Tender Mercies of the Lord!

Mommaaaaaaa!!!!! Ooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

Yup!  I can definitely believe I've been here for a year and a half haha :)  It's pretty surprising how much I've grown and seen and done in that year and a half though.  I've still got a lot to learn and even though I've been out here for this long I don't think I'll ever be completely comfortable but I'm pretty happy about and grateful for all the Lord has blessed me with.

BJ and his companion with the S A family in his first area.

Soooo...  I had a pretty awesome experience this morning that put into perspective just how long I really have been out here on the mission.  This morning we had a Temple day (that's why I didn't email on Monday).  When we got there I ran into some good friends.  The Bishop and some members from my first area (Panghulo) were there for.....  The Endowments and Sealing of the S A family!!! :D  If you remember the S A family was my favorite family in the Philippines back when I was assigned in Panghulo.  I transferred 2 weeks before they were baptized and now it's been exactly 1 year and they've already made it into the temple.  Woot! :)  Tender mercies of the Lord.  He set it up perfect so that I'd just happen to be there on that day at that time to run into them.  AWEsome :)  It was really cool to see them and others from my first area and actually be able to talk to and understand them.  They were pretty happy to see me and I was super happy and surprised to see them.  Their now 8 yr-old son ran up to me and gave me a hug haha.  And their baby is now 1 and a half yrs old, really chubby and walking around.  Pretty great.  Again tender mercy of the Lord :)

Picture from last year with the S A family.  They just happened
to run in to each other at that Temple tour also.

So.............  Sister L is leaving for America tomorrow morning and the Relief Society decided to set up an FHE at her house.... at 4 in the afternoon?!  But we've gotta run and go to that.  Sorry this is super short.  Hopefully I'll get some time to finish up afterwards.

Either way just know that I love ya to death and appreciate all your love and encouragement and prayers.  They're definitely needed :)

I love ya tons!  Kita Kits sana!
Beej 

There ARE DOGS in the 'Pines!! Received-2-11-2013

Hiya Guys!

Haha, glad to know you're keeping up with everyone's sports and plays and holding a job at the same time.  Good work go Mom! haha :)  Pretty exciting stuff with those Bball games eh?  Haha, as if Hunter and his teammates needed any more excitement or motivation haha.  (They were getting ready to start their tournament. The coaches got all the boys together and had a team meeting complete with white board and team videos! Pretty cool stuff!) I bet he's way excited for it.  Glad to hear he knows how to screen too, that was a pretty impressive pic :)  Sounds like he's having a blast and has great coaches.  Stick with em after the season ah? :)

Glad Kylee did great with her play too.  Sounds like she had a good time being the villain as always :)  Ashlyn's getting her Driver's License??  That's pretty scary haha.  Remember the time I smashed the running board off of the Suburban?  Good times.... haha :)  Don't worry, Ashlyn will be a great driver.  Just don't let her date any boys till I get home ok? :o)

Not too much to update from the Philippines.  We've got Sister G, Sister M G, and S C lined up for baptism on the 23rd and we're super excited and can't wait for it.  We got a couple new investigators near Sister M G's home that we're pretty excited about but other than that the work's a little slow.  We have plenty of people to teach but none of them are progressing much or acting on the things we teach them.  No worries though, things'll work out :)
Sister G's husband is opening up to us a bit and becoming more involved in lessons.  He even asked his boss to get work off on Sundays but they're kinda busy right now so his boss said to ask after a couple weeks.  He'll be there for the baptism though.  Cool beans.  He used to be a security guard at the U.S. Embassy but now he's a Security Guard somewhere else in a city about 2 hours away.
Sister L is going to move to Texas to live with one of her daughters there on Feb. 21st.  We gave her a blessing last Wednesday and she passed her interview at the U.S. Embassy on Thursday.  We're all pretty excited and sad at the same time.  It's gonna be weird watching somebody else leave instead of being the one leaving with a transfer.  Pretty sad haha.  Her daughter is going to college in Baguio and isn't really active there but comes to church with her mom when she's home.  She's super nice too.

