Piddig Week 40

Naimbag Nga Malem o Magandang Hapon po Francis Family,

Kamusta na po kayo lahat francis pamilya, kumusta ang week mo, at siyempre malusog at masaya  araw araw kasi dito sa Filipinas mas masaya dito kahit sobrang mainit dito, at maganda ng Simbahan kahapon kasi isang investigator at ibinigay ang talk kahapon sa members tungkol sa Pamati o Pananampalataya. 

This week has been fantastic and we have worked hard.  We had 44 lessons which is still really good, masipag kami, and we love the Lord's work, the Lord 'swork wont stop from growing. Even when it's freaking hot and I am sweating like crazy and pagod (tired), I just say to myself it's not my work it's the Lord's work and I have been called to teach his gospel to the filipino people. 

This week we have done a lot and have taken a lot of fun pictures.  We got some crazy haircuts and we did national service day with the branch and we just have been staying busy and finding more people to teach and trying to get our investigators to church. Hopefully next month we will have two baptisms.  I hope.  I really try my best and pray for them. But we have been doing great Elder Farrales is doing great, he is super masipag, mabait and likes to work hard and have fun at the same time.  He is super teachable and willing to listen. Training is going great I try my best and he is learning, I am helping him the best I can. 

A funny thing happened Kahapon we saw a baka or cow chasing after a tricee it was so funny and I couldn't stop laughing. 

But it sounds like you guys have been having a great week even though it's downpour raining and you guys are super cold, try to stay warm.  I will try to send some of the heat here when I send my letters home, jokelang if that will help, kasi sobrang mainit dito sa Filipinas, pero namiss kayo lahat at mahal kita o ay-ayaten ka at ingat po palagi. 

Elder Pogie or Gwapo Francis 

P.S. I will try to send home a letter to you guys and will you send me some souvenirs from America and all the ties I have in my room (if my room is still there) hahaha and maybe a Utah State shirt too. 

Agyaman o Salamat po sa lahat

Piddig Week 41

Naimbag nga malem o magandang hapon po francis family, kumusta ka na sa Logan Utah, namiss kayo lahat at mahal kita po rin. This week has been great talaga I am loving the work and taking the things I learned from stake conference and from the training from Sis. and Pres. Barrientos.  I learned so much and how I am living a consecrated life and how I'm a servant of God to do whatever he requires of me to do and to teach his gospel in his way and let the spirit touch the hearts of those I  teach. A quote I heard from Sis. Barrientos is "just try your best and god will do the rest".  That really caught my attention and how it doesn't matter if you are really struggling with the language or you are having a hard time all you have to do is try your best and god will do all the rest for us. 

 

 

This week has been really crazy.  A lot of miracles have happened this week and sad things too.  The good things, we have found some really nice interested people so first- we found a nanay we walked up to her house sinabi ko tao po at sinabi si nanay bakit po, kumusta po nanay sinabi ko ako po si elder francis taga america po ako, bilang mga misyonero po kami ng Ang  Simbhan Ni Jesucristo Ng Mga Banal Ng Huling Araw, and sinabi si nany, brothers I have been praying to God to find the true church and I feel like you are the brothers he has sent to me.  We gave her a Book of Mormon to read and hopefully she will read it and we will teach her soon. 

 

 

Second mag finding kami ulit at found isang brother at sister, sinabi po kami Magandang hapon po at kumusta po kayo, ano po ang pangalan ninyo po, tapos ako po si elder francis taga america po ako, and sinabi si brother, what time does your church start and do you have one of those blue books I can read, akala ko wow talaga brother magaling na siya, we taught them and we just need to go back, but he was really interested in our lessons. 

 

 

The sad things one of the Nanay's nanay Ayang she was supposed to have a baptismal date on June 6th but she said she was too busy with her pigs and stuff and she feels like she is not ready for it, so in July we will hopefully have a couple of baptisms. But this week has been great enjoying the heat and some rain too. 

 

 

I am loving being companions with Elder Farrales.  He is super mabait, masipag, masikap, masunurin, and ready to serve the lord.  He is doing great and the language is still hard for both of us but you know it is coming through fasting and praying. The training is going really great, I am trying my hardest and trying the best I can to teach him, but we are both learning from the 12 week program and we are having a great time. 

 

 

There is a small primary of kids or mga bata and the church is pretty good too. 

