American Companion

Hello Everyone,

This week went by pretty fast and it is very different having an American as a companion but it is pretty fun so far at the same time, me and Elder Brown have a lot in common so it has been pretty fun so being together and with Elder Campo as well. I do not have any really funny stories to tell this week so sorry we were just basically down to business this week all work and no fun which is fine with me and as most of you know for me working is fun even though sometimes it may appear that I am not having fun I really am that is just sort of the way that Heavenly Father created me. 

We have just been doing a lot of finding and exercising a lot of patience with people in Camaligan because I have been here for a while now in Camaligan I sort of know how these people think and so we have been kind of brainstorming the best way the share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. So that has been fun we have been working hard to do just that so yes that is what we have been doing and now that there are three of us Elders here in Camaligan we have been putting our heads together that is about all I can say.

 

We do have one new investigator who is very receptive here name is Abigail strangely enough so that has been fun to teach here on Saturdaywe had a great lesson with here it was great the three of us were very well in tune with the Holy Ghost I guess because the lesson went very smooth and so we just need to help find the desire to come to church and that is one of the toughest things here in the Philippines I would say and probably similar any where is getting investigators to church but I like a challenge so we will continue to work on that. I am sorry that this is sort of short but maybe next week I will have some more exciting things to talk about but I know that this Church is true with all of my heart this is the work of the Lord that we are all a part of and if we will try our best to share the Gospel I know that we will be blessed with unimaginable blessings. 

Love,

Elder Chilson   

Jehovah Witness Missionaries

Hello Everyone,

So I am actually not getting transferred I am going to be in Camaligan still for at least on more transfer of at this time until my mission president tells me to leave. I was a little surprised when I talked to my Zone Leaders and they said that I was not getting transferred but they said that we are going to become a trisome again and I was like "Yes" but this time the new missionary is an American as well Elder Brown and he is form ID and he is my batch so we came to the Philippines at the same time so that is pretty exciting for me but I have been here for a long time now in this area but that is okay for me I know that my work is not finished in Camaligan so I will just continue to do what we are doing here and help other people Come unto Christ. 

I also had a funny experience with Jehovah's Witness Sister Missionaries this week they actually came to our house (There are a lot of Jehovah's Witness Members/Missionaries here in the Philippines) and so during our Personal Study some of them came to our house and of course Elder Campo was like you go answer the door so I was like okay I am not afraid of anyone and I looked out the window and I knew right away who they were so I was like "Marhay na aga po Sister's" (Good Morning Sisters in Bicol) and they got scared IDK if it was because I am an American or because I was a Mormon Missionary and then they were just like "ito po para sa lahat po" (this is for everyone in Tagalog) and then they gave me their little hand-out and then they ran away and I mean they moved fast after I closed the door so that was funny

So not a what whole lot of other stuff has happened this week so we have just been working, basically teaching people and finding people to teach but one thing is that I have been eating a lot of ice cream recently just FYI because I cannot seem to go to sleep at night without ice cream because it is so hot that after we get home at night I need a serious cool down but that is all part of the fun "diba" as a missionary so I will just keep rolling with it. I know that God's hand is in this work I have seen his hand many times since I have been here in the Philippines as a missionary and I know that as we will look for his hand in our everyday lives we will find it there as well and that whatever we need he will provide it according to our faith. 

Love,

Elder Chilson   

Itaks

Hello Everyone,

This week was a great week first off we had a very fun Service Project that we go to help out with this week at least it was fun for me. We basically ended up clearing this field with what they call "itaks" they are basically mini matchtes so that is pretty fun, I have used "itaks" a couple different times now and I am not bad using one so essentially what we did was mow a pretty high lawn with "itaks" so what could be more fun than that right? Well I had a lot of fun and what was even better was the family that we were working for they were so grateful for the work that we did that was what really made me happy. Even sometimes the wierd looks that I get form Filipinos when me as an American doing things the "old fashiond way" here in the Philippines that does not bother me for me if someone can just show me how I can usually do it to the best of my ability but there are somethings that are just really hard at the same time to do but that is okay as well. 

I also ended up baptizing again this past week and that was a cool experience as well I have now baptized a set of twins into the church so that is something that I will probably never forget and neither will they. President Zapanta is also pushing a lot more emphasis on the Book of Mormon right now which for me is awesome, I think that we can all use the Book of Mormon for effectively in our studies and in our as missionaries be it full time missionaries or member missionaries so that is just a little food for thought for all of you guys out there that if you are looking for a missionary opportunity but are not sure where to find one first pray then open up the Book of Mormon and read some then listen to the Holy Ghost and then I can promise you that it may not be immediately but you will then come to know what you should do with the Book of Mormon to create a missionary experience for yourself and I can promise you as well that you will be blessed for what you end up doing and if you are nervous put for faith in Christ and everything will happen the way that it is supposed to and that no harm will come to you but you will be supported with what you need.

We were supposed to go to Mt Isarog today for our district activity but we got rained out so that was a bit of a downer but it was okay we made other arrangements so we went somewhere else so it just goes to show that even during the summer here in the Philippines when it is not supposed to rain there is always still an opportunity for rain so just keep that in mind but it is okay with me because when it rains it is not quite as hot which is a plus and I hope that your March is going well so far for all of you.  

Love,

Elder Chilson     

5th Belt Notch

Hello Everyone,

I cannot believe that it is March that is crazy for me to think that I have been in the Philippines now for over 5 months it seems like it has been longer, sometimes I just sit back and think to myself wow I am really a real missionary right now not just a member doing missionary type things like before my mission. Anyways I am also on the 5th notch on my belt now so that is a little scary for me to think about as well I do not feel like I am losing that much weight but at the same time my clothes keep getting bigger or my body keeps getting smaller so I left home on the 3rd notch and then in my first area I moved to the 4th notch and now I am on the 5th notch so that is fun but it is my life now and by the way it is really hot now all the time this week I noticed for reals that my skin is getting darker but that is because the sun is really hot here but it is okay my body has adjusted so I can still sleep so no problem with that. 

We have been working with this one family in particular pretty hard the Flourita Family and they did not end up coming to church yesterday but we still had a pretty solid lesson with them about Temples and the Word of Wisdom so that was pretty fun though me and my companion have a pretty strong feeling that they will become members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but we are just not sure when so we will continue to work with them and with our other investigators to help them to see and feel of the joy that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings to them and to their families at least from what I have experienced. I have seen the Gospel of Jesus Christ bless my family and other families that I know as well in many different ways it is so awesome if only everyone would open their heart and their mind to it but obviously that is why we have missionaries and a part of a reason why I am here in the Philippines right now. 

I know that this Church is true with all of my heart and that as people will read the Book of Mormon they will come to know that as well that Joseph Smith is a true Prophet of God regardless of peoples past or background but anyone who reads it and prays about it they will know of it's truthfulness and the joy that comes from learning about the plan that God has for each one of his children. This is what I do in a nutshell as a missionary and it is a lot of fun and I love it. 

With Much Love,

Elder Chilson