Well it was another quick week full of trainings, exchanges, and teaching.
We had one investigator, Sister Sally Faustino, when elder Rags and Elder Ledesma went to their house she said that she wasn't ready to be baptized, brought out a lot of concerns, so Elder Rags decided that they should watch this show called "Treasure in Heaven: The John Tanner Story" They hit the nail right on the head. They said the Spirit was so strong in the lesson and after they had watched the movie sister said "I just changed my mind. We'll be baptized on June 11 (Happy birthday Cheyenne). Like so many others, Sister Sally was touched by the Holy Ghost and by the story of one of our pioneer ancestors that sacrificed so much so we could worship like we want to.
If you remember Rey, the brother that we baptized back in February, he came back to Olongapo, and he gave us a bunch of referrals. Just people he knows he asks them if they want to listen to the message. Then he has also come and worked with us when we teach our other investigators. He has grown so much and I love how, since his baptism, he has been fulfilling the calling of a member missionary. He tells everyone he knows that he is a member and His Family wasn't happy at all with him and his grandma who raised him said, "as long as your Mormon, I won't talk to you or even see you." Its sad but he is so happy with his new life. It is a small disappointment and he has faith that she will come around.
His referral to us last week was a family that has a deaf daughter. Its was a little rough because I don't know sign language so we just used scriptures and text what we wanted to say to her, but it made it a little rougher when he found out that she was English speaking (ASL) not Tagalog. That made things a little fun. I had to keep asking people what words were in English. But we got it done and she was very excited. I need to find all I can at the mission home about ASL or English so we can give it to her.
We had a good week in finding. I don't know why I have a lot of people I know here, friends of the members and family of the members but I never thought about asking them if they wanted to listen. Great things have been happening since Elder Ragasa got assigned here. He is a great elder.
Well I gotta run.
Love you all
Elder Chase
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
23 May 2011
Hey everyone,
On the work end of things, it was slow, we had a lot of appointments fall through, so we didn't teach a lot. Because of all the trainings and stuff going on last week, we didn't really have a lot of time to work.
Ha ha ha one fun thing that is happening. We have 2 ladies that are related by marriage, Their husbands are brothers. Well them and the 2 brothers sister are in a big fight and guess who's in the middle of it... US!!!! ha ha. On Friday I think, we went to one of them, and as soon as we had sat down the tears started flowing, and we just sat there listening. Brother Faustino's mother came down from a neighboring Barangay, and for a while she stayed with one of the families, they say because of neglect they brought her to the others house, then because of what happened, and Brother is out of the Philippines he heard what happened and called his sister and chewed her out. One says the other is lying, and the other is saying that the other was taking advantage. I don't remember all of the details.
Anyways we taught about forgiveness and the Atonement, These people have a hard time forgiving one another. Its something I have been battling the whole mission. It made me thing about what they said that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can tie the people together. Despite cultural differences, beliefs, differences in attitude, The gospel can make up for all of it as long as we let it work in our lives.
We just got done with a Community Service Project but I don't have any pictures from it. We went to an Elementary school and fixed the desks, and cleaned up and stuff. Rey came back last week so he has come with us to some lessons and helped us with the CSP. It was a lot of fun.
Yesterday we had a member give a great talk about keeping the Sabbath Day holy. I was so happy. There were so many people that I'm sure had a guilty conscience. He is a very bold speaker and talked about coming on time to church, then talked about not buying on Sunday and standing up for your faith and telling boss's that you will not work on Sunday. I was so happy I was laughing at the end, hopefully we will see a difference in the members.
Not a whole lot happened this week. Sorry. We had exchanges and trainings, that was about it. In the next few months, President Manglicmot, the Branch President will be working with us a bit more because his family went home to Bicol. They are trying to save some money and with them not here he will be able to save some money. We are excited to have him work with us but we do feel kind of bad that he will be separated from his family.
