Another week down!!! It definitely went faster than the first full week and I'm starting to settle in. It's been a busy week and a lot happened. I got the package!! It took ten days to get to the mission home. Not bad! By the way, thanks so much for the peanut butter! I bought a small thing of Jiff in Calapan two weeks ago and that just ran out so I had the local homemade peanut butter and it was the most sugary thing I've had! I could hear the sugar granules as I was chewing!
It's been a busy week. We ended up committing 5 people to baptism but none of them or our other person who committed to baptism came to church. As you probably know, the rule in the Philippines is 4 straight weeks of church attendance before you can be baptized. There are times I really don't like this rule because there are people here that are ready and prepared, but simply need to work to put food on the table. But I understand the rule and think it's good. It really is a bit of the refiner's fire because you've got to be really committed to go 4 weeks in a row. There are times here where I've felt prompted to talk to someone and they've not been receptive at all. One older woman in particular told us how she'd met with the missionaries before and how she "was born my religion, and I'll die my religion" (common phrase here). I walked away sad that she didn't want to be taught, but I felt like we did our job, and maybe that's what she needed, to be given that opportunity to either accept it or not.
We've adjusted our schedule here because the circumstances here are different because it's so rural. Everyone here is taking a nap from 1-2 in the afternoon, and everyone is home getting ready for bed by 7. The last thing you want to do here is interrupt someone’s sleep, we've learned that by experience. I suggested that we go out from 10-12, come back and study while people nap, and use the time from 7-9 for more study so we use our time as efficiently as possible. We tested it out and it's worked very well.
For laundry, I use a Nanay( a woman that does house work for others to support her family) This woman is having a hard time supporting her family so she does my clothes. I withdrew 2000 pesos from my credit card and will use it for stuff like fixing my shirts which I'm doing this week. I can send some pictures from here, but I honestly haven't taken many because I don't want to look like a classic American tourist. I'm trying to blend in, which is hard to do when you're the only white person in miles! People stare at me ALL DAY. It's pretty funny! I try to say "Kumusta" to everyone I see, and when I do all the little kids, little girls especially just start giggling and run away! There's a group of kids between the ages of 4-7 that play by our apartment when we come home each night. When they see me they run over to me, get within a few feet then turn around and run the other way! All the kids try to speak English to me and say "Hey man! What you doing?" I never respond in English and it's pretty funny to see their reactions.
The language is coming along and getting better, but still is very very hard. It's interesting because the members here are not very patient with my language, and I can tell they're kind of ticked I'm not fluent. I just need to be patient with them and keep on working. It's ironic because they're frustrated I'm not fluent yet in Tagalog. I never realized how blessed I am to know English. People here would kill to be fluent in English because it's an automatic job here. President Peterson has told the companionships with two Filipinos that there can be no Tagalog in the apartment, because he knows that if they know English, they'll be so blessed for the rest of their life. It's interesting how it's not till now that I'm realizing how blessed I was to live in America. That's no slight on the Philippines at all, because there is so much good here. You take things for granted, getting in your car, going to the store, knowing that they'll have what you need. One of the saddest things for me to see here in dental health. I was not prepared for it at all. There's one child who is the daughter of an investigator. She's about 3 and just the sweetest thing. Her smile just lights up the world, but it breaks my heart to see all of her top teeth are gone except for one black tooth which is rotting. Breaks my heart! But as a result, I've been brushing and flossing multiple times a day!
Sounds like everything is well back home! Dad, I laughed when I read about Nancy Pelosi. ] (Nancy Pelosi quoted on the floor of the House of Representatives a portion of a statement written by Chip on behalf of his employer) I just hope you didn't help her prove a point she was trying to make! Keep on fighting the good fight! And if the environmentalists give you all a hard time, I'll send some pictures of people burning trash here that'll make them feel better about America!
