September 21

Hey Everyone!

It's still awesome here in Banna!  It's so gorgeous and all the people are so kind.  I don't know what the population is, but there are seven-ish different barangays in it, and there's a pretty good number of people.  There are some really cool families here in Banna.  One of them is the Marcos family and they are so kind and loving, its fun to be with them.  I am really tall for over here.  It's tough sometimes because all the clotheslines are hung right at my eye level, so I have to be careful, especially at night (:  But I like it.

You asked about breakfast and lunch.  We usually have rice, and Ulam.  Which is basically anything haha.  We'll have hot dogs, or a stir fry, or eggs.  Lots of delicious stuff (:

I ate Balut, and something that I think might have been the throat of a pig all cut up (:  They were pretty tasty!  I've learned most of the time its better to just eat it and enjoy haha.  One thing that I think you guys would like is called bannana otap.  Its really good!  You should see how tough it is to make, and if its not to hard try it!  Also could you look up how to make ginataan?  Its really good, and I don't think too hard to make.  If you find a good recipe, send it to me (:

There is one district in Banna and we are the only missionaries in the area.  As far as the ward goes, there are a lot of less active people.  Our church attendance is very low, we had only 54 people at church, and many of them showed up for sacrament meeting only.  Our teacher for priesthood was late, and after waiting for 30 minutes for him, I got to teach a lesson.  So I taught about the spirit and choice.  I hope it was alright.  I got to give the standard missionary talk in sacrament so that was good.  Church meetings differ here in the essence that sometimes they just don't happen, because teachers don't show up, or they are usually late, but me and Elder Daclag decided to change that one, and always be ready to teach on Sundays so that we can start on time.

I know that this is where the Lord needs me.  I have learned a lot this week about the need for meaningful personal experiences wih the gospel.  There are a lot of members here in Banna who, shortly after they are baptized, fall away for whatever reason.  There are many specific reasons, being offended, not desiring to spend their time doing the things the Lord has asked to name a couple, but the real reason for all of them falling away, and for every less active in the whole church is this.  They have not had their testimony burned into their hearts.  Into their very souls.  In my opinion, this is a problem world wide that needs to be fixed.  But how do you help others have this testimony in their souls?  The answer very simply is this.  You don't.  You will never ever be able to give anyone a testimony.  You can't just wave your hands and they have a testimony through no will of their own.  It is the Holy Ghost that gives people their testimony, but even he only carries it "unto the hearts" Without a decision from the person to act, there will be no conversion.  and so Elder Daclag and I have really been trying to focus this week on helping people make and keep commitments that will help them to have these experiences.  So my challenge to you is this.  Take some time to sit down and look at your life and find one way that you are lacking in things that you know that you should do, and make a specific plan to become better at this.  I know that as you do this, your testimony will grow, and you will come to know the love of our Heavenly Father for you, through the Holy Ghost.  I love you all, and have a great week!!

Elder Childs

Balut!

Me and the Rice.

Me and one of the members.

September 14

Amerikano!!!

Thats how pretty much all the kids say hi to me here, so I thought that you guys would like it too haha.  This has been such and awesome week!!!!  It's been so cool to finally get out into the mission field and start doing some work!!  My area is called Banna, and its so gorgeous.  Green everywhere, and there are some really pretty mountains around as well.  If you ever want something pretty to look at, find a picture from a Philippines mountain, looking down into a valley of rice.  Gorgeous let me tell you.  Everyone tells me that this is one of the toughest areas, but I personally think that the previous missionaries just haven't worked their hardest, because everyone here seems so happy and so willing to help.  I may not speak the languagevery well, but I've got big plans for this place. We've met some cool people, and I love them all so much.  This is where I am supposed to be.  We're working a lot with less actives, trying to get them fellowshippers, and get them to feel the love for the gospel again. 

It sounds like the wedding was a blast!  It was sad that I missed it, but I'm so happy to be here in the Philippines, and I'm so happy for them that it was hard to be sad.  I have been really trying to focus on being as selfless as Christ, and so every time that I started to feel sad, I just thought about how happy they must be.  

I love my companion so much!  His name is Elder Daclag, he is from Tacloban, and he is super cool. He is such a loving guy, and has helped me learn so much about the language and the culture here in the Philippines.

I love the food! There's lots of rice, but I love it.  Its a good easy food, and cheap too.  Some restaurants here have unlimited rice, and we went to one and that was fun.  I ate so much rice haha.  One side note though...chicken fingers at McDonald's here have all the bones in them still, so that's weird.  I don't know if I already said that or not haha.  

