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.   

      

February 16, 2014: Week 17 Mango Season

Hello everyone!

Well it's mango season here.  If you have never picked a mango off a tree then gone and ate it you totally should.  It's honestly the best thing I have ever done.  One thing that surprised me this week was raw cincumus or turnips in English.  So good. They taste... I don't even know how to explain it... Good.  And it's also sweet corn season right now.  So that is pretty amazing.  It's a great time right now.  I'm trying to buy all the mango's I can.  

So we were walking through an area this week that we were thinking that we were going to drop.  We just haven't had very good success there.  So we were just walking and talking to people and we decided that we were going to "Knock" on this random persons door.  (In the Philippines its rude to knock... and kind of scary because you don't want to push their house over.  So we walk up to the door and you say "Tao Po"  Or "People"  and they will come out.)  So this guy came out and immediately had us come back to his house.  He was really excited to talk about religion with us.  So we sat down and had a 2 hour discussion over lesson one, or the restoration of the gospel.  It was an amazing discussion.  This guy is so ready to hear what we have to say.  I almost started to cry when he told me that he was worried for the salvation of his soul, and that he wanted to purify his soul.  We honestly had the coolest lesson of our life.  Then at the end we found out that he has 9 children.... So a pretty big family... With 8 different women.  That was a dagger to the back.  But the thing that was amazing is that I could look at him and tell him that although life has been really hard for him there is a way to fix it.  It wouldn't be easy, but he can do it.  That was a cool moment for me, because in our gospel no one is ever "too far gone" or a lost cause.  We have taught a few people that have been kicked out of the catholic church because there is no salvation for their soul.  This was the first guy that opened up to us about why, but I could look at him and say that if he desired it, he could do that.  It was a cool lesson.  So we will return to him for sure. 

Well me and Elder Watkins from Alpine, Utah went on exchanges this week.  We had a great day, talked to everyone.  Had no idea what anyone was saying to us.... and it turned out we had no idea what we were saying to anyone.  So we spent the day walking up to people saying "Nagpakilala po ba kayo sa mga mormon dati?"  Or what we thought was "Have you talked to Mormon's before?".... Everyone would give us this weird look and act like we were too good for them or something and we couldn't figure out why.  We were so confused.  Turns out the sentence we were looking for was "May kilala po ba kayo na mga mormon dati?"  We walked around all day asking if they have introduced themselves to Mormons before, as if it was a privilege to know us.... Haha oops :)

We had a baptism this week!  That was awesome.  It turned out to not be a valentines baptism though :(  It was Sunday morning, but just as good.

I love you all!  Stay safe.

Elder Gordon

1. Picture of baptism

2. Picture of the buzz   

 Yes, they didn't get him in the full picture :)

Buzz Cut Season

February 9, 2014: Week 16 Buzz Cut Season

Hello everyone!!

Well.... It didn't take me very long in the Philippines to shave the head.  Its buzz cut season right?  Its wayyyy too hot here, so me and Elder Watkins (From Alpine, Utah) went to the barber shop and had the guys.... Girls.... Well were not really sure what they were, we had them shave it all off.  Then they literally wouldn't let us walk out the door without "Get a pic with Americanos."  Scariest moment of our life.  Our Filipino companions make fun of us, because the Americans cant take the heat... And its not even the "Summer" seasons yet.  But Summer is close!

So this week I learned another lesson about the Philippines.... When a child runs up to you and has something in their hand that they want to give to you... Its not candy.  Its most likely their new pet spider, and they get very sad when you yell and throw their new pet spider on the ground...  Yeah, haha :)

We have a Valentine's baptism!  That is pretty exciting.  She is the last one in her family to be baptized aside from her father, so she is pretty excited to be baptized.  She has progressed so much, and it has been way fun to watch.  So that should be fun.

They put a 7/11 in Santo Domingo, close to us.  So you know where we stop by a few times a week.  7/11's are where the rich people go here... Haha.  

There is a member of our ward out here named Anonio Hamie.  He is a 75 year old single guy.  Every time we see him he is always working, and if he doesn't have anything to do he will go fix up our church grounds.  So he has been in Manila for almost the whole time Ive been here visiting his daughter, but he came back about 2 weeks ago.  He lives in... He lives in a few cinderblock walls and a tin roof that is falling down.  To be honest with you his situation is really sad.  We started talking to him and he said that his family quite talking to him when he joined the church other than that one daughter who is a member now.  Now he has gotten too old and no one will hire him on because he is so old, so he tries to pick up little jobs around town, and he lives off what we would call social security in the states.  He gets 1,200 pesos a month.  That is 30 US dollars.  But he makes it work.  So we try to go and visit him 1 every week, just to check and make sure he is okay.  Well this time he started telling us about his conversion story.  Turns out that he was one of the first people to be baptized in the Philippines.  He pulled out a bunch of old pictures that he had with apostles and everything.  He pulled out programs from firesides where Gordon B. Hinckley was the speaker.  Such a cool guy.  He is one of the pioneers of the church in the Philippines, and he has lived a life of rejection by his family, and barely getting by because of that.  So it was a really humbling experience to see what he has gone through, and how he still holds on to the gospel so tight.  

