5-22-2016

Hello everyone!!! I didn't get an email from you this week, so I trust that all is well and you're getting ready for Whitneys wedding this week. Which is so exciting! I hope that everything is still going safely :)

So this week WAS actually pretty eventful and only a little bit stressful as my first week in a new area and with my new companion. Elder A. Though it's so fun because he's a great guy and is led by the spirit really well! I really like this new area. So Tayug is more like a foresty area which is closer to the mountains, which is actually super beautiful! If you remember, my first area was actually in what we call bukid, or basically fields. Something I think I like even more about this area is that it's a little cooler than the last one because of the more trees!

The apartment however, leaves a little to be desired. Only because it's like half the size of my first apartment. I think that all in all there are 3 rooms? The bathroom, the "living room" (has kitchen, study, and bedroom... but is really small) and a changing room. So that's been taking me some time to get used to. ESPECIALLY since this bathroom doesn't have any toilet paper, rather it has something that I am going to start calling "the hose" which is like a little shower faucet that shoots water really fast. I'll just let you guys guess what that's used for xD ANYWAY, it's a second level floor and since we don't have a tagalaba (someone who cleans clothes), Elder A and I are always washing our own clothes, and that's been an adventure so far! 

So my very first weekend here, I guess I probably told you last week, but we had a baptism. Though I feel like it doesn't really count since I literally transferred some 3 days before. But it was still a really great experience to see someone make that covenant with our Heavenly Father and really happy as well to see Elder A perform his first baptism in the field!

Every day this week I've really been working hard... because after all President has raised our standards! I have to say, it's been really hard work. But the most rewarding, every day when I drop into my bed to fall asleep from just being tired after a long day... I feel so happy to be alive and be a missionary. To be honest, I have been having a lot of those moments this week where my heart just feels full of happiness!

Oh something that I want to say to is so awesome, our branch building is literally right in front of this big park with statues of all these different Disney characters and superheroes. So one of these weeks I'll go ahead and take the time to stop and take a bunch of pictures there so y'all can see!

Anyway, I look forward to this week and the approaching rainy season! I was told that by the end of June it's going to be rainy season which means that sometime soon I'll be going through my very first Baguio (not the city, but the word for typhoon here in Tagalog)

And P.s. update on my Tagalog skills, they are very much better than when I got here. And I teach lessons in Tagalog without too much problem!

Nagpapasalamat po ako sa pagkakataon na ito na dito po ako at makapagbahagi sa mga tao. Alam ko po na ang kaloob ng mga wika ay TOTOO. Hindi ko po alam kung bakit ipinadala ako ng Dios dito sa Phillippines, pero alam ko po na ang lugar na ito ay EXACTLY where the Lord wants me to be serving.

I love you guys so much, thank you so much for the support! I really feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be in life and am so grateful foryour help in getting me to where I am today!

Love,

~Elder Morris~

PS- Here's some pictures! The baptism, my new companion underneath some MASSIVE fruit, I think it's jackfruit. And I saw a slight double rainbow this week... so that was cool :) Also I GOT A PICTURE WITH CAPTAIN AMERICA. #muricaeverywhere.   And finally that picture is a member who is selling at the market. The market here is really really huge and has one of those "open meat" markets where all these meats and fish are laying on the counters... I am not going to lie, it has got to be one of the nastiest smells that i have ever experienced!

 

Ang simpleng mensahe sa pamily ko,

A simple message to my family :) It's so crazy that I saw you guys so recently, and I'm overwhelmed with joy to know that you are all still doing well and alive! Isn't is so weird to think that I have already been away from home for 6 months?! TIme is just FLYING by! By the next time I call you, it'll be a year! Anyway, it's so exciting that Whitney is getting married soon... and in the temple, that's so wonderful! I can't help but think about the message that I am sharing to everyone here in the Philippines, that families CAN be together forever!

You want to talk about a lot of rain? Just wait one more month and literally every day here is going to be rainy ;) Just saying! I'm just glad that you guys are safe!