Dad, Elder G. would like a silver stainless steel vial for holding oil that he could put on a chain that he wears around his neck. He's also like the ones that are smaller than the regular ones. Could you send it if you can find it?
Also, there may be a possibility that I may get a follow up trainer in 3 weeks because I'm making good progress and I know the area. The only thing lacking is my Tagalog. I may train after three months. We will see
I'm reading the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith. It was talking about prayer. I was thinking about the unique relationship that Joseph Smith had with Christ and the Father. He conversed with them on multiple occasions face to face and received personal instruction. One woman wrote in her journal that when Joseph prayed in public, it was as if the God the Father was standing right there, and his child was pouring out his concerns and problems. That really struck me. I asked myself, how often when I pray am I just kind of talking? Joseph Smith is unique in that he saw the Father and the Son face to face on multiple occasions, however he understood that relationship better than probably anyone in his time. He taught how important it was to pray with the real relationship in mind, that we are praying to our Father, who has a body of flesh and bones, and is a real person. I've made a commitment that when I pray, I'll keep that in mind of who I'm praying to, literally my Father in Heaven who possesses a body of flesh and bones. I know that he lives, and that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to provide a way for us to return again to him. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I love you all so much. Thanks for all your prayers! I need them more than you know!
Love, Elder Yost
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
9/19/11 - Hola from Pola!
Hello!
My first full week down! The days seem to go by relatively quick but the week as a whole felt so long! Here are some answers to your questions:
-We live in a Tindahan. It's like a small two story townhouse, and the bottom floor is meant to be a street shop. Everyone here rides motorcycles and we're on the street so we hear them all the time.
-Food is Rice, Rice, Rice. Thanks for sending the gummy vitamins. The mission home gave us Centrium but I like the gummy's better. We're really good about good water but often here like at this very moment the water isn't on. We're staying healthy. I'm sleeping well, I'm really tired when I go to bed.
-The first package arrived at the mission home the day I got there. Mail is tough here because where I am, not everyone (most don't) has addresses. President Peterson does Zone conference every other transfer so I may not get mail that often but PLEASE WRITE LETTERS!!! The peanuts and the sour patch kids are perfect
-My Tagalog is slow but coming. I can often understand a ton of words in conversations, but by the time I figured out what the sentence meant they're on another topic! Oh well it'll come. I feel like my speaking gets better though everyday. One of the things I miss most from home is the showers and bathroom.
We have a really awesome investigator who is so ready to be baptized. He's read the Book of Mormon twice, Gospel Principles, and is starting to read conference talks. He understands everything he reads and has such a strong testimony. The only thing holding him back is church attendance. That's the thing holding most of our investigators back. For his job he watches over and cares for pigs. He needs to be there 24 hours, 7 days a week to watch over them because sometimes the mother will sleep and crush the piglets. His boss has held him up at gun point and threatened to kill him if another piglet dies. We've taught him everything, he has faith and that desire. Now we just need to pray and have faith, and I know that as he always does, the Lord will provide a way.
I'm striving everyday to be the best missionary I can be. I love you all and pray for you everyday!! Love you!
Love,
Elder Yost
My first full week down! The days seem to go by relatively quick but the week as a whole felt so long! Here are some answers to your questions:
-We live in a Tindahan. It's like a small two story townhouse, and the bottom floor is meant to be a street shop. Everyone here rides motorcycles and we're on the street so we hear them all the time.
-Food is Rice, Rice, Rice. Thanks for sending the gummy vitamins. The mission home gave us Centrium but I like the gummy's better. We're really good about good water but often here like at this very moment the water isn't on. We're staying healthy. I'm sleeping well, I'm really tired when I go to bed.
-The first package arrived at the mission home the day I got there. Mail is tough here because where I am, not everyone (most don't) has addresses. President Peterson does Zone conference every other transfer so I may not get mail that often but PLEASE WRITE LETTERS!!! The peanuts and the sour patch kids are perfect
-My Tagalog is slow but coming. I can often understand a ton of words in conversations, but by the time I figured out what the sentence meant they're on another topic! Oh well it'll come. I feel like my speaking gets better though everyday. One of the things I miss most from home is the showers and bathroom.
