Monday, September 22, 2014

Day by Day, Month by Month, 2 years. Done

Even through trials, adversity, and hardships, making the days go by slower, the weeks still seem just to fly by! Every Sunday I think oh my gosh its Sunday again! tomorrow is P-day! woohoo! I get to clean, wash dishes, clothes, and buy groceries all day!! hahaha sometimes I imagine myself being a Dad! which is the weirdest thing to think about! It helps me get everything done though because it motivates me thinking one day I am gong to have little kids running around screaming, the wife is trying to take care of them, and what do I get to do? wash the dishes, do the laundry, clean the house.... hahah is that weird? I am so flippin excited!
For example, As I was sitting in Sacrament there was the cutest girl sitting in front of me, and I don't care what anyone says but little Filipino kids are the cutest things ever haha, freak I don't even sound like my old self anymore! would anyone catch me saying that before my mission!? the mission truly changes you. anyways... I just wanted one! she was probably three! As I was kind of playing with her during sacrament I just thought to myself, one day I am going to have one of these, maybe many, and I just thought that when that opportunity comes that little kid better be darn sure that I am there for them, and everything will be taken care of for them, and they don't have to worry about anything. Knowing they can trust their dad. haha this is kind of weirding me out! but its true! Its hard to explain, it hit me pretty hard, I even got a little teary eyed thinking about it! it kind of threw a loop cause I never thought I would find myself thinking such things so early in life!
Also, this last week I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Nielson that I mentioned in my last e-mail. That was like that best day I have had in my mission for the last 3 months! We were both just so excited to get some work done! Our focus for the day was to improve on our "Oyms" (Open Your Mouth). An OYM is when you talk with someone about a few principles of the Gospel and invite them to do something about it, or commit them like a return appt. or read the book of mormon stuff like that. Its harder then you think to actually approach people and talk about all that. I mean imagine if your sitting down eating a burger and 2 random dudes walk up to you and start talking about religion I know I would think: " get out of here man! I'm eating a burger!" haha it actually takes skills to get some solid OYMs. We use different tactics, and clues to get ourselves into a conversation. So that is what Elder Nielson and I practiced that day, and it went great! We set a goal for 30! the average companionship will set a goal for 10 a day. We really wanted to exercise some faith. We ended up getting 17 which is still a lot in one day, but almost all of them were really good and resulted in return appts. Ha, one OYM we did was hilarious, I will tell you about it..
One thing that is really popular in the Philippines is "Videoke" its exactly like chareookie for us, I have no idea how to spell that, my spelling went out the window about 3 montsh into the mission haha. anyways... When ever there is a birthday or special event like that, or just even a party. They always have a videoke set! So we were walking down the street, and we heard a videoke going on in a house, and we looked inside to see what was going on, and almost instantly that guy singing stopped and wanted us to sing! Elder Nielson and I do not like singing in front of people but we took one for the team to get the oym, because there was a lot of people there, so we sang... in tagalog... hahah it was hilarious because we actually got into it, and those Filipinos were just loving it, two white guys singing in Tagalog! There was a few people who stopped to watch us and stuff, it was hilarious but we ended up getting some good oyms out of it, friends, and a return appt! So hey it worked! its all about the purpose!
Thats pretty much is folks! other then that nothing much else has changed. Remember everyone, we all have our trials, up and downs, weaknesses, and things we struggle with, but the Lord never gives up on us, so we shouldn't give up on him either! It may take some time, but we just need to be patient with ourselves and work things out line upon line, precept upon precept, thats how the lord works! I have learned that in a very personal way. We can all do it! Dont give up! Stop Trying, and DO!
I love you all!



--
Elder Kikel
-on the Lord's errand-
San Pablo Philippines Mission

Monday, September 15, 2014

"Arise, Plan, and Succeed!"

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Sunday, September 7, 2014

Hot Shower and Puke!

Happy Monday, or what ever day when you read this.

Lets get too it!