Until next week
Elder Chase
On the work end of things, it was slow, we had a lot of appointments fall through, so we didn't teach a lot. Because of all the trainings and stuff going on last week, we didn't really have a lot of time to work.
Ha ha ha one fun thing that is happening. We have 2 ladies that are related by marriage, Their husbands are brothers. Well them and the 2 brothers sister are in a big fight and guess who's in the middle of it... US!!!! ha ha. On Friday I think, we went to one of them, and as soon as we had sat down the tears started flowing, and we just sat there listening. Brother Faustino's mother came down from a neighboring Barangay, and for a while she stayed with one of the families, they say because of neglect they brought her to the others house, then because of what happened, and Brother is out of the Philippines he heard what happened and called his sister and chewed her out. One says the other is lying, and the other is saying that the other was taking advantage. I don't remember all of the details.
Anyways we taught about forgiveness and the Atonement, These people have a hard time forgiving one another. Its something I have been battling the whole mission. It made me thing about what they said that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can tie the people together. Despite cultural differences, beliefs, differences in attitude, The gospel can make up for all of it as long as we let it work in our lives.
We just got done with a Community Service Project but I don't have any pictures from it. We went to an Elementary school and fixed the desks, and cleaned up and stuff. Rey came back last week so he has come with us to some lessons and helped us with the CSP. It was a lot of fun.
Yesterday we had a member give a great talk about keeping the Sabbath Day holy. I was so happy. There were so many people that I'm sure had a guilty conscience. He is a very bold speaker and talked about coming on time to church, then talked about not buying on Sunday and standing up for your faith and telling boss's that you will not work on Sunday. I was so happy I was laughing at the end, hopefully we will see a difference in the members.
Not a whole lot happened this week. Sorry. We had exchanges and trainings, that was about it. In the next few months, President Manglicmot, the Branch President will be working with us a bit more because his family went home to Bicol. They are trying to save some money and with them not here he will be able to save some money. We are excited to have him work with us but we do feel kind of bad that he will be separated from his family.
Until next week
Elder Chase
Sunday, May 15, 2011
16 May 2011
Hey everyone,
I don't have a lot of time because of computer problems and email problems with other missionaries so I'll just have to tell you the highlights of this last week...
We got Sally Faustino to agree to a baptismal date, But the only problem is I got so excited to give them one again that I set it too close so we are gonna have to reset it for the 25th of June not the 11th but that will be okay I'm just glad she finally committed. While we were teaching her mother-n-law piped up and said "What do I have to do to get baptized?" We asked her if she wanted to really. She replied "I really really want to," So that gave Sally the courage to set a date. She said that they would get baptized.
We had a Specialized training. We were a little nervous because it was never made very clear what we would be teaching so we just decided we would wing it. Then in the end, we didn't end up getting to do anything. It was sad.
This last Saturday we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Church here in the Philippines. We got pictures and stuff so it was fun. The only problem was it was way too long and they saved the dancing till the last but by the time that came people had gotten bored and gone home, including our investigators. It was sad but if they are still alive in 50 years they'll get to see it again.
I bought a copy of the movie, "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration" from Philippine Distribution center for 20 pesos, which was like 50 cents and we have been using it in teaching. It has worked wonders! The Spirit is so strong when we are watchin it and it is amazing to see the different things that the investigators pull out of the movie. The different things that stick out to them. Depending on their needs in life at that time. The Spirit is an awesome teaching tool, learn how to use it.
We had exchanges and were running like crazy this week but it was crazy. There was one day, I think Friday when I got out of bed I was just dead! I had no energy. But I just forced myself to do it and it was cool to see, that even though I was exhasted and struggling to stand by my own strength, the Spirit gave me strength like Nephi when he grabbed Zoram. And you couldn't tell at all in the teaching that I was pooped.
Well I gotta run. This week is gonna be nuts! We have stuff going on every day between trainings and exchanges and service projects..
