CHANGE IS COMING

CHANGE IS COMING (new president of the Philippines slogan) DUTERTE

Its been a busy couple of weeks. Transfer announcements come by last Monday and I was assigned in a threesome, with new area but same zone so i wasn't moving too far from where I was originally. Transfer day comes along and as we are about to head out the door all packed up ready to go, I get a call to go to a new zone called Montalban. So I am now in the land of Montalban! its super nice, our house is spacious and has a shower! My last area was bucket showers all day. Running water all day, last area only at night... I feel like im livin large now a days. We have a really good area out here, people are super nice like always, mountains in the distance, the elders that live in our house, their area is a place called WAWA DAM. search it we should be going on a pday here soon which I am excited. I miss doing some out doorsy stuff, waterfalls hiking and all that. 

My new companion is real cool, from cali, he will be going home after this transfer. He is hard working and a fun Elder. We have had similar backgrounds so we automatically clicked. My first week here has been super successful, we received a text from the sister in the ward next to ours and they had an investigator move into our area and she is absolutely ready for baptism. Its awesome, we call these people golden investigators. They have received their answer and are ready to be a member of this wonderful church. Our first day as a companion ship, we were introduced to a sister/ mother by a member and had a great lesson with here. She offered the closing prayer and started to tear up. Now those tears are not because we are sad, they are tears of joy. That feeling she described to us after the prayer was the Holy Ghost giving her a answer to her prayerful question. It was quite beautiful and these moments man, are the moments that help me realize why I am out here. 

If you are thinking about serving a mission. Do what you need to do to become ready, it will take sacrifice but thats okay cuz i promise you this is worth it. People need your help and will be prepared to hear your voice! 

I love you all and especially thank you for the love and support you all show me.

Love,

Elder English



Wawa Dam (also known as Montalban Dam)^[1] is a gravity dam constructed over the Marikina River in the municipality of Rodriguez in Rizal province, Philippines.^[2] The slightly arched dam is situated in the 360-metre (1,180 ft) high Montalban Gorge or Wawa Gorge,^[3] a water gap in the Sierra Madre Mountains, east of Manila. It was built in 1909 during the American colonial era to provide the water needs for Manila.^[4][5] It used to be the only source of water for Manila until Angat Dam was built and Wawa was abandoned. Due to insufficiency of water supply for Metro Manila, there was a strong clamor to reuse the dam.^[6]

LOVIN LIFE!!!

LOVIN LIFE

Dearest friends and family,

First off I love you and thank you all for being you. I miss you all but I am having the time of my life out here, and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I learn so much each and every day its almost weird but how I enjoy it man. This week was really good for Elder Newman and I. We are trying our best to get our investigators to come experience church. I like using a term here to get people to realize they don't know what they are missing out on here on these warm Sunday mornings. "How do we know whether a food is delicious or not?" They usually say "we try it," although we have gotten some out of the park answers a couple times haha, but then compare food to church, we will never know if we like it if we dont try it. Gets the people thinking a lil bit. 

Here is a cerpt of the email I sent to our mission president:

This last week, much of my personal study has been focused on faith, because of a Less active who asked us a question on how he can truly build his faith to be stronger. We gave him the answer I think most missionaries would have given. Read, Pray, Got to church, but I was disappointed with our answer. I wanted to go into more depth, to truly help him increase his faith, of course reading, praying, and attending church will be the best place to start, and he knows that. Luckily I had a talk given to me by Elder Stratton way back in training that I had not read until this last week. It is called "Increasing our Faith in Jesus Christ" He explained how the 12 apostles wanted the same thing, to better to increase their faith. They had asked Jesus Christ what they must do to better increase their faith. Christ gave a parable about a servant and a master, how the servant had worked all day in the field then comes back to the master expecting a break because of the such hard work put in. The Master had him continue with his duties with out time to sit and relax, or take a break. the apostles were confused while expecting the answer to pray, read, treasure up the word of God. They got the opposite, what Christ was explaining how we are always in debt to our Father in heaven. Our Faith is grown by giving/ dedicating our life to the LORD and his son Jesus Christ. It never stops, our faith is either increasing, staying at the same rate or descending. 

I am super happy to be here on a mission to give myself to the LORD, This is the best time of my life. I love this work and coming closer to our Heavenly Father each and every day. Its crazy for me, I've dreamed of being out here since I was baptized and being here now almost doesn't seem real. Have to pinch myself sometimes. But I love it, the trials and realizing the significance of a trial in the midst and enduring while enjoying. The life of a missionary, how you see things from a different perspective out here.

This talk I shared isn't exactly quoted but its how I understood it. I hope it helps you to grow your faith each and every day! 

I love you al,l keep being yourselves and having fun.

Love,

Elder English

PICTURES

"NEW AREA....GOODNESS GRACIOUS"

MALOLOS 1

New area! Goodness gracious, I will miss Sapang Palay with my heart. It was tough for me to say bye to those I've grown so close to those past 6 months, but its okay, new ward new area, new brothers and sisters to help come closer to our savior. So Malolos is about half and half, we have city and jungle type atmosphere. We live in the city, call it the Bayan and as we go out to work we end up with a bunch of banana trees and open fields. Its nice I like it. Our chapel is the stake center so we have AIR CON.... wow how much I missed that, our last chapel had fans all over the place.