It sounds like you guys are doing all great, Emily is done with school like crazy how fast that has gone by, and soccer is going great for her too and she got to go to YellowStone.  The pictures are so beautiful (maganda), and she is super masaya o naragsak or happy. Then dad got to go to Georgia and sounds like he is enjoying watching the sport games and lacrosse games too, and the family is doing great, and mom had a fun week by herself and is enjoying life too. Pasenya po para sa english ko talaga mas pangit ng english ko ngayon, or my English is really crappy now or bad. But everything is great and just loving the work and trying the best of my ability and God will bless me for every second of it. I miss you all so much and stay safe and you all are always in my prayers. Ingat po palagi at salamat po sa lahat talaga para sa pangalangin ninyo at fasting po ninyo din para sa akin, Agyaman ti adobo. 

Ay-Ayaten ka (Ilokano)

Mahal kita (Tagalog)

I love you (English)

Ofa Atu (Tongan)

ou te alofa ia te oe (Samoan)

Piddig Week 39

Naimbag Nga Malem or Magadang hapon po

Buhay pa dito sa pilipinas at siempre gwapo din palagi. This week has been great, Elder Liska left on Monday, so we took a lot of pictures and stayed in Laoag for a couple of days, then I got to stay with Elder Roak-Perez and Elder Tanner and got to work with them Tuesday and Wednesday here in Laoag.  That was so much fun to see them and how much our Tagalog is improving and how much we have improved in teaching skills too. 

Then on Wednesday night we traveled to the mission home and got to meet our trainees.  So what happens is we get there and we don't know who our companion is going to be or what will happen, but we are all really excited.  Then we all get together and eat a nice dinner.  Then we go inside and have a devotional then we find out who our companions are, and yep I got the best.   Elder Farrales, from Rhode Island and he is super masipag at mabait siya din. But I  am super excited to be his trainer and to help him has much as I can to develop the life as a missionary, rules, language, and everything. But this will be really fun these next 11 weeks with him in Piddig. 

Then today we got a down pour rain, like YEAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! so exciting because now it's a little bit colder and the rain won't stop me from working and keeping the Lord's work harvesting. 

It was so much fun to see you all, you all look gwapo and maganda too, and look so masaya (happy). It was fun to see how you were all doing and I loved talking to you all and listening to you speak some Tagalog. My companion is doing great, he is super friendly, masipag, mabait, and just funny, but the language is really hard for him, but that's how it is the first couple of weeks.  I  know how it feels. But he won't give up and he will be a great missionary. 

That's so great to hear that Jace got his call to the Philippines, he will love speaking Tagalog and the MTC, just tell him already to love the filipino people, and to start eating rice three times a day, and to just have fun.  I wish him a lot of good luck and his family too. Just tell them all the Philippines is such a great place to serve, it's super beautiful and the people are all so happy, and friendly too. He will love the Philippines Legpazi mission. 

I am ready for a new week, it will be harder because I'm training, but we will work, work, work and we will have fun. I love the work of the lord and being a servant of the lord and spreading his gospel to the Filipino people. The Payson Temple is so beautiful and I can't wait to go to it when I get back home. Well I wish you all good luck, stay safe and namiss kayo lahat at ingat po kayo palagi. 

Mahal kita o Ay-Ayaten ka 

Elder Francis

Elder Pogie or Gwapo Francis 

Piddig Week 38

Naimbag mga malem o Magandang Hapon po Francis Family,

This week was the best week we have had in Piddig.  We had the most lessons and we had a lot of fun and worked really hard to the end. We had 52 lessons this week, which is super exciting and this week we also did some fun things, and took a lot of pictures with everybody.  I ate komodo dragon, that was really weird, but the most tastiest thing ever.  Then I ate bloody mary or (Duck something), I don't really know but it's alright when your hungry like me hahaha. 

We had a sister that ran away from her apartment on Thursday night so all of the Laoag missionaries didn't work on Friday and searched for her all day.  They couldn't find her, but then Saturday we got a text that said they found her at the airport wanting to go home. So that was a interesting thing that happened, but my testimony strengthened so much about prayer and fasting and how she was protected, and how God took care of her. 

But I see a lot of weird things like that here in the Philippines. But I have great news: I got a call from President yesterday and he said congrats Elder Francis you are Training a new Elder coming in. So I have a huge responsibility to help this elder adjust to the mission life. 

And yes your Tagalog is right, wow mom magaling kayo talaga. It's been really hot and  I am always sweating but staying mabango (good smelling) for the girls jokelang. Pero I shower twice everyday and wear deodorant everyday too. I showered today outside with a bucket, because there is no water inside the apartment in Laoag. So that was interesting, but the way of the Filipino life. 

That is great to here that you sold the car, so now we only have two cars, and Emily is doing great in soccer, and school. I love hearing from you guys and miss you ton and love you all. 

Ingat po kayo Palagi 

Ay-Ayaten ka o Mahal Kita 

Elder Francis

P.S. We will skype next Monday when I get my trainee, in the morning.