Week 26 Santo Domingo Philippines

Monday:  We were in Laoag. We had Christmas con. It was way fun. First I got my shirt from the zone which actually wasn't mine because it was way too small, and everyone kept telling me that I looked super buff.  Then we figured it out and I got the right size. We had this huge dinner party with the whole mission and each zone did a skit and song. It was kinda awkward though, because our Zone leaders got emergency transferred (because they were disobedient) and they were in charge of our skit, and I don't think the skit was exactly appropriate for missionaries. (There was break dancing and a dance battle and false prophets)  So that was really uncomfortable, but our Zone leaders had a blast haha.  Oh well, just move on.

Tuesday:  We had the Christmas conference part of the Christmas con.  President Andradas talks were super good. Felt the spirit. Later I met this fellow Utah person named Elder Huber. We talked a lot, cool guy.  

Wednesday: No lessons....No people. pretty crappy day.  Personal study was good though.

Thursday:  Christmas eve day!  We only got to teach one lesson to an RC.  Elder Legaspi called his parents for Christmas. All day me and Elder Legaspi kept joking with each other saying, " Is it Christmas?"

Friday: Christmas! I woke up in the morning and totally forgot it was Christmas.  I finished Joseph Smith Teachings. So sick.  We had our Christmas party in the evening, which was fun. But we had to go home early because of curfew.  

Saturday: Christmas in America day!  I skyped the fam! it was super fun to talk to them and laugh with them again! I miss 'em. Apparently my English is still good but I have rice cheeks...

Sunday:  No one came to the first hour of church, we were the only ones there. So no Relief society or elders quorum class haha. But there was this one visitor from Olongapo mission who beat boxed church hymns for us.

Today: Went to the beach in San Juan with a bunch of members! The beaches are so flipping gorgeous here! and the water is like perfect! I wish I Could swim so bad!

Well guys I hope your Christmas' were awesome, and I hope you all have a happy new year!  Be careful all y'all.  

The Church is true. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God.  Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. I know these things are true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

-Elder Andersen

Christ is the gift

Christmas con yooo

Too cool to stand (more like too tall)

Da beach

 The little dogs are nice though

Week 25 Santo Domingo Philippines

Hey everyone,

This week was pretty slow. All the Catholics are doing this Christmas tradition where everyone goes to church for 10 straight days leading up to Christmas, and then they call it good and don't go to church until next year.  Also many of the people we are teaching are super busy preparing for Christmas or they are gone. SO yah, The work wasn't the best this week. We place tons of pamphlets every day, but  most of the people don't want to listen to us. They pretty much just take pamphlets because we are nice and i am white and tall and somewhat okay in Tagalog.  

Excited for Christmas! I am in Laoag right now, and we have tons of activities planned for later. Also super excited to Skype the fam later this week!

I have been studying the teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith this week. I have had many spiritual experiences and insights as a result as my studies. I have grown much closer to my Father in Heaven and my Savior, as well as gained a stronger testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith.  It's been a week full of personal enlightenment and personal revelation for me. God listens to your prayers. There is no doubt in my mind that is true.

Sorry, not much to report this week. But thank you for prayers and support. And all of you have a Merry Christmas! Naragsak a Paskua ken nagasat a baro tawen! Maligayang Pasko!  

 Remember the real reason!

-Elder Andersen

FHE

Pogi siya naman

This kid is nuts, he climbed this one tree and was like making monkey sounds and hanging by one arm. I thought he was gonna fall and die.

Yah. cool people.

Week 24 Santo Domingo Philippines

Yahhhh. Star Wars comes out in three days!! HAHAH YAH WAHOO I'm so mad talaga.  I see star wars adds and posters all over the local 7 eleven, uhhhgggg. It looks sooo good.  

Monday:  We had a Zone practice in Vigan for the Christmas conference. One of our Zone leaders showed up in a Pacers jersey over his garments, so the sleeves were hangin out.....idk man.

