Stake Conference and a White Guy

Super Great Week

So i'll start it off that for the last two days we were in Carigara for our stake conference.  There were a lot of people there and it was fun to meet members from all over the stake and see all the missionaries.  It's kinda crazy because most of the stake speaks waray but some speak cebuano so it's all sorts of craziness trying to talk to people.

It was all focused on ministering which was good to get everyone up to date on the whole changes.  We had a guy come from the temple department in Utah and he spoke.  It was super weird having an american speak at church but he gave his whole talk in Cebuano because he served in the Tacloban Misson 20 years ago and actually baptized a family whose son received the Melchizedek Priesthood yesterday so that was pretty cool.  We also had the Cebu Temple President speak so that was awesome.  One thing that I really like from I think Brother Sutton (the white dudes) talk was that he said he may look american and be from America but his heart is Pinoy because it was in the Philippines that he really came to know the gospel is true.  That just really stuck with me because I have really grown my testimony as I have been here with the amazing people of the Philippines.

Update on our investigators:

Joel Yare: 19 he is super awesome and we visited his family that lives so far away from society that I wonder how it is possible to survive but they seem happy and have food so that was good.  We just shared about the plan of salvation and taught his whole family so that was really cool

Sister Wilma: I said not really anything has happened with her in my skype but she has had lots of cool experiences since then.  She has already read up to Alma in the book of mormon and she started two weeks ago.  She said we have really been a blessing in her life and we recently started teaching her 9 year old son Reggie also.

Balce Family: Literally my favorite family ever.  I have literally witnessed the Gospel change their lives.  Tatay Balce told us last week that he has really been struggling with the word of wisdom and we committed him to follow it.  Yesterday we visited them and he said he has stopped smoking and drinking and it was amazing to see how fast he responded to our commitment.  Sister also shared that she has seen that her family is so much happier since we have been teaching and even though they live far from the church and it is expensive to go every week they have always had enough money to make it to the church.  I just love them so much.  It is Tatay Jonnifer Nanay Analyn and their kids Angel 16, John Paul 13, Cristine 11, Jun Jun 9, Jerra 6, and Jenesis 3

Those are most of our progressing investigators and we have them scheduled to be baptized by the end of June so pray for them to keep progressing.

Also I got the package that you sent in April it is great but I still haven't got the one from Jensons.  It's all good though it's the thought that counts.

Love you tons!!

Sorry I forgot to take Pictures next week nalang!!

Another Cycle in Calubian!!

So yeah mothers day was great. Loved seeing you!  Seriously the fastest 45 minutes of my life.  

I have another cycle in Calubian with Elder Gomboc.

This was a super busy and fun week.  After skyping we had no transportation back to Calubian so we spent the night in Carigara and then caught ride with a member of the stake presidency in Ormoc which is a stake here to Tacloban and then a ride back to Calubian.  It was a pretty crazy day but we actually got to ride in a car for the first time in like 8 months which was super weird.  I am not used to having space for my legs in a vehicle.

Aside from that I gained a lot of respect for the calling of primary music leader because I filled in this week and I realized how hard it is to teach songs to kids especially when they don't speak english but it was actually really fun.  

We had a ward activity that me and Elder Gomboc basically planned.  We had lots of games with the members it was super fun.  Then we ate a lot of food.  Seriously tons I wish I would have taken a picture, they basically gave away all of the left overs to the members afterwords and I think it would be like when they gathered the 7 baskets of bread after the sermon on the mount.  

Church was a great time also because we got the opportunity to speak again in Sacrament.  We had 8 investigators come and over 100 attendance so we are making progress here.  That is one reason I am super excited to be staying in Calubian for another cycle.  

Thanks for all the love and support.  Love you tons!!

Elder Holmstead

Philippines Tacloban Mission

Mother's Day Skype 2018

Mother’s Day Call 7pm on 5/13/2018

9am in Tacloban on 5/14/2018

·    It took him and his companion 3 hours to get from Calubian to Tacloban.  They had to rent a trike because today is election day so no buses were running.  They left really early in the morning to get there in time to call us.