The language is going alright, it's still hard for me to undersand sometimes, but I've improved a lot since I got here, and I plan to keep improving.  I can usually get my point across,  so thats good right (:  We have bikes, but couldn't use them until today because I didn't have a helmet, so we took jeepneys and trikes to our lessons if they were far, and walked ifthey  were close.  Members feed us a lot so that's good, but I don't like it because sometimes we sit at a member's house for half an hour forty-five minutes just chatting.  Think about how many lives we could bless in that time hmm!  

The apartment is good, and we rent a washing machine so that is nice.  I've come to love my dinky little desk, because I always get so much inspiration there during studies. (and theres a fan, so thats nice ;) 

A pretty typical day for me goes likethis.  Wake up, get ready, proselyting at 8, come back at 12, eat lunch, do our studies, then back out from five until nine, then dinner and bed!  after planning of course. 

I want to leave you with my testimony. I know that this is the true church,and through following its teachings, we will become so much happier than any other time.  I know that there is power in missionary work, and that when you share the gospel, you get such a huge increase of the spirit. Iknow that there is no other better way to feel peace than to read the book of mormon and pray.  I love this gospel so much, and I love you all.

Elder Childs

August 31, 2015

Hoy Mga Tao!!!

Its a good week in the mission because I got my FLIGHT PLANS!!!!  I'm officially leaving on the third of September to go be with my people!  I can't wait!!  The only down side is that I have to leave at three in the morning haha.  But thats 5 in the afternoon Fillipino time so no worries right? Other than that it has been a pretty standard week.  Just class and then more class and then some personal comp and language study, and then some more class.  Thats about all that I can remember.  I love the MTC, but I'm so ready to just get out to the field.  The other day I was at a devotional and this poem just kinda came to  me.  Its not that great, but I like it, so maybe someone else will too!

Down this path of trials and tears

There comes a joyous ray

a ray of hope, shining through the years, 

The hope of a better day

If we look to that ray

With eyes turned to his might

We can be sure that God will guide

Our footsteps with his light

"Walk in the light though blessed child"

Our Savior wants to say,

"and guide them home, home to my love,

"the ones who've gone astray."

That is really the sum of what I've learned this week.  I know that when we look to our Lord, with real faith, real hope, he will show us the way to help others, and help ourselves at the same time.  I know that this is so true.  God guides us, and if any of you are ever feeling down, look for a way to serve someone.  Any simple thing, and when you do that, you can know that you will be lifting yourself up while you do it.

Well thats my normal jumbled mess of the week, I hop that you all have a wonderful week, and find a way to serve someone around you this week.

Mahal ko kayo!

Elder Childs

August 22

Hoy Kaibigan ko!

This week has been a good, but sad week.  I had a lot of my really good friends leave the MTC this week, and the two very coolest elders that I've met while I've been here are now gone, so that's sad, but I'm so excited for them, and now I'm only two weeks(ish) out!  Half of my District got their travel plans this week, but for some reason the other half (me included) were put down as leaving on the 9th, even though we should leave on the 3rd.  So that was disappointing, but I talked to our branch president (who is awesome by the way) and he said that he would work it out and we would all leave on the third like we should.  So that'll be good.

The language is coming really well!  The thing that helps the most is just SYLing.  Which stands for speak your language, and that practice is what really helps.  Well that and the gift of tongues (:

To answer one of your questions, me and my roommates are good about keeping our room clean. We've gotten commendable on every inspection, so you should probably be proud (:  and for me , the real motivating factor is that I'm a missionary and the white bible says to keep it clean.  I know that the more obedient I am the more the Lord is able to bless me, so I try to keep it clean.

One super cool experience that I had this week has to do with prayer.  Me and Elder Porter were teaching a progressing investigator, and things had not really been going too well.  He had stopped keeping our commitments, and all in all could no longer really be considered a progressing investigator.  But during one of our lessons I got the prompting to just pray to know what to say in the middle of the lesson, so I said a quick prayer in my head, and then after that I felt like Heavenly Father was pouring in the revelation!  Our investigator is now moving forward nicely, and things are going smoothly again!  I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers, and that we can all be given personal revelation in our lives.   It's so cool to see all the blessings that Heavenly Father has waiting for us, if we just reach out and ask for them.  A scripture that relates to this is 2 Nephi 33:1. Look it up.  Maybe do some studying.

I love this Gospel so much, I know its true, I love you all and have a great week!

Elder Childs

August 15

Hey everyone!

Here are the answers to some of your questions Mom:

Where are all the people in your district from?  Everyone in my district are from Idaho, Vegas, Utah, or Arkansas.

If you had to pick one or two favorites, who would they be and why?  There is a sister in the district that really reminds me of Morgan, so obviously I like her, and Elder Porter is super awesome!  He is always so patient and willing to work with me and things that I need to do.