Tuesday:  I had a bad day, I don't remember why, but I vented to my journal that day haha.  The work was hard and the finding was unfruitful. And Elder Legaspi got a hair cut, and there was this weird movie called My sisters keeper playing in the Salon, and it was about these cancer patients that fell in love and all this stuff happened and then one of them died and there was tons of swearing and yah It totally made me feel weird and totally took the Spirit away. haha.  Weird movie man.

Wednesday:  Long day, taught, found and stuff.  I finally finished the New testament. Cool beans.

Thursday:  Had District meeting. I learned a lot from the Spirit and really applied what i learned later while we were teaching. It was about teaching with the Spirit and focusing on the people and listening to them and asking inspired questions and creating an environment to help them feel the Spirit. Since then, all the lessons have been so much better.    We had an interesting lesson with a Less active whom we cannot get to come to church. He was called to be the branch first counselor a couple years ago, but got released after one month, and he has been totally less active ever since.  He and his wife are members, but all their kids save one were never baptized, and his wife is totally content on being less active, (she is pretty much still catholic).  I started off by asking him what the most important thing in his life was to him. He immediately told us that his biggest desire was to be sealed in the temple with his family, but that there was no hope.  We followed the spirit and taught him from the scriptures and tried to help him see that there is hope, but that he just has to act. He just dodged us the whole time and kept on making excuses.  He has given up.  We really did follow the spirit, and we compared him to the story of Alma the elder when he prayed for his son Alma the younger when there was probably virtually 'no hope', but because of the faith and righteousness of the father, an angel came to Alma and the sons of Mosiah.  Still the less active hardened his heart, for whatever reason, I know not.  Man. bummer naman.

Friday: Taught a really good lesson one to these investigators, but they are afraid to accept baptism because of Catholicism.

Saturday:  We were supposed to have a priesthood activity in the morning, but the Branch President got sick and didn't inform any other priesthood authorities, so yah that got canceled. We were supposed to go to the beach too. :(  Found a funny girl who was really good in English, and she was actually leaving for BAgiou the next day. But we taught her lesson 1 and then got her info in Bagiou so we can refer her to the Bagiou mission.

Sunday: Fast Sunday sa amin.  We surprisingly had an investigator come to church, and she even bore her testimony. But she pretty much just told everyone about how she wants to be baptized but its not the right time yet, and the exact reason she will not say. But I think it is also because of Catholicism.  I bore my testimony about the Book of Mormon and Moroni's promise.    We later went to Vigan and watched the Christmas devotional at the district center. The music and the talks were really good, and it made me Utah sick a little bit. haha.

Iyon lang. Naragsak a Paskua! Have fun with Star Wars and Christmas! I'm totally not jealous! (I'm totally jealous) Buts it's okay cause Christmas will be cool here too.
Love you all. Talaga, mahal ko kayong lahat! 
-Elder Andersen

Dinner in da filipeens, wen.


Hahaha. aaha, ahah, hahah . ha.



 Idk man. If you have a selfie camera, you kinda gotta use it.  Shout out to grandma Linda for the camera!

Week 23 Santo Domingo Philippines

Hey guys, sorry I really stink at  taking cool pictures. I made it a personal goal in my weekly planner to take more interesting pictures for you guys.

Yah! The work is still Matumal (Slow) !  We lost an investigator that we thought had lots of potential, he was the one who has the big house and whose head looked like it would explode when we taught him. He texted us and told us thanks for our time and to have good luck on our missions, he said he decided to stay Catholic.  :((((((((   Bummer dude, seriously, so much potential.... Bummer talaga.

