4-18 2016

Hi Family,

That's so crazy, I didn't feel any sort of earthquake! That's so crazy that that happened and really sad. But I do suppose that it happens, especially as we draw closer and closer to the Second Coming! We were all safe here, but what's coming to us right now is the start of the rainy season... which means we might start having Baguio soon (typhoons) which means I might eventually have to wade through waist deep water to an appointment XD It's so funny to hear about those Alpacas, they really sound like the absolute cutest animals ever!!! I really hope that you don't have to turn them into Packa steak, at least not until I get home... what would be a cooler story than saying that i have butchered an ALPACA?! And that so reminds me of the various foods that some people cook and eat out here in the Philippines, not limited to: dogs, cats, frogs, rats, fish.

But anyway, you might see that the temperatures here often get to 100 F. Which has been so hot. It's like a hot Virginia summer almost every single day out here! I don't know how on earth I haven't died of the heat yet xD

Oh my gosh, Mommy, you need to fix a typo: you said that Sister Good assigned to call and invite less actives to FEEL the Elders. I don't think that the Elders need to be felt by ANYONE. I think that you mean feed ;)

PETERRRR HAPPY BIRTHDAY. You want to know the way Filipinos sing Happy Birthday? They sing it all just saying Happy Birthday, to the happy birthday tune. No other words. So happy birthday bro, keep being awesome :D

You guys are so awesome, thanks so much for telling me all that's been going on! I love to hear about all of it!

So, I actually really had a great time this week! We really keep giving our best out here in San Leon, despite the mild difficulties that we face every single day. I think that my first big news is that IT FINALLY RAINED. Okay, so for like 2 minutes and not really that heavy, but it was precipitation that came from the sky, so therefore it counts!

But you'll see from my pictures that we had an FHE with one of the members where most of the members showed up, and it was really a ton of fun, Filipinos certainly love to cook for other people and then cook! So it was a really good opportunity to become even closer to the members. Something that really did strike me is that absolute ability for Filipinos to just laugh and to smile even in the hardest of circumstances, I mean with poverty and the economic situations, I don't think that I have ever met people who are satisfied with their situations and make the best of it. Really really optimistic people! :)

Later on in the week we went to go and teach Brother C, the one investigator of ours right now who is preparing himself for baptism on May 7th, he talks SO FAST. But he loves the lessons and I know that he's going to be ready! What's super awesome is that he showed up to church before we even got there, some 30-40 minutes before church even started, he was there mingling with the members who also show up super early. It was so great! The path to get to his house is this really long concrete trail across a bukid (field). Super awesome!

And then we went to a birthday party of one of our investigators because they invited us, and that was really fun. Though I can't really say that the cake was good at all, since it was coffee cake and I chose not to eat it xD But it was still a lot of fun, she's one of our investigators who've we only taught a few times but is one of the most astounding listeners that I have met here in the Philippines so far. We of course pray for them everyday, our investigators! Though speaking of that, our goal for this week is to really find new investigators... because we've dropped a bunch because they are not progressing at all, I mean havent progressed at all in some 4 months. So it's kind of a situation where we do that so that they can prepare and notice differences in their lives from when they were being taught and now that they aren't, hopefully when missionaries return in some 6 months or something they'll be ready to accept this message of the restoration :)

And now for some two crazy stories, one is that yesterday there was no power in our area from 1pm to 10pm, which wasn't too bad since we were out most of that time, but in the evening it was so hard... because it was dark and really hot. I have to say that I wasn't quite expecting to be using candles to get ready for bed and to write in my journal.

And the second was this morning we were getting ready to go out for P-day and found these nests in a tree... some 5 or so ant nests in the trees. It was so weird, they like used some sort of I don't even know to hold leaves together and make a colony in the tree. They also could like build little bridges using their bodies, it was actually pretty cool! Though I don't know at all what type of ant they are, it was just super fun to see! Speaking of animals of sorts, after this Elder M and I are going to go to Balungao in hopes of finding a "mini zoo" that apparantly has two really huge snakes, who are fed whole, live chickens. Now THAT ought to be an adventure if we're able to find them! Wish us luck!


