Mahupay Naaga!
This is week has been a wild ride to say the least. I finally got into the field and its definitely difficult but also sprinkled with the tender mercies of the Lord. My first zone is in Tolosa which is just south of the main city of Tacloban. There's not much on the main street and most of the town lives in the jungle. It’s been very interesting proselyting under coconut trees and banana leaves, but I think I'm getting used to it. My trainer is Elder Ramos, and he is super nice! He's helping me learn the language and get adjusted to missionary life. Its definitely been difficult but anyone whose gone on a foreign mission, especially Asia, knows that your body needs a few weeks to... adjust. Other than a few hiccups though, I have been trucking along trying to learn the language. Waray Waray is truly a different language than Cebuano, so it has taken a lot of effort to try and get off the ground in the language. Living out in the jungle is definitely a different experience than I'm used to. We don't have AC, but we have a couple fans which are really nice to come back to after a long day. We often come across oddities in the bush though. Like today for example we woke up to find a severed gecko head on our doormat. Very strange but I guess that’s just the Philippines. This week I also got the opportunity to baptize someone! Brother Charles has been taking lessons from the missionaries for about a month and decided to get baptized last week. My trainer asked if I could do it and he agreed! During the baptism he couldn't stop smiling, although he was nervous. He's a bright soul who has a love for the gospel. Even though we don't speak the same language, his attitude, and the composition of his character shine through. I'm excited to keep meeting with him as the weeks continue. I'm sorry if this email is a little all over the place but I'll talk to you all next week! Kita kites! Elder Wilhelm Hey Guys! The last week in the Provo MTC was good. We spent one day learning Waray. I wish we would've spent more time learning that language. I got a package from my mom with several mini loaves of poppyseed bread. Everyone loved the poppy seed bread. Maybe a little too much. There were some Elders close to tears (not joking). I also got a haircut from one of the other Elders which was awesome because there were no openings at the MTC barber. Everyone in our district was excited to finally be leaving for the Philippines. I finally made it to Manilla. 30 of us missionaries arrived at around 1:00am to the Manila MTC after lots of shenanigans. The customs line in Seoul was really long and then we had to grab our bags and go through security again. That line was even longer. Our district was mostly together and after the last of us made it through security we realized that the sisters were nowhere to be found. We searched the airport but then had to haul over to our gate, so we didn't miss our flight. I was the last one on the plane. There were 10 Elders and Sisters that didn't make it on the flight because they had standby tickets. They were put on a different flight but missed that flight since it was on the other side of the airport. Almost everyone lost their bags by the time they made it to Manilla. However, the two Cebuano Districts (including my district) have been blessed with everyone making it and with all our luggage (for now). It was a super long flight, but I don't really have jetlag at all. I guess my body has adapted from all the traveling as a kid. This week in the Manilla MTC was pretty crazy. There was lots of language learning and some more shenanigans. The food was pretty great. Everyone loved the waffles. On our first full day we got paired up with a missionary already serving in Manilla and we got to go out tracking in the town. That was awesome. We didn't get a change to go and do a session in the Manilla temple, but we did get to go and tour the grounds one of the last nights we were there. The next time I write I will be in Tacloban! Love you all and amping kita kites! Elder Wilhelm P.S. The food slaps here Provo MTCManilla MTCKamusta Mo!
This week I finally got my flight information! It was a little nerve wracking going throughout this week because we had to wait to see if we were being let into the country. When everyone in our district was, it was a huge sigh of relief. Other than that update, most of this week has been the same. I've learned a whole lot more Bisaya and this Saturday I finally get to learn some Waray! My favorite phrase I learned this week was Way Saps Basta Gwaps which is slang for No problem if you're handsome. It doesn't really translate fully but that is the jist. I was able to teach a mock lesson to my teacher this week and actually understand what they were saying and respond in a semi-intelligible fashion. I feel like I'm finally starting to understand the general flow of this language. I hope I get to use it in the Philippines but it is still a stark if. This week I had the privilege of listening to Elder Morrison, a general authority from Ghana, Africa. He talked about the 4 C's of how to have a good mission. They are: don't complain, don't compare, don't compete, and don't criticize. I thought this was some very strong advice for me. During the MTC there have been times when I heavily disagree with my companion or have gotten angry with him. Sometimes it seems that God has put him in my life as the perfect way to test my patience. When I changed my perspective from being critical of my companion to looking at him through the eyes of Christ, my feelings about the situation changed. My prayers changed from asking God to give me strength to get through my trial to thanking him for putting me in a situation that not only allows me to grow, but allows me to help my companion as well. Since I've changed my outlook, the times I get frustrated with my companion have lessened and the joy and relationship that we share together have increased exponentially. I would implore all of you to look for the gift of trials in your life as a way to improve rather than an endurance challenge purely meant to test your faith. Ether 12:27 states "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." I know that Heavenly Father puts trials in our life so that we can become strong, and that if we compel ourselves to be humble in our trials and focus on our own growth, we can reach heights known only to our Lord. Nasayud ko nga nahigugma ang Dios sa ato ug nagpadala Siya Iyang Anak-Lalaki para sa amo. Thank you all for emailing me! I love reading your emails and seeing how everyone is doing! Till next time! Amping, Kita Kits!!! Elder Wilhelm |