Exterminator

Hello Everyone,

This week was a pretty busy week again for me but I really enjoyed it, there were a lot of different things that happened so I will share a few examples of what happened in a little detail. On Tuesday I had an opportunity to be an exterminator for some sister missionaries because they were having some rodent and cockroach problems in their apartment, so of course I took some action I bought some rat traps and me and Elder Miller sprayed some of the areas that were infested with cockroaches in their apartment and in the process of that me and Elder Miller stumbled upon the rodent that was pestering the sister missionaries that lived in their apartment and so identified but that was the first step, then for his large size (his tail was a good 8 inches so that should give you an idea) he was pretty fast to me and Elder Miller chased him the length of the living room in the sisters apartment about 3 or 4 times and then me and Elder Miller cornered the rodent and captured it and disposed of it in a manner so that the rodent will never return to the sister missionaries apartment and then we disposed of the other cockroach-infested things as well. 

Then Wednesday, I went to Iriga to be part of a moving crew again because there were some sister missionaries that were moving apartments so I went and helped them all of their stuff and get settled in to their new apartment, then on Thursday I ran a lot of errands and took care of some other things at the office. Then Friday after my District Meeting I went to Iriga again with Elder McNabb this time to help Elder and Sister Hansen with some projects that they were working on for some upcoming activities and we also installed some curtain rods their as well upon a request that was made by a set of sister missionaries as well, Then Saturday I went to Daet with Elder Golez to deliver some equipment for the upcoming art show that we have this upcoming week in Daet and I made some other deliveries as well and I enjoyed that trip and then yesterday I went to Daet as well and I helped out/was the designated driver for some activities that my mission had going on in Daet and it does not end there Daet is about 2 hours away from Naga so you can imagine me going back and forth and this upcoming week as well there are other activites that are going on here in the mission because right now in the Philippines that have what they call "A Family Week Celebration" so throughout the Philippines there are a lot of activities and events going on in support of strong families here in the Philippines because sometimes that is an issue of concern here in the Philippines because every family here has different needs and circumstances.

I know that this is the work of the Lord, I have been given countless opportunities to serve the people of the Philippines and I have loved every minute, I know that I will be given many more opportunities because that is one of the reasons that Heavenly Father has asked me to come and serve the people of the Philippines unto which I accepted with an open heart because I know that this service is not only be recorded here on Earth but in heaven as well that I may have 2 years in earthly time to be here and serve the people of the Philippines full-time but I know that there is more to come this is not the end nor the beginning, I know that Heavenly Father has a bigger plan for all of us regardless of what anyone might say or believe, I know that this is true and that God's Plan of Happiness is for all of his children and I encourage all of you to share that good news with everyone that meet in the various opportunities that you have in daily life and that you will feel of the love and joy that come with that and see the change that will come into your life and the lives of others around you as well. 

Love,

Elder Chilson       

Birthday Week

Hello Everyone,

This week was another great week, even though it was a busy week. A lot happened this week and a lot of it surrounded what they call "PenaFrancia Fiesta" here in Naga City so this whole week they had a lot of different events like parades, processions, parties and things like that I would say that is sort of like New Years or the 4th of July back home but this is all Catholic Religion based mostly centered on Mother Mary (The Mother Jesus) so there were a lot of roads closed around Naga City this week so it made it hard to get around in cars but I made it through some pretty tough situations which was nice in the van sometimes it would take me one hour to go not very far distances (distances that would normally take me 15mins or 20mins) the traffic was that bad I had never experiences traffic that bad in my whole life but it was a fun experience nevertheless. There were several parades that went in front of the office that were very loud that had loud marching bands that would assemble at 6am so that was a fun wake-up call as well but overall I am glad to have experienced the PenaFrancia Fiesta here in Naga City.

This week as well I was able to get back to some of my roots here in the Philippines and as far as my roots I mean manual labor. Anyone who knows me pretty well knows that I enjoy working hard and to do manual labor for other people. That is what I was able to do this week for other missionaries because we had 3 areas that moved houses this week they were in Tinambac, Pili and in Canaman and so I was able to help move their things by loading them into the van and then by unloading the van and helping them get situated into their new houses, needless to say I did a lot of lifting this week of various objects and,  I also did a fair amount of driving as well and I went to Del Gallego as well to deliver supplies. 

This week was also my birthday week and I cannot believe that I will not have another birthday in the mission and that a year ago now I was in the Provo MTC it seems like that was much longer ago, but I enjoyed my birthday I actually got up at 5am on my birthday and I went to Del Gallego for a little adventure and made some deliveries and I had cake that Elder Miller made, and I opened my gifts and such so it was a special day in some respects but in all other aspects I was just another day I still went out to work in Cararayan as well and we found some new investigators as well that have potential. The funniest thing was for me at the Mission Home last night I had a special dinner over there for my birthday and there was cake and all that and Zander (The Zapanta's youngest child) just kept asking why there was the number 20 candles in the middle of the cake he did not quite understand that it was birthday but it was still pretty cute. This upcoming week should be pretty busy as well and I cannot believe that September is now half over now time is going by so fast so we need to embrace every moment that we have on this Earth because the various opportunities that we get there is a good chance that they might not becoming around a second time, just live life for all that it is worth and we will receive many great blessings from our Heavenly Father in the many mansions that have been prepared for us.