Dad, I wasn't really expecting an email from you! Thank you so much, I love hearing about things going on at home, and how things are from your perspective of life! You're still working in DC? I hear that you're looking for a job that will hopefully help more. I know that that would really help, and rest assured I'm praying for you and everyone back home. I also know that the promises from tithing truly are amazing and real!
Oh my gosh, you totally need to do that, it's so cool that he's coming here to Urdaneta! I might actually be his companion one day, now that would be crazy!
I'm so grateful that the boys think of me as a good example, I've really had just wanted to be a good example to them so they know that there can be a line between funny and crazy and hard working ;) WHY on earth didn't the youth have a chicken dance while I was still able to go to the dances, because that sounds like the best idea that I have ever heard!
Wow, congrats on the calling, Dad! You get to be the Executive Secretary, I don't think that there would be anyone better to do in that calling than you! It makes you quite realize that the Lord does know who needs it. I think that what I've found though sometimes, especially out here in my branch, is that when the Lord gives a calling it's not exactly always for the others who will benefit. But is often to help the person receiving the calling to learn and grow for themselves. What a great story though with the call extension. That's what I would call a hilarious story! :D Super cool that you're doing softball now, that sounds really fun! If you want to have any sort of comfort, the people here in the Philippines LOVE basketball, even though nobody is really that good at it. But they do what they love! And so many times have I been asked if I play basketball, I think what I need to do now is just mess with them and actually pretend like I was super good back home XD Dad, thank you so much for being a good example to me. I wanted to let you know that you're doing such a great job as a Father and I want to be like you one day. Thank you so much :) I guess I'll go ahead and include yah in the weekly even though I'm sure Mommy forwards it to you 8)

ps- I have a question, can you please call the Bank and have them approve my card for withdrawing money out here? I don't think I quite thought that I would be gaining weight and need new work pants because I outgrew the ones that I brought XD

TINA. YOU FAT LARD. COME GET YOUR DINNER.

Oh, my gosh... you dont understand how hard me and Elder M just finished laughing here in the internet cafe seeing those pictures of the Alpacas. I have to say that that is one piece of news from home that I did not at ALL expect, but made my whole week! They look so cute! How tall are they?? Are they able to be sheared and stuff like sheep? DO THEY SPIT AT PEOPLE?!?!?! :D

I love hearing about all that has been going on back home, and you know Mommy, I do feel like that would probably be a good idea. Because the way that this world is going, it might just be better to homeschool them. After all, they do say that the home is the best place for a family to learn!

Another thing that made me laugh really hard was seeing their monk haircuts and hearing the story about Adam talking like a monk... that made me laugh so hard, thank you for that! I'm glad to hear that since I've been gone, not ALL the humor there has been taken away ;) JOKE LANG. (Just joking!) You guys are the best!

This week was really kind of hard for us here in San Leon, but it was good too! It was probably hard because Elder M has obviously never been here... so it was up to me to show him where all the zones are and where the investigators, the members, and the less actives all live. So that was really great! And I think the other part is that we spent a lot of time meeting the members and gathering referrals, since somehow it's one of those areas where literally everyone knows everyone else in the area! There were also a LOT of dinners, I mean we were fed every night this week: The reason is two part; so first Elder M would just ask the members "Hey can we eat at your house sometime this week" and they would very energetically say yes! It was really humbing to me too... because of the poverty situations everywhere here, and they would still go out of their way to feed us! Sometimes it was a very simple meal of rice with some ulam (ulam in Tagalog just means anything that you eat with your rice...) or a very big meal, like we had from the N family! They are the kindest people that I have ever met, and love to cook for us xD

     I think that my other highlight is that we'll hopefully have another baptism coming up on May 7th, for an investigator who has wanted to be baptized for a long time but wasn't married... a live in situation. So we contacted him this week and found out that he is married to her, and is trying to find his certificate. He was so enthusiastic and wants to get baptized so much... for a man who wasn't contacted in months, he was so ready. I mean regularly reading the scriptures and has just started coming to church, the only thing that I'm having a hard time to understand with him is his speaking... because this guy speaks like a million miles an hour in Tagalog. Thank goodness Elder M is really really good in Tagalog!!!

