2014-11-09 Good week in TayTay, I can mostly carry on a conversation in Tagalog

So in response to your questions, The families here are all pretty nice and relaxed. For work, some of them fish, (one is a security guard, one is a teacher)-which are very good jobs here, some of them go to the college that is here, Palawan state university. People here are very poor, So many people here own what is called a tindihan. This is just a house that you sell stuff out of. 

Anyways, about souveniers, you can get huge conch shells, like the nice ones for like 200 pesos which is like 5 dollars. I could also get some pearls haha, 

You guys should try to make some of the food we eat here. One popular food that people eat here is Chicken Adobo, Its basically chicken and rice, but it is good, look it up online! Also if you really want to feel like a Filipino, just eat rice for every meal... 

Anyways, Life is good here, can you try to send pictures of me with you guys, like one of us together I could show investigators! And Feel free to ask me questions about anything here! Ask about the culture etc... Cuz it's definitely different than America! 

I also have been teaching gospel principles still, so it looks like I'm the permanent teacher until we call someone new or I leave. I just have to ask someone to translate a word for me every now and then. We don't have any other sunday school classes so I get to teach everyone in the group but the youth altogether. Yesterday I taught Signs of the Second Coming or Ang mga Palatandaan ng ikawalang Pagparito. 

I have been picking up the language ever so gradually, and I guess I can hold actual conversations now, I mean I still have to ask them to repeat and clarify words, but its still a conversation! My second transfer is almost over too! Almost done with being a trainee! Love you guys so much! Ask me lots of questions about everything! Love you guys so much!!!!!

2014-11-02 Zone Conference in Beautiful Puerto Princessa

So you are going to teach on the 2nd Nephi Chapters Mom? I have been studying those a lot lately, they're very hard to understand sometimes, but you just need to pray for guidance to understand them, and do lots of cross referencing, and even then, sometimes I don't understand them completely. But it is amazing how my knowledge of the Scriptures is increasing. I also have been reading the bible a little, but I am trying to finish the Book of Mormon first, but I have realized with a surety of the importance of the Book of Mormon and continuing revelation in our time. Without the Book of Mormon and Modern day revelation, there is no way you can surely interpret the bible. I don't think before my mission I have utilized the scriptures together as much as I should. I didn't realize how important all of the words of Christ are, all 4 standard works, and words of the prophets.

     Anyways, for the more fun part of my letter. As soon as I finish writing my emails, I am headed straight for the beach. We are in Puerto Princessa today, and we are having a Zone activity on the white sanded beaches of what has been recently voted as the most beautiful island in the world. Remember, though shalt not covet. It's so amazing here! The mountains ore covered in green lush forests and the beaches are filled with clear blue water haha, how many other missionaries get to have this experience? I will try to continue to send pictures! Will you you guys send me some pictures of you guys at the temple? I want to see the landscape and everything! It sounds like that event has been amazing! It's also excited that you guys got to hear from President Ucthdorf. And Thats awesome that Grandma and Grandpa Clark came down! Those are three of the greatest people you could ever learn from! So yesterday we got to hear from Elder Dallin H. Oaks, and Elder Ardern of the First Quorom of the Seventy. It was a re-broadcast of the talks they gave in Manila. But it was cool from them. You probably haven't heard of President Ardern, but he is in the area presidency here! He taught us at the MTC and at a mission conference! During the mission conference he called on people quite a bit to talk or something, and like 30% of the time he called on me, haha he is really cool! And we also had our interviews with President Ostler recently. He has got to be one of the most amazing men i have ever met! Also since we are on an island seperated from the rest of the mission, we have a councellor in the mission presidency named President Hiatt, they are from Idaho. Anyways, its basically like we have two mission presidents, and they both are amazing. We get to see President Hiatt a lot more though, because he visited us in the little land of Taytay way up here on the tip of the island, and sometimes he will drive us back to Puerto so we don't have to pay for a bus, so we have lots of good conversations! Anyways, I am so happy here! I love you guys and I pray for all you everyday! Love you so much!