So this week has been a good one!  Hope it has been good for you guys!

I love you all and have a very good Valentine's Day!!

Elder Gordon

February 2, 2014: One more pic. "Relief Society and a Giant"

Cole sent this picture in addition to his pictures this week.  I love this one.  Notice the "March Madness" plan written on the chalkboard.  He said that this was the "March Madness" plan for their Ward.  I love that he is incorporating his love for basketball in to what he is doing as a missionary.  Working so hard and LOVING every minute of it.

February 2, 2014: Week 15 Hello Again!

So this week was even crazier than last week.  There was so much to get done.  Im so tired haha!  Thats good though.  Thats how these things should be right?

Nothing too cool to tell this week, just the same old same old of the mission life.  Me and Elder Bausing did go on a trek through the middle of the bukid though.  Which resulted in him falling into the rice fields.  No good...  I'll put a picture in.

So this week we had MLC/DLC, Zone Training, And quarterly Interviews all on different days, and all in Cabanatuan.  The ride into Cab from where we live is about an hour and we had to get all of our lessons in on top of that.  So it was more like a marathon this week than a working week.

So were trying to find a house that is closer to our area, because we travel about 30 min to an hour every day to get to where we need to go.  So we finally found this awesome place.  Its way nice and what not, which is super rare for where im serving because its the middle of the bukid.  So we went to look at it again last night to kind of get a final on everything.  Well here in the Philippines its kind of first come first serve.  So as we walked up with the owner, to all of our surprise, there was someone moving into the house.  So confused we looked at the owner.... He walked up to them and said "2000 a month?"  They shook on it and he looked back at us and said "Sorry...."  Sooooo... Haha no more house.  

So my Tagalog is coming along really well.  If you dont believe me just listen to this story.  So me and Elder Bausing were walking looking for people to talk to.  So as usual a group of random guys yells "Joe!" at me, then asks "Where are you going?"  Then they will say all the other English they know, then ask how tall I am.  So this exact thing happened.  So we started talking to them.  And I've been picking up on things more and more lately, but for some reason I just wasn't following along with what was going on.  So Elder Bausing all the sudden looks at me and says "Joseph Smith" so without hesitation I start saying random things, and I realize quick that there is no way what I have just said can be related back to Joseph Smith.  But I figure that I can relate it back to Tomas S. Monson and try to say that our first prophet was Joseph Smith.... So I end my sentence with "Ang propeta natin ay Tomas S Monson.  Perro, magsalita kasama si Joseph Smith."  When I said it all the guys kind of looked at each other and one scratched his head.  So Elder Bausing jumped in and we finished and walked off.  So I turned to him and was happy because I had dug myself out of a hole so I asked him "Was that a good recovery??"  And he looked at me, and was laughing so hard that he could barely get out "Wow, I didn't know that Tomas S Monson and Joseph Smith speak with each other today."  Soooooooo yeah.  Turns out that that guy is the Barungy Captain also.  So like a political figure...  It was good :)

So yeah nothing really spiritual this week... that's probably not good haha.  We'll work on that this next week.  

Anyway I love you all.  Stay safe and read and pray always.

 

 

 

 

 

January 26, 2014: Week 14 Another Week!

Hello everyone!

So this has been another crazy week to say the least.  There has been so much going on, and this next week is going to get even crazier.  Gotta love the missionary life.

So here in the Philippines the kids love to say whatever English they know at me when they see me.  So some kid wished me happy birthday really loudly this week... That was really nice of him.  Early, but really nice of him :)

Okay so an update on Brother Laus.  He should have been baptized this week right.... Well here in the Philippines (I'm not sure if its like this in every mission) but we have to have our investigators come to church 4 times in a row with no excuses at all.  So last week his wife came, but he wasn't there with her.  So we asked her why and she was really confused also and said that he left really early in the morning in a rush.  So we went back later that night just to make sure that everything was okay.  Well......  It turns out that he was supposed to be taking care of this guys pig while he was out of town.  This guy was going to pay him a ton of money.  Well, it turns out that Brother Laus just happened to neglect the poor pig, and that was what startled him out of his sleep that Sunday morning.  So he said that he drove as fast as he could to where this pig was at and upon his arrival... he found a lifeless dehydrated pig... Yeah that sucked for him hahaha :)  Poor pig. So we have to wait a few more weeks for him, but he is coming along very well.  Its amazing to be able the watch the gospel change their lives.  Ive always heard stories like this, but its different when you actually experience it change a families life.  Its pretty cool.