Mission tour was great! I guess you can say I have been blessed to be assigned in the far areas, because once again I got to travel and stay in a hotel! With the hot showers! Lucky me!
Those hot showers are such a luxury here I can't even describe it, just imagine yourself taking showers out of a dirty bucket and feels like ice water for months, then taking a nice hot shower... ahhh... so nice! Those are easily 45min showers. Anyways, enough about the showers, I have talked about those plenty of times. The travel is fun, we had a 6 hour bus ride to San Pablo, its a good time and we get to kwento-kwento (Story telling) and we all know thats my favorite. Sometimes they have movies on the buses and as missionaries we call those the tender mercies of the Lord. Ha! as always when we got off the bus we went to San Pablo mall and had a good time eating, and being with the Zone. When we got to the hotel we started doing guy stuff haha, started with a push up contest, then arm wrestling, and then eventually turned into real wrestling haha, I wrestled a huge Tongan and got thrown around like a rag doll. But of course the best day was the next day at mission tour. 

So let me tell how my mission tour started. I didn't lose all my money this time, but I forgot my bag at McDonalds! and I realized it right before Elder Bowen arrived so I went and talked to the AP's and told them I was going to be late. McDonalds wasn't far away so I thought we could get back in time before they started and guess what happened when we got on the road! There was a flippin Parade outside! ha... are you kidding me!? ITs wednesday, and there is a General Authority in the area. When we got back Elder Bowen was shaking hands with the last few missionaries, and we just slipped in line just in time ha, President was laughing and shaking his head at me. Yeah, so that was a good start... Mission Tour was really good, Elder Bowen is awesome I think he was really inspired in what he shared with us. He talked a lot about obedience and because of the lack of obedience in this mission there is also a lack of power in the mission. Ha he chastized us pretty good, but it was exactly what this mission needed. he was also crackin all kinds of one liners which was pretty funny, all in all it was a good conference and there is a lot of stuff that I learned about the Priesthood and the Abrahamic Covenant,.

Okay I got a couple good stories I think you guys will get a laugh at. First off there is a sister I met when I was in my first area... now don't jump ahead of me, I know what you are all thinking... This sister was just super outgoing so of course we got a long pretty quick, but ever since I left my first area, I have never been in the same Zone as her, but I always see her somehow whenever I travel in the mission, or at Zone conferences and stuff like that.  For some weird reason we always get so excited when we see each other and we talk to each other like we have known each other for years. Okay so now we have a little background I will tell you what happened. I saw here at the mission tour and she was talking to an elder, and I approached her to engage in the conversation, and when she saw me she just totally stopped talking to that Elder turned to me and yelled "Elder Kikel, I freakin missed you!" hahahah I thought she was going to hug me or something!  The look on the Elder's face she was talking too was hilarious, I felt bad too for interrupting their conversation. We talked for a few minutes and right before we left, saying our good byes she said, "Okay, I love you Elder Kikel", and just naturally I said, "I love you too, Sister." hahahahaha, then suddenly we both just realized what we just said, and we both were like "Uh...umm... got to go!"  Ha it was so classic, we just started laughing and understood what we meant. Yeah, good times...

All right the next story was when I was on the bus, I was carrying a basketball that I just bought the day before, and there was this kid who kept pukin on the floor of the bus in front of us. and we all know were this is going.... yes... I dropped my brand new basketball in the kids puke and it was there for a couple minutes because I didn't want to pick it up hahaha it was a pretty good laugh as well. 

It was fun, plus I have a new District Leader, Elder Nielson he is from Canada. He is a cool guy, first time we met we just talked about video games for a couple hours hahah ah great, here we go again! Its always nice to with the americans again, and get some support here in Lopez Zone. The Zone isn't doing to bad anymore its actually pretty good now, everyone here from what I know is working hard and having success so thats good, us on the other hand are stuck in the rutt that we need to get out off, I have been here for 1 month now and we have only found a few investigators, and they are not very progressing, but we are still trying to keep our spirits up, and support the ward in their missionary activities. I like this Ward, as always the members are super nice, and loving, and its fun because I can actually understand them now! My tagalog isn't perfect but I am able to understand a lot more after Mindoro. So that work is the same but, we are all learning our own personal experiences here. 

Thats it for today, I hope you enjoyed it! Love you all! 
--
Elder Kikel
-on the Lord's errand-
San Pablo Philippines Mission

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Missionary Tour

Not much to report today.. just been a quite week, and needed improvements!

Mission tour is coming up these next few days and I am so excited! These kind of events are the best, and just lift you off the ground. Elder Bowen has asked us to study about The Abrahamic Covenant, House of Israel, Baptismal Covenant, and the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. As I have studied these topics, I have learned so much Church or Biblical History, and has helped me to understand better the background of a few things in the Book of Mormon and also the bible. They are great topics to study about, and help us to understand our purpose as members of this church, and the blessing we will receive if we are faithful. 