Also The work here is going good, the last two weeks we have had 40 and 46 at church! and I taught sunday school about the gathering of Isreal! The Language is coming along better, and our small group in Taytay is growing sooo much! Its a huge improvement from 17 people at church not that long ago! We are focusing a lot on reactivating right now, and the Lord has been helping us a lot! I love the gospel I love the Philippines and i love being a missionary!

2014-10-28 Been a bit sick but doing better

Hey!!! So this week was good! Sorry i'm emailing a day late! Our P-day got switched due to traveling to the city! So this week has been good! I still love it here and I am having a great time!! That's cool that dad went to grandpa's birthday in Idaho, and mom got to spend time with grandpa Ard! haha so I have been kind of sick, nothing to worry about. The Diarrhea and throw up is gone now though, and i'm doing great haha. 

So I have a very serious business matter to talk about to you guys. So land here is on sale right now, and I Have inquired with a member and there is 7 hectors, or 700 by 700 meters of prime white beach land being sold here on the island. It cost 2.5 million pesos which is only 56,000 dollars. And the taxes are extremely cheap. I am totally serious about this. Would you guys want to sell our land in flagstaff and buy prime beach land? Its an investment, and cheaper than our small land in flagstaff. I think its definitely something to consider. And mom, don't be scared, sometimes we need to do something crazy. You can also get a house built here for insanely cheap. Love you guys!

Anyways the work here is great! We increased the church attendance even more this week, 46!! That is a huge improvement from 17 (including 4 missionaries) right? 

Love you guys so much!!!!! I have lots of pictures to send this week!

 Branch get together at the Beach

 Home Sweet Home

2014-10-20 Testimony of the Plan of Salvation

So It sounds like as soon as I leave everything gets more exciting especially with the open house and everything! That's so cool! While I've been here my Testimony of the Plan of Salvation has really been strengthened! I am so excited to be together for eternity! This has become so real to me while I've been here. I have seen changes in peoples lives, and I have realized what a life changing gift this is! As always, I miss you guys! But I'm sure glad I'm here not there! I love serving a mission! I have come to appreciate things in my life so much, Especially family, and just being with you guys and also menial things like a washing machine, air conditioning, toilet paper, and real milk with like Froot Loops or Cap'n Crunch Crunch Berries. Haha you can probably tell I'm hungry huh? I didn't have time to eat breakfast or lunch today. 

Anyways, sometimes I have wondered, like why don't more people get baptized, why doesn't everyone just recognize that we have a living prophet on the earth who communicates with God, and why don't people just flock to the church? haha Then I heard an excerpt from a talk to missionaries by Elder Holland. Basically it said that maybe the reason we have so many struggles in the mission like learning the language, and adapting to new conditions is because maybe we need to feel a tiny part of what Jesus felt when he atoned for us in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. It wasn't easy for him either. Most people didn't truly recognize him as their savior and many people spat on him and cursed him. And In the scriptures how often are the righteous people outnumbered? How often does the large majority of people reject the truth when is is directly under their nose because of the craftiness of men? I think this applies directly to our lives. We will most likely always be outnumbered and perhaps persecuted for our beliefs. This is another testament that we are on the strait and narrow. We need to experience a little of what Jesus Experienced. 

Anyways, this is what I have been pondering about recently. I love you guys so much! I love being here I have seen so much good happen here! I love it! Goodbye! I will send pictures next week! Also Please send me Information about William Thomas Clark our ancestor, and about Stanley Albert Clark too. Love you guys! Goodbye!

2014-10-13 Life in the Philipines

So This week was good! I don't have to much to write haha. We saw general conference the past two days. The Saturday and priesthood sessions were english, but the sunday sessions were in tagalog! That made me sad, i wanted to understand them... I understood partially, but it wasnt them same! We got a knew missionary here in Taytay this week. He's from Tonga. He speaks pretty good english too! Fun fact that he told me is that the Prince of Tonga, and only heir to the throne, was just baptized! 