We have a really awesome investigator who is so ready to be baptized. He's read the Book of Mormon twice, Gospel Principles, and is starting to read conference talks. He understands everything he reads and has such a strong testimony. The only thing holding him back is church attendance. That's the thing holding most of our investigators back. For his job he watches over and cares for pigs. He needs to be there 24 hours, 7 days a week to watch over them because sometimes the mother will sleep and crush the piglets. His boss has held him up at gun point and threatened to kill him if another piglet dies. We've taught him everything, he has faith and that desire. Now we just need to pray and have faith, and I know that as he always does, the Lord will provide a way.
I'm striving everyday to be the best missionary I can be. I love you all and pray for you everyday!! Love you!
Love,
Elder Yost
9/13/11 - First Email from the Philippines!
Well I'm finally here!!! So much has happened in the past week so I'll try to get it all in.
The trip was super super long. I slept most of the 13 and a half hour flight to Taiwan, and it still felt like forever! We got to Taiwan and it was quite different. We went to a little restaurant where I got a smoothie. We had met up with 5 other missionaries at this point. Our gate in the airport was "Hello Kitty" themed. All these years I thought it was a stereotype that Asia loves Hello Kitty, but I guess it's legit! Even the phones were pink and Hello Kitty themed. We finally landed in Manila and boy it was humid. We went through customs, which was pretty much nothing, and waited outside for our van. I was surprised that both President Peterson and his wife, and the AP's, Elder Johnson and Elder Jerusalem were there. I really like the AP's a lot. Sister Peterson is so so nice and so sweet. President Peterson is great too.
On Thursday we had a little orientation with the Elders from the Manila MTC. They seemed really nice. We went on splits with the AP's and Office Elders to Alaminos (location of the mission office). We went to bed and the next morning was the transfer meeting. My trainer is Elder G and he's a native Filipino and is from Cebu. He's been in the field for about 20 months. My area is Pola in the Mindoro Zone. Yes, I'm on the island in what most people think is the most beautiful area of the mission! It's also the farthest area. It took almost 6 hours to get to the area. My P-Day (day off ) is Monday, so I will be emailing you on that day/ or Tuesday your time.
I love you so much! Keep me in your prayers, I'm going to need it !
Love,
Elder Yost
P.S. Mom and Dad, watch the Elder Bednar talk "Resevoir of Living Water". It was given at a CES Fireside and is on LDS.org. It's so good. Watch it and think how you can apply it
The trip was super super long. I slept most of the 13 and a half hour flight to Taiwan, and it still felt like forever! We got to Taiwan and it was quite different. We went to a little restaurant where I got a smoothie. We had met up with 5 other missionaries at this point. Our gate in the airport was "Hello Kitty" themed. All these years I thought it was a stereotype that Asia loves Hello Kitty, but I guess it's legit! Even the phones were pink and Hello Kitty themed. We finally landed in Manila and boy it was humid. We went through customs, which was pretty much nothing, and waited outside for our van. I was surprised that both President Peterson and his wife, and the AP's, Elder Johnson and Elder Jerusalem were there. I really like the AP's a lot. Sister Peterson is so so nice and so sweet. President Peterson is great too.
On Thursday we had a little orientation with the Elders from the Manila MTC. They seemed really nice. We went on splits with the AP's and Office Elders to Alaminos (location of the mission office). We went to bed and the next morning was the transfer meeting. My trainer is Elder G and he's a native Filipino and is from Cebu. He's been in the field for about 20 months. My area is Pola in the Mindoro Zone. Yes, I'm on the island in what most people think is the most beautiful area of the mission! It's also the farthest area. It took almost 6 hours to get to the area. My P-Day (day off ) is Monday, so I will be emailing you on that day/ or Tuesday your time.
