Week 43

It's been another great week here in the best city in pangasinan with a ton that has happened, but I first want to thank all my friends and family for all the love and support that you give to me. It was Gratitude week here in our mission so....

I am just super thankful for the missionaries in ward 3 for their diligence and hard work and baptisms and stuff.

Without these guys I would die from boredom so I am thankful

Truly thankful for the members that work with us like Nanay Guleng and John John, and brother Nino, etc. etc. etc.

Way blessed to have our investigators who have been way prepared to receive the message of the restoration. Wayyyyyyy thankful

Thankful for the fruits of our labors that seem to just keep coming our way here in the 3 Ward

And a thankful shutout to Veronica Diaz who finally decided to be baptized after 4 and a half months of us teaching her. She is the only one in her family, but has a strong desire to change her life and accept the Gospel.

I am truly thankful to be a missionary and to have all these blessings in my life and see the blessings in other people's lives so THANK YOU

Elder Terry

Week 42

Hello po mga kaptid

This week was super super busy which means it was great. we actually don't have enough time to teach everyone to keep up with them so this upcoming week our goal is to really just teach short and powerful lessons.

This week we worked with our Zone leaders Elder Reinen, my boy from Texas, and Elder Bermudo, who is the most humble guy I have ever met, and the both taught me to stay humble and confident even when nobody wants to talk to you. With Elder Bermudo I learned how to stay super happy and spirit filled in the lessons because we went so fast and taught so many effective lessons in such a short amount of time.

One lesson we went to we taught this week was so great because our investigator is so great and has been prepared. He went to church before we even taught him he has no Word of Wisdom problems and he just wants to learn more and marry a great girl and serve God. We of course taught that we have a father in heaven and through his plan your family will be blessed. We taught how the plan of god comes though prophets, but Christs church apostatized because of the wickedness of the people, but through Joseph Smith the church of Jesus Christ was RESTORED and we then invited him to pray to ask if Joseph Smith is really a prophet of God and through the Holy Ghost he received his answer and now he's willing to do anything to be baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Philippines missions have got to be some of the best missions because literally everyone believes in Jesus Christ and wants to come closer to him.

Glad to be a representative of this true church

Elder Bermudo and I on our way to work (and the other guy)

The other side of Heaven

I got new pants and ties

Elder Obias is always in sight and sound

Mahal ko kayong lahat

Elder Terry

Week 41

About 7 years ago they announced that there was a temple going to be built here in Urdaneta, but as time went by problems arised with the company and the land they were building on and also more, but from what I have heard that the ground breaking should commence this first quarter of the year so that's pretty good news.

Also this week was great filled with lots of success with investigators going to church, our Sacrament attendance is at a minimum of 300 every week, and we also baptized 6 people as a ward this last Saturday. I feel so blessed and happy to be apart of this success and see our obedience show forth in the work. This last Sunday had to be one of the best Sundays on my mission because I saw the members and our recent converts and investigators all make a friend group and enjoying themselves and I saw true joy in their faces. This friend group that are now members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are now receive callings, priesthood, and preparing to enter into the temple and serve missions and this all came from missionary work.

Seeing this success is truly a blessing and I can't write into words my true feelings, but just know that I am so Freakin Happy.

Top Row (left to right)
David, Gilbert, Sheila, Deichan, Ganarose, Tj, Mark Joseph

Dinner at investigators

President came to our District meeting

Bawal

This is near and dear to my heart

 It's actually kind of cold in the Philippines rn

Life is good

Elder Terry

Week 40

I don't have much to write but I realize that it's probably pretty hard for you guys to completely understand what my life is like here so I'll just describe what my life is usually life on a normal day basis.

Of course I start the day off waking up at 6:30 on the top bunk and it feels like I just lied down from the night before, but here I am dragging myself over to turn off the electric fan that was blowing all night. Then Elder Obias, Estabillio, Roxas, and I gather together on knees and pray for guidance and support for the upcoming day and for the Temple here to be built for people to enjoy the blessings of it. We then take cold, refreshing showers with a tiny bucket and use water that is sometimes on and sometimes not, eat, and then plan for the day coming up.

This last Saturday, we left to work early to remind investigators of church tomorrow as sweat is dripping down our faces, but I don't even realize it anymore. We then went to some other missionaries areas to interview the baptismal candidates. We need 2 jeep-neys, a boat, and a motor tricycle just to get to their church as soon as possible. Then we headed back to our church to have our zone leaders interview our candidates for next week. (they passed of course) all 5 of them.

We then had 2 wonderful relief society sisters work with us to visit some upcoming and potential baptisms. We walked from house to house because there is no other transportation in our area and got punted a couple of times and by the end of working all evening, my legs and back were all tensed up and the thought of lying down again sounded like the scriptures describing heaven. We actually forgot to eat the whole day because we were rushing, but I wasn't even hungry because we were so busy (haha). We ate our dinner of Pigar Pigar with is basically buffalo meat, and of course rice as well. Elder Obias and I recounted our day and talked of things we could improve and grow on. We then turn the fan back on and sleep and repeat.

The life of a missionary sounds pretty repetitive, but it's the lessons and the people we teach just all make it so worth it. That part is truly indescribable!

Puppies!!!

White ties for Thomas S. Monson

Us trying to count all our ISM's (Investigators at Sacrament Meeting) haha

Life a good one

Elder Terry

Week 39

Happy New Year to you all. I am hyped for this upcoming full year of 100% missionary and dedication to the Lord.

So I didn't write last week because it was obviously Christmas and I had the opportunity to Skype my family which was the Best thing ever, but in all honesty was weird. I have gotten so used to the culture and I didn't even realize how much I forgot back at home. For Example the other day someone asked where I was from and I said, "California", my normal response. But then he said something I wasn't ready for. He said," where are you from in California"......Sounds normal, but for me that's like the first time someone has asked me that and then I completely forgot where I was from IN California. After 10 seconds of awkward silence I spat out, "Orange County", So I guess you can say I am forgetting myself and going to work.

Sadly on Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and New Years Eve we had curfew at 6:00 and we were not allowed to leave the apartment and work mainly for safety purposes. I spent those days with my 3 Filipino housemates, spoke Tagalog, ate a Filipino delicacy, Spaghetti, and played Monopoly. I also received a Christmas package from my Family and I was very thankful for mostly the socks and ties they sent.

Elder Obias and I are still companions even though the transfer just ended, so we will be together for a little bit longer because I guess we apparently are having good success together and I guess I can agree to that. We have had some BAPTISMS and are expecting more to come. It has been difficult trying to balance everything because we literally have so many people to teach it is hard for us to keep tract our recent converts and get them settled in the Ward, teaching the upcoming Baptisms everything they need to know, and getting out new investigators to start progressing, and even teaching members and Less Actives and Helping the Ward and Bishop grow and prosper.

It has all been rewarding and great though and I know that all these blessing of course come UP ABOVE so I am just going to keep doing what I am doing and Rely on Him.

The Philippines pretty much

Us waiting for a Jeep-ney

TJ mah home dawg and future missionary

Baptism #1....huge success

Baptism #2 Huge success

For all the ladies waiting for me back at home

This is an Upo...they are basically giant pears

It was our Rc's birthday on New Years so we got her a cake
The cake said "this cake will blow up at Midnight   Goodluck   HBD - Elders

Us on New Years being dweebs

Sorry for the over load

I love and miss you all

Elder Terry