The church is true. Strengthen your testimonies in every way possible and everything else will follow as you apply the principles in the Book of Mormon. It has power to change people. I know cuz its happening to me.
Love you all
Elder Chase
I don't have a lot of time because of computer problems and email problems with other missionaries so I'll just have to tell you the highlights of this last week...
We got Sally Faustino to agree to a baptismal date, But the only problem is I got so excited to give them one again that I set it too close so we are gonna have to reset it for the 25th of June not the 11th but that will be okay I'm just glad she finally committed. While we were teaching her mother-n-law piped up and said "What do I have to do to get baptized?" We asked her if she wanted to really. She replied "I really really want to," So that gave Sally the courage to set a date. She said that they would get baptized.
We had a Specialized training. We were a little nervous because it was never made very clear what we would be teaching so we just decided we would wing it. Then in the end, we didn't end up getting to do anything. It was sad.
This last Saturday we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Church here in the Philippines. We got pictures and stuff so it was fun. The only problem was it was way too long and they saved the dancing till the last but by the time that came people had gotten bored and gone home, including our investigators. It was sad but if they are still alive in 50 years they'll get to see it again.
I bought a copy of the movie, "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration" from Philippine Distribution center for 20 pesos, which was like 50 cents and we have been using it in teaching. It has worked wonders! The Spirit is so strong when we are watchin it and it is amazing to see the different things that the investigators pull out of the movie. The different things that stick out to them. Depending on their needs in life at that time. The Spirit is an awesome teaching tool, learn how to use it.
We had exchanges and were running like crazy this week but it was crazy. There was one day, I think Friday when I got out of bed I was just dead! I had no energy. But I just forced myself to do it and it was cool to see, that even though I was exhasted and struggling to stand by my own strength, the Spirit gave me strength like Nephi when he grabbed Zoram. And you couldn't tell at all in the teaching that I was pooped.
Well I gotta run. This week is gonna be nuts! We have stuff going on every day between trainings and exchanges and service projects..
The church is true. Strengthen your testimonies in every way possible and everything else will follow as you apply the principles in the Book of Mormon. It has power to change people. I know cuz its happening to me.
Love you all
Elder Chase
Monday, May 9, 2011
9 May 2011
It was a busy week, with transfers, sending missionaries home, a baptism, orienting a missionary that is new to the area, fixing water tanks, and finding new investigators. But of course it had fruits!
I guess I'll start with Transfer day, 6:30-3:30 we had missionaries coming and going, and for some reason there were an unusual amount of other people that decided that they should travel on that day too. We had about 8 missionaries coming from the south going to the north. My companion, Elder Buckmiller got transferred down to Balanga, he left about 7:00 so I got to run the transfer point by myself. What a rush. But I put my back out. For the new missionaries or future missionaries. When you are lifting suitcases, use your legs not your back. It hurts when you pull muscles in your back.
My new Companion was one of the last 2 people to get here, because he was coming from the northern part of the mission. He is great! About 16 months in the mission and has been a Zone leader for a while. We were house mates in his first area up in Alaminos, so I knew him from there and saw his potential and he is a fun companion. I am so happy to have a Filipino companion again.
On Thursday, Brother Alberto and Aldrin Faustino were baptized. Then the next day brother went to Maynila; where he waited to go to Singapore. He left yesterday. The next day we went out to their house to teach them and Brother gave a powerful testimony to his Sister and mother who were both there visiting. We were so happy.
His wife told us that she won't commit to a date to be baptized but will continue to be taught and investigate the church. We are trying to figure out what is holding her from baptism. She said before that it was because she was scared of not being able to magnify a calling. We have taught to handle that concern, 2 times now. Last night when we came out of the lesson; Elder Ragasa said that maybe she thinks that if they get baptized, no one will continue to visit them. So we will try that route and see what happens.
