Trying to call Manila

Hello Everyone,

This was a pretty crazy week there was a lot of stuff that happened and a lot of it was fun and some of it not as much but that is how it goes I have learned when you have a part in keeping a mission running you should just do your part and not ask questions. I cannot believe that my office training is already more than half over that is crazy I will be with my office trainer Elder Robinson for one more week and then he will be transferred and then it will just be all me and I will have to make the "big decisions" not really just the decisions that have to do with the tings I am in charge of. It is not really like as difficult as I may seem to be sounding because obviously if they needed adults to come and work in the mission office then they would go and get adults or senior couples to come and serve in mission offices like they do in America most of the time I think so it is all manageable. 

Towards the end of this week me and Elder Robinson did a lot of traveling which was fun we had to go to Iriga and Pamplona Zones on assignment so that was fun because as office Elders you have cars and have the "go ahead" or the "ability" to go and do whatever you have to complete your job or you assignment (the trouble is most of this stuff I cannot really talk about straight up because it is mission related business, it is not like I am keeping secrets from you guys or everyone but I am just held to confidentiality in some aspects of my assignment as an Office Elder and I cannot really break that I am sure that you guys understand I will be able to talk more about this kind of stuff when I go home). We got to take care of a lot of missionaries this week and it was awesome I love being able to help missionaries and helping them find answers to their problems whatever they maybe sometimes it is just a lot of mics. things but it makes it all worth it for me. 

I will share a funny story quick though that I at least thought was funny. So because of a certain issue that we have been asked to take care of by my Mission President it requires us to call Manila and it is really hard believe me that it is really hard to call Manila and me and Elder Robinson cannot really figure out why. The answer is because maybe two Americans do not really understand the way that the Filipino phone systems work? Yes that would be the answer that you would be looking for so me and Elder Robinson tried for a while using different numbers online to contact the Manila Distribution Center mismo and we used our cell phone and we tried to use the landline phone as well be we dont really know how to use it/it is difficult to use because from what we have figured out is that different numbers you can only call on landline phones and other numbers you can only call on cell phones so I will maybe let you know next week if we conquer that this week or not. Things like that that would not be stumbling block for a polished Mission Office Staff but we are not that so we just do our best to find solutions to the problems that are given to us we are definitely not professionals here in the Mission Office that is for sure but it is fun at the same time.

We also had some investigators come to church yesterday as well which was awesome and a bit of a change for me because in my last area we did not have many investigators that came to church so that was pretty exciting for me. I know that sometimes we are given hard things to do but I know that if we do all that we can and survive through the challenges that we receive that our faith will be strengthen because of it and I know that there are angels in heaven that are cheering us on so whatever the things are that maybe holding us back or keeping us from progressing they are only temporary and it depends on us how we want to respond we can either repent and become happy because of the opportunities Heavenly Father has give us to become more like him or we can just let things be and just waste our lives away. The choice is OURS. 

With Love,

Elder Chilson          

Office Elder

Hello Everyone,

I hope that all of you had a very Happy Easter for me nothing really special happened here which was fine we basically went to church and that was it. Here in the Philippines they have some different types of traditions but they are kind of based off of other religions so I dont really know about them enough to explain them (if that makes sense) and other than that is was just kind of another day and that is something that I am starting to notice here in the mission that when a family oriented holiday comes a long you just kind of have to stand a lone so to speak that it is just you and your companion and any other missionaries that might be nearby. So I dont mean to be kind of a downer about the situation dont get the wrong idea like I am sad or a lone or anything like that because I knew that this is how things were going to be when I put in my mission papers I am just trying to be honest with all of you and sacrifice is a big part of serving a mission and that is not sugar coated. I know that sometimes you have to give/sacrifice a lot to gain a lot more and I know that is true. 

So also some big changes happened this week, I moved into the Philippines Naga Mission Office so that means that I have accepted an assignment to be an "Office Elder" so that is basically what it sounds I work in the Mission Office literally. So there are missionaries that sometimes get assigned to work in the Mission Office for a time so I do not exactly know how long I will be in here probably 6 months but it could be more it depends on my Mission President but my job or my assignment is specifically called "Supply Manager" so I am in charge or all the supplies that missionaries need here in the Philippines Naga Mission and I am in charge of all the vehicles as well here in the Philippines Naga Mission and I will be getting my Filipino Drivers License soon as well so it is definitely a different type of assignment but I am happy to accept it and to help and serve the missionaries here in the Philippines Naga Mission. 