Thursday... we were trying to cross the street when this American on a motorcycle yelled, "Hey look Catholics!"   I politely told him we were Mormons, then he drove really close to us and said, "Nah, You are Catholics."  Then he went on this crazy rant quoting tons of random scriptures from the Bible, and told us we were gonna go to hell.  He was like really loud and sounded angry. Then He was like, " You know what you outta do? You outta throw away that book of Mormon, that book of the devil, and read the king James version of the bible!!"  Then he said," By the way, there is no marriage out there, on those other planets! You wanna know why?! Because the Lord Jesus, the Almighty, the Creator, is gonna burn em all up!!"  Then he told us that we worshiped Satan, and more about how we need to forsake the Book of Mormon in order to be saved.  I politely told him that we serve Jesus Christ and do nothing but preach repentance on His name.  He was like, " Nah, you don't serve Him."  Then he said," I know what you guys call yourselves, THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS. (Then he got really loud) But there is one word missing, ONE WORD. You know what it is?"  "What" -me    "LORD!" And then he sped off on his motorcycle, really fast. Me and Elder Legaspi just laughed.  The guy was so American. I have no idea why he called us Catholics even though he totally knew who we were, I also have no idea why he is here in the Philippines. Everything he said made little to no sense, it was just really loud and angry. Like he legit sounded like he wanted to punch us.  Dude, we are just trying to cross the street, calm down.  He also gave us this peace of paper with these creepy cartoons and scriptures from the Bible captioning them.  I think He is the Preacher at the Messiah Baptist Church here in Santo Domingo, so weird seriously.

We met as a zone earlier today and planned our song and skit for Christmas Con, it was really fun, and lots of laughs.  Christmas will be fun I hope.

I read the Epistle of James yesterday. Really good stuff.

Thank you for your prayers and support, and emails. Means so much really.  Hopefully in the coming weeks, we will find scattered Israel. It's really hard right now, but we press forward, for we know to whom we are entrusted.  

-Elder Andersen

Here is a much cooler pic of the bear cat, accept I kinda look awk, but whatever, it's a flippin bear cat.

 I named him Ingay (Ing-ay)  Which means noisy. He is crazy

 This is basketball in the Philippines! haha!

 Yahhhh

 P-DAY IN VIGAN

Member baptism Yahhhhh 

Week 22 Santo Domingo Philippines

Monday: Held a bear cat and touched a tiger.

Tuesday:  Had exchanges with Elder Pamaran, he is a pinoy, and he is
25 years old. He doesn't cook, and he always asks me questions about
America, and complains about his companion. haha  We taught lesson one
to this guy named Marlon. He has a huge house, and a car, and he is
rich. While we taught, he asked tons of questions, and by the end of
the lesson he looked like his head was gonna explode, because of all
the new info. Especially when we extended a baptismal date to him. He
thought we were very convincing, but we told him that he should join
when he knows the truth from God, no matter how convincing are words
may be.

Wednesday:  Hard day. Finding scattered Israel.

Thursday:  had ZMT, talked about Christmas, I'm way excited.

Friday:  Got punted all day, and didn't get in to teach one lesson,
haha. Hard work all the same.  We had dinner at a members house
though, so that was a plus.

Saturday:  Another hard day, finding scattered Israel.  Waited for
transfer, news, but nothing. So I have another 6 weeks here in Santo
Domingo.  It's gonna be hard, but hopefully we can help some people
come closer to Christ.

Sunday: We went with the District and the branch president and invited
tons of less actives to a priesthood activity.

Yah, It's hard still right now. The work is slow, and even the new
people we are finding aren't really super interested.  So we will keep
looking.  Yah and the Filipinos don't do thanksgiving. It is after all
a American holiday.  the Filipinos are all geared up for Christmas
though.  But they have pretty much been geared up for Christmas since
September.  Almost done with the New Testament. I'm finding some
really cool stuff in Corinthians. But in all honesty, I really am
excited to finish and start the Book of Mormon again.

Love you all. Thank you for your support and your prayers.

-Elder Andersen

Week 21 Santo Domingo Philippines

 Dogs, and Drama, and Drunks...

Yeshhhh, Hello my dear friends and family. I'm am going to email, giving you an over of each day, so you will have a better idea of what happens from day to day.

Monday:  We were supposed to buy fans in Vigan, but we wasted to much time and couldn't get it done. We called Sister Andrada and she chastised us and then told us to buy a fan the next day hahaha. It, was pretty funny, cause Elder Legaspi was super scared to talk to her on the phone.  She chastised me first and,said we should have had better time management, I thought she wasn't gonna let us get a fan until the following Pday, So I asked "So should we wait until next Pday?" haha and then she chastised me again because that's not using common sense. haha. Love her still.