The members are super nice and the recent converts have such strong testimonies. I was fed dinner almost the whole first week I got here which is nice. Had the opportunity to bear my testimony and talked about how our testimonies are our personality, how you know this gospel to be true is what keeps us going. Most members here in the Philippines are converts being the church is fairly new here, we are seeing the second generation of young me and women who grew up in the church (born in covenant) have a strong desire to serve a mission because of how much this gospel has helped their families. I love seeing someone preparing themselves  to serve.

My new comp is Elder Newman from Utah, straight outta the factory as he explains, being most Mormons are from Utah and raised in the gospel, but he is quite the opposite, what a personality he has man, just an outgoing guy who loves missionary work. He is going home to end his mission not this transfer but next, so I will most likely watch him leave the mission. I am learning a bunch from him and his experience here in the mission. Our teaching goes hand in hand, we feed of each others teachings and expecting great things to happen here in the work of the LORD. The goal out here for us is to grow grow grow and grow each and every day, becoming the person who the LORD wants us to be, being the best missionary we can be every day. When you and your comp have the same goal in mind, things go smoothly.

Im having the time of my life and enjoying each and every day, one thing ive learned out here is how fast time flies. Its crazy but such a great learning experience. These people are awesome, I wish you could meet all the people we meet on a daily basis, they love to have fun here and be themselves. What a perfect mission for Elder English. 

Elder English

 

"I FEEL BLESSED"

I'm waaaaay up I feel blessed,

Looks as if I will be in my first area Sapang Palay for over six months which I am very excited/happy about. We have some upcoming baptisms in the next few weeks if everything goes as planned! April 30 will be a baptismal service for a 14 year old girl, Rose Jane. She has been taking missionary lessons for three years now and has been prepared by the Lord to make the baptismal covenant. She has always been a shy little girl which holds her back from participating in lessons or growing close with members at church. We can slowly see that changing every week. I truly believe she is ready. It is just crazy to think how the Lord can prepare us for things.

Back when the missionaries found me I had no idea that I was looking for God or looking for church. But the Lord put them before me and helped me to feel the power of the Holy Spirit. Completely changed my life in so many ways, opportunities arose, friendships began, my thoughts became clear as to what the purpose is for me here right now. I am very happy to help people accept this gospel into their own lives. How amazing to have the fullness of the gospel at this time. Don't take it for granted. If you feel you don't have that fullness in your life. Find it. Find him and if ye shall knock it shall be opened unto you.

Don't be shy!!!!! I have seen it hold so many people back here. It is a common trait I see here. tagalog- Nakahiya(shy) Don't let shyness hold you back from opportunities that we can easily receive by stepping out of that comfort zone. Have confidence in yourself. Have confidence in the Lord. Have confidence in Jesus Christ. They want you to be happy so follow them. Do your best everyday, and trust that the Lord has a plan for you.

I love you all thank you for being you, those who are in your life are in your life for a reason, find out why.

Elder English

WOWZAS... GENERAL CONFERENCE APRIL 2015

WOWZAS General Conference April 2015

I absolutely loved this conference and all of the speakers that prepared for us. We are so fortunate to hear from a Prophet of the Lord and his many apostles. Very thankful to be a member of this church and the inspiration these speakers give to all who listen. So a little bit different here in the Philippines for conf. Usually at home making breakfast head over to a friends house maybe a nice nap in the middle of talks. Here we attended our Stake center where they Satellited the conf. A week later than the actual conference a week ago. No naps involved, I have never been so intrigued and focused on a conference, before. It was a great experience for me as a missionary.

The talk by Christofferson touched me on fathers, really motivated me for when the time does come to be the best loving father to my wife and kids, protecting them at any costs and preparing them for the wonders of this church, and all the opportunities thru serving the Lord. All you fathers, thank you for your example to me of your love to your children. Express love everyday, we don't get these times back. Show your kids how much you love them. I loved the talk by the Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson on choices. It all depends on our choices in this life. Alice in wonderland having no where to go, not knowing where to go when faced with two different paths, the cat in wonderland asked her where she was going Alice replied I don't know. The cat responded with if you don't know where you are going how will you ever get there? Goals, set goals and have a vision of where you want to be in this life. Without a vision there is now way for us to get there. Sometimes it gets hard to follow the path we want, God has given us the privilege to make mistakes learn and grow from those mistakes. I have never learned how to truly appreciate my challenges until being out here as a missionary. If you are in a situation that is hard, maybe tough to endure and cant yet see the light, have faith, have faith in heavenly father and his son Jesus Christ, if you lack faith in them have hope that your faith will increase. Have to start somewhere. I leave this with you to pray to heavenly father, he is real, he wants the best for you. If ye knock he shall answer.

Hope this helps everyone who reads! I love you all and miss ya! Know I am doing great and loving it here as a disciple of Christ, how great it is to be a representative of Jesus Christ and bare testimony of his love for us.  Thank you and INGAT PO KAYO (take care)

JUST A FEW PICTURES.....

Isaac said he "picked up a random lamb"

          This gentleman walks up and down the street near where they live everyday singing

                                                            Someone's pet monkey