Saturday, We were in the middle of Personal Study and one of the Assistants called and told me that the sisters had a problem. The drain pipe of their reserve tank had fallen out and was spraying water everywhere. So as a temporary fix they shoved plastic bags into the hole to slow the flow of water. Their old pipe was so rusty, there were no threads left on it whatsoever. It was fun to fix it. Even though it was just a small things.
Yesterday in church President Manglicmot called for a coordination meeting to figure out why the Branch Missionaries were not working with us. So he sat there why we scheduled the whole week out and got members to work with us. There are 2 really big events happening this week with the Jubilee (the celebration of 50 yrs of the church being here in the Philippines), and the Youth Conference with will happen at the church on Wed, Thur, and Fri. Then the Jubilee on Saturday.
I don't know why but it seemed so much easier to find people this week. We found people that were just interested. The Lord really just placed them in our path. Part members, friends of members, people sitting on the side of the road that looked at us as we walked by and we felt impressed to stop and talk to them. President Aquino talked about 2 types of finding
Finding can be describe in two ways.
Let us all do all we can to be a happy family and show our love those we love and "do unto others, as we would have done unto us.
This is my prayer
Until next week
Elder Chase
I guess I'll start with Transfer day, 6:30-3:30 we had missionaries coming and going, and for some reason there were an unusual amount of other people that decided that they should travel on that day too. We had about 8 missionaries coming from the south going to the north. My companion, Elder Buckmiller got transferred down to Balanga, he left about 7:00 so I got to run the transfer point by myself. What a rush. But I put my back out. For the new missionaries or future missionaries. When you are lifting suitcases, use your legs not your back. It hurts when you pull muscles in your back.
My new Companion was one of the last 2 people to get here, because he was coming from the northern part of the mission. He is great! About 16 months in the mission and has been a Zone leader for a while. We were house mates in his first area up in Alaminos, so I knew him from there and saw his potential and he is a fun companion. I am so happy to have a Filipino companion again.
On Thursday, Brother Alberto and Aldrin Faustino were baptized. Then the next day brother went to Maynila; where he waited to go to Singapore. He left yesterday. The next day we went out to their house to teach them and Brother gave a powerful testimony to his Sister and mother who were both there visiting. We were so happy.
His wife told us that she won't commit to a date to be baptized but will continue to be taught and investigate the church. We are trying to figure out what is holding her from baptism. She said before that it was because she was scared of not being able to magnify a calling. We have taught to handle that concern, 2 times now. Last night when we came out of the lesson; Elder Ragasa said that maybe she thinks that if they get baptized, no one will continue to visit them. So we will try that route and see what happens.
Saturday, We were in the middle of Personal Study and one of the Assistants called and told me that the sisters had a problem. The drain pipe of their reserve tank had fallen out and was spraying water everywhere. So as a temporary fix they shoved plastic bags into the hole to slow the flow of water. Their old pipe was so rusty, there were no threads left on it whatsoever. It was fun to fix it. Even though it was just a small things.
Yesterday in church President Manglicmot called for a coordination meeting to figure out why the Branch Missionaries were not working with us. So he sat there why we scheduled the whole week out and got members to work with us. There are 2 really big events happening this week with the Jubilee (the celebration of 50 yrs of the church being here in the Philippines), and the Youth Conference with will happen at the church on Wed, Thur, and Fri. Then the Jubilee on Saturday.
I don't know why but it seemed so much easier to find people this week. We found people that were just interested. The Lord really just placed them in our path. Part members, friends of members, people sitting on the side of the road that looked at us as we walked by and we felt impressed to stop and talk to them. President Aquino talked about 2 types of finding
Finding can be describe in two ways.
One, finding can be like the rays of the sun it is scattered and as you plant everywhere eventually it will grow and at the same time plants needs the light to bear fruit and those fruit bearing trees are the ones we need to find. Just like an olive vineyard, you have to go every tree and check on the fruit if it is good or not. This is the type of finding we always do, talk to everyone, knock on doors, referrals from members.