   Well, that'll be all for my adventures this week... now to talk about the wonderful experience of General Conference. There was so much that I learned but by far the most amazing experience for me was hearing the two talks that President Monson gave, one in Priesthood Session and another in the Sunday Morning.

From his priesthood session adress, though short I learned so much about the Priesthood and the importance of always living worthy of such authority and power and to be ready to use it whenever situation will call for it. And then his quote in the Sunday Session is easily becoming my motto in life: "Choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong"

I feel that in a world of slipping values and the influence of Satan over the world, it truly is easier to just choose the wrong. So in that sense, we always much choose the harder right. It's a harder work, but it's also the most rewarding. It leads to joy, happiness, peace, and ultimately, Eternal Life. 

And then I also pondered that in regards to my missionary service, it would be easier to go through the motions and not give my best every day. But what I learned from this is to choose the harder right, to give my best every day and to live every moment out here in the Philippines!

Overall, General Conference was so so incredibly spiritual and I felt so incredibly close to the Lord! May we all make the effort to live the things that we learn, that is how we will all achieve the goal of Eternal Life :)

Take care y'all!!!

-Elder Morris

 

 

4-4-2016

 

 

Dear Family,

The mass wedding was pretty awesome, though we didn't have any investigators who were getting married. However, from the mayor we got a list of names of all the people who got married... so this week we may go out and attempt to contact them and have some recently married people become investigators!! Ummmm... well the celebration that quite literally everyone does out here, who's Catholic. Is Holy Week for the week of Easter, and that was interesting because I learned some about the religion! (Totally reminded me, this week we taught a relative of one of the recent converts who was working to convert over to Muslim... so two good things from that... I learned a little bit about what on earth their beliefs are, and I hopefully will be able to help her from going down that path in life)

Anyway, it's so funny that Captain Kitty is still alive! I don't quite understand how on earth she's lived through so much. I think that I would be fairly cynical toward the world if I went through all of that. Hopefully though she'll come fully back and become the great captain kitty that I know!

Awww, it's so sad that Finnegan had to be going down... but as long as Fedwik or however that's spelled, is still alive, then I'm happy! :) Oh my gosh... that's my little brother alright! Cutting open his finger and then not getting stiches to have a cool scar (don't worry Jacob, I would have done the EXACT same thing... you've learned well young padawan)!!

So... this week!

So, my training is officially finished technically and now it's time to move on to Follow-up training. We have transfers this week so I don't know if I'm going to have a new companion or not by the end of this week... so y'all are just gonna have to figure that out in my NEXT weeks email ;) But really, this week marks 13 weeks since I've come to San Leon and really really have been doing missionary work! Pretty cool, huh?!

So we had a companionship exchange this week with the Zone leaders of Rosales... and that was really fun. I went on exchange with Elder P, an Elder from... Idaho I think. So it was pretty interesting, we got yelled at a lot, you know... "HEY, WHAT"S YOUR NAME" or hearing the ever so quiet "Americano" coming from quite literally everyone that we pass xD But it was really a neat experience and I learned a lot about how I can better apply things into our work in San Leon. Mostly to work on making lessons more short and powerful for the investigators to really understand and feel the truthfulness of the message, as well as not wasting their time. Because here at least, people are constantly doing chores and whatnot! For example, cleaning clothes!

  We all have it pretty great here too, considering the fact that we have a tagalaba (the one who cleans clothes) (taga-verb makes it equivalent to someone who does something... example... tagaihi... the one who pees) But anyway, that's really great, she comes by twice a week to wash our clothes and it's I think 1000 pesos a month for both of us, which isn't bad at all!

Anyway ulit, because I don't really have too much to talk about, I'll try to keep this short. But we did have a baptism for J J on Saturday and it was a really cool experience! She was baptized by Brother C, or in other words, the coolest guy that you would ever meet xD But it really was a special experience, she got baptized along with a Primary aged relative of hers who just turned 8. The only sad part is the fact that she showed up late to church yesterday and that means that she wasn't confirmed a member yet, maybe next Sacrament meeting! It's a good thing that she comes to church every single Sunday!