Tuesday:  Bought fans first thing in the morning.  Soooooo niccceeeee.  Worked, had dinner at a members house, the Sister Missionaries came 20 minutes late, and the member was sort of mad at them, I kept joking that the elders were her favorite.  .......drama......

Wednesday: We got a list from the ward clerk of all the Less actives in our area, (that we know of) 

We went hunting for them, but turns out many of them had moved, or they died, or they were at sea.  And one of them was sleeping, and then sleeping again when we went back again. what a goon man.

Thursday: Hard work, but no lessons. Got punted allll the dayyy long.  We came home and there were tons of ants on the floor, so Elder Legaspi to some sunscreen and a match and torched them :D  haha, filipin Filipinos man.  Haha he almost burned his hand off, and then we laughed for like 25 minutes.

Friday:  We decided in weekly planning to set aside an hour every day to find, we decided that we are gonna knock on every single door in the entire area, whatever it takes to find the Lost Tribes of Israel.  we spent an hour and a half on our very own street, a lot of people turned us down but that's okay, we found some people that said we could come back and teach them.  So AYOS.  Around 9pm, A member called us and asked us to go check on one of our LA's, who has a WOW issue.  She said he had a ruff day, and that we could help him. We biked over as fast as we could and found him drunk...... yeahhhhhh. haha. He tried to act like he wasn't drunk... but he was drunk. 

Saturday:  Happy Birthday DAD!  We worked hard all day, but only had one lesson, idk why this week is so hard.  We Started a fast after lunch.

Sunday: Pres Andrada came to our District! He taught gospel essentials class and spoke in sacrament meeting. It was really cool.  We had and FHE at dinner time, we taught a small lesson to a bunch of fams in the brancg, and then we ate. Many of the members were super surprised how good I was at Tagalog, as compared to my first few weeks.  They told me to start working on Ilocano, but I said no way, not yet anyway.  Then we biked home in the dark, and it was like a 25 min ride, plus as soon as it's night time, every dog in the world chases us. I hate the dogs here so much, I know that sounds horrible, but they all have rabies, and aren't trained, and I'm pretty sure Satan has control over them, because they only bark and chase the missionaries.

Today: I had an encounter with a bear cat, and touched the butt of a tiger, and then the tiger hit me in the goods with his tail.  If only my 6 year old self could see me now- I TOUCHED A TIGER

So yah. I've been think about what needs to change here in SAnto for weeks now. I've asked other members if the Elders area was baptizing in the past years. In the Elders area, we have had 1 baptism in the last 2 years, if not more.  I don't know what the deal is but there needs to be a change, we need to help these people come unto Christ.  During weekly planning we decided to go to every single house in the area, and invite them to learn about the Restored Gospel.  We fasted on sat and Sunday specifically that we would be able to find the people here in Santo that would be willing to come unto Christ.  And that the Spirit would carry our words to their hearts, and that we could help this branch become Zion.  

I've read the Gospels of Jesus Christ, and now I'm almost done with Acts. I really like the Book of John, but Acts I really really like. It's amazing to read about how much of a difference the Gift of the Holy Ghost makes. The difference in the Apostles before and after is night and day.  I'm also obsessed with the Apostle Paul, the guy was a gospel preaching  animal. I want to be like him.

CGEEEE Love you all.

-Elder Andersen

This is a bear cat. Its a bear because it can stand on 2 legs, it's a cat because it has whiskers.

my new favorite animal
 

In action, shortly before I got nailed, as you can see the blur around his tail because it is in moving, obviously yah, yah

Week 20 Santo Domingo Philippines

This week was pretty lame. We got punted all day on Tuesday and Wednesday, because it's the rice harvest right now, and no one was home... We had a few lessons but, mehhhhh... Then on Thursday after district meeting, Elder Legaspi got a really bad fever, He was super hot, and weak, and his body ached, so he had to stay in the apartment and rest. He was sick Thursday and Friday, so no work.  Also we attended a member baptism Saturday morning, and then had FHE in the evening, so we really didn't have the most productive week, kinda lame.  

