Batac Week 52

Naimbag nga malem o Magandang hapon Po Francis Family,

This week has been a week of laughter, hard work, and some scary things too. But I am loving the mission life and I almost have a year left like wow!!! The thing I have learned here on my mission is the attitude you have for the work is the attitude you have for the Lord, I love the work of the Lord and love being able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others and seeing the lives of others change. 

 

 

 

Being a zone leader really is hard sometimes but really fun too, because we get to work with the district leader and their areas and we get to see how our zone is doing and the missionaries too. Being a zone leader really takes a big responsibility and takes a lot of obedience too.  But exact obedience brings blessings and miracles. 

 

 

This week it did rain a lot and we got drenched in rain and my shoes were full of water. Some things that happened this week were on Saturday was the best day ever.  In the morning we went finding and saw two white girls walking into the big church and we said hi to them and they are from Germany and they asked us where we were from and what we are doing here in the Philippines. I told them I am from America and one of the girls said ahhh I hate Americans.  Then we kept on walking and saw a Joe (American), he was coaching basketball and he was saying some funny things like don't call your own fouls and if you're not bleeding it is not a foul. 

 

 

Then we went to 7-eleven and this guy that was drunk came in and he talked to me in English and asked hey joe where you from.  I said America and he said to me, "I am from America" and he fell over from how drunk he was like hahaha. 

 

 

Then last of all we were teaching one of our investigators named Nelson and he was drunk and we laughed so hard with him and he said to us that Jesus Christ talked to him and said to love the world and the people. Then he said to us he is looking for the golden book and he started to sing to Michael Jackson and we were just laughing so hard night we a  

 

 

That night we went home and we were all sitting in our chairs and were talking and nail clippers got thrown against Elder Tago's desk and we have no clue who threw it or where it came from and we think it was Lucy, she has been kinda of mad lately. That was just on Saturday -  what a fun day. But I  really love being able to serve a mission here in the Laoag Philippines mission and being able to meet new people everyday and being able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. I have also eaten some weird food this week too like frog feet and intestines and cock roaches and last of all snake (cobra).  What a good week and I have eaten so much more that might gross you out so I won't tell you hahaha. But it sounds like you guys have had a great summer but it wasn't  long enough for you.   Emily is doing great and scored a GOAL like that is my little sister. I am so proud of her.  Tell everybody I say hi and I am doing great.  Ask Emily if any of her teachers know me or her seminary teachers. I love you all and miss you all too. Stay safe. 

Ay-Ayaten ka at ingat po kayo palagi. 

Elder Francis

Piddig Week 50

Naimbag nga Bigat or Magandang Umaga po Francis Family, 

This week has been great.   I had a great birthday and especially spending it at MLC with all of the zone leaders and STL's in the mission.  Then after that we went to MCDO (McDonald's), so that was my treat and we went out for ice cream when we got home and I really had a great birthday.  Thank you for the birthday wishes. 

 

 

This week has been great and it really is different than Piddig.  I miss all the people there and I really miss Santo Domingo too, because they sent me a birthday card and I started to tear up a little..  I love it here in Paoay as my area.  We have the biggest Catholic church ever and my area is green too, but the work here is really hard and the people have hard hearts and I felt like "man this area is hard", but I think what I heard from President Barrientos that attitude is the key and if I have a bad attitude that's what my work will be like and i will have a hard time.  But if you go in and say like okay, I can do this and have confidence and are happy to serve where the lord wants you to serve you will have success and everything will work out well. 

 

 

I think it is different being a zone leader too, I have to be a good example too all the missionaries and be strictly obedient to everything and I have a lot of stuff I have to do like calling and exchanges and a lot of other stuff. But I really love my area and Elder Tago is super friendly and really funny.  We have had a great time and funny stories especially one time we were walking through the bukids and we were kicking frogs and I kicked one and it went flying.  Then we saw another one and he said Elder Francis I got this one and he went to kick it and his shoe went with it too and he lost his shoe in the bukids with water and poop and all other kind of stuff.  Then another time he also fell in the bukids and I laughed because it makes me think of Piddig when I fell in the bukids and got really dirty and smelly. The mission life really is full of trials and happiness and I love the work even when it is super hot and we walk through the bukids and we get all dirty and wet and my shoes get dirty.  I really love this new area and the people and the members too. 

 

 

On Sunday we got to watch Meet The Mormons and I was really happy to see that.  We also had the best lesson this week when we taught a drunk guy and we saw a guy underneath his house and we asked him sino po iyan (who is that), he said that is a cop and then we told him that we where the FBI and he was really scared and he said they were looking for him, then we said jokelang po brother, then I told him that I am related to Pope Francis and he believed me and said lets call him. Then during the lesson he started to talk about the golden holy bible or (the golden plates), he said he went to look for it and he couldn't find it and he prayed to god to find it and then we asked him what his name was and he said he doesn't have one and we started to laugh so hard. It was really such a funny lesson and I love drunk people. 

 

 

Also here in Paoay me and Elder Tago saw a white Carabao and that is the first white carabao I have seen in the Philippines - super cool.  So we got a picture with it and the owner. This week has just been fun and full of laughter and I love the mission life and I'm enjoying the Philippines and the food too. I have had carabao, snake, dragon lizard, ...dog and cat, and a lot of other stuff, it really is more fun in the Philippines and the people are all so happy and love Americans. Elder Tago's birthday is on Friday and that is when I have a year left of my mission left like WOW!!!, the time has gone by so fast and I just love the time here in the Mission. Something else is that everyday we only eat hot dogs and rice and eggs.  That is what we eat everyday because this area is super poor and not too much here, but a huge church and a seven eleven. 

