Fishing in the Philippines (Matthew 4:19): Week 33 (Feb. 22, 2015 Guimba, Philippines)

Hey Mom! :D Ogenki desu ka?

I'll know the payment next Monday. Payment for packages is subtracted out of our monthly support.

With my comp? It sort of just depends on the day. Things have been alright though. I still wouldn't mind a new comp next transfer, and I'm sure has no objections either, but I'll be happy with whatever happens.... I think :P

Hmm.... Interesting about Jung Won. So what's going to happen with her on Sundays? Will she just chill at the house while you guys are at church? That's cool I guess. She could do so interior design to increase our Feng Shui. Pretty sure we could use a big Feng Shui upgrade. We're sort of lacking in that category... .... ..... I think...

I'm not completely sure what's happening with the piano playing :P I texted the Sister in charge of the song choices Saturday night to find out what I'd be butchering/playing the next day, and she just replied with something like "Oh, it's alright. One of the young women and I will play tomorrow." Oh. Okay. Bahala ka (which simply means "It's up to you," but is usually used to end an argument or something. My comp indirectly taught it to me :P).
So anyway, the young woman got skerred and didn't play, and Sister Jean (The lady in charge) tried using the simplified hymn book and butchered it more than I butcher playing out of the REAL hymn book. HA! And again, HA! :D :P It wasn't terrible, but eh.... coulda done better #nbd ;) I don't know if I'll be playing anymore though :P
However, I WILL be teaching both the Gospel Essentials and Elder's Quorum classes next week... -.-

That's cool about Dad and the Sister Missionaries. I actually just have to laugh. Missionaries are such different people in general until you become one. We're all sort of a different sort from what ANYONE has witnessed :P Or maybe it's just me :)

I don't know if I've ever heard of Jane Eyre. Though I was pretty down when I found out Dixie is putting on Mary Poppins as Saxton's Swan Song. I know I've never acted a day in my life except for when I was in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade (Cinderella, The Grinch, and Virgin Valley Elementary's Flag Football team), but Bert has always been my dream roll if I were ever to become an actor. And let me tell you, I look EXCELLENT covered in soot *smolder* boom. Ah well. Maybe one day at BYU (Speaking of which, any news on applying for an academic scholarship?).

Something I've always wanted to do was have a set 20 or so minutes at the end of the day after Family prayers for Family Personal Study. Say prayers, and then stay in the Family room, but just take a seat and study the scriptures by yourself for a bit. I think that would be super awesome.

And so now about my week :)

We had a Zone Conference on Wednesday with President and Sister Clark and the Assistants, which was Super awesome. We talked about the meaning of conversion and how we need to make sure we're truly converted before expecting to be to assist in the conversion of others. I later went through the Christlike tributes in Preach My Gospel during Personal Study, and found out how they all, in one way or another, support and add to the process of Conversion: Conforming to and accepting God's will as a voluntary replacement to our own carnal views and desires. I just thought it was super cool how much more conversion is than Prayer, Scripture Study and Going to Church. Conversion is also about our levels of Faith, Obedience, Humility, Patience, Charity, Diligence, Virtue, and so much more. A true desire to gaining a testimony of the Restored Gospel of Christ should be centered on a true desire of Becoming more like Him.

And then on Saturday, we had a 1 Day Mission with the Branch, and I got to work with an RM from Utah!! His name is Michael Scott Olsen (or Scott Michael Olsen), and he served in the Philippines Angeles Mission back in 2003-'05! He reminded me So much if Erik. It was awesome :) Right now, He's a Sergeant in the Marine Corps stationed in Japan with his wife and two kids. He still speaks Tagalog pretty well, even after 10 years. He says he keeps up on it, because he gets a pay raise for knowing two languages, and he has to test every year for it. He came to the Philippines for about a week to visit his old areas. We went around after teaching our assigned families to find some of his old converts. They had all either moved away or become less active :/ Kawawa (Means something like "pity", but in the sense of "Too bad"). All in all though, it was a good day :)

Sunday, we finished our church meetings and then went to the House of our Young Men's President for lunch. He also served his mission here, and then decided to move in for good after he finished :) He's Filipino though.
Anyway, while he was cooking, I was doing my Japanese Language study while my comp watched Monsters Inc... -.- Though I guess neither of us were doing what we were supposed to. Technically, it WAS Language Study time, but I don't think they want me studying Japanese in the Philippines. But it's so fun!! (The thing I wrote at top is Japanese for "Kumusta po kayo" or in other words, an extra polite form of "How are you?")
Anyway, after lunch, the member came out and worked with us. He's awesome :) His name is Jayson Lazaro, and he says that ifI ever want to come back and visit the Philippines, he'll provide the housing :) Anyway, he took us around and introduced us to a bunch of other members and old investigators of his. We met a LOT of people, but didn't teach too many lessons. At least we know who we can go to now though. It was fun :)

And finally, today! We had a District Activity today to celebrate Elder Quenzon's Birthday. We had Umo which is a Samoan anti- pit roast. I don't know what to call it. But it was pretty delicious :) We also had Cheese and Yam flavored ice Creams for dessert. The Philippines is weird. One of the Elders in our District, Elder Taula, is Samoan, so he was in charge of the whole thing. It was a really cool experience :)

Love you Mom!! (Still can't find out how to say that in Japanese. I've only got a dictionary, with no idea on Grammar :P )

Elder Syphus

Oh ya, I made cheese cake on Monday :) MMMMMM!!!!! :D