April 6, 2014: Week 24 - I'm Alive!

Hi Everyone,

Below is Cole's letter from yesterday.  It is pretty short because I actually sent him a voice recorder on January 30th in which he just received this week (mail does not get to the Philippines very fast) so he was really testing it out.  The voice recorder makes it so much easier for him to share experiences.  Therefore, he ended up sending us many voice recordings via email (I like to call them voice journal's) of this week.  I will work on sending them on to you if you are interested.  It was honestly SO much fun to hear his voice.  He is doing so well.  The language is coming along nicely and he thinks he might get transferred to another area here soon.  We will see.  Thank you so much for all of your prayers on his behalf as a missionary. 

Love you all.

Kristie

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Hello everyone!

I'm so sorry that I missed last week.  It was a crazy week, and this week got even crazier!  The computer shop that I'm in has the slowest internet so i will keep this short so that I can get it off to you all!

So this week was amazing!  Our zone did a musical missionary fireside and we had a ton of people come to it.  Leaders of our church and what not were there!  It was so scary, but such a success.  We were able to get investigators there and help them feel the spirit through song.  It was amazing!

We had a lot of leadership things to be at this week so we were in our area the least we have been this whole time, but we have a new investigator that is so great.  She just moved here because her and her husband divorced so we were able to share with her the gospel and she is doing great now!  Transfers are coming up this next week though so I have no idea where I will be next week.  Its a crazy feeling.

As far as our mission goal... we didn't reach it :(  It was really sad...... But our zone did so that is all that matters right?  :)  Its not about the numbers, but it is all the people that were able to enter the waters of baptism.  Its amazing!

Anyway... we didn't get to listen to conference this week :(  But this weekend we will, so I am super excited for that.

I hope you are all doing well and staying safe!

Love you all!

Elder Gordon 

March 30, 2014: Week 23 - No official letter, but he is doing good and is extremely busy

March 23, 2014: Week 22 Avocado Season :)

Hello Everyone!

Well.... I'm sorry to tell you that mango season only has a few more weeks.... and sadly we have moved right into Avocado season....  Dangit :)

How are you all??  I'm doing good.  Just enjoying this 95% humidity at the moment!  Haha.  So I have a few stories for you this week!

So we were teaching this couple that are as native Filipino as they get.  They live in a hut that is in the middle of their rice field.  They like eat field rats and stuff.  They are great people.  So we were teaching them about the 10 commandments out of Mosiah 12 and 13.  We came to the last commandment and asked her to read it (Mosiah 13:24) and as she finished reading we asked her what she learned from her reading.  She paused for a second.... Then re-read the line, "nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbors."  She then looked at us and said, "Uhhh.. Walang bakla!" Or in English "Don't be gay?!"  Haha so we then explained to her what a donkey is.   

So this week we were teaching our investigator Rameir.  He is very interested in the gospel, and only wants to discuss it in English.... So I try and go there as often as possible :)  But his question for us this week was why did john the baptist restore the priesthood to the earth?  And is it possible fro there to be resurrection before the second coming of Christ?  Two very tough questions.  So me and elder Lungay searched and got our facts ready.  So I was prepared to argue the bible with him and convince him that what we were saying was true.  Thinking that if I would pull out the Book of Mormon he wouldn't believe it because its our book, and not the bible.  So of course I got into bible bashing and elder Lungay just sat back and once it got heated he pulled out the Book of Mormon.  I was sitting there thinking "What are you doing?"  We started reading to him the doctrine of resurrection from Alma 40 and he got quiet and very interested in what it was saying.  He didn't say a word as we all took turns reading what the verse had to say and the room filled thick with the spirit.  When we finished he sat quiet then looked at us and said, "Who am I to ask if all of this is possible?  I had been asking for god to give me something to bring me closer to him and the next day you showed up at my door.  Ill start reading this book tonight."  Those words still read in my head.  It was such an amazing moment.  I learned that the Bible was translated by the wisdom of men, but the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift of God.  If the heart is really searching for the truth, it will find it through the Book of Mormon.  It was an amazing moment.

Well that's my story for this week!  There are so many, but that was the best!  I hope that you all are doing well!

Love you all and stay safe!

Elder Gordon

1. Elder Watkins and I got artsy on accident.

March 16, 2014: Week 21 Binyag Na!!

Hello everyone!

So we had a baptism this week!  She is so awesome.  Her name is Charleen Fernando.  I'm pretty sure I told you her story last week.  She had some struggles with her parents letting her be baptized, but I've never seen anyone so happy to step into the waters of baptism. (even though the picture doesn't show it.)  She came out of the waters with a huge smile on her face.  It was also elder Lungays one year mark!  So it was a perfect occasion to have him baptize someone.

