Siniloan Begins!

Wow, so much to tell today, I don't know where to begin!

umm... lets see... traveling was a pain in the butt! When you white, and have big expensive looking luggage, you just get ripped off the whole way... i probably got charged double everywhere I went, and no matter how much I would fight (knowing the real prices) there little Filipino friends will gather together and force me to pay.. ugh.. we call this in the mission the "American Discount" haha.

after traveling most of the day we finally arrived in Siniloan! and when I saw WE i mean Elder Pepa and I. Elder Pepa is the man! He is my first poly companion, and he is from Tonga! He is huge! I always looked forward to having a Poly companion, because they are always so nice, and so loving, and always likable haha. Elder Pepa and I get a long pretty well, and I would say a good companionship match. He is about 10 months in the mission, and is super humble, super nice, and pretty funny. he is all ready teaching me how to speak in Tongan, and we have a fun time all ready. He is so nice he iron'd my clothes yesterday before church, and he actually cleans!!! yESS!! and is just down to do whatever. I think we will have a great companionship, and honestly something I have been praying for for a while... He is willing to work hard, and to do missionary work, and that is what I need!

I found out the we actually are not the new Zone Leaders.. and I even got demoted... haha I am now again, back in the mud workin haha just plantin those seeds like a boss! I am no longer the District Leader. Its okay, just means I can focus more on our area, and work. and thats really all I wanted to do these last 3 months, so I guess I could so its a promotion! haha. The reason we are not the Zone Leaders is because the zone got dissolved for some reason I don't know why, but we are still in the previous Zone leaders area, and it wasn't set up very well. They have no investigators, and the area book isn't updated... no coordination meetings, and yeah... stories... so here we are again in the mud trying to build another foundation, well as of now I am no stranger of this mud, and just gladly jump right in haha

The odd thing that happen in this area, is something I wasn't hoping for honestly, and you will probably find it pretty funny. Recently, I have been getting so girl crazy! hahahaha flip! every time I go to church and see families with little kids walking in I just think, " freak, I just need to go home and get married all ready!" haha so every time I see a pretty girl, I just think to myself " man! cmon keaks you got this, 3 more months, focus!" haha and the worst part is... that this branch is "notorious" for the many beautiful sisters that attend, and I can testify to that notoriety hahahahahah dang! yeah, lets just keep it in missionary terms and say they are very beautiful daughters of god haha. The other thing is there are no priesthood, and they are all old! how are we suppose to work with the ward! haha, we are going to be forced to work with those sisters to try and get referrals. I now activate the "Flirt to Convert" initiative! hahaha nah... but in a serious note, i hope we will be able to find a way to find and baptize some young men, and potential priesthood holders. 

I have had some people ask me about what is the Easter holiday like in the Philippines, I will now continue to blow your minds! In the philippines its know more as "Holy Week" and people celebrate differently according to their location. I have been told here in Siniloan it is crazy different and I am actually scared haha so here is the scoop. Apparently next week, on wednesday and people will walk into the streets, and parade around the city, crucified to crosses, and being whipped like Jesus was! or just whipping themselves with real whips and sharp things in them, to point where they actually bleed a good amount of blood, and they believe that this will relieve them of their sins they have committed in life...  members have told me after this day, you will see blood all over the streets, and walls, houses, and stuff like that. They say there is so much blood form so many people doing it, people collect their blood as evidence of their remission of sins! This is insane!!! The members and people act like its just a normal thing. and how sad is it to know that these people have know idea that what there doing is worthless, it may give them give them greater faith in Jesus Christ in the end persay but, it does not relieve them of their burdens and sins. so I will give you an update of how that goes next week haha, I am pretty sure we won't be allowed to go outside that day.

I am looking forward to working a nice full week in Siniloan, and seeing what Elder Pepa and I can do! I love you all and may the Lord be with you always!

--
Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission

The Last Testimony

Hello everyone its been a pretty great week, I will try to sum it up for you all in a short and powerful way because I am taking to much time in the computer shop haha.