But anyway, it's actually really a good thing that you are pulling the kids out of public school, from what it sounds like. There are a lot of things going downhill fast, talk about Sodom and Gamorrah! And we ALL know what happened there... just saying! That actually reminds me that there are so many bakla here and it's kind of awkward because a few times they have tried to flirt with me. Not going to lie, kind of uncomfortable. But ANYWAY, everything will be fixed one day :)

Super exciting that you guys are going to be seeing those 'moundbuilders' and stuff, that's really interests me. Because I was reading something, how on earth could Joseph Smith have made up a book about an ancient people that they didn't know existed at the time. And then the discoveries like that (those Nephite fortifications) just happen to match the types of descriptions in the Book of Mormon? Coincidence?? I THINK NOT.

So anyway, I probably ought to tell you guys about how my week has been ;)

I am going to start with letting y'all know that awesome big news! I have officially moved onto my second area! It's kind of a funny story, Thursday morning right before we do out weekly planning, the APs call and tell me to pack all of my things. The reason? Because I was being transferred at 3:30 the same day!

So my new area! Tayug Branch A( the reason for the A is that there are two sets of Elders here in my area, we're A... they're B)

My new companion! Elder A (So it turns out that I am his followup trainer, meaning that I get to be the senior companion and leading the things. apparently the Lord knows that I can handle this calling, even if I don't feel like I can be a good example and followup for his after just 4 months in the mission) It's also funny, because he told me how everyone in the area kind of makes fun with his name because in Ilocano it means "mabaho" or in English, stinky!

Okay, but before that I want to share with you last Monday after I went and Skyped! Elder Mand I went to Mount Balungao and found THE MINI ZOO :D :D It was only like an hour walk in the heat and near the top of the mount. But there were the two giant snakes and some other animals! It was so awesome, some sort of resort was up there too... with a pool that they made by damming off a spring that comes from near the top of Mount Balungao. So that was a really great way for me to be able to end my time in San Leon.

This new area (tayug) is pretty close to my last area, but is so much more beautiful! We're closer to the mountains and is practically forest! But the area itself is actually really developed. We have a mall and a lot of homes around in the area, almost everyone here is middle class. So it's really being maybe a change in perspective from what I have been used to over the last while here!

It was kind of a lukewarm welcome though because I guess sometime back they had a really strict American Elder, and that gave all of the members a bad idea that that's how all americans are. Of course I'm not like strict or lacking in a sense of humor, but I do follow all of the rules. So what I did was the very first Sunday here in the area literally stand out near the entry and shook hands with EVERY single member who came! (okay so it's only like 60 and the building is smaller than it was in San Leon) But I think that I've really made friends with them here already! What a fun time!

There has been a new change in our mission vision of excellence. And it's really going to be pushing us in the work here! We are expected to have 22 lessons to investigators every week, 17 new investigators with 17 IBDs and then 30OYMs a day. I don't really know how we are going to manage to do all of that, but I think that we can. The President wouldn't give us a goal if he didn't think or receive a revelation that we all can actually fulfill it!

Sorry about all my kind of random saying, but there is so so much that I want to talk about and Share! It has been such a great week and I feel so grateful to be a missionary!

I testify that this is truly the one true church of Jesus Christ on this earth and that HE LIVES :)

Love you guys so much, keep being the best family in the whole world!

Elder Morris

PS- a LOT of pictures, we took so many... so I really only took the highlights and sending them. You'll have to wait for two more years to see the rest ;)

PSS- in response to your PS, my adress is ALWAYS going to be:

Elder Isaac Morris

Philippines Urdaneta Mission

PO Box 7

Brgy. San Vicente East

Urdaneta City

Pangasinan 2418

Philippines

 

5-4-2016

First off, those pictures are so great! The lambs just make my heart so  so happy for some reason. I don't know what on earth it is about lambs... but they make me so happy xD It's so sad that the goat wasn't doing too well, but I am really happy to hear that he is healing and doing well! I totally remember taking the lamb to the beach, that was the best!! :D :D

