October 25

Hey Everybody!!!

This week has been good!  We started out the week with a bagyo (typhoon)  and it was awesome!!!  I love the rain, and here in the Philippines the rain is nice and warm too so that was nice.  We got to go and visit some investigators and members and just check up on them and make sure they were alright.  It wasn't too bad here in Banna.  We had some pretty good rain (it rained from Sunday to Friday morning) and it got pretty windy one night, but other than that no problems.  It made it a little bit hard for the work though.  During the bagyo, people just sleep.  So they don't want to listen to us too much.  But we did have a couple of good lessons, and found some new investigators, so that was good.  

My favorite teaching moment was with a member this week.  She is really sweet and kind, and committed to the gospel, but her children are begining to go inactive, and her husband has issues with the word of wisdom.  It's really hard for her because she wants so badly to help them, but she doesn't know how because they don't want to listen to her.  We were able to talk to her and comfort her a little bit, and then we shared about agency and how important this life is for learning and growth, and though we can't always control others' actions, we can always love them, and that is what she should continue to do.  I have really come to know that love is most important here on this earth.  If we don't have love for others we don't really have anything.  

The highlight of the week was for sure the fact that I had my first baptism!!!  Its was so cool.  Her name is Khyla and she is only 10 years old, and probably one of the shyest people that I've ever met. I got to be the one to baptize her and it was so cool to get to participate in her first saving ordinance.  We baptized her in the river and that was fun.  It was nice and brown because of the bagyo, but that was where she wanted to do it.  After the baptism, normally the newly baptized will bear their testimony, but we didn't think that Khyla would, because she is so shy.  When we tried to practice with her a couple of days before she ran and hid, so we were a little bit concerned, and decided just to skip it.  But when the time came for the testimony, we looked over at her and she was so ready to bear her testimony!  She stood up and bore her testimony in front of the whole group, and it was simple, but powerful.  Thats the real key to testimonies.  It doesn't matter how good you are at speaking.  All you need is to bear a simple testimony of things that you KNOW are true.  That is how to get people to feel the spirit through you.  

I want you all to know that I know that this is God's church.  I know that the Holy Ghost is real and it is there to help us and comfort us throughout all of our trials in this life.  I know that the Savior's atonement is real, and through him we can all become clean.  I love my Savior, and know that he lives, and I love all of you.  Have a great week.

Elder Childs

PS One of my friends shared with me the symbolism behind Christ washing his disciples' feet.  Its really cool!  But it will mean more to you as you study and learn about it on your own, so try and find out! 

October 19

Hey Everybody!

We are in the middle of a typhoon (literally today we're in the eye of the typhoon) but it's not too bad.  Banna is on a signal two, out of four, four being the worst, but we haven't actually gotten a lot of wind or rain, so I'm kind of disappointed about that.  But it's still going to be here for another day or two so there is still hope haha.  The typhoon is named Lando, and so far we're all safe here.

Its been a good week here in Banna.  We had an investigator interviewed and passed off for baptism this Saturday!!!! So I'm pumped for that.  And then there we had some good service projects and lessons and finding and some exchanges.  All in all a good week.

During the exchanges, I had a thought.  Me and my companion usually cook using this stuff called magic sarap.  It means magic delicious in English.  Its pretty good!  It makes it easy to cook, and it is pretty delicious, but my companion for exchanges, man he knew how to cook.  He had been cooking since he was in fourth grade, and he was good at it.  All of the sudden, I had all sorts of new delicious flavors that were awesome!  I loved it.  I think that a lot of the time our life can be like this.  We get stuck in ruts, doing the same thing over and over again, and that's alright.  The magic sarap of life is pretty ok.  But as we try to find ways to use new spices (find new ways to study, new ways to serve, new ways to grow closer as a family) our life becomes so much fuller.  Many times we read our scriptures the same way every day, do the same things, do family home evening because we know we should, but as we try to change it up sometimes, and do everything a little bit better every day, we will become so much happier.  The church is there to make us happier, but we have to put some effort in.  Sometimes it takes a little bit more time to do these things the way they should be done, but the joy that it brings is so incredible its all worth it.  I love you all, and have a wonderful week!

Elder Childs

Answers to Dad's Questions:

How is the teaching going?  How many appointments do you have each week?  Teaching is good.  We're averaging a little more than twenty lessons in a week, but the standard of excellence is forty, so we're working on bumping that up.

Do you have any baptisms scheduled?  We have four investigators with a baptismal date, one this week!!!  But only three of them are progressing.

How many baptisms does your mission do in a month?  The mission standard of excellence is 4 baptisms per companionship per month, but we're not very close to that.  I don't know exactly what, but hopefully its growing!

Do you ever eat with the members?  We eat with members fairly often.  Not every day, but a couple of times a week.  Its always delicious whatever it is, and I really like the rice.  Which is good haha.

What is your favorite food so far?  I don't know.  I really just eat whatever.  I like the adobo, oh and they have this really delicious thing, its called ube.  It's like a purple yam that they use in baking breads and cookies and cakes a lot.  I don't know if there's any of it in america, but you should see if you can find it and try it.  It's awesome.