I'm excited to get back working this week.  So yah.... I had a lot of time for personal study this week, which on the other hand is kinda nice.  I finished reading about the teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, and read all of Matthew, Mark, and now I'm half way through Luke.  President Benson says we should be studying the Book of Mormon always, and that yes, some scripture is more important than others. So I need to return to the Bom and D&C, but i really really want to read the New Testament, so I'm trying to read it fast.  

Alsooooo, haha, Tumitira kami sa impierno..... haha. (Translate yourselves if you want)  So, a little background; Every since my first day in Santo Domingo, we only have had one working fan We have two, but it is broken. (the standard is one fan per missionary)  . And Elder Tejada used it to sleep every night.  So I have been sweating my self to sleep every night here in Santo. Since this transfer, Me and Elder Legaspi have been switching off every night using the fan to sleep.  But it broke a week and a half ago. We are burning alive. It is soo flippin hot in our apartment. Like literally, we are studying the scriptures and we are drenched in sweat.   We have contacted sister Andrada about the sitch, as well as the office Elders, but they haven't really been of much help to us so far.  So we are probs gonna buy some fans ourselves and then have the office reimburse us later. haha. Also, the mosquitoes are still alive and breeding in the apartment, but as long as you stay moving and sleep under a mosquito net, you only get bit sometimes.  haha.  

Me and Elder Legaspi are laughing and joking and are really getting along well. The Tagalog is still coming as well.   Our area is so big, and are bikes are so crappy, and it's so hot, and we are always so tires, and we have no fans, and no AC. But buhay pa. haha Still a great time. No greater work, no greater need.  

Sorry, not many pics this week. I've been in the apartment sweating bullets most of this week haha. But here is us eating, and here's a selfie.  HANG LOOSE.  

Next week na lang.

-Elder Andersen

Week 19 Santo Domingo Philippines

Cge, I apologize for the no pictures last week. The comp I was using was giving me troubles.

Any way. We had Elder Haynie of the Seventy come to Laoag! It was awesome. We learned about how to involve the ward and help them become missionary oriented. We learned about the keys of the gathering of Israel, we learned about lots of cool stuffff.  We were free to ask inspired questions, so there were lots of questions, and a lot of different topics that were addressed. My favorite thing was we read about Enoch, and his mission call, and his weakness, and then his power. Then we read moses 6:38 I think? 38 And they came forth to hear him, upon the high places, saying unto the tent-keepers: Tarry ye here and keep the tents, while we go yonder to behold the seer, for he prophesieth, and there is a strange thing in the land; a wildman hath come among us.

Haha. Elder Haynie asked us if we knew if the Filipinos were saying these kinds of things about us. Haha. I immediately wrote down in my planner "BE THE WILD MAN"  that's been my motto ever since.

Yeshhh, Work still slow here in good 'ole Santo Domingo.  We really went out and tried to focus on the members and less actives this week, according to the counsel of Elder Haynie and Presdient Andrada. We reached out to some people and we are trying to train them to be missionaries.

Also there was this super cool Australian dude, he was building his house for retirement being one of our less actives house. He was tall, stocky, tan, and just like... a man.  He had sunglasses and a safari hat, and all these catholic necklaces, and this super deep accent and yah, he was way cool. It was really weird because I talked with him in English and it was really hard. We introduced ourselves, and he said " I'm more of a mercenary than a missionary"  But yah, he said he knew everything their was to know about Mormons.  He thought Brigham Young was the founder, so maybe he doesn't know everything haha. I asked him why he hadn't joined yet, he deflected and then He offered me a beer and I obviously said no. he was like," I know your a Mormon, but still, any Yankee likes a good beer." Hahah.  I told him to come to church with us and offered to teach him.  I'm pretty sure he was drunk the whole time we were talking to him haha. I then asked him if he had read the book of Mormon, and he said he had some but never read them. I said " ahh man, that's the key, you have to read the book man!"  He told me to "  go away, return, and we will talk some more later" haha.  Funny guy.

