Spiritually Fed

I don't know how to start these e-mails anymore I feel like I say the same thing over and over, what would be a good introduction to my e-mails?

This week was all right, I wasn't able to work for 2 days because I got sick! I hate those times that prevent you from doing the Lord's will, so stay clean, eat healthy, and exercise! I don't know how or where it came from but I just had like the worst LBM (lose bowel movements) is what they call it here in the Philippines or back in a America diarrhea! haha, I won't go into too much detail to spare you all the hard ache but man oh man was it a sight for sore eyes ;) Lets just say I went to the bathroom 22 times in 2 days! not a fun experience, and I don't even know how much weight I lost, I was losing water faster then I could drink it! hahaha yeah wasn't fun, and I am still recovering but I am doing a lot better, I thought I had the iron stomach after being here so long! I was proven wrong...

Other then that the couple of days we had to work were good, and we found some new investigators to teach, we are currently trying to follow up with them, and help them come closer to Christ. I wish I could tell you all about the things that we talk about with people and the topics of conversation because its just so inspiring! Everyone here is not afraid to talk about Jesus Christ, in fact its a common topic of conversation, Unlike back at home where it couple be a little bit awkward if in the wrong setting. Here you can literally walk up to a random person with introducing who you are and ask them what their relationship with Jesus Christ is and they will tell you with out hesitation! isn't that awesome! Only if the entire world was like that. 

We had a stake conference this last Sunday which was fun, its all ways fun to see the entire stake get together and hear from the leaders of the stake, there was some good talks given, my companion almost fell asleep because he couldn't understand anything yet, haha but he is doing good, and definitely works hard which is exactly what the Lord needs. The ward is good, the ward actually seems a lot happier lately, and are having fun. 

I played a prank on Elder Olsen last night it was hilarious! I have always told him how Filipinos will just stuff you till you throw up, or else they will get offended. which sometimes they actually do! but last night we were at the bishops house, and I told his wife to just keep forcing food on his plate, until he has to say no. but, I told Elder Olsen to say no or else they will get mad at him. hahahahah so the entire family was in on it and boy did they just stuff him with food it was hilarious! He ate like 2 plates of rice, with all kinds of vegetables, and sausages, and a liter of soda. Then they started forcing him to eat bread and peanut butter, ice candy, and anything else they could find! He wasn't lookin to good so I had mercy upon his soul and told them to stop, they were all laughin pretty hard and he had no Idea why, the curses of not knowing the language... but I got a good laugh out of it as well, and said I never wants to do that again. 

So according to the Title of this e-mail tomorrow we are attending a Special Missionary training meeting in San Pablo! We all thought is was going to be an apostle but its not, its pretty dang close though! We are going to be taught by Elder Robbins who spoke in this last General Conference he was the one who gave the talk "Where do you face?" and also another General Authority I believe who name is Elder Tobias I think. So its going to be awesome! President said we couldn't sleep over at other missionaries apartments to go to the meeting because we are so far way, but he did say that if we leave early enough we can attend the meeting. So as a Zone we hired a van and are leaving at 3 am tomorrow, and for us Elders in Calauag we have to travel to the Zone Leaders area first because that is where we will start and we have to go at like 8pm because there are no more buses, so we will be there all night long with 3 other companionship! that means MONOPOLY!! ALL night long!!  WHOOO! haha I am so excited haha Its going to be a good couple of days, and hopefully we can stay awake for the messages these great men will give. I will share a report next week on what they taught about! 

Thanks for everyone's support I love you all! 

--
Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission

Training: Week 2

I think when I get home, time is going to go by so slow. I think about how fast 3 months goes by here in the Mission, and then I think how slow 3 months goes by back at home. Every now and then I think about how fast my mission is going by and it justs scares me! for example if I was to go home tomorrow I would probably cry... in fright! I am totally not ready right now, and I feel like I will never will be, its going to be so weird coming home, it will definitely be a culture shock again coming home. I joke I always tell people when I am talking to them is that I am now a Filipino I am not an American anymore haha I will talk about Americans like Filipinos do haha, I am just head deep in the culture here from the way the eat, talk, sleep, and wash their clothes by hand... I am so use to the environment (The Humidity is still not my favorite) but just everything else is now home too me. A nice burger would be nice though... and don't even get me started about Cafe Rio... the other day I thought about how Cafe Rio should advertise using Missionaries haha "Our Burritos are soo good LDS missionaries crave them their whole Missions!" hahahahah true... the sweet delectable green muwahhah man I can't wait! That will be a video in the making! 

anyways things are starting to get really good over here in Calauag, not really work wise but just everything else, I am just like 10 times more happier now that I am training, Elder Olsen is doing great and working hard, and I am starting to see the Lord's hand again in our work. Elder Olsen is a champ he works so hard, he pushes me to the very second until 9pm hits. So you could say I have been stronger mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and just a little bit more exhausted physically! ha.