Answers to Mom's Questions:

What is the most interesting thing you have learned about the Filipino people in your area?  How do they differ or how are they the same as you?  Philippinos are loud!  That's what I've learned most about them.  They're so crazy, but its fun.  And they're very family oriented and kind.  I love being around them, but their sense of humor is a little bit different than in America.

Do you do your own laundry?  Do you have a housekeeper?  We do our own laundry and everything, We do have a washing machine.  No housekeeper though.

Sonda Smith said she taught a lot of Filipino people on her mission.  She said back then the women were always very interested in the church but the men didn't want to have anything to do with it.  Do you find this to be the case in Banna?  It is a little bit like that.  We have about fifty people that attend sacrament meeting regularly, and probably 10 of them are men.  The rest are women and children.  But we've got some really good investigators with the whole family interested, it's just sometimes hard to meet with them because of work.

Do you do any service projects there?  What are they?  We do do service projects!  I'll send some pictures of the two that we've done so far.  They're fun stuff!

This was our service project this morning.  We cleaned up the lot of the future church.  (With machetes.  So basically the coolest)

We built this for one of the members last week.  Its an extension to her kitchen.  It actually turned out pretty well!

We had a birthday party and this was the delicious food!  Those are hot dogs on sticks with marshmallows, just in case you were wondering (:

October 12

Magandang Tanghali po!

Its been a good week! My favorite day was Friday.  In the morning we went to the San Nicholas Chapel, and by we I mean me and Elder Torion, because we had done splits the day before.  We went to the San Nicholas Chapel because on Friday we had interviews with President Andrada.  I met up with Elder Daclag and we did our weekly planning there at the chapel, until it was time for our interviews.  Elder Daclag was first so I played the piano while I waited, then I went into the interview.  It was great!  I love President Andrada, he has such a strong spirit and is definitely inspired of the Lord.  After the interview we went back here to Banna for our tracting.  We went out when we got back and taught the Augustine family first.  They are two girls, recent converts, fifteen and thirteen, with a father and mother who are still not baptized.  And had a good lesson there about enduring to the end.  Then we went to Jan Jan.  He's a 12 year old boy that is investigating the gospel.  He's so cool.  He reminds me of Neal a little bit.  He is always at his uncle's house and their family is cool.  The father, Brother Joen is the second councilor in the branch presidency.  Then we gave a member training lesson to the Marcos family, so we just taught them about how to share the gospel, and then we went to the Contawi family.  They're returning less actives and they are so nice.  They kind of remind me of the Gibsons.  Just younger (:  They fed us dinner and I don't remember any of the names and then we went home and planned!  Its so fun to get to teach the gospel to others.  There is such a strong spirit that comes into your life as you testify to others of the simple truths that you know.  I love this gospel so much.

 I got to see General Conference this Sunday, well the Sunday morning session at least, and it was so uplifting!  I love getting to listen to the words of the prophets!  There was one insight that really hit me while listening to the words of President Eyring, that I want to share with all of you.  He talked about his father, and the testimony that he had.  How he had an absolute conviction that the Gospel was true, and was practiced at listening to the Spirit.  But his highest position in the church was a High Councilor.  I'm sure that at times he was tempted to pity himself because of that.  I'm sure his desire was strong to serve the Lord, and he may have felt higher callings could have helped him give greater service.  But what I'm sure he didn't know, is that while he was living every day, he was raising an apostle.  His every action word and deed contributed to who Elder Eyring is today.  In my life, and maybe in yours as well, we question the Lords plan.  It may come from a righteous desire, but what we need to always remember, is that the Lord's Plan is so much greater than our own.  That our job is not to try and be a space ship, if the Lord has called us to be a truck.  As we follow the Lord's plan for us, and trust in him, no matter what happens, we will find so much peace and joy that come into our lives.  I know that this Gospel is so true.  There is nothing like it, and the happiness it brings is real.  Always remember that.  I love you all and have a great week!

Elder Childs

PS, if you're looking for any good study material, 3rd Nephi 13 is a great chapter, and the Will of God is a great Mormon Message.

I hope you like my pictures, and I hope you keep living the dream!

This is our Zone right now.  They're pretty cool.

This is me with our BML.

Everyone's always asking about the apartment (who knows why) .  :)   So here it is!

October 5

Hey everybody!!!

So I didn't actually get to watch General Conference this week, but next week.  And it will be in English!!  We thought Tagalog, but we were wrong!  So I'm happy about that (:  I'm excited to see who the new apostles are.  I know they're gonna kill it. 

It's been a pretty good week!  We had a lot of good lessons, and I love Banna!  The people here are so nice. They are all so happy with so little. It's inspiring to me, and there is such a strong spirit that comes from sharing the Gospel.  You all should try it!  I think that people get scared a lot about sharing the Gospel a lot, but this week I realized how silly that is.  Imagine it this way.  You have a recipe for the most delicious cookies in the whole world, and you know you're friend will love it.  And so you offer to share the recipe with them!  Who's gonna be mad about that?  Even if they don't want it they're not going to be offended that you offered.  And I know that there are so many blessings that come from sharing the Gospel.  You just feel good when you do it.  