Love,

Elder Chilson

 

Birthday Dinner at President and Sister Zapanta's      

Another Transfer Week

Hello Everyone,

This week was another whirlwind for me because it was another transfer week but things went pretty smoothly again so that was good there were only 9 of them that went home so they all fit into the van so that was nice and nothing crazy ridiculous happened either which was good even though there plane was late but what else is new. The new missionaries that just came in are pretty cool as well it is so weird for me to think of myself as an older missionary in the Philippines Naga Mission because sometimes I think of myself as still a missionary that has not been out for a very long time but that is not the case especially after I look back at all of the new batches of missionaries that I have picked up from the airport that is what gets me. Other than transfers I have just been keepoing busy with other things that have been going on in the office mostly getting caught up on a few things because of most of last week I was in San Fernando with Elder Gatewood but I got all of those things taken care of, all of my reports in, deliveries and other miscellaneous tasks taken care of. 

I traveled some as well this week some for deliveries and some for emergencies. I went to Tinambac and Goa twice for both places this week once on official business and then another time in place of President Zapanta on emergency missionary business but do not worry everything is taken care of now I was just happy to be in the position where I was able to out in the ways that I did and make President Zapanta's life easier as the Mission President. That is one of the big reasons that I am here in the Mission Office anyways is to help my Mission President and make his life easier because he cannot do everything for the whole mission by himself so that is why I am here as part of his office staff to help out in anyways that I can. 

Sister Zapanta always talks about how service is a great opportunity the Lord and his children but at the same time that it is such a special opportunity to serve those that serve Lord full-time (Missionaries) those kind of opportunities do not come that often to everyone so I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for this opportunity that I had to serve the Missionaries of the Lord this has been an amazing experience and it has opened my eyes as well to how much it really takes to run a mission and it just amazes me how I have seen President Zapanta balance his Mission President responsibilities as well as his family responsibilities as well I already love President Zapanta very much but at the same time he just takes things on to another level that just solidifies my testimony that his is a man called of God to carry the assignment of Mission President here in the Philippines Naga Mission and I cannot deny that.

Also right now in Naga they have what they call the PenaFrancia and it is just like this big festival that they have for the whole month of September here in Naga City so they have lots of carnivals and parades and things like that as sort of a celebration and there are a lot of Catholic traditions incorporated in as well and it has also been raining a lot recently so maybe that means that winter is coming soon for me now here in the Philippines so that is exciting that is will be wet but not as hot so I will see about that as well so that is a little bit of culture as well for you September is well under way now and for anyone that was curious or had forgotten my BIRTHDAY is on THURSDAY and I am turning 20!!!!!!!!! so that is exciting too

Love,

Elder Chilson         

Van Tire

Hello Everyone,

This week did not turn out as I thought that it would have so I got a text from President Zapanta Tuesday night that I was going to be working in San Fernando until Sake Conference and so I was a little surprised but at the same time I was excited fro the opportunity to work in San Fernando with Elder Gatewood so I cleared my schedule because I was going to be about of the office for the week and I took care of a few matters of business over the phone and everything was fine I was just thankful for the opportunity to have a little change of pace and get back to being a proselyting missionary again for a few days and then of course right now I am in the office again and I have continued with all of my responsibilities. While I was in San Fernando me and Elder Gatewood had a lot of fun together because we have a lot in common and we both had a strong desire to do what was best for our investigators in San Fernando. 

I also sang in a special choir for Stake Conference and that went well also the music I did not really agree with but it was okay I was not really familiar with the music but I did my best and I learned the music pretty quickly and I actually ended up getting a solo as well which was a little crazy but the conductor knew that I could sing pretty well because most people in the Naga Stake now know that I can sing pretty well so I gave it my best effort and I thought that it went pretty well and overall Stake Conference went pretty well I enjoyed the meeting and the messages that were given.         

I had a special experience on Sunday after Stake Conference and it was regarding one of the tires on the van just like you said kanina that you just got a new tire as well last week yata so when we got back from Stake Conference and I noticed that the time was losing air fast and I was like this is grate I have an appointment at the LTO bukas for some missionaries to get their drivers licenses but then I thought to myself well I guess this is good that I am at least in the Mission Office parking lot and not on the side of the road somewhere so I will just change the tire and throw on the spare and then bukas ng umaga I will just get another tire no problem and so I jacked up the van and got everything set no problem and then it came to the lugnuts and I tried and gave it all that I had for 1 and half hours and I could not budge any of those lugnuts and I had Elder De Silva come out and help me too and we could not budge them at all and I was like great we are going to need some real equipment to get these lugnuts off and it is Sunday so there are not that many options so I suggested to Elder De Silva do you want to go for a walk and he was like sure and so we walked up to the Petron and there was a man by the name of Victor he was the "Service Technician" at the Petron Station and we convinced him to come with us and to help us and he did and within 30 seconds of his time there he had the first lugnut loose and I was like wow it is a miracle and then he got them all off in like under 5 minutes and then I said thank you and then as he headed toward the gate of the Mission Office a voice came into my head just as clear as anything that said "he is an angel sent from on high" and I can only believe that voice was the Holy Ghost and I know that the Lord knew the situation that I was in and due to my humility and my willingness to ask for help the Lord as opposed as me trying on my own in my eyes I tried the best that I had I gave it everything that I had and then I turned the rest over to the Lord and he provided a way for me to accomplish what I needed lalo lalo na I was in the Lord's Service and I remember that words of President Eyring that go something like "when we are in the Lord's Service we are never a lone" and I know that this is true (Sorry for the mixed in Tagalog words) also here in the Naga where I am serving right now "Fiesta" is starting up it is like a big festival that they have here in the Naga for the month of September so that should be exciting as well as I will begin to share what I learn about that along with other Philippines culture here in the Philippines Naga Mission. 

I hope that all of you in New York have a great start to your school year and to everyone that has already started school good luck as well!

Love,

Elder Chilson   

Check out this link:

http://www.mormonnewsroom.ph/article/church-hosts-art-show-in-naga

Elder Miller Elder Golez Elder Gatewood Elder Talabis Elder De Silva