 

Like a mentioned in my last e-mail, we had ZONE CONFERENCE this last week, and as usual it was just the best because you get to see a bunch of other missionaries, travel, hang out, and of course you get spiritually fed as well as physically, which we are good at being missionaries and all haha.

 

Zone Conference was awesome, it was focused about the Sacrament, and how we help our Investigators understand the importance of the sacrament, especially after they are baptized and have made those covenants. It was taught really simply but really opened my eyes again as to how important the sacrament is, and as missionaries we need to be doing all that we can to be getting our investigators to church each and every single week, so that they can experience the renewal of the sacrament even if they are not yet members. That is something that I have learned about the sacrament this last week, is that in the sacramental prayers found in Moroni 4 and 5 it say that "to the souls of ALL those who partake of it" President Mangum expounded on that short statement. He said that even though investigators are not members of the church they are still entitled to the same blessings as they strive to keep those covenants that they will make through baptism. They can still feel the spirit, and receive revelation for themselves through the power of the Holy Ghost, I thought that was amazing, something so simple but so powerful that most of us don't really ever realize.

 

Also President talked to us about the Churches new Initiative that they are coming out with soon, I don't know if any of you heard about it but you will see it soon. but its kind of like the "I will share the gift" the Church did last Christmas, but this time it is "Because he Lives". One really cool thing president showed us is that during the Easter season The church is going to pay for the main video add that shows up on the homescreen of YouTube! I don't know if its up all ready but I think that is so cool, that when ever someone goes on YouTube they will be able to watch a 14 sec video about Jesus Christ on this Easter season. Now that is what I am talking about properly using social media, I think the Church is trying to set an example to us all.

 

A very awesome addition to our Zone Conference was we got to watch "MEET THE MORMONS" I was so stoked! it was soo good! Most of us were laughing pretty hard, and I just love the stories that it tells. The Candy Bomber was probably my favorite.

 

Also hence the title of my E-mail today, this was my last Zone Conference in my mission, I will return home before the next one, and as tradition in our mission all missionaries going home have to bare testimony to all the missionaries at their last Zone Conference. So I had to bare mine, and it was so surreal. I remember being a new missionary sharing their last testimonies, and even though I still have 3 months left, I feel like the time is so near, so much to do, and not enough time to do it! It was a good feeling though, and I was grateful for the opportunity.

 

Also, I have been transferred! FInally! haha, as much as I love Calauag, I needed to get out! the crazy part is that Elder Garcia is transferred as well! We are pulled out of the area! I am not sure why but they will be replacing us with other missionaries, one of them use to be my old companion! Elder Bituin from Mindoro! I love him! I will leave him a little surprise at the Apartment haha. I am transferred to the Siniloan Zone, and I have been told by other missionaries that I am the Zone leader now over there, but I don't recall being told yet by President, but I am going to the Zone Leaders last area so who knows what will happen. I will be grateful to serve in that capacity to help other missionaries, and also to help keep myself focused! I can't believe I literally only have 3 months, and I feel as though I don't have enough time to do everything, its not really about how much time is have left, but more about how much time i still have to do as much as i can! Its so close! I am going to keep working hard, and striving to do the Lord's will to the very end. There isn't anything else I would rather do at this time. It has been such a blessing, more like an undeserved blessing, and I am so grateful for everyday that I am here. It is truly going to be tuff to return home. Good thing its going to be like an 18 hour flight home haha.

 

Well I will leave it at that for now! I love you all, and I love this work, and I hope i will have other missionary opportunities to serve when I return home! See you in 3!

--

Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission

My Heart Yearns for Consecration

Hello Everyone! Another week has gone by, faster and faster the days and weeks, and months go. I remember before my mission, thinking 3 months was a long time, but in reality it is such a short time.

Well there isn't much to share today about our work, its been pretty simple, just the daily missionary life. Nothing special really happened, but still learning everyday. Which is something I would like to share with you now.