Yes mom, there are TONS of dogs and I really don't like them haha.  All they do is look super sick and gross and bark really loud.  It's like they recognize the missionaries and make as much noise as possible when they see us.  Super annoying haha.  As far as homes and shopping areas in this area the homes are ok for the most part but there are still some shacks like other areas.  This one is somewhat like Meycauayan because there are a lot of relocation areas.  People get moved by the Gov. from bigger cities out to relocation areas out here but for the most part those homes are ok.  Shopping areas... There are open markets and grocery stores.... Don't go to the open markets too often though.

That's pretty awesome stuff that you guys learned from Elder Switzer.  (He taught us how to remember the ten commandments, and even in order!) I'll hafta use that haha :)  Glad you're still learnin even though your over the hill Ma :)

Thanks for the Groundhog Day update, pretty important stuff :)  Happy Valentine's Day to y'all too!  Love ya tons and hope y'all have a good one! :)
MAHAL KITA!!!
Beej

Pretty Routine Week in the 'Pines

Hiya!

Glad you're enjoying the emails haha, we're enjoying the good things that are happening here.  Sounds like y'all had one of those be everywhere do everything week's eh?  I guess it doesn't kill to have one of those every once in a while.  Breaks up the normal routine :)  Speaking of routines we had a pretty routine week.  Nothing too overly exciting to write about.... Then again maybe I'm just tired from going straight from Basketball to Bowling to the Computer.  Had a pretty eventful P-day as always :)

'Here's one for you, Ashlyn!'

Here's the Sister G E update for the week haha.  Her sister was the first to bear her testimony and she talked about how happy she was to have her family together at church and how meeting the missionaries was an answer to a prayer.  Then Sister G E was the last to bear testimony and she bore her testimony that she knows that the church is true and that 2 Nephi 31:20 about enduring to the end is her favorite scripture.  Turns out all the members thought she was already a member haha.  They were all pretty surprised when she said she hadn't been baptized yet.  We were able to teach a good lesson to her husband last night too.  We usually catch him once every other week because he has work every day but Saturday.  He's SUPER shy and was raised Catholic so he hasn't completely embraced our teachings yet.  He's super kind and open to us though.  We talked to him about real intent and acting on our Faith in Christ and promised that his family would be together forever if they came together in this church.  He said he would try and switch his off day from Saturday to Sunday and that he'll try to come to church sometime in February.  It was cool and I felt the Spirit.  I'm excited for them as always :)



Kylee having fun as Mrs. Meers



Sister G is doing pretty good as well and is just about ready for her baptism on Feb. 23.  As far as writing them letters that would be cool haha.  There's not really a good postal system here or even good address system so it would be best if you sent the letter to me and then I would send it to them through other missionaries if I'm not still in this area.

Actually kinda jealous of your snow... Back home having Bi-polar Utah weather got kind of annoying but having the same exact weather every single day here kinda gets boring haha.  Between 85 and 90 with the sun shining every single day might not sound all that bad but it gets old.  Enjoy the snow :)



Mrs. Meers-Thoroughly Modern Millie



Hahaha!  Kylee looks like she did GREAT with her play.  Looks like she had a pretty important part too eh?  Looks like she's growing up too.  Pretty surprised to hear that Noah Giles is that old and doing Jr. High plays too.  I've always thought of him as Kylee's little Daycare friend haha :) (They were in Joy School together.) Way to go Ky!! :D  You always have been a great villain  ;)

Sad to hear Hunter had a rough week with sports.  That sure doesn't happen often.  Tell him not to let it get him down and go kick PWET next week :)

Aww man!  Sad to hear the 9ers didn't quite make it.  Sounds like a pretty exciting game.  Again, can't wait to get back and be there with y'all next year it shall be a blast.

Well... Hope ya have a GREAT week.  We'll do our best to have another good one here too.  Also.... You need to watch Groundhog Day with Bill Murray in it for me.  I was hoping we would have a huge Groundhog Day celebration here but it didn't end up happening haha.

Love ya!  Have a great week!
Elder Beej

Jeepney's are a main way of transportation in the Philippines

Not too many exciting pics this week.  Just a neighbor's dog for Ashlyn.... and a jeepney with Abinadi painted on the side of it.... WOOT!  It's the bomb but the driver is a member that is presently going apostate... whoops haha.
Love ya!