So every time we go to a gas station or a mall or anything like that there are always these little kids that come up and ask for money.  So... In the states there's always beggars right, but they always seem to live in a house and manage to eat Mcdonalds and stuff, right?  So I would kind of get annoyed because it my mind I always imagined that their mom or dad was sitting around the corner collecting the money that they are given.  Well, one morning we had to come into Cabanatuan early.  Cabanatuan is the big city by where we serve, where our stake center is. So I hopped off of the jeepney and I looked out and there was a group of the same kids huddled up sleeping on each other.  No mom around, no dad around.  Just a bunch of these little kids that have nothing.  So we kept walking and I saw three little kids that usually come up to me sitting on a curb smoking cigarettes.  They are all like 5 or 6.  So disturbed by what I saw I asked my comp what was going on.  He told me that they were kids who have either been abandoned or their parents have died and they just wander the streets.  So I asked him if they just pick up smoking as a habit, maybe because they think its cool.  And um... He told me no.  The reason that they were smoking is because its the cheapest thing they can get that makes them feel full.  You can buy a cigarette here for two pesos, and that may be all that they are given in a day.  My heart sunk.  As missionaries the church has asked us not to give our money because then everyone will target us, and know we have money.  But, its so hard to look at these kids that are starving and tell them no.  Later that day I sat down to wait for a jeep and a little kid came up and asked for money, I said I didn't have any, then started to talk to him.  He hasn't talked to his Mom or Dad in 2 years he thinks.  Has no idea where they are.  Hes 7.  So he picks up the trash people drop everyday hoping they will give him a tip, and maybe if the city feels nice that day they will give him money for the trash he turns into them.  So I went and got some food from 711 for him.  They never said we cant give food. 

So this week I'm grateful for what I've had.  I had always heard of things like this, but being from the states I think its hard for us to believe its actually true.  I said when I left I would probably cry more about the things that I saw here, then the fact that I missed home.  That's starting to become more and more true by they day.  I can't even imagine.  So my Heart was changed a little bit that day.  I no longer get mad at the little kids, but feel sorrow every time I have to say no.  So lets be grateful for what we have this week :)

I love you all!  Stay safe! 

Elder Gordon

1. This is what a Filipino looks like on a trike

2. This is what a Big Redhead looks like on a trike

 

 

 

 

January 19, 2014: Week 13 Quick Week

Hello Maganda Mga Tao!

So to say the least this week has flown by.  We have taught so much this week, which is really good.  

Cool story of this week.  So we had been booted from two of our appointments and we decided that we would just tract for a while until our next appointment. So we were walking down this street and we saw this guy sitting on his motor cycle, and there was just something about him.  I don't know how to explain it, but I knew we needed to talk to him.  So we talked to him and he excitedly set up a time for us to come teach him and his family.  So we got there to his house a few days later.  When we walked in it was obvious that they loved god.  There were crosses and momma Mary's (as they call her in the Philippines) everywhere.  And we started to talk to them and get a back ground to them.  It turns out that they have been looking for the right church and that day we met him he was driving to a Jehovas witness service, but he knew that he was early so he felt like he should just pull to the side of the road there and wait for a little while.  Then we met him.  So I'm not too sure what will happen, but they took the first lesson very well and invited us back again.  I know that we were supposed to be walking down that street at that time.  The Lord will answer your prayers if your truly looking.

So this week we had one of our recent converts invite us to lunch out at her house.  She lives about 45 min trike ride into the middle of miles of rice fields.  So she said that if we could get out there she would take us back on her trike.  So we showed up right when she wanted us too annnnnnnd... wasn't home haha :)  So we were stuck in the middle of the bukid with no choice but to walk back in.  It was one of the most beautiful walks I've ever had.  Of course I was taking pictures the whole time, so I will add those in.  Miles and miles of rice fields and mango trees.  It was amazing.  But the only problem was we were now on a 2 and a half hour trek back in, in the heat of the day.  I don't know if you all remember, but I burn wayyy easy.  Sooo haha, be started back in and I realized quick that I was getting sun burnt.  Any way, later that night I had every kid in Berteze coming up and touching and scratching my burnt skin because they had never seen such a thing before.  They had no Idea that skin even did that haha.  So yeah, burnt skin with kids hanging from it.  God was for sure teaching me a lesson.  I keep my sunscreen close now :)

So yeah that was my week!  Ill add a few pictures, I hope you can get them.