Yeshh, No investigators at church for us on Sunday :( The sister missionaries had some, but they have been at the hospital for a week, Sister Staples has Dengue. :I  One of the La's said he would come today, but wala siya! Ano ba iyon!?

I've really noticed my Tagalog is improving a lot, still have a long way to go, pero basta, umunlad siya!

cge na, sa darating Linggo, Mageemail tayo!

Thank you for your emails and your prayers and your support I love you all!

-Elder Andersen

Elder Haynie of the Seventy and Sister Haynie

Those tagapagbawal, JokeLang, Obedient us! 

 

Splits in San Juan. Super cute, it hurts my eyes! Too much handsome ... 

Don't ask, okay I tell you. This is the former president of the Philippines, who is from Vigan.He is a centaur.  He also slays wild African beasts and skins them, and they are all in the Baluarte zoo.  He also walked the streets of Vigan with a tiger on a chain, while probably accidentally flipping off the camera. I took a pic of it haha.  So macho talaga

Week 18 Santo Domingo Philippines

Starting week 9 in the Philippines. 

Hard week as far as the work goes. We've had to rearrange a lot this week. A lot of investigators have lost interest, a few have said they don't want to be taught, and we ourselves have dropped a lot, simply because they just aren't really showing interest and a desire to change, nor keeping their commitments.  Which is good because now we can find the ones who are interested.  Also a lot of the new investigators that we found last week turned out to not be so interested. So we still have many people to find haha. FIND FIND FIND FIND. 

Elder Legaspi is awesome. Like I said, barely speaks English, but we are getting along really well, and we laugh a lot. It's definitely been helping my Tagalog a lot, as well as my ability to joke around in Tagalog. He is always smiling and laughing and we are having fun, despite the difficulty of the work.  

 I've done a lot of reading this week.  I finished the BOM, and read this D&C story book with lots of cool stories of the early history of the church, mostly about Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. I started reading about the life and teachings of President Ezra Taft Benson, which is awesome. I really like Ezra Taft Benson, he was a BOM trooper as well, which I love.  I read some cool stories about his mission to England, as well as his assignments while being in the quorum of the 12 during after the devastation of WW2 in Europe, and all sorts of cool stuff. I think

 

 I am gonna read the New Testament next.

Ummm. ano pa? I've decided to pursue and especially pray for the Gift of Charity, in which Mormon explains in Moroni 7.  It's not like I don't love the people, but I've decided I need to lose myself completely. It's just the easiest as well as the most intelligent thing to do. Sige more next week. 

 

Love you all. Thank you for your prayers and your emails!

-Elder Andersen

Week 17 Santo Domingo Philippines

Transfer Cycle 2, Week 1 

Week 8 in the field?  Yah. Interesting week. My new Companion is Elder Legaspi from Cavite! He has been out about 7 months.  He knows even less English than my last companion Elder Tejada did! Hahahah but I can understand his Tagalog much easier than Elder Tejada's so it's better.  

First thing Elder Legaspi did was rearrange the entire apartment and deep clean everything.  Sometimes he even cleans rather than study haha. He loves to cook and also to bless the food haha. We have similar ideas and desires on how to improve the work here in Santo Domingo so hopefully we will see some fruits of our labors later this transfer cycle. We decided to focus on finding big time and we found 26 new investigators this week, soooooo yah. 

I've learned more and more about the mission here and I've been very surprised. So much disobedience and carelessness among many missionaries and I won't go into details, but man. Seriously. Crazy stuff going on.  Just another reminder that it comes down to individual commitment and desire to be a good missionary. The Mission won't change you if you don't let it.  So all you kids at home that plan on serving, don't tell yourself you will be righteous later or when it's time to serve. Just like when you die, your thoughts, desires, attitude, and everything else won't change. Same thing on a mission. It's not like you walk into the MTC and you are all of ta sudden a perfect, clean, and pure vessel of the Lord that can do no wrong.  Not true.  