We taught a lot of lessons this week, to investigators and less actives.  We don't have any recent converts here in Banna that aren't less active.  But hopefully they'll be coming back.  And we find some on our own, but a lot of our investigators come from member refferals.  We have a couple of really solid members that help out, but we're trying to help all the branch to want to help with missionary work.  

I would like to talk about one investigator that we have here in Banna, because I think that we could all be a little bit more like her.  We found her through one of the members and she sat down and we did a little bit of the small talk, and then she got right into the meat of gospel discussions.  She had so many questions for us about what the Book of Mormon is, what our purpose is, how she can fulfill that, and so many other things.  She sincerely just wants to know what God wants her to do, and is willing to do the work needed to find out.  We all have questions, and we all want to do what's right, but sometimes we fall a little bit short of the mark when it comes to really studying and finding out.  So my challenge to you this week is to get better at studying to find the answers to your questions.  And to help you with that, I have a suggestion from Elder Bednar.  Its not an exact quote, but its the right meaning.

He said that anytime you have a questions, buy a cheap little blue Book of Mormon, like what the missionaries use, and then read it from cover to cover, the whole time marking it according to your question, and then afterward write a half page summary about what you learned.  

I've started to do that, and I know that Heavenly Father gives us so much guidance through that.  It's made my studies so much more effective and I love the help I get with my question.  I love you all, and have a great week!

Elder Childs

September 28

Hey Everyone!

It sounds like you've had a good week!  Thanks for the recipe, it sounds a little complicated, but hopefully we'll have some time to try it out.  As for the food, I don't know what your recipe was for otap, but what I've had looks like dried bananas, with some sugar stuff on it.  I don't know though.  I'll take a picture and send it next week (:  And the Ginataan stands on its own.  and its super tasty.  I'll learn how to make all sorts of tasty foods out here and then when I get home we will have a feast.  Because its all super cheap.  Me and elder Daclag buy all of our food for the week on 20 dollars.  And we eat a LOT.  I love all the food here.  I am loving the Phillipines.  There is no place that I'd rather be.  My week was pretty standard though.  Me and Elder Daclag are really trying hard to just help our investigators progress, and to find some more.  The people here are so kind, and I know that the Gospel can help them so much. I love working hard, and giving everything to the Lord, because I know that he gives it back two fold.  Tell Neal goodbye for me, and wish him luck.  He's gonna need it.  The mission is like nothing you ever expect.  But in an awesome way.

Its always good to make it to Monday and have a chance to reflect on my week and see how the Lord has blessed me.  And this week, I am grateful for gratitude.  Sometimes, its a little bit rough in the mission field.  Everyone knows that.  Things don't always go as planned, and companions aren't always easy, and investigators don't always do the things that they need in order to be happy.  Waking up is hard, and the heat is hard, and cooking is hard and so is washing clothes and cleaning and walking walking walking.  The list could go on and on and on.

BUT

Lets look at it a little bit different.  You go out into the mission field, where Heavenly Father blesses you with his guidance to help you be effective.  He gives you a companion so that you always have someone to lean on.  Someone to help you.  He gives you the incredible loving kind people who are trying so hard to be better.  To grow closer to the Savior.  He gives you food to eat.  He gives you clothes to wear.  He gives you a body that can do incredible things!

Now, all these blessings are coming, when you are supposedly supposed to be serving the Lord.  Before my mission I thought that that was so real. You go on a mission in order to give back to the Lord, and to give him something.  Now, I don't know if I believe that so much.  I look at all the blessings that Heavenly Father is giving me now, and will give to me in the future, and has given me in the past to prepare me, and I feel like missions are all for us.  If Heavenly Father wanted he could have the whole Phillipines baptized in an instant.  He doesn't need some 18 year old boy to do it for him, but Heavenly Father wants to help me out.

I don't know about you guys, but the second mission that I described sounds like a lot more fun than the first, while the first is just a waste of time.

And thats what I learned this week.  I spent a lot of my time thinking these sad, selfish thoughts, and it was a hard week.  But as soon as I started looking at the positive side, looking at the things that are good about life, I had the best week!

Brothers and sisters, it really is all about perspective.  In life, things are hard, and there are many trials.  There are many hardships that we cannot see the purpose of, but when we look for the good things, instead of the bad things, we will be happier.  There will always be good things, and there will always be bad things, it just depends on what we choose to pay attention to.

I know that when we look at the good things in life, look at what the Lord has given us, we will become happier.  Our lives may not change that much (though I believe a change in attitude will change actual events) but it won't matter.  We will be happy with the things the Lord has seen fit to give us, that will be enough.

I love you all, and I hope all the blessings in the whole world upon you.

Elder Childs

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