Well... I have to say that that was really all that happened this week. I'll of course update all y'all next week and let you know how things are going. New companions... maybe new foods, maybe new anything! :)

Keep bein awesome you guys! I love you guys!

Elder Morris

ps- Wanna hear an awful joke I heard?!

Who was the first prophet to enter the MTC.

MOSES. (get it?! MTC... em-tee-see... empty-sea) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... I hope you laugh as hard as I did.

YOU SPOILED ITTTT... I haven't seen General conference yet ;) One week left for me and then we'll go watch it in a building far from San Leon xD Anyway, it sounds like it was amazing, as usual! :) I also loved hearing about the new lambs, they sound like literally the cutest animals on the planet! Though the story has got to be one of the nastiest things, go Adam! You're a braver man than I am, there is no way someone could have gotten me to do that! 

With a package, we basically only wear short sleeved, and I'm totally fine with that for right now :) We only wear long sleeved on Sundays because it's required by President (so miserable because it's SO HOT), but if the white shirt maybe has thinner sleeves, then go ahead and send it... because the one I have is huge with sleeves and the whole shirt is huge! xD I also want to make a special request as last night I realized that I only have probably a month left of Journal... so if you could please send me a new Journal, that would be awesome ;)

 

This week! So this week has been pretty awesome, and I have a lot of different things that I pretty much want to talk about, not too much as this week has been really really slow! So last Monday it of course was Pday, nothing more to say about that xD And on Tuesday I got dragged along with Elder Q to Urdanetta for some sort of District Leader training... and that literally took the whole entire day, but it was good since I went on a sort of splits with the Zone Leaders of Urdanetta and of course learned so much from them! Wednesday was pretty much a full day though we had District Meeting. It was especially... interesting because we went to go and teach the P family, who listen really well! (Pretty much everyone here in San Leon has met with the missionaries sometime in the last 10 years... so crazy, the were taught a long time ago by Sisters who were here) but anyway, Tatay is really a character. (I also use Tatay and Nanay because the culture here is such that that's just what you call old people) So every time we've taught him, he doesn't seem to get past the point that we are not pastors.. so we get called Pastors by him! However, we're still getting that fixed. He also has a pretty intense word of wisdom problem, which I can tell is going to be an obstacle. We went over there once and he was D.R.U.N.K. I mean... like not even here on earth drunk. So we kind of ask if Nanay is home, and then say that we're going to leave. Then he comes to say goodbye to Elder Q, grabs his hand and starts to shake it... and then after about 2 seconds goes in for a FULL HUG. I have never seen someone stand there more awkwardly than Elder Q at that moment. So he just says "Salamat po Tay" and manages to get him off! What a crazy story. 

And THEN we found this new investigator through a referral who's question was "why are there so many different churches" and was probably the most interested person that I have ever met! The Spirit was so strong in that lesson. And then something happened that made me about laugh so so so hard and ruin the spirit. But it didn't. XD So we were sitting there teaching the lesson kind of in a circle because we had 2 fellowshippers with us. And there's this little chicken walking about in between us through the lesson, then when I'm sharing and bearing my testimony, this little chicken FLIES UP AND LANDS RIGHT ON TOP OF MY HEAD.... IN THE MIDDLE OF A LESSON. I about lost it and laughed so so so hard. Though we recovered really fast and got back to the lesson. That's got to be one of the funniest things that have happened to me so far!

Anyway, surprise surprise, I have a new companion! Elder M, and you wont believe this, but he's Samoan. He's from Samoa! He's probably an inch shorter than me and about 50 pounds extra in muscle.... but has got to be the friendliest guy that I have ever met! I don't have a picture, but in the District picture I'll send, he's the one standing next to me with the umbrella! It's so fun and he's such a spiritual guy! To be honest, I didn't expect him to be my companion because he's from the Area Rosales 2B or the area that is super close to mine. He didn't transfer far at all and San Leon is officially his last area! That AND he's stepped up to be the District leader, so both of my companions right now were District leaders! Pretty awesome :)

Well, there's not much else to say now except I HAVENT SEEN GENERAL CONFERENCE YET. Because of where I am, the watching time would have basically been impossible. So actually we're going to the building in Carmen on Saturday and Sunday to watch General Conference, a week later! So thank you for your insights... but I can't relate to how awesome it was until next week ;)

Tha-tha-tha-that's all folks!

