Sometimes You Just Need a Bigger Hammer

Hello Everyone,

I cannot believe that it is almost February that means that Elder Watene goes home next week and I will have a new companion soon when I email you next week I will probably know who my new companion will be so you will just have to wait and find out it will be someone probably for sure that I have never met so that will be fun I think that during that mission so far I have gotten pretty good at getting to know people pretty quick because for me that is a big part of the mission is meeting and getting to know new people because I know from mission experience that if you and your companion are not in unity with the Holy Ghost then things will get tough and it will be hard to get the work done that you need to but I would say that for me making friends with other people is not that hard as long as you have an open mind and an open heart then anything is possible.    

I have a officially moved appts now but I am in the same area in Camaligan but we just have to commute now from our appt to our area it is sort of annoying but I am not about to argue with my mission president so that is what I have to do. Living with other missionaries is a pretty different experience as well it is a good thing that I was pretty good friends with the missionaries that we moved in with because they are my Zone Leaders so I have gotten to know them pretty well I really like them a lot IDK if I have said one of them is a Filipino and the other is an American they are pretty cool so that makes things a lot easier. It is pretty fun living with them but at the same time there are challenges too but that is also part of the mission working with other people be it missionaries or ward/branch leaders. I am pretty lucky here in Camaligan because I really like the branch leaders that we have I have had opportunities to work with them on different occasions and they are pretty cool as well    

We recently got a new investigator who is a Baptist Priest of another congregation so that is fun he uses some pretty deep Tagolog and Bicol which makes it a little tough but I am up for the challenge but he is very knowledgeable about his religion and such but we are going to continue to teach him about our message because he is really interested in our beliefs but we will see where it goes IDK only the Lord knows at this point. Also we are just working pretty hard to find new investigators and to get them to come to church and we have had some success with that so hopefully I will have more exciting news in the future with that. I know that this is the work of the Lord and that as we serve him with everything that we have it will be enough even if we feel like we come up short again and again I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and that it will fill in the pieces of broken glass in the mirror that we are building so that we can see ourselves in that mirror of what we are becoming and how much progress we have made. 

This work is not easy but it is not supposed to be so I will just work harder just like my Grandfather has told me time and time again "sometimes you just need a bigger hammer" or "sometimes you just have to swing a little bit harder" so that is basically what I have done to get me to this point as a missionary and I know that it will help me to return with honor as well. I hope that you all will have a great week and next week hopefully I will have some news for you about what will happen next for me as missionary in the Naga Philippines Mission .

Love,

Elder Chilson 

Flat Tire

Hello Everyone,

This week has been a crazy week one thing that happened yesterday that was really funny so we were heading back to Marupit (A part of our area) and the tricycle that we were on the back tire went flat and it happened like just below where I was sitting so I was like "pasensya po talaga, major mabigt ako" and I made the driver laugh so hard ( it was basically a joke that I told him I basically told the driver I am sorry that I am so heavy because as an American here in the Philippines I am a lot bigger that most Filipino's) We all had a pretty good laugh after that where in reality he probably just ran over a nail of staple or something if you do not think that is funny I am sorry.

Anyways we have been working pretty hard in our area and I really fee like I am forming relationships with members here in Camaligan which is nice because Elder Watene goes home in two weeks and then nobody knows what is going to happen but there is a pretty big chance that I will stay here in Camaligan but we will see this transfer has really been flying, we are hopfully going to officially move into our new appt tomorrowand that will be really nice you would be surprised as to how much time we waste as we keep going back and forth but that is sort of what cards we have been dealt to we have to play them so to speak as missionaries we have to follow the instructions that come from our mission president becasue he recieve revelation for the whole mission speaking of which I was in threesome for a little bit earlier in the week but he is gone now.

I know that as we continue to do our best to put our trust in the Lord that miracles will happend and he will provide a way for us to do that is what he wants us to do. Sorry it is kind of short this week we had the funeral as well and that took up a lot of our time as well but as missionaries here in the Philippines we have to do a lot for the words here one member told me recently that if there were no missionaries in the wards and branches here in the Philippines then there would be no wards and brahcnes here in the Philippines we have to do a lot so maybe that can give you a little better picture of what I am doing here in the Philippines but I love service so I am enjoying it becasue I have been doing a lot of it. I hope that all of you have a great week and you are enjoying the snow if you have it wherever you are.