Now that I have been more prepared for the topics that he will discuss I am super excited how he will just evolve the knowledge that I have learned.  It will be a great experience and I will report on it next week. 

So thats pretty much it, but I want to tell a funny story haha. So I have told you about how the girls here and stuff, and ever since that has been happening Elder Calianga wants me to oym them, and try to get them to teach because I am white! and Tall! I  just haven't been able to do it! believe it or not but I am to shy! hahaha... I feel like I am trying to pick up a girl, more then I am trying to share the Gospel, then they just always giggle and stuff like that I don't like haha, but anyways, we mentioned that to one of the members here that is a RM, and he started giving me tips on how to pick up girls, and also how to get better at oyming it was hilarious, he is so good! He is a really cool guy, we asked him to give us an example, an without hesitation he gets up where we were siting and starts talking to this random girl! and got her number! haha, and then they told me to do it, and they just laughed at me cause I couldn't do it haha, It was pretty funny actually. ITs BAWAL for missionaries to be shy right!? ha, so what we decided that on Thursday we are going to go on splits, and me and this member are just going to tract all day so we can try and find some new investigators, and also to help me build some better confidence hahahaha can't wait! These Filipinos are such jokers, I love em! 

anyways thats about it for this week. Ill give a good e-mail next week. Bye!

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

I got Notin'


Hey everyone! How are things going!?

I am not really sure what to talk about today... nothing much really happen this last week. umm... work was simple, still trying to find an actual teaching pool, but the members are still really supportive and you know you got a good relationship with the Bishop if you are always at his house hanging out haha... shhh... This Bishop is really cool here, he was called as a Bishop just recently in January and he just always asks us how are work is every time we see him.

Nothin really funny or exciting happened this week kind of like last week haha, except we finally got our water back! Yes! except I think our water tank is broken and starts to overfill at night because we are not using the water and the stopper thingy doesn't work, so everyone morning there is just a big flood on the side of our house, which means our water bill is going to be insane! we are trying to contact the land lord and I have no idea how to call a plumber here in the Philippines hah! 

hmm what else.... 

Next week we have are Mission Tour again! we only have them once a year! I still remember that last one with Elder Neilson, this one is with Elder Bowen one of the presidents I think of the quorum of the seventy, I am not exactly sure but I am super excited. I was bummed at first that it wasn't going to be an apostle, but thats okay these seventies still know how to spirit bomb you just like an apostle would. I love these kinds of meetings because you just get so inspired! And I have recently been blessed with a bigger desire to serve which is awesome because that is exactly what I need in this area! I actually really like the area besides the fact we are teaching everyone's kids haha, but the members are nice, the ward house a strong foundation, and I see a lot of potential here. So If i happen to be here for 6 months I think that will be okay, which means I would only have one more area possibly, and then I am home! What the heck, it just goes by so fast!

Its been really hot here in Calauag but after reading Elder Wood's e-mails I don't think I can complain anymore because he has it pretty bad as well haha, His heat is just pure heat i think, is it humid in Mexico? probably is, so hes got it worse haha. 

anyways ill just leave it there and spend the rest of the time sending you all some sweet pics! I had some really cool ones but i accidentally deleted all of my pictures from my entire mission!!! *Face Palm* yeah I just about went Hulk Smash on our house.... 

Good news is the I have back ups of most the pictures but I don't know if I backed up the pictures from my baptism until now so thats why I was so mad haha, I am going to try and get them retrieved when I travel for mission tour. 

Okay now I really am going to end this e-mail. Mahaba pala ang e-mail ko. I was going to translate that into english but I don't know how to haha... umm something like "Oh so my e-mail actually was long" nah thats wrong  but anyways love you all thanks for you support as usual. Have a good week. 








--
Elder Kikel
-on the Lord's errand-
San Pablo Philippines Mission

Monday, August 18, 2014

Calauag continues....

Hey! Let's get started....

Things have been good in this area and I am going to start off with this thought; I was pondering about what I e-mailed last week to everyone and I felt that I was complaining a little bit about this area because I have been given another assignment with challenges. I have recently finished the Book of Mormon and have started again, and I was reading in the Book of Nephi when nephi talks about his brothers and even is Father murmuring at times, but never did Nephi complain, why? because he knew it was the will of the Father. Nephi received an assignment many times and even though we can imagine the difficulty of the task that has been given Nephi said " I Will go and Do!" and never complained. Thats how I need to be, despite the constant assignments from President, challenging areas, stress, frustration, constant prayers, and exercising Faith in Jesus Chirst, I should be honored and bless to know the not only does President Mangum trust me to do these things but the Lord as well, so I think myself and all of us should always go forth with a better attitude about our circumstances in life. 

okay what else... umm... 

