Kitten Killer

Hey!!! whass upp...

So this e-mail will be pretty short, well short for me haha but I got tons of pictures I am going to send so hopefully the computer will let me!

So first of on the news list is that I never really mentioned that we had baptisms coming up! We had 3 baptisms this last week! Whoo! I never really mentioned it because there are just 3 little girls that are from part member families, but as I thought about it, these kids are awesome! They will grow up in the church, possibly serve mission and help support and strengthen the Ward which is exactly what this Ward needs! So I am pretty grateful to have gotten to know them and help them be baptized! They were so excited, it definitely helped me to learn how to teach kids, because I haven't really taught a lot of kids on my mission, you have to speak super slowly and super simple haha. They are all 9 years old. I will try to send pictures of the baptisms!

Okay now for a few quick stories...

First we had our District meeting here in Calauag we usually travel to the District Leader's area to the chapel in his area, but we decided to do it here instead last week, and we were suppose to get the key to the chapel. That morning we went to the members house that has the keys, and they weren't there! So a longer story made short we had District meeting in our Apartment! haha I took pictures, it was hilarious that is definitely the first time that has happened to me, we used an ironing board as a desk haha. Plus its only 4 of us! 2 companionship's! That is also a first, its because we are so far out here in the mission! It takes us about 20 mins on a bus to get to their area, and an 1 and a half to get to the next closest area! its so far!

Okay so this next story for all those who are cat lovers, or even more kitten lovers (mom) stop reading this e-mail.... haha

So it was late at night and we just got done teaching, we are in a very poor area so there is no lights outside, and we have no flashlights so were are literally just walking in the dark, and we can't see anything because there is super bright lights far away pointed towards us! So as we were walking I stepped on something soft, and I heard a squeak! I thought it was a frog because I have done that a few times haha, but then my companion yells out " Dude! you just stepped on  a kitten!" I was like what! and to all your cat lovers, the kitten lived, I didn't kill it haha. it just got up and kept walking out in the middle of no where! thats actually quite normal, there is so many stranded dogs and cats here there is always little puppies and kittens runnin around everywhere. sad story I know but you will get use to it haha ONly in the Philippines!

Thats about it! Hope you guys had a great week! and I will write next time!

Activity at the church

enjoying some buko! Coconut!

District meeting

selfie hour! and I forgot to shave

--
Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission

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

"Arise, Plan, and Succeed!"

Arise out of your beds and read my e-mail! haha

Hey everyone its just that time again where I send that weekly e-mail. Actually when I first got into the mission I didn't think we were going to be able to write home every week, so it was pretty sweet when I found out we could!

The topic I chose today was more about what Elder Bowen shared with us in our Mission Tour. He talked to us about rising on time everyday so that we can have to spirit with us, and also planning with that spirit if we get up on time, and putting the spirit, and plans to action. Its something I have honestly been struggling with lately for multiple reasons but still is no excuse! I thought about what Elder Bowen shared with us about the power that we can have during the day if we are to do these things!  I just got so excited after thinking about it, and I am applying it now in my mission, and it is much more effective.

Something I want to say to those who are planning on serving missions. The Mission is hard, there is no doubt about that and I am not going to lie about it, I wish someone would of told me how hard it was going to be so I would of prepared better. but, the Mission depending how you are, and where you serve will throw you all round the place up to bottom countless times, test you, and even break you. All this can sometimes get a little hard to deal with, and then you have a tendency to be disobedient to ease off the pain because their isn't as much pressure. Remember just like Alma said. Wickedness is never happiness... but through all this stuff that you go through, and of course all the the good times that makes up the bad, will teach you something, something that you never thought of, and it will change you for eternity. I think that has been one of the most exciting parts of my mission is seeing the change and conversion in my own self, and thinking who I would be or where I would be if I hadn't served a mission despite that fact I was ill prepared because of my laziness. There is no Laziness in the Mission, its all about doing. Thats the best part too! No matter what you are weak at, or afraid of or just think you can't do. Know that the Lord has prepared away and all you need to do is "DO". Just get up and do it, sometimes its not always fun, but that what we have been commanded to do, and if we do it with out complaining, we will actually found out in the end we do it because we WANT to. Because we love our Savior, and our Father in Heaven! Thats why we are obedient. A lot of people say the Church is demanding, and it is! but Obedience has never been easy, but its not easy to enter in to the rest of the Lord. If we want to be Rich we got to work for it, study, diligence, and practice. If we want to be a Pro athlete, what do we have to do? Work For It! Just like the Nike logo says, "Just do it." And eternal blessing that we don't even understand will be given to us, thats are problem we don't think of the eternal perspective and we often forget about it as well when we are eying that Ferrari down the road wishing that we had one. It doesn't matter, if you are blessed with the opportunity to have a Ferrari then sweet, don't let it get to your head. But if not don't complain about it, and always wish ou had one its going to get you no where! haha

Anyways.. I have one more thing to those people who are going to serve missions soon. If you have a boyfriend, or girlfriend. Just cut it right now. Coming from someone who has seen what happens when you have a GF/BF on the mission, save yourself the worry, the loss of focus, the fights, arguments, and the depression. your better off with out them. Though they can be a great motivation, just split first, allow each other to go different ways, and if things are meant to be, the they are meant to be. If not then sucks for you, there is someone better out there for you. Trust me when I say this.. and I make this clear. When you serve you mission you will realize thats its the Temple or the Highway. You here that Ladies? With Elder Kikel its either the Temple or the Highway, no questions asked, no special circumstances, no chances. I know i may have not been like that before but now, because of the Gospel. I understand. haha so take your step.

Okay, thats all I have to say about that. You are all probably thinkin "Parker has never even had a girlfriend, he doesn't know jack-dittely-squat!" ohh my beloved friends, but I do know muwahahha.

haha, anyways the point I want to get across my entire message is this basic sentence. Obedience is the Key! and It always will be, because its the first law in  Heaven and is where all our blessings come from! so be obedient! In the Mission or at home it doesn't matter!

By the way everyone When I was at the mall on mission tour September 1 they were all ready playing Christmas Music, and had Christmas decorations! Yes its the "Ber" months here in the Philippines, and that means Christmas has began!

haha... okay I am done for today! Love you all and I wish you a very merry Halloween, thanksgiving, and then Christmas!

P.S. You all need to start sending me pictures when you send me e-mails, I want pictures! I know the first thing you look for in my e-mails is pictures haha, the same with me haha! Love you!

--

Elder Kikel

-on the Lord's errand-

San Pablo Philippines Mission

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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

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!

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

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