We are starting to find new investigators here and there, we have been focusing on opening our mouths. Also we are having some success with Less actives which have been great, the Bishop here has been really supportive. I love this Work!! 

News Flash! Elder Kikel did not lose anything this last week.. phew...

So like a said last time that Elder Olsen's and I's personalities are completly opposite, I have noticed a lot of myself haha I like to talk, and often talk to much... I found someone who does not enjoy Elder Kikel's Story time. Its been taking some use, kind of frustrating actually, and one day he just flat out told me "Elder, you talk to much." I didn't get mad because its true haha, I often get unfocused because of it. All this means that there hasn't been much talk lately and more work which is great but man, the day and time in the apartment is so boring! Despite his differences I actually really like him, he has been helping me a lot lately, and he is kind of funny when he wants to be. I know that everyone companion we are with is for a reason, and so I hope I am not driving him insane inside with my personality haha. 

I will actually tell you a little story about him:

It was late a night and we sat down at a little burger stand to eat. While eating his burger a man approached him and just pointed at his burger like he wanted it, he kind of looked homeless, and was mumbling something that wasn't tagalog. Elder Olsen kind of looked at his burger and slowly handed it towards the man, and the man snatched it out of his hands like a dog and started eating it while laughing hysterically! We were just like "What the heck?" he ended up leaving, and we were still waiting for our fries to be done. Right after we finished our fries, the man approached us again! and just grabbed Elder Olsen's ketchup and start finger spooning it and laughing again, and so at that point we were just like lets get out of here, and then we realized that Elder Olsen got robbed of his ketchup by a crazy man haha... yeah the mission life, full of stories and thats why I tell them!

I am afraid I am going to be that return missionary that always says "Well in my mission..." No one likes those guys haha... I apologize in advance. 

Okay I will leave it at that my time is almost up! I love you all, and I hope you are enjoying the cool weather with soon to come snow, I forgot what snow even feels like or looks like... oh well the snow never bother me anyways.. ;)

Ingat kayo palagi! 

Elder Olsen!

Elder Olsen in action!!

Me and Elder Olsen with a Flower that a little girl gave me!

--

Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission

General Conference Weekend!

Hello Everyone this last week was full of the much needed spirit, and we here in the Philippines have been taught on High.

I was able to watch General conference this last weekend, and it was amazing! IT was probably the fastest session of Conference that I have attended! I was shocked how fast it went buy, I was just so into the messages that were being given striving to find something that I can improve on, and also apply in my missionary work. I really loved the messages that were given. It had a different feel too it this time, maybe because the were some talks given in a different language! that was pretty cool! I liked many of the talks, especially President Uchtorf's talk asking all the question "Lord, was it I?" I loved that talk, because not only here in the mission but all over the place there are people pointing fingers for their own mistakes. I could go on forever about the talks given in General Conference but I don't have time for that, I hope we will all study the talks that were given, to help us the follow the commitment that President Monson gave to all of us. To listen to these words and chose to be a little better, and a little kinder. I love it. 

All right so most of you probably want to know about my new Trainee! Okay my Trainee's name is Elder Olsen, and as you probably guessed he is American, he is from Idaho Falls, Idaho and we are not the same.. what I mean by that is that the Lord put us together for a reason! We get along just fine, and I all ready love Elder Oslen but I think this is the first time in my mission I have had an companion who is almost opposite in personality. He is a very quite Elder, and doesn't talk much, when asked to share he doesn't share much, and we don't really have much in common haha so its definitely taking some getting use too, but he is a really cool Elder, and he wants to work which is the important part! I am all ready seeing the Lord's hand in our short time together, and I have been feeling the spirit a lot stronger lately, and I am so excited to work with this Elder, and I my spidey senses are just tingling telling me that we are going to have some crazy success these next 3 months! I am definitely looking forward to that! 

All right so for the funny story of the day, I just have a tendency to lose things here in the mission, on Sunday while we were traveling to the Stake Center to watch General Conference Elder Olsen and I bought a bunch of food to eat during the break because it was Sunday, and also to share with others. The bus was SOOOO SLOOWWW, and I was getting frustrated because we were going to be late, and I don't like being late....so when we finally got there I just ran off the bus and left my bag on the flippin bus!! and I didn't even realize until Elder Olsen leaned over to me, and said " Elder, where is our food?" at that moment I just wanted to take my chair and smash the little TV we were watching General Conference on while I was thinking "AGAIN!!" haha, yeah it wasn't a good feeling but the good thing was that there was only food in it, instead of all of my support like last time haha. 

so yeah everyone get there laugh at Elder Kikel. I always forget something. 

Its been pretty funny watching Elder Olsen adjust to the Philippines, he just walks around like everything he touches is going to get him sick, and he does not look comfortable haha but he will get use to it, he has been the man at trying some weird foods! I still haven't gotten him to eat Balut! 

Okay thats it I got to get to some other E-mails I hope you all enjoyed conference, and I will see you next time! 

Elder Calianga and I before we left each other, and that lady is 4'11" hahah

So this is My trainer Elder Mack, if anyone remembers him. I haven't been in the same Zone has him since my first area! I totally miss him but I hardly recognize him because he lost so much weight as shown in this picture! That is his MTC card when He was in the MTC, and he goes home Next month. 

Picture of the Baptisms!

Ya know.. chillin in the Philippines...

That is the little TV we watch General Conference on

--
Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission

TRAINING Round 2

So this last week has been pretty crazy haha let me tell ya about it...

So first off the week was going as usual, and on Wednesday when we went to our District Meeting which was actually at the chapel this time haha one of the other Elders told me I needed to call President immediately, because he is waiting for my call. Any missionary will know what the feeling you get when you hear those words obedient or disobedient haha. We still don't have a phone so President wasn't able to contact us. I called President and he extended an assignment to me to Train a new missionary coming from the MTC! Whooo! I was so excited this is totally what I have been praying and wanting for the last couple months! I think Training will help me so much! Its the greatest responsibility you can be given in a mission, because the way this missionaries mission will go will depend on how you train him. Do you remember when I trained Elder Strobelt!? phew.. that was a stressful couple of months! But he turned out really good, and has all ready trained once, and is actually a District Leader in Mindoro! So, I am super stoked for this week, I will pick up my new trainee on Thursday.

So the real story is when we were traveling to San Pablo where the mission home is located and is an unfortunate 6 hour bus ride away. Oh! Also Elder Nielson is also training, he is my District Leader so we were pretty excited so we traveled together, also with the Zone Leaders because they had a meeting as well in San Pablo. So after traveling for 4 hours we stopped in Lucena which is one of my old areas and we went to the mall to take care of a few things, get some stuff, and eat. We ended up spending a lot of time over there and it was getting pretty late, and we still needed to travel another 2-3 hours to San Pablo. We left on Wednesday afternoon and slept over at another missionaries apartment, and the meeting was on Thursday. As we took a tricycle to the bus station, one of the Elder's left his bag on the Tricycle! and he took off and we didn't realize until right before we got on the bus! It has been a good 20 mins before we realized, and that tricycle was long gone, and it was dark. So we spent maybe an hour trying to hunt down this tricycle driver and where he lives. Here in the Philippines most the of the tricycle drivers know each other in an area, and are all buddies, so if some dummy missionaries left entire suit case of stuff on his tricycle he scored! and his buddies wouldn't rat him out, but we finally found a nice man who actually took as directly to his house haha, he was pretty surprised, and then when 3 big Americans get out of the tricycle he had no problem giving back the luggage hahahaha its was pretty funny. Another funny thing is in the commotion of all of it I accidentally left my bag on a tricycle too, and he took off! but he was nice enough to turn around and give it back, the Filipino people are seriously a ridiculously nice people.

For the actual meeting it was really nice. President Mangum just stressed very seriously the importance of this assignment, he expressed it as we are changing peoples lives with the way we act with these new missionaries. Everything they do is their idea of what the most obedient missionaries do, and say. So the pressure is on, and I got about a thousand things running through my mind how I want to approach every little aspect of this, but its hard to know until I get to know who I am working with it. I actually really hope I get an American companion, but I am willing to work with anyone I am put with because I know it is all by revelation.

Thats the story.. haha.. thats all I got for this week, I am really looking forward for General Conference, and training. I think these next couple of months are going to be a great point in my mission, and also it just came to me... when I am done training this missionary... I will only have 5 months left... what... that is so crazy!! haha I love you all, and I miss you! I will try to send some more pictures!