I love you so much! Keep me in your prayers, I'm going to need it !
Love,
Elder Yost
P.S. Mom and Dad, watch the Elder Bednar talk "Resevoir of Living Water". It was given at a CES Fireside and is on LDS.org. It's so good. Watch it and think how you can apply it
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Almost There!
Hello! Just a few quick notes. Today is In-Field Orientation so I don't have a normal P-Day today but they've given us an opportunity to e-mail. Tomorrow I have a full P-Day so you can expect a full email then. A few answers to question, not sure what size Tamale ended up getting but it's all good. Thanks for the ties! I love them! Thanks for sending him ties! FYI, He's all set with everything. He has 26 ties now and is set on everything else. Thanks!
Since I get to e-mail you tomorrow, I'm just going to talk about one thing in this email.
We had our very last MTC Devotional this past Tuesday. I was pretty sad because I've loved them. We've had some good speakers, a few members of the Seventy, including Elder Evans who just was assigned to head up the Missionary Committee. From Day 1 I've really wanted a Twelve to come, for obvious reasons. I've been saying, if just Elder Holland would come to the MTC...I've sung in the choir every week, and on top of the experience of singing, I am able to get a pretty good seat. This past Tuesday, I went to Dinner before the Devotional and was on my way to the Devotional. I had seen them setting up earlier and saw there was not teleprompter and I thought, well there goes our chances at getting an Apostle! As I walked in, the head choir director was at the pulpit telling everyone the proper etiquette when an Apostle walks into a room. Usually before every devotional and fireside, the TV monitors show who the speaker is. However, this was not the case today. I sat down in my seat and just couldn't sit still!!! The anticipation was killing me! I didn't want to get my hopes up, but at the same time I felt so excited. Before the speaker walks in the congregation sings three hymns to bring a Spirit into the room. Often, the songs reflect the theme of the speaker's comments. Our second sond was "Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice". This really calmed all the anticipation I was feeling!
We were singing the third song, and the doors open, I sat on the edge of my seat to see who it was. And there walked in Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.
You can imagine how I was feeling! In case you don't know, Elder Holland is by far my favorite. When he speaks in conference I always get so much out of his comments. I just can't even describe how much I love him. I've been reading a lot of his talks away and his ever powerful witness of the Savior and of the Restoration of the Gospel never ceases to amaze me. It was interesting, as I sat there before he spoke, I started to well up. I'm not really sure why. I just couldn't help but see a lot of similarities between myself and him. He's such an example to me and I want so much to be like him.
His talk was amazing. I took tons of notes and I wish I could share them all. Remember a few weeks back when I talked about the talk he gave? He said some of the same things word for word. He spoke of how his mission means everything to him. I want to be able to look back like he can with such happiness on my mission. You can tell that he gave it absolutely everything he had. He told us something interesting that I had never really thought about. He said the vast majority of the missionary work in the world's history will be done in the dispensation and by this generation. Wow!! He spoke of how many of the missionaries in the scriptures who do not find great success saw us in this day. They knew that while they themselves might not experience great success, others would. This was so comforting to me to know that I'm not alone. When times get tough, I can take a look back at them, gain strength from their testimonies, and they will help strengthen me.
He closed his remarks speaking about God's love for us. He said something interesting that really struck me. He said, "I am so far from perfect. I have need to repent everyday. However, there is one area in which I believe I am almost perfect, and that is my love for my children. I would do anything for them in righteousness. Imagine what our perfect Father in Heaven's love for us is like." I loved that so much. He gave his one and only perfect son for all the imperfect ones. Can you imagine literally giving your one perfect child, who has never harmed a soul, or done wrong to die for those who are with sin? Wow. The thought that really struck me was when he spoke of the Savior's utterance of the word "Abba" in addressing his father. There is not a direct translation for the word, but the closest is "Daddy". The Savior cried for his "Daddy" is Gethsemane, and on Calvary. He was willing to do his father's will, because he loved his father, and loves us. Please watch the Holland talk "None Were With Him." I bear my testimony that our Heavenly Father does indeed know us and love us. He gave his Son Jesus Christ for us. I love the Savior, and I love our Father. I'll write more tomorrow. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Love, EY
Since I get to e-mail you tomorrow, I'm just going to talk about one thing in this email.
