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Monday, September 1, 2014

First Week in the Field

WEEK 7

     I'm finally in the Philippines!  It's so weird that I am actually in the field.  We had so much hype for it and then it kept getting delayed just a few more days. But now I am finally out.  I also realized that they taught me a language in the MTC, but it definitely wasn't Tagalog. Just like in English, every word and phrase is shortened and cut down as much as possible. It is taking a while to catch on. It is definitely the hardest thing that I've ever had to do.  It is a really good thing that everyone here is so nice and friendly.       
     My trainer's name is Elder Torio.  He is from Pangasinan, Philippines.  He speaks perfect Tagalog and some English.  He is very humble and honest with me.  He only has four months left in his mission and he is in his sixth area.  He is an amazing trainer and my Tagalog is improving quickly with him around.  My first area is Calamba 1A.  It is up in the mountains and it is beautiful!  We are reopening the area, so we have been really busy lately.  We had a baptism already lined up for my third day in the field.  Her name is Sister Sunshine, and she is awesome.  She is 22 years old and lives with a part-member family. Both of her parents are passed away.  Her baptism was amazing.  Right now we are just going through the area book, which was about four months behind when we got here, and contacting everyone that we can.  My companion is a pro at inviting an investigator to be baptized in the first lesson.  So we have 5 investigators with a baptismal goal date in our first week.  I still can't believe how receptive people here are to the Holy Ghost.  I know that Heavenly Father has been preparing them to receive the truth.  All we need to do is open our mouths.  
     The other day we just stopped at a house next to the railroad tracks, and taught the first lesson to an elderly couple who said they had seen missionaries walk by every day for years, but they had never stopped to talk to them.  The man who lived there said the closing prayer reluctantly, but started crying and kept apologizing.  We kept telling him it was ok and then he said, "I'm right here every day, just come teach me more when you have time."  It was an amazing experience.  
     So far, it has been difficult not being able to understand our investigators, but I am catching a few more words every day.  I still don't know what's going on most of the time, so I just follow my trainer.  Everyone keeps telling me how tall and big I am, and I tell them that I'm really not, respectfully of course. I also laugh along to all the jokes that they make about my name, that I don't understand at all.  They all say, "You look Filipino, but you're too big, and your nose is too tall."  I never know how to respond to that.  You will see why people say I'm so tall when you see a picture of me with my companion.  He is about the average size of the people in my area.
     I don't really have any more time, but I just wanted to say thank you for all of your support, and I hope that everyone is doing great!                                     

-Elder English    



Photos sent by his mission president 
from the San Pablo Mission office before heading out to his assigned area.
With Pres. and Sis. Mangum




This must be the new group of missionaries that Bradyn arrived with.

3 comments:

  1. So awesome! What an amazing young man so filled with the spirit.

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  2. Don't worry Bradyn you are going to catch up very quickly with the language. I am so glad you have a good and nice companion. Ask him if he knows a Miss Torio also from Pangasinan. She was a principal where I had my nursing degree. Sorry I forgot her first name.Take care and hope to hear more from again. Love grandma

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