It sounds like you guys are doing great and enjoying summer and I am always praying for you and Emily will make the soccer team, just work hard and do the best you can and leave it all out on the field and never give up either. Have a good rest of the summer and I will keep you updated. Ingat po kayo palagi at mamimiss ako sa inyong lahat at mahal kita. 

Elder Francis

Batac Week 51

Naimbag nga Malem Francis Family,

Francis Family,

I am doing great and this week has been great and kinda stressful too.  I gave my first training to my zone and I went over time like 45 minutes and President Andrada was there and he fell asleep in my training.  But they all said they learned something from me.  I talked about leadership and missionary work, and I gave Elder Tago like 15 minutes to talk so I felt bad. Then we had some partying to do because my birthday was on Monday and his was on Friday. Then Sunday August 9th means 365 days until I'm home like wow, how fast the mission goes by. 

Also this week we had 32 lessons but we are working hard, because what we are doing is just finding new investigators right now, we hopefully will have two baptisms next month in September. Me and Elder Tago are great.  We like to have fun and party hard hahaha.  We are doing great, and also we have a little girl ghost in our house named lucy but she lets us sleep at night.  We can't go into her room because she gets mad at us, but she is kind... sometimes. 

Today we had a combined zone activity at Fort Ilocandia which is near the ocean so that was fun and we played some fun games. Also this week the AP worked with us and Elder Valdez to help us with our area and that was fun. We are here in Paoay with the biggest church ever, and and our apartment is pretty nice and really dirty with a ghost. We had some rain and it has also been really hot and I got sun burned really bad and I hurt. 

Thank you for the birthday money and when I withdraw money every time it takes 200 pesos out, so that's why it goes fast and as a zone leader we do a lot of traveling. But thank you for the money and I will try to be careful but just always remind me how much money I have on my card. 

Last of All CONGRATS EMILY FOR MAKING THE SV SOCCER TEAM!!!   I knew you would make it you are such a hard worker and when you are focused on something you never let down or give up, you put your heart and mind into it, that's why you made the team and I prayed for you like crazy too.  I love you all and miss you all a ton too. Stay safe and have a great rest of the week. 

Elder Francis

Piddig Week 48

Naimbag nga malem o Magandang Hapon po Francis family.

This week has been great and it has been crazy with rain, just down pour rain and I love it though,  This week me and Elder Farrales went to Brgy Boyboy and we found a bridge and we took pictures at it, because the background is all green and bukids.  But the fun and hard part was walking through the bukids and the rain and wind coming down so hard and our shoes were getting stuck in the mud.  We had to cross little bridges above the rivers and we were soaking wet and cold but we were laughing and having fun and people saw that even though the weather is crazy and we are so happy.  They ask us what are you doing and why are you so happy in this crazy weather, I just tell them that I am a representative of Jesus Christ to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and the plan of happiness.  I tell them how we sacrifice a lot of things for them and for the Lord, and they start to feel the spirit working through us and wow like these brothers sacrifice a lot for us and they love us a lot. 

Walking through the bukids and my feet coming out of my shoes and stepping in the mud I do feel like a real missionary and I feel the work of the lord harvesting and the work of the Lord is growing, Especially this week we will be having a baptism his name is Moonberg Jhun Benito and I will be the one baptizing him and he is 17 years old he is the son of the mother that we just baptized so that will be exciting. for him. Then also this week we were teaching a family and a huge lizard comes down from the wall and starts eating the bugs and it was so funny and I didn't know they had lizards that big.

Then this week I could see the work of the lord in our working we had 8 investigators attend church yesterday and everyone is asking what is our secret or how do we do it. I tell them we have to work wiser not harder and just love what you do and always be smiling and just have fun.

I did get to meet President Andrada and his wife, they are super friendly and ready to help the Laoag Philippines mission grow. The success to missionary work is to be diligent and obedient and love the work you do and love the people and you will see hearts change like I have. We will be having at least 5 baptisms next month: three little kids and two sisters Monalisa and Christine, they are both coming to church and know that our message is true. We taught this one family with a bunch of kids, the sister's name is Brenda and her kids gave me and Elder Farrales birthday cards  and gave us hugs and told us that they love us.  I love little kids and I love the work of the lord and helping others change and seeing how the Atonement of Jesus Christ can change my life and the lives of others and how we can become clean and forgiven of our sins and when we accept his atonement we are coming closer unto him and our father in heaven. Tell Emily thank you for the Postcards and the quads.   I did receive them and I will be sending mail home next week.  For my birthday just put money on my card, especially if there is a typhoon or really bad rain storm.

It sounds like you guys had a great trip and are exhausted and you know how I feel hahaha, jokelang I  love the work but you guys enjoyed Kansas and Illinois and love your guys trip, that's great that you took time off and went did something with the family, that's how a family comes close together, Here in the Philippines I see a lot of families come apart or a lot of fighting and a lot of problems like this week, me and elder farrales went to eat at a little fast food restaurant and this little girl or boy I don't know, was so skinny and his or her shirt was torn apart and his or her shorts were barely on her body, she was starving, so elder Farrales gave her something to eat. 

It's so had to see it, but we need to be grateful for the small and simple things that the lord gives to us like our family and we need to always help our family (we are all family), gods children and god will bless us. I can see how people are striving to live here in the Philippines and how masipag po sila talaga and they are hard working and never give up and willing to help others.  We need to have that attitude "I will be the one", I love that quote and we need to do the best we can to help others, and always look for opportunities to help. But everything is going great I will be sending a lot of pictures home, because I am pretty sure I have two weeks left here in Piddig and I will probably get transferred somewhere. Ingat po kayo at ay-ayaten ka at mahal kita. 

Elder Francis