So everything else is the same I am still a missionary and I do all of the things that I did before as a missionary this is a just an added assignment to work in the Mission Office so I have a new companion now who works in the office to but he has different responsibilities and I have a new appt as well which is above the Mission Office we live up stairs so I am now assigned in the Naga 2nd Ward now and that is nice we have church at 1pm (it is kind of like my home ward we have 9am and 1pm church) So things are pretty different now but it is okay it is sort of a learn as you go kind of experience but I am happy to serve. 

With Love,

Elder Chilson      

 Elder Chilson and Elder Bondoc

  

Camaligan District

Happy Easter

Hello Everyone and Happy Early Easter,

I cannot believe that yesterday was Palm Sunday (at least here in the Philippines) time is crazy right now as we have our choir performance/concert on this coming Saturday and I still do not know all the songs we are singing some songs in English songs that all of you would probably be familiar with from Hymnals and Easter type music and songs about Jesus Christ and then we are singing one song in Bicol which is pretty hard for me but it will be okay and then there are some songs as well that we are going to sing in Tagalog but they are not that bad. I will say that I have sung in English Spanish and French  but singing in Tagalog or Bicol is very different because of the way the languages are but it is okay because I have gotten used to it now so it will be fine. 

This week we spent a lot of time finding new people to teach that is just a part of the missionary work that I am a part of, if we do not have anyone to teach then we are not really doing our jobs effectively because in simple terms I am here in the Philippines right now to teach people about Jesus Christ and if I am not teaching people I am just wasting my time and we all know that I am not about wasting time so sometimes it is difficult because there are people here that do not want to talk to us or there are people that do not want to talk to me because I am a white American here in the Philippines but that is just all part of my job right now so it does not bother me I know that everyone has there own agency even though I know the effects of someone listening to the message that I have and the joy that they will feel because of it but I cannot force anything one anyone it is just as simple as that. 

I really enjoyed General Conference as well (if you do not know what that is I will explain) General Conference is a big meeting that we have as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints every 6 months, it is a worldwide meeting where all the members of the LDS Church tune in to listen to the words of what we believe to be a living prophet like in the days of Biblical Prophets we believe that we have one right now on the Earth and his name is Thomas S. Monson and of course other Church Leaders as well they give talks about different Gospel Principles and uplifting things sorry I cannot really explain more because my time is limited but if you have any other questions you can ask someone who is a member of the LDS church and I am sure they would be happy to help you. Anyways I really enjoyed the General Conference this past weekend and I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true living Prophet of God and because I know he is a true Prophet of God I know that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ now on the Earth. I hope that all of you have a great Easter Sunday and continue to partake of the special Easter Season.

Love,

Elder Chilson          

 Elder Brown he is padjaking with some children.

 Elder Chilson and Nanay Segovia 

He provided service for her.

   

Crazy Week

Hello Everyone, 

This week was a bit of a crazy week for me but that was fine because I am pretty good at being flexible, just like in football where ever my coach needs me to play for the team to be successful that is where I will play same here in the mission what ever my mission leaders tell me to do that is what I am going to do because I know that their information comes from Heavenly Father mismo and that is awesome for me I know that the Windows of Heaven are open and that Heavenly Father speaks to us and gives revelation when we need it. Anyways a quick side note I am singing in a missionary Easter Choir so I am pretty excited about that and it was by invitation as well so that was exciting for me to accept that invitation to singing there is so much power para sa akin in bearing testimony through song (D&C 25:12) 

Also I had an experience this week that reminded me of home we were siting on a jeepney(a jeepney is a big form of transportation that they use here in the Philippines it is like a bus and a truck combined) waiting to go to Camaligan from Naga City and there was a lady on the jeepney that was on the phone talking to here children and planing with them what to do because she was going to be late and it just made me think of home because my mom's schedule is always crazy and it was always impossible for here to be everywhere that she needed to be so that is just sort of life but I thought it was funny. Another quick funny story Jehovah's Witnesses came to our door again (I think we need to move to a new apartment just kidding...) This time they spoke English so that was fun we were planning for the day and then I saw some people out side our gate in front of our apartment and I said to my companions I bet those are Jehovah's Witnesses again and then Elder Campo was like okay then you go grab the door and so I was like okay so then I answered the door and sure enough it was Jehovah's Witnesses and they were different than the last ones this time they spoke English because they were from Africa apparently so then me and Elder Brown took care of this one because our Filipino companions ran inside because they are not very good at English but we just talked to them and gave them some reading material so maybe they will read I dont really know it is up to them. 

It is also graduation season right now where I am at in the Philippines at least most colleges and schools right now have graduation so that has been fun it has made me think back to my high school graduation a little which is weird for me to think about but that is life and reality. That is really all that has happened not much else really all that exciting just the same work that we do as missionaries. I hope that this Easter Season will be one of peace hope and joy for all of you. 

Love,

Elder Chilson             

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