What is your favorite time of day in the MTC?  I love mornings.  I don't know why, but the mornings are the best (:

Have you seen a lot of people you know while in the MTC?  Yeah I see some people that I know, but we don't have a lot of time to hang out and talk.  My district is my new family (:

Is the training in the MTC about Preach My Gospel similar to Mission Prep here in our stake?  In what ways is it similar or different?  The MTC training is a lot better, because we do a lot more role plays. Teaching is the best way to learn. It's pretty nice (:

We are getting ready for a new school year and trying to figure out schedules, etc.  What would you recommend for family scripture study topics?  Based on your three weeks of study in the MTC so far...I've really enjoyed studying about the atonement and the spirit.  Those two things are always the best. They can give so much comfort to our lives.

This week a lot has been the same, and so I will make this a short blog post.  Mostly the moral of the story is that I'm coming up on two weeks till I'm in the Philippines!  I can't wait to get out there and serve those awesome people!  The language is coming along and I love my district!  They're all such cool people and I am so glad that the Lord allowed me to be put with them.  I just want to finish out with a testimony on the power of the Holy Ghost.  I know  that the Holy Ghost is there giving us guidance and direction on what we should do and how we can become better.  I have felt the Holy Ghost in a couple of ways this week.  First I know that he gives us guidance to help us with our problems.  I was praying for some answers this week and he told me what I needed to do, not in a visit from the Angel Moroni, but in simple thoughts and feelings.  The second is the comfort that you can feel.  When you're feeling down and that you've gone as far as you can go, the Holy Ghost will be there to life you up and carry you farther that you would ever be able to go on your own.  I love it. I love you guys, and have a wonderful week

Elder Childs

Me and Porter and Sherman and Olson--some of my room mates.

Me with my first zone leaders, they're pretty awesome guys! 

August 8 2015

Howdy Everybody!!

I am loving being a missionary.  We pretty much do the same stuff every day here at the MTC, but the spirit is so strong here and I am learning so much so fast.  The gift of tongues is so real, let me tell ya.  We were reading in Job this past Sunday, and there was a scripture that I came across that I liked so much that I wrote it on the back of my notebook, and it has become my motto. Before I tell you what it is, first let me tell you a little about Job.  He was super successful in life.  Like the millionaire of the Old Testament.  He had everything you could ever wish for, sheep, cows, fruit trees, you know, the finer things of life (:  And Heavenly Father decided to test Job's conversion to him, and so he allowed Satan to take stuff away from him.  First his cows, then the rest of his animals, and all his children, and then he got boils all over his body.  Some really nasty stuff.  And this is where my scripture comes in.  This is in Job chapter 23.  After all of this bad stuff that has happened to him,  he says, "When the Lord has tried me, I shall come forth as gold."  How cool is that??  After I read that it became my goal.  Every trial I get, for the rest of my life, I want to have enough faith in My Lord, that I can have the attitude of Job.

President Nelson came on Sunday and it was super cool to hear him speak.  He is such an inspired man, and I know he's who the Lord wants here.  And on a side note, Me and my companion Elder Porter went and bore our testimonies to random people during our language study during one of the days this week.  (I don't know which one, time is not normal here in the MTC :)  and after we finished bearing our testimonies I felt so good!  Even though it was to a bunch of missionaries who obviously have a strong testimony, and it was in a language that they couldn't understand, the Spirit was there and it was awesome.  There is such a strong spirit that comes with sharing the Gospel with anyone.

I love you all and hope that you have a great week,

Elder Childs

August 1

Hey Everyone!

Its crazy that I'm already writing my second blog post.  I am always busy and it seems like ages since I've gotten here, but it also seems like no time at all. As I've been here I've learned a lot about a lot more than just Tagalog.  The most important thing that I've learned is that the Spirit is the most important thing in missionary work.  If I can speak Tagalog like a native, but don't have the Spirit, I will never be an effective missionary.  So this week I've focused a lot on the Spirit and finding new ways to bring it into my teaching and my life.  I love being given this opportunity to serve the Lord, because there is no way to better have the Spirit in your life. One really cool experience that testifies of that.

It was my second lesson with an investigator named Marlon, and I was teaching and didn't really know the language, so I had some things written out that I wanted to say, but when we got there, I started and the spirit told me to speak on a different topic, and so I started talking about that.  As I did, it felt as if I was being given all the words that I needed, even if it was still broken Tagalog, and I was able to understand what he meant when he responded, even though I would only catch one or two words.  I know that the spirit was helping me out and that was awesome.  I have really come to love the Holy Ghost as I've been here at the MTC.

When we strive to serve the Lord and to serve others, that is when we really grow.  Service is amazing, and we cannot reach our full potential without it.  I love you all and have a wonderful week!

Elder Childs