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!

Week 9 - December 25th, 2015

Our emails have been out of sequence the las few weeks between Ian leaving the MTC and reporting to the Mission President then having to start working on his first area.  P-days have moved constantly.  So I will try to make sense of the emails,  we got back and forward. 

Merry Christmas everyone!! 

We are doing well up here in the Valenzuela branch.  
We had zone conference on Wednesday. I Gotta see old mates from the MTC  half the mission was there. 

We have a lot of L.A's (Less Active) and we are working on getting some investigators. We have 600 members in the ward but only 100 attends church. But they are still an awesome ward. They are all nice and everybody wants to feed us from the ward. Yesterday Christmas eve we had lunch and dinner at a members houses. 

Today was the first time I went to the massive SM mall and they actually have an Ace there and a DQ in the Phillipines!! It was a good day um also my casama gave me Canadian chocolate. 

So guys one thing put your bug spray on!! The mosquitoes are tearing up my body.

You guys should check out Matthew 22:14 and If you want a Christmas message about Christ's earthly ministry

Matthew 17:14-18

So how are you guys doing? Good luck I pray for everybody every night.

See you soon!! 

Salamat po!!

Kumait po ako ang Baliut sa sabado ang mas masarap Gusto mo ba Basketball? Salamat po!

Skype call December 25th, 2015 at 6:00 pm at the Foxes home.