I got the numbers and created a Skype and added you as a contact, so hopefully expect a call coming on Sunday Evening there... at least I think so. If you want to do the calculation... it'll be here Monday Morning probably somewhere between 10 and 2... so I really don't know when exactly I'll call, but I will :D

I honestly don't really know what is in the soap... but it's called "ROYALE KOJIC PAPAYA" and is really great! But anyway, it's pretty funny to me to hear about how long it might take for that package to get here... I don't know why! I'm so so happy to hear that all of you guys are taking care out there at home, and I of course hope that things will keep being awesome :) I don't think that I'll email next week because I'm going to be too busy calling hope.... hopefully you guys won't mind xD

Anyway, so my week...!

Meron po kaming ULAN. That means that we have rain, this week we had two storms that were really really strong with tons of rain. But what I want to focus more on is the lightning, I don't think ever in my life had I seen lightning as strong and often as that. It was literally some 2 every second for hours... that made for some pretty cool pictures, which I'll try to send right now or next week. But that was really cool!

This week was really good for us here in San Leon, with a lot of success. But of course the best thing that has got to have heppened to me this week is the fact that Brother C had his baptismal interview and passed with flying colors!!! That means coming up on Saturday, I will be having another baptism. He was the happiest man that I think I have ever seen, I mean coming out of that interview he was just beaming with light and joy. And that's saying something for someone who just biked some 3 km in the heat of the sun just to get to the church. Haha, he's such a funny guy... even though it's so hard to understand anything because he talks at a million miles an hour.

Now there was SUCH a kind of funny and sad experience this week... so last week we talked to that singapore man, and he was talking about some book that "was written by our founder" and proved why our religion was wrong. Then kept asking if we know who Mormon is. So one, of course we know Mormon is... I think I know a little more about Mormon than him xD Anyway though, he then was talking about how he has two hotels near where this man is from in Singapore... so then we are REALLY confused like... what?! The next time we came back, this week... we asked to see this "book" and he pulled it out and gave it right to us, said we could keep it!

You know what it was?

The autobiography of J. Willard Marriot. As it turns out it wasn't at all an antimormon literature, but about a devout Mormon who created an incredibly successful hotel chain. So when we go back this week, I'm going to have so much fun sharing how that isn't at all written by our "leader". It's just sad to me, because I don't think he quite understood the things that he read, because when he gave us the chapter that proves us "wrong", I went home and read it... only to find out that it was a chapter on his dedicated missionary service in New York xD

What else can I say? We have really been working and pulling out lessons with investigators and less active members. I think that this week, we found 13 investigators through our own efforts and 24 total by the end of the week because we had a Blitz (where the missionaries in my district all came and we went out to find new investigators... that was really successful!)

And finally, we had two lessons this week where a less active cried and then one where the investigator cried on the first lesson. It's really humbling because they live in really humble circumstances, and you know what... I felt really that we were supposed to go and visit them that day. The Spirit is truly a wonderful gift and the teacher of every one. What a wonderful and humbling work it is to be serving out here in San Leon. Though my time is running out since transfers is coming up and I think that it'll be finally time for me to move on to another area!

Love you guys so much,

Elder Morris

ps- so two of these pictures need explanation!

ONE, those birds are some sort of mocking ones... because they could copy so much! Like I said "pangit ka (you're ugly) and it copied me!!!" or would whistle to it, and it would return the noise! SO COOL.

and two, we found a dead kitten outside our apartment, so we held a "funeral" and even had kids who I don't even know attend! It was really funny XD

Gwapo ako. (I am handsome)

 

Haha, that's so awesome! I don't think you quite understand how grateful missionaries are when they don't have to pay for their dinner. The first twelve weeks for me were really tough because we never ate at members homes! But that's so cooll, they sound aweome! It's so interesting to me to really know how the missionaries feel about members of the ward in which they serve, totally a different point of view! It makes me want to go on splits with the missionaries a little more often when I go back home!! xD Anyway, I really am getting a tan out here, but that also means tan LINES... you should see my neck! It's actually kind of really funny!