Love,

Elder Chilson    

Rain

Hello Everyone,

This week has been sort of a crazy one I had my first experience with someone being possessed by an evil spirit it was a member that called for our assistance and I told Elder Watene okay just tell me what to do, evidently here in the Philippines and in the east that really happens it was pretty crazy for me it was like something out of a movie for me and since I dont quite understand all of the culture and different beliefs of the Filipinos it was a little tough but it was alright. The Filipinos are very superstitious people so that is sometimes a little difficult to work with being someone like me from America I have no problem with rain b/c it rains a lot here but the Filipinos are afraid of the rain and they never want to get wet b/c they think that if they will get wet they will get sick by the rain but for me I like the rain b/c it cools everything off for a little bit so you can have a little bit of time away from the sun and the heat so Filipinos think that I am a little crazy for liking the rain but I am okay with that. 

We are also working on having a lot of MPL which is good b/c I can totally feel the different when we have members present at lessons and when we dont so my Mission President really stresses MPL and he is so right also the spirit is so strong and having people that the Filipinos can relate to is really awesome b/c me and Elder Watene are not Filipino sometimes it is tough for us to relate to the Filipinos though we do our best sometimes our message is better coming from some a native. The spirit is very strong in those type of lessons though it is awesome I can testify of the power of having the members involved in missionary work when the wards and branches team up to do missionary work everything is so much easier for everyone and we are pretty close to having the Camaligan Branch become a Ward I hope that will be something I will be able to see while I am here in Camaligan that is one of the goals that we are working on here is tough but the rewards are worth so much what is a little hard work compared to eternal life I think that is worth the effort. 

We are going to be moving appts this week which will be interesting we are going to be moving in with the ZL's here in my zone it is a good thing that I am pretty close with my ZL's here I like them a lot they are pretty cool and I cannot believe that I have been a Missionary now for almost 5months a quarter of my mission is almost over the time is moving so fast but I know that this church is true with all my heart and I am sharing that with everyone that I meet here in the Philippines I am having a lot of fun though sometimes it get s a little crazy that's okay b/c I can handle it as missionaries we do a lot for the wards and branches that we serve in but that is okay it is all part of my calling as a missionary here in the Philippines. 

With Much Love,

Elder Chilson  

Getting Back to Normal

Hello Everyone, 

I am sorry that this is going to be a little short but I finally got to skype with my family which was nice but it means my time is a little bit short. Anyways things are getting more back to normal now that mostly everything is back together after Typhoon Nina we got electricity back into our appt a few days ago which was nice and I also have been in a 3 some again this week I have been companions with Elder Redes this week he is the only missionary in the Naga Philippines Mission that is from Guam so that has been cool to learn from him but he will leave tomorrow. Me and Elder Watene are doing well also we have been teaching more lessons recently and we recently have gotten some new investigators which has been nice as well as always I am working hard and doing well and I hope that everything is going well where ever you are in NY there is a lot of snow but here in the Philippines it has been raining a lot and it has been pretty hot but I am sure that you all probably already new that. We had 4 investigators come to church yesterday so that was the most that I have had in Camaligan since I have been here which is pretty exciting basically whenever investigators come to church it is a chance to celebrate because of the requirements for people here in the Philippines to be baptized they are a little different that in the States at least in NY but that is okay I hope that all of you are doing well where ever you are and I know that as we continue to be missionaries where ever we are we will see the blessings and the miracles that Heavenly Father has for his children here on Earth in preparations for them to return into his presence. 

With Much Love,

Elder Chilson      

Happy 2017!

Hello Everyone and Happy 2017!!!

So I am not sure how many of you have heard or not but I just recently endured my first Typhoon here in the Philippines (Super Typhoon Nina). So that was the reason I could not email last week was because there was no power or internet but things are getting back together now but in my area and the whole Bicol Region there was a lot of damage there were winds that we over 100 miles per hour and rain and such like that I had never experienced anything like it before but we were save but that is kind of the thing in the Naga Philippines Mission where I am at it is like the place where if there is a storm of typhoon it always comes here because of the way the ocean is I think I am not entirely sure but they have a lot of big storms here so there may be more I do not know maybe next storm season we will just have to wait and see. There was a lot of damage that took place some people lost a little and we not effected that much and other people lost everything and I mean everything their house and everything in it. So we have been coordinating with my Branch Leadership of how we can best help the members and other people around because some people are in very difficult situations. Welfare and Relief will come from the Area Presidency and various locations because that is how things are here in the Philippines but still help is needed.

