that wake you up at 4:00 in the morning. But this is the Lords time and even when you are tired you can't afford to waist his time after everything he has done for you. So during this transfer I challenge you to endure to the end!!!!

My area hasn't had a whole lot of investigators, Just being teaching LA's. But this new area I want to improve my oyming skills and also to learn where people live. Because during exchanges I had to lead the area and we got lost. 

How are you guys back home? Is it snowing? 

All we have here is hot humid weather. We also have big cockroaches, rats, mice, (not computer mice) lots of stray dogs that look like they haven't eaten in weeks and the are also as dirty as a mop, and we have lots of those as well as stray cats and kittens which are found in the same condition of dogs. 

So far I had squid and Balut. On Saturday during exchanges my companion wanted me to try chicken feet but there wasn't any shop that had some. We are getting transferred to the other area in the ward and it is 10 times more dirty. Also the flies here don't give you your personal space same with mosquitoes, also just today we found worms in our garbage. 

We used to have lots of investigators in our area but since none of them were progressing we had to drop like half of them so it only got shortened down to three. We had investigator J a 17yr old who is living with her sister who is 35. And so J sisters husband lives in Chicago. Missionaries have being teaching them for seven months now and they really want to get baptized but the husband who lives in Chicago doesn't want them to get baptized so our only focus is J because she is the only one who can get baptized. Also we have A who has a baptismal date in several weeks and she is progressing. And her cousin who lives with her is an active member. But since we are transferring we can't teach anybody in our area any more so it is up to the new missionaries to teach them.

Last week we went bowling with the missionaries.

Week 12 - January 18, 2016

So I have being out in the field for 1 month and so far It is good. 

We went bowling today for a district activity. 

These past sundays we had a problem with investigators not attending sacrament meeting and we also had problems with the Word of Wisdom and this has being going on for the past weeks.  Also it is hard to oym when both of us can't speak any Tagalog. 

This past sunday at sacrament meeting we had 3 investigators show up and we are baptizing Investigators next month. Now that Tagalog part is getting there but still a work in progress because both of us have being out in the field less than 5 months. 

So yeah we went bowling today at a massive SM store in Fairview the malls here are owned by one company SM but inside you also have other different stores. So imagine a mall that is owned by Walmart and inside you have regular outlets and then also inside you have a big Walmart ware house included with the other stores that like how big the place was.

Kumusta po kayo? Kumusta araw po kayo? Ingat!! (how are you?) (how is your day?) (take care?)

Ian's headquarters in the Valenzuela District

Manila Temple - Zone Conference January 17

Week 10 - January 3, 2016

Um... this week I ate squid.

 I anoint some one with the oil yesterday. 

Not much has happened since new years
My companion LOVES candy and he gave me some Canadian candy, he has being out in the field for 3 months and he is a district leader!

Our P-day is Monday now, everything is back to normal, we had p-day New years and Christmas.

Week 11 - January 13, 2016

I went to a zone conference yesterday and our President focused a lot on family history. 

So when you do family history you can reactivate loved ones in our family who didn't get the gospel. But up here we are still struggling getting investigators getting to church but we will try to extend more commitments. 

On the good side we have two baptisms for February.

 I also found out that in February Elder Russell M. Nelson is going to visit our mission!! 

Today we went to the temple for our p-day it was very enjoyable and made me feel happy. It is still very hot here and while im typing this letter I saw a mouse on the computer a real mouse. 

Yesterday I received your package and thank you for the G. 

 How's the snow there?

Week 10 - January 1st, 2016

New Years was crazy!

First, everybody in our ward gave us FOOD for dinner !! Like 6 ice cream containers of spaghetti also 6 sticks of ube, 2 more ice cream tubs of rice and several plastic containers of dessert. Then, in the afternoon we had 3 lunch appointments. 

Then after it got dark the fireworks started and the fireworks here sound like guns. Literately everybody in the town was launching fireworks. Ten minutes before midnight there were so many fireworks that we had to get umbrellas for all of the firework ash. Every time a firework was launched a car alarm went off. 

So how are you guys doing? Kumusta po kayo? 

Kumusta pagbabasa mo ang Aklat ni Mormon? Ingat po! (how is your reading in the book of mormon?) (take care!)


This is a picture from the Christmas Conference with the Mission President and wife.  
They have to do it in 2 groups as there were no place that will accommodate 228 missionaries!