Another is the laser, the light of the laser is pencil point or sometimes pin point it depends on the lenses used. Just like a laser pointer used in presentation finding can be like that also, pin-point accuracy. But how do you do that? Take note of the scriptures 2 Nephi 4:34, Alma 37:34-37, Alma 21:1, 1 Nephi 4:6, D&C 9:8, 8:2-3, 6:22-23.
All Future missionaries, study those scriptures and take note of what you need to do in order to use the more effective of these 2 methods.
One other sad thing that happened last night,we went to a members house to see if I could use her phone to call home. (Happy mothers day to all you mothers out there). What we found we were not expecting. One of the members that has been a member for less than a year was sitting at her cousins house. She had been beaten very, very badly by her husbands cousins. Sister was drunk and smoking, but we took care of that. When she wasn't looking and with the help of the sister Marilyn, I hid her beer in my bag and dumped it out when we had left. And I took her Cigarettes. We were really sad to see that some men will result to beating a woman just for a good time. We heard the men were on drugs, if you can call them men. It was really sad and I can't really explain what I felt but my first thought was Jesus Christ and his suffering for this woman. Its up to us to use his suffering and Repent and put away our childish things, grow up and focus on the things that really matter as we work out our eternal salvation with fear of God. Let us all do all we can to be a happy family and show our love those we love and "do unto others, as we would have done unto us.
This is my prayer
Until next week
Elder Chase
Monday, May 2, 2011
2 May 2011
Oh man. I know I say this every week but time just needs to take a break!!!!
Well another busy week has come and gone. We had 2 investigators get interviewed yesterday for baptism and they both passed so on Wednesday they will be baptized and it will be great!!! Brother Alberto, will be going abroad on Saturday or Sunday and he really wants to get baptized before he goes abroad. His family will be baptized within the next couple weeks. The Lord is so great!!! He always works in ways that we don't understand, or uses people that we don't think he would use in order to accomplish his purposes.
ZLC is always a great place to receive revelation! Its neat to see all the new ideas or revelation that the Zone Leaders receive when we are trying to make the mission more effective. I feel kind of inadequate sometimes in those meetings but I guess the Lord has a reason that I was called. We learned that in July they will be changing the curriculum of the MTC. So all you new/future missionaries: Master the concepts of chapter 10 That's your assignment for this week.
Then we had an investigator, Elena, she is single, takes care of her niece, and lives with her aunts that are members. We started teaching her a few months ago. She is coming to church every week, reading the scriptures, praying, doing everything that we are asking her to do. Even that sometimes has not seemed to be enough, she has not recognized an answer of confirmation from the Spirit saying that we are teaching her is true or that the Book of Mormon is true. It has been of a trial trying to figure out what she is not doing or what is making it so she can't recognize the Spirit. Well Saturday we had a lesson with her. We were coming off of a spiritual high because we had just come from ZLC and she started to ask inspired questions. That is one of the signs that her understanding is growing. We have faith that she is really close now. With a little more work and help and inspiration from the Lord we will have her and she will be able to feel the full love of the Savior's atonement in her life.
Yesterday we had Area Conference, thru satellite they had Sister Beck, Elder Christofferson, and Elder Packer speak to us, they told some great stories, about their past experiences in the Philippines. It was nice. Saturday night we had a Jubilee Celebration in Maynila that was broadcast thruout the Philippines. They did a lot of dancing and singing and stuff. Its cool to see the native dances of the people here in the Phils. Come to think of it, it was a lot like what we saw when they did the Temple Dedication of the Cebu temple. The Philippine Islands have over 630,000 members I think they said. In 50 years only that is amazing and it is growing every year. If we could just get the gospel culture to override the Philippine culture we would be in good shape and this place would flourish.