·    He looked healthy and so happy!  He smiled almost the entire time.  He gains and then loses weight, up 8 pounds, down 3.  He hasn’t been sick at all from the food or water.  And somehow he seems to be immune to the mosquitos.  He said they attacked him one night when he first got there, but haven’t bothered him since.

·    He said it’s so hot during the mornings and afternoons.  Then it rains in the late afternoons and evenings almost every day.

·    Has eaten about every part of the chicken.  He said chicken heart is actually pretty tasty.

·    Likes pancit (pronounced panseat), which is kind of like ramen noodles with vegetables and chicken.

·    Cooks a lot, mostly chicken and rice. Surra is whatever meat goes with your rice (chicken, steak, pork, etc,).  He loves rice and said he will probably eat it twice a day when he gets home.  He does eat much fish because it takes too long to prepare the cook.

·    They usually on get invited to eat with members a couple of times per cycle (6 weeks).  He was pretty jealous of his friends serving in the states that have dinner appointments every night.

·    They have a McDonald’s in Tacloban.  They do serve rice and chicken, but also Big Mac’s.  But he said he hasn’t had a Big Mac yet because they are so expensive - $5.  He said he can buy a full meal anywhere else for $1.50.  We told him we will add some money in his account so he can splurge and buy a Big Mac for him and his companion.

·    Bought shoes there for $8.  He said they are pretty nice and are waterproof.  The shoes he brought with him got destroyed when he rode the bike in Anibong for 6 months.

·    His companion, Elder Gomboc (pronounced Gumbooc) speaks pretty good English, but mostly Tagalog.  Wade said the people in his area will start to speak in Cebuano, but then change to Waray-Waray half way through the conversation.  It keeps him on his toes.  He is more comfortable speaking Waray-Waray, but can understand and speak both languages pretty well.

·    They have 7 baptisms planned for next month: JhonRex, Noel, the Balce family (including nanay/mom, and 3 children), another sister (can’t remember or spell her name)

·    The only air-conditioned rooms in the church are the bishop and clerk’s offices.

·    Filipinos love basketball.  There is a hoop on almost every corner.  They love the NBA.  He gets to play basketball on some pdays.  He thought they would be more into soccer, but they are not.  He is grateful for NBA updates so keep ‘em coming whoever is emailing them to him!

·    He washes his clothes with a scrub brush and a bucket.  He demonstrated it for us and he said he is getting pro at it.

·    We talked for 44 minutes and 50 seconds.  He said his mission president told them they need to be obedient and only talk for less than 45 minutes.  He even gave us a 5 minute warning. J  Our favorite part is when he said, “Obedience brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles.”  He said every missionary that has been through the MTC should know that quote.  He is working on being exactly obedient and we are so proud of him!

Week of Miracles

Great week for Calubian!!

This week was a new high for my attendance in the Calubian ward with 92 which is a lot better that our usual 55-60 so that was awesome.  We also had 5 investigators at church which was super unexpected and great.

One super cool story this week was the story of the Balce family.  We got shown were their house was by some members and it is super hidden on down this cliff by the beach.  We learned that the tatay is a member but nanay is not but tatay has not been to church in many years.  We started to teach them together and nanay is super interested.  The next time we come back she shares how she and tatay had been talking about the gospel a lot in between our visits and it was bringing their family closer together.  Then we invited them to church and we were unsure if they would come because they live kind of far away but they said they will try.  They came and Tatay shared his testimony and it was super powerful about how he has felt the spirit powerfully coming back to church and accepting the gospel again.  It was a super cool experience to see the Gospel blessing their lives.

We also got to help a brother in our ward give a priesthood blessing to his wife.  He had never done so before so we helped him through it and it made me grateful that I have the priesthood and can bless people's lives and also that I have had leaders and teachers who have helped me use and exercise my priesthood.

Aside from that Noel is still coming to church Jhon Rex has kind of stopped and brother Joel keeps coming so that is good.  

Work is going good here in Calubian and by the way they don't even celebrate Cinco de Mayo or Mother's Day here but they did have Labor Day on May 1st so that was kinda funky.

Love you tons,

Elder Holmstead

Philippines Tacloban Mission