So I have been able to give lots of different service to various people I have helped people pack up their belongings, I have helped people prepare of the storm I have helped people fixed their roof I have cut down trees cleared roads and different kinds of odd jobs that have to be done because if someone will not do them then no one will do them for me all this has been sort of fun and exciting but for the Filipinos it is just the opposite I have seen things that some of you guys probably would not think would be possible but that is the life of the Filipinos they rebuild and do the best that they can to survive in some cases because they know that another storm will come or they have no money so they just kind of deal with it is sort of hard to explain in English. I can kind of feel my tongue moving towards Tagalog more which is good my training has been done for a little bit now so yes I will say it has been fun having real conversations with different ward members or even my Branch President I still do not understand everything but I just keeping working hard at it I think that it will probably be a whole mission process but that is okay I am up for it. 

Not really much else has happened we just king of have to go with the flow of the storm and no with providing a lot of service I can do that so it is just kind of that for me and most of the missionaries around now so that is my life now but I know that Jesus Christ is aware of everyone's situation even my own and that through his Atonement all will be made right and we have no need to fear anything. I know that this is the true church again here on the Earth and that the time of the Savior's 2nd Coming is close at hand. Also I cannot believe that 2016 is already done and gone it went by very fast but that is life for me Christmas and New Years just kind of ran by but they will come again so it is okay I hope that all of you will have a great week and a great start to 2017

Love,

Elder Chilson 

Naga Mission Update

Dear Philippines Naga Mission Family,

This is to inform you that typhoon Nina has passed-by. All missionaries are safe and well accounted for.

We have visited those missionaries who cannot be contacted via cellphone  due to lost of signal. We have given them additional foods and potable drinking water.

It has been reported that there were some damages in their apartments and we will address those issues as soon as communication and travels are feasible .

The Bicol areas have no electricity at this time. It is projected that this will last for more than a week. Also, all areas do not have internet connectivity. So, you will not receive an email from your missionary for this reason.

Thank you very much for all your prayers. Rest assured that your missionary is in his or her finest condition. Sister Zapanta and I love them very much. Please continue encouraging them to be the best missionary they could ever be and to be the kind of missionary the Lord wants them to be.

Best regards,

President and Sister Zapanta

P.S

Sorry for the delayed information, we still do not have electricity and internet in most of our area. There are also some areas without cellphone signal at the moment and we are experiencing intermittent signal from time to time. 

Typhoon Nina

Dear Philippines Naga Mission Family,   

I am writing to inform you that our mission will be impacted by typhoon Nina within the next few days. The Church has been observing this storm for days and has made numerous preparations for its arrival. Our mission is taking necessary precautions to prepare for the incoming storm.  The main track of typhoon Nina is projected to pass over the areas of the Bicol region including all of the areas in our mission. Current forecasts show that it will develop into a signal 3 typhoon and is projected to reach land early Sunday morning December 25, and will clear land by Monday.  All of our missionaries assigned in Camarines Norte will be evacuated to more secure locations on Saturday the 24th. Other areas in Camarines Sur will also be evacuated as needed.  Many missionaries will be moving and staying in more secure apartments in Daet, Iriga, Goa, Sipocot, and Naga.  These apartments are located in flood free areas and are away from the sea. These apartments are also strong structures and should withstand the typhoon. We have alerted all of them to store sufficient drinking water and food to last through Monday. They are advised to stay in their apartments from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon and later if needed.  We have sufficient food storage to meet their needs. Mission leaders will ensure that constant communication will be had between each missionary and the mission president to address any issues. We have confidence in our preparation.   Thank you very much for your concern and prayers. We pray that we will be safe and protected as the typhoon passes our mission this Christmas weekend.    

 Sincerely,    
 President Tomasito S Zapanta