We had our very last MTC Devotional this past Tuesday. I was pretty sad because I've loved them. We've had some good speakers, a few members of the Seventy, including Elder Evans who just was assigned to head up the Missionary Committee. From Day 1 I've really wanted a Twelve to come, for obvious reasons. I've been saying, if just Elder Holland would come to the MTC...I've sung in the choir every week, and on top of the experience of singing, I am able to get a pretty good seat. This past Tuesday, I went to Dinner before the Devotional and was on my way to the Devotional. I had seen them setting up earlier and saw there was not teleprompter and I thought, well there goes our chances at getting an Apostle! As I walked in, the head choir director was at the pulpit telling everyone the proper etiquette when an Apostle walks into a room. Usually before every devotional and fireside, the TV monitors show who the speaker is. However, this was not the case today. I sat down in my seat and just couldn't sit still!!! The anticipation was killing me! I didn't want to get my hopes up, but at the same time I felt so excited. Before the speaker walks in the congregation sings three hymns to bring a Spirit into the room. Often, the songs reflect the theme of the speaker's comments. Our second sond was "Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice". This really calmed all the anticipation I was feeling!
We were singing the third song, and the doors open, I sat on the edge of my seat to see who it was. And there walked in Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.
You can imagine how I was feeling! In case you don't know, Elder Holland is by far my favorite. When he speaks in conference I always get so much out of his comments. I just can't even describe how much I love him. I've been reading a lot of his talks away and his ever powerful witness of the Savior and of the Restoration of the Gospel never ceases to amaze me. It was interesting, as I sat there before he spoke, I started to well up. I'm not really sure why. I just couldn't help but see a lot of similarities between myself and him. He's such an example to me and I want so much to be like him.
His talk was amazing. I took tons of notes and I wish I could share them all. Remember a few weeks back when I talked about the talk he gave? He said some of the same things word for word. He spoke of how his mission means everything to him. I want to be able to look back like he can with such happiness on my mission. You can tell that he gave it absolutely everything he had. He told us something interesting that I had never really thought about. He said the vast majority of the missionary work in the world's history will be done in the dispensation and by this generation. Wow!! He spoke of how many of the missionaries in the scriptures who do not find great success saw us in this day. They knew that while they themselves might not experience great success, others would. This was so comforting to me to know that I'm not alone. When times get tough, I can take a look back at them, gain strength from their testimonies, and they will help strengthen me.
He closed his remarks speaking about God's love for us. He said something interesting that really struck me. He said, "I am so far from perfect. I have need to repent everyday. However, there is one area in which I believe I am almost perfect, and that is my love for my children. I would do anything for them in righteousness. Imagine what our perfect Father in Heaven's love for us is like." I loved that so much. He gave his one and only perfect son for all the imperfect ones. Can you imagine literally giving your one perfect child, who has never harmed a soul, or done wrong to die for those who are with sin? Wow. The thought that really struck me was when he spoke of the Savior's utterance of the word "Abba" in addressing his father. There is not a direct translation for the word, but the closest is "Daddy". The Savior cried for his "Daddy" is Gethsemane, and on Calvary. He was willing to do his father's will, because he loved his father, and loves us. Please watch the Holland talk "None Were With Him." I bear my testimony that our Heavenly Father does indeed know us and love us. He gave his Son Jesus Christ for us. I love the Savior, and I love our Father. I'll write more tomorrow. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Love, EY
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