As far as our work went this week..... It was really rough.  The area we are in right now is in what they call the "gawat"  season, or the famine season.  They all are employed by the "Bukid" or the rice field, but right now the rice field is just taking its good old time growing.  Leaving all of our investigators and members with no money to come to church....  So the Bukid is not a friend right now.   But I have to say that the Bukid is very beautiful.

This week did, though, consist of trying to find a lot of new investigators.  So that means that a big really white red head was walking the streets of Quezon and talking to any and every person that said "Hey Joe!"  That was their punishment :)  

Oh I would just like to let you all know that like 10 minutes before I came to email I ate a fresh mango.  Like picked from the tree yesterday.  So..... Yeah :)  (Be jealous)

 I went and played basketball for the first time in like 2 months on Saturday.... and now I know what it feels like when the old men play like one game and have to throw in the towel.  I've hobbled through my area for the last few days now.  

But the highlight of my week was this morning.  Me and Elder Lungay and Elder Watkins decided that we had had enough of the city life, so we went to the nearest river this morning and walked around and took pictures.  It was quite amazing.  I'll send pictures.

So nothing really that amazing this week.  We were really focused on getting Charleen baptized.  Next week.... there will be something amazing :)

I love you all and please stay safe!  I'll eat a mango for you :)

Elder Gordon

1. The Baptism

2. The Windmill 

3. The River

4. I cant remember what I put there

5. Me... At the river

6. Me

7. Elder Watkins (Both of our shirts were found at the local uki-uki or DI)

8. Philippines

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 9, 2014: Week 20 MIRACLES

Hello Everyone!

Kamusta po kayo?  Iyos lang?  Magaling?  Masama?  Sana mabuti :)

So... No stories last week, but this week I have quite a few.

So we are teaching a guy named Loel.  He is such a stud.  When we knocked on his door he was really interested in what we had to say, and he invited us in, fed us, and all that jazz.  So we went back to him this week and we asked why he was so accepting.  He told us that he had been praying to find the truth the night before we showed up at his door, and he believed we could be the answer to his prayers.  To be honest with you the series of events that had to take place for us to find him was crazy.  We were wandering the streets asking random people if they knew where this random referral lived.... But we both just felt like we needed to knock on Loels door and ask.  Now we are teaching someone who is ready for our message.  The lord places us in certain situations so that we can help his children, and its a humbling experience to know that you are a tool in that work.  I'm just some snot nose kid wandering the streets of the Philippines, but some how I end up at the door steps of people who are ready to hear.  Its amazing!

Next.  So the standard of excellence for a mission in baptisms is to have one baptism for every person in the mission.  Annnnnnd that is quite a large goal, seeing that we are maxed out at 250 missionaries in this mission.  But with Pres. Martino only having a few months left he wants to see standard of excellence reached this month.  This is no small feat though, seeing that we usually baptize around 130 throughout the whole mission every month.  So everyone is pushing to have at least one baptism this month.  But at the beginning of last week me and elder Lungay had exactly.... 0 baptisms for this month....

So we are teaching this girl named Charleen.  She came over while we were teaching a recent convert family and after the lessons she told us she wanted to be baptized.  That night she prayed about joseph smith and read his story and told us she feels light inside when she thinks about him, and that she knows its true.  The only problem is that she lives alone with her brother and her mom lived in Dubai as a house keeper.  So we asked her to ask if her mom would let her be baptized.  But her mom being a very faithful catholic said that she would be able to be baptized when she gets back from Dubai..... in 2016.  So in tears she told us that she couldn't be baptized.  So we told her to send an email to her mom and bear her testimony and we fasted for her.  Wednesday night we showed up and with a huge smile on her face she told us that she got the okay from her mom, and she will be baptized next week.

We also found a family last week and they came to church this week and will hopefully be baptized the last day of this month.  We are seeing miracles everyday.

My first Sunday here we had 26 in attendance and our group was on the verge of being dissolved, but yesterday we had 61 in attendance and we found out that in 3 months if we keep it up we could become a branch.  Its been so amazing to work along side these people as they bring so many miracles upon themselves.

So that is my stories for this week!  I hope that you are all staying safe.  Eat BBQ for me..... I'll most likely be eating dog :)

I love you all, 

Elder Gordon

I have a sick picture of a windmill in a onion field for you all... But this shop wont let me use USB's :(  Next week.  Be excited. 

March 3, 2014: Week 19 "Another One Down" - A letter from Cole's Mission President right before he sent me his email last night and Cole's letter

I received the letter below from Cole's Mission President right before Cole sent me his letter yesterday.  So excited for him!!  Cole's email is included below the letter :)


THE CHURCH OF

JESUS CHRIST

OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

PHILIPPINES ANGELES MISSION

F. Tañedo Street, Barangay San Nicolas

Tarlac City, Tarlac 2300

Philippines 

March 3, 2014

Dear Sister Gordon:

Recently, your son, Elder Cole James Gordon, was appointed to serve as a Senior Companion in the Philippines Angeles Mission. Accordingly, we wanted to extend our gratitude to you for sending such a wonderful young man to our mission.  Elder Gordon is a great asset to us because of his obedience and dedication to the work. 