So with Mothers Day, it's going to be kind of interesting because we're going to be able to call or Skype home on May 8th or 9th... so basically for you, just be ready probably May 8th there late evening for me to Skype. Honestly I don't know what time it will be... maybe up to as late as midnight. And I don't know how long it'll be. But I'll give you more details next week! 

 

You're kidding... you know, since I got out here on my mission I've really been able to take a step back and see the condition I guess of the world. And my own beliefs are deeper now than they ever have been... the whole transgender situation is just... well, I guess I'll just refer you to the scriptures where it includes the words that sexual sin is an abomination. I'm almost positive that that includes things done to yourself, as sex can obviously refer to the gender of a person. But anway, we're all in this crazy world. Just keep being righteous and everything will turn out one day!

Hahahahaha, I love to hear about all the animals. some 30+ sheep and goats and all the others, I can only imagine what it sounds like super early every morning! But it's so cute! I miss those animals so much! xD

So first off, we didn't find that giant snake last week because we instead chose to go and play basketball with some of the members. Did I tell you guys that the people here just absolutely LOVE to play basketball all of the time? It's so funny because I am NOT good at basketball, everyone just assumes that I am like super super good at basketball! xD Anyway, this week didn't really have to much unique or awesome things happen. The only real update that I have for this week is that Brother C has his interview coming up on Saturday!! And then he'll be baptized on May 7th! This investigator has been in the process of working towards baptism for maybe 8 months or something because he's been special case for a long time. Meaning that he wasn't married to his "partner" but that was fixed since then and therefore is qualified for baptism! Yesterday we had a lesson with him about the Word of Wisdom and he's completely fine, so that's really great!

I guess that there is one really funny experience that I had this week that I really want to share right now!

So we were going and doing OYMs, or of course just when we go and talk to people to share a brief message and I just walk up to this house with a really big metal gate because I saw people on the other side. And it just so turns out that this old man is from Singapore and speaks NO tagalog. So we walk up and are like "Hello po, kami po and mga missionaries ng Ang Simbahan ni JesuCristo ng mga Banal sa mga Huling Araw" and he gives us the most blank face, so we repeat, a little louder. And that's when he says he can't speak Tagalog and Elder M just looks at me and says for me to handle it. So that was the first time that I had to talk to someone and do an OYM in English. And it was so hard, every sentance I just wanted to use Tagalog because it was hard for me to think about what the English was. So that was a really awesome experience and we'll be going back to visit them sometime this week!

OH, I totally just remembered that I also wanted to share this experience when we went up to this investigators home to do a second visit lesson. And as I'm walking up, his door is open. He literally sees us, gets up, and shuts the door. So we walk up and are just like "hello brother, nakita namin kayo, kamusta po kayo?" (we saw you... how are you?) but it was completely silent. So after a few minutes we just say goodbye to him and leave. But really that has got to be the first time that something like that has actually happened to me out here since I started on my mission. Though that's probably not saying much because I've heard how sometimes the missionaries are treated by people in other countries... everyone here is usually really nice to me!

But anyway, that's really all I want to say about this week... I'll of course keep all y'all updated on how my life is out here in San Leon! It's so crazy that this transfer is halfway over, I'm almost getting ready to move on to my second area... how crazy is that??

Love y'all! Keep being awesome, even when life throws that painful curveball! :)

Love,

Elder Morris

ps- you'll see in the pictures... we helped Brother C (the one on the log with the awesome looking machete) to replace the roof on his house. So that was really really fun! And the picture of the cloud if you look close is lightning, I took that when a storm passed over us. It was really awesome!


PS- if anyone needs a really good skin cleaning advice... this week I bought some soap and stuff from a member in Rosales, and I mean in like 3 days all of my acne is almost GONE. Really... it was so awesome. XD

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