So in answer to the following questions:

WHY would anyone eat worms.  Is it something they eat often?  Have you tried any new fruits or vegetables?  Send pictures of the place you live.  How do you cook your food?  Do you wash your own clothes?  What do you do on Sundays?  Do you teach primary?  How is the language coming? 

I ate worms to say that I did it. It's not actually eaten that often. I ate some guava today, but I can't really think of the names of the other fruits I've eaten, I actually have eaten coconut a few times, which I didn't really eat back at home. I will try to send pictures of where i live tomorrow. I cook my food over these fire stoves we have in our apartment, in just pans and whatever. I cook with garlic and onions, and oil to cook my ulam (this means rice toppings). I'm also getting good at cooking pancakes haha. On sundays I go to church, and no, I don't teach. I just go to sunday school, my companion teaches primary sometimes,  the church (house) is so small, I can see him while i'm sitting in sunday school, we're like 10 feet away. and there really isnt like seperate rooms haha. And the language is hard. I am getting better though. It just can be frustrating sometimes. It really does make you rely on the Lord a lot though! I know that although it is hard, I can do it! I can communicate some already but I am nowhere near fluent yet haha. Even missionaries that are going home are not fluent. Haha they just are able to communicate.

nakakapagbagabagag This is a new word that I read this week, it means bothersome.

Haha It's still hard to pronounce.

love you goodbye!

2014-10-06 Very busy teaching - P-Day on TayTay

That’s so cool that you got to see inside the temple! I bet it is beautiful! I have seen conference yet so don't spoil it too much for me! We will watch it this coming Saturday and Sunday! They have also decided to bring the english disc to us as well so us missionaries can watch it! So this week was good! We officially reactivated two people this week, and our investigator (The Twante's) are still coming to church, and keeping commitments. We also have many other really good investigators, its just hard to get them to church because we don’t have an actual building, although that shouldn’t be an excuse. We also have an average of like three full proselyting days a week, this week we only had two... We have gone to Puerto Princessa for Zone meeting etc... every week, but two, the whole time I've been here, and we are going again today. This is usually a three day trip, and so we rarely have full days to teach people it seems like! 

     Today we went to lake Danao and fished for P-day! That was legit! So many fish!!! But they are all tiny! I will send you pictures! The electricity has been better here, and we've have it all day! But I don't think that will last.. So this area is super beautiful, and i love it here!

     Oh, I almost forgot! This week I ate some pretty crazy stuff! You know when we watched "Bizarre Foods" in the Philippines? Well anyways, remember that disgusting slimy worm they pull out of the tree and eat completely raw? Well I ate that this week! It is called a Tamilok Worm. I will send you some pictures of it! I threw up the first time just because of the texture mostly, but then I got another one and ate the whole thing! I also ate Crocodile this week, that was really good! And I ate chicken intestines, also good, just nasty to think about! Anyways, I will try to send you pictures of everything, love you sorry it is a short letter again this week, but I'm super busy! Love you guys so much!!!!! I am so excited to live for eternity with you guys!!!!!

By the way, don't send me anything, I can buy anything I need here! It would just be more expensive for you to send it to me!

Teaching

Companion and Other Elders

Basketball?

This is the Crocodile that I ate, it was good.

P-Day - Fishing at Lake Danao

This is where we walk by the ocean and the building a fort from when the Spanish conquered the Philippines, it's really cool, Hopefully i will get to go inside soon!

Tamilok Worms - The last one is after I threw up. But i still got another one and ate it!!!!!

Tamilok Worms, they pull them out of a tree, very slimy

Getting ready to eat Tamilok Worms

Eating the Tamilok Worms

After throwing up the Tamilok Worms

Round two of eating Tamilok Worms