Oh some sad news, one of the members, that we had met in Floridablanca, the 1st councilor in the District Presidency of Dinalupihan, President Suyam, well we can just say like the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's, he was ready to do his calling in the next life. He was such a great man, probably one of the few that I knew that actually lived every part of his life in accordance with the gospel. He is a father of 2 little kids and a Major in the Philippine Air Force. He was training someone as the story goes, they had experienced some problem with the aircraft when the plane exploded over Bagac, a little town in the mountains of Bataan. One of the sisters said that he gave his talk last week in church about the resurrection, and they even said that his countenance was different. We just feel bad for his wife and kids that he left behind, it will be hard for them but they are lucky because they have the gospel in their lives. Like mom said, when my Great grandma died, "Don't cry because they have passed, cry because they are not physically with us anymore." But their memories and achievements will live on.
That's All I've got for this week
Love you
Elder Chase
Well another busy week has come and gone. We had 2 investigators get interviewed yesterday for baptism and they both passed so on Wednesday they will be baptized and it will be great!!! Brother Alberto, will be going abroad on Saturday or Sunday and he really wants to get baptized before he goes abroad. His family will be baptized within the next couple weeks. The Lord is so great!!! He always works in ways that we don't understand, or uses people that we don't think he would use in order to accomplish his purposes.
ZLC is always a great place to receive revelation! Its neat to see all the new ideas or revelation that the Zone Leaders receive when we are trying to make the mission more effective. I feel kind of inadequate sometimes in those meetings but I guess the Lord has a reason that I was called. We learned that in July they will be changing the curriculum of the MTC. So all you new/future missionaries: Master the concepts of chapter 10 That's your assignment for this week.
Then we had an investigator, Elena, she is single, takes care of her niece, and lives with her aunts that are members. We started teaching her a few months ago. She is coming to church every week, reading the scriptures, praying, doing everything that we are asking her to do. Even that sometimes has not seemed to be enough, she has not recognized an answer of confirmation from the Spirit saying that we are teaching her is true or that the Book of Mormon is true. It has been of a trial trying to figure out what she is not doing or what is making it so she can't recognize the Spirit. Well Saturday we had a lesson with her. We were coming off of a spiritual high because we had just come from ZLC and she started to ask inspired questions. That is one of the signs that her understanding is growing. We have faith that she is really close now. With a little more work and help and inspiration from the Lord we will have her and she will be able to feel the full love of the Savior's atonement in her life.
Yesterday we had Area Conference, thru satellite they had Sister Beck, Elder Christofferson, and Elder Packer speak to us, they told some great stories, about their past experiences in the Philippines. It was nice. Saturday night we had a Jubilee Celebration in Maynila that was broadcast thruout the Philippines. They did a lot of dancing and singing and stuff. Its cool to see the native dances of the people here in the Phils. Come to think of it, it was a lot like what we saw when they did the Temple Dedication of the Cebu temple. The Philippine Islands have over 630,000 members I think they said. In 50 years only that is amazing and it is growing every year. If we could just get the gospel culture to override the Philippine culture we would be in good shape and this place would flourish.
Oh some sad news, one of the members, that we had met in Floridablanca, the 1st councilor in the District Presidency of Dinalupihan, President Suyam, well we can just say like the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's, he was ready to do his calling in the next life. He was such a great man, probably one of the few that I knew that actually lived every part of his life in accordance with the gospel. He is a father of 2 little kids and a Major in the Philippine Air Force. He was training someone as the story goes, they had experienced some problem with the aircraft when the plane exploded over Bagac, a little town in the mountains of Bataan. One of the sisters said that he gave his talk last week in church about the resurrection, and they even said that his countenance was different. We just feel bad for his wife and kids that he left behind, it will be hard for them but they are lucky because they have the gospel in their lives. Like mom said, when my Great grandma died, "Don't cry because they have passed, cry because they are not physically with us anymore." But their memories and achievements will live on.
That's All I've got for this week
Love you
Elder Chase
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