The work has been okay, its still running the same. The ward has been really helpful, and I am actually really excited now to work in this area because for the first time in my mission I finally am in a ward the properly does the meetings, and their correlation meetings! With functioning leaders! I don't know if I have ever mentioned that before but that has been a problem in all my areas. The leaders and members of the Ward are very helpful especially on the topic of missionary work, this will make our work much easier. They have been helpful in showing us to farther areas, introducing us to less active members, and also coordinating ideas of how we can get referrals because that is the Ideal Situation (PMG) I was able to have another Personal Interview with President Mangum because he was in the area and he just told me straight up that I am going to be here for a while hahahaha soo that probably means I am going to be here for a little over 6 months if i go 4 full transfers here. Thats Elder Kikel just sitting in Outer Darkness getting his hands dirty. Most of my batch coming into the Misison like Elder Perez my companion in the MTC are Zone Leaders, District Leaders and stuff like that so sometimes its kind of hard seeing myself where I am but then again I know I helping President Mangum out that maybe they can't do ;) haha jokelang... 

All right I got a funny story for you guys listen up, I think you will like this one. So there is a famous saying in the mission that goes like this " If you haven't eaten Balut or pooped your pants, you haven't served a true mission." well I have come very close to fulfilling that statement last week... hem... haha

umm.... (Imagine me laughing) umm... haha... well a member was showing us where some less actives were and we were walking in the middle of no where in a forest like surrounding, and all of a sudden something just hit me like Mike Tyson! LBM (Loose Bowel Movements) and here in the Philippines its like laxatives you can't control it, and we were still really far from the house and I knew I wasn't going to make it.... I told my companion and the member we were with that i was going to blow, and the member we were with was a return missionary so he had his experiences as well, and in Tagalog he pretty much just told me to go poop in the woods haha, and thats what I did.... Good thing I learned valuable skill in scouts or else I would of forgotten the grab the tree and squat maneuver! hahahahahah and thank goodness for the emergency tissues I have been carrying around with me for the last year! So it was a close call but I am still on the run hahaha suckas! phew, it was a relief and an easy clean up! ;) haha 

Also its been SUPER hot lately and we have no water at the House! even though we have a pump! So this whole last week we have had to wake up multiple times during the night to fill up the giant buckets with water the drips out of a faucet outside of our house and also fetching water from a neighbor who has a well haha... my companion said this that made me laugh "Its like we're camping!" so that has been a interesting experience, and some of the perks if you serve in the Philippines! Some people say it might last for a couple months because there is a drought kind of thing going on! I sure hope not or its going to be a rough couple of months. 

Well thats all everyone, ill try and send some pics today, apparently the last typhoon to hit the Philippines was centered in this area, and it was destroyed its crazy. House completely gone, tore down, and destroyed. Massives trees uprooted and fallen over, just a giant mess and everyone repairing houses. I took a few pics and I will try to send them as well as others. 

Love you all have a good week!
 
Mom this one is for you! I totally forgot to tell you about it!

Remember that red spiky fruit that mikes brother showed us on my laptop! its called rambultan! and its so freaking delicious look it up on google images its a crazy looking fruit, and I also finally got myself to eat some durian that stinking fruit stuff, and it sure was stinking and it didn't taste very good either, after i ate it a few times it wasn't to bad but I don't see how the Filipinos think its soo delicious! IT really does stink super bad and makes it hard to eat haha Elder Bituen wanted to throw up when he ate it ha

Sweet room, yeah that green thing is my bed haha its not much but hey its a bed! 


Living room of our apartment! Here in the Philippines this is a really expensive house. It is sweet!

So I have been seeing these coke cans with names an it and I found one for Babe, I am not quite sure yet but can someone figure out for me who this coke is for ;) haha!


My companion Elder Calianga

a massive tree blown over by the typhoon

another house that was made out of Concrete!

a house damaged by the typhoon
 

--
Elder Kikel
-on the Lord's errand-
San Pablo Philippines Mission

Monday, August 11, 2014

Outer Darkness...