Love yah guys,

Elder Morris

ps-New foods I've tried... the crabs were fun because we got them live and then boiled them live >:D What other picture needs explanation? Oh, the random bus with the 7-11... well that's actually the exact same spot that I got dropped off, I took that picture while we were in Urdanetta on Tuesday!

PS- When you send a package or letters or anything to me... just use the address that I put on my letters as the return address. That's the mission home :)

Salamaaat!

Ps- here's a picture of some lambs I came across :D Though I think that I somehow caught the one while it was pooping...

Dear Family,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANNAHHHHHH!!!!! 17... that's so weird! Yeeer so MATANDA. (old) It's so great to hear about all thaty's been going on back home! It's made me so happy to hear about the sheep and the crazy stories that have been going on! Woah, to be honest I don't think that I would have guessed that the new Bishop is J W, but that's so cool, he's really qualified for that position! And this week I would really encourage all of you to remember the things that Christ did in his life for us, and right now... I would especially encourage you to read the various prophecies and scriptures about his atonement, the really develop such an appreciation for his sacrifice for all of us!  :) So, this week has really been hard working for us out here in the heated area of San Leon. As I may or may not have said in my email last week, it was what we call "relentless week" this week where somehow we're supposed to try to be more relentless than we always are! But anyway, it was a really fast week and lots of ups, we found a lot of investigators this week! So this week in Balungao there was a festival (the GOAT FESTIVAL because on Wednesday there was some big thing with goats going through the streets of Balungao (I sadly couldn't go, it was at 6 am and Balungao is some 20 minute jeep ride away) and lots of eating of food and goat meat) But anyway, on Tuesday they had a mass wedding that out President had gotten set up when we met the mayor some two weeks ago... so all the missionaries in our zone came out and OYMd for some 2 hours, handing out the #hallelujah pass along cards and getting names of people to allow for us to come back and visit them. It was really pretty cool, but totally different to have been there to experience the simultaneous marriage of some 40 couples! So anyway, that was really awesome because we found some 2 investigators this week through that alone and then some 10 others through out invididual efforts in San Leon! And one of our goals this week was to extend more invitations to be baptized, and almost every one of them all accepted the invitation! One in particular I want to share about:

We met these two sisters, a mother and a daughter in this really humble area. I mean 8 or so concrete homes super close and pretty... unsanitary. But anyway, we had soon found out that the mother was previously married to this one member but whas never baptized herself, we shared the message of the restoration and she remembered almost all of it! It was really special for me because at the end we extended a baptismal invitation and it was probably the most resounding yes that I had ever heard coming from any of our investigators! 

Who else? We also found a family of 4 to teach when we had the funny idea to convince this one less active to come out and work with us, then got him to introduce us to him (pretty awesome, and THEN that less active actually came to church the following Sunday, the first time he had come since I got here in San Leon!)

I think that those are the really big new investigator highlights. My happy news is that our one investigator who has been getting ready to be baptized has as of yesterday passed the interview and we will be having a baptism this Saturday! :D It's really cool to me, and so special to have been part in someone coming unto Christ from the first day I met them and then all the way to the waters of Baptism! So next week I ought to have some baptism pictures and will let you know how that experience is :)

OH totally just remembered to tell you as my funny story for this week, one morning Elder Q told me something... interesting. Apparently he got up to use the bathroom at some 1am, and heard talking.... it turns out that for some 20 seconds I was teaching a lesson in tagalog... IN MY SLEEP. So not to brag or anything, but I can literally teach lessons in my sleep XD

So I think that's really all the highlights of my week, it's really been a great week! :) I love this gospel and this area so much, and it's so humbling to be among such people!

Take care y'all! Thanks for the support :)

-Elder Morris-

ps- those are my new shoes because the ones that I brought have absolutely bene getting WRECKED. So these ones are not what you would imagine, believe it or not.... they're rubber! :D