Love you all!

Elder Gordon    

 

 

 

 

 

January 12, 2014: Week 12 Links Life dito sa philippines!

Hello Again!

So I'm a little bit later today sending this email because we got up early this morning and went to the driving range here in the city we live by!  We were there with a bunch of really rich Flipino people haha.  It was so funny!  Nice to just relax at the driving range.  I'm coming back PGA worthy.

So this week has been way good!  We had our first baptism since I have been here!  It was amazing to watch my companion baptize her.  There was a different spirit there for sure.  It was great.  We've taught a ton of lessons and everything, and this place is finally starting to feel familiar.  Its nice.  I was trying to remember how the states were the other day and its slowly fading away haha.  

But the best part of my week comes to you all in the form of a story.  So here we go. 

So we have only about 30ish member in our branch right now and we were short on priesthood holders to do sacrament.  So I had to help out and pass the sacrament.  So as we blessed the bread I go to walk back to the congregation and all the sudden from behind the fence that surround our meeting house (which is about 30 feet from the meeting house its self) I here a guy say "Americano!" and as I look over and am trying to pass the sacrament I see a Filipino dude and his friend jumping up and yelling "hey Joe" as their head comes over the fence.  How they even saw me in the first place is beyond me.  So I had to keep a straight face fore the rest of the sacrament as I was being " hey joe'd" by a few fellow Filipinos haha.  I had to laugh about that.  Anyway, that was too funny.

Our district had exchanges this week and me and the other trainee in the house with us went out to try it out.  Haha as you can imagine, they probably only understood half of what we said, but we had some good times.

Its rice season right now and they are just planting it all.  It looks so cool.  I never knew that growing rice was so complicated.  But they grow so much of it out here.  Pretty much everyone works in the "Bukid" or the country if you translate it into English.  Its so cool!

Oh man and last week for our zone activity after email we went bowling.  So I was expecting machines and stuff to pick up our pins.  But when we got there I was surprised to see them grab a few random little Filipino kids to run up under and set the pins back up after we were done.  It was so funny.  A sister hit one of the kids hahaha.  It was really sad, but funny.  Ill try and send a picture.

Sorry about the pictures not coming through.  Ill try to fix it this time!

Love you all!

 

 

 

 

January 5, 2014: Week 11 Happy New Year!!

This week has gone by so fast!  Its hard to remember all that has happened. But let me tell you, New years is insane out here in the Philippines!  I honestly have never seen anything like what I saw the other night.  The ball dropping is cool and everything but picture a sky full of fireworks for as far as you can see.  The whole sky was lit up for like 30 minutes once 12 midnight hit.  There was a constant grumble of explosions.  So here they cool thing is a fire work that is super cheap but makes a big boom.  So half the fireworks that they sell rarely work and blow up in peoples hands or in the middle of people.  So we watched fireworks for about 5 minutes and then we heard the ambulances start up.  And to make it even better everyone lighting fireworks is drunk.  So you would see a bunch of people huddle around a firework and then run and dive behind stuff because it had malfunctioned.  Haha it was so funny.  They love Christmas and do Christmas pretty big, but new year was so much bigger!  It was pretty fun to experience.

So this week has been pretty good.  Just a lot of work, and a lot of people to teach.  But we have our first baptism this weekend!  Her name is jJane and she is 16.  She has been meeting with the missionaries for a while and finally the day has come.  It has been really cool to see the gospel come into her life and improve it.  Were still working hard on Brother Laus.  He's such a cool guy.  I love that family.  Were just trying to build our group into a branch so hopefully that will happen!  This place we are in is so thirsty for the gospel.  You can feel it when your there.  We have people just ask us what were doing, and we don't even have to try and set a return date.  Buy the end they are already telling us when to come back.  Its been so fun.  But really really exhausting haha.  Lots of work to do, but I'm loving it!  This work is amazing.

Pictures: (I hope this is the right order.)

1. Laus Family

2. New Years Dinner

3. This Guy Was Catching His Food For The Night

4. Javier Family

5. Every asks if im related to this guy.  Hes a senator here.  So I tell them yes.

(We didn't end up getting all pictures.  Just #5)