Well I got the news for yall peeps open dem ears and close dems mouts!
 
ha..

Well turns out that I was transferred to an area that is the farthest area in our mission! Calauag, Lopez! It is so far! it was over a 5 hour bus ride! Thats like riding to St. George with no movies to watch, crammed in a seat that doesn't even fit your knees! haha It wasn't a fun ride but I finally got here. 

So how's this area? Just like all the other areas I have been put in haha, No work has been done, area book hasn't been updated, house hasn't been cleaned, and companion that needs some help.

I will start with the Companion. Elder Calianga is his name and he is actually a really cool guy, we have a lot in common (games) yeah we are both nerds. So we got a long really well, we were able to sit down right away and talk about our expectations and our weaknesses and all that fun stuff, and it turns out that he isn't really the reason why i was Emergency transferred, he is a good Elder and there is just a few things that we can work on, he is really willing to work and do everything else so thats good. I actually have no idea why I was Emergency Transferred but I'll give a little background of the Zone I am now in (lopez) This zone is known as the Outer Darkness, and who lives in Outer darkness? bad people do haha... and so it is here that all the pasaway missionaries in the mission are here in the Lopez Zone, I am not saying all the missionaries here right now are pasaway but it has its reputations, and the stories that I have heard are just unbelievable and I will not repeat them in an e-mail. So maybe I have been placed here to add some strength to the Zone, I am not sure I traveled directly here I didn't have an interview with President or anything. So a few obedient missionaries amongst the many pasaway missionaries is all ready taking affect, I feel alone, really alone, and under attack haha. I am like the only foreigner in this Zone, and the missionaries have their little secret combinations over here its crazy, I can't believe it. Elders have all ready started to make fun of me for being obedient, ridiculed, laughed at, and teased. Ain't no easy task but Elder Kikel is on the Job and he aint going to be fooled' and guess who my new District Leader is... Elder Oliva. My first companion in Mindoro haha yeah thats been pretty fun... (not really) he was there when I got off the bus and the first thing he says is " welcome to my Kingdom" and I just thought "oh great..." haha... this will be fun. He goes home in a couple weeks, so missionary work is out the window for him. Its sad really but he can make his own choices and will recognize what he has done later in life, or in the next. 

Work wise it has been just the same as my other areas haha. No investigators, no teaching pool, and a weak relationship with the members. Area book hasn't been updated for months, and no work done in this area for the last six months as well. So... here we go again with the same process as last, fix, repair, and plant... haha thats fine I am ready and willing, its what has been asked for me to do so which means I need to do it. I will just make that plane flight that much more relaxing haha! 

Oh fetch... and the apartment looked like it hasn't been cleaned in years!! It was so bad, and so depressing to come too my first day. It is actually one of the nicest apartments I have seen the mission it is sweet. Its like 10 times better then my apartment in Victoria, but its just so dirty! So what did we do? We cleaned it for 2 days straight! no work! I am starting to get good a this cleaning stuff. Now its clean and its looks amazing, I love my companion for being willing to help me clean it and clean it the right way the first time! Dad, I now understand when you constantly said that to me, I was so hard headed before haha... sorry. ha. 

The members are really nice here and they are super excited for me to be here for some reason... (I wonder why)

I am like super hero here! hahah its crazy! its like this city has never seen a white guy before! Even though there has been white missionaries here before but the people are just so shocked to see me. Everyone asks me how tall I am and where I am from. Everyone just stares at me. Everyone calls me Superman haha. Not to mention the girls here.. a freak... haha where ever we go girls take on look at me and start giggling and whisper to the friends, and they like cat call me in a sense and its super weird! Kids follow us forever on the streets, old guys calling me out saying " Hey Joe!" My companion says I am like celebrity here everyone all ready knows who I am.... haha as I am writing this e-mail there is girls outside peepin through the windows and waving at me haha.... Its crazy here I am going to get kidnapped are something! Nah... My companion who is Filipino that I forgot to mention told me that if you are as tall as I am and white I could get any girl I wanted in the city. Its really weird and different. I am going to come home and no one is going to notice me the same way and I am going to feel like a ghost hahah! Its a good laugh everyone now and then but mostly annoying because you can never get an oym in all they want to do is talk to you laugh and giggle. 

Well thats about it for now I hope you are all doing well back at home, and keep strong because the world is going down the Toilet!

--
Elder Kikel
-on the Lord's errand-
San Pablo Philippines Mission