Oh yah, the Baguio (typhoon) came. It just rained a lot for like two days and I got lost in some puddles while biking haha.  But other than that, no damage done really.

It's been an interesting week, and another hard one. I've found my self on my knees many times this week, praying for strength, comfort, peace, confidence, and success in the area.  The Atonement is real and prayer works.  I cried a couple times this week...hehe.  One of them was while reading in 3rd Nephi when Jesus gathered the children around and commanded the people to pray... And he wept, because of his joy, and then he wept again. As soon as I read the words, "And he wept" I began to feel the Saviors love, and his Atonement. I could picture the Savior weeping because of the joy he receives because of us, but also because of our afflictions and our sorrows and sufferings. I got on my knees and covenanted with God that I would recommit myself and do everything in my power to bring these people and to a true knowledge of their Savior.  I had more cool experiences this week as well, but yah. 

Oh, I locked my self in the bathroom somehow in the San Juan Elder's apartment this morning. I had to squeeze through this tiny vent thing to get out, I still don't know how I fit haha.

I love you all and thank you for your prayers.

-Elder Andersen

Week 16 Santo Domingo...Philippines

Heyyyyyy, 

First transfer down here in Santo Domingo. Elder Tejada is going home this week and I will be leading my are in Santo Domingo with my new trainer, Elder Legaspi, whom I will be meeting tomorrow.  

So kinda interesting. We've been under warning since Saturday because of Super Typhoon Lando. It is huge, but I haven't seen it yet hahha. It was supposed to hit yesterday, and then today, but still it's just cloudy and occasional rain.  But yah, kinda scary. So still waiting for the massive typhoon to hit.  

Lots of change in the zone because of transfers.  Lots of new faces in Vigan zone so we'll see what happens.  Yesterday at church the Branch council all cried because Elder Tejada is leaving and also because Sister Paca, a sister missionary whom has been in Santo Domingo for 6 months, is getting transferred. They all cried and thanked the missionaries. It just made me want to keep serving and help build the kingdom of God here in Santo Domingo. We still don't have any solid investigators which is hard, but I'm giving everything to this area and I'm praying my guts out for them.  

Not gonna lie its been a hard 6 weeks for me emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Its been very up and down and this is hard, but I wouldn't be anywhere else. I want to thank every single one of you for your support, your words of encouragement, advice, and love. They have all been heaven sent. Thank you for your prayers.  I know the Lord is with us. 

Sige na ingat until next week! Mahal ko Kayong lahat!

-Elder Andersen

Here is the Baptista family. they are all members, but mostly less active. The boy on the right of me, Roger jr. Baptista, is 18 years old and preparing to serve a mission. He fellowships with us most days out of the week. He is the best. 

Week 15 Santo Domingo Philippines

Week 5 here in da Philippines....

Eventful week talaga.  Last Pday after email we went to the Baluarte zoo. They have like 5 tigers and a lion and all sorts of snakes and this huge trophy room with tons of animal skins of like elephants hippos and lions and tons of African animals and just lots of stuff. Pretty barbaric. haha. They were all killed by this same Filipino dude. We went with the Vigan district elders. They all held snakes and took a pictures in the tiger cage cause they are freaking dumb. They tried to get me to take a picture with the tiger but I'd rather not add to the missionary handbook of don't do's. Hahaha. It was pretty much the chillest zoo ever. Like we just walked in for free and you could literally stick your hand through the animal cages and pet them if you wanted, including the Tiger. I got a selfie with Richard Parker!!!!

Yesterday and Saturday we got to watch General Conference in Vigan. So awesome. I really enjoyed it. They talked a lot about the current persecution and how we need to be faithful, and they talked about moms and then dads and old people's wisdom and yah hahah. I really liked Uchtdorf's talk on simplifying the gospel. So true, we make things way to complicated. Just love people and serve people. The gospel is so simple that a child can grasp it.  and I liked Eyring's talk in priesthood session about church callings, and Ballard's talk about staying in the old ship Zion, and Christopherson's about the role of the Church, and all of them were good and yahhhh.  

 

 

Today, just before email, we had Zone activity at the beach in Sinait. So freaking ganda. I put my feet in the water and it was talaga like 70 degrees.  Me and Elder Pena and this Elder from Tahiti, Elder Ellis passed a soccer ball around so that was fun. I wanted to swim so bad...

 

 

As far as the work goes, still pushin along, were still finding people, but were having trouble finding good solid investigators that are willing to come to church. We also haven't had one investigator attend church since I have been here. Santo Domingo hasn't seen a baptism since May, so I'd really like to make a difference here before I get transferred to a new area who knows when. I'd really like to teach whole families, so we are trying to find families to share with, because that makes their progression and commitment keeping so much easier. Also this is Elder Tejada's last full week, he is going home on the 22nd.  So i will be getting a new comp soon. I'll have to lead the are now because the new guy who ever he is has never been to Santo Domingo obviously.  Elder Tejada decided to let me lead the proselyting for the past week and a half, so I know the area and where all the investigators live relatively, so shouldn't be a big deal.  Good stuff. Still chuggin.

 

 

Love you all

-Elder Andersen

Week 14 Santo Domingo Philippines

Hey y'all Mabuhay. Why couldn't the ocean get into Heaven? Tubig asin...hahahahahahaha figure it out. 

I'm giving everything I've got. I received some wise words of counsel from Bishop Wilkins and my uncle Mathis and many others in the previous weeks, and I have to say, y'all angels. You are all inspired in your emails. Thank you. 

I decided to stop whining and pull my weight and Bump it up to full throttle, and leave it all on the rice field. 

I've been much happier and motivated since then.

 We haven't been finding people in the previous weeks, but this week we found 9 new investigators and they have BOMs and pamphlets, and now this week were gonna fire hose them with the Word of God. Hahaha booyahhhh.  We plan on keeping up the finding, Our goal is to find 10 investigators a week. 

We also taught Brother Antonio, whom we found. We have taught him three times and after the first visit, he read the first three chapters of the BOM and he knows it is true.  He has a family to, so we plan to get in and teach his family. More on this guy later, but he is dope and has some potential.

Ummmmmm, yah. Sorry guys I'll try to take more pics of the Philippines and the kids and the families and all that for ya.

I guessed Elder Rasband as one of the new apostles and I was right heh heh IYON. 

We haven't watched GC yet, but next week.

Love you all. Proverbs 3:5-6

-Elder out-

 Also I did exchanges with this Elder from Peru on Thursday. Elder Pena! I lead the area for the first time. He is 27 years old hahaha. He was baptized 2 years ago in NY and has been out here on the mish about a year. So he knows Spanish, English, and now Tagalog. He isss dooopppe.

Week 13 Santo Domingo Philippines

So yah,

Family week... 

 It's a Filipino holiday I guess. We celebrated it with the branch on Saturday which was also my birthday. We went on a motorcade around the town and we held up signs that said stuff like "Families are eternal!" and other Mormon stuff, haha. It was really annoying cause all the people on motorcycles honked the whole time and it was giving me a headache. Then we went back to the church and played these dumb games. The branch bought me a cake though and sang this totally messed up version of the happy birthday song. Then they came and put cake on my face.  Prettyfunnnnn...

Later in the evening the sister missionaries had a baptism and they had me be the baptizer since it was my birthday. Super cool. The guy has been an investigator since June I think. He is 22. We also had one of our investigators get baptized on Thursday, his name is Frankelli. He is 8 years old and he is an African-Filipino. His mom is a member so it didn't count as a convert baptism, but that's okay! Salvation all the same! 

Yah, so I bought my self 2 ice cream cones from 7eleven or my birthday haha WAHOOO.

I bought a mosquito net so that has minimized the bites.  They are still always floating around me though, all the flippin time. In the shower, in the bathroom, during study, anywhere really. So I'm always swatting the air. haha.

Tagalog still comin. The Book of Mormon is so true. I read 13 chapters today while Elder Tejada got his homegoing x-ray in Vigan hospital. 

Love you all!

-Elder Andersen