Thank you for raising Elder Gordon to be the kind of young man he is.  You can be proud of him and the work that he is doing here.

Sincerely,

David C. Martino

President



COLE'S LETTER THIS WEEK:

Hello everyone!

Well, I got a new companion this week!  His name is Elder Lungay.  Hes a stud.  And I am now lead of my area :(  Which is really difficult when you cant speak the language.... Haha but it has been a journey for sure!  I've learned more Tagalog in the last few days than I have in this whole time!  But this week was so busy.  Not a lot to talk about this week to be honest.  We were in Cabanatuan City more than in our own area.  We had transfer day and then Saturday our stake conference started.  It was really good!  Our mission president stood up and gave a full talk in Tagalog... Which was actually really funny because he has a heavy Texas accent.  But it was a very good talk.  We were also able to sing with the stake and that was awesome.  There was a very cool feeling in the room.

We don't have very many baptisms coming up... But one thing that Ive learned this week is to be grateful for what you have and just have faith.  We don't have any progressing investigators, but we have a chance of having 10 less active members return by the end of the month.  I am more than excited for every single one of them.

Sorry that this week has been so brief.  To be honest with you..... It was really boring haha.  But this next week will bring something amazing!  I can feel it.

I love you all!

Until next week,

Elder Gordon

February 23, 2014: Week 18 Scramble

Hello Everyone!

This week has been a good one!  Another quick week, but so much has happened.  Most importantly me and Elder Watkins perfected our Adobo.  Adobo is a classic Filipino dish.  So I'll make it for all of you when I get back.  It's so good.  

Alright, alright.  So I learned more about the Filipino culture today. So Filipino's love to watch things fight.  Like honestly everything.  The biggest one being Cock Fighting.  If you don't know what that is... I'll tell you.  So they raise these roosters and make them really strong.  They have like rooster workouts, no joke.  And they put a bunch of steroids in them.  Then when they are ready, they don't give them any food for 3 days.  Then the day before the fight they tie their head to a board so that they cant move, and they get really really mad.  Then they put them into an arena with another rooster who has been put through that and they fight each other... Until the death.  Brutal right?   Everyone goes to the cock fights on the weekends.  They have huge arena's that they build for them... Like football arena's, but not quite as big.  So anyway, they love cock fights.  It is as popular as Baseball is for us in the States.  But lately when we come home I see a bunch of people shining flashlights up into tree's and climbing in them and everything.  I've been so confused.  But I figured it out.  So February is the month when all of the spiders come out.  So they go and find these hugeeee spiders and sell them to people.  They pay like 200 pesos (which is ridiculous) on these spiders.  Then they bring them up and do the same thing that they do to their roosters.  Then they bet on which one will win.  Its crazy!  So this week I have witnessed a few spider fights.  Awesome.

We are having a lull in our area right now... Its rough.  We have 3 investigators that are ready to be baptized, but they can't right now.  One has a problem with co-habitation.  The other can't get baptized until her Mom comes back from the Middle East.  So that's good right?  Her Mom comes back at the end of 2016.  Sweet.  And sad news... We haven't seen brother Dante in a few weeks.  His family is really tight on money so he had to go and take care of that... He has to do what he needs to do.   

But an amazing thing happened.  So last week our Bishop told our group that he was scared that we would be dissolved if we didn't get our less actives to come back to church.  We average 25-30 members every week.  So the ward got together on Saturday, every one of them, and organized a "One Day Mission"  They all left Saturday morning and spent the day visiting and teaching the less active members in our group.  The thing that was amazing about that is that they all live off of rice, and right now the rice is growing, which means that everyone is really really tight on money.  But they decided that they would sacrifice what they had and go to visit everyone.  We had 55 in attendance this week, including over 10 less active members.  The Bishop told me and Elder Bausing yesterday that he was about to submit the papers for our group to become a branch.  

The Lord will give back just as much, or more, as you are willing to sacrifice for him.  It was an amazing experience.  

Oh yeah,  and they have this thing called Scramble here.  It's pretty much sugar and milk and ice..... its so good.  So yeah.... You're all missing out :)

Love you all!

Until next week,

Elder Gordon

1. Me and Elder Choresca went on exchanges this week and got some scramble.

2. So this little cuties name is Princess.  But she cant say her C's.  So we call her "Printess."  She loves barbies and guns.  Cutest little girl I know.