So lately I have been reading Jesus the Christ! I am almost done with it I am on chapter 36, and wow! I have learned so much! I think its so cool how James E. Talmage totally explains the background, and history of everything to help us understand why things happened. I just feel so much closer to my savior, and feel like I know him better, and understand his purpose, and I have gained a greater understanding what my father in heaven expects of me... Consecration.. 

As I have been reading Jesus the Christ I have been noticing something. As we surely all know that everything Jesus did, was to teach, and to edify, especially his apostles. Everything Christ did was to teach them and to prepare them for there apostolic missions, and to bring the gospel to the world. in that course, it is noted several times that to do this, they have to give up absolutely everything, and literally give theirs lives to follow Jesus Christ. I think that is amazing. They were consecrated, and because they were consecrated they enjoyed blessings beyond their comprehension. It gave me a great appreciation for our modern day apostles, and their consecration to their life time callings, as well as the Prophet. My little part of the Vineyard I have to take care of here in Calauag is exhausting and the most challenging I have done in my life, let alone the whole world, and the entire church haha those men are men of the Priesthood, and power. To be able to do the things they do at the age of 80+ is insane. 

I really tried to relate this to myself, and how I can strive to apply this principle of exaltation to myself these last 3 months in my mission and for the rest of my life, and I am blessed with opportunities to serve those within my reach. I am so grateful for knowledge of this gospel that has blessed me with the desire to serve, and to bless the lives of others. Once we have found our way in the Plan of God, I believe it is our duty to try and help as many others as we can to find their way as well. I frequently have these feelings as i go about doing missionary work, and I hope I will be able to continue and practice these feelings as i return home.

I hope we can all strive to apply this principle in our lives, and strive to become perfect like our father in heaven who is perfect, and remember, that God doesn't expect immediate perfection, but he does expect immediate progress. line upon, line, precept upon precept we will learn how to become like our Father in Heaven. 

Thanks for all your prayers and support the each one of you give in my behalf, I really appreciate, and I have been feeling those prayers and support lately as well. Let us all yearn for Consecration that we may have eternal happiness with the ones we love. 

--
Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission

Missionary Vacation!

Everyone this week was cray! the most unexpected thing happened and it was awesome! basically what the title says, I took a missionary vacation! So here is what went down...

As we are working in our area last thursday, 3pm. I get a call from the office telling me that I have to go to manila on Friday! WHAT!? yeah thats right! I had to go to manila to get my fingerprints done and some other visa, and passport stuff. Not just me but almost 50 other missionaries in our mission! including all of my batch, so I got to see them all! I pretty much hung out with Elder Perez the whole time, he was my MTC companion. So yeah Friday through Sunday I was in Manila! it was so much fun, and so cool! The bus ride for me here in Calauag is 10 hours!! bleh.. but totally worth it. When we arrived in Manila the put us in the nicest hotel I have seen here in the Philippines, and guess what! more Hot showers!! those are the best, just take cold showers for 8 months, and then take a hot shower, and you will now how I feel. Also, after we signed in at the hotel we all went downtown to go eat, and you would not believe what was there, first off, it look just like city creek over there, it was blowing me away, I was so shocked thinking "Is this what america looks like? this is so cool!" haha Who ever is at the airport when I get home should have some cameras out because I am going to freak out when I get outside the airport. anyways, they have all kinds of american restaurants there, wendys, subway, Jamba Juice! Chili's! TGI Fridays! and more, but the one i was not expecting, and literally took me to the floor was... drum roll... not cafe rio! hahahaha but Johnny Rockets! thats right my friends there is a Johnny Rockets in the Philippines! oh and it was beyond the most delicious thing I have eaten in the Philippines, I can't even describe to any of you after eating fake burgers for almost 2 years, and then eating a double bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and CHEESE! the first bite took me away, and I melted in my seat, and then for the slum dunk a REAL classic chocolate shake OH MY GOSH!!! IT WAS SO GOOD!!! it was insane, how good a real burger tasted haha freak, it was so good I can't get over it! it was like 20 bucks though haha

So that was pretty much the highlight of the trip right there, and we also had some krispy kreme which was also pretty insane! But, my fellow brothers and sister there is something that tops all of that... I drank REAL MILK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTT. game over. I am not going to even try to describe how good it was do drink real milk again, lets just say it was really good. That pretty much sums up the trip haha, we went to the Manila MTC to do all the fingerprinting stuff, and the Temple is right across the street like in Provo, so I took some pics, and Ill send them to all of you.

I was talking to President before we left, and I pretty much just straight up asked him if i am going to be transferred, or am I going to finish my mission in this area, and he was kind enough to tell me that I am going to be transferred this coming March 26! At least I know now! jeez haha I am going to be sad to leave Calauag, but I am excited to to serve in another part of the Philippines, these last 3 months are going to go by so fast! and I am going to make the best of em' I am not TRUNKY yet! and I never will be!

The work in Guinayangan is slowing down, and we are thinking that we are going to have to stop visiting there because there is no way we are going to be able to baptized these kids and help them stay active, so I guess we were just planting seeds for the time being, and hopefully when they are older, they will remember the things we taught them.

The work is going really good, we have some investigators to teach now, the Ward is actually having all of the meetings that are suppose to be held, and the fellow shipping is great! We have a few baptismal goals dates, but they wont be ready to be baptized before I leave, but thats  okay no probs.

Thanks everyone for you support, lets all stay strong for the next 3 months, and then we will partayyy!@

--
Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission

The Timing of the Lord

Hey yall how ya doin? haha I don't here that at all here in the Philippines. 

I am glad to hear some good report, and feedback on my last e-mail about the kids in Guinayangan that have been doing so good, and they are so great its awesome! But we do have some sad news for you all today, but hopefully this will help us understand more the importance of the timing/will of the Lord. 

None of these kids were able to make it to church yesterday... yeah is was pretty sad, I was so excited to see them all. It turns out that our member living in that area provided for all their travel fare last week so they can go to church, and just can not continue paying for these kids to go to church each week, because he himself is really struggling, also he moved to a different place that isn't to far away, but far enough to the point you can't walk to get to his house from where he moved from. So now there main point of support is gone, so It causes a big obstacle in our work with these kids. 

Last Saturday we tried to visit all their families and teach them with their parents, and some of them were busy, or some of them were gone, but the ones we did taught were pretty receptive, and I was feeling the spirit while we were teaching them, and hopefully these feeling of the spirit is going to cause them to feel something that is going to help them gain the desire to strengthen this feeling which they feel from God. They are such humble people, and despite all they have to suffer and go through, they just want happy families, and because of the culture its quite difficult for them to accomplish them. This isn't really about baptizing anymore, its becoming more service, trying to really help bring these kids, and families together, planting these seeds of faith in love, that will hopefully last a life time. I am not going to give up on them, and we will continue to visit them and teach them. Also, one of the spiritually strongest of them all text us yesterday and told us that even though they can't make it  to church, and bro. Aggiri moved they are still going to keep saying there prayers, ready and studying the scriptures together. I am just so grateful for the opportunity to work and know such great humble people.

Today we had the Best Zone P-day ever! The best in my entire mission. We traveled to a far area, and we hiked for about an hour to some falls, and then me and some other missionaries, rock climbed the falls to the top, and kept hiking the mountain it was so cool! and the rock climb got pretty scetch a a few points, and we probably shouldn't have attempted it in risk of physical injury, but we only came out with cuts and bruises so its all good. Our Zone has such great Unity I just love being with our Zone. We also have a zone conference coming up on March 18th, can you believe that it is all ready march!? I can't its still blowing my mind every single day. 

Well I am going to leave it at that today, to attend to some other e-mails, and I hope you all know that I love you, and i am excited to see you all again, only almost 3 short months, and bam